True Life Ministries
A Place Where You Are Not Judged By Your Past, But You Are Encouraged In Your Future!
|
Suffering for the Cause
10) And the gospel must first be published among all nations. 11) But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost. 12) Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and the children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to put to death. 13) And ye shall be hated of all men for my names sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, shall be saved. Lets take a look at some of the martyrs of the faith for a minute. I have been reading in the book called the "Foxes Book Of Martyrs" and there was a man named Rawlins White and he fished for many years in the town of Cardiff, a man who was well-liked by his neighbors. During the reign of King Henry VIII, he was a good Catholic, but when Edward came into power, White became a great searcher of the truth. He was a totally uneducated man, unable to read, so he sent his young boy to school, and when the boy had learned to read, his father had him to read the Bible and other books to him every evening. White enjoyed studying the Scriptures so much that he soon gave up his fishing to travel from place to place and instruct others, taking his son everywhere with him. Although he never learned to read, White did have a remarkable memory and was able to cite from the Scripture more accurately than many educated men of that day. He soon became a well-known, successful professor of the truth. Five years after White began this work, Queen Mary took the throne. White gave up preaching openly, but continued to do so privately, bringing a great number of people to Christ. As the persecution increased, his freinds urged him to sell his goods, give the money to his wife and children, and go into hiding, but White refused to deny Christ. The town's officers soon captured White, taking him to the Bishop of Llandaff, who sent him to prison after having many arguments with with him about theology. He was inprisoned in the castle of Cardiff for a whole year. Even though White knew he was doomed and his family would suffer terribly when he was gone, he continued to pray for and preach to the friends who regularly visited him this year. At the end of this time, White was tried before the Bishop of Llandaff. The bishop made a long speech explaining why White was being tried, to which he replied, "My lord, I thank God I am a Christian, and I hold no opinions against the Word of God, as a Christian should be." After discussing the charges back and forth for some time, the bishop suggested they take time to pray that God would change White's mind. "Ah, now you're doing the right thing!" White exclaimed. "If your request is godly and lawful, and you pray as you should, God will hear you. So go ahead. You pray to your God , and I'll pray to mine. I know my prayers will be aswered." When they were done, the bishop said, "How do you stand? Will you revoke your opinion or not?" "Surely, my lord," White replied, "Rawlins you left me, and Rawlins you find me. By God's grace, Rawlins I will continue to be. Certainly, if your prayer had been just and lawful, God would have heard them, but you honor a false God and pray incorrectly, so God didn't answer your prayers. I'm only one poor, simple man, but God has heard my prayers and will strengthen me in His cause." As the furious bishop was about to condemn White, someone suggested they have a mass, to see if that worked a miracle in the man. Rawlins White left to pray in private while they went about their mass, returning when he heard the elevation bell ring - the principle point in the mass's idolatry. "Good people," he cried to the congregation, "bear witness on the day of judgment that I did not bow to this idol" [the host]. White was condemned and return to prison in the Castle of Cardiff - a dark, horrible place. He was brought to his execution wearing his wedding shirt, an old russet coat, and an old pair of leather pants. On the way to the stake, he met his weeping wife and children, the sight of them making him cry, too, until he hit his chest with his hand and said, "Flesh, you're in the way! You want to live? Well, I tell you, do what you can, you won't win." White went cheerfully to the stake, leaning against it for a while, then motioning to a friend in the crowd. "I feel my body fighting against my spirit and am afraid it will win. If you see me tempted, hold a finger up to me so I'll remember myself." As the smith chained him to the stake, White told him to tighten it well in case his body struggled with his soul. They began to pile the straw and wood around White, who reached down and helped them pile it up the best he could. When a priest stood next to him to preach to the crowd, he listened respectfuly until the man reached the sacrament of the altar, then called out, "Don't listen to this false prophet!" The fire was lit. White held his hand in the flame until his sinews shrunk and the fat dropped away, only taking them out once to wipe his face with the fire. All the while he was suffering - which was longer than usual - he cried loudly, "O Lord, recieve my soul O Lord, recieve my spirit!" until he could no longer open his mouth. At last the fire consumed his legs and his whole body fell over the flames. Rawlins White died for testifying of God's truth and was rewarded the crown of everlasting life. I believe that we haven't suffered or even died for our faith (look at the attitude of Mr. White?) as Mr. White had done. I am realy moved are you? I was wondering if and when we are persicuted for our faith, how will we handle it? will we renounce our faith in Christ or die if need be? We have a lot of things to look at and possibly change in the future also how we are serving not only now but in the future. As we seen in the story he was condemn for preaching not killng, or stealing, or raping,- Oh my! What is this world coming to? Please, look at your life and ask can or will I give up all for the faith or will I sell out and go into hiding? Choose Life and life everlasting~! GOD LOVES US THAT MUCH! |
| |||||||
|
Copyright (c)2007 True Life Ministries & OurChurch.com
Web Hosting and Design by OurChurch.Com | Administrator |
|||||||||
