Standing Firm in Dark Days

“Cleave to the Lord, though men laugh at you and mock you, and try to make you ashamed. Christ was not ashamed of you upon the cross of Calvary: then do not be ashamed of him upon earth. ” ~JC Ryle

If you are believer this quote may bring back an unpleasant memory of the past, if not, then it will come in due time. Maybe during a conversation you mentioned Jesus Christ and were met with resistance. The conversation can take a dramatic turn with just the name of Christ, sending the arrows flying towards you. Standing firm and unashamed of you stance will most likely fuel the hurtful desires of others, but standing firm is a must.

This isn’t just something modern Christians face. This is a reality all believers must come to terms with. And it’s not just laughing and mockery we could face. Death is a very real consequence for many around the world. I would recommend reading John Foxe’s work Foxe’s Book of Martyrs to get a glimpse of what those who came before us suffered for the sake of Christ. The only shame they had was of their sins, they were fully unashamed of Christ. They counted it a joy to be marched through the streets and burned alive for all to see.

You may not know their stories but you have definitely heard of the one who sentenced many of them to death. Her name was Mary Tudor, Queen of England and Ireland, and her quest to wipe out Christians began in 1553. You will know her as “Bloody Mary”, it was her name that your friends tried to con you into speaking into a mirror in the dark. She was a wicked woman and her hatred for the English reformers was great.

We may never face another Bloody Mary, but we will face many opponents of Christ and the gospel. We should always be prepared to stand in love for Him. Ready at any moment to give our case for the hope we have. And if it’s name calling, then have no shame in Him. If it’s laughing, then have no shame in Him. If it be death that we meet at the hands of those against Christ, then we still stand unashamed and know that God is with us, now and to the very end.

God let there be no shame in me for your name. If persecution comes my way, let me be filled with prayer for those that persecute me. If death for your sake is the plan for me then let me die while preaching repentance and the cross to those who would execute me.