Posted on 06/22/2015 5:49:13 PM PDT by markomalley
I love the last line...
Yeah. Someone learned their lesson.
May God bless the Kurds who are laying down their own lives to protect Christians.
This is the same comfort we see in Daniel chapter 3 with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. They were confident in no matter what the outcome, God would be with them:
Daniel 3:
8 Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused the Jews.
9 They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever. 10 Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, shall fall down and worship the golden image:
11 And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. 12 There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?
15 Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. 17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. 19 Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.
20 And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.
21 Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
22 Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flames of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. 25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire.
27 And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.
28 Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.
29 Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.
sounds logical to me...
But the Pope says weapons manufacturers...
Oh never mind - I hope they have weapons too.
The monks are taking the Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego approach. Leaving matters in God's Hands. Surrendering to His Will no matter the results. I commend them for doing so, and pray for them.
It all depends on what you’re protected FROM.
This earthly life is going to be over some day anyway and while there are ways I would prefer to die and to prefer not to die, ultimately, while my body may perish, my soul is safe forever and once I’m dead, nothing can ever hurt me again.
A lot of people are wondering where God was when those people got killed in that SC church and He was right there, turning what the enemy meant for evil into good.
Prayers up and continuing daily for the duration of their danger.
Amen, bro. Want to know something strange? I was thinking of posting the same passage. We just had our missionary in Ethiopia preach on this last Sunday. Even stranger, he’d been thinking about it for months, before the leadership asked him to speak on it. There was the same focus you spotted: God is perfectily able to save them, if that is His will, “but even if” God allows their physical demise, they will not bow down to idols. Certainly Islam is idolatry. I commend these Christians for their courage and exemplary faith. May we be equally confident in our God, should we be forced to choose between idols and the fiery furnace. If to the furnace we must go, by God’s grace we will not feel that heat, and will be kept company during our test by the Son of God Himself. Can’t ask for better than that.
Peace,
SR
I ofen ask myself if I would show the courage and conviction of these Monks and Students should I be put to "the test".
God has already blessed them, I ask that God also send his Angels to protect them. In Jesus name. Amen.
I join in prayer for all of these!
Wrong thread for that. They are obviously talking about how their faith will be a cornerstone. I probably wouldn’t go along with all that these Syrian CHRISTIANS believe - but stand in prayer with them against ISIS.
INDEED!
I've always wondered why the Book of Daniel did NOT continue on with using the 3 guys Hebrew names.
It did by using Daniel instead of the Chaldean one given him by the king: Belteshazzar.
Psalm 116:15
Precious in the sight of the Lord
Is the death of His saints.
Romans 8:28
More in keeping with the thread's theme...
Winston Churchill
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