You can probably tell if you know me well, or even if you just read my articles, that I have a huge desire for my children to grow up and accomplish a great work for Christ. I came across this article written by my friend that closely resembles the heart I have for my children. I really liked the quote she uses from Adoniram Judson. We debated over names for our son we narrowed our search down to two names; JohnMark and Judson, after the great missionary Adoniram Judson. We picked JohnMark, but of course we also named him after a great role-model.

This article was written by Courntey Everson:

“Jarrod and I really had a chance to talk together and the conversation immediately went to these crazy kids. We shared our prayer for these boys and Ellie, to do something hard for Christ. Wyatt is able to communicate well and my prayer is that the Lord uses him to communicate His Word. Our prayer is that God calls him to preach. Ty has a boldness that I have rarely seen in a five year old. Jarrod’s prayer is that the Lord uses him on the mission field. That’s a hard prayer for a momma, but Jarrod directed me towards something I have never seen before. Adoniram Judson’s proposal letter to his prospective wife’s father. It’s hard for me to read, especially when the burden of your heart is for the Lord to really use you and your family. Here is the letter…..

“I have now to ask, whether you can consent to part with your daughter early next spring, to see her no more in this world; whether you can consent to her departure, and her subjection to the hardships and sufferings of a missionary life; whether you can consent to her exposure to the dangers of the ocean; to the fatal influence of the southern climate of India; to every kind of want and distress; to degradation, insult, persecution, and perhaps a violent death. Can you consent to all this, for the sake of him who left his heavenly home, and died for her and for you; for the sake of perishing, immortal souls, for the sake of Zion, and the glory of God? Can you consent to all this, in hope of soon meeting your daughter in the world of glory, with the crown of righteousness, brightened with the acclamations of praise which shall redound to her Savior from heathens saved, through her means, from eternal woe and despair?”

Her father concented, she went and she died on the mission field. My thoughts this morning are toward heaven. I would rather Ellie live a life by her husband’s side, spreading the Word, Ty leading people to the Lord through the Word, Wyatt proclaiming the authority of Scripture, and that life run short than for them to live to be 80 and do nothing of eternal significance. My heart is heavy for my children. I am burdened for their salvation and their sanctification. I pray that the Lord will use me to influence my children toward the kindgdom and that their hearts would be hot for His Word and His people.”

Thank you Courtney for sharing this with us. It is so hard for us to let our children go, but they are far greater protected in God’s care. His ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. So why is it so hard to let go? Lately I have met preacher after preacher that have wayward children. My heart breaks for them, but it also breaks at the thought of that being my children. My prayer is that every day and every moment that God gives me with my children, that I will be such a great example for Christ that they will have a strong hunger and a burning desire for a relationship with Him.

Lord, please help us mothers to be the very best example of Christ in front of our children. Our children do, in fact, know us better than anyone else. Amen.

I sat in Sunday School a few weeks ago and the teacher used an example I thought illustrated a point very well. He said if you take a worthless plastic cup it means nothing to you. If you drop your diamond wedding ring inside of it, it instantly becomes valuable. That is just like Christians. We are worthless, but Christ in us makes us valuable.

This is a personal study I have done on the suffering and sacrifices of many of the disciples and apostles that served Jesus. It fascinates me to see how dedicated these men were to spreading the Gospel and how devoted they were to making sure the world knew about Jesus’ death. It motivates me to evaluate my service to the Lord and my responsibility to make sure the world I live in knows about Jesus’ death and resurrection.

I love what John MacArthur says in his Matthew Commentary:
“The greatness of God is seen in His choosing the undeserving to be His people and the unqualified to do His work. It should be a marvelous encouragement to every believe to know that, just as Elijah, the apostles had a nature like ours. Apart from the brief ministry of His own Son, the history of God’s work on earth is the history of His using the unqualified. The twelve disciples who became apostles are no exception. The twelve men Jesus chose as His apostles had in their hands the full responsibility for initially taking the Gospel to the rest of the world.”

