Well, it’s happened, Afghanistan is now back in the hands of the Taliban. The nation, if you can call it that, is now the “Islamic Republic of Afghanistan”.
I shared a quote earlier this week that’s now worth pondering. I didn’t write it, but it’s so darned appropriate:
Today, I try to imagine myself as a Christian living in Afghanistan, realizing my whole world has now changed in an instant. Understanding that my faith can very well cost me my life and the lives of my loved ones in the coming days. Am I prepared to live the kind of Christianity that requires complete and total surrender to the Lord? The kind of Christianity that says, “if I die, I die!” as Esther said? Lord, as we pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ in Afghanistan, I also pray that you would help us here in America to become the kind of Christians that are required in this hour.
One day, your country is free and you can practice your faith, the next day, you’re being put on a list for execution.
So, as the title of this message asks, what would you give, for Jesus?
Jesus said, “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:39)
Many ask questions, such as, How did it get this way? Why would a loving God allow such horror come over His people in this nation? I mean really, right now, there are reportedly only two Christian pastors who were able to escape this, there are least twenty still in there and many, many other believers there in grave danger.
Well, as I said to someone in our family who experienced a huge loss recently, God’s ways are not our ways. He has His master plan. We are His creations, we are the clay, He is the potter.
It makes no earthly sense to us, but faith tells us that what the enemy uses for evil, God uses for good, and something good is going to come out of this.
Yes, this entire situation made me extremely angry at our political “leadership” – and I use the quotes intentionally as I believe that these people are the most incompetent bunch of people on this planet.
To strand tens of thousands of your fellow countrymen and women in enemy territory, all while claiming ignorance of the developing situation is either dereliction of duty on the part of our so-called commander-in-chief, down to the military brass and intelligence departments, or treason of the same.
These same stranded individuals would be subject to forced conversion to Islam, and women into sexual servitude. Is this what our leadership wants? Really?
To allow the enemy to steal military hardware, such as black hawk helicopters, tanks, humvees, and other equipment, much containing sophisticated software, that will now undoubtedly be sold to the highest bidder – either China, Russia or even Iran, to reverse engineer and copy – is sheer stupidity, and treasonous.
Yes, as an American, I’m pissed! As a Christian, I’m saddened – but knowing our loving God, something good will come out of what Satan is using for evil.
Yes, God has a plan – He’s always had one. Who controls what happens on this earth? Not Donald Trump, not the “white hats” or even the “black hats” – who does? God does!
As for those who may be martyred for the faith, we read of their ultimate reward in Revelation, chapter 7, starting in verse 9, but in verses 14-15, we see the finality of it:
“These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them.”
Now, I don’t believe we’re in the seven year Tribulation period, we could well be close to it, but we are in a time of great tribulation. There have been tumultuous times in the past where great numbers of people were martyred.
This is one of those times. It does t mean that I’m a “post-trib” believer, far from it – I’m very much pre-trib, it’s just that the tribulation period will be one thousand times worse than we’re experiencing now.
If you’re living through the “judgements of Revelation,” you’ll know it, and you’ll wish that you responded to the altar call of old – because you aren’t seeing altar calls anymore. The Holy Spirit, and the Church, are gone. People will still come to Christ, but it will be out of circumstance – not out of great preaching and leading.
Why do I say that we may be close to the actual tribulation period?
Simple really – you see, I don’t subscribe to theories bandied about. I look at current events, and compare them to biblical prophecy. That, and prayer, keeps me grounded and better in touch with the realities of the times, rather than what others say is happening.
(It frustrates family and friends to no end, but I digress)…
I really don’t watch the news anymore, or I should say, I watch it much more judiciously. It keeps me from white hat/black hat theories, and keeps me more grounded to scripture.
For example, the current situation with Biden leaving tens of billions of military hardware in the hands of the Taliban, to be resold or given to our enemies, leads me to the question many people ask: “Is the United States mentioned in scriptural prophecy?”
I’ve always said that I didn’t think so, that the US or most other western nations are mentioned either – and this is more justification…that we’re not around anymore. Our weapons systems have been so compromised, that we could have been destroyed, or taken over by an adversary who is mentioned, such as China or Russia.
Look at current events – who’s eating our economic lunch? China’s buying land in the Midwest – farmland, ready to set up communist style cooperatives. They’ve stolen so much of our intellectual property, it’s no wonder that they’ve basically shut off our supply of much needed computer chips, from cars (there’s virtually no Jeep Wranglers on dealership floors because of this shortage, for example) to computers and mobile phones.
Do you think China has designs on the USA? You bet they do! Who’s mentioned in biblical prophecy? The “Kings of the East” – China, which at that time, was several kingdoms.
These kings of the East, ally with Rosh and Magog (considered Russia), Tubal (Turkey) and Persia (Iran) to invade Israel, midway through the actual Tribulation, and at the the battle at Har Megiddo (Armageddon) at the end.
Who’s stealing intelligence and intellectual property to gain the upper hand? China, Russia and Iran. With Afghanistan right next door to Iran, and a hop, skip and a jump to China, it would not be out of the realm of possibility that they also play a part of Persia.
Whose establishing ties with Libya and Ethiopia (Put), also mentioned in prophecy? Russia and China.
Can you guess where the largest deposit of Lithium is located? Afghanistan! Guess what there’s a shortage of these days, and in the future – Lithium. Who will control the sale of this Lithium? The Taliban!
You may be sorry you bought that Tesla in a few years when lithium batteries cost as much as the car did originally, if you can get the batteries at all.
Am I being a “conspiracy theorist”? I don’t think so. I’m doing what Jesus told us to do, and that’s look for the signs of the times. We don’t know the day and the hour, but we are to look for the signs.
Donald Trump re-emerging suddenly with JFK at his side is not a sign. That’s a demonic distraction to keep believers from looking to scripture. It’s high time for believers to get their noses out of YouTube and back into scripture and prayer. Donald Trump is a man, he’s not your savior.
Yes, Trump did wonderful things for this nation, which delayed the inevitable – God gave us a reprieve to get things right. We, as nations of the world thumbed our collective noses at God, so He’s judging, and deservedly so. It’s that simple.
Will Christians be martyred along the way? They always have, at every time of tribulation in our history, but remember Revelation 7 – what great reward comes of such martyrdom? You’re in Heaven forever with the Lord, your gown white as snow.
Christian, keep your eye on the prize, and your minds from demonic distractions.
So, the incompetence we see in Washington today, is just but a steppingstone in God’s ultimate plan for mankind.
You and I may feel horrible and mourn for those caught in the middle, and anger at the bumbling fools at the controls – and we should pray for God to intervene and give us another chance, but I truly believe that ship has sailed.
We should remember, however, who the ultimate judge is – and God always gets His way.
The bumbling fools at the controls and the evil ones behind all of this will be judged, and judged harshly, and unless they repent and make Jesus the controller of their lives, they will spend eternity in Hell.
We pray for repentance and salvation for all of those who bring evil to this world, including the Taliban. God can forgive – they must first repent to the one, true God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and not the Allah of Abraham and Ishmael.
Have a blessed week folks.
The #Heb10 Church 