Would you ever renounce your faith

[sugarssweetpea]

This week's promise: God comforts those who are persecuted

Would you ever renounce your faith?

Arise, O Lord! Do not let mere mortals defy you! Let the nations be judged in your presence.Make them tremble in fear, O Lord. Let them know they are merely human. Psalm 9:19-20 NLT

Forty matryrs "History knows them as the 40 martyrs of Sebaste. They were soldiers in the famed Twelfth Legion of Rome's imperial army, around A.D. 320. One day the captain informed his troops that Emperor Licinius had sent down an edict commanding all soldiers to offer a sacrifice to his pagan god. Forty of the soldiers were followers of Christ, and they refused. The emperor decided to make an example of the soldiers, so he marched them onto a frozen lake and stripped them of their clothes. "Renounce your God and you will be spared from death," he told them. Not one man came forward. Throughout the night the men stayed together, singing their song of victory: "Forty Martyrs for Christ."

When morning came, 39 of the men had frozen to death. The one survivor recanted his confession of faith. The officer in charge that night had been so moved by the scene that during his watch he'd come to Jesus, so he broke rank and walked out onto the ice. Stripping his clothes he openly confessed his faith in Christ. He refused to renounce his new faith. When the ordeal was over, the Roman soldiers carried 40 frozen men off of the ice.

In comparison, my life is like a long night on a soft mattress. I may one day be faced with serious consequences for my faith. You may, too. Will we have the strength of character and heart and faith to stand strong just the same?


from Embracing Eternity by Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins and Frank M. Martin (Tyndale) p 58"

I always like to think not, but in reality, if faced with something like that or worse ..... I pray that day never comes, but if it does, I pray that God give me the strength to endure whatever it takes to bring Him all the glory.

[best]

Originally Posted by sugarssweetpea

In comparison, my life is like a long night on a soft mattress. I may one day be faced with serious consequences for my faith. You may, too. Will we have the strength of character and heart and faith to stand strong just the same?

In my early beginnings as a Christian, such was a fear I had...Would I? Could I?
As a read about Stephen and how much at peace he was as they stoned him to death...I came to realize that the Lord will provide the needed strength.
I feel I can boldly stand and say Jesus is my Lord when faced by death.

When sitting at a table filled with family that are not all believers and wondering who will think ill of me if I ask for prayer before we eat... I found that such a test of my conviction felt tougher then facing death. Death of the flesh seems easy...death of my pride...Ouch! I stood at Thanksgiving and asked...Shall we pray. A step of faith that the Lord answered and gave me the words to pray with. Come Christmas...my sister asked if I would repeat such and say the prayer over the meal at Christmas dinner.

When we step out in faith, the Lord provides our every need and every word.

...be not afraid of what you will say, the Holy Spirit will guide your every word.

On my own, I can not do...With Jesus I can do all things.
Thank you Lord.

[sugarssweetpea]

I have a sort of anxiety about what people think of me anyway. Not really a sort of an anxiety, it is a full blown anxiety. Also a perfection disorder ( if that is what you call it). When faced with certain questions sometimes, I know how I should reply, but I don't. I feel immedietly convicted & sad. I don't know if it is b/c I am afraid of what they will think about me loving Jesus or just plain what they will think of me no matter what I say. I don't know. I have always been a people pleaser. Even in school, I was not popular, but I had friends from every group. (Stoner, jock, nerds, etc. ) Today when I was listening to some Christian music with the windows down (it is very nice outside where I live, so everyone had the windows down), I felf very self conscious. I did not turn it off & I did ask for forgiveness, but I do not know what to do about this. I just feel very wierd talking about Jesus. I don't like that I do. Makes me very sad about myself.

[Grasshopper]

We can become so secure in Christ that as long as we know our heart is right,we know whatever people think of us is between them and God and not our concern.
This is from the book,approval addiction by Joyce Meyer who has been teaching the Word of God,since 1976.
Ive personally found her writting very,helpful to me.
Through Gods Grace,im no longer an approval addict,as i once was.

[Found]

That officer was worthy of his rank!

As for me I have done so several times in the past and can only hope I will be strengthened enough by the time the need arises to not do so in more serious circumstances

[shine4]

"Not by power or by might, but by my Spirit, saith the LORD"

If the Lord tarry, true Christians will face the untimate temptation, the anti-christ. He will turn up the heat. But not to worry, God has made a way of escape, HIS Word of instruction. Anti-Christ is not tempting at all.

"Take up your cross and follow me".... means one must be willing to die for the faith. Course there is really no death to the Christian... we just move up.

Interesting subject