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Pastor Florescu couldn’t bear to watch his son being beaten by the Communist officers. He had already been beaten himself, and he had not slept for two weeks for fear of being attacked by the starving rats the Communists had forced into his prison cell. The Romanian police wanted Florescu to give up other members of his underground church so that they, too, could be captured.

Seeing that the beatings and torture weren’t working, the Communists brought in Florescu’s son Alexander, only fourteen years old, and began to beat the boy. While Florescu watched, they hammered his son’s body unmercifully, telling the pastor that they would beat his son to death unless he told them the locations of other believers.
Finally, half mad, Florescu screamed for them to stop.
“Alexander, I must say what they want!” he called out to his son. “I can’t bear your beatings anymore.”
His body bruised, blood running from his nose and mouth, Alexander looked his father in the eye. “Father, don’t do me the injustice of having a traitor as a parent. Stand strong! If they kill me, I will die with the word ‘Jesus’ on my lips.”
The boy’s courage enraged the Communist guards, and they beat him to death as his father watched. Not only did he hold on to his faith, he helped his father do the same.

Is there no justice in this world? When we read of the horrible atrocities committed against the innocent, we can’t help but wonder. We may falter in our faith when we hear about cruel suffering at the hands of evildoers. We may become discouraged when we long for the salve of mercy that seems to tarry. Is there no justice in this world? In answer to our cry, the Bible teaches the principle of “yes and not yet.” Yes, some evildoers meet with swift justice here and now. However, God’s mighty hand of infinite justice has yet to fall on this earth. That is saved for the end of time. We grow weary waiting, but he is undeterred.

How lovely!

I have often thought about what my last words will be. I don't care about leaving anything for posterity -- unless it can impact others on behalf of the Lord.

Some time back, I was researching the "last words" of famous (or infamous) individuals from history. This included kings, queens, inventors, politicians, and believers. Interestingly, I found several who uttered the same thing: "See how a Christian dies." Sometimes, it was this exact phrase. Other times, it was a variant that conveyed the same thing.

How marvelous! To die in perfect peace because that person's mind was stayed upon the Lord! It is so much better than dying in fear or shame.

Of course, we aren't guaranteed to die with someone nearby. Many people die suddenly...and while alone. And, many die without even saying anything.

I trust and pray that, when that time comes, our minds will be stayed upon the Lord in perfect peace...knowing that we are simply passing through the "glass darkly" of this temporary place into the reality of Eternity.

It would be nice to have the last words in this life (whether verbal or mental), and the first word in Eternity, to be one and the same: Jesus.

_________________
Christopher