If you have started to follow our blog, you will see a prayer prompt followed by a discussion. Today we are praying about ISIS. Our discussion comes from a post sent on this very subject from The Soldiers Sanctuary. So as the family of God, let’s talk about it so we know how to pray and why we pray the way we do! Please share with us and leave your comments below on our page! Holy spirit you are welcome here!
September 5, 2014
Convert of Die?
Phil Robertson is the patriarch of the Robertson family who is portrayed on the reality show Duck Dynasty. Recently he was interviewed by Sean Hannity from Fox News and they were discussing the rise of radical Islam. Sean asked Phil what the answer was to dealing with radical Islamist’s such as ISIS. Phil replied with a simple answer that the media has gone nuts over and has even compared him to be one and the same with the ISIS jihadist’s.
“In this case you either have to convert them, which I think is…ah… would be next to impossible. I am not giving up on them but I am just saying either convert them or kill them.” (Robertson, 2014)
Phil’s answer is quite simple as I have mentioned and not controversial at all. He offers two solutions which happen to be two extremes. Of course when you mention two extremes such as conversion and death the media is going to lose their minds and start ranting and raving for the purpose of selling their air time. However before you lose your mind as well, let us look at the two extremes Phil has proposed.
The first and the best case scenario would be to “convert them”. Is this the best choice of words? Maybe not. To convert someone as Phil phrased it could have the connotation of forcing someone to embrace a particular faith or face an ultimatum such as the reverse far extreme of death. As a fellow Christian and Bible believer I know that Phil in no way, fashion, shape, or form implying that the Islamists convert to Christianity or face death as an ultimatum. He knows and I know that “voluntary and sincere” conversion would be the best outcome and the greatest solution to ending the jihadist ideology and preventing their deaths along with those that are killed by their hands. Remember the question proposed to Phil by Sean was implying how do we return to a peaceful state- Jesus is Peace. Christians are not the ones beheading innocent human beings in the name of their God…neither are they requested or commanded to in their Scripture. We want peace, the radical Islamists want jihad.
The other extreme solution that Phil offers is death. Again, not due to the fact that the jihadist will refuse to convert; but because they are threatening our national security and beheading our people who are innocent. In other words these Islamist radicals called ISIS and others are committing acts of war and will be destroyed on the battlefield unless they surrender under peaceful terms. Only one of these peaceful options would be to convert to Christianity voluntarily which will, by the way, not be offered by our nation or military as a term of surrender obviously. Christians knowing the power of the Gospel see it as the best peaceful solution to avoid the loss of life on both sides.
Many are appalled that a Christian would even suggest the death of another human being as an option for peace. As a soldier I get this question quite often- How can you kill someone on the battlefield? Believe me it is the last thing that I would ever want to face. However in my heart I know that if I must take a life on the battlefield such as the life of a radical Islamic terrorist it would be for the purpose of saving countless other lives in the future that would have been lost if that one murderous jihadi was to live. The jihadist kills for his evil blood thirsty god with no regard for peace. A Christian seeks his God for peace and will defend his faith, family, and people at all costs against these wicked ones.
Are there peaceful solutions that fall in between conversion and death? Of course there are! For centuries Christians, Muslims, and Jews have been able to coexist peacefully. However there will always be and always have been those who do live by the ideology of “convert or die” and will refuse to see and other solution in between; but I am quite confident it is not Phil Robertson or many other Christians to include myself. If the media and factions of the public are ignorant and foolish enough to compare Phil and Christians alike with Islamic Jihadist Terrorism, they are sadly mistaken. Honestly, I do not believe all are completely ignorant, but then again if you tell the truth in context it may not sell. So who are the real villains?
Note: I put together a video with clips from the Sean Hannity interview of Phil Robertson and posted in on YouTube. Click on the following to view.
The Acts 12 Movement 
Sometimes, it is very difficult to pray for the salvation of people who commit such barbaric acts. In this case they are the enemies of Israel, and the West, particularly the United States. As Christians we are to pray for the salvation of these people, as well as their restraint in killing other peaceful people. May God move in their hearts is my prayer.
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Reblogged this on Levi's Daily Thoughts and commented:
I have started following a most worthy website which is also on WordPress. It is an online prayer site that prays for a particular concern, or person. I am asking all of my followers that feel led to reblog this post so that many will join in real, specific, bold, Spirit led prayer.
