ISIS Kill List Names 15,000 Christian Americans Targeted for Death

http://townhall.com/columnists/bethanyblankley/2016/08/04/isis-kill-list-names-15000-christian-americans-targeted-for-death-n2201586

According to a report recently made public, early this year, ISIS specifically identified 15,000 Christian Americans for death and instructed jihadists already in America to begin widespread murder.

The Kill List report comes in the wake of ISIS already publicly warning American and British Christians that "they were next.” British police last week publicly warned its 5.4 million Christians to be on alert and in some areas increased security.

But,Circa News reports that the FBI did not notify American Christians who are on the ISIS "Kill Lists.” On its website it states:

"The FBI did not alert numerous Americans that they were placed on secret Islamic State kill lists or notify their local police about the potential dangers, a lapse in the government's efforts to combat the terrorist group's evolving strategy to target everyday citizens.

"To date, the terror group that goes by the acronym ISIS has published on encrypted web sites several hit lists naming more than 15,000 people it would like to see killed by sleeper cells or lone wolves in New York, Texas, Florida and California.”

Circa News was able to obtain copies of some of the lists and several individuals named on the lists. In Texas, for example, Circa News contacted 24 people marked for death. Out them, 22 had no idea that there was such a list or that they were on it.

It is believed that the list was purportedly created from an Internet search of church directories.

Michael Snyder of Charisma News remarked that the FBI did inform him that he and his wife are on the list. After further research, they discovered that his pastor and other members of his church were also on the ISIS Kill List.

Leaders of Christian organizations and Christian pastors should contact their local FBI and law enforcement to investigate if they are on the list and also request that security measures be taken to protect their congregation.

Despite the warning, good news does exist. Snyder pointed to a Detroit News article that describes how a 21 year-old Islamist from Dearborn Heights, Michigan, Khalil abu-Rayyan, decided that because he couldn’t commit Jihad overseas””he would find a mega-church in Detroit.

This is for each one to take before the Lord I believe. I don't think it's to the point of the one extreme of say getting rid of My Instagram account on which I share about Jesus & the Gospel daily. But if someone else does, that's fine. I could see it getting to the point where we want to be wise as serpents & not ruin chances to be around to share Jesus with those the Lord leads us to, but I don't see us as "there" yet personally. But if someone else feels so led, then so be it, I have no judgement on them for this.

I do have a question: for everyone on the forum - can we say this is a clear evidence of coming (or arriving) persecution and/or judgement? Is that not becoming clear yet without it being called "fear-mongering"? Some see it coming sooner than other (prophets prophesy it when no one can "see" it, why they were once called "seers", watchmen on the wall see it coming from off in the distance because they are watchful and alert, but some are so adamant against these warnings they can then even refuse to see it even as the arrows are flying over their heads over the city walls & troops breach the city walls.

I have shared for a long long time that I believe Islam will be used in the hands of the Lord like He said in the OT "my servants, the Assyrians" to accomplish His will of waking up a mostly sleepy &/or immature church in the West. And I think part of our calling will be to help those confused make sense of it, show our ability to draw on God's grace through Jesus by the Spirit, not love our lives to the death, & yes, even search our hearts concerning loving even our enemies & praying for those who persecute and despitefully use us. This, I believe, is still in the beginning stages & will continue to ramp up and increase in the days ahead.

