JUST AS I AM - JUST AS YOU ARE

   While I listened to Maximus by King James today, a cover of the old hymn Just As I Am moved me in an amazing way.  As I listened to this metal'd up, bluesy, version of a classic hymn, I could not help but ponder the vast greatness of God vs. my seemingly insignificant place in the universe and God's infinite and personal love for me. I felt incredibly minuscule and overwhelmed by love at the same time.  Just as I am - this is how God wants me to come to Him. In all my weakness, in all my fear and in all my inadequacies, God loves me.  

 

     I do not need to clean up my act in order to come to God and accept Christ's love and sacrifice, nor do you.  The clean up comes after I submit myself to His will through faith in the cross.  The clean up is not by my might, nor by my power, but by God's Spirit.  Zechariah 4:6  Then he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts. This is an amazing promise. This is liberating.  This is something I can grasp and understand.  

     In the song Just As I Am, the call is simply as it sounds, come as you are.  This means God wants you and your personality.  God wants to change destructive practices and attitudes but He does not want  to give you a spiritual lobotomy.  Each person experiences life in such a way that life shapes us.  Our genetics coupled with our environment serve to make us who we are.  Each is unique in style and substance.  God wants to use you, not some watered down generic version of you.  

     One of the biggest traps we fall into is trying to conform to what others think we should be or look like, rather than what God thinks.  God will reveal the changes that are necessary, and yes, there will be changes in behavior and attitudes as God draws you toward holiness in the sanctification process.  Change is a partnership between you and the Holy Spirit. 

     Won't you join me as I stand before the living God, just as I am, recognizing I have nothing to offer but what He has given me and allow Him to transform you, from who you are to what He wants you to be?  

Check out legendary guitarist Rex Carroll and King James on this moving rendition you probably never heard before:

WHO IS THE DISCIPLE JESUS LOVES - GO LOOK IN THE MIRROR

   
      Have you ever experienced true love and favor that you know you did not deserve?  Have you ever felt singled out for favor by someone who made you feel important?  Most people know what it is like to be singled out for ridicule or to be simply ignored.  To be singled out as special, for most people, is rare, and even more rare is being singled out as special just because you are you and not for something you have accomplished or have to offer. 

    In his Gospel account, John the Apostle refers to himself as the disciple Jesus loved.  At first, this may seem a bit arrogant or prideful, however, in the context of understanding God, this is a very accurate statement.  In fact, this is a statement that any born again believer in Christ can make!  I am the disciple Jesus loves...


     I have nothing to offer Christ but the abilities and desires He has given me.  I possess no astounding talent and have no amazing capacity to love others.  The Bible tells us all good things come from the Father.  Therefore, if there is any good in me, it is there because God placed it there.  Yet, bankrupt of any natural ability, I am the disciple Jesus loves.  God does not necessarily love me because of who I am, but because of who He is.

    YOU are the disciple Jesus loves!  If you were the only one in the world, Christ would have died for you.  Society makes us feel inadequate, our failures based on human effort make us feel unworthy, our interaction with other broken people make us feel unlovable, yet... we are loved, individually by the King of all creation. 

     Do you want to see the disciple Jesus loves?  Go look in the mirror and know you have eternal value to the One who matters most, Christ the King!

CONFORMING VS TRANSFORMING - BEING WHO YOU ARE IN CHRIST

 
   How does a ministry balance "come as you are" invitations to Christ with the Biblical call for transformation?  In our multicultural, all inclusive, tolerance based society, this can be a difficult road to navigate.  Do we insist upon immediate repentance of blatant sin or do we recognize a process of sanctification?  Can a guy with a purple mohawk or a gal with multiple face piercings grow in Christ inwardly and still look the same on the outside.  Where do we draw the line on "acceptable sin"?  What is acceptable sin and is there even such a thing?  

      As society becomes more and more "tolerant" of, well, basically everything, how does the church, especially in the context of evangelism, respond to today's culture with a message of God's holiness and remain relevant?  A big trap to avoid is, when we call others to holiness, we do not consider ourselves the model for holiness!  Jesus Christ is the model of holiness.  When a guy who grew up in an upper middle class home, in an upper middle class neighborhood goes to a seminary after college and then falls into a pastorate in an upper middle class church he has a much different life experience than most people to whom he will minister.  This upper middle class pastor, who probably spends most of his adult life in a coat and tie, may believe the appearance of an average upper middle class person is the appearance that best represents holiness. The only problem is, Jesus never addressed hair style and clothes.  

