The constant barrage of terrifying headlines and mainstreaming of perversion vexes the child of God. These verses from Second Peter have never been more relevant than now: “and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked 8 (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)— 9 then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment…” 2 Peter 2:7-9
Angry debates, violent rioting, filth paraded in the streets, Christian leaders renouncing their faith, persecution, and constant bad news can drain the sanity from our souls.
Not only this, but we are forced to keep all our enormous frustrations inside of us. While stupidity and wickedness get a megaphone—wisdom and righteousness get duct tape over their mouths.
These are the times that rob inner peace—that bring intense restlessness—that drain all the color and enjoyment from our life.
These are the times Jesus warned us of—and that He gave us direction for.
First He said, “And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But not a hair of your head shall be lost. By your patience possess your souls.” – Luke 21:17-19
Talk about mindless hate! Both the liberals and the feminists have incredible bias for Islam and sheer hatred for Christ and Christianity. It is mind-bending. It makes zero sense. Yet that is exactly the kind of irrational hatred our Lord predicted. It is weariness to believers who share their faith openly.
Then Jesus said, “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. 35 For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.” (Luke 21:34)
The dumbest thing anyone ever said to me was, “When you come to Jesus, your problems are over.” I never had problems until I met Jesus! I kept wondering, “Why am I being attacked? Why am I being shot at from all directions? Why do I meet stiff resistance every time I try to do something meaningful for Jesus?”
Does this sound familiar? You walk through life, minding your own business and wham! A co-worker rages at you for no reason. Money evaporates. Your health fails. Loved ones abandon God. Someone makes an irrational defense for wickedness. A confluence of demonic attacks falls on you. Life has never felt so cruel and unfair.
At the apex of one of these attacks, something happened to me. A terrifying thought became a glorious thought, “SOMEBODY IS MAD AT JESUS, AND THEY ARE TAKING IT OUT ON ME!” Suddenly, I felt qualified to fight back. And I felt profoundly honored.
Think about it! A soldier does not go to war because he has a personal grudge against the enemy. He didn’t declare war—his nation did. He is not responsible for the battle plan—the military is. He is not paying his own way to the war—his government is.
Let’s take a look at the things that are not the soldier’s responsibility: The training he needs; the weapons he uses; the food and shelter he requires; the assignments he receives—these, and a host of other things, are not his responsibility.
“What soldier ever serves at his own expense?” (1 Cor. 9:7) “…No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.” (2 Tim. 2:4)
The soldier does not create the organized army. He does not carry the weight of how the war will be won. If he sits in the foxhole feeling alone and unfairly attacked, it is because he has forgotten who he is and why he is being attacked. He has taken the battle into his own hands!
But when he remembers that he was recruited—when he recalls that he is not alone, but part of a victorious army, and all he is called to do is obey orders, it changes everything!
When we take the attack personally, we lose hope. But, when we say, “The battle is not mine, it’s God’s,” we cannot be defeated. Let’s stay out of things that do not concern us. Let’s keep our conflict in the hands of God. We must discern when we are operating in our own strength and by our own wits.
Remembering your attacks are not personal is plainly seen in these verses where Jesus speaks about conditions in the last days: Luke 21:12 “But before all this occurs, there will be a time of special persecution, and you will be dragged into synagogues and prisons and before kings and governors for My name’s sake. 13 But as a result, the Messiah will be widely known and honored. 14 Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer; 15 for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist.
newspaper headlines
When they were arrested, it felt personal. When they were dragged to court, it felt personal. But when they were asked to speak, it became God’s battle and Christ was glorified! He gave them the words and the courage to speak. He even told them not to prepare words beforehand. That means that we are not to devise ways of fighting back. It means we will get what we need, when we need it.
Paul experienced the same thing: Philippians 1:12 “But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel…”
Right now we have a presidential election that embodies everything that is wrong with our nation. It is a hair-pulling, maddening, terrifying, and draining moment for believers. We must put the battle back in God’s hands and let Him replenish our peace and our joy.
