Just a thought here. I came across this couple of verses in Isaiah that's tells those in the last days to hide themselves. Isaiah 26:20 Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. 26:21 For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain. I would guess the reason this stuck out to me was that it was said in one of our Bible studies at church, the Christians martyred in Rome and other places in the first few centuries were so blessed that they were martyred. I think it's the contrary. God doesn't intend his children to just stick out our necks to loose our heads.
An aside: I think today's atmosphere in the west is ripening for genuine martyrdom. Seasoned with current political frenzy, there exists the growing mindset that the Christian faith fosters/harbors hatred, particularly towards homosexuals and women, and is the motivating factor behind so-called oppressive politics.
An interesting topic, however, as my own ministry has for years been centered in the midst of that potential. No question of God' s leading, calling and blessing, but the time has come where the chances of getting killed have become a foregone probability. So, what remains is the critical need of wisdom.
The interesting part is that I've talked to a couple of people who said once captured, we ought to be willing. As for me, escape would be constantly be on my mind. Yep, I'd be praying for that wisdom.
What is Isiah about when you read it from front to back? What gives us the right to treat the bible like a warehouse of parts, with which to custom build doctrines? Each verse its own component on a shelf, waiting to be used. Take one verse from Isiah, one from Proverbs, one form Ezekiel, and one from Mark and *poof* some profound insight into end times? If we can do that with single verses, why not single words? Jeremiah 17:7 "But blessed is the one who .... " Isaiah 9:20 "... eats the flesh of his own arm."
Many scholars don't see Isaiah 26 like that either, but instead they apply it to God’s last plague before the Jewish exodus. Since the tribulation’s reason is to punish the whole earth’s inhabitants (not just localized to the players of Exodus), it's not hard to understand why Isaiah 26:21 agrees with other verses that describe what's going to happen in the tribulation. So the reason why this passage refers to the end times I believe is the punishment that comes is brought by God and the punishment is meant for all people on earth. Isaiah 26:21 For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain. Just a thought... It's also just a thought about how we're to understand scriptures according to the scriptures. Isaiah 28:9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. 28:10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
It would be silly to think otherwise. Our mandates are charity, care for and of our brothers and sisters and living holy to name a few.
It's human nature to try to avoid death, especially if there's a torture component involved. It's all fine and well to be devoted in our hearts and to derive some type of willingness from that, but our brains are wired for escape. I may never experience being captured for my faith, but whenever I see news of someone who has been, I think about how God must have been with them in those final days/hours/moments. I believe that for those who refuse to denounce Him, the Holy Spirit is with them.
Small wonder. If the bible is true, and God is as described in this particular subdivision of protestantism, then the reason you'd want to escape is that God created you with that self preservation motivation.
Having hailed from a ridiculous milieu of street-fighting at the drop of a hat, and having witnessed individuals killed on those streets, I was genuinely compelled to resign myself to that very real possibility long ago. Near-future plans will no-doubt enhance those chances greatly, but it doesn't bother me at all... well mostly. The only thing that troubles me about death is that "dying" part.
It's one thing to accept being killed for your faith because you were intentionally sought out by others for your faith and you have no way to avoid death other than by compromise. It's something altogether different to actively look to find martyrdom and pursue it. I don't believe Christians are required to try to become martyrs.
I don't think Christians should go out purposely and get killed for their faith, i think it defeats the purpose, better to stay alive as long as we can to spread the word
In this country it isn't really an issue, but I know, sadly, in other parts of the world it's dangerous being a Christian. Life threatening even.
Agreed, i have seen some shocking treatment of Christians, but it is a sign of the times we live in..