Do You Love ISIS?

[ezrider]

The thing is, (many seem to forget this) is that ISIS is not the enemy, they are people who have lost their way, lost souls. Let's look at Ephesians to gain perspective...

Ephesians 6:12
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places./(KJV)

This is a spiritual war, not a war with people. The members of ISIS very probably have never learned of Jesus the man/God...only the evil indoctrination of the Muslims. So many of them are largely ignorant of the truth about the real God. Brought unto them from evil influence of Satan's army. I mean the spiritual army and not the human beings. You can't expect someone to know something that they've never been taught. If you had been raised from a child only hearing Christians are the enemy, you would believe it too.

Don't hate the man, hate the sin, hate the spiritual enemy, the devil, evil spirits and demons, they are to blame for lying and misguiding God's people and the children.

Remember when Daniel was praying for 21 days, and the messenger angel (Gabriel?) was withstood (detained) and blocked him from passing to go unto Daniel?

Daniel 10:12-13
12 Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.
13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia./

The prince of the kingdom of Persia is a spiritual being. Interfering with God's messenger to Daniel. Here we have a story which illustrates the reality of the situation that we are in. We were born into a spiritual war, and behind enemy lines. The human members of ISIS are certainly dangerous, but are not the root of the problem. The root of the problem is spiritual in nature. To focus on the human members of ISIS is indeed a distraction from reality. If you have a bad bush in the yard that you do not like being there and want removed, you don't go focus on the branches and cut them out, for the roots will still be there and it will sprout new branches. You dig up the roots and discard them.

So for us to hate ISIS the men is not a proper perspective or approach. Killing a member of ISIS will not solve the problem, that's cutting a branch off. Therein is the crux of the message that we have, to love our enemies. If an ISIS member confronted you, and rather than hate him and try to kill him, you focused on God and your faith in Him...to let the power and love of God shine through you, it's possible to convert and plant the seed of change in him, which the Holy Spirit would water...it could be that the soul could be converted and saved.

There may not be time to, you may be fighting for your life. Maybe you would have to kill the man to save your life, but you can do this without hate. But if you do have time, and love him instead of hate him...with God, all things are possible. You need to walk the walk.

This reminds me of a Heinlein quote.

"Your enemy is never the villain in his own eyes. Keep this in mind, it may offer a way to make him your friend. If not, you can kill him without hate--and quickly." (Lazarus Long) Robert Heinlein.

Just a perspective.

I made a comment to someone out at a job site today when the topic of ISIS came up. When I look at ISIS, I have to acknowledge the meddling that the USA and its allies have done in the middle east. We have set up their dictators (Saddam), and we have torn down their dictators (Saddam). We have long meddled in their affairs since the west created their countries and drew their borders. If it where 250 years ago and ISIS where a bunch of White Christian men trying to throw off the yoke of their oppressors, why you would call them patriots.

 

[ezrider]

So for us to hate ISIS the men is not a proper perspective or approach. Killing a member of ISIS will not solve the problem, that's cutting a branch off. Therein is the crux of the message that we have, to love our enemies. If an ISIS member confronted you, and rather than hate him and try to kill him, you focused on God and your faith in Him...to let the power and love of God shine through you, it's possible to convert and plant the seed of change in him, which the Holy Spirit would water...it could be that the soul could be converted and saved.

It's not even about a chance to plant a seed, or to try and convert them. It's about our active Faith that the Lord might be a hedge against them. But for the Lord to be a hedge, do not we also need to exercise true Faith?

 

[Edward]

I made a comment to someone out at a job site today when the topic of ISIS came up. When I look at ISIS, I have to acknowledge the meddling that the USA and its allies have done in the middle east. We have set up their dictators (Saddam), and we have torn down their dictators (Saddam). We have long meddled in their affairs since the west created their countries and drew their borders. If it where 250 years ago and ISIS where a bunch of White Christians men trying to throw off the yoke of their oppressors, why you would them call patriots.

Absolutely. Everyone believes in their cause, but the reality is that there is one truth. I've read and watched testimonies of converted Muslims, and they say that they had no idea about the love of Jesus, and once they experience it...they have broken the yoke of (ignorance) their oppressors.

When that one lost sheep is found, the rejoicing that goes on in heaven is said to be enormous. These people need saved and to hear the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ...and you can't plant those seeds if you're busy with hating them.

 

[th1b.taylor]

1 Cor 2:16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

So act as how Jesus instructed you to act. It is quite simple Kathi, you already said you did not have the mind of God. So then if you do not know God's will concerning ISIS, why do call them evil?

But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.

EZ,
From November 25, 1969, until this very day I have fought this fight and I wasn't even saved then. People, many of them Church Members, swore I hated the NVA and the VC because I had been swift and accurate enough to survive Vietnam. I did have issues with the VC because they were not professional soldiers, they were worse than the Dog's of War, they were hired terrorists. Still, I did not hate them, i hated what they did.

I pray you all success in this effort but since my ETS I have learned that there will, until Heaven is seated on the Earth, be folks that are determined to teach God how to think no matter what He has said. The fact that ISIS, ISIL, the Islamic Nation or what ever they call themselves today does evil has never entered into the Love/Hate factor but because we, the people, love to be disobedient children, reformation is tough.

Praying for a breakthrough.

 

[white hamster]

One man's patriot is another man's terrorist.
It makes me want to vomit when I read anyone argue what amounts to, the west brought this on themselves.

That being said, people will very often say the US should keep their nose out of other countries business. Until something hits the fan in other countries. And then those same people say, the United States needs to do something!

ISIL = Islamic State of Iraq and Lebanon, ISIS = Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.

Terrorist aggression "over there" threatens the entire world. Even those "over here" in the U.S. ISIS isn't going to stop until they are stopped.
Islam is a political ideology. All someone has to do to realize what Islam would do if it had half the chance is visit Dearborn Michigan USA and experience what its like to encounter the Islamists established "No Go Zones" to realize this was never about meddling. This is about world domination and ambition.