Matthew- Publican made an apostle. King Hytacus in Ethiopia had him arrested. He was dragged outside, nailed to the ground with short spears and beheaded. 66 A.D.
(Jesus Freaks, 219)

Mark- Apostle with Jesus. He preached the gospel in Egypt, and there, drawn with ropes unto
the fire, was burnt and buried. (Foxes Book of Martyrs, 7)

Andrew- Brother of Peter, Apostle of Jesus. Sentenced to a crucifixion where he hung on the cross for three days until he died. 66A.D. (Jesus Freaks, 149)

James- Son of Zebedee, Apostle of Jesus. King Herod Agrippa had James arrested and sentenced to death based on a man’s testimony about him. This accuser gave his life to Christ after he saw James’ extraordinary courage and stedfast joy even condemned to die. He asked for James’ forgiveness and James kissed him. They were both beheaded. James was the first apostle martyred. 36-44 A.D. (Jesus Freaks 193, Foxes Book of Martyrs, 6)

Thomas- Apostle of Jesus, called “Doubting Thomas” because he had to see the risen Savior. He was preaching in India and North Africa to savage tribes. Many in these tribes were getting saved. In Calamina, India, the people were worshipping an image of the sun. Thomas destroyed that image and put a stop to their idolatry. The sun god’s priests were furious. He was tortured with red hot metal plates and then thrown into a glowing furnace. He was still alive in the midst of the furnace. They threw spears and javelins into the furnace at him until he fell dead.
(Jesus Freaks, 56)

Stephen- Preacher of Jesus. First recorded Christian martyr. Stoned to death. 34 A.D.
(Jesus Freaks, 37)

John the Baptist – Preacher of Jesus. Beheaded.

Simon- Brother of James and Jude. Simon the Zealot. He preached in Egypt, North Africa, and islands of Great Britian. He was painfully tortured and crucified.
(Jesus Freaks, 220, Foxes Book of Martyrs, 6)

Batholomew- Apostle of Jesus He preached to the Indians. He translated the Gospel of St.Matthew into their tongue. He was beaten down with staves, then crucified, then beheaded. (Foxes Book of Martyrs, 7) He preached Jesus for 37 years. He learned the language of the Indians and taught them in their native tongue. Many people turned to Christ from thier idolatry including the King of
Armenia’s brother and his family. the king threatened him to make sacrifices to the god of Astaroth. First he was beaten with rods, then crucified upside down and skinned. Then his head was cut off with an ax. (Jesus Freaks, 205-206)

Philip- Preacher and missionary He labored among the barbarous nations. He was crucified and
stoned to death. He was the 2nd apostle martyred. 51 A.D.
(Jesus Freaks, 219)

James- Half brother of Jesus Apostle of Jesus He was a just man. He drank no wine nor did he eat animal food. He would enter the temple alone to pray for the people. His knees had lost sense of feeling for kneeling to pray that he was said to have “camel knees”.They threw him down from off the temple wall but it did not kill him. They stoned him then took an instrument and struck his head killing him. (Foxes Book of Martyrs, 10-11)
For thirty years he had been the bishop at the church at Jerusalem. He wrote the book of James. He converted many people to Christ. The religious pharisees tried to tempt him into denying his faith. They pushed him off the temple roof. His legs were broken but he was still alive. They started stoning him. A man ran up to him with a big stick in his hand and struck James in the head where he died instantly. (Jesus Freaks, 89-90)

Jude- Brother of Jesus Apostle of Jesus He preached boldly to pagan nations against idol worship and heathen sacrifices. When the pagan priests saw that they were losing followers and money they attacked him with sticks and clubs beating him to death. 68 A.D. (Jesus Freaks, 219)

Peter- Apostle of Jesus Peter was sentence in Rome to be crucified. He said he was not worthy
to be crucified in the same manner as his Savior and requasted to be crucified upside down. The romans honored this request. 65 A.D. (Jesus Freaks, 311- 312)

John- Apostle of Jesus John was tortured and exiled. H elived to be about 100 years old. He
was exiled to the island of Patmos where he had the visions and wrote the book of Revelation.
He was tortured and persecuted, but he died in peace and was not martyred. 95 A.D. (Jesus Freaks, 163-165)

FOOTNOTES:

William Byron Forbush, “Foxes Book of Martyrs”. July 1978.

DC Talk, “Jesus Freaks: DC Talk and The Voice of the Martyrs”. January 1999.