Jesus Freaks: Martyrs - Book Review

a review by Adam Pohlman

Some of the greatest fears we have in sharing our faith are fear of rejection or of looking like a fanatic. If we speak up too often or loudly about how much Christ means to us, we might lose some friends or be asked to keep to ourselves at work. Jesus said if we are ashamed of Him, He will be ashamed of us on the day of judgment. How ashamed are you to speak up about your faith? Jesus Freaks contains stories of those who stood for Jesus, despite the extreme persecution they had to endure.

The stories in Jesus Freaks range from the original disciples martyrdom to contemporary saints on the other side of the globe who face severe trials because they dare to stand in the face of culture and proclaim the truth of God's Word. Many were beaten, burned, or forced to stand in a freezing cell for weeks on end without clothing, but could not stand to keep their mouths shut about Christ. What excuses do we have? "It's just not the right time" (See 2 Timothy 4:2). "I'm not good enough" (See Moses, Gideon, Jeremiah, Paul). "I don't want to lose my family or friends" (See Matthew 10:37). The people in this book were ready to give their lives simply because they couldn't keep quiet about Jesus.

A really interesting point about the stories included in the book is how many of the persecutors repented and trusted Christ after seeing the Christians who endured the torture they were put through and continued to pray for their persecutors. Don't let your excuses get in the way of your faith. God uses seemingly hopeless situations to work great miracles. We think it may not be the right time, or we don't have the perfect words, but if you are faithful to Him, He will surprise you with something you never expected.

Hebrews 11 gives us the stories of faith great Old Testament saints to encourage us and let us know that we serve the same God who can do great things through us. Jesus Freaks is a similar "Hall of Faith" with stories of saints living in the New Covenant who trusted in the power of the same Holy Spirit working in you to endure intense hardships. Allow stories of perseverance to encourage you to be bolder in your witness. "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." (Hebrews 12:1)