This weekend I visited the Holy Land. Not the one in Israel the one in Florida. There is a theme park here in which the story of Christ is acted in a very real and live setting it was a great time. We where treated as kings thanks to my good friend Claudia who works there, she got us in for free and even got us food vouchers. There is one exhibit there that has really got me thinking, its called the “Scriptorium” its like a Museum of bibles. They have scrolls there that date all the way back to before Egypt which is pretty amazing but they didn’t impress me. My favorite part of the tour was section dedicated to the reformation. It was amazing to me to hear the stories of these men who where so passionate about the word of God that they where actually martyred for translating them into a language the people could understand.. I even saw one bible there called the “Matthew Bible” also known as the “Martyrs bible”. Its called that because its pages are actually stained with the blood of the men who printed it.
An impressive sight to say the least. As I saw this blood and listened to the drone of our automated tour guide the thought occurred to me that these men where not to different from me and you. Many of these men where highly educated with good paying Jobs, the story of all these translators where very similar they would first lose their jobs, then they would be threatened, then they would take there work into hiding where they worked frivolously to complete it before their very lives where taken from them.
This has got me thinking because I have often considered myself one who would be able to give his life for Christ. I don’t long for this but I think I could do it. Even if I did however I do not think that my sacrifice would equal one of these men. It would be the difference between dying in a car accident and dying of a slow cancer. I would live a life of comfort then in a moment my life would be taken from me. These men became criminals and lived their lives in fear, they suffered the systematic removal of their rights and privileges. Each step they took would be harder than one before it, yet they continued, when they were banned and outlawed they continued.
To chose between life and death is easy, when you die its over no more pain, to choose to live a life of suffering then eventual death is a much harder decision to make. I had ask myself if I could do it, if the rights of America where to cease and they did not allow me to work and I had to move my family underground could I do it. The question scares me because my yes did come easy or readily. My prayer over the last few days is that God would make me able, that he would train me to able to say yes quickly and without hesitation. I don’t want to have to make the decision I do however want to be ready if the need ever arises. Lord make me ready. Live the adventure
An impressive sight to say the least. As I saw this blood and listened to the drone of our automated tour guide the thought occurred to me that these men where not to different from me and you. Many of these men where highly educated with good paying Jobs, the story of all these translators where very similar they would first lose their jobs, then they would be threatened, then they would take there work into hiding where they worked frivolously to complete it before their very lives where taken from them.
This has got me thinking because I have often considered myself one who would be able to give his life for Christ. I don’t long for this but I think I could do it. Even if I did however I do not think that my sacrifice would equal one of these men. It would be the difference between dying in a car accident and dying of a slow cancer. I would live a life of comfort then in a moment my life would be taken from me. These men became criminals and lived their lives in fear, they suffered the systematic removal of their rights and privileges. Each step they took would be harder than one before it, yet they continued, when they were banned and outlawed they continued.
To chose between life and death is easy, when you die its over no more pain, to choose to live a life of suffering then eventual death is a much harder decision to make. I had ask myself if I could do it, if the rights of America where to cease and they did not allow me to work and I had to move my family underground could I do it. The question scares me because my yes did come easy or readily. My prayer over the last few days is that God would make me able, that he would train me to able to say yes quickly and without hesitation. I don’t want to have to make the decision I do however want to be ready if the need ever arises. Lord make me ready. Live the adventure
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