    The Bible clearly tells us men should not wear women's clothes and women should not wear men's clothes. Where the Bible speaks on tattoos and piercings, it also prohibits the eating of bacon, shrimp and lobster...  Unless you are practicing Judaism and relying on the Law of Moses for salvation (which cannot be done) these prohibitions do not apply, anyway.  

     So purple mohawk guy, pierced face gal,  sleeved young man, Jesus loves you, hair dye, hardware, tattoos and all. God's purpose for you may very well include your less than traditional appearance.  

    Blatant sin, which we could categorize as sin that leads to death, should be addressed and dealt with as soon  as possible in the life of a new believer.  If a person is truly surrendering his life to Christ and not merely looking for "fire insurance" against hell, there should be some immediate repentance of blatant sin.  If someone is coming to Christ for salvation, chances are he is well aware of the fact there is blatant sin needing to be dealt with and are seeking God because of that sin in the first place.  

     The early church fathers instructed the non-Jewish believers to abstain from sexual immorality, eating of blood, eating strangled food and food sacrificed to idols.  We see a Biblical precedent in the book of Acts where people involved in witchcraft and sorcery immediately gave up their evil practices and burned their books and other associated items.  So, yes, there are behaviors and lifestyle choices that are absolutely incompatible with the Christian life, and no, this is not an exhaustive list of what we can and cannot do.  

     Discipleship is the key to all of this, teaching the new believer about the role of the Holy Spirit in convicting conscience about sin and the role of the Holy Spirit in helping us overcome the desire to sin.  This helps us avoid, all together, the question of "acceptable sin".  In truth, there is no such thing as acceptable sin, however, there are certain things that are sin in the life of one and not the other.  To a drunk, having a beer is sin, to a person who has no compulsion or desire to be drunk, relaxing with a beer probably is not a sin.  Where the Bible speaks clearly, we should obey and where the Bible is silent, we ought to pray and seek the counsel of the Holy Spirit before we attempt to remove every perceived speck from our neighbor's eyes. (for more on the topic of specks and beams, CLICK HERE) 

     Come as you are evangelism is absolutely legitimate, but, a remain as you are message is just as wrong as saying "change so you look like me".   God will change the new believer from the inside out, dealing with bad and dangerous behavior, not necessarily general appearance.  So, the message should be, "come as you are, expect God to transform you and your life, but, be the person God has allowed you to become, because He has use of you whether you are more comfortable in a sweater vest or a leather vest". Matthew 6:33  But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

SERVING WITH JOY AND NOT COMPULSION

   
  Why is the Western church in such disarray?  Spiritually speaking, one of the most deadly practices we find in the church is compulsory service and observances.  Compulsory service has an appearance of godliness, but in reality is worthless and hollow. How many come to church begrudgingly, slogging through the worship songs with no thought given to words sung nor to the One sung to?  How many paltry dollars are dropped in the offering plate out of a sense of obligation or coercion?  How many zoned out heart and minds sit through  a carefully prepared message from the Word?  How many think they have done their duty for God by suffering through yet another church service or performing some religious task?  This is why the church is dying in America, too many people are pretending and not enough are truly committed to what they claim to believe.

     In 2 Chronicles 30-31, we find the Hebrews celebrating Passover, properly, for what may be the first time in 250 years.  Though they celebrated it a month late and not all the people were ceremonially clean, the hearts of the people were wholly dedicated to God and His glory.  So joyful an event was the 7 day festival, the people decided to celebrate for another 7 days.  After they celebrated, they willfully and joyfully went through the land and destroyed all that brought dishonor to God.  The Hebrews did not begrudgingly quit doing things they enjoyed for fear of retribution or punishment, they genuinely desired to honor and please God with their daily lives. God's wrath on the nation was temporarily averted because the people served Him with their heart, rather than out of obligation.

     Coming to that place, where we are desiring to please God, not just trying to avoid punishment, is part of maturing in Christ.  When we repent from bad habits and attitudes because our hearts are truly convicted by our love for God, this is real Christianity.  When we simply attempt to live by a set of rules because the rules seem to be what Christians are supposed to do, we are deceiving ourselves and opening the door for self righteousness.  True obedience and discipleship start with a change within.  Inward change does not begin with outward subjugation to a given set of dos and don'ts. There is no joy found in compulsion, only a sense of duty and obligation that can bring stress or pride, both destructive.  

