Persecuted Church

International Day of Prayer
This coming Sunday, November 12th, is designated as an international day of prayer for the persecuted church. While I sit comfortably in my nest like living room chair, I can write about prayer, loving Jesus, going to church in my car and openly entering a place of worship. Not so for hundreds of thousands of believers all over the world...

Safe places no longer exist     

In ancient days, churches were considered sanctuaries where the blood of the innocent and even the guilty (and we are all guilty of many things, would you not agreed dear reader?) was never to be shed. There were whole towns of refuge that were dedicated and considered safe for someone who had unintentionally committed manslaughter...relatives seeking to avenge the death of a loved one could not enter and take the life of the guilty one, and this bought time for both parties. The one who had taken a life had time to suffer the grief of having killed, and the one who lost a precious family member had time to cool their heels, look for forgiveness in their heart, and see that where there is no malice and death has occurred without the intention of killing, retaliation is not acceptable, and only leads to more loss of life. Churches, sanctuaries, safe places no longer exist, do they dear reader?

Dumbfounded Disbelief
Are you frighten yet? Do you fear that you, your children, your loved ones may be next? Murder, the taking of lives in church dear reader, it causes the soul to shudder, to quake in dumbfounded disbelief. 

How can one shoot a five year old in the house of God? Texas is in the throws of massive turmoil this day, and you can bet, you can believe, that people are on their knees, arms raised up, crying out to God, in homes, places of business, and in churches, for what has been violently taken from them. Lives are beyond precious, and our freedom to pray to God cannot and will not be thwarted, regardless of whether or not we are murdered, heads bowed, knees on floors everywhere. 

This is war

This is war and the battle started long ago. While Satan wants to imprison, God wants to free. While the devil wants to frighten, God says love. While evil steals the life of a child, God says He is with me, in heaven. 

Godlessness is the threat dear reader, and we have invited this by excluding Him from our lives, our homes, our families, our work. There are no safe havens, because of the hate that has grown in one field and town, and spread to its neighbour... love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself (Luke 10:27)

This mandate from God, is ignored by unbelieving man. The devil, he says you are free to do whatever you like: go on now, satisfy all of your cravings, and desires. You are entitled: the world is yours to do with it whatever you will. 

God says, thou shalt not commit murder but this is a useless, antiquated, out of date and time command, just like the rest of the commandments and wise teachings of the Bible, in a world that has indulged itself fully, with self satisfying endeavours.
   
Does Evil Exist?

• Do not grieve and ask God why He allows the slaughter of men, women, and children en masse, if you are unwilling to be convicted in your own heart by Almighty God. 
• Do not shake your head and say God does not exist, or blame Him for what only man can conceive of: pure hate filled evil. 

You have a choice, if you have not made it yet?

Believe that evil exists, and that God is good
Believe that evil exists, that God is good, and that He hates sin, and cannot abide it, cannot participate in it

You can choose to pray, like the rest of us who grieve the earthly loss of those who worshiped Him and taught their children to too, the One who made them and us. We are continually at crossroads these days dear reader and today, in the aftermath of another vile, despicable display of vulgar violence, we must again choose, God or the devil? 

Your life is an indicator of the one with whom you align

Addendum: It is December 31, 2021. Reading this piece of writing gave me an eerie sense of foreboding, considering how efficient, and effective, the devil has been in turning family against family, friends into enemies, and parents into participants, in murdering their own children, via poison injections 

The death toll is rising, as many have committed the heinous crime of global genocide, while those that are currently sick and dying, are unwittingly, committing suicide each time they submit themselves to mercenaries with loaded weapons, armed at the arms of the willing: those that would save themselves, as though their lives were a choice, and not a gift from the eternal, living God

See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive, I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand (Deuteronomy 32:39)