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 Agaphia
Posted 06-27-2008 at 10:44 AM by God's_Child
The sufferings of martyr
Agaphia
Agaphia
It was in the time of Decius’ kingdom who reigned from 249 till 251. When Kintian was a ruler of Sicily (an island in the Mediterranean Sea) everywhere was spread the king’s order to put all Christians to death.
A girl named Agaphia lived in a city Panorm (Palermo) in the northern part of the island Sicily. She was a daughter of noble and rich parents who brought her up in Christianity. After their death Agaphia receives large and rich inheritance. When this girl heard the king’s order concerning Christians, she decided to die for Christ whom she loved with all her heart.
Kintian the ruler heard about Agaphia’s beauty, nobleness and wealth and had intention to possess her and her inheritance. When he knew that she was a Christian he sent his soldiers to take her.
When the soldiers brought Agaphia to the ruler, he ordered to place her in the house of a rich woman who had 5 young daughters. He had ordered them to seduce Agaphia to earthen love and worship idols. But all their efforts were not successful.
So Kintian ordered to bring Agaphia to his palace and began to question her. But when he realized that it was impossible to change her mind, he ordered to throw her into a dark and smelly prison.
In the morning Kintian called the girl to his judgment seat and asked her if she had thought enough about her health.
Agaphia answered: “My health is Christ”.
The ruler said: “Deny your Christ and you will not perish in your young age”.
The girl said in reply: “You should deny your idols and believe in true God who has created you if you want to avoid eternal torments”.
The ruler burned with anger and ordered to hang Agaphia naked on the tree and beat her. When she was beaten, the tormentor said: “Change your mind and worship our gods to stay alive”.
The girl answered: “I’m happy in these torments, they are helpful for me and through them I will receive eternal treasures”.
The ruler ordered his servants to torture Agaphia harder and then said to them to cut her breasts off and throw her into prison.
At midnight Agaphia saw Apostle Paul in a vision. He came to her, comforted and encouraged her and then healed her wounds with a word. Then he became invisible. Agaphia glorified Jesus and for the whole night unusual light was filling the prison so that the prison guards were terrified.
On the 5th day the tormentor sat on his judgmental thrown again and Agaphia was brought to him. He said to her: “How long are you going to be disobedient? Make sacrifice to our gods otherwise you will die with a very violent death”.
The girl replied: “Who can seek help from wood and stones? I make sacrifice to Him Who has healed me”.
Now the ruler saw that she was really healed and he asked in amazement: “Who has healed you?”
Agaphia answered: “Jesus Christ, the Son of Truly God”.
On this Kintian shouted: “Again you are talking about Christ! I don’t want even to hear about Him”.
Then he ordered to strew burning hot tile and live coals all over the ground and to throw Agaphia on them to burn her. But as soon as the ruler’s servants began to fulfill this evil order, a powerful earthquake began in the whole city. The citizens were terrified and ran to Kintian shouting to him to stop tormenting the innocent girl, because they thought the earthquake had happened because of it. Kintian was frightened by the earthquake and people’s rebellion and ordered to put Agaphia to prison again.
When the martyr was in prison she raised her hands up and prayed: “I thank You O Lord, that You let me suffer for the sake of Your holy name, that You have destroyed my desire to find delight in this earthen life and have given me patience. Hear me, O Lord, in this hour and let me leave this world and be taken to Your rich and great mercy”.
After this prayer she gave her life into God’s hands. That was in 251. When Christians heard about her death they took her body and buried with honor.
After Agaphia’s death Kintian the ruler took his soldiers and went to Ponorm to take Agaphia’s wealth and own her inheritance. There was a river on his way which he had to cross. He went up the ferry together with his soldiers and horses and sailed along the river. Suddenly the horses madden and one of them gnawed the ruler’s face with its teeth and made it ugly. The other horse began to beat him with its legs and threw him into the water where he sank. Kintian’s servants spent a lot of time seeking their ruler’s body in that river but without success. After that event no one of the other rulers dared to cause offence to Agaphia’s relatives.
Total Comments 3
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Wow You are a wealth of information. I enjoyed reading that .
Love, Sis Barb |
 
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I learn something new in the Spirit with each story...
Thank you Blessed One Much Love , angela |
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Oh, that was a good one!
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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)
