“Enter in by the narrow gate…”
Verses like this one can be confusing to the modern Christian mind. How does this apply to my daily experience? The answer to this question and others lies in a secret truth that the early believers closely guarded. It was the secret of Martyrdom.
In The Following of Christ, Greg Gordon gives us a glimpse of what following the Lord truly meant to the Early Church. Join hands with your nail-pierced Lord’s hand and learn of that great cloud of witnesses (Hebrews 12:1) who have gone before us, some giving their very lives.
“This little book helps us to not only admire the ancient Christian martyrs, but to examine our lives and prepare for own martyrdom should God will it. As Greg reminds us, God grants special grace to those whom He calls to suffer by the sacrifice of their lives, enabling them to be fearless and even triumphant.” – David Servant, Founder of Heavens Family
Targeted Age Group:: Any
What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
Many believers in North America know little of suffering in the Christian life. We try and avoid suffering at every turn. The Following of Christ calls us to embrace suffering and join with the throng of believers throughout history who have suffered for the Name of Jesus.
How Did You Come up With Your Characters?
nonfiction
Book Sample
The Roman Coliseum was one of the main centers for entertainment and, on this day, it was not gladiators or sports competitions, but a different type of crown was being competed for. Rows upon rows of circular seating, with humanity throbbing inside. Fifty thousand faces fixed their attention on the scene below. The noise at times was deafening with cheers of the crowd, anticipating what was to come.
To whet the appetites of the onlooking romans, gladiators were sent out to fight. Then wild animals who were starved were released, and a skillful gladiator would kill each one. But all of this is just to prepare the crowd for the main event and attraction. It was the Christians that were competing today for a heavenly crown following the way of Christ in the noble way of martyrdom.
What happens next, The Martyr of the Catacombs, details the sad scene well for us:
“An old man entered upon the scene. His form was bowed, and his hair silver white with extreme old age. His appearance was hailed with shouts of derision, although his majestic face and dignified manner were only calculated to excite admiration. As the shouts of laughter and yells of derision came down to his ears he raised his head and uttered a few words.
“A loud outburst of yells and execrations from the fierce mob drowned his voice. Before it was over three panthers came bounding toward him. He folded his arms, and looking up to heaven, his lips moved as if murmuring prayers. The savage beasts fell upon him as he stood, and in a few minutes he was torn in pieces.
“Other wild animals were now let in. Into the midst of this a helpless band of prisoners were rudely thrust. They were chiefly young girls, who were thus sacrificed to the bloodthirsty passions of the savage Roman mob. The sight would have moved to pity any heart in which all soft feelings had not been blighted. But pity had no place in Rome. Cowering and fearful, the poor young maidens showed the weakness of human nature when just confronted with death in so terrible a form, but after a few moments faith resumed its power, and raised them above all fear. As the beasts became aware of the presence of their prey and began to draw near, these young maidens joined hands, and raising their eyes to heaven, sang out a solemn chant which rose clear and wondrously sweet upward to heaven:
Unto Him that loved us
To Him that washed us from our sins
In his own blood;
To Him that made us kings and priests,
To God and the Father;
To Him be glory and dominion
Forever and ever.
Hallelujah. Amen!
“One by one the voices were hushed in blood, and agony, and death; one by one the shrieks of anguish were mingled with the shouts of praise; and these fair young spirits, so heroic under suffering and faithful unto death, had carried their song to join it with the psalm of the redeemed on high.”
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