Remember These Names

On Sunday the demonic and devout Muslims of Islamic State beheaded 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians in Libya. For simply being a follower of Jesus Christ you will be killed by the religion of peace. It is not unexpected however. In Revelation 20:4 we read this: “And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God.”

And we should not be surprised at this either if we know anything about the real nature of Islam. Some 270 million people have been slaughtered by devout Muslims over its 1400 year history. Every day we read about more atrocities committed by this demonic political ideology.

Since 9/11 alone, there have been 25,129 deadly Islamic terror attacks. Not a day goes by when somewhere in the world people are being horrifically killed in the name of Allah and his ‘prophet’ Muhammad. Not even godless communism killed as many people (although they had only been around for a fraction of the time).

Just imagine if this were the regular routine of Christians: killing every day and being proud of it. Christianity would have been outlawed long ago at least in the West. But because it is Islam, we sleep through it all, and Barack Hussein Obama happily keeps playing golf.

Rev. Franklin Graham said this on his Facebook page about the massacre:

The militant Islamic terrorist group ISIS has released a video called A MESSAGE SIGNED WITH BLOOD TO THE NATION OF THE CROSS showing the beheadings of 21 Egyptian Christians who had been kidnapped in Libya. Can you imagine the outcry if 21 Muslims had been beheaded by Christians? Where is the universal condemnation by Muslim leaders around the world? As we mourn with the families of those 21 martyrs, we’d better take this warning seriously as these acts of terror will only spread throughout Europe and the United States. If this concerns you like it does me, share this. The storm is coming.

Here are the names of these brave Christians who are no longer walking this earth:

1. Milad Makeen Zaky
2. Abanub Ayad Atiya
3. Maged Solaiman Shehata
4. Yusuf Shukry Yunan
5. Kirollos Shokry Fawzy
6. Bishoy Astafanus Kamel21
7. Somaily Astafanus Kamel
8. Malak Ibrahim Sinweet
9. Tawadros Yusuf Tawadros
10. Girgis Milad Sinweet
11. Mina Fayez Aziz
12. Hany Abdelmesih Salib
13. Bishoy Adel Khalaf
14. Samuel Alham Wilson
15. Worker from Awr village
16. Ezat Bishri Naseef
17. Loqa Nagaty
18. Gaber Munir Adly
19. Esam Badir Samir
20. Malak Farag Abram
21. Sameh Salah Faruq

Please keep their families and loved ones in prayer. They so much need your prayers as they go through such horrific agony right now. But with all due respect, how many Christians even know about this, let alone care about it? How many believers just don’t give a rip about any of this?

How many Christians are instead on about getting their ‘best life now’? How many just want to get more money, buy more stuff, and keep living the good life? Shame on them. They party while their brothers and sisters around the world are being killed and tortured and imprisoned in the millions.

Western Christians need to repent of their appalling apathy, indifference and carelessness. Indeed, they seem to perfectly fit in with what Jesus said about such believers in Revelation 3:16: “So, because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”

There are just so many reasons why the Lord Jesus Christ would want to vomit up these useless believers. Their utter lack of concern for their suffering brothers and sisters around the world is just one such reason. Incredibly we get far more concern out of non-Christians such as Andrew Bolt on all this.

He seems to care much more about the Islamic killing of Christians than most Christians do: “Islamic State murderers are busy right now killing lots of Muslims they believe are not sufficiently devout. But they do have time to remind Christians that their turn will come: ‘ISLAMIC State has released a graphic video showing 21 Egyptian Christians being beheaded in Libya as a “message signed with blood to the nations of the cross”‘.”

When are we going to repent of our damnable life of luxury, entertainment, partying and apathy? When are we going to give up our trivial pursuits and our lousy lavish lifestyles, and start caring for once in our lives about something that really matters?

When are we going to get on our faces before Almighty God and cry out in repentance, pleading for his mercy. We live like kings while our Christian neighbours are horribly treated and killed. And we don’t care at all. We are indifferent to their suffering, and we just want more of the good life.

