Faithful Until Death
Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. – Revelation 2:10 NKJV.
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. – Revelation 12:11 NKJV.
“Do you believe in God?” One of the killers asked Cassie Bernall. Her response: “Yes, I do believe in God.” Their response: They shot and killed her. It happened during the Columbine Colorado High School massacre where 11 other students and a teacher were killed on April 20, 1999.
Most of us live in relatively safe places and the closest we come to what happened to Cassie is a bad dream. However, it was all too real for Cassie. It has been all too real for hundreds of thousands (possibly millions) of Christians through the centuries. “Be faithful until death….” has been the harsh reality faced by many. It began with the original disciples. Tradition says all of them but John were martyred for their faith. John also suffered for his faith by being exiled to the isolated Isle of Patmos.
Let not the sacrifice of Cassie and other martyrs be in vain. Let us understand that we are here on this earth for a limited amount of time. Let us commit ourselves anew to being true disciples of Jesus Christ. Let us deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow Him!