Are you ready to suffer?

I went running again today. You might be thinking that this is about how much one might suffer while running (like I do) but, oh contrare, it is not.
I was listening to Francis Chan's What's So Great About Jesus (part 3) on my run today. It's funny how this past week or two, there has been a lot of talk about suffering for Jesus' name. We discussed how the church might actually explode if we were persecuted for believing in His name. We discussed how we would laugh and rejoice the whole way to the police station riding in the back of a cop car because we were preaching the Word of God. We discussed how close the Christian community would be if we were persecuted. Like I said, there was a lot of discussing.
We talked with Mr. Timothy Bickel (Great earthly father and servant of Christ Jesus) about this and how we wished it would happen. He kindly told us that we should not pray to God for harm to fall on other Christians... and he is so right. But he also told us that we should pray that God's will be done on the Church so that we may better serve Him / wake us up... whatever that might mean. We told him of our desire to be arrested for Christ and he kindly told us again that if that were to happen, it would probably mean that all rights as a prisoner that we now have, would be out the window. That we would be taken to a cell and literally be flogged like the apostles. Now when he said this, inside I went, "Oh, that doesn't sound as cool." None the less, I'm still willing to do it. Just the severety of what might come from suffering for Christ never really hit me. I've never really had to suffer. Ever.
So back to What's So Great About Jesus (part 3). It came to the end, and at this point i was done running and was fully listening to his words. He spoke of a story that happened two years ago on April 18, 2007. Three Christian's were killed for the sake of Christ. They were doing a Bible study with some people from the area who had said they were interested in knowing more, but when they began reading the Word, they pulled out their knives and tied them up and proceeded to torture them. At this point, I thought to myself..."holy cow, that is intense." He proceeded to talk about the funeral and the wives and what they said in response to this (Which by the way was, "Oh God, forgive them for they know not what they do. I am deeply sorrowed by this awful event but my husband is with God. I am serene." and "His death was full of meaning, because he died for Christ and he lived for Christ. Necati was a gift from God. I feel honored that he was in my life. I feel crowned with honor, I want to be worthy of that honor.") and how they had kids and what not. Intense.
Not until Chan said,
"We know that He did not leave their side. We know that their minds was full of scripture strengthening them to endure. We know that in whatever way they were able, with a look or maybe a word they encouraged each other to stand strong. We know that they knew that they would soon be with Christ... I thought about being in that room and looking at your brothers going, "Hold on man, just hold on. You know where we are going. You just hold on. Just hold on just a little bit longer. You know where we are going! Don't you deny Him. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. Let's take it!" And the way they would look at each other and just go, "hold on."

After those words, I burst out in tears. While I was crying, I wasn't even sure why I was crying and I had to stop and think about it. I knew I wasn't crying because this is horrible. I wasn't mad that they suffered. Not at all. I was crying because this picture is so beautiful to me. I placed myself in their shoes and imagined my friends next to me. Looking at them and saying, "Just hold on." and them looking at me and saying, "don't worry, You can do it, Just hold on." "Christ is here with us." "We'll see Him soon." Just typing these words is making me cry again. To imagine a bond so strong between us and then between us and God. To imagine looking into tear filled eyes telling them it will be over soon. Suffering together for the sake of One Purpose.

Could you do it?



Here's two articles on it:
http://www.intouchmission.org/wp-content/uploads/0706_martyrs-in-malatya.pdf
http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/016106.php