Christian Denies Christ and is still beheaded in Syria (very graphic)

Sometimes I fall into the trap of relying on my own strength and say " Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you." But the fact is without the strength that comes from God I am more likely to say " I don't know the man!"
May God have mercy on that mans soul! And also on those men that did that to him.
May we all hold onto Jesus as our one and only rock, as there is coming a time when a man will rise and be given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them.

blessings Steve

I think these sorts of forced conversions and beheadings will one day happen in North America, once Islam fully takes over.

Couldn't watch the video. I already deal with enough death as it is.

With the utmost humble fear and respect I have absolutely no desire to watch the video and would personally remove the link. While I would also loudly echo that God would have mercy on this poor soul and (souls), it is hard to see any hope for such a renunciation of Christ.

In light of the historical accounts recorded in Foxes Book of Martyrs, Martyrs Mirror, The Pilgrim Church, one will not see such a denial of Christ, but a holy God given boldness and grace to proclaim Him.

While I agree with not glorying in evil, I would more so apply that to our past sinful lives and wicked living. I do see value however in the accounts that have been recorded for our benefit of the death of His saints as it is a testimony of HIS faithfulness and not their own.

Next to the Holy scriptures and word of God, I would highly recommend that every Christian read at the very least Foxes Book of Martyrs.

I also believe that for those who have been called to pay the ultimate price in their own blood, a special grace of God is given.

Of the over 260 some odd views of this thread with only a few comments I wonder which side of the fence people are landing on this?

Recanting to save your skin for a few more moments is not new. The early church found this issue troubling - people who did this sometimes survived and then wanted to be in fellowship with the brotherhood again.

Seems to me one should talk, discuss this issue before we have to deal with it and come to some kind of understanding how one is to deal with it when it comes.

This issue tore up the early church, some saying they should be accepted and others said "NO!". What should a church do if a member recants in face of pressure only to come back and want to rejoin the brotherhood of Believers?

It's unwise to judge this man for recanting. None of us know what we would do in a similar situation. Peter was sure he could never deny Jesus, even if "these other" disciples would deny him. And that was the exactly where he ended up falling, with all his zeal and fire and oaths of uncompromised faith. The same God who hardened the heart of Pharaoh could have strengthened Peter with grace at the very moment of his testing, but did not. He allowed him to fail in the very area he thought he could prevail.

I love the Lord, but without His grace, I would probably deny Him if a Muslim put a knife to my son's throat. I'm just being brutally honest. I don't trust my judgment; I don't even trust my perceived love for God - for it is scripturally possible to leave your first love for Jesus. You can be in love with Him today and out of love with Him tomorrow. Red hot this month, lukewarm next month. You can have victory over sin in the morning, but end up in sin by the evening. We are so fickle, so transient, so prone to judge others and prognosticate what we would or would not do in situations we have never faced.

Our only hope is God's grace in the time of need. Anything less is a product of manipulative willpower prone to happenstance, and the wishful surmisings of a deceitful heart.

Someone posted a video of this same beheading on FaceBook and I thought I could shut my eyes before I saw anything horrific and I was wrong.

I cried for 10 minutes on the mere seconds that I saw; not just because I saw an actual beheading but because this man had literally said the Muslim prayer that restored him to the Muslim faith.

So that was a Muslim killing another Muslim which isn't supposed to happen. This is the result of the evil of radical religion and NOT JUST Muslim religion. Radical Hindu's are just as bad and I'm sure we can name more.

Satan hates God's people.

Also seeing the video you realize there is no way out of suffering in many cases. Even if you recant you will still die, perhaps a worse death. This calls for the perserveance and boldness of the saints to stand for our Lord in that hour. Only Jesus Christ can make a man strong in such a situation. In our flesh we can never do it.

And not only that -- the more I go on with God the bigger the holes seem to get. My confidence in the flesh dwindles even more as once again sin is detected in my members. The way I talk to my wife when agitated, the way I lose my patience with my children. If I still struggle in these areas, how in the world can I hope to remain stalwart for Jesus with a gun pointed to my head - or even worse, a child's head? Without grace, there's absolutely no hope, no assurance to stand even for a moment.

Because I recognize this lack in me except for God's grace, I am very hesitant to look at another person's failure with an air of self-superiority in the same situation. My heart goes out to this man's soul, his family, children, etc.

To deny Christ at that point. Wow! I as well watched the video and remembered the words of a song by Teri De Sario "Clouds Without Water"
'We call ourselves Christians, a name after You. And then we deny you by the things that we do.'

