12 October | EVERYONE
"Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul." Acts 7: 57,58
The mob seemed to be dominated by a diabolical spirit. That cocktail of aggressive feelings could not just be human. There were demonic forces behind the attacks on this man whose only crime had been to love Jesus. The crowd paid no heed to reason. They shouted madly, refusing to listen and think even to the point of stoning him. This is the short story of a human being who died without renouncing his faith in Christ.
This martyr was Stephen, who died beholding the glory of God and exalting His name. According to the laws of his time, he could have escaped death if he had recanted, but Jesus was not a mere theory or doctrine in Stephen's life. Jesus was a real person whom he could neither see nor touch, but with whom he could live daily by faith. And the crime was executed. The stones rained down on him and took his life.
The Christian church, in its beginnings, was persecuted with viciousness and fury. Christians were torn to pieces by wild beasts in circuses and burned alive by being tied to tar-soaked poles. Fathers and sons were separated, imprisoned, and killed, and yet the church grew. No one could stop it. The message of the risen Christ spread like wildfire, setting the world of his day ablaze with the fire of the gospel.
Time has passed. While it is not common today for Christians to be killed because of their faith, if you are consistent in living it, you are likely to be criticized and mocked and seen as old-fashioned, weird, "radical" or an "extremist." They may argue that you are narrow-minded and need to adapt to the times. Yes, today you do not need to die for Christ but to live for Him. Be true to your principles, no matter what.
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If you are mocked for following Christ, you may be tempted to feel like a victim. Do not fall for it. Those who treat you this way only react as they know how, and perhaps you did the same to others before you accepted Jesus. So love them even more!