As if I needed another reason not to sleep well anymore...
Worse than Hitler.
Worse than Pol Pot.
Worse than Mao.
Worse than Stalin.
Worse than Kim Jong II
Yet, Scriptures tell us to FEAR NOT many, many times.
Somehow, we are to walk close enough to Jesus that His Peace that passes understanding becomes our Peace. Only His Spirit within us can do that. But, I'm increasingly finding that when we are willing and cooperative, and ask Him to, He will do the work within us.
We may, however, have to practice the renewing of our minds that He speaks of in His Word . . . taking each thought captive; avoiding the sin of worry; casting our cares on Him; thinking on whatsoever things are good, of true report; memorizing essential Scriptures, Psalms; applying The Word in our lives so that we, too, can experience the FOURTH MAN in the Fiery Furnace of affliction of whatever type.
The more we walk with God now; the more we Depend on Him as our all in all now; the more we take and apply His Word at face value now; the more we trust Him now; the more faith and faith 'muscles' we will likely have when the rubber REALLY meets the road.
Whether The Rapture occurs before the 7 years of the Great Tribulation or not, as we have seen, the birth pangs will likely be rather 'interesting.' We really MUST walk close to Our Lord if we wish to have any hope at all. HIS sheep KNOW HIS VOICE. We must learn to distinguish HIS VOICE from our own thoughts and from the seductions of the enemy.
There will be many cases where 5-8 year old children are unleashing the armies of Heaven against satan's legions. There will be cases where people are being chased by the enemy and suddenly, instantly the little band of believers is several hundred miles distant with no distinguishable means of having made the leap. There will be cases where 5 hamburgers and 2 apples feed 100's or more. There will be cases where manna appears from Heaven. There will be banquets prepared before thousands of starving enemy who are powerless to assault the feed in any way or degree. There will be cases where believers walk out of the inner most solitary cell of the darkest death camp in full sight of dozens of guards without anyone notice and without any lock restraining. There will be cases where the look of a child, teen, adult will wither, literally wither to wisps then blown away by the wind, the bodies of the enemy arrayed against them. There will be cases where tens of thousands of enemy forces will turn on each other and slit each other's throats. There will be many cases where one puts a thousand to flight and 2 ten thousand etc.
*PLEASE* GET AND READ: THE HEAVENLY MAN: the remarkable true story of Chinese Christian Brother Yun (the autobiography by Brother Yun with Paul Hattaway) ISBN 1-85424-597-X. It was difficult to put down. A number of the sorts of miracles above occurred to him--many with witnesses. If I could, I'd buy one for every citizen of the planet willing to read it.
SOMEHOW, FOR SOME REASON, *******WE******* WERE BORN FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS. God doesn't make mistakes. And, I suspect we may have even had some input into it. In any case, it is clearly His will that we are here now. And He has promised to be with us THROUGH IT ALL as the song by Andre goes. Thankfully, HE IS ABLE to be with us regardless, as Brother Yun's story abundantly illustrates. But He was so with the martyrs of the Inquisition and of the early church. So much so, that the glory of His Presence was so blessed they wished the torture would continue that they might enjoy more of His thick Presence with them. That was real. It is real in our era. THAT REALITY can face ANY OTHER reality that rears its ugly head.
One key will be to worship God, our Lord, by His Spirit, in all circumstances whether we FEEL like it or not. Doing the actions will cultivate the feelings. But feelings MUST NOT be our slave masters, but instead must be our servants.
Many will earn their martyr's crown. One vision of that by a pastor involved a lot of harrassment in a prison camp--a converted school. The Lord told him to go at a certain point and he didn't obey. He was shown that had he gone, he and his wife could have escaped. Eventually, in the line of those refusing to take the implant and deny Jesus, his wife was next. He saw her beheaded with a huge Moslem style sword. His head was bent exposing his neck.
BEFORE HE COULD EVEN MORE THAN SLIGHTLY FEEL THE BLADE BEGIN to touch his neck, he was out of his body, watching the follow through and then immediately into the Presence of Jesus. He felt 0.00000% pain for 0.00000% seconds.
That vision of his was a great comfort to me.
Regardless, THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST has demonstrated that some things are WORTH IT. AND THAT HE PROMISED TO BE WITH US REGARDLESS AND THAT WE WOULD EVENTUALLY BE WITH HIM.
WE *ARE* ON THE WINNING SIDE.
Praise His Blessed Name.
The tales of the guillotines, the closed military bases converted into death camps including 'showers' and massive ovens; the tales of the 100's of new rail cars supposedly built with shackles in the floor . . . certainly satan the fear monger could have a field day with such images.
But the image of CHRIST MY LORD WHO OVERCAME THE WORLD, THE FLESH, THE DEVIL AND THE GRAVE GIVES ME ETERNAL HOPE in the face of regardless.
He truly does offer PEACE THAT PASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING.
I'll pray for yours, if you'll pray for mine!
In Him,