In sports, it doesn’t take much to decipher contenders from pretenders. As a season lingers on, the cream usually rises to the top. Sure, there will always be cinderellas or underdogs, but momentum only takes you so far. Thus, when push comes to shove, the heat of competition distinguishes champions from losers.
Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ, Romans 10:17.
Faith is not as easy to measure. Some denominations encourage a quiet faith, allowing your actions to speak for themselves. Meanwhile, other churches are vocal, focusing on evangelism, preaching and salvation. The methods used by these ministries can be offensive, rubbing outsiders the wrong way. This is when God places people in rough times so that real faith can blossom.
Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep, Acts 7:60.
One of the apostles named Stephen found himself in a life and death situation. Based upon the events of Acts 7, keeping his faith private would have saved Stephen’s life. Yet, something inside of him felt keeping quiet would be a form of compromise. Therefore, between a rock and a hard place, Stephen became one of the first Christian martyrs, stoned to death for his faith. His response to this persecution demonstrated real faith in a rough time.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 