“A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.” John 15:20, MEV
They didn’t just persecute Jesus; they crucified Him! How is it that you and I think we will be treated any better?
You may be thinking this doesn’t happen today. Yet it has been estimated by the World Christian Encyclopedia that more than 45 million men and women were put to death for their faith in Jesus Christ during the twentieth century! In recent years the estimate has averaged between 160,000 and 171,000 per year. Imagine! That’s more than 10,000 Christians dying for their faith every month! More than 400 per day!
While you and I are getting up in the morning, trying to decide what to wear and what to eat and where we will spend our vacation, somewhere in the world someone is paying the ultimate price for his or her relationship with Jesus! And I ask myself, would I be willing to do the same?
Anne Graham Lotz, the second child of Billy and Ruth Graham, is an acclaimed Bible teacher and the founder of AnGeL Ministries. She also is the author of books, including The Glorious Dawn of God’s Story and The Vision of His Glory, both from Word Publishing.
