Tag: christ

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Using Our Spiritual Weapons

            News is coming out of Egypt about how the Church in Egypt has been using its Spiritual Weapons to help achieve the amazing turnaround in the Egyptian Government.

 

            The Christian Church in Egypt is one of the oldest and most persecuted Churches in the world (See our Blog of 10/22/12 “The Persecuted Church of Egypt”). Under the Muslim Brotherhood, pogroms against Christians were intensified and many were forced to flee for their lives. The Christian community had nowhere else to turn but to God.

 

            The first step toward spiritual victory came as the Church deployed the Spiritual Weapon of Church unity. In November of 2012 over 70,000 Coptic, Protestant, and Catholic believers met at the “Garbage City” Coptic Church in Cairo. The new Coptic Pope blessed the meeting and urged them to forget their past differences. This meeting was following by a larger prayer meeting in March of 2013 and then by the largest meeting of Christians in modern Egyptian history on Pentecost. The Egyptian Church found its unity, which is based on unity in Christ.

 

            The second Spiritual Weapon to be launched was prayer, but not just any prayer. The Egyptian Church realized that Christians are called to be a blessing and that we are to bless and not curse our enemies. A leading Christian pastor even went on Arabic Television to tell Muslims that the Church was praying for them, not against them. The prayer of blessing, that God’s will be done on Earth and that our enemies be blessed to come to the knowledge of God and achieve their God given destiny, led to the earthly blessing of the end of a government which oppressed Christians and Muslims alike.

 

            The third Spiritual Weapon used was sacrificial service. During the riots surrounding the overthrow of the Muslim Brotherhood’s tyranny many people were injured. Most were Muslims. Nevertheless, the Churches opened their doors to all who were injured and Christian doctors worked tirelessly to save lives. Thus, the Church showed its love by deeds to match its words.

 

            We in America can learn a lot from our Egyptian Brothers. Their example of unity, prayer, blessing, and service could be the key to turning around our increasingly oppressive situation here.

 

            Pray for the Church in Egypt and pray that the American Church will arise and use its Spiritual Weapons to turnaround our country.

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Society’s Immune System Disorder

            In 1918 a new strain of influenza emerged which eventually killed as many as 100 million people. Unlike most illnesses, most of the victims were young and healthy. The reason for this mystery was soon discovered: the victims were not killed by the disease, but by their own immune system’s response to the disease.

 

            Like the human body, our social body also has an immune system designed to fight off toxins. The immune system is composed of our laws and those who enforce them. The toxins are people whose behavior is damaging to society. But in America we are reaching the point where, like the 1918 influenza pandemic, our immune system is attacking the body.

 

            Take the war on drugs. We all know that drug abuse is a terrible thing, so we passed laws against drug abuse and drug dealing. The effect of those laws was to criminalize common behavior in many minority communities and thrust the drug dealing business into a highly profitable big business. We passed more laws with tougher penalties, sending many minority community members to prison and allowing law enforcement to seize suspect property. The result is a devastated minority community and laws that let police confiscate cash from anyone, as in a recent case where a man on his way to buy a car had his money seized by police. The immune system has turned on the body, creating toxic results.

 

            The recent tragedy involving the death of Travon Martin is an example. The oppression of young black men comes not from the old evil of racism, but from the modern war on drugs. The black community lives this reality, while most middle class whites are unable to understand what would drive a young black man to respond the way Mr. Martin did. Thus, more division is created as the social body is infected with more and more toxins.

 

            It is time for Christians to deploy their spiritual weapons to bring healing to our society. The spiritual weapons needed are love and forgiveness, and we are going to have to let go of some of our cherished political positions to do so. We must admit that the war on drugs, like prohibition before it, is a good idea gone bad. We have made criminals richer and prisons fuller, destabilized minority communities and put all of our freedoms at risk, caused crime wars in our cities and abroad, and subsidized killers and terrorists around the world.

 

            Drug crime can be stopped the same way prohibition era bootlegging was: legalize it, tame it, and tax it. Laws can be changed to restore our freedoms, and restoration can begin in the minority communities. Such monumental changes will not come unless the Church humbles itself, prays, seeks God’s face and repents (2 Chr 7:14). Then God will forgive and heal our land.

 

            Let us pray that the Church will awaken to society’s immune system disorder and use its spiritual warfare weapons to heal our land.

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Godless Liberty

Just the days after the Americans celebrate their Revolution, the French celebrate theirs, on Bastille Day July 14.

 

            The two revolutions could not have been more different. The Americans honored God (See our Blog of 7/3/13 “Declaration Day”). The French, on the other hand, adopted the atheistic, anti-Christian values of the French Enlightenment and set out to eradicate God from public life. Churches were closed, priests were persecuted, and the calendar was remade without any Christian holidays. To replace the Virgin Mary, the revolutionary leaders invented the atheistic “Goddess of Liberty”, which became the emblem of Godless liberty.

