"James Abbeys,a young Christian, wandered from place to place to avoid being arrested for practicing his faith. In time, Abbeys was captured and brought before the Bishop of Norwich, who threatened him with prison and death. He promised Abbeys freedom if only he would deny his faith. Finally Abbeys gave in to the pressure. he was released and was about to leave the bishop when they called him back and gave him a bag of money. Once outside, Abbeys' conscience bothered him terribly. he knew his actions had displeased the Lord, so he immediately returned to the bishop. He threw the money at him and declared that he was sorry he'd denied his faith and accepted the gift. The bishop and his men started again to work on Abbeys with their threats and promises, but this time Abbeys did not give in. he stood firm, and as a result he was burned at the stake."
This is a true story taken from the book Jesus Freaks, by DC Talk and Voice of the Martyrs
Suffering like this is not something we see everyday, but it is happening in this country and around the world each day. These stories should serve as reminders of the incredible power of the God we serve. This story reminds me of God's power to forgive. It may seem strange that the man was not spared but I think we can now look back on that and see the great encouragement that horrible event can bring to others. Ina society where physical persecution is not common, we tend to give in more. C.S. Lewis said you never know how much you believe something until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death. How do you stand up to the persecution you face? Do you back down when people talk trash about God, or when other types of persecution come up?
It is also important to know whats going on the world around you, I have added a news feed to the bottom of the right bar that give news about whats going on in the church around the world.
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