There are more people who die of natural causes who believe in Jesus, than there are people who die because they believe in Jesus. There are hundreds of millions of Christians who die every century from heart attacks, sickness and old age: but, some are called to die as martyrs. A martyr is someone who chooses to die for what they believe in, rather than to deny their faith and live, usually for a religious reason.
Some people are martyrs for a bad cause: like blowing up innocent people in a suicide bombing: suicide bombers do not go directly to heaven, they go directly to the judgment seat of God where they will have to explain to God why they killed innocent men, women, and children upon the earth. In fact, suicide bombers are mass murderers and they have a lot to answer for when they will face God on Judgement day. And God will judge them for what they did.
Jesus loves the little children
Jesus loves little children. They use to run up to him in the streets of Jerusalem and he would take nicely to them. And if anyone would kill their parents I am sure Jesus would be upset about that. Jesus doesn’t want anyone to become an orphan, to live without a mother and a father.
Here is what Jesus said about little children:
“About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”
Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.
“And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me. But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.
“What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin. Temptations are inevitable, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting. So if your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one hand or one foot than to be thrown into eternal fire with both of your hands and feet. And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.
“Beware that you don’t look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels are always in the presence of my heavenly Father.’ – Matthew 18
Jesus wants us to take care of the widows and the orphans – He doesn’t want us to make people widows or orphans.
Dying for Jesus
Sometimes people die because they believe in Jesus Christ and they do not want to stop telling other people about Jesus Christ and what He did for them and what He can do for others. These type of people are the true martyrs – they are dying because they want to give others life; they die because Satan the god of this world does not want the truth and the light about Jesus Christ to be told around the world. Christian martyrs are the most blessed people on the face of the earth.
The Bible says: “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns!”
Jesus is the way of truth; Jesus is the way to peace; to forgiveness of sins and love for all humanity.
Let us listen to what is written in Romans chapter 10:
“Dear brothers and sisters, the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved. I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal. For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law. For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God.
For Moses writes that the law’s way of making a person right with God requires obedience to all of its commands. But faith’s way of getting right with God says, “Don’t say in your heart, ‘Who will go up to heaven?’ (to bring Christ down to earth). And don’t say, ‘Who will go down to the place of the dead?’ (to bring Christ back to life again).” In fact, it says,
“The message is very close at hand;
it is on your lips and in your heart.”And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect.
They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”
But not everyone welcomes the Good News, for Isaiah the prophet said, “Lord, who has believed our message?” So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.”
Be encouraged you bearer of good news
Someone out there wants to hear the good news about Jesus Christ. Someone out there is lost in sin and struggling to find their way. Someone out there is feeling guilty for what they have done and wants to find forgiveness. Someone out there is feeling empty and longing for a personal relationship with God. Someone out there is afraid to go to sleep at night because of nightmares; someone is afraid of what has happened to them and someone else is afraid of what is going to happen to them.
Someone is looking to find peace with God and forgiveness of their sins and they cannot find it in anything that they are doing; no matter how many times they pray, or fast, or how many good works they do that simply cannot find that peace of God that their hearts are longing for.
For this people Jesus is the answer and we have the solution to their problems. We simply have to go and tell them that Jesus is the answer to their problems.
Many people hear the Gospel message about Jesus Christ and they put their faith in Jesus; and once they put their faith in Jesus Christ their sins are forgiven and they finally have the peace with God that they are looking for.
And sometimes, but not very often, people die for speaking the name and words of Jesus. And those who died for the testimony of Jesus are very special to God.
“Then I saw thrones, and the people sitting on them had been given the authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus and for proclaiming the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their forehead or their hands. They all came to life again, and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years.”
Those who die for Jesus are precious in God’s sight. Be encouraged: Jesus is with you – He will never leave you or forsake you; no, not even in death.
“The apostles were performing many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers were meeting regularly at the Temple in the area known as Solomon’s Colonnade. But no one else dared to join them, even though all the people had high regard for them. Yet more and more people believed and were brought to the Lord—crowds of both men and women. As a result of the apostles’ work, sick people were brought out into the streets on beds and mats so that Peter’s shadow might fall across some of them as he went by. Crowds came from the villages around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those possessed by evil spirits, and they were all healed.
The high priest and his officials, who were Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. But an angel of the Lord came at night, opened the gates of the jail, and brought them out. Then he told them, “Go to the Temple and give the people this message of life!”
So at daybreak the apostles entered the Temple, as they were told, and immediately began teaching.
But Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than any human authority. The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead after you killed him by hanging him on a cross. Then God put him in the place of honor at his right hand as Prince and Savior. He did this so the people of Israel would repent of their sins and be forgiven. We are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit, who is given by God to those who obey him.”
When they heard this, the high council was furious and decided to kill them.
They called in the apostles and had them flogged. Then they ordered them never again to speak in the name of Jesus, and they let them go.
The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus. And every day, in the Temple and from house to house, they continued to teach and preach this message: “Jesus is the Messiah.”
Don’t give up. Keep preaching and teaching people about Jesus. He is with you.