Revelation‬ ‭12:11‬ ‭NLT‬‬ “And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.”‬‬‬‬

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Jesus thought about dying for us. His thoughts led Him to actually do it. But do we ever think about dying for Him? What really comes to mind when we hear this passage?

Matthew 16:24 KJV “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”

When we hear this passage do we only think about denying self, you know, getting rid of some bad habits, etcetera? Or do we also think about what Jesus meant when He said, “Take up his cross?” A cross is not just an instrument of persecution and suffering. It’s an instrument of death. Do we think about the possibility that our faith may one day put us in the crosshairs of life or death? And do we pray to God now for the strength to overcome should we ever find ourselves in that situation?🤔 Becoming a martyr is a very real possibility for a true Christian. But whether it happens or not we must be ready. Remember in Revelation 12:11 the 3 keys to defeating the Devil? “They have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.” (NLT) Many Christians claim the blood of Jesus, and they give their testimonies, but what about the last part of that verse, “They did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die?” We don’t really hear about that too much. We must be willing to die for our faith the scripture says. If we’re afraid to die for Jesus we won’t defeat the Devil. I know this is a serious topic. And it’s not my goal to put you in a somber mood. It’s just something God requires if we are to win. May we not be like so many who are just playing church.

Revelation‬ ‭14:13‬ ‭ESV‬‬ “And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!””‬‬‬‬

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