The verse following from the one I offered above about the Laodicean church applies perfectly well to us today: “You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.”

There is only one remedy for that: repentance.

http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/
http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/christians_beheaded/

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17 Replies to “Remember These Names”

  1. I have been thinking of these brave Christians ever since I saw the video of their execution. The horror of their death and their cowardly islamic killers with their covered faces was in stark contrast to the calm and peaceful demeanour of the Christians’s faces even though they were facing certain death and pain.

    There couldn’t have been a greater contrast between good and evil.

    I feel for the families left behind and will be praying for them.

  2. Lord Jesus! May Your Kingdom come! Come soon Lord to vindicate for your people who were unjustly persecuted and beheaded by demonic evil men. Come Lord Jesus and bring your holy justice to judge these evil men with your righteousness!!! Come Lord Jesus!

  3. In murder rate per year, they must be second only to abortionists. Most of the victims of abortion do not even have a name to be remembered by. God alone knows their names.

  4. I had recently read Revelation and had been struck by those words in Rev 20:4 “…And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God.”

    I should know, but was beheading a common occurrence at the time John wrote the book of Revelation? Islam didn’t exist at the time, but this is quite specific as to the type of death, but not exclusive.

    I am not a great end times person, but this verse does seem to point a possible culmination of the times.

    But the victory is summed up in Rev 12:11 “And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.”

  5. If that figure of 270 million is correct, then for 1400 years Islam has killed 528 people every day! A religion of peace?

  6. I’ve been thinking the same thing today Bill. We have absolutely no idea here, and it’s not all the media’s fault. Christians choose to ignore this – I find this immensely frustrating to say the least. I remember being in Church the Sunday after the Charlie Hebdo massacre… this event in Paris had a great effect on me but not a word was spoken about it, not even in prayer. I found this alarming and deeping depressing. Do Christians even care about what is going on in this world? We are asleep in the light perhaps.

    I’m reminded of what Brigitte Gabriel said in one of her talks – that Christians in countries like the US (and Australia) think that being ‘persecuted’ for being a Christian involves getting strange stares from their work colleagues if they happen to see their Bible in their bag.

    We have no idea, but I fear we soon will. This is horrific and I fear it will get a whole lot worse before it gets better.

    Praying for their families.

  7. Thanks Bill. I’ve been asking the same questions you close with over the last few days. God have mercy on us!

  8. Slightly off topic. The Melbourne MSM was going balistic today about the 4 Corners program which showed live prey (rabbits, pigs and possums) being used to lure greyhounds. I don’t condone animal cruelty, but it says a lot about our priorities. I’ve asked the ABC when 4 Corners are going to show us what goes on inside an abortion clinic … the whole ugly truth.
    I’m not holding my breath on that one!

  9. Needful words to hear Mr. Muehlenberg. Thank you for having the courage and compassion to write them. I have shared this post on my facebook page. Please keep publishing the truth. You are in our prayers.

    David

  10. Thanks Bill.
    While I agree entirely with what you say above, and yes, I watched on-line the horrific video of these poor victims of Islamic atrocity. Truly horrible!

    However, there is one issue which you need to address – urgently! What and who is a Christian? You chastise Western Christians for their apathy, their lukewarmness (a la Laodicea) etc., but seem very reluctant to say that many simply are not what they profess to be.

    Our Lord, however, has no such reserve: see Matt.7:21-23. And then in the Final Judgement passage of Matt.25:31-46 (so dear to the hearts of the “Social Gospel” crowd, but erroneously), judgment is pronounced according to what people either did, or failed to do, to Christ’s brethren. See Matt.25:40, and 45, where “My brethren” is elliptically omitted. Who are Christ’s brethren according Matthew? See Matt.12:46-50, “Whover does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother, and sister, and mother.” And to return to the Matt.25 passage, to those in the latter category, who did not lift a finger to help Christ’s brethren, He declares, “Depart from Me you cursed…”

    It’s time we stopped pussy-footing around and declared firmly that if one will not put on the armour of God, and take up the fight against the world, the flesh, and the devil; if that person just wants to be “at ease in Zion” then he is none of Christ’s, and he is on the broad road that leads to destruction. Church membership, association with Christians, attendance at a place of worship do not make one a Christian. When Christ “spews” lukewarm “Christians” out of His mouth, He spews them into hell! They are none of His, despite their claims to the contrary.

