I like reading about early Christians.
Their life, faith, love and sufferings for the Lord encourage me to follow their example...
Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.
(Hebrews 13:7).
I would like to share some stories with you.
(Please, excuse me for my mistakes in English, I translate them from Russian into English)
Their life, faith, love and sufferings for the Lord encourage me to follow their example...
Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.
(Hebrews 13:7).
I would like to share some stories with you.
(Please, excuse me for my mistakes in English, I translate them from Russian into English)
Martyr Theodor
Posted 06-21-2008 at 03:25 PM by God's_Child
The sufferings of martyr
Theodor
Theodor
In the reign of emperor Antoninus Pius (139-161), commander (military leader) Feodot was a ruler of Pergia. In those days all handsome and strong young men were gathered to serve in the army.
Together with other young noble men, a young and very handsome man Theodor was taken and brought to commander Feodot. The commander wanted to put a soldier’s sign on him (like on others), but Theodor refused to accept it, saying: “From my childhood I belong to the Heavenly King my Lord Jesus Christ and I don’t want to be a soldier for any other king”.
The commander understood that he was a Christian, so he asked him: “Will you make a sacrifice to our gods?”
“I will never make a sacrifice to idols” – the young man answered.
Then the commander ordered to beat him violently. After that he asked him again: “Have you changed your mind? Will you be obedient to me and bring sacrifice to our gods?”
Theodor answered: “If you have known your Creator, you would have a desire to worship Him yourself”.
The commander ordered to make a fire, bring a large iron frying pan, melt a lot of tar, sulfur and wax, put Theodor naked on that frying pan and pour boiled tar upon him. But during the preparations God made a wonderful miracle: a stunning noise came and a great earthquake happened on that same place where the fire and the frying pan were. Then the earth at that place cracked and steams of water came out of the earth, quenching the fire and the frying pan.
The martyr stood up harmless and said to the commander: “You can see now this deed which was made not by me, but by Christ, my God, whom I serve. If you want to learn the power of your gods, then prepare another fire and a frying pan, and order to put on it one of your soldiers in the name of your gods and you will see their weakness and will realize all the power and might of my God”.
When the soldiers heard it they said to the ruler: “No, our lord, don’t do so with us. But do it with priests of our gods. A frying pan will obey a priest as well as it obeyed Theodor and didn’t burn him”.
The commander invited a pagan priest and asked him: “What is your name?”
The pries answered: “My name is Dioskor”.
Then the commander asked him: “What magic herbs do Christians use to apply an ointment to their body when they go into the fire without any fear and nothing harms them, like it was with Theodor today?”
“Christians are not magicians” – answered Dioskor. “But the name of Jesus is so mighty that where it is called with faith, there all witchcrafts are destroyed and demons tremble”.
The ruler asked: “Is Christ greater than our Zeus?”
“Zeus and all our gods are insensible and deaf idols” – answered Dioskor. “And I beg you not to put me on the frying pan, but if you want to learn Zeus’ power, then put him into the fire himself”.
“But who can do it?” – said the commander. – “Who will dare to put a god into the fire?”
“Order me to do it” – answered Dioskor, - “and I will do it. If Zeus resists me, then I will believe him that he is a god and can deliver himself from fire”.
“Truly you are not a priest now after all your words against our gods” – the ruler said.
Dioskor answered: “Like you, I had this wicked faith, but when I saw how this blessed Theodor stayed invincible in all your tortures, and how he was saved from fire, I have learned Christ’s power and realized the weakness of our false gods. Now I have strengthened myself in Christian faith and have a desire to follow Theodor”.
“If you say so” – the commander said, - “then go into the frying pan”.
At this Dioskor fell to Theodor’s feet and asked him: “Servant of True God, Theodor, pray for me”.
And Theodor prayed for him. When Dioskor was bared and put on the burning hot frying pan, he cried in a loud voice: “Lord Jesus Christ, I thank You for joining me to Your servants! Get in peace my soul!”
Saying this he died, receiving salvation in such a short time like the robber on the cross”.
After Dioskor’s death Theodor was thrown into the prison again. Then he was taken from it for a new torment: his feet were tied together and he was bound tight to the wild horses which dragged him along the city streets being ridden hard. But then the horses fell down near the city wall and crushed, and the martyr was saved by God’s strength. He was untied and stayed harmless to everyone’s surprise. Two soldiers Socrat and Dionicy (who tied the martyr to the horses) told everyone the amazing vision they saw: when the horses were ridden hard, they saw a fire chariot which came down from heaven, took the martyr and then put him safe on the ground. Then they began to proclaim: “Great is God of Christians!”
When the commander heard their words he ordered to put them into the prison together with Theodor.
Then the ruler ordered to burn a stove for three days and put Theodor and two soldiers Socrat and Dionicy into that burning stove. When this order was fulfilled some heavenly dew fell down on the martyrs in the stove and the fire was quenched. So they were inside the stove like in a fresh and cool place and talked with each other.
Here Theodor remembered his mother who was captured by foreigners 3 years ago and brought to Ethiopia together with other captives. He opened God his desire to see her now so that the two soldiers could praise God with him and strengthen their faith.
At night an angel appeared to Theodor in a dream and said to him that his prayer was heard. Theodor woke up and retold his dream to the soldiers. And suddenly Theodor’s mother Filippia appeared in the stove with them. She saw her son, embraced him and kissed him with joy. Then she greeted the soldiers and told them how the angel brought her here. Theodor raised his hands up and thanked God.
In the morning the commander said to his servants: “I think even a bone hasn’t been left from Theodor and the soldiers who were put to the stove with him. While he was saying this, a guard came to the commander with a message that the fire was quenched yesterday evening and Theodor’s mother came from captivity suddenly and was sitting in the stove and talking with her son and soldiers about God. Hearing this, the commander was horrified. He went to the stove himself and cried to Filippia: “Are you Theodor’s mother?”
“Yes, I am”, she answered.
Then the commander said: “Give advice to your son to worship our gods otherwise he will perish and make you childless”.
She answered: “It was revealed me by my God before Theodor’s birth that my son would be crucified and would praise God with his death”.
“So you yourself have assigned death to your son”, said the commander. “Let it be so”.
Then the commander ordered to crucify Theodor and to cut off heads of Theodor’s mother Filippia and two soldiers Socrat and Dionicy. Thus the martyrs got their crowns.
Theodor was hanging at the cross for 3 days and then he came to the Lord too.
Christians took their bodies, wrapped them in expensive cloth, applied fragrances on their bodies and buried them in a special place, praising God.
Total Comments 5
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Oh, My Lord! To hear of Your magnificent works! Lord! You are awesome! Oh, Lord! There are no words to describe what is going on in my heart right now!
Oh Father, let all who read this be strengthened in their faith. And to remember these words in the future and let it be an encouragement to them! |
 
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He who gave all for us is worthy of us giving all to Him.
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Hi Tatiana
Thanks once again for these stories that we do not read about in history books. God Bless you my dear. Sending you a rose from my garden.  |
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What Christians have suffered in the past and are still suffering today in parts of the Earth astound me! Thank you for sharing this. It reminds me to be thankful for the easy life I have in Christ and to pray for those who suffer for Him.
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Thank You Russian Princess of the Lord so much for sharing these historical stories with us...
It puts so much in prospective... |
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Recent Blog Entries by God's_Child
- Martyr Vadim the Priest (07-19-2008)
- Martyr Agaphia (06-27-2008)
- Martyr Theodor (06-21-2008)
- Martyr Tatiana (05-26-2008)
