Enduring Torture Through Faith
Jon did not reply. They beat him with a thick bamboo cane. “Say it!” another commanded. Jon did not reply. He was immersed, he said later, in a vision of Jesus himself being beaten. “I saw the blood of Jesus dripping, and then I heard the gentle voice of the Holy Spirit telling me not to deny Jesus no matter what.” Jon was so full of the Spirit that, at one point during the beatings, he actually began laughing—not to mock his torturers, but to express his joy for the honor he was feeling. “I was okay with being beaten,” he recalled. “They beat Jesus too.”
Released and Rejoicing in Christ
After three days of torture, the religious police released Jon into the custody of local authorities. Members of his church paid his bond, and he once again was free to feel the tropical breezes on his back and rejoice in his freedom in Christ. Jon’s joy rather than fear in the midst of his suffering might seem incredible to us. But such a response won’t surprise us if we understand the power of faith and trust in Christ. “Do not fear what you are about to suffer,” we read in Revelation 2:10. “Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.”
The Power of Prayer
By faith, Jon availed himself of the fullness of God’s power, and his joy in the midst of suffering could not be contained. He didn’t prevail because of deft argumentative skills. Or because he was physically stronger than most people. Or because he was craftier. He prevailed because he trusted God unwaveringly and prayed unceasingly—and because other Jesus followers prayed for him. May we be faithful to pray for our persecuted family. Our prayers matter. Jesus followers like Jon depend on the prayers of their brothers and sisters in Christ to remain strong in their faith and experience the joy of God’s Spirit.
THE END.
Date: 27th September 2025
Martyr: Jon
Location: Malaysia
Source: The Voice of the Martyrs ‘I am n’
Author: Not specified
Suffering Saturday 162
Previous post
Next post