    However, Bill, in your many posts you seem very reluctant to say this. You simply take them on their profession; on their face value. Biblically, this we cannot do. Why so reluctant, I am not sure, although I have my theories. The so-called “Christians” you describe above, while of course we cannot say for sure about this or that individual, many/most of them are simply not Christians at all; they are merely passengers. Alas, I fear the coming persecution (and it is coming) will root them out. We must all at this time, “Make every effort to make our calling and election sure” (2 Peter 1:10).

  11. Thanks Murray. But if I may, I hope I am not quite as sinister in motive or as deficient as you might suppose I am! If you actually read all 3,200 articles here (and most people have not of course) then you will see that I often use the phrase “professing Christians” or “so-called Christians” etc. And I have written scores of articles dealing with lukewarmness, so-called carnal Christians, etc. And I have also written many articles of warning, reminding folks that many who think they are Christians are not in fact Christians at all, as Jesus himself said in various places, including the Matthew 7 passage you mention. On that one verse alone I have written many articles, eg:

    https://billmuehlenberg.com/2012/03/19/the-most-frightening-words-in-scripture/

    https://billmuehlenberg.com/2012/04/17/the-horrific-sayings-of-jesus/

    And I have often written on the visible and invisible church, a concept you would be well aware of, eg:

    https://billmuehlenberg.com/2010/09/09/separating-the-sheep-from-the-sheep/

  12. I have had the pleasure of meeting Coptic Christians and other Christians of Egyptian background. The ISIL atrocity in Libya feels to me “closer home” than some other examples of their handiwork for this reason.

    Omer al-Bashir’s Islamist junta which sadistically brutalises its own people in Sudan also has “irons in the fire” in what is emerging as an increasingly strife-torn post-Gaddafi Libya.

    Bill, your pairing of “demonic” and “devout” in one sentence reminded me of the jinn of Islamic lore, spirits, who receive somewhat a somewhat ambivalent press in Islamic traditions, ranging from “genie-in-the-bottle” “helpful” spirits to spirits in service of Satan.

  13. Great response, Bill!

    I really appreciate Joel Richardson’s response to this also and recommend it to everyone here:

    http://www.joelstrumpet.com/?p=7314

    “…the early Church had a very defined theology of martyrdom. That martyrdom embodied the highest form of witness of God. For as God is presently having mercy in this age towards His enemies, (including we who were His enemies), Jesus is sitting at the right hand of God, waiting to make His enemies His footstool. But that time is not yet. Though Jesus could call on twelve legions of angels in a moment, and consume the earth in fire with angels (as He will do), in this age, He has chosen to refrain. This refraining is out of mercy to His enemies, as He said before His execution, “Father forgive them.” Though reviled, he didn’t revile in return. Though he suffered, he didn’t threaten, but continually entrusted His soul to Him who judges justly. So in His martyrdom, he showed the mercy of God. We also, those of us who have inherited the tremendous responsibility of the last days, are also called to imitate Jesus.”

  14. How people could bear to watch the video of these executions is beyond me. They must be of firmer stuff than I am! I suppose someone has to watch them so that we really know the truth, just as (perhaps) someone has to have a look at pornography so we can all be warned.

    I am certainly glad that Bill and others are prepared and willing and energetic enough to keep warning us of the devilish nature of Islam. What is bizarre is the fact that if Muslims are killed in one of their terrorist attacks they are called martyrs by their fellow Muslims, when they are simply cold-blooded murderers

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