SHOULD ONE BE AFRAID OF THOSE WHO KILL?

Dearly Beloved, SHOULD ONE BE AFRAID OF THOSE WHO KILL? “And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!” (Luke 12:4-5 NKJV). The brutal killing of Deborah Samuel Yakubu is highly condemnable! The 200-level student of a college of education in Sokoto State, Nigeria was accused of an alleged blasphemy against the tenets of Islam. Why would a man kill another fellow man for religious purposes? Why would a mortal man attempt to defend the immortal God? Either the “God” is powerless and needs His creation to defend Him, or the overzealous religious man has a thwarted concept of the invincible God. Nevertheless, the thrust of my message this week is not about these heartless people that are eager to fight for their “God” at any slight provocation. These callous people might have been doing, and are still doing, their worst in maiming and killing people in the name of religion. These people can only kill the body, as Deborah Samuel Yakubu was killed some days ago. They are not to be feared because that is the worst they can do. They have no other power over the eternal destiny of the soul of the people they have killed. The One to really be feared is the One – the Almighty God – who can kill and have the power to determine the eternal destination of a person even after the death of the person! The people that are seemingly defending their “God” are not sure of what will become of them when they die. Conversely, the genuine Christians that are martyred are sure of where they are going. The reason is that they (the genuine Christians) serve the all-powerful God. This God does not need any defence. He has assured everyone who believes in Him a place of eternal rest in heaven. That is the One to be afraid of. Deborah Samuel Yakubu, and other Christian martyrs, might have died because of their faith in Jesus Christ. That does not mean one should be afraid of their killers. The killers can only kill their bodies. That is all! As long as we are in this world, such killers will continue to exist and do their worst. However, the killers should know that they will give an account of every soul they kill when they get back to their Maker. Unfortunately, it will be too late for them to repent then. Therefore, be afraid of the Almighty God who can kill and even determine your final destination in heaven. Do not be a heartless killer (and destroyer of people’s destinies in any way) because of any cause! For genuine Christians, do not be afraid of those who can kill only the body. In His service, Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor). Prayer Point: Pray that you will not be afraid of those who can only kill your body, but that you will be afraid of the Almighty God who can kill and determine your eternal destiny. NB: This message is dedicated to the late Deborah Samuel Yakubu, a 200-level student of a college of education in Sokoto State, Nigeria, who was beaten, stoned, and burnt to death on May 12, 2022, for alleged blasphemy against the tenets of Islam.