Never forget! We have the best message humanity has ever heard, and the best Book ever written. We have the best Captain in the universe! We have the all-powerful Holy Spirit, Who has been sent to aid us. We have access to power, strategy, and wisdom. All of this, and more, will direct our fighting.
Is someone mad at Jesus, and are they taking it out on you? What an honor! What an opportunity! Whenever Satan comes at you, let Jesus come at him!
The first time an angel stares at you in heaven with wonder and admiration for your service to Christ, you will know why your trials were worth it all. The first time you hear Jesus say, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” you won’t remember the suffering, the trials, or the battles.
No wonder Paul said, “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” -Romans 8:18
Hallelujah! –
It is about time we talk about the church militant again. People in the past understood that we are in a war against evil. Today’s society is telling us that the church militant is a bad thing. Of course they are when the church sets its eyes on the evils society proclaims as good. The church must stand on the fact that morality is defined by God, not by the changing whims of man.
Thank you so much for the encouragement… I have been feeling so dragged down by the crazy wickedness …. thank you for putting it in perspective.
THANKS Mario, I needed to hear and remember that!?
Mario, This is such a timely word. The God-fearing in the land are being pummeled. We know that this is for our refining and strengthening but it does wear us down. Thanks for a word that helps us put everything into perspective.
The adversary is attempting to crush our culture. In order to break us, as a people, he has to destroy morality. Which is why we are seeing children being exploited for sex rather than being protected. As well there has to be constant crisis such as we see in mass shooting. All aimed at destroying individualism and forcing us back to patronage and enslavement.
At times like this we need to draw on the peace that we have via the new birth. We have the messiah within us. Everything he was able to do so are we equipped.
In my case I speak in tongues. It is perfect prayer, perfect worship. By focusing on G-D I am filled with peace.
My Daddy God Himself, warned me in prayer… Call ? on Me, keep your mind stayed on Me, I will keep you in perfect Peace… Mario, thank you for speaking the Truth (His Words to us) The Battle is His…
The Antichrist spirit is upon our nation. The reprobate mind, the strong delusion, the satanically blinded minds. I shared Christ with a 40 year old man with 5 children, and when I handed him a Bible, he said he had never owned one. I later just stood and wept, thinking how many others in my city have homes filled with children, and no Bible? Satanic strongholds of drug abuse, alcoholism, occult practices, a spirit of suicide, and pure Biblical ignorance pervade our society. And I am not convinced “the church” has their answer. Why? Because much of it has become compromised by demonic strongholds that they can no longer discern because the Holy Spirit has departed. Denominations have become like the Pharisees. They set their own rules and interpretations, and include whom they will and exclude whom they will. The Holy Spirit no longer directs their activities, the human overseers have usurped that job. I long for Thy Kingdom come, and Thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven. Let the Spirit of the Triune Godhead be in command of the Kingdom, not the spirit of men. We have the greatest King, the greatest Message, the greatest Saviour, and the greatest hope in the universe. I pray that we lead people to this great Fountain of Life, and not get in the way of them finding the purity and simplicity of what Christ delivered to all in the Cross.
Great word, Brother Mark. I believe I heard recently that a new California law has added the suicide prevention line number on students’ ID cards for middle and high schoolers as the academic year begins. That’s the kind of age we are living in. How our young people need Jesus in the Godless Education System.
Noel, I ache inside as I read your comment and then remember preaching in a city where the pastor said the teens were into the occult, cutting themselves, suffering from depression, drug and alcohol addicted, and multiple teens in the region had committed suicide. Teenagers are very high risk for suicide. They have no hope, and the church must reach them with the message of Christ!
Well said.
2 Timothy 4:1-5
(2 Timothy complete)
Matthew 10:22 Jesus Christ said:
“And you will be hated by all for My Name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.”
“Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword.
