Episode 141: Baptism of EXTRAORDINARY Boldness 2.0 - Martyrs

A follow-up to the last podcast message - wherein we definitely
need a BAPTISM of BOLDNESS to preach the Gospel, throughout
Church History the most spectacular expression of BOLDNESS is
undoubtedly the hundreds of thousands of Christians who have lost
their lives for their faith as martyrs. 

In this follow-up message, I share many of those stories - from
the Apostle Peter's martyrdom in the first century to Polycarp's
(a personal disciple of the Apostle John) in the 2nd century to
the innumerable martyrs in the early 4th century (AD 303-AD 313)
that was infamously known as the "Diocletian
Persecution". 

The level of boldness that the martyrdoms during the Diocletian
Persecution illustrate is hard for us to believe today. However,
annually they estimate that today more than 300,000 Christian
martyrs die annually for their faith around the world. So, maybe
it is for us Western Christians that this level of boldness is so
hard to believe.

May we be inspired to live our lives differently as we consider
the names and stories of these early Christian martyrs! Many of
them had many opportunities to deny Christ and save their lives -
and yet, they chose NOT to deny their Lord and suffered the most
horrible torture and painful deaths in the Name of the Lord
Jesus.