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Many people in the world today who profess the love for Christ and want to be a true follower of Christ, can't really be a true martyr for Christ. Being a true martyr for Christ is one of the hardest part of being a follower of Christ.

Who is a martyr?

A Christian martyr is a person who is killed because of their testimony for Jesus. In early church years, this often occurred through stoning, crucifixion, burning at the stake or other forms of torture and capital punishment.

So many devoted christians have given their life for the work of christ, right from the early days and even till this moment and they have never felt more happy giving their life for what they love and believe in. Christ has said it, that anyone who loses their life for his sake will surely find it, Christ was not talking about the life here on earth, Christ was not telling you that harm is not going to come to you, but what Christ is telling you is that, you will have eternal life, that real life he came to save you for, by giving himself on the cross.

All the apostles apart from john who they tried killing but did not die and later was inspired by God to write the book of revelation, every other apostles was martyred, and they appreciate the death that came for what they believed in, because they knew where they were going to, was much more better.

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In the world today we see people who claim to do God's work, but really are scared to give their life for Christ. Loving Christ and beliving in him, is more than talking about him and telling the word about him, you must show the impact of Christ on your life, even in the face of death. Through the death of Christ, he made us understand that, passing on from this life is just a somthing we need not to worry about, as long as you're saved in his name and you believe in him, your after life is secured with him for eternity. You need not to worry about anything.

The beauty of martyrdom is the beauty of dying in Christ, dying for what you love and cherish, for the one that came to give you everlasting life, so your soul might be save. The apostles really made us understand that, dying for Christ was somthing beautiful, because they knew right from the beginning that Christ was the answer to everything and even in death, they found that happiness. They knew the consequences for what they're doing, preaching the gospel, but they rather face death and have a free pass to the kingdom of God, rather than deny Christ and risk hell for all eternity.

Most of the Asia, Arab countries which prohibit the preaching of the gospel, you get to find out things like this happening there on a steady bases. Christians loosing their life for the sake of Christ and winning souls even in the face of death. That shows how strong you are as a soldier of Christ, peoole get to see that beauty and passion you carry as a soldier of Christ.

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Stephen was a man who believes in God and loved God with all his heart and even in the face of death, he saw the beauty in it, that he prayed for his murderers. Stephen was said to be the first martyr in the new testament... The bible itself gave us a brief history about Stephen the martyr.

Acts 7:54-8:2

54 When the council members heard Stephen’s speech, they were angry and furious. 55 But Stephen was filled with the Holy Spirit. He looked toward heaven, where he saw our glorious God and Jesus standing at his right side.56 Then Stephen said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right side of God!” 57 The council members shouted and covered their ears. At once they all attacked Stephen 58 and dragged him out of the city. Then they started throwing stones at him. The men who had brought charges against him put their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 As Stephen was being stoned to death, he called out, “Lord Jesus, please welcome me!” 60 He knelt down and shouted, “Lord, don’t blame them for what they have done.” Then he died.

Saul approved the stoning of Stephen. Some faithful followers of the Lord buried Stephen and mourned very much for him.

Saul, who was later converted by Christ on his way to kill more Christians was the one who gave the command for the killing of Stephen, but even at that, Stephen, never regretted dying, but rather saw the beauty in going to be with Christ.

My dear brothers and sisters, let us as Christians and true soldiers of Christ show that we are beyond just ordinary Christians, but people who are ready to follow the narrow road for the sake of Christ.

May the good lord grant us thr strength to carry out his duties, even in the face of death. Amen.