Through last year I got teaching about the revivals and how the Gospel has spread from the time of Peter and Paul and the other apostles.. And about all the tribulation that followed they're stand for Jesus Christ, I recommend you all read about a few of them -notice all people make mistakes, but those who trust in God and are willing to stand up for Him will be a part of miracles and great adventures!!
Most people know of the awful stuff that happened to Christians in Colosseum in Rome, I'll mention some names of that truely were "Daniels" of theyer own time:
Martin Luther -> The reformation of the church or the start of the reformation. What he did was brave and he rusted God, he wanted the people to see what he had seen, that Christ gave the one and only needed sacrifice for the sins of all mankind! And wanted to show that the Pope exploited the people and cheated them of they're money, that the highest authority of the church is God and His word, the Bible, not the church.
This one story truly stuck to my heart:
Alexamenos fidelis..
Around the year 113ad. A carving was made in a school wall showing a boy, a fellow student, praying facing a crucified man with the head of a donkey, next to it was written: "Alexamenos sebete theon" - "Alexamenos worships God"
In the other room an other boy had carved: "Alexamenos fidelis" - "Alexamenos is faithful"
You see at that time in the Roman empire they had many gods and only having one would be seen as foolishness..
Antonius was a man who chose to leave everything, family, friends, career, riches cause he had found the precious "Perl" that the gospels talk about. Alone in the desert for weeks reading the Bible and praying, he wanted everything that God had for him. People at his time wanted wanted to be acknowledged for they're faith and good deeds, that people would come to them for everything, this is what he got.. He never had to ask for it, people came from different countries to hear him speak or only to see him. But Antonius him self wanted to be left alone with God and went future in to the desert.
Remember: Seek God! He is what matters.. Everything else follows AFTER Him!
Georg Muller -(read about him!) A lesson to learn from him is: If God wants you to do something He will provide everything necessary to do it, whether it might be health, contacts, people, money, what ever it is
-Trust God!
John Wesley - riding across the country, having 4-5 meetings at different places each day, sleeping 3-4 hours a night, writing books while riding from place to place, he did not waist any time!! :) Revivals fallowed him. People were changed for life, for the better(!)
His cry to God was: "Give me one more soul!"
One day riding his horse he got confused realizing he had not been hit with any stones or rotten eggs, he asked God: "am I falling away from the faith in You?" He went of his horse, knelled and prayed for God to show him where he had gone wrong. Immediately he was hit by a big stone thrown at him and he got to his feet and praised God that everything was as it should be :)
Ending this post I want to tell one last story: at the time when the first missionaries were sent to America by boat, a woman was sending away her last son. All the others had gone before him never to return - they died on the mission field. Knowing this a man says to her: "no wonder you are crying, you just lost your last son.." Her answer is one to take a great lesson from:
"I AM NOT CRYING BECAUSE I'VE LOST MY SONS, I AM CRYING BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE ANYMORE SONS TO SEND OUT.."
As a wise man once said:
"HE IS NO FOOL WHO GIVES UP WHAT HE CAN NOT KEEP TO GAIN WHAT HE CAN NOT LOOSE!"
Who will be the "Daniels" of our time??