Mat 10:35
‘I have come to set a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
Mat 10:36
Your enemies will be right in your own household!’[fn]
Mat 10:37
¶
“If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine.
Mat 10:38
If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine.
Mat 10:39
If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.
Mat 10:40
¶
“Anyone who receives you receives me, and anyone who receives me receives the Father who sent me.
John 6:38 For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will. { We just have to follow him and do our best, there are many things’s I am experiencing right now, I am seeing a lot more of the reason for, but its also been the most frustrating thing I have ever had to go through, I can’t even tell-all, but when you can’t understand, and all you get is you will later on, and people oh people hit and accuse like firing a machine gun, some see a little portion, but nothing like the whole story it can frustrate you to the uttermost, because we have a habit of thinking we have seen it all, and so did I up until a year ago, and I found I have not come close to seeing it all, the Spiritual realm is something else, I see why now some great bible Interp. blew there brains out, the deeper you go, you incounter more of a vicious attacks by thing’s you new nothing about, because you start seeing and try to tell people and warn them, but they won’t hear, instead they attack viciously, and make it even harder on you, I am one who just wants to know the truth, and want every one else too, but less face it, not every one wants to know the truth, I want to know all I can about the Lord and I want to know the truth, but in a way I wish I would have taken R.H-B’s advice because coming in this far, you enter the main spiritual battle, some have not even dreamed of, I could tell you so much but most would not hear, most really don’t even want to get deep in the presence of the Lord, why because it changes you, the flesh has to die, you become one with him, and that is wonderful, but some other things have not been, you all so encounter stroner beings than demons, and we are not prepared to fight them, by what is being taught today, a simple little demon does most of the jobs today, what religion has all ready bound, satan don’t even have to use your best fighters his strongest men, we have so much evil that has taken over the church, and is still doing it, they are going in for the one’s Evangelist any one with fire, I am telling you beaware of these slipping in, who are so calm and soft spoken and never raise their voice, and seem to be so full of love, its a spirit and not of God, and there there to put your fire out, FOR THE MOST PART THE FIRE IS GONE, and all these thing’s get to you, it seems no one can see, I see Evangelist I battle for every night, and they show the ones coming to there conf. and bam a fire exstinguisher right in the line, people we must get closer to God, we have an evil moving in to take over all with fire, to take the Holy Spirit his presence and FIRE out, we need some fire starter’s, not fire extinguisher’s, We must Wake up, this is the last day’s and satan is increasing and they church has decreased, I Jut Wish You Could See What I Can See, well just look around is miracles signs and wonder’s happening, is people being saved, I spend many hours a day praying for these things to happen for the ones on the front line’s, I was always a fighter a warrior, but about 8 months a go the enemy did something and hurt me, and I went at him like never before, and I saw into the heavens and Jesus stood up and clapped, and he said now thats how you really fight him, most just swat at him, if they even do that, so I started really fighting then, and he said I was showing you how to really fight, so I have seen more and more we really are just taught a form of Godliness, for the most part, because satan don’t won’t us to know how to really fight him, and most christians don’t won’t to know how to fight, thats sad but true, we will never be the best for the Lord doing things our way, only his, he should be in control of all, see we turn on the ones with fire, and back all these that say as the hippies did, peace love man, and sleep with everybody, and thats what you are doing, you except Evil your sleping with the enemy, you allow sin your sleeping with the enemy, of course Love and peace is of God, just as much as correction, and obedience is, the plan of the enemy has been to twist us, and push the presence the Holy Spirit and Fire out, then the songs and the bible take Jesus’s name out and the blood, and the cross, theres NO POWER, and then the demonic rule and reign, as we see in one party, and its very frustrating, especially when we can’t even get the pastors to see, and I don’t stop putting things on here because I am frustrated or mad, he tells me to stop, he said I can post here, but if he tells me to stop, I do listen closely to what he say’s, I fear him, I know what happens when you disobey, or I know what happems to me, I get corrected right then, and if I don’t listen then, well it sure dosen’t take him telling me twice now, I will put it that way, fear not who can destroy