Keeping our heads amidst the ISIS scare...

ISIS has American’s attention

I had my hair cut this week and the stylist started a conversation with me about current events.  She said…

“I was never into politics, but this ISIS thing has me concerned and paying attention like never before.”

What she said did not surprise me, given the amount of news coverage provided to ISIS these days. Before ISIS, one would have to actually search for beheadings on the internet, now they are “pushed” to your standard webpages as part of the current event newsfeed as must see TV of sorts.

Have you thought about what they hope to accomplish by exposing hundreds of millions of Americans to video footage of Americans being decapitated brutally?

They certainly have people’s attention.  Fear is spreading far and wide to the point that ISIS discussions are dominating small talk at the water coolers and at the hair cutleries across our country.

It should be obvious from:

(a) the production quality of the videos and

(b) the overwhelming air time that these violent videos are receiving on major networks,

that someone is attempting to manipulate our emotions for their own benefit.

Boston Globe – Why ISIS emphasizes beheading 

“Clearly the terrorists relish the horror beheading evokes in America and other Western democracies, as well as the fear it inspires among Kurds, Shiites, or other local forces standing in the path of their juggernaut. Psychological warfare is an essential element in Islamic State’s military strategy, writes Shashank Joshi, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London. Even when heavily outnumbered, Islamic State has been able to leverage its reputation for implacable brutality “to dissuade Iraqi forces from ever seeking battle.”

In the midst of this unprecedented level of psychological ware, we need to keep our heads about us.

Don’t lose your head over ISIS situation

The Cambridge dictionary of American idioms 2003 defines the phrase as follows:

Phrase: lose your head
Definition: to not have control of your emotions:
Example: Everything went dark, and I just lost my head and couldn’t think what to do.

The McGraw Hill Dictionary of American Idioms 2002 defines the phrase as follows:

Phrase: lose one’s head (over someone or something)
Definition: to become confused or overly emotional about someone or something.
Example: Don’t lose your head over John. He isn’t worth it. I’m sorry. I got upset and lost my head.

How do we keep our heads in the midst of such evil?

Perhaps Figuratively.

figuratively: The adverb figuratively describes something symbolic, not actual.

If we figuratively lose our head in the coming time of deception, if we lose control of our emotions, lose our bearings, lose our moral compass, lose our sense of who is truly Lord, lose our perspective of whether eternity or avoiding suffering in this life is more important, we have indeed lost everything.

literally: The adverb literally means “actually,” and we use it when we want others to know we’re serious, not exaggerating or being metaphorical. 

Alternatively, if we literally lose our head because we refuse to submit to and support something other than Jesus as Lord ( evil governance, whether based in a religious or political power base), then we will literally lose the world but retain our souls and retain the sure hope of reward in eternity.

Mark 8: 36 “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?”

If we allow our emotions and our fear to control us, then we will compromise time and again and ultimately will participate in the great falling away. If we value our allegiance to Lord Jesus higher than we value our lives (or our heads), then we will refuse to be manipulated by their fear mongering.

Rev 12:11 “And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.”

We can stand strong like those being beheaded by ISIS in Iraq.

Iraqi Christian: ‘ISIS terrorist held a sword to my throat but I refused to convert’

What can we share about the ISIS situation to the scared hair stylists, friends, and coworkers?

Just rightly divide the word of truth, separate light from darkness.

1) Contradict the lies told by our government and our media by stating the plain facts (if you so choose, see bottom of article for details.)

2) Then tell the hard truth, that this world is coming to an end but there is a better one coming.

3) Then share your testimony, that you know Jesus and that He has set you free from the fear of death.

 Phillipians 1:21″ For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain”

Share that Jesus has set us free from the fear of death. We can share the good news of the gospel.  that our allegiance belongs to the King of Eternity, that our moral obligation is to remain true to his commands regardless of political or religious correctness. We can share that we plan to take a stand of faith like so many around the world are doing.

Ephesians 6:13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

When (not if) the day of evil comes, stand firm with an enduring and overcoming faith.

- – – – Additional Content for long time DF readers – – – – -

Who benefits?

Cui bono /kwiːˈboʊnoʊ/ “to whose benefit?”, literally “as a benefit to whom?”

Various narratives regarding who benefits from making and repeatedly airing these videos

ISIS  wants US out of IRAQ and the middeast	The media are choosing to air the video which shows that it is US interests which are being served by the emotional manipulation.
Someone wants the mid-east unified under a religious caliphate	Although Turkey and Saudia Arabia are being named as the funders and organizers, it is the CIA and US Military whose fingerprints are all over ISIS training and expansion.
Obama wants to look strong and regain some popularity	He does what his handlers tell him to do without concern for popularity. Consider which of these is popular: never ending wars in the middle east, obamacare, fast and furious, bringing ebola patients to us, leaving the southern border wide open
ISLAM and martial law are coming to America and the masses are being scared into submission	Whistleblowers have attested to training camps in the USA, infiltrators in high places in government, Guillotines being stored at US military facilities, much more…
The long anticipated economic collapse is drawing near and the bankers would rather start WWIII than lose their grip on power.	A global re-org is coming and they are attempting to consolidate power globally and intimidate the masses into submission worldwide through various means including currency devaluation, control of food and water supplies, ebola,  islamic jihad, and yes, war.

Sources to cure ignorance, raised eyebrows, and eye rolls.  

http://www.hangthebankers.com/isis-leader-a-confirmed-cia-puppet/ (CIA trained ISIS)

http://www.globalresearch.ca/we-re-going-to-take-out-7-countries-in-5-years-iraq-syria-lebanon-libya-somalia-sudan-iran/5166 (syria war planned since 1999)

http://www.scribd.com/doc/158204927/HB-1274-Guillotine-death-penalty-provisions-PDF (state of GA tried to pass bill to allow use of guilotines for execution in 1996)

http://www.wnd.com/2014/09/119427/  (muslim mafia book details infiltration of US govt by Islamic radicals)

https://durablefaith.wordpress.com/2013/08/28/intelligence-insider-syria-world-war-iii-the-hidden-objective/ (how does Syria fit into the script for ww3?)

https://durablefaith.wordpress.com/2011/12/20/global-governance/  (ten things Christians should know about Global government)