The only such admonition in scripture is when Jesus is sending out the disciples & says, "if they persecute you in one city, flee to another...and if they do not receive you, shake the dust off of your feet...." This is disciples, apostles really, being sent out as missionaries, if you will, to places other than their home for evangelism/ministry, & if they aren't received in one place, they are told to flee elsewhere. This isn't "stay at home where you already love, tell no one you are a Christian, give no visible or verbal indicators of it to anyone anywhere, & run and hide up in the mountains..." There is a difference. And even then I can see a time coming, of Jacob's Trouble - The Great Tribulation, where the bride is hidden away in the wilderness and protected for a season, and then afterwards is still overcome by the enemy (to those who would say "NO, WE ARE OVERCOMERS!" I would say the answer to what seems contradictory Bible is always more Bible - the scriptures say the bride will be hidden away for a season in the wilderness and protected & then will be overcome in this life by the enemy. I believe this to be the first 3.5 years vs the second 3.5 years of the time of Jacob's trouble). So let each one be convinced of these things in his own mind, search the scriptures, & be prepared to share Jesus at all costs, lay down their lives and comforts, take great risks for Jesus, flee if the Lord so leads, & be living as walking "witnesses" (from the Greek word Martyrias from which we get "Martyrs") even now. Of course, if you think all of this already happened in 70 AD, that sounds like gibberish to you and you can just kick your feet up & ignore it all because "every since His coming things go on as they always have..." & you can wait to just "be secretly raptured" (if you're pre-trib) which is escapism, or you can just wait around doing nothing different if you think the next event is Christ's imminent return (if you are a Kingdom Now Dominionist) & ignore all that I just said from the scriptures. Don't get me wrong, of course even if we die we win, "but to the one who has understanding and will teach many" in these last days, we will "know our God and do great exploits". I believe that, even if we are having to flee and hide to do it. That may not happen as soon as I think in my lifetime, but I think it certainly may. Especially looking at the prophetic eschatological scriptures, what's going on in the Islamic world and in Israel, & based on all of the birth pangs Jesus spoke of to look for beginning to come to pass, at least in the infancy stages. No one knows the day nor hour, but the fact is, America "could" even get devastated by internal Islamic terrorists & even Nuked from Russia/China/N Korea/Iran before all of these final events get fully cranked up anyways. Either way, the message is to "be ready". Have your lamps full of oil burning and trimmed, shining brightly, eagerly awaiting (the correct translation from the Greek of "hastening") the Lord's return and the culmination of all these things! That's not fear mongering either. I think it's actually exciting that we live as close to the return of the Lord to the earth as we do! Anyways, God Bless,
Jeff

Yes Docs, absolutely. The "controversy of Zion" will be more of a forefront issue in the days ahead other than just a theoretical atherial theological discussion relegated to the replacement theologians, many of whom stand in support of those who oppose Israel. The issue of Israel & God's purposes will be a much more prevelant issue in the days ahead

And by that I am speaking of the disciples in thought of NT Wright, Philip Mauro, Stephen Sizer, & the modern "Christ at the checkpoint" crowd. While I love Palestinian Arabs as much (or more) than they do, their movement is riddled with propaganda, lies, etc.

Interesting to note, the apostate "ministry" of World Vision (the same one that came out for gay marriage a couple years ago and then "retracted" it when they lost a ton of donors) just got exposed. They had a representative over Gaza named Mohammed (a Muslim) who was funneling funds given for "Palestinian Arab Christians" to the terrorist organization, Hamas. These people and the foolishness of much of their position I believe will come to light and be exposed in the days ahead.

If you are a pastor or ministry leader in the USA you can check your name here to see if you are on the list:

http://counterjihad.com/are-you-on-the-list/

I believe they have the updated new list of 15,000.

this scripture is soon coming to pass, it will not just be ISIS who is targeting believers in the West:

Matthew 24:9-10 New International Version (NIV)

9 "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other,

I agree. If you study it out and see the validity in an Islamic Antichrist (as opposed to some European leader out of nowhere), you see it's related closeness is possibly nearer than we might now see.

And by the way, it was $40 MILLION that poor (but naive after World Vision already showed its true colors from the top down) mostly Christians have to World Vision only to have it fun need to Hamas in the Gaza Strip for rockets & support to attack Israel, dig tunnels, etc. Wow. That's what happens when they are "infiltrated" because the naivety & anti-semitism of heart is so deep that appointed Muslims named Mohammed over Palestinian Arabs to protect them from that big bad wolf Israel. In a vote, Most of the Palestinian Arab Christians would MUCH rather be under the rule of Israel again rather than Hamas (or the PLO in the West Bank). That's a fact.