     Authentic change can only come by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus Christ.  Attempting to live a holy life without the supernatural empowerment of the Holy Spirit is frustrating at best and self destructive at worst.  It simply cannot be done.  Religion is a system of order and compulsory behaviors designed to bring us closer to God.  Religion is empty and without power.  Relationship draws us closer to God through knowledge and understanding of His word and desire to please Him.

LOVING THE DEAD - BECAUSE CHRIST LOVED US WHEN WE WERE STILL DEAD

  

  What can the dead do?  If a person died in front of you, would you attempt CPR or take some other action in order to help revive them, would you shout at them to wake up before it is too late, or would you just ignore them and walk on by?  Spiritually speaking, Christians come in contact with the dead every day.  What is our response? I hope we remember that we were once spiritually dead and now have the responsibility to share life.  

Ephesians 2:1&4-5  And you were dead in the trespasses and sins... But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,  even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—

In the Christian community, we know we are to love one another, and how we do that varies more or less.  Sadly, it is often more less, but we know better.  How the Christian community relates to those outside the church is a different matter.  Perception is king and pop culture portrays the church as narrow minded and bigoted, perceiving the average Christian as a hatemonger.  One of the biggest obstacles we face is our own rhetoric and behavior.  Legalistic congregations and even some parachurch organizations have been known for some outrageous behavior.  So called Pastor, Fred Phelps, and the antics of the his Westboro Baptist Church comes to mind, when we speak of "hate filled" Christians. 

     While clowns like Phelps (oh, was that less than loving? Jesus called the religious hypocrites worse) give a black eye to the Christian community, there are myriads of believers quietly working in outreach ministries demonstrating the love of Jesus.  This is who we need to be.  This is how we overcome the stereotype of bigot and hater.  This is the Great Commission.  


     Pastor Bob Beeman is an example of a guy who gets it right: 

     
    Loving one another is behavior oriented, not words or platitudes.  The guy who tells his wife "I love you" and then smacks her around does not love his wife, he loves himself.  True love may never say the words "I love you" but is demonstrated in actions of good. Those who are lost in sin need to know God loves them. We must endeavor to love by considering others better than ourselves. Our behavior toward those dead in sin may be the difference between them finding salvation or remaining alienated from God. Find someone to bless today and tell them you love them by your actions not your words! 
      

POWER TO OVERCOME- WE ARE MORE THAN CONQUERORS!

 
  Struggling through life is not what God intends for His children.  No, this is not a "God makes everything great" post, this is a God makes everything bearable post.  Just like everyone who breaths air, you and I will go through tough times.  Walking with Jesus gives us the power to overcome in adversity.  Notice we do not overcome adversity, we overcome in adversity.  Overcoming does not necessarily mean our problems go away, it means we are not destroyed and it means we can flourish while in the midst of adversity.

     The Bible tells us: 1 Corinthians 10:13  No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. God gives us the ability to endure.  Jesus withstood the face to face temptation of Satan in the wilderness.  Jesus endured because He focused on the Word of God. Though Jesus is God, He chose to limit Himself to manhood in order to save man.  As a man, Jesus learned scripture the same way we do, He studied it and memorized it.  Jesus is an example to us, in His humanity.

     The same power Jesus had to endure hardship is available to us, as believers in Christ.  1 John 4:17  By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 
 Some wallow in self pity rather than seeing adversity as an opportunity for God to manifest His power.  God has imprinted us with His very image.  This sets us apart from the rest of creation. Even the angels are charged with serving mankind:  Hebrews 1:13-14  And to which of the angels has he ever said, "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet"?  Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation? 

     Know God loves you and know He promises to never leave you nor forsake you.  All the power of God and is available for sustaining us when life gets difficult.  When tough times come, pray and seek His comfort and strength.  God my not change your circumstances but He will change your perspective.  God uses adversity in our lives to empower us for His service and to prepare us for His blessings. God also promises us peace and joy regardless of circumstances.  Romans 8:37  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  God's design is for us to flourish and grow, even in the midst of hardship and difficulty.  Give Him the opportunity to demonstrate, not only His power, but His great love for you.  

