Stephen: Unlikely Martyr
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He flees to Cyrene. There he meets Simon. Persecution against Jews is worse here. They try to keep Stephen out of the market, university and local Olympic games.
He decides the only solution is to pass himself off as a Gentile and start a secret synagogue with secret worship. When discovered, Stephen suffers at the hands of both pagan Gentiles and Jews.ย
Simon cannot handle the persecution any longer, so moves from Cyrene to Jerusalem. When Stephen visits Jerusalem for Passover, he sees Simon carrying the cross of Jesus. They both become Christians and the persecution starts all over again.
Stephen decides to move permanently to Jerusalem. Saul goes after them both. They rush to save each otherโs lives.
As Stephen takes his final steps toward the stoning pit, he can still hear his father in years past. โTake another step, Son. Now another. Hold your head high. Donโt let them see weakness. Youโre doing fine. Now another step. Iโm here, Son. I will never leave you. Youโre almost home.โ
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This is a wonderful book to show how family and friends stick together when things go wrong until they are righted.
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ย Katheryn Maddox Haddad spends an average of 300 hours researching before she writes a historical novelโancient historians such as Josephus, archaeological digs so she can know the layout of cities, their language culture and politics.
Having grown up freezing in the northern United States, she now lives in Arizona where she doesnโt have to shovel sunshine. She basks in 100-degree weather, palm trees, cacti, and a computer with most of the letters worn off.
The author of sixty-eight books, both non-fiction and fiction, she sees no letup in the future. For many years, she has been sending out every morning a daily scripture and short inspirational thought to some 30,000 people around the world.
Half of her day she spends writing, and the other half teaching English over the internet worldwide using the Bible as textbook. She has taught over 6000 Muslims through World English Institute. Students she has converted to Christianity are in hiding in Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Uzbekistan, Somalia, Jordan, Pakistan, and Palestine. โThey are my heroes,โ she declares.
With a bachelorโs degree in English, Bible and social science from Harding University and part of a masterโs degree in Bible, including Greek, from the Harding Graduate School of Theology, she also has a masterโs degree in management and human relations from Abilene University.ย
She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Christian Writers of the West, and Historical Novel Society, and is also an energetic public speaker who can touch the heart of audiences.