 

            The fruit of the revolutions was also very different. America became a beacon of hope for the world as it worked to make its dream of equality and God given rights become a reality. In France, the godless foundation of the revolution meant that all moral restraint on power evaporated, and the infamous Reign of Terror began. Neither life no liberty were safe, and even the leaders were carried off one by one to the Terror. Finally order was restored but all hope of liberty vanished under the iron fisted rule of Napoleon Bonaparte. It turns out that Godless liberty is no liberty at all.

 

            Sad to say, the lesson of the French Revolution has been repeated over and over since then. The Communist revolutions in Russia, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Cuba, and elsewhere produced massive death and eliminated freedom. The same holds true for the Nazis in Germany and the Fascists in Italy who, like Napoleon, lead the whole world into war. The post colonial socialists in Africa grabbed power after elections, giving rise to the famous statement of “One man, one vote, one time”. And now we watch the same thing happen as Islamist extremists try to turn the “Arab Spring” into winter for the God given rights of their people.

 

            Our hearts and our prayers go out to the people in the Middle East who are struggling to achieve some measure of equality and freedom. We especially pray for the persecuted Christian minorities in places like Egypt (See our Blog of 10/22/12 “The Persecuted Church in Egypt) and Syria who are continually under persecution from the Islamist Militants. And let us also not forget Israel, which is caught between turmoil in Egypt and civil war in Syria.

 

            Let us pray that the precious gift of Godly Liberty, and especially religious liberty, can overcome the evil of Godless liberty.

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Cycles of Unforgiveness

           

            This week, on June 28, we remember two anniversary dates which are linked together in a cycle of bloodshed and unforgiveness.

 

            On July 28, 1914, 99 years ago, a young Serbian terrorist assassinated the Archduke and Crown Prince of the great Austro-Hungarian Empire. The act led Austria-Hungary to revenge itself by declaring  war on Serbia. The Russians entered the blood feud to protect their fellow Slavs, the Serbians. The Germans came to the support of Austria-Hungary, France and England came to the aid of Russia, and Europe erupted into the massive slaughter we now call World War I. All because of a cycle of unforgivness.

 

            Five years and millions of deaths later, the war was officially brought to a close on June 28, 1919 in the Treaty of Versailles. Once again, unforgivness carried the day as the victorious Allies imposed draconian conditions on the defeated Germans. The resulting hardship and resentment created an opportunity for Adolph Hitler and his Nazi party to drive Europe into a second horrendous conflict which became the Second World War. Then, for another 50 years, the Russians extracted their revenge by turning the Eastern European nations into subservient police states. The First World War, called the “War to end all wars,” ended with the peace treaty of Versailles, which a critic called “The peace to end all peace.”

 

            It was up to the Americans to break the cycle of unforgiveness. With the Marshall Plan in Europe and a humane occupation of Japan, the Americans turned their German and Japanese enemies into friends. America has also forgiven its cold war enemies in China, Vietnam, Russia, and Eastern Europe, leading the World into a time of prosperity and relative peace, and making way for the unprecedented worldwide Christian revival.

 

            The American ability to forgive goes back to our history as a Christian nation. The Lord commands us to forgive our enemies, and the experience after the Second World War showed how the Biblical command to love our enemies produces Godly fruit of peace and revival. Forgiveness is perhaps the most powerful spiritual weapon to change the atmosphere and bring God’s answers into a situation.

 

            There will always be those who are driven to attack others, and we thank God for those who protect us (See our 5/22/2013 Blog “Honoring Our Defenders”). But we must also know that time is no true peace without forgiveness.

 

            Let us pray that we will remember that we are called to bless and not curse, and that we can use the spiritual weapon of forgiveness to end destructive cycles of unforgiveness.

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Summer is Near

 

            This week the Summer begins on June 21, the Summer Solstice.

             Astronomically, the Summer Solstice is the day when the sun reaches its highest point in the sky over the northern hemisphere. It is also the longest day of the year. The opposite solstice, the Winter Solstice, is the day when the sun is lowest in the heavens and the night is longest. The other seasonal markers, the Spring and Fall Equinoxes, occur when the sun is at mid point and day and night are of equal length.

 

            These important calendar dates are also important in God’s religious calendar. The first three Hebrew feasts, pointing to Christ’s death and resurrection, occur near the Spring Equinox, which the last three feats, picturing the second coming of Christ, occur near the Fall Equinox. The Spring and Winter are associated with the appearance of Christ in Hosea 6:3, and the story of Christ’s advent begins with the conception of John the Baptist which is believed to have occurred near the Winter Solstice in 7 BC. Summer is associated with the second coming of Christ (Matt 24:32), and we are told that the Summer is near when the fig tree (Israel) comes to life.

 

            These important spiritual times have also been hijacked by the followers of the religion of the False Messiah, the Pagans. The Winter Solstice came to symbolize the birth of the False Messiah, and structures like New Grange in Ireland are aligned with the sun on the Winter Solstice. Pagans celebrated the Spring Equinox as the beginning of the year, as in God’s calendar, and celebrated the harvest at the Fall Equinox. The Summer Solstice, when the sun is highest, marked the power of their Pagan False Messiahs, and temples like Stonehenge were aligned with the sun on the Summer Solstice.

