Nero Is a Jerk
"In their deaths they were made the subject of sport: for they were covered with the hides of wild beasts, and worried to death by dogs, or nailed to crosses, or set fire to, and when the day waned, burned to serve for the evening lights."
When I first read this, I was shocked. I had to read it aloud to my friend who was with me just to make sure I had read it correctly. To think that Christians endured this kind of suffering makes verses in James come alive even more. Enduring suffering is no longer about getting over a failed math test or bullying, it is literally getting killed for your faith.
It also opens my eyes to the blessing it is to be able to be vocal about my faith in this country, as well as making it even more real to me that people still die for their faith today (like that recent story that I can't remember the name of the guy from). However, if the gospel is true, than it is worth the pain in order to hold fast to faith and to bring the message to those who don't know. Because there is a suffering that goes deeper than the physical, but eternity in hell.
Commented on Joshua's and Eliza's
The sad part, as I know you know, is the fact that these kinds of things still happen in the world today. It scares me to no end to see Christians dying in the world while we are still, for now, able to voice our faith so openly. What really nags at my mind is how the United States would look if we had that kind of persecution here.
ReplyDeleteIt's been said already, but it is no less true. Persecution to the point of death still happens in the world, and sometimes still in bigger, more "civilized" countries. However, all of your points are absolutely true.
ReplyDeleteI feel like the people who were doing the persecution went way way too far when they started subjecting them as sport, which they were already way way too far already just by persecuting them. I agree with the other comments when they talk about how this stuff is still going on today.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely it is worth it. Christians in that time went through an unimaginable amount of persecution. And yet, they persevered through all of it for their belief and faith in God and His promises. They were willing today, and today many people who claim to be Christians are afraid to even publicly state that they are. We should see there desire to stand by God as inspiring.
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