The beast is pushing We the People to choose up sides, either to be freemen or bondmen. While none of us want to be abused and it is natural to avoid being on the receiving end of abuse, in the heavenly court it will be better to be the abused rather than the abuser, the innocent victim rather than the perp.
Who are we, children of Sarah or children of Hagar?
Galatians 4:28-31
28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.
29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.
30 Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.
31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.
Chofetz Chaim - "When Moshiach Comes No One Will Be Sitting On The Fence"
Rav Elya Weintraub says that the Chofetz Chaim explains as follows. "All innocent" and "all guilty" does not mean that everyone is on the same side of the fence. It just means that everyone sits squarely on one side of the fence. In order for the Moshiach to come the world must be completely polarized. Everyone must choose where they belong, with Hashem or Chas V'Shalom the opposite.
http://shiratdevorah.blogspot.com/2011/01/time-to-take-stand.html
Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.
I just loved your post. Thank you.
I’ve seen real institutional persecution of Christian brethren in the third world.
Trust me when I tell you that as Americans WE ARE NOT READY TO ENDURE WHAT MOST OF OUR BRETHREN SUFFER.
That was a painful lesson, I, myself head to learn about MY OWN FAITH.
We’ve all been infected with the Health/Wealth Osteenification of Christianity in this country.
When you are sick, miserable and without the comforts we take for granted, such as water, electricity, A/C and are constantly at risk of being beaten, cheated, harassed and those you love beaten and even killed - much of what we assume about our faith and Jesus saving us out of every trial is just a mirage of our own culture of prosperity that we grafted onto Christ.
Brethren in the Third world will enter the Kingdom before we will.
Bump