Our task, our duty and our allegiance is to Jesus Christ, alone! The warfare we now face, takes preparation, discipline, diligence, steadfast commitment and ACTION!
It is unlike any conflict or war you have ever fought or have thought about fighting. THIS IS A SPIRITUAL BATTLE being played out on planet earth. The root of this Tribulation Period is in the Heavens and our battle must be fought there, first!
I have, to the best of my ability, with diligence, spelled out what I read in the Bible as Jesus’ stance and instruction on what a Christian’s response should be to attacks on their person, their property, their freedoms as well as threats of terror. I have posted these articles on my website, on my blog site and on various social media platforms.
I am hearing responses such as:
“The Church of Jesus cannot afford to simply be passive, it must stand for biblical truth.”
“Your remarks of pacifism are like Baal worship. We have a responsibility to defend ourselves and fight for our freedoms.”
“Christians have a right to fight back.”
Based on these replies, I apparently I am not properly communicating the plain and obvious Word of God. I apologize. Please, let me try again.
I. I AM NOT ADVOCATING STANDING IDLY BY TO BE SLAUGHTERED
II. SECONDLY, I would like to state that, in case of emergencies or crises, I have stored some extra food supplies, water, dry goods, “implements for defensive measures” and means to buy or sell or barter. I am not a fool. We have seen how crisis and panic causes people to act, so I am trying to be prepared for any eventuality. And, yes, I get angry at what I see happening to our Nation or world and our way of life.
Supplies of food, water and money may help in the short run, but they aren’t going to save me. Getting angry may be a natural response, but it will not help me or save me. As I have said repeatedly, government is failing us, politics have failed us, educational systems are failing us, technology is being used against us, medicine can’t save us, so, my question is now, and always has been:
WHAT SHOULD I DO in response to this Tribulation which now encompasses me? What can I do?
I have written and posted about this Ad Nauseam, but once again, here is what the Bible tells us:
Luke 21:14-19, says, “So make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves; for I will give you utterance and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute. “But you will be betrayed even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death, and you will be hated by all because of My name. “Yet not a hair of your head will perish. “By your endurance you will gain your lives.”
Matthew 24:42–47. says, “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. 43 But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 44 For this reason you must be ready as well; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.
45 “Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household slaves, to give them their food at the proper time? 46 Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. 47 Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions.
III. Examples of expected result of Service and Obedience to God in Tribulation:
2 Corinthians 11:23-27 says, “Are they servants of Christ?—I am speaking as if insane—I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent adrift at sea. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, dangers among false brothers; I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.” (The Apostle Paul’s response to threats and ‘terrorism’.)
IV. Scriptural description of our “WEAPONS”:
- Ecclesiastes 9:18 tells us, “Wisdom is better than weapons of war.”
- Isaiah 13:5 tells us, “They are coming from a distant country, From the farthest horizons, The Lord and the weapons of His indignation, To destroy the whole land.”
- 2 Corinthians 10:3-6, says, “For, though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage battle according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying arguments and all arrogance raised against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.
- 2 Corinthians 10:7 tells us, You are looking at things as they are outwardly. If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ’s, have him consider this again within himself, that just as he is Christ’s, so too are we.
- 2 Corinthians 6:3. says, “We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry. In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. We have been beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food. We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love. We faithfully preach the truth. God’s power is working in us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defense. We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us impostors. We are ignored, even though we are well known. We live close to death, but we are still alive. We have been beaten, but we have not been killed. Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything.”
Isiah 54:17 says,“No weapon that is formed against you will succeed; And you will condemn every tongue that accuses you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their vindication is from Me,” declares the LORD.
Jeremiah 51:20-23 says, “You are My war-club, My weapon of war; And with you, I shatter nations, And with you, I destroy kingdoms.
“With you I shatter the horse and his rider, And with you I shatter the chariot and its rider,
“And with you I shatter man and woman, And with you I shatter the old man and youth, And with you I shatter the young man and virgin,
“And with you I shatter the shepherd and his flock, And with you I shatter the farmer and his team, And with you I shatter governors and officials.”
Jeremiah 50:25 says, “The LORD has opened His armory And has brought out the weapons of His indignation, For it is a work of the Lord GOD of armies.
V. RECAP –
The reason we don’t understand the Biblical instruction and requirements on our response to the Tribulation which is besetting us:
- You are looking at things as they are outwardly. (2 Corinthians 10:7)
Our weapons are described as:
- Wisdom is better than weapons of war. (Ecclesiastes 9:18)
- The weapons of His indignation.(Jeremiah 50:25)
- The weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh.(2 Corinthians 10: 4)
- The weapons of our warfare are divinely powerful. (2 Corinthians 10:4)
Designated use and purpose of our weapons:
- The weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack.
- The weapons of righteousness in the left hand for defense.
- For the destruction of fortresses.
- We are destroying arguments and all arrogance raised against the knowledge of God,
- Taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,
- we are ready to punish all disobedience.
The origin of our weapons:
- The weapons of His indignation.
You and I say we believe in God, but do we BELIEVE HIM? When Jesus said, “Come to me”, Would you have gotten out of the boat with Peter and walked on the water?
We say a lot of brave things, but, now it is time to do them. It is time for obedience to Christ Jesus, because doing things your own way can be fatal. Taking matters into your own hands can be deadly.
We have put our hand to the plow of the Gospel and if you take your hand off that plow, now, or look back now, you will find yourself LEFT BEHIND!
Our task, our duty and our allegiance is to Jesus Christ, alone! This warfare takes preparation, discipline, diligence, steadfast commitment and ACTION! It is unlike and conflict or war you have ever fought or thought about fighting. THIS IS A SPIRITUAL BATTLE being played out on planet earth. The root of this Tribulation is in the Heavens, and our battle must be fought there, first!
Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young
Whitestone Fellowship 