REDISCOVERING WORTH - A TALE OF 3 MOTORCYCLES

    I remember a time when I was given 3 motorcycles that had been left in an abandoned storage facility.  None of them ran, nor were they titled. 

     At one time, these bikes came off an assembly line with hope and promise.  Each bike was crafted with a specific purpose in mind.  All three bikes were good for transportation and fun.  Each bike went from the factory to a person entrusted with it's care, maintenance and proper use, ensuring each bike fulfilled it's destiny. 

     Somewhere along the line, these bikes each became neglected and mistreated by the person entrusted with their care.  Each bike apparently malfunctioned because of improper use.  These bikes had no power of their own to maintain themselves properly, yet when they no longer worked as designed, they were declared worthless by their caretakers.

       Mishandled, these bikes became erratic in their behavior.  The owners were either abusive, negligent, or simply not equipped to own and maintain a motorcycle.  As each motorcycle began to "misbehave", none of the owners seemed willing to take responsibility, all three owners told these bikes, once their pride and joy, "you are worthless".  All three owners cast these bikes out and abandoned them because they did not meet expectations.  Possibly having a bike was not exactly as they had envisioned.  

     As outcasts, these bikes sat in an abandoned storage pod with other cast offs and broken items, also deemed worthless by those entrusted with their care.  As so often is the case, these broken cast offs found their way to each other.

      Now, obviously, these bikes are inanimate objects without thought or feeling, but for the sake of analogy, imagine these were sentient creatures with the power of thought and emotion.  Imagine what the neglect, misuse and dissatisfaction of the owners would do to these bikes.  Imagine what "life" was like for these three as they are declared worthless by those who should have loved and cared for them. Imagine the hurt and bewilderment as they are abandoned and left as if they never existed.  Imagine how they would sit together, yet alone, year after year believing they somehow failed or stewing in anger and feeding off of each other's misery.  

    Sadly, and devastatingly so, there are many people who have this same story.  Babies born with God given purpose and design, often  to parents who are excited and hopeful, yet ill equipped and selfish.  Some are born into hostile environments where they are unwanted from the beginning.  

     After a life of neglect, abuse and improper parenting, many of these babies grow up resentful, rebellious and worst of all, hurt... deeply hurt.  Broken by the ones entrusted with care and nurturing, these broken children grow into broken adults.

     Because of behavioral issues or attitudes born of bad parenting, these broken children are declared worthless or "troubled".  Cast aside by society, many of these naturally gravitate to others who have been similarly treated and worse behaviors and attitudes manifest. When a person believes he is worthless, he is without hope and behaves worthlessly.  

      Mainstream society and church often shuns the broken people.  It becomes easy to ignore those who are different and pretend no problem exists. The broken and distrustful often gravitate to the fringes of society and the mainstream church seems content to leave them there. 

     What mainstream society and churches do not realize is, often, those with the hardest shells have built shells in response to deep harm caused by those who were entrusted with love and care.  A hard shell ensures no one else gets in to cause harm.  

     Jesus came to seek that which was lost, is that not what the church is to be doing also?  We cannot just build a building and start preaching and expect people to show up, we have to go to where the people are.  What we have is a message of hope, the message is worthless if it is not shared.  

     Thankfully, the story of the motorcycles does not end with abandonment in a warehouse.  Two of those bikes were actually able to fulfill their original purpose and intent.

     One was worked on and made able to run  given to a family member, another was given to a migrant who needed transportation. 

 These bikes were not able to rebuild themselves or suddenly start up and ride off into the sunset, they needed help and care.  Once they received the help and care necessary, they were able to fulfill the role for which they were designed.  So many people are just like these bikes, not ever realizing that they have potential or that anyone even cares about them.
  
     If the church is not willing to go to the fringes of society to rescue the lost, there will be no rescue of the lost.  And  by the church, I am not talking about the First Baptist Church of Whatever, I am talking about you and me, the Body of Christ, fulfilling our calling and purpose. 

     No one is worthless, no one is forsaken of God, so why is the church content with allowing whole segments of society to believe they are worthless and forsaken?  Part of the reason is this type of ministry is messy.  Our cookie cutter ideas of what faith and sanctification should look like does not match ministry on the fringe.  We too often think salvation should come with a suit, tie and a haircut when sometimes salvation means new tattoos and different t-shirt.  

