After they had been tried, found guilty, and sentenced to die, twenty six Christians were marched to the place where crudely made crosses stood. Almost three months earlier they had been arrested in Kyoto, Japan,and charged with following Christ.One of them was Ibaragi Kun.Seeing how young Kun was, an official took him aside and urged him to recant his faith to save his life.Looking the official in the eye,Kun said confidently,"Sir,it would be far better if you yourself became a Christian.Then you could go with me to Heaven."The Officer stared,startled by the young man's faith.Finally Ibaragi asked"Sir,which cross is mine?".The bewildered officer pointed to the smallest of the twenty six crosses..Young Kun ran to it knelt before it and embraced it.When the soldiers began to nail his hands and feet to the cross he did not cry out in pain.He courageously accepted the path that was laid before him.The crucifixion of the twenty six Christians on November 23,1596 was the beginning of an intense period of persecution.In the next seventy years close to one million Japanese believers laid their lives for their faith.Many would embrace their own crosses to follow the example of young Ibaragi Kun,a very mature Twelve year old Believer.
Spiritual maturity is not measured by a birth certificate or a certificate of Ordinance.Chronological age has very little to do with conviction. Rather spiritual maturity is measured one day at a time.We measure our maturity by how well we daily apply our faith in every day situation that spells out life.Contrary to popular belief Spiritual maturity is not based on how much we know about the Bible.Many people have very great knowledge about the Bible yet remain strangers to Jesus Christ and the maturity that comes through faith in His atoning work on the cross.Obedient application of the Biblical teaching is a mark of spiritual maturity.We must daily ask ourselves"How much more do we look like Jesus today than we did yesterday?" Our answer would be a true reflection of our growth in Christ.
Source: Extreme Devotion, VOM
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a repetition of sound produced by the reflection of sound waves from a wall, mountain, or other obstructing surface.
a sympathetic or identical response, as to sentiments expressed.
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