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Faithful to the End

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Faithful to the End Empty Faithful to the End

Post  fennywest Sun 21 Nov 2010, 10:02 pm

He was a faithful saint,
A Pastor and a Bishop
Facing persecution
But stood and did not faint.
Tribulation came
from left and right.
False accusation rained;
contention reigned;
His faith was tried
Like grapes being crushed
To release its goods, its juice.

But with the lemon
he made lemonade.
With the beating
he brought blessing.
With his fight, he
he inspired faith.
He was threatened
to be burnt at the stakes
unless he denied Christ,
But he refused to the end
He remained loyal
faithful to the end.

And now though dead,
yet he speaks to you and I:
Are you serving Him
for what you can get?
Will you serve Him
Even if what you hope for
Prayed for , fasted for
Do not materialize?
Will you serve Him
come what come may?

Polycarp was burnt
at the stakes because
he refused to deny Christ.

Saint of God, refuse
To deny or renounce Christ,
In word or in deed,
Regardless of the pressure.
Refuse to bow at the altar of Baal;
Refuse to take the carrot
That your enemy dangles;
Refuse to quit. Stand till the end.
Refuse to throw in the towel,
Even if your life is on the line.

Those who save their lives
will lose it, but those who lose it
for Christ’s sake will gain it.

Polycarp was denounced to the government, arrested, and tried on the charge of being a Christian. When the proconsul urged him to save his life by cursing Christ, he replied: "Eighty-six years I have served him, and he never did me any wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?" The magistrate was reluctant to kill a a gentle old man, but he had no choice.
Polycarp was sentenced to be burned. As he waited for the fire to be lighted, he prayed:
Lord God Almighty, Father of your blessed and beloved
child Jesus Christ, through whom we have received knowledge of
you, God of angels and hosts and all creation, and of the whole
race of the upright who live in your presence: I bless you
that you have thought me worthy of this day and hour, to be
numbered among the martyrs and share in the cup of Christ, for
resurrection to eternal life, for soul and body in the
incorruptibility of the Holy Spirit. Among them may I be
accepted before you today, as a rich and acceptable sacrifice,
just as you, the faithful and true God, have prepared and
foreshown and brought about. For this reason and for all things
I praise you, I bless you, I glorify you, through the eternal
heavenly high priest Jesus Christ, your beloved child, through
whom be glory to you, with him and the Holy Spirit, now and for
the ages to come. Amen.
The fire was then lit and shortly thereafter a soldier stabbed Polycarp to death by order of the magistrate. His friends gave his remains honorable burial, and wrote an account of his death to other churches. See the Penguin volume, Ancient Christian Writers.
http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bio/108.html
fennywest
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Faithful to the End Empty Re: Faithful to the End

Post  WARRIOR Mon 22 Nov 2010, 5:12 pm

Yes... we share in His sufferings.. in ministering to the world
that denies Him... Yet we remain faithful... to the end.
Blessings!
WARRIOR
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