Jesus’ own Words in a letter to His ‘faithful’ followers: “I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet, you have kept My Word and have NOT denied My Name….Since you have kept My Command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth. I AM coming soon. HOLD ON to what you have, so that no one will take YOUR CROWN…” Revelation 3:8, 10-11
This “open door” from the Lord is for ‘escape’ from our persecutors, and the “door” can be death as well. Here’s a true story of one 16 year-old girl in Asia during the 1970’s who understood this….
The Communist soldiers had discovered their ILLEGAL Bible study. As the pastor was reading from the Bible, men with guns suddenly broke into the home, terrorizing the believers who had gathered there to worship. The communists shouted insults and threatened to kill the Christians. The leading officer pointed his gun at the pastor’s head. “Hand me your Bible,” he demanded.
Reluctantly, the pastor handed over his Bible, his prized possession. With a sneer on his face, the guard threw the Word of God on the floor at his feet. He glared at the small congregation. “We will let you go,” he growled, “but first, you must spit on this book of lies! Anyone who refuses will be shot.” The believers had no choice to obey the officer’s order.
A soldier pointed his gun at one of the men. “You first.” The man slowly got up and knelt down by the Bible. Reluctantly, he spit on it, praying, “Father, please forgive me.” He stood up and walked to the door. The soldiers stood back and allowed him to leave.
“Okay, you!” the soldier said, nudging a woman forward. In tears, she could barely do what the soldier demanded. She spat only a little, but it was enough. She to was allowed to leave. Quickly, a young girl came forward on her own. Overcome with love for her Lord Jesus, she knelt down and picked up the Bible. She wiped off the spit with her dress. “What have they done to Your Word? Please forgive them,” she prayed. The Communist soldier put his pistol to her head and pulled the trigger.
Most of those facing persecution today could have escaped if they denied their faith in the Lord who is the Living Word of God. The question is not whether we are persecuted, but whether we are willing to lay down our life for our faith in Jesus Christ.
This story is from the book: JESUS FREAKS – The Voice of the Martyrs (True stories of those who died because of their true love for Jesus and His Word.)
How many people have a Bible? How much does that Bible mean to us? How often do we pick it up to read and know what God would have us to know? Have we read and reread and maybe memorized passages that spoke to us by God’s Holy Spirit so that the truth has become ‘hidden’ in our being – unable to be ‘taken’ from us? It wasn’t the ‘book’ but the ‘words’ in the book that give us what are faith is for, that we put our trust and dependency on. Jesus is called the living Word; they can take our Bibles and burn all the Bibles, but they can’t take from us the WORDS of GOD that we have hidden in our hearts.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. HE was with God in the beginning. Through HIM all things were made; without HIM nothing waws made that has been made. In HIM was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has NOT overcome it….The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. HE was in the world, and though the world was made through HIM, the world did not recognize HIM. He came to that which was HIS own (Israel/Jews), but HIS OWN did not receive HIM (as their Savior). Yet, to all who did receive HIM, to all who believed in HIS NAME, He gave the right to become the children of God – children born NOT of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husbands’ will, but BORN OF GOD. The Word became flesh and made HIS dwelling among us. We have seen HIS glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:1-5, 9-14
Are you watching and aware of what is happening in America where God/Bible/Prayer/Witness once was the norm? How is it being attacked and to be outlawed? Persecution of the worst kind is on its way! Are you ready to stand faithful as a Christian? Or, will you (and I) compromise and do what we're told by God's enemies, and then lose our CROWN, as Jesus warns? The grace of God is POWERFUL, and so we would be wise NOT TO FORFEIT THAT GRACE that could be ours with which to HOLD ON to our faith - to the end. It's that grace from GOD that gives us all we need to stand firm to the end. In ourselves, we have no strength. It comes from the Lord who is our strength, our peace and our life.