Inglorious Death

What would you define as an inglorious death?

I have heard the question asked, Who would you like to meet and talk to when you get to heaven? Presuming that is where I am going after my spirit takes leave of this body, I would like to pay a visit to Stephen, the saint honoured with the title of being the first to be martyred for speaking the Gospel. The convicted crowd he spoke to did not like what they heard and enraged, they stoned him to death. 

Before they stoned him to death, dear reader, his murders could not take their eyes off him:

And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel (Acts 6:15) 

Imagine, having an angelic countenance? how, could the wicked men push Stephen out of the city, pick up stones, and throw them at him until he was declared dead? I can tell you how: they belonged to the devil, despite their parentage, despite their positions of religious authority, despite God's commandments and all the prophesies that has been declared to and for his people, in their not so distant past. They hated Stephen because he spoke of Jesus as the Saviour, and these men did not like what they were hearing, because of the inherent accusation within the speech. They murdered Jesus, and they clearly, willfully, murdered those that stood on the side of God ... and not much has changed since ancient times, has it, dear one? Christ haters abound, and Christians are reviled. 

The question I asked you in the opening of this article, What would you define as an inglorious death, stands. I add to the first question, this one: What do you think of Stephen and his willingness to proclaim Christ in the face of certain danger? While you consider your answer, here is mine:

My fear is an inglorious death. My terror is to die without the Name ushering from my lips. Inglorious to me, is denying Jesus. Inglorious in my eyes, is knowing Jesus is Lord of lords, King of kings, and betraying him when the going gets tough, and my thin skin is on the line. To think of it chokes me up, has my nose tingling with tears. To be disloyal to him horrifies my soul, and to consider such an unbecoming scenario for too long, brings me to despair. I consider disloyalty as one of the most painful experiences a person can endure, and isn't is so, dear one, that we are a fickle lot, swapping and chopping and changing, when we decide something, or someone, is no longer just right for us?

Is Jesus just right for us, when it is convenient, when it is joyful and easy to declare him as King, as opposed to when all the world will frown upon us if we say it is so, because they would rather we die, then hear Truth spoken, and boldly so? More pointedly ... Do you proclaim Christ no matter where, with whomever, often and without fear of reprisal, because you love him more than anyone, anything, and even more than life itself, here on earth? If you say you love him, are you loyal to him, even if it means you may be pushed out of relationship, stoned by the thoughts and words of those that hate him and you by association; are you loyal at all costs? 

Many die ingloriously as liars, murderers, slanderers, fornicators, blasphemous, unrepentant, prideful, sinners. The worst of all that die, and we all must die, are Christ deniers. I cannot fathom the shame of such a death. It has my soul shrieking for mercy. 

The purity of Stephen is undeniable. In two short chapters, you can read about him in the book of Acts. If what you read does not bring you to tears, I wonder about your heart for those that willingly go to the grave for the sake of Christ, the King. 

To die to self, for the sake of God's kingdom, is sharing in part, the glory of Christ. I can think of nothing better than this, and I pray you feel similarly, and that you too, will want his name on your lips, before you leave this world for the next, especially if martyrdom is the will of God for you, dear one. 

But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into the heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. 

Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord. And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. 

And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep (Acts 7:55-60)

Your turn, to answer this question, What would you define as an inglorious death? and this;

Would you die as Stephen died, following in the footsteps of the Saviour, and asking God to show mercy to his murderers, for the sake of Christ's kingdom?