A few years back, Islamic terrorists, ISIS, were brutalizing people all over the world especially in the Middle East. Their torturous deeds were unfathomable to my mind. I could pray, though, to Almighty God, so my prayer friend and I did. God heard our cry. Today, their reign of terror has for the most part ended.

A few years back, I prayed the words found in Psalm 83 against ISIS. Today, I pray these words for all Christians in other countries where the governments are hostile to God.

God hears and remembers all of our prayers. And then our fervent prayers change the world!

Psalm 83 ~

13 O my God, scatter them like tumbleweed, like chaff before the wind! 14 As a fire burns a forest and as a flame sets mountains ablaze, 15 chase them with your fierce storm; terrify them with your tempest. 16 Utterly disgrace them until they submit to your name, O LORD . 17Let them be ashamed and terrified forever. Let them die in disgrace. 18Then they will learn that you alone are called the LORD, that you alone are the Most High, supreme over all the earth.

Sometimes people talk about having to go through Hell on earth. There is a true Hell and it lasts forever. If someone in Hell could express their opinion to earth dwellers what would they say? Since God’s love toward every human is also endless, there is a story that His Son, Jesus, told to cause people to want to avoid Hell at all costs.

There was a beggar named Lazarus, who was infested with sores and so impoverished that he longed to eat the scraps of a rich man that were given to the dogs. The rich man dwelt in all the luxury life could give. But then, on an appointed day, God demanded that the rich man and the poor man’s life on earth come to an end.

The poor man, Lazarus went to Heaven. The rich man went to Hell. Both eternally established. And in the irony of ironies, the rich man became the beggar and poor man became rich. The rich man cried out to God but it was too late.

Luke 16 ~

¹⁹ Jesus said, “There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury. ²⁰ At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores. ²¹ As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores.

²² “Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to sit beside Abraham at the heavenly banquet.^[a]The rich man also died and was buried,²³ and he went to the place of the dead.^[b] There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side.

²⁴ “The rich man shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.’

²⁵ “But Abraham said to him, ‘Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. ²⁶ And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.’

²⁷ “Then the rich man said, ‘Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father’s home. ²⁸ For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don’t end up in this place of torment.’

²⁹ “But Abraham said, ‘Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.’

³⁰ “The rich man replied, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.’

³¹ “But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”

God told Joshua at the start of overtaking the Promised Land to be strong and courageous, neither be afraid or dismayed because He, Himself, would win their battles. God went before the Israelites and struck the hearts of all with fear. God’s hand of favor was on Israel as they fought battles. And God was also their rearguard after each battle was won. All the battles were bloody and messy. It was human to human. The soldiers would look into the eyes of the lands inhabitants and according to God’s command they would kill men, women and children.

After a significant victory in which five kings were captured, Joshua repeated God’s promise to his army of being strong and courageous and letting God Himself fight the battles. Then Joshua took the five kings, killed them and after that impalled them on sharpened poles for everyone to see until the day ended.

Joshua 10 ~

²⁰ So Joshua and the Israelite army continued the slaughter and completely crushed the enemy. They totally wiped out the five armies except for a tiny remnant that managed to reach their fortified towns. ²¹ Then the Israelites returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah. After that, no one dared to speak even a word against Israel.

²² Then Joshua said, “Remove the rocks covering the opening of the cave, and bring the five kings to me.” ²³ So they brought the five kings out of the cave—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon. ²⁴ When they brought them out, Joshua told the commanders of his army, “Come and put your feet on the kings’ necks.” And they did as they were told.

²⁵ “Don’t ever be afraid or discouraged,” Joshua told his men. “Be strong and courageous, for the Lord is going to do this to all of your enemies.”²⁶ Then Joshua killed each of the five kings and impaled them on five sharpened poles, where they hung until evening.

²⁷ As the sun was going down, Joshua gave instructions for the bodies of the kings to be taken down from the poles and thrown into the cave where they had been hiding. Then they covered the opening of the cave with a pile of large rocks, which remains to this very day.