Something I deffinately wasn't ready for

I had a student come to me today totally shocked and literally sick to his sotmach. He told me he had just wathced (and listened to) the video of the person being decapitated in Iraq.He was left...I don't even know...couldn't eat, couldn't talk about anything but it; but couldn't talk about it without gaging (literally).My question is: How should we respond as Christians? How do we bring Light to such a darkness?Thank you for whatever you can do to help.matthew

PRAY!!! Pray pray pray! ;-) I'm not sure what else to do. We just have to live our lives as examples so that others can see the light in us and want that light. People are greedy. If you have something they don't have. They're going to want it... :-)

Matthew You didn't say if your student was a believer. However, whether he is or not I would encourage him to 'get it off his chest'. ie talk to God about it. Tell Him how you feel, the reactions it provokes, the resentment it awakens.These verses are not a slick answer but a word the LOrdgave to me many years ago about a different issue.And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison. And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother. And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus. (Mat 14:10-12 KJV)It is not escapism to 'go and tell Jesus'.

Hey, yeah... if this kid isn't a Christian, this may be a good opportunity to point him towards Jesus, especially since He went through so many more awful things when He was sent to the cross to die. If what happened to this civilian in Iraq makes this kid queezy, what an affect Jesus' sacrifice might have on him. Not only that, but Jesus died for injustices like these. There is a place for this kid to turn, there is comfort that he can find, and it's in Jesus.I know one thing that helps me when I'm troubled by the evilness in this world, is to zoom out from focusing on that one particular event and focus instead on the big picture, the eternal perspective. Like I posted under the gay marriages topic, here's a verse that may be comforting and encouraging:"Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).

He is one I (and a brother who is a substitute) have been wittnessing to for some time. He knows of the need of repentance, but I don't know for sure.matthew

So, have you gotten to share with this kid anymore on this subject?

No, but I have been concidering a responce allong these lines:"As terrible as what befel that man is and was, the wrath that created that aweful scene is not worth comparing to the wrath God has toward the unrepentant...When he executes that wrath it will be infinately more terrible than what you saw. The difference is, God's actions will be absoultly just, righteous and deserved."Is that an unreasonable response?Thanks for the inputmatthew

Ummm... so do we want this kid to be afraid of God? I mean, what you said is true, but don't you think that might scare the kid away from God? That doesn't sound very welcoming to me. That may be something you would tell a believer, to encourage them to have a heart for those who aren't saved and will be separated from God forever in hell. But to a kid who doesn't really know about the many characteristics of God (or does he?) and doesn't personally know Him in a loving relationship yet... I wouldn't go with God's wrath.Like what I posted before, how about the fact that Jesus' suffering on the cross for our sins, so we could have a direct relationship with God, is nothing compared to the suffering that one guy went through in Iraq?"God showed how much He loved us by sending His only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him. This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins" (1 John 4:9 & 10).I think it's God's love that draws unbelievers to Him, not His wrath.

I agree with Yolanda. I think presenting him with God's wrath under these circumstances is not appropriate. Here is a guy that is hurt and sickened by "man" and his ways. God's ways are different. (not that God doesn't have wrath) but this guy probabably needs comfort and to see that if man truly lived for Christ - they would not do things like this.What happened there with the beheading is an example of a people without a relationship with Christ.In Him, chanin

Thank you,Here is where he (the kid) is with his understanding of God, and the Gospel.He knows that God's holiness and justice demands that ALL sinns ever committed be punnished. He knows that He has sinned. He knows that Jesus' death was enough to pay for EVERY sin. He knows that forgiveness is offered to all who will repent and trust.does that change anything?I was hoping that telling him what I planned would bring a real image to the wrath of God against sin. Thank you, Sometimes I am too intense...I appreciate help tempering me.matthew

Consider Jesus' response in Luke 13:Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. And Jesus said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this fate? "I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. "Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? "I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."Continue praying and reading the Word adn God will tell you what this young man needs to hear."For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak."Also, pray about urging him to come to Christ because Christ is excellent and worthy of our adoration; not necessarily what for he will get (or avoid) by surrendering his life to Him.God bless,Matthew

