FRANCIS GAMBA

In the year 1554, Francis Gamba, a Lombard of the Protestant persuasion, was apprehended and condemned to death by sentence in Milan.

At the place of execution, a monk presented a cross to him, to whom Gamba said, "My mind is so full of the real merits and goodness of Christ that I want not a piece of the senseless stick to put me in mind of him." For this statement, his tongue was bored through and was burnt.

The history of the church is the history bloodshed and persecution. It is filled with gory incidents of men and women who were murdered for their faith in Christ. Some were thrown to wild animals and others were crushed to death.

The freedom of worship we have today was paid for by the price of blood. The bible you carry in your hands is the product of some people's resilience and blood. As the church was persecuted so was the Holy Bible.

When people hear about the persecution of believers in history, what comes to mind is that they faced persecution from outsiders or unbelievers. Yes, that true but not the whole truth.

At the onset of the protestant reformation, the Romish church persecuted the protestants even to the point of mass execution.

In 1209, in the city of Beziers, one of the Romish church leaders told some men that they can escape purgatory and enter heaven straight If they kill the protestants. Sixty thousand protestants died as a result of that massacre.

We can go on and on telling stories of how the saints that has gone ahead of us shared in the suffering of Christ. They were convinced about their faith and were ready to give up anything including their lives for sake of what they believe.

Romans 8:17 says, "and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him."

Everyone of us in one way or the other will suffer certain things for the sake of our faith in Christ. Ours may not death or physical harm but sufferings may come in form of deprivation for not compromising.

I don't know any true believer who hasn't suffered some form of persecution for the sake of Christ. If there is, the faith of such a person is questionable.

Suffering for Christ's sake is part and parce of our calling: "For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,"( Phillipians 1:29).

Paul wasn't talking to the Phillipians alone. That scripture applies to everyone who comes to Jesus. It is a matter of "When" not "If".

Let me ask you, when the day of suffering for the kingdom comes, what will you do? Will you escape through the door of compromise or take your stand?