Jesus’ Message to ISIS Signed in Blood

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In recent days, ISIS militants led twenty-one Coptic Christians onto a secluded beach in Libya. With faces covered, they forced the Christians to their knees, in preparation for their execution. Standing with his knife drawn, one militant mockingly said to a praying prisoner, “Safety…is something you can only wish for.

21 coptic

They proceeded to cut off all their heads with knives.

Oh, if only that masked man knew how safe that beheaded brother is now. If he did, he would have joyfully thrown down his knife, taken off his mask, and surrendered his life along side those heroes of the faith.

God’s word assures us that those twenty-one Coptic Christians have nothing to fear any longer. Militants may have killed their bodies, but their soul will never die (Matthew 10:28). Their faith has been made sight and they join the many other believers who have laid down their lives in similar ways.

Revelation 6:9–11 “When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. 10They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.”

Those brave brothers have been given a robe and told to rest a little while longer. There is more time until their blood will be avenged. More Christians will be called to shed their blood for the testimony of Jesus. More believers will join those martyred saints.

But there is a day coming when the blood that is shed will no longer be Christian blood. It will be the blood of all those who will not repent of their sins. That includes ISIS militants. ISIS soldiers may raise their swords and shed the blood of Christians today, but a day is fast approaching when Jesus will unsheath His own sword to avenge the blood of His people.

Revelation 19:11–16 “Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.”

One day soon, Jesus will return, not as a lamb, but as a lion (Genesis 49:8; Matthew 24:30). His robe will be stained with the blood of His enemies (Isaiah 63:2-3), including the men who slit the throats of those twenty-one Christians. The day of God’s vengeance is coming soon.

The only hope those murderers have of escaping the Day of Justice is to repent of their evil and look to Jesus who willingly laid down His life in a way much like those twenty-one men on that beach.

But what Jesus did on the cross was far greater. Jesus was the sinless Son of God who came for the purpose of saving sinners like them, like us. The Apostle Paul, once a persecutor of Christians said it this way “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life” (1 Timothy 1:15-16).

When Jesus stopped Saul in his tracks on the road to Damascus, He said “Saul, Saul why are you persecuting Me? (Acts 9:4). He would say the same thing to ISIS militants today.

The video that recorded their murder of our brothers was titled “A Message Signed in Blood to the Nation of the Cross.” Well, Jesus has a message to ISIS signed with His own blood. It is this, “repent of your disbelief in Me and repent of your murdering My people and you will live, but if you continue to deny Me, you will pay with your own blood.”

Today is a day of grace, but the sands of time are sinking from the hour glass of God’s mercy. The Day of Judgment is coming. For those of us who are in Christ, we long to see mercy extended, but we also long to see justice served. We are tired of burying our brothers and sisters in Christ.

So what ought we do as we wait Jesus’ return? We must pray.

  1. We must pray for our enemies. Jesus commands us to “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). Pray for their conversions. Pray for them to be haunted by the prayers of those Coptic Christians. Pray for them to be converted by the Gospel they have heard proclaimed by so many they have killed. Pray for them to be born again. Jesus can save all sorts of sinners. If he can save us, He can save them.
  1. We must pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters. Hebrews 13:3 commands us to “remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.” When one part of the body of Christ suffers, the whole suffers (1 Corinthians 12:26). Pray for the persecuted church around the world to be brave in the face of such terrifying hostility. Pray for them to have courage to speak the Gospel and to not deny the Lord, no matter what the cost. Pray for them to know the peace that only God can give during such times of testing.
  1. We must pray for ourselves and our churches. Pray that we will be sobered by the call of following Christ. Pray that we will put away our silly squabbles and whining over petty discomforts. Pray that we would have courage if one day we were forced to kneel on a beach for the name of Jesus. Pray that the Lord would raise up from among us people who will take the Gospel to lands where it is not safe to proclaim Christ. Pray that we would be willing to shed our blood to get the Gospel to those who want to shed ours.

Brothers and sisters, there is much to consider at a time like this. May God give us sobriety about what it means to be a Christian and certainty that the joy set before us is worth despising the shame—no matter what the cost.

“Come, Lord Jesus!” Revelation 22:20

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4 thoughts on “Jesus’ Message to ISIS Signed in Blood

  1. Bashir

    PLANTING CHURCHES INSIDE MUSLIM COMMUNITY
    Email: plantingchurchesformuslims1@gmail.com / muslimsfoundjesus@gmail.com
    ————————————————————————————————————-
    Sub: kindly pray for God’s protection in our lives from the hands of Militant Muslims
    Dear Pastor / Brother / Sister in Christ,
    Greetings to you in the most precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ from India!
    We are very glad to share with you that our Living God has filled our hearts with His burden & vision in our lives to reach specifically to The MUSLIMS by The Gospel of Jesus Christ & plant House Churches inside Muslim community. While Muslim terrorist groups such as Islamic state , Taliban, Al Qaeda and Boko Haram are killing Christians in different countries, He is leading us to reach out to the Muslims for His own glory and help them to know that Jesus Christ is The Only Living God and Saviour.
    Our Lord Jesus is using us to fulfill His plan & will in and through our lives. Already Several Muslims men & women surrendered their lives to Jesus and they are following His teachings. They are witnessing about Jesus and their testimonies to their relatives & neighbors. God is adding more men & women to our worship services almost every week for His own glory.
    Militant Muslims are often torturing physically and trying to kill us and the believers from Muslim background for their new faith in Jesus. Even though we are facing heavy persecutions & threats by the Militant Muslims, but our Lord Jesus is using our lives for the extension of His Kingdom and He has protected us for His own glory. Militant Muslims are constantly trying to murder us. Our lives are in danger at this moment.
    We are in great need of your kind prayers in our own lives and for the persecuted believers. Humbly, we request you kindly pray for God’s protection from the hands of Militant Muslims. Please also pray that we might be always faithful to His call in our lives and grow in Him.
    It would be very nice if you kindly write few words for us.
    With regards,
    Bro. B & Sis. C
    KINDLY PRAY FOR: House Church Fellowship, Discipleship Ministry, Women Ministry, Children Ministry, Health Care Ministries for the women & Children and Compassion Ministry (such as Distributing Clothes & blankets to the poor children & Sarees to poor woman, Free tuition to the needy students, Feeding to the poor children , helping to the persecuted believers those who lost their sources of income & houses for their faith in Jesus, Educational help to the poor & needy students, Providing Nutrients for Malnourished children)

    Reply
      1. Bashir

        PLANTING CHURCHES INSIDE MUSLIMS COMMUNITY
        Dear Garrett Kell in Christ,
        Greetings to you in Jesus’ name!
        I would like to share with you that God’s Spirit very specifically spoken me & has given a vision in my heart on last Friday’s morning (13th March 2015). His Spirit told me to go to another town which is nearly 10 K.M. away from my home town and asked me to go to this town at early morning to pray for the people of this town. This town is full of Muslims (approx. 90%) and surrounding of this town is 100% Muslims.
        I have shared the burden which He has poured in my heart with the believers from Muslim background and few of them promised me that they would like to come along with me to pray for this town & people of it.
        Yesterday, we went to this town at the morning time and we cried to God for the people of this town and surrounding villages. We had wonderful time of crying to God in prayers so that the people of this town might know Jesus in their lives and many Churches might be establish for His own glory. We will be continuously going to this town at least ones in each week according to His will & guidance.
        Please pray along with me / us for the people of this town.
        Regards,
        Bashir

        Reply

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