This has had a profound impact on me. How we deny Him in our attitude and actions even when we are not under the gun. I have repented afresh and encountered great grace from the Lord to press in to Him.

Russell

Paul,

Thanks for your post. Too often I look to myself to think that I can "push through" and overcome whatever obstacle I face.

Golly, I can't even blink apart from the grace of God.

It makes Jesus all the more wonderful to me when I realize just how weak I am.

It makes Jesus all the more wonderful to me when I realize just how weak I am.

I lose power the moment I feel I can make a stand for God based off anything but free grace. That is, as soon as I begin to think there is something in myself which elevates me above this Syrian man - something stronger, more resolute, more genuine and committed that would somehow allow me to not deny Christ should a gun be pointed at my head. If I believe this then I am already deceived like Peter in spite of all my zeal and Christian resolution.

The truth is that many of us men of God can't even look at an attractive woman without stumbling in our minds and denying Christ as we yield to secret lust. Where is the distinction between denials? One is merely outward, verbal, with naked shame like the man in the video -- the other is inward, silent and with secret shame. This is why I refuse to judge this man with horror and disgust in his recantation. Inwardly, at least, I know am guilty one thousand times over of the same crime when AK-47s of lust, anger and impatience have been pointed at my head by the enemy.

Yes, I am from the Anabaptist tradition but am not aware that many (I know of one) of my forbears were Anabaptist during the 15-1600s. But we do have this tradition in which we are taught much about their faithfulness and how we can take lessons.

However, not many moderns have been the beneficiary of this upbringing or been taught this. Moderns live for the present comforts and "woe on me if I become uncomfortable". I suspect each generation will have to be taught there may be coming a time when one may have to die for their faith.

In my childhood there were men who loved to talk about the martyr's faithfulness and how they died, using the "Martyr's Mirror" as their resource. I grew up hating that book - I saw the pictures and they instilled horrible fear in me. I could well imagine the pain these victims experienced when they were burned at the stake, or worse. But I am a grandmother now and I see things differently. And one of them is that you need to keep on teaching the young as I was and never mind their reaction.

What scares me is how so many moderns think God exists to make life comfortable. "He knows what I am going through..." It is all about me - ever see these posts on FB? It is all about God easing my discomfort. How on earth will these folks deal with persecution if it should come?

Personally, I do not know how I will respond but am not going to worry about it now. What I am concentrating on now is my walk with the LORD so that if and when bad things do happen I will be able to trust him to see me through - just like he did when daughter Regina died 18 years ago. (To this day I do not understand the intense grief people experience when a saint goes to his/her reward.)

God is good even when life makes little sense.

Sandra

Jesus made a very clear unambiguous statement in Matthew 10:32,33 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

The man who died made this statement, "I testify that there is no God but Allah and Mohammed is the messenger of God.”

One was telling the truth, the other was not. You be the judge, whom are going to believe? Jesus told us to judge righteously.

As for Peter's denial, it was after Jesus made this statement in Luke 22:32, But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and WHEN thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

We must also remember that Peter was not the only one who denied Jesus, they ALL denied Him, and Jesus prayed for them all in John 17.

The example of the Peter I would encourage us as Christians to follow and emulate is the Peter AFTER his conversion. This was the Peter who was martyred for Christ being crucified upside down. The same Peter who in Acts chapter 2 spoke boldly against Christ's murderer's.

To use the example of the Peter who denied Christ before his conversion is unwise when it comes to whether one can think they can deny Jesus Christ and still get to heaven.

Here is a testimony of a young girl at Columbine who after being shot twice, once in the leg, once in the chest, and then her killer grabbed her by the hair lifted her head up and said, "Do you still believe in God?" and she replied, "Yes", before he put the final bullet in her temple that killed her.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXPwfcI6CrA

I will go to my grave with this statement before God and man, If I would publicly deny Him before men, I would not want to go to heaven, because if I did, it would make Jesus a liar. I just do not wish to believe in a jesus that I can deny and still somehow reap the benefit of eternal life.

God's grace is never meant to COVER ones sin or denial of Him, it is a divine enabling to get us out of sin and to boldly stand up for Christ just like the millions who have already done so.

I do not wish to sound spiritually prideful or contentious, that was a road I once traveled and do not wish to travel again. At this point I will refrain from any more input and commit this subject to prayer.

To use the example of the Peter who denied Christ before his conversion is unwise when it comes to whether one can think they can deny Jesus Christ and still get to heaven.

God's grace is never meant to COVER ones sin or denial of Him

Sorry my postings were unclear. I guess it's time for me to step back from this discussion as well! God's blessings to you.