Jesus Freaks
PASSION FOR JESUSThe world was not worthy of them...
An 18 year old Muslim girl found a copy of the Bible and she read it and she came to Christ. She was lying on her bed and said that she had this sudden realization, like a knife to her heart, utter conviction that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life.
18 year old Muslim girl
She said it was like a light coming right out of the pages of her Bible and she was saved right there lying on her bed. She lay there for a while and 14 minutes later she got up and went out of her bedroom into her living where who father was sitting reading. Her father was an imam and an important businessman. Everyone knew him. She said, “dad, I have two things to tell you. Firstly, I am a follower of Jesus Christ. Secondly, I believe Mohammed was demon-possessed.” He beat her so hard. Her eyes were popping out, black as could be. Her face beaten black and blue. Her teeth smashed to bits. He almost killed her. It took 14 minutes for persecution to come to this new believer. 14 minutes.
16 year old girl from south east Asia
16 years old, Asia 1970s – 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 to worship. They 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 bible to the floor. 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 but 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 spat 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 he demanded. She spat only a little, but it was enough. She too was allowed to leave. Quietly a young girl came forward. Overcome with love for her Lord, 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.
Philip from Sudan
Sudan, 1996 - The guards picked up a burning log from the fire. "Renounce your faith in Jesus Christ!" they commanded. We will burn you and cut you until you become a Muslim". Philip had been taken to a military barracks along with thirty-five other Christians. Islamic officials began to beat them and curse them.
Fore eleven days, Philip and several of his friends were bound, beaten, and burned as government soldiers tried to convert them to the Islamic faith. None of the twelve women survived the torture. Philip still bears the scars on his chest left by the burning log used to torture him. He later told reporters: "My faith was very strong when they burned me. I prayed, 'God I will never forget you'. I refused to be a Muslim because I knew God was with me" The Bible tells us everyone who wants to live a Godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted (2 Timothy 3:12). Philip paid a heavy price for his faith in Jesus. His body became a burnt offering to the Lord. But he did not turn away from Jesus and Jesus did not turn away from him. God stayed with him and gave him the grace to withstand the torture.
Trofim Dimitro
Belene, Bulgaria 1960s - Trofim Dimitrov could hear the dogs barking long before he reached the pit. One the way, he prayed fervently for his enemies, the guards, who then threw him down, naked to the hungry dogs. Immediately, a great howling was heard. When the officers looked down into the pit, they saw Brother Dimitrov kneeling in prayer and the dogs in panic. Barking widly, the dogs were trying to jump the walls in order to save themselves from the strange power emanating from him! But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. Psalm 5:11-12
Roy Pontoh
15 years old, Indonesia 1999 – The teens could tell that the shouts and chanting were getting closer. An older teen looked nervously at his friend. “The Muslims are coming. We’d better hide the kids”, he said. Others, following his lead, helped the smaller children find places in the buildings nearby. Then, they hid themselves. It was January and a crowd of mostly Christian children had gathered for a bible camp at Pattimra University in Ambon, Indonesia. When the camp was over, cars came to take the joyful children back home, but there were not enough cars to hold them all. Mecky Sainyakit and three other Christian men had gone to Wakal village to try and rent additional transportation to take the rest home but they had not returned yet. What the waiting kids didn’t know was that the men were attacked by a Muslim mob on the way to the village. Mecky and another were stabbed to death and later their bodies were burned by the mob. The two other men escaped with their lives. Before long the mob reached the University. They found many of the teens and forced them out from their hiding places. Roy Pontoh was made to stand before the mob.“Renounce your Jesus, or we will kill you,” they threatened. Roy was terribly frightened. Though trembling he answered, “I’m a soldier of Christ”. At this, one of the Muslim attackers swung a sword at his stomach. The sword hit the bible that Roy was holding, knocking it from his hand. The next swing of the sword sliced open Roy’s stomach. His last word was “Jesus.”
Thomas Hudson
England 1558 - The crowd looked on, curious at what the martyr would do next. Thomas Hudson had come this far without denying his faith. The bishop had questioned him again and again, he'd not weakened in prison, and now he was walking to the place of execution. At the last minute, would he recant? Just before the chain around him was made fast, Hudson stooped, slipped out from under the chain, and stood a little to one side. A hush came over the crowd-everyone wondered why he hesitated. The Christian prayed. Only Hudson knew the real reason he had stepped down. At the last minutehe had suddenly been attacked with doubts and felt his faith grow weak. Not willing to die while feeling this way, he fell upon his knees and prayed to God, who sent him comfort. Then he rose with great joy, as a reborn man, and cried, "Now, thank God, I'm strong. I don't care what man can do to me!" Going to the stake again, he put the chain around himself. The fire was lit.
Rose Allen Munt
Rose Allen jumped from her bed and peeked out the window. There in front of her door stood a sheriff, two police officers and a crowd of people carrying torches. They were talking with her father on the doorstep. She looked at the clock on the mantel. It was two in the morning. Rose’s mother, Alice Munt, had also been awakened by the loud pounding on the door. “What is it, Rose?” she whispered. “They’ve come to get us, Mother,” Rose whispered back. Rose could hear her Father, William, letting the men in below. Then she heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Friends had warned them of the danger of not attending the official church, but their sense of duty to the truth was stronger than their fears. They continued to worship in secret places with few men and women of like faith. Now the authorities had come to take them away.
Alice, who was not in good health, was so shaken up by the sudden alarm that she felt faint. She asked the sheriff if her daughter could get her some water before they all left for prison.The sheriff allowed Rose to go to the well. She took a candle and a pitcher to the well and returned with the water. As she came back toward the house, the sheriff met her at the door and said, “Persuade your father and mother to act more like good Christians and less like heretics. Then they’ll soon be set free. “Sir,” Rose replied, “They’ll have a better instructor than I, for the Holy Spirit teaches them- one who, I hope, will not allow them to err.” “Well! It’s time to lock up such heretics as you!” the sheriff replied. “I reckon you will burn with the rest, for company’s sake. "No, sir,” Rose replied, “ not for company’s sake, but for Christ’s sale, if I have to. And I trust in His mercies, that if He calls me to do it, He will enable me to bear it.” One of the sheriff’s men shouted, “Prove her now, and you shall see what she will do by and by.”
With that, the sheriff took the candle from the girl, and holding her wrist in a firm grip, put the lighted candle under her hand, burning I across the back for so long that the skin peeled off, the tendons cracked, and the bone showed. “Cry, wench! Let me hear you cry!” he yelled. Rose refused to utter a sound. When he finally pushed her away, Rose said, “ Sir, have you done what you will do?” “Yes, and if you don’t like it, then mend it.” “Mend it!” said Rose, “No, the Lord mend you, and give you repentance, if it be His will. And now, if you think it good, begin at the feet, burn to the head also. For he that sent you shall pay you your wages one day, I promise you.”
Having said this, Rose carried the water into the house to her mother. The same morning, the sheriff and his men arrested six others. After they had been in prison a few days, they were all brought to trail. Each one answered with firmness and refused to change their belief in any way. They were sentenced to be burned at the stake. When they were brought out, the martyrs knelt, said their prayers, and were tied to the stakes. When the fire rose all around them, they clapped their hands for joy in the fire. The people who looked on- thousands of them- cried out, “ Lord strengthen you! The Lord comfort you! The Lord pour out his mercies upon you!” and other words of comfort. The martyrs gave themselves to the flames with courage that all who saw them were amazed.
“I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!” Luke 12:4-5
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