Youth Rally

Saturday Night, 5-15-10, I attended a Youth Rally At Joplin Full Gospel.  It was awesome!!  Worship was led by a team of youth from the Joplin Full Gospel Church.  They did a wonderful job.  Keep up the good work!!

The message brought to us by Bro. John Myers was challenging and heart rendering.  It certainly made us think about how much we, ourselves, love the Lord Jesus Christ.

During his message, among other Scriptures, he read from Daniel Chapter 3 where the Three Hebrew Children (young people) had to make the decision to either bow or burn.  In January of this year, Bro Myers had made a missions trip to Uganda on the Continent of Africa.  He shared some photos and a very challenging story about 25 young people who were martyred for Christ in that country on June 3, 1836.  These young people were given the ultimatum to denounce Christ or burn.  They chose to burn to death.  After being tortured for several days, the order was given for them to be transported to the execution site, which was a trip that took most of the day.

On the way, they stopped.  The executioner asked if there was anyone who was ready to die for Jesus.  One young immediately stood up, as best as he could after being bound hand and foot, and said, "I love Jesus and am ready to die."  Immediately, he was hacked to pieces, and those pieces were strewn about a large field, the site of which a huge soccer stadium was built many years later.  Numerous evangelists have used this stadium for crusades, during which, thousands, upon thousands, upon thousands, upon thousands have given their hearts to Christ!!!

There was another stop or two made.  Among this group of young people was the executioners Brother and also the executioners son.  At the last stop, the executioner told these two relatives that he didn't want them there and to get off the truck.  They chose to stay.  The executioner forced his son off the truck and continued the trip to the execution site.

When they got to the execution site, they were once again tortured to try to force these young people to denounce Christ, but none of them did, choosing instead to burn to death.  At last the order was given to burn these 24 young people.  This was to happen in the early morning.  On that day, just before the fire was set, the executioner's son showed up there to proclaim his love for Christ.  The order was given by the executioner for him, (his son), to be killed.  No one would do it, so the executioner grabbed a hammer and hit his son on the head and tossed him on top of the already burning bodies.  Twenty-five young people were martyred that day on June 3, 1836.

There were about 100 onlookers who gave their lives to Christ that day.  Many of those 100 became evangelists, some in Uganda, and some in other parts of Africa.  Many, many people were won to Christ because of the love that these 25 young people had for Jesus.  Do we have that kind of love today???

There are two interesting points that I would like to make:  (1)  It is reported that 85 percent of the people of Uganda, profess to be Christian.  (2) The executioner that we mentioned above, eventually gave his life to Christ and was baptized "Daniel".

Oh, what an altar service we had!!  God is good.....all the time!!