Friday, June 30, 2017

FIRST MARTYRS OF ROME

See how the Lord blesses those who fear him.

Ester, Chapter 4D, Verse 13

She replied: “I saw you, my lord, as an angel of God, and my heart was shaken by fear of your majesty.

We fear the rich and the powerful yet we often have no fear of God and continue in our inability to rise above our weaknesses. It is when we like Ester rise above our fears that we can live up to our potential.

The Law of the Sacrifice[1]

· Ester is willing to give her life for the people.

· A leader must be willing to give up to go up.

· Leaders only do this when their cause becomes more important than their life.

· Likewise, Jesus a descendant of Ester, called on his staff to deny themselves, take up their cross and follow Him.

· Christ stated that those who wished to save their lives would lose them and those who gave up their lives would save them.

· True leadership places the cause of the people above the instinct for self-preservation.

First Martyrs of the Church of Rome[2]

This memorial is in honor of the nameless followers of Christ brutally killed by the mad Emperor Nero as scapegoats for the fire in Rome. The pagan historian Tacitus and St. Clement of Rome tell of a night of horror (August 15, 64 A.D.) when in the imperial parks Christians were put into animal skins and hunted, were brutally attacked, and were made into living torches to light the road for Nero's chariot. From 64 to 314 "Christian" was synonymous with "execution victim."

Fitness Friday

Recognizing that God the Father created man on Friday the 6^th day I propose in this blog to have an entry that shares on how to recreate and renew yourself in strength; mind, soul and heart.