Something To Fear Even More Than ISIS

Islamic State. ISIS.

It is clear that they are not going away any time soon.

Yesterday, many of us learned that they struck again. This time it was in Libya, where 21 Egyptian Christians were beheaded. I did not see the video which is said to have captured their brutal murders. Nor do I want to.

As the video of their brutal beheadings streamed into my Facebook Newsfeed this morning, I must admit my first thought was, "How would I respond if I was faced with a sword ad the order to deny my faith in Christ or die?"

I think that these 21 Christians knew that there was one thing to fear even more than ISIS. What did they know?

Yes, ISIS Is A Danger

Unless you live under a rock, you know about this terrorist group. Like cockroaches, they have sprung up everywhere. Actually, they have been around for awhile. But they did not attract worldwide attention until Americans overseas began to get beheaded at the hand of ISIS. That, of course, began with journalist James Foley. We have heard of the reports of their beheading other people in the West. Last week, they burned a pilot in the country of Jordan alive, and their brutal deed was caught on tape. This past weekend, they beheaded 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians from Egypt in Libya. This brutal slaying was caught on video for the world to see. This day, there were unconfirmed reports that ISIS has burned alive some 50 Iraqis. Before all this worldwide attention, ISIS had already been murdering, crucifying, beheading and terrorizing men, women and yes, children in Iraq and Syria. They still are on a mission to wipe out all those who do not agree with their ideology! Most tragic of all, ISIS is using online networks and other means to recruit the vulnerable, even women and children, to their depraved cause with the lure of a "better life"! Recently, a young mom was recruited by ISIS to join them, and she left her husband and took their child. O the news, she was shown in her lack burka with a gun. Yes, ISIS is dangerous and nothing to be fooled around with.

The One Thing That Is Even More Dangerous

There is one thing, however, that is even more to be feared than ISIS. In Matthew 10:28, in the New Testament, Jesus warns: "Do not be afraid of those who who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both body and soul in hell," (NIV). I know that many of us, even in the Christian community, refer to duck the idea of a literal, eternal Hell. I myself would very much like to remove this doctrine out of the Bible! But I can't. It has so much Scriptural support that it would be like re-writing the Bible to take this very unsettling teaching out of the Bible. And, whether we like to think of it or not, every single one of us, myself included, will have to stand before an infinitely holy, righteous God and give account of all that we have done in our lives. We will have to account for every thought, word ad deed. WE will not get to put our spin on why we did these things, or shift the blame for our sin to our parents, our genes, the system, government policies, our spouses or to anyone or anything else. No excuses will be accepted. Are you ready for this?

How To Protect Yourself

We do not have to fear that day. We do not have to stand before the Judge in our own merits. That is why Jesus came to Earth, to live the perfect life we could not live, to die a horrible death on a cross to absorb God's wrath at our in in our place, and to rise again. If you sense that you are being drawn to Jesus and you want to be free of sin and its consequences, you need to call on Jesus to be your Lord and Savior. Turn from sin, turn to Him and believe. Then you can stand before Him in Jesus' merits and covered with Jesus' perfect righteousness. This was the secret of those 21 Coptic Egyptian Christian whom ISIS beheaded, and of every past and present Christian martyr.

If you have a Bible, read the Gospel of John and lean more. May you be ready to meet your Maker, as these beheaded 21 Egyptians in Libya were.