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Just came across this video, very informative and worth the 8 minutes of viewing time.
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Thank you for your great interest in this and sharing. God bless you.
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This is very informative, thank you so much for posting this. We all need to be learning together!
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I re-blogged this on http://www.suespen2paper.com Very good video in helping to clarify some things.
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Great! Thank you, Sue.
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You are obviously a person who recognizes evil. The problem with most (especially female) “Christians”, is that they have unwittingly replaced most of tenets of their Christian faith with radical, second-wave, politically correct, feminism which refuses to recognize evil, unless, of course, it is in the form of an “oppressive” “domineering” Christian man.
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Thank you for following and commenting. We do recognize evil and realize only God has the power to overcome it victoriously. He listens to the prayers of His people, and we are praying and expecting Him to act for His own glory.
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Combating evil has only become controversial since Vatican II concluded that “ecumenicalism” was going to advance a wave of Christian inclusiveness. Indeed, it released a tidal wave, but one that swamped Christianity rather than advanced it as Christianity looked to make nicey, nice with sinners. At that very moment, they stopped acknowledging evil (sin) and are now awash in, “I’m ok, you’re ok” drivel while continuing to lose ground up to this every day. Cardinal Dolan’s acquiescence to the demand by gays to march in St. Patrick’s Day parade in NYC is a perfect example. Despite, Dolan’s actions, sin is sin! There’s no grey area. Can you imagine his allowing a group of thieves or rapists or pedophiles to march in the parade? So, why are homosexuals, who literally define their very existence by sin, allowed to march in the parade? It’s both sick and sad that the men who should be saving humanity from sin are instead being led around by their noses by sinners.
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This is an interesting dilemma. As Levi states, it is quite difficult to pray for the salvation of those that commit such barbaric acts as those that have been committed against Americans and then posted in the public domain. It’s like when they hung Jesus on the cross for all to see, to breed fear and doubt in believers. But…what to do about those that do such evil? Recall, the city of Nineveh was known for its evil ways. We don’t know how horrible they were but nonetheless Jonah refused to proclaim God’s message to the people of Nineveh because he knew that if they confessed and turned from their evil ways God would forgive them and sometimes our human nature does not want God to forgive those that practice evil, in whatever form. Our carnal nature wants God to punish the evil doer. Who cannot fathom what is on the mind of God? Well, He gave us plenty to think about in His word, but how many believers are seeking the scriptures for answers and direction.
As a believer in Christ, I know full well that the living God is in control of what is happening in this world…to believe otherwise is to not know God. And the Holy Spirit concurs. And He wants His children to trust Him and wait on Him. Trusting in God in the bigger picture is hard to do, because our carnal nature wants to lash out and that’s in any situation in which we have no control and sometimes even when we do have control. And in this instance we have no control. This is happening across the world, far from the safety and comfort of our homes, but how long before it reaches our communities?
Anyone familiar with end time prophesy should not be surprised by what’s happening on the other side of the world. These events should not be shocking, although it’s a normal reaction. It should not be producing fear in us, but it should be concerning.
Mat. 24 says…
“Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all[a] these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.
“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
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There are a variety of people that want to add and subtract from this message, but it is what it is. We, as believers need to be watchful, not troubled. We need to stay fervent in prayer for those that also wait on God, especially our military forces, our leaders, missionaries, and our enemies because believers will suffer persecution, and pray asking God to not allow Satan to shift us like wheat. We should pray for mercy, to help us surrender our will for His, for His protection and for His grace to accept His will. Soon enough Jesus will return, perhaps in our lifetime, perhaps not, because only the Father in heaven knows the day and the hour of Jesus’s return. At this point, all true believers should be prayer warriors in Christ as every day is a day closer to His return. You know who you are…
God did not leave us alone in this world or without comfort. Ps. 91 offers us comfort…
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
Surely he will save you
from the fowler’s snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.
If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
and you make the Most High your dwelling,
no harm will overtake you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
“Because he[b] loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
He will call on me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him.
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Irma, wonderful thoughts and in-line with our beliefs. We couldn’t have said it any better. Our goal is to have an army of prayer warriors to pray in these matters. Welcome aboard! Thank you for the great comment.
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May God bring ISIS terrorists to Christ…and also may the LORD crush them militarily if they don’t repent.
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Yes and Amen! Thank you for joining the movement. We are one voice raised up to Christ in prayer!
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