Below is a screen grab from a video footage released by ISIL yesterday. Surely by no coincidence, they picked to announce (and showcase) the brutal beheading of 21 Egyptian Christians on a Sunday, the Lord’s Day. Superimposed on the image is a verse from Revelations 20, a powerful symbolic redemption of an image meant to terrorize and paralyze. I have faith that all the angels and saints have welcomed these 21 souls, as well as all the other faithful martyrs, into the full presence of God’s love in heaven. Hope does not put us to shame.
In the video, one of the murderers declare, “We will conquer Rome, by Allah’s permission.” Little do they know that the ultimate victory has long been secured, and it will belong to Christ. Hope does not put us to shame.
This has been a very stern reminder that Christian persecution, though far less felt in our part of the world, is very real. Let us pray that God would grant us the grace to have faiths as strong as those of these martyrs, and the courage to profess, defend, and live out our faiths wherever we go. And let us also pray for the intercession of these faithful brothers in Christ who are now part of the “great cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1) that surrounds us.
And last but not least, join me in praying for the people responsible for all this savagery, that they may repent and be awakened to God’s goodness and truths. They, too, were created and are loved by Christ who cries, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.”
Under Reconstruction 
Reblogged this on God's group and commented:
I came across this post this morning, and was led to share it… Pray for our fellow Christians around the world, who suffer persecution at the hands of evil…
Blessings in Christ, bruce
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I blame all of this on the Americans who invaded Libya and caused the chaos there so things like this are happening. I hated the dictatorship there but at least the religious militant factions there were under control and unable to do things like this. It happened in Iraq and it is happening in Afghanistan and everywhere else the Americans put their big greedy hands in to get oil. I believe there is no God but God and we are all worshiping the same one and it is so stupid never senseless that when you look into the eyes of another human being that God created a soul for JUST LIKE YOU then you know whatever faith you follow this person is your equal in God’s eyes. I apologize for being or seeming to speak for God. I mean no disrespect to anyone of any faith or anyone who is an atheist even. It is just what I believe in my faith, there have always been people of some faith being persecuted somewhere, I should know, I am a Kemetic pagan. Em hotep. [In peace]
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I am praying for them, and for their families.
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WELL SAID
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Reblogged this on kathleenduncan.
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You just reminded me of something really good that I read about ISIS today –
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/badcatholic/2015/02/insulting-isis.html
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Wow, very powerful and sobering. Thank you for sharing!
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First. I always feel awkward hitting the like button on subjects like this. But yeah I saw that on the news. They are sure getting bold with their actions. Not in so many words there are going to ramp up their evil even more. I believe them. Tough situation, defeating a ideology. Taking most out would be good or however you want to put it. Bible speaks of what is yet to come.
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