Check this short 8 minute YouTube clip out from Dr. Michael Brown dispelling the lies and propaganda that even many naive Christians are swallowing whole like many German Christians did Hitler's programs a lies:

The Truth about Israel, Islam, & Palestinian Christians
https://youtu.be/Ur7cBt_nrAg

And for those looking for a Roman European Antichrist & saying an Islamic Antichrist perspective is "just some new fad" or "a Lone Ranger theory" or whatever, please feel free to check this out as well. Or those saying Gog is Russian & not Turkish. I think good brothers (Frank, I'm thinking of you brother) may be surprised to find out how much meat is actually on these bones both scripturally & historically all the way back to even the early church.

Joel's Underground Episode 48, Is Gog the Antichrist? A Historical Perspective.
https://youtu.be/Aef-ieQmsWY

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Brothers I do not believe there is a one-size-fits-all strategy when one is dealing with persecution in different nations. When you look at the Open Doors Watch List which contains the 50 top countries where persecution is evident. The strategy of going underground in nations like North Korea and Eritrea will differ from those nations that are at the lower part of the list were persecution is not so extreme.

In each country the believers will have to depend upon wisdom of the Holy Spirit in terms of how they react to the persecution in that nation. Consider the words of our Lord Jesus below.

Matthew 10:16-23

"Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves. But beware of men, for they will hand you over to the courts and scourge you in their synagogues; and you will even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say. For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. "Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.

"But whenever they persecute you in one city, flee to the next; for truly I say to you, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel until the Son of Man comes.

Our Lord Jesus is laying forth a broad strategy that believers will employ in different ways depending on the persecution intensity of the situation they are in. There will be times that they will have to escape and go to another city. But He also indicates that they will possibly be taken before the authorities. And in that time they are to depend on the Holy Spirit of what to say. But again the Holy Spirit Will instruct the believers what to do in each and every situation of persecution. Our hearts are to be yielded to Him in submission to receive His wisdom in the persecution situation we are in.

Personally I am not worried about my name being on the list of jihadist to take out. But I see a far greater danger here in America. Someone could very easily engage me in a conversation about what the Bible says about homosexuality. My words to them could be gentle and wise. The conversation may be conciliatory. But the person I'm engaging the conversation with could very well be a member of the LBGT community. Thus I could be charged later on with a hate crime. My Bible or new testament could be construed as a hate book.

It is my understanding that already in Canada the Bible is considered a hate book. And pastors are being charged with hate crimes if they speak out that homosexuality is a sin.

I think it's only a matter of time before America will follow suit. I do not think it far beyond the realm of possibility that men such as John MacArthur or Paul Washer would be taken out of their respective churches in handcuffs to a waiting government SUV and charged with a federal hate crime. Yes they would be declaring the truth that in the eyes of Jesus homosexuality is a sin. But in the eyes of society they would be arrested for preaching hate against a particular group.

Our brother Frank always reminds us that those believers in times past were persecuted because they spoke the truth of Jesus Christ. This I see is the more immediate concern that will bring about the persecution of believers in America. And this will require wisdom from God to us on how we will stand and respond to speak the truth of Christ.

As usual these are always my thoughts.

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Though I am not fearful. I'm certainly mindful of the hostile environment the followers of Jesus are experiencing in America.

In times past a pastor could preach passages the dealt with the issue of homosexuality being a sin in the eyes of God without fear of government prosecution. But because of the hate crime laws I don't think pastors will have that freedom anymore. Not unless they are willing to risk Federal Prison.

Even to state one's convictions that marriage in the eyes of God is between a man and a woman can probably Land one in jail. As LBGT might construe this as inflammatory language against their lifestyle.

I think these issues are far more pressing up on believers today then what ISIS conceivably may do to us in the future.

Again these are simply my thoughts.