Stand Up For Him!
"Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son
of Man standing at the right hand of God!"
Acts 7:56
The non-profit organization Open Doors published their
findings about the persecuted Church from the past year.
In the top fifty oppressive countries, 245 million Christians
experienced high levels of persecution, and 4,136 believers
were slain for their faith—an average of eleven people per
day. More than 1,200 Christian buildings were attacked,
and 2,625 Christians were detained without trial.
In the book of Acts, Stephen became the first believer to be
murdered for his stand for Christ; and as he died, he gazed
into heaven and saw Jesus standing at the right hand of the
throne of God. Since Jesus is typically described as sitting
on the throne, it makes us wonder if He stands every time
the soul of a martyr ascends to glory. If so, it would appear
He has stood up eleven times in the past 24 hours.
God gives the grace we need whenever we’re pressured
because of our faith, whether we’re living for Him or dying
for Him. Christians are God’s ambassadors in a hostile
world. Take courage, be faithful, and stand for Jesus!
"Courage is almost a contradiction in terms.
It means a strong desire to live taking the
form of a readiness to die."
G. K. Chesterton