       Like many people, these bikes were made with care and specific purpose, but, due to the negligence and mistreatment of others, sat in obscurity.  There are many people who, though fearfully and wonderfully made by a loving creator, were mistreated and neglected, cast aside and forgotten, or simply ignored. This mistreatment often leads to poor choices which only serve to magnify feelings of alienation.  

    The church cannot... must not, ignore those who are hurting or deemed worthless by holier than thou hypocrites. The church, which is you and me, must step up and step out and seek what was lost and what was cast aside and what was deemed worthless by a corrupt and sin addled society.  

Now, go live as Christ... and give the devil hell!

PRETENDING TO BE PERFECT HELPS NO ONE!

Matthew 5:48  You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

One of the biggest pitfalls in the life of a believer is the perceived need to appear perfect all the time. Another big danger comes when we begin to think we have attained some level of spirituality that makes us, somehow, better than most. I am flawed, I sin, and I will always have the propensity to sin BIG. Pretending that I am not helps no one and being real opens the door to relational discipleship.

This does not excuse my sin, nor does it negate my pursuit of holiness, it merely recognizes my need to avoid self righteousness.  Clearly, Scripture calls me to pursue perfection.

Pretending to be perfect not only harms my witness, it also harms others around me.  The ultimate goal for myself and any believer is consistency in what I say and do.  If I claim to love God and others, my actions must indicate the same.  Blatant hypocrisy and double mindedness are one of the greatest hindrances to the Great Commission. 

   The Scriptural call to perfection is not a call to a destination but a call to a lifetime pursuit.  Romans 8:29  For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. Part of the Holy Spirit's ministry in the life of the believer is transformation. 

     Perfection comes when Christ calls us home, whether that should be at life's end or the rapture of the church.  Until perfection comes, we are called to be real.  Real with others and ourselves.  Pretending to be holier or more perfected than I actually am is dangerous as it gives the enemy an opportunity to expose me as a fraud and ruins whatever testimony I may have had.

     We certainly need to strive for holiness while being honest about our walk with God.  Being honest about our struggles does not mean accepting our sin and excusing it by simply saying, "that's who I am."  Being honest means admitting a problem and submitting to the will and transforming power of God.  Being honest also means trusting someone to whom we can be accountable.  We are not meant to walk this life alone, God made us for community and gave us each a unique role in the Body of Christ.  Someone is relying on me to do my part as I am relying on others to do theirs. 

     The call to perfection does not require, nor expect us, to attain in this life.  The call to perfection is a call to a life fully submitted to the will of God. Do not pretend to be better than you are and, at the same time, do not settle for a life of sin and struggle.  Remember, though a righteous man falls seven times, he gets back up!  

OF SPECKS AND BEAMS - SEEING SIN IN OTHERS

 
 One of the most mishandled aspects of church life is dealing with sin in the camp.  Sin is either ignored and allowed to fester or it is hastily and harshly confronted. Sin ignored can lead to spiritual irrelevancy as seen in many mainstream denominations which have chosen the liberal path of "tolerance".  Sin dealt with harshly or hastily often leads to legalistic self righteousness which can strangle the message of love, grace and redemption found at the cross. Ignoring sin and legalistic campaigns against sin are two sides of the same coin, a coin that renders the Gospel powerless.  Scripture gives very clear guidelines when it comes to dealing with sin in the church, and, as in every case when believers stray from the clear dictates of God's word, ignoring God's instruction leads to destruction. 

   Mat 7:1-5  "Judge not, that you be not judged.  For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye?  You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.
  
Most everyone is familiar with Jesus' teaching on specks and beams when it comes to addressing sin.  Jesus gave this example for a very specific reason, not everything perceived as sin in a person's life is sin.  Sin in one person's life can often lead to perceiving sin in others.  If a man is a liar, he may assume everyone else is a liar as well.  If am woman is a thief, she may assume everyone around her is a thief also.  Perceiving sin in others will affect interaction.  Distrust will always hinder intimacy and healthy relationship building.  

     Jesus was a carpenter, by trade, therefore, the concept of specks of sawdust and wooden beams or logs would have been very familiar to Him.  Jesus knew sin in a person's life could skew perception of others, for this reason, Jesus made it clear, sin must be dealt with personally before it could be dealt with corporately.  This is a very important lesson for the modern church, as we often excuse sin in our own lives while holding others to a higher standard than which we hold ourselves.  If I am torn up with sin, how can I accurately discern sin in the life of another?