the body, but fear him who can destroy body and soul in hell, all you can do is kill me, then I get promoted, so don’t threaten me with heaven, thats like giving me the best paid vacation for ever, we just been duped by the enemy and have the real gospel so twisted it’s crazy, we operate in a manly system all power is gone, and we need God back in the control of Church again, God is Love but you best go back read about Israel and America will be next if she don’t turn back to God, I mean read it, it’s like a rerun of an old movie, and it will happen to America, for she was dedicated to God, and what you give God is Gods no turnning back, its like before you get saved he don’t correct you, but after you get saved expect it if your his, because you belong to him, we same way with America was given to him, it was established upon him and his word, so look out America, you fall under the same guide lines as Israel, and God don’t punish one and let the other go, thats what there trying to preach right, like God will except our sins, when in fact he will except no ones sin’s, he would have to apologize for to every one he ever punished for sinning, and who went to hell, if he excepts our sins, we are being duped bad, its all written in the Book, we just need to read and ask for under standing, People if we don’t get down to buisness with God and about our Fathers buisness we are going to lose every thing we hold dear, there murding our babies, brainwashing our childrens minds, castrating and mutilating them by transgender, to where they can’t reproduce, making them passive taking the manly fight out of them, and demonizing as young as 3 or 4 we are in a war and we need to fight like our very lives are at stake because they are, God is wanting to move, and I believe its because some are waking up and praying violently, so less do the will of the Father, let him and the Holy Spirit and Jesus have control of our lives. Be Blessed
Comment 2
Concerning the attacks from the devil and his spiritual forces of darkness: we have been given the full authority as Christians to use the Name above all other names in our warfare, the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ; we have been given authority to trample upon serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the devil and nothing shall by any means hurt us; we have been given the Word of God, God who cannot change and cannot fail; we have been given the full armor of God; we have been given to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
Concerning attacks against our physical body: Isaiah 53:1-6 (read the literal translation); Matthew 8: 16,17; etc….
Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
Hebrews 11:1
Psalm 149
Psalm 91
These battles are good vs evil and we know how that works out. It may appear that the devil is winning at times but he is not.The battle belongs to the Lord.I just have to stay focused on Him and obedient to His direction.Some times that means stepping back for a moment because there is so much information online that can overwhelm the mind if not taken in small doses.But I am so sure that God is in control and more people are waking up every day. God bless you Mario for sharing your insights and discernment with us.
Really needed this!
Thank you!
This past Sunday, a young man, twenty years old, brought a word of faith and encouragement about the healing he has from brain cancer he was told would continue to return no matter what the doctors did. The young man was raised to be on fire for Jesus, here is his statement:
“Give the battle back to God, it’s His.” We saw the First CT scan he had. There it was, a grape sized virulent cancer tumor; one surgery, one more. Then we saw the second CT scan, he has had three since then, no cancer.
It was a long, great battle. God stayed true, the young man stayed true. Truly, truly, the battle is the Lord’s. When it seems more than we can bear, give it to the Lord.
The Lord Jesus bless you.
Matthew 11:28-30
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
And Words of Encouragement! Malachi 3:16-18
The Faithful Remnant
Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored his name.
“On the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty, “they will be my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as a father has compassion and spares his son who serves him. And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.
Never forget that your heavenly Father has set you apart and given you this incredible gift of Discernment, That you have been blessed to have eyes that see and ears that hear. You have been given a new heart and are a new creation. It is His Glory that changes hearts, His light that illuminates the spirit of truth within us, what is their to hate except that which dwells within us. God Bless.
Amen!
I sometimes ponder what would happen if people actually knew it was the end of the world as we know it. Earthquakes and hurricanes might be the least of our worries. I really have no idea what would happen, but maybe people eating and drinking and giving in marriage is better than the alternative. That is probably an irrational last days fear of mine and God has it all figured out.