They loved not their lives unto death

This weekend, twenty one Egyptian Christians were beheaded by ISIS (The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria). If you have no idea what I'm talking about, please take a look at this article.

It's been weighing heavily on me. In fact, I'm going to amend my Lenten resolutions: instead of praying for UPGs, I'm going to take the list of the names of these martyrs and pray for them daily - for their families, for their church, for those who killed them, for the world of whom they were not worthy (Hebrews 11:38).
These are real people, real brothers who lost their lives and are now at the throne of Christ.

They are

Milad Makeen Zaky
Abanub Ayad Atiya
Maged Solaiman Shehata
Yusuf Shukry Yunan
Kirollos Shokry Fawzy
Bishoy Astafanus Kamel
Somaily Astafanus Kamel
Malak Ibrahim Sinweet
Tawadros Yusu Tawadros
Girgis Milad Sinweet
Mina Fayez Aziz
Hany Abdelmesih Salib
Bishoy Adel Khalaf
Samuel Alham Wilson
Worker from Awr village
Ezat Bishri Naseef
loqa Nagaty
Gaber Munir Adly
Esam Badir Samir
Malak Farag Abram
Sameh Salah Faruq

There has been a lot of poignant writing being done on this execution, and on these men who are the "they" in Revelation 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 unto death 

I read Ann Voskamp's reflection, and it really stirred my soul and is helping my get my head around this and what it means for the church right now. How will the church respond? This article is long, but so worth the read.

For my final word, my dear friend Addie sent me a CD long ago, with many words I don't know, put together by missionaries. The CD is called Even in Sorrow, and there's a song on it called Worthy of our Lives. That song has been coursing through me and I'd like to share its words here:

Harken to the anthem glorious
Of the martyrs robed in white
They like Christ in death victorious
Dwell forever in the light

Living they proclaimed salvation
Ne'er in doubt with grace and power
And they died in imitation
Of their Savior's final hour

Jesus, You are Lord of the nations
Savior, You are mercy and might
Lord God, You are worthy of our praise
And our lives

Christ for who were traitors pleading
Triumphed in His parting breath
All the miracles preceding
Gains are ransomed by His death

Lord God, You are Lord of all nations
Jesus, You are mercy and might
Holy, and You're worthy of our praise
And our lives

Take from Him what you will give Him
Of His fullness grace for grace
Strive to think Him, speak Him, live Him
Til you find Him face to face

Jesus, You are Lord of the nations
Savior, You are mercy and might
Lord God, You are worthy of our praise
And our lives

Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated - of whom the world was not worthy - wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. Hebrews 11:35b-38

Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. Revelation 20:4