What would you do?

Recently two FOX news employees, reporter Steve Centanni andcameraman, Olaf Wiig were kidnapped on the Gaza strip as they reported on the plight of the Palestinians and some bombings that recently took place. Thankfully, early Sunday morning they were released. Here's the story via foxnews.com

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Two FOX News journalists were released by their kidnappers Sunday, nearly two weeks after they were taken hostage in the Gaza Strip.

Steve Centanni, 60, and Olaf Wiig, 36, left Gaza and have since crossed into Israel after their release. The men left Gaza through the Erez border crossing.

The freeing of Centanni, a correspondent, and Wiig, a cameraman, ends the longest-running drama involving foreign hostages in Gaza.
The two journalists were dropped off at Gaza City's Beach Hotel by Palestinian security officials and appeared to be in good health. A tearful Centanni embraced a Palestinian journalist briefly as he entered, then rushed upstairs as Wiig followed.
Centanni, in a phone interview shortly after his release, said "I'm fine. I'm just so happy to be free."
He said he was so emotional because he was out and alive.
"There were times when I thought 'I'm dead,' and I'm not," Centanni said. "I'm fine. I'm so very happy."
He recounted how he and Wiig were pulled out of their car on August 14 and taken at gunpoint into another car. The kidnappers blindfolded them and handcuffed their hands behind their backs with plastic ties. They were then transferred to another car and driven to a building that they later learned was a garage.
"We were pushed down onto the dirt-covered concrete floor and we were forced to lie face down with our handcuffs on," Centanni said.
"Olaf was in the same room with me. Our shoulders were wrenched back, very painful."

Both of the men were forced to convert to Islam at gunpoint, Centanni said. (the highlight is mine)

"We were forced to convert to Islam at gunpoint," Centanni told FOX News. "Don't get me wrong here. I have the highest respect for Islam, and I learned a lot of good things about it, but it was something we felt we had to do because they had the guns, and we didn't know what the hell was going on."
Centanni's brother, Ken, spoke to FOX News directly after the news was released.
"It's just a tremendous amount of relief, overwhelming relief," he said.
Later Sunday, Centanni and Wiig appeared before reporters, then traveled to the Erez crossing into Israel to leave Gaza.
"I want to thank everybody. I am happy to be here. I hope that this never scares a single journalist away from coming to Gaza to cover the story because the
Palestinian people are very beautiful and kind hearted," Centanni told reporters. "The world needs to know more about them. Don't be discouraged."
Wiig also said he was worried that the kidnapping would scare off reporters.

"My biggest concern really is that as a result of what happened to us foreign journalists will be discouraged from coming to tell the story and that would be a great tragedy for the people of Palestine," Wiig said. "You guys need us on the streets, and you need people to be aware of the story."

Wiig's wife, Anita McNaught, thanked Palestinian officials and FOX News for their efforts in getting the men released. The men refused to take questions.

My thoughts:

Please do not mistake me for some 'at-home-Rambo'. I have no idea what these two men went through and I have no idea where their hearts are in relation to anything resembling an organized religion; more specifically in relation to their feelings about Christ. I don't know what exactly I would do if I were in their shoes and I would be less than honest if I didn't tell you that I hope I'm never in their shoes. . I do know this: the day may come, the Bible seems to suggest it WILL come, when all Christians may well be in this very position. I don't know if it will be militant Islam doing the 'converting' or a religion that doesn't exist yet, but you may very well find yourself in the position of having to choose life over your faith. Some may say that 'well, it doesn't matter what you say, God will know your heart' and you may be right. But I do believe that the PUBLIC acknowledgment of a faith in Christ is seen by God as an awesome and essential thing.


Romans 10: 8-9 says it this way:
...That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord', and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

2 Timothy 1: 8-9 says:
So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life....

My wife and I were talking about this and neither one of us could imagine what we would do if someone had a knife to either or both of our boys' throats saying that if we didn't convert to such-n-such, they would kill our kids. I do know that it's at least considering ahead of time what to do and how to handle it. You may say, 'we don't live in that kind of time yet', and I hope you're right. But I know that on September 11, 2001 when Konnie called me and told me what was happening I said, 'no way'. I hope I never see the day that any of us would be faced with such a choice as these two fine men. But if so I hope that I will remember the words of Jesus.

Matthew 10:32-33:
Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.

I can't seem to acknowledge my faith in the most mundane circumstances. In some ways, it would be sad if it took a gun to my head for me to confess to the truth in which I believe. At times I'm shy about telling 'the world' that I went to a Bible College. I'm fearful to reveal to them that I actually have a 'Youth Ministry' degree with a minor in Bible Theology. I'm not sure of how they'll feel about me if they know that CS Lewis is my favorite author or that I have 'GASP' seen Sandi Patti in concert. Here in front of my computer I can babble on about Godly things and thoughts and feel safe that no one will give me instant judgment or criticism. But to actually verbally 'confess' with my foul mouth that I'm a believer in Jesus Christ is well, just not very comfortable. Please don't give me credit for 'being honest' or 'real'. I've grown tired of myself frankly. Why just tonight I wanted to beat up a 60 year old van driver because he got lippy with me and my engineer. Nice. That would go well on the 'ways you show Christ to others' list.

So what would I do? I think I would fight. I just couldn't help myself. I would say, 'I believe in Jesus you worthless piece of camel dung and I'm willing to fight you over it.' Pretty sure that's not what God had in mind. But before I decide on how I react to some crazy Jihadist, I might want to work on how I react to a cranky, old van driver that said something he shouldn't have. I'm telling ya folks, this dance is getting old. I'm getting to the point where I'm either going to be a man of God, or I'm going to shut up about the whole matter. Like I've said, I'm a 'glass-half-empty' guy and I'm not sure that the current version of me is very usable to God. I know the past version sure wasn't. The question is, 'can we really change?'. I would like to think so and I've seen people do it. But I'm this spoiled little brat of a Christian that truly doesn't get it. I like to think I am of use, even if it's just blogging, but I often wonder if I'm just 'a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal'. (I Cor. 13:1) I read Lewis and MacDonald and somehow thing that I will enter the next room with my 'Super Christian' cape ready to foil the plots of evil men. What I actually do is enter the next room and start complaining about my job, my bills, my inability to get into size 36 jeans anymore and so forth.

Yeah, I'll confess that I believe in Christ, but you'll have to put a gun to my head.