A friend sent me this link on Monday and I have listened to this message three times and was very impressed with the speaker, Jack Hibbs. It was recorded on July 30, 2006. I would encourage you to listen and if you have any insights, disagreements with the talk, let us know on this thread.
Here is the link:
http://www.calvarycch.org/media/
Click onto: "Middle East War, Whose War is This?" It is 70 minutes long.
Blessings,
ginnyrose
ginnyrose,
I listened to this three times and have contacted the church to get the cd. Thanks for sharing this.
Melissa,
I am glad you liked it. I was so blessed I listened to it three times in one day! Somehow the speaker was able to explain these events that had a way of diffusing the fear that grabs you when you think of all the possibilities a mid-east war will entail. Having said that I know if Islam were to take over our country, we will be in for some severe testing and that will be no fun! Then I remember the experience we had when we were confronted with the fact that our 24 YO DD was terminally ill.
Our DD had glioblastoma - brain cancer - and there is no survival(was none in 1995) of this kind outside of divine intervention. Anyhow, I was grief striken. I cried hard for two days. Our DD was the only girl we had and she had 4 brothers. I knew I could not survive long in any sense of the word and knew I need to spend some time with God about this matter. I did. I spent time in the WORD and in prayer and in so doing the Holy Spirit gave me a peace and a calm spirit. He impressed on my mind that if she were to die He would be there to comfort me but since we did not know when or if this would happen we should live life to the full each and every day! Melissa, I did that and when she did die, the LORD gave me comfort unlike anything I have ever heard of or experienced before or after. Now I say death is NOT the worse thing that can happen to a person. To a believer it is a blessing. I miss our DD but that is ok, that means I loved and was loved in return. Why am I saying this? When we are faithful, God will be there to help us. If we will be beheaded for our faith, we will be resurrected to reign with him when He comes to rule. Rev. 20:4. In the meantime, do not worry nor fear.
Blessings,
ginnyrose
ginnyrose,
Thank you so much for that testimony. I do honestly believe that the day will come when we are tested for our faith even unto death. I hope that I will face that day with courage in faith in our Lord. I agree death is a blessing for a believer. to be honest, I have more fear for my children than myself. I ask myself constantly is this because I am their mother or because they have become idols in my heart...
It's funny, because I think, if my children were to die in an accident or something like that, I could be okay with it, trust God to get me through. I've lost a child, so I've been through that, but it is the fear that they would be tortured to get me to deny Christ that truly scares me. I hear stories about those things out of China, and pray for my brothers and sisters that endure such tragedy and then pray for the strength to endure such a thing if I must....
Sorry, have I said too much? I feel that I can be transparent here.
Thank you so much, you are a blessing to me.
Quote:
but it is the fear that they would be tortured to get me to deny Christ that truly scares me.
Melissa, you are a mom. This fear is normal. The other day our DIL expressed this same kind of fear to me: she is not sure she wants any more children because of what they may have to go through!
I was born in 1947 and was having my babies in 1968, 1970, 1973, 1978, 1980. Earlier Khrushchev had declared they - the USSR - would bury the USA by 1973! Talk about one fearful mother and that was me! What also fed the fear was all the rioting going on in this country during this time. Not only were people rioting, they were burning buildings, shutting down businesses, hampering the function of schools, colleges, you name it. There was a lot going on then that made you wonder whether this would not become a reality.
And I had small children. Were they going to be taken away from us? I also read accounts of children being forcibly removed from parents but in my case the settings were in Russia or communists countries. What do I do? I tell you what I did: I was very fervent in teaching my little ones about God. Get them to memorize scripture, make them be God conscious, that he is an ever present person. I was very deligent. Melissa, you know what? when 1973 came and went and it looked as though Khrushchev was going to be wrong, I relaxed, and woe is me! I have great regrets to this day that I relaxed in my fervency!!
Melissa, I do not know what will happen in the future to your little ones. Your fear is natural as is our daughter-in-law's. All I can tell you is to not worry about it but yet be diligent in teaching your children. Do you remember the Bible story of the little Jewish girl who was taken captive to Syria and how she ministered to her 'owners'- Naaman and his wife - and how they were blessed? (2Kings 5).
Melissa, just love and teach your children as though your life and theirs depends on it because in reality it does. Ask God for enabling grace and do this faithfully and He will take care of your children. Just remember He loves them more then you ever did or will!
BTW: may I ask? how many children do you have and how old are they?
Blessings,
ginnyrose
Melissa,
After I posted the above reply, I got to thinking a lot about your concerns/questions knowing full well how traumatic they are or can be. Then my mind goes to the testimonies of people who have been through what you fear AND have survived. So I would like to share with you some of the writings have challenged me througout the years:
1. Corrie ten Boom's books. She was imprisoned by Germans during WW2 for helping Jews escape the holocast; had family members die in prison. She penned many books detailing that experience. A couple of books that comes to my mind is "A Prisoner and Yet", "Amazing Love". You can find her books on www.bookfinder.com.
2. Darlene Deibler Rose shares her testimony of what happened to her during WW2 when she was imprisoned by the Japanese. The title of that book is "Evidence Not seen". This is a wonderful story. Focus on the Family has aired her testimony many times and only recently have I become aware it is in written form. If you can acquire only one book, get this one.
3. Bilquis Sheikh wrote "I Dared to Call Him Father". This is the story of a high-born Muslim woman who became a Christian in Pakistan. The story here is of faithfullness in the midst of persecution by the prevailing culture.
Melissa, one cannot ride on the coattails of another when persecution comes. But these testimonies can help us bolster our own faith..perhaps give some credibility to what we are sensing in our own spirit.
I hope this will help you. I know it is a tough and BAD world out there. It is a whole lot worse now then when I was a young mother - I witnessed the progression from normal sinfullness to extreme wickedness - and so my heart goes out to you. If you wish, you can privately email me...
Blessings,
ginnyrose
Dear Sisters...
This is tremendous. Ginnyrose, thank you for your words of wisdom and sharing your experience in such transparent honesty. Something about the future casting that we all can get caught up in that keeps me ever back on my heels especially when it comes to these 'prophetic' style reports that come across our paths.
We keep finding ourselves coming out the other end with a history more often quite different than that which was predicted.
There is a great deal to be learned from this accounting. Thank you kindly for sharing your's here.
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