  

WILL 70 NATIONS BOW TO SATAN AGAINST ISRAEL?

                         

GENESIS 10:32  These are the clans of the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies, in their nations, and from these the nations spread abroad on the earth after the flood. 

DEUTERONOMY 32:8 - When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he divided mankind, he fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God.




After the flood of Noah, God divide the earth into nations. In Genesis 10, we are given a list of 70 nations. When God divided the nations, He divided them according to the number of the Ben Elohim, or sons of God. These sons of God are generally referred to as angels.

We see these angels first in Genesis 6 when a number of them transgressed God's design and mated with human women creating giants and ultimately causing the great flood.

Gen 6:4-5  There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.   And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 

 2Peter 2:4-5  For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment;   if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly;  

Jude 1:6  And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day—

We also see the sons of God mentioned in Job 1 as they present themselves before God: Job 1:6  Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. 

Another term we can use to describe these beings is powers and principalities: Ephesians 6:12  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 

  We can deduce many of these sons of God have thrown their lot in with Satan and rebelled against the God who created them. These sons of God, we are told from scripture, are rulers, authorities and cosmic powers of darkness.  Like their counterparts in Genesis 6, their end will be the lake of fire: Matthew 25:41  "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

Satan's plan has been, throughout recorded history, to destroy God's plan for man:

1. In the Garden of Eden, Satan tempted Eve to eat of the forbidden tree - God declared His plan of redemption in Genesis 3:15

2. The sons of God endeavored to corrupt man's bloodline by mingling angelic and human DNA Genesis 6:9  These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God. - God repopulated the earth with a genetically pure bloodline

3. After entering the land, Israel was corrupted by foreign gods and almost lost it's national identity - God continued to discipline the nation back to spiritual purity

4. King Herod tried to kill the Messiah  - God sent Jesus to Egypt to protect Him

5. The early church was persecuted unto death by Rome - God protected and strengthened and underground movement

6. Rome attempted to absorb Christianity by blending it with paganism - God brought forth the Reformation and gave the Bible in the language of the people

7. Hitler tried to kill all the Jews - God stopped Hitler and gave Israel back their homeland in 1948 and Jerusalem in 1967

8. Now, 70 nations are attempting to give Jerusalem to a people who are not a people, a people who have no claim to the Holy City.

   These are just a small sampling of Satan's campaign against God.  Each and every time Satan and his minions have attempted to derail God's plan, God defeats his evil machinations.  God's will shall always be accomplished: Isaiah 14:24  The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand: 

These 70 nations aligned together against Israel are directed by the powers, principalities and authorities of darkness all under the influence of Satan himself.  This, in a long line of failed attempts to destroy God's people and plan, will be one more opportunity for God to display His power and glory.  

The end game in this agenda seems to be taking Jerusalem, and with it the Temple Mount, away from any control of the Jews.  Taking the Temple Mount will prevent a rebuilding of the Temple, which must take place before Christ can return.  

Even the Jesuit Vicar of Christ, Pope Francis seems to be on the side of Satan in this campaign.  The Vatican has recently recognized the Palestinian state and Palestine will not negotiate on Jerusalem, so by default Francis is on the side of Satan in this conflict. for more on the Pope's evil click HERE

The first attempt to prevent a third Temple was the building of the Satanic Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount.  Muslims believed they had built their evil structure over the very site of the Jewish Temple, however, modern surveying techniques have discovered the Temple was on the south side of the Temple Mount.  True to prophetic scripture, there is room enough to build the Jewish Temple without disturbing the Dome of the Rock.  The Dome of the Rock actually stands in what would have been the outer court. Revelation 11:1-2  And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.  But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. 

This latest attempt to derail God's plan will also fail, but at what cost to humanity. Satan's attempts to stop God often cause great bloodshed and loss of human life.  World War II being a great example.  

Rest assured, these 70 nations and the evil forces provoking them shall not prevail, the passage from Revelation above proves this.  Now is a time for prayer. Prayer for the peace of Jerusalem, prayer for the hearts of the men and women being used as tools of evil and prayer that God's people remain faithful and resolute. 

God's plan for man shall stand and Christ shall rule from Jerusalem, our role is to go and make disciples while we pray against the powers of evil and their influence over mankind.

Now, go live as Christ... and give the devil hell!