Hey MathewI immediately thought of the scripture in Romans9, “17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. 18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. 19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? 20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? 21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? 22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted F36 to destruction: 23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,”Pharaoh was a really bad guy but he was not a glitch in the plan which God then scrambled to fix. It also made me think of the parable of the wheat and tares (Matt13:24-43). At some point the early church faced Saul as its biggest tyranny, but through the grace of God he was transformed from Saul to Paul; tyranny to Saint; tare to wheat. As Yodi said, the eternal perspective is what is important. Still having said all that we do not win men over with wisdom of words (1Col1:17). Praying is really the best thing we can do so that the peace of God which transcends all understanding may be with him.In Christ

Thanks to all of you.Truely God is good. On his own apart form my asking him, the student I have been speeking of came to me last friday and asked "how do you repent. I know I need to, but how do I?"Romans 8:28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,[ 8:28 Some manuscripts And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God] who[ 8:28 Or works together with those who love him to bring about what is good–with those who] have been called according to his purpose. Is it not wonderful that we can rest in the truth of Scripture!matthew

"how do you repent. I know I need to, but how do I?"Oh Praise God!! This is wonderful!!!This brought tears to my eye's...Brother Matthew, have been following this without comment..But to hear THESE words!Luk 15:10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth. Will be praying for you both...Need to find Robert... :-)

What a stirring thread! The enemy is seen for who he is and sin for what it is at times like these. In such times the mind is afforded a great opportunity to change. Repentance means first of all to change your mind. What the video must have shown is sin in all its madness. The gruesome end of all that the devil desires for those who were made in the image of God. Satan is headed to hell to be quarantined for all eternity for such a disposition.Tophet is the root of the word for hell in the bible. It was a place where babies would be placed on the outstretched arms of a metal idol that had a fire lit inside. People sacrificed their children to false gods in this way. We learn from scholars that the horrific deeds of the children of Israel who would place their children on the red hot arms had to be drowned out. Hence, the Hebrew word "Tophet" signifies the beating of drums. As I recall it was Josiah who cleaned this area up and made it a trash dump. You may know it as the valley of Hinnom- or possibly Gehenna. A place that burned with trash outside the city continually. What a picture of hell- the place where the devil and his angels are to be quarantined. Why? because of the madness and rebellion against a God that is holy and wholly good.To repent- is to change your mind about sin and Satan and this world and TURN and follow Christ. If you follow Satan you will end up where he is going. If you follow Christ you will end up where He is going. Some people's mind never changes about sin and Satan. They would follow Christ for fear of the fires of hell, but as our sister's pointed out- some need to hear God's goodness- they have already seen much of the reality of sin. You have to humble yourself to follow Christ. You have to be willing to sell out to Him and be purchased by His blood for His glory and service. You have to confess your sins and turn from them. And not just turn away from sin- you must turn TO GOD. Many are repulsed by sin- but refuse to 'take God's hand' (as it were) as they turn to walk with Him. When you truly turn to God as the Holy Spirit draws you- you will be Born Again according to John 3:3. You will become a new creature- with new desires. Desires that are in keeping with God's personality in place of what they used to be which was the devil's personality.Some walk with God with their head turned back to sin. Remember Lot's wife. She was told not to look back on Sodom and she looked anyway and became a pillar of salt. When we look back to sin we become salt that has lost its savour. Repentance is simply wanting God and not sin. Change your mind about sin and turn to God. Love Him where you once loved sin. Think about Him where you once thought about sin and self. Love him with all your heart- where you once dedicated the whole of your life to sin. So much more to say. Please check out some of the notes form from "The Repentance God Requires." God Bless,-Robert

We learn from scholars that the horrific deeds of the children of Israel who would place their children on the red hot arms had to be drowned out. Hence, the Hebrew word "Tophet" signifies the beating of drums.Boy, this could apply to quite a number of things in these times..so much noise is necessary to drown out the concience being just one.

Well that's great news about your student! Thanks for the update. And I agree with the importance of prayer rather than such an emphasis on winning this kid over with words. God will give you the words to speak, but it's the Holy Spirit that can affect his heart. Keep us posted.