 

            In modern times, the believers in the Godhead religion (i.e. we are all Gods) have latched onto the Pagan calendar in an attempt to get in touch with the spirits behind Paganism. They have also tried to revitalize the ancient Pagan sites with their New Age religion. They can be seen at Stonehenge, New Grange, Chitzen Itza, Angkor Wat, Chaco Canyon, and other sites trying to bring back the demon spirits. And, of course, the High Holy Day for many is the Summer Solstice.

 

            As Christians, we need to pray for those poor New Age souls who are falling into demonic bondage. We also need to remember that dates like the Summer Solstice were created by God for his glory, and we can celebrate them as Christians.

 

            Yes, the Summer is near, and we should be telling folks the real meaning: the return of Christ is near.

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The Inquisition Spirit

 

            The Nation has been rocked by revelations that the Government has been persecuting people for their political and religious views. And now we’ve learned that our phone records and internet communications are being collected by the National Security Agency. These activities contradict our Declaration of Independence and the “Spirit of 1776” and in fact take us back to the Spirit of the infamous Spanish Inquisition.

 

            The Inquisition was the prototype of totalitarian systems designed to eliminate all belief contrary to the Politically Correct beliefs of the authorities. In the case of the Inquisition, the Politically Correct belief was a form of Roman Catholicism. Later emulators of the Inquisition Spirit tried to force compliance with the French Revolution, Nazism, and Communism.  Today the Spirit of Inquisition is rising in places like Venezuela, Argentina, Turkey, and Russia where Democracies are being converted into authoritarian Governments. And the same trend is beginning to appear in the U.S., where the Politically Correct “Progressive” beliefs in Big Government, sexual “freedom”, and secularism are targeting those who believe in limited Government and who hold Christian views.

 

                 The methods of the Inquisition Spirit have varied little down through History. First, the authorities gain control of the Law Enforcement mechanisms society either directly, as in the case of the Communists, or indirectly as in the Spanish Inquisition. Secondly, the power of Government is used to find those who may have opposing views. Those who come to the attention of the Government, whether “Guilty” or not, are then made into an example to terrorize the population into compliance. Often the victims of the Inquisition Spirit are not told why they were targeted and, like the Tea Party IRS applicants, simply left in legal limbo.

 

            Sad to say, even in a country like the U.S., with its legacy of freedom, the Inquisition Spirit is never far away. The current American manifestation began on college campuses, whose “Progressives” have ended academic freedom and used the Inquisition Spirit to eliminate all politically incorrect speech. It should not be too surprising that a whole generation of college graduates have taken the Inquisition Spirit from the universities to the halls of Government.   

 

            As intercessors, we must realize that we do not struggle against the individuals, but against the Inquisition Spirit itself. We must pray that the Lord will bless our enemies with the knowledge of the Lord and a desire for freedom. We pray that the Spirit of Inquisition will be turned back in our Government, and we pray for a revival of Christianity and freedom on the college campuses where it began.

 

            Above all we pray that America will remain a free country where we can worship God without Government persecution.

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The Titanic Memorial

           This Sunday, June 9, marks the 100th anniversary of the dedication of the Titanic Memorial in Washington D.C.

 

            In the aftermath of the tragic sinking of the Titanic in 1912, hearings were held in the U.S. Senate. During these hearings, the doctrine of “Women and Children First” was reviewed and it was found that 90% of those who died in the disaster were men. The First Lady, Nellie Taft, was so moved by the courage and sacrifice of those men that she raised funds to build a memorial to them.  It was placed near the White House, bearing the inscription, “To the brave men who gave their lives that women and children might be saved.”

 

            Not everyone was in favor of the Titanic memorial. Feminists argued that “Women and Children First” was a disguised form of paternalistic oppression. They even criticized the women of the Titanic for accepting preferential treatment. The memorial apparently remained offensive to Feminists, and in 1973 it was removed from its prominent place and put in storage. In 1979 it was moved to an obscure location overlooking the Potomac River.

 

            Today the Feminist agenda is at its ascendency, and they are well on the way to eliminating special preferences for women and children. Institutions which are designed to protect children are being forced to put them at risk to sexual predators in the name of equality, and 50 million have been killed in furtherance of the Feminist abortion agenda. Women, especially single mothers, are increasingly left to fend for themselves and now, thanks to the Feminists, women can be sent into front lines of military conflicts. The old belief of chivalry and sacrifice is ridiculed, and then the Feminists are surprised as young men thrown into close contact with young women in the military behave badly. And the abandonment and abuse of women and children by men encouraged to have no sense of honor is increasing every day.

 

            We need to pray that there will be a revival of chivalry and sacrifice in our men. The Biblical role of men, to love their families even to the point of sacrificing themselves like Christ (Eph. 5:25) and the men of the Titanic, must be restored.

 

            Let us remember the Titanic Memorial and pray that its message is moved from the Potomac into the hearts of our men and women.

 

            The Sunday following the anniversary, Father’s Day, would be a good time to start.