The Blood of the Martyrs
Tertullian - an early convert to Christianity (AD 200), became a leader in the ancient Church. He hailed from Carthage (modern Tunisia in North Africa) and wrote extensively on behalf of the Christian perspective. He was especially inspired by the Christian martyrs. After observing how Christians were willing to die for their faith, he wrote: Plures efficimur, quoties metumur a vobis: semen est sanguis christianorum - We multiply whenever we are mown down by you; the blood of Christians is seed.
This week the world has looked on as murderers representing ISIS led a group of Coptic Christians to a beach in Libya (Simon of Cyrene was from Libya - as were a number of Jews present at Pentecost according to Acts 2:10) and beheaded them in a brutal act of cowardice. The faces of the Christian martyrs were all on display in the photos and the videos. Of course, the ISIS murderers had their faces covered as always.
First, I would offer that a hood does not shield a person's identity from God. These murderers may not be brave enough to allow their identities to be known to the world, but God knows each of them. Remarkably, He loves them. He offers them an opportunity to experience eternal life through Christ.
Second, I would point out that this method has never worked. These Muslim extremists are not the first group of people to persecute Christians. Followers of Jesus have been persecuted for centuries. And--it has never worked. Beginning with the first Christian martyr, Stephen, believers have been tortured, ostracized and slaughtered. While in Rome recently, we visited the only "round" church in the city - Santo Stefano Rotondo. It was built in AD 455 and contains 64 frescoes depicting various martyrs of the faith.
It was quite humbling to walk through this ancient church and reflect upon the sacrifice of believers who paid the ultimate price for their belief in Jesus. Only in eternity will we be able to truly grasp the cost of the spread of Christianity across the world.
But - to my point, the decision to kill Christians has never worked to stop the spread of the Gospel. In fact, to the contrary -- Christianity has historically grown in the face of such persecution. Tertullian was right in his observation. Killing Christians actually leads to more Christians!
Today, Christianity is the single largest religion in the world. In fact, it is the largest religion in the history of the world. It remains the fastest growing religion in the world. The Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell recently published its exhaustive report that documents this truth. While Islam continues to expand, it is no match for Christianity. Christianity is the only religion in the world that can be found in every country of the world. It continues to out pace all other religions. (You can check out this report at http://www.gordonconwell.edu/resources/csgc-resources.cfm and download it for free.)
Today - I invite you to pray for the families of these brave martyrs who spilled their blood in Libya. Let's pray for the persecuted Church across the world. Let's also pray for the light of the Gospel to penetrate the hearts of those who continue to propagate evil and violence on others. Remember -- the greatest evangelist the Church has ever had was present at the first Christian martyrdom!
This week the world has looked on as murderers representing ISIS led a group of Coptic Christians to a beach in Libya (Simon of Cyrene was from Libya - as were a number of Jews present at Pentecost according to Acts 2:10) and beheaded them in a brutal act of cowardice. The faces of the Christian martyrs were all on display in the photos and the videos. Of course, the ISIS murderers had their faces covered as always.
First, I would offer that a hood does not shield a person's identity from God. These murderers may not be brave enough to allow their identities to be known to the world, but God knows each of them. Remarkably, He loves them. He offers them an opportunity to experience eternal life through Christ.
Second, I would point out that this method has never worked. These Muslim extremists are not the first group of people to persecute Christians. Followers of Jesus have been persecuted for centuries. And--it has never worked. Beginning with the first Christian martyr, Stephen, believers have been tortured, ostracized and slaughtered. While in Rome recently, we visited the only "round" church in the city - Santo Stefano Rotondo. It was built in AD 455 and contains 64 frescoes depicting various martyrs of the faith.
It was quite humbling to walk through this ancient church and reflect upon the sacrifice of believers who paid the ultimate price for their belief in Jesus. Only in eternity will we be able to truly grasp the cost of the spread of Christianity across the world.
But - to my point, the decision to kill Christians has never worked to stop the spread of the Gospel. In fact, to the contrary -- Christianity has historically grown in the face of such persecution. Tertullian was right in his observation. Killing Christians actually leads to more Christians!
Today, Christianity is the single largest religion in the world. In fact, it is the largest religion in the history of the world. It remains the fastest growing religion in the world. The Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell recently published its exhaustive report that documents this truth. While Islam continues to expand, it is no match for Christianity. Christianity is the only religion in the world that can be found in every country of the world. It continues to out pace all other religions. (You can check out this report at http://www.gordonconwell.edu/resources/csgc-resources.cfm and download it for free.)
Today - I invite you to pray for the families of these brave martyrs who spilled their blood in Libya. Let's pray for the persecuted Church across the world. Let's also pray for the light of the Gospel to penetrate the hearts of those who continue to propagate evil and violence on others. Remember -- the greatest evangelist the Church has ever had was present at the first Christian martyrdom!
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