LIVING MARTYRS

Romans 8:35-39; Who shall separate us from the Love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, for thy sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Martyrdom is the climax and hallmark of all grace and Love; it’s the peak and epitome of selfless and sacrificial Love. Some will enter into martyrdom by willingly offering and surrendering their lives unto death, while others will remain alive on the earth as Living Martyrs.

Living Martyrs are men who are walking on the earth as dead men, they are crucified to the world and the world is crucified to them [Galatians 6:14]; though they live in the world, they are totally separated and cut off from the world, [John 15:19, 17:14] .They are not grounded to it, not dependent on it, not looking to it, not looking for it, and not being burdened or affected by it. The power of death has been eternally broken upon these ones; they have been fully consumed by the fire of Love to the point that death no longer has a hold on them. Living Martyrs have fallen deeply in love with death; they are dead to themselves and dead to physical death. To these glorified ones, to totally depart from this earthly plane and be with God is their passion, they have died to death and death is now afraid of them; they no longer fear death, rather death fears them. Death runs from living Martyrs because they Love death passionately.

John the Beloved is a perfect example of a Living Martyr, who though loved to be martyred for Christ but was unable to die; John loved death to the point that death could no longer harm him. After several failed attempts to kill him, he was later banished to the Island of Patmos.

It is self and the fallen nature in man that fears death, death is painful to self and fallen nature but sweet and pleasurable to the divine nature. Hallelujah! Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints, and the blood of the poor, needy and righteous.[ Psalms 116:15, 72:13-14 ]. The end of death is death, whether we die physically as a Martyr of Christ or die to death on earth as a Living Martyr of Christ, the way to conquer death is to die. Death ends death.

Paul in his epistle to the Corinthians said; death worketh in us, but life worketh in you [2 Corinthians 4:12]. The power of death is life, for life flows out of death. A Living Martyr is an embodiment of life and light, he is consumed by death and also consumed by life; the measure of life and light a man releases is the measure of death he is conformed to, and has embraced. When we embrace and are conformed to the fullness of death, then we will release the fullness of Life. God works through our death to release life on earth; the aroma of life is death, death smells so good to God. Death is inevitable, it’s the life and nature of every Son of God and Bride of Christ; the way to conquer and overcome death is to die to death.

In 2 Corinthians 10:6 [NIV], Apostle Paul said; and we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete; and he said concerning our Lord Jesus Christ in Philippians 2:8 that; And being found in the fashion as a man, he humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Our obedience is complete when our death is complete, and when our death is complete, we will punish every disobedience on earth. Every system, structure, and pattern of life disobeying God’s eternal purpose for man will be demolished and consumed by a people whose death is complete in the sight of God. The completeness of truth ends darkness and death on the earth; the completeness of death is the completeness of truth, and this is the power that releases the light that ends darkness on earth. Truth is the light of the world flowing out of the completeness of death. Jesus Christ said in John 8:32; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. To know the truth is to have an inward experience of the light of the truth, and the light of the truth flows out of man when his death is complete; the obedience of Jesus Christ was unto the death of the cross, and our obedience is also unto death. For when we die completely, then our light shall shine.

Jesus Christ said in Mathew 5:14-15; ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Isaiah also said; Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and His Glory shall be seen upon thee. [Isaiah 60:1-2] Hallelujah!

Jesus became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross; and in verse 9-11 of Philippians chapter 2, the bible says; wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Men love to use the power and authority in Jesus name to pray and claim God’s promises, but they are never mindful of the fact that this power and authority is flowing from a man [JESUS CHRIST], whose death was complete in the sight of God. The power and authority in the name of Jesus has become the light of the world because He became obedient unto death. The same nature and quality of Life and Light in the name of Jesus is the same nature and quality of life God has given unto as many who will become obedient unto death. When your obedience is complete, then you will release the same nature and quality of life and light that is upon Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the head and we are His body, its one death that is working in the head and the body. Hallelujah! The completeness of death is flowing and working in the head and the body. There is one death and it’s flowing from the head [JESUS CHRIST], into the Body [BRIDE], and then life and light is released on the earth. For our death to be complete in the sight of God, it must be conformable to the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. [Philippians 3:10].

A preacher once said “to die as a martyr of Jesus Christ and go to be with the Lord is easier than remaining on the earth as a Living Martyr of Jesus Christ.” The word of this preacher was confirmed by Paul in Philippians 1:20-24 [Amplified Bible]; ……….. Christ [the Messiah] will be magnified and get glory and praise in this body of mine and be boldly exalted in my person, whether through [by] life or through [by] death. For me to live is Christ [His life in me], and to die is gain [the gain of the glory of eternity]. If, however it is to be life in the flesh and I am to live on here, that means fruitful service for me, so I can say nothing as my personal preference [I cannot choose]. But I am hard pressed between the two. My yearning desire is to depart [to be free of this world, to set forth] and be with Christ, for that is far, far better. But to remain in my body is more needful and essential for your sake.

Paul’s yearning desire was to die, depart from this world and be with Christ, which according to him is far, far better than remaining on the earth as a Living Martyr. Whether by death, as a Martyr or by life, as a Living Martyr on earth; our deepest pleasure is that Jesus Christ shall be glorified, magnified and exalted in our bodies.

We are living martyrs killed all day long, accounted as sheep for the slaughter. [Romans 8` :36], we are always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we who live are always delivered unto death for Jesus sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

In Hebrews 2:14-16, the scripture says; For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he [JESUS CHRIST ] also took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is , the devil. And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. Hallelujah! Jesus Christ destroyed death by dying on the cross, and through His death and sacrifice the power of death has been abolished on the earth. [2 Timothy 1:10].

All those who are still subject to the fear of death are going through unnecessary bondage. Awake, awake; shake thyself from the dust; arise, o Zion: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck o captive daughter of Zion. [ Isaiah 52:1-2 ]. Shake thyself from the dust of the fallen nature and put on thy strength o precious people of God. Your strength is in embracing death and die to the fear of death; become a living martyr of Jesus Christ and your soul will enter into everlasting peace and rest.