I am honestly amazed at the amount of plain old fear that I hear and read coming from Christians. It may get called other things to make it sound palatable... but it is just simply hand winging worry and fear.
So.....some Islamists are bent on "taking over the world and ridding the world of Christianity" Yeah.... so what? That's nothing new.
I want to share just a few thoughts to help deflate some of that fear.
1. THEY SAY : They will incarcerate and/or kill the Christians and thereby stamp Christianity off the earth.
I RESPOND : Ask The Roman Empire, Communist Russia, The Third Reich, or Communist China how that worked for them.
SCRIPTURE RESPONDS : On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. Matthew 19 ; and this , "I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” Luke 10
or this , " but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.".1 John 4
2. It has been suggested that the "antichrist" of end times will be a muslim. Very difficult to believe that. Here is why. The scripture tells us that the Jews will love the end time antichrist and express extreme devotion to him for a while. The current Islamic extremists have the stated goal of "wiping israel off the map". Hard to see the Israelis loving that crew isn't it?
3. Beware of the "fear mongering" of the end times. On some threads over the last several months I have seen the same exact person(s) attribute "end time deceptions/rising anti christ, etc) to groups as various as the Roman catholic church, catholic mystics, the prophetic movement, seeker sensitive meeting models, and the islamic caliphate. Always something new to put people in fear over if we want to.
The caliphate stuff is accurate as to what they believe. However, some of the "fearful" posts are just a rehashing of the Glenn Beck programs of a few months back!
Will Islamic fanaticism prevail against the church....NO, ABSOLUTELY NOT! No more than Communist Russia, Hitler's Germany, Nero Caesar, Communist China, or the Roman Empire were able to. Those who currently hate the Church and want to destroy it are not unique ....... they are just next.
4. A far better option than running to the corner and wringing our hands is to directly engage the enemies deceptions! Rather than cowering in fear let's run at and engage the enemies lies! I will give you an example of how we are doing that here-
In the state I live in (Minnesota) there are a several large Islamic communities. In the fellowship I serve in (Assemblies of God) we have 24 hour intercessory prayer going for evangelism into those communities. In addition we have several groups effectively doing evangelism and discipleship in those communities. We then look for people that have been born again out of islam and that God has a placed a call upon their lives for ministry. We speak to them about considering returning to their homeland specifically as a Christian to bring faith to their homeland. Their lifes mission becomes to bring the faith of Christ to their islamic homeland! IT IS WORKING! But the reason it's working is because a decision was made to engage the sick spiritually where a doctor is needed... not run and cower in fear... to pray fervently for the harvest field...and let God have the reigns to do something wonderful! Could some be martyred..OF COURSE...could you or I be martyred some day... ABSOLUTELY COULD HAPPEN...but if we are considering our lives as His servant and not our own it matters not a whit! We are already dead in that sense if we serve Him as a bond servant. We live simply to fulfill the will of our Master, Jesus, whatever that will might be.
4. The Evangelical churches lack of the demonstrated power of God in manifestation discredits the message we carry. We say there is an all powerful God that can do anything... but rarely see Him do a thing in our faith communities. Until we face this honestly evangelism to unreached groups is very weak. Interestingly, in scripture we are very hard pressed to ever find declarations of the Gospel and God's Word that are not accompanied by a verifying demonstration of the Holy Spirit's Power for the natural eyes to see.
My message and my preaching were NOT WITH wise and persuasive words, but WITH A DEMONSTRATION of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might NOT rest on human wisdom, BUT ON God’s power. 1 Corinthians 2:3-5
THAT IS THE PROBLEM! If there is no demonstration of the Spirit's Power then all that is left is "wise persuasive words". The church has largely become all talk and no do! We make excuses as to why we do not see the power in demonstration as opposed to getting on our faces, crying out to God to reveal to us where we have erred, returning to the path of His Word being confirmed by signs following!
5. Love is the greatest disarming tool in the world. People drop their walls and listen to us when we have established a platform of credibility by our loving words and actions. However, for people to see that we must engage and interact with them and not run hiding in the corner from them!
Be encouraged! Now is the time to be a history maker! Will tough times come on the Christians of the world... quiet possibly. But it really doesn't matter! It simply sets the stage for modern day Elijah's to have show downs with the prophets of baal in our time. It simply brings the audience of unbelievers together to see a modern time Moses have a throw down with the Jannes and Jambres of our time. THIS IS THE GREATEST DAY TO HAVE LIVED! We win! Those willing to embrace the call, anointing, and plan of God will see HIM manifested in His power, glory, and demonstration of the Holy Spirit's power...... and thereby reap a tremendous harvest out of the enemies hands! WE of this day and hour will get to see the prophets of baal turn to God and forsake the enemy... we will get to see the courts of people turn to God and away from the sorceries of the Jannes and Jambres... WE will get to be part of the largest harvest in the history of the world....if we are willing to let God use us.... if we are hungry for it.....and if we pay the price tags for it.
DO NOT LET FEAR ROB YOU OF YOUR GOD GIVEN DESTINY!
Blessings!
CAPS are used to emphasize words only. No yelling was intended.
