Author's Note: Included in this blog is an image of journalist James W. Foley just prior to his murder by ISIS/ISIL. During research of this writing, literally hundreds of articles and images were reviewed. The vast majority were eliminated due to the graphic nature of beheadings, murder and rape.
The images are true to ISIS actions against 'infidels;' however, I do not believe placing them in this forum would enhance knowledge or spirituality.
May God bless you and may we continue to take the spiritual fight to the enemies of Christ.
Pastor Jack
"Prepare for the unknown by studying how others int he past have coped with the unforeseeable and the unpredictable."
~ General George S. Patton
In the wake of yet another beheading at the hands of Isis, this time a Japanese journalist, the westernized world seems to be stunned at the audacity and violence of these militant agents as news
The actions of the 'Islamic State,' which seemingly go unchecked and predictably produce the image of a weak will for the rest of the world, is not unlike the image produced by our leaders at the close of the decade of the 1970's.
At the end of the 1970's, the Soviet Union abandoned a near decade-long policy of detente with the United States (which had been established with President Nixon), invading Afghanistan knowing leadership in Washington would not respond to their military threat.
In Iran, the Islamic Revolution began under the leadership of Ayatollah Khomeini; it remains in place to this day.
While highlights included the signing of the Camp David Accords with Anwar El Sadat of Egypt and the Israeli State - which were hugely unpopular in the Arab world - and the end of the Vietnam War; with high inflation, an oil embargo and a failed rescue attempt of the hostages held by terrorists in Iran, it truly appeared as if the United States had lost its ability to shape world events.
Yet, in 1980, a strong, anti-communist became President, the former Ronald Reagan in the role of a lifetime. Under his leadership and his successor, the feared Soviets fell from power and a struggling Russia now exists in its place.
But it didn't happen overnight; nor was it simply a political leader. It also took spiritual leadership.
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| Graham & Pope John Paul II |
You see, Communism was not primarily a secular political movement; it was also an anti-God, way of life and religion. It was evil with government approval.
Like the Communists, Isis is the great evil of our day; in defeating the communists, our preceding generation has given ours a gift in the form of an example as to how to defeat the Islamic State which threatens the security of the world.
But remember - it's not primarily a political movement; it is a spiritual movement, albeit a wicked one.
On the surface, it would seem that Communism and Christianity would be supported by the same people.
Both strove for similar things, such as equality and justice; yet, only one of the two engaged in some of the worst atrocities known to humanity.In the Soviet Union alone, when Lenin came to power, nearly 98% of all priests were executed and 99% of all Russian Orthodox Churches were closed.
The gospel the Communists preached was mostly about man being elevated as ruler of his own destiny; and therein lays the chief problem with Communism.
Communism failed in Europe because of their failure to understand the basic nature of man; man's nature is flawed and sinful. Since they didn't adhere to a god or a religion, the thought was that man could be made and fashioned into whatever they wished his morals and actions to be; if you caught him young enough to teach him.
The Communists ignored man's fallen nature from Adam; although there are plenty of examples of our fallenness throughout history on either side of the ocean.
They tried to improve on what they did not understand; man's fallen nature.
Isis too will fail; they are trying to improve by force what is essentially a spiritual problem - man is fallen, man sins.
And man cannot be forced to repent and 'straighten up;' man must be shaken to his core and remedied with the grace of God if he is to improve.
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| Karl Marx |
The New Marxist Man would be more selfless, more intelligent, stronger and wiser; without faith.
In essence, they replaced the God-man of Jesus Christ with the Man-god of humanity.
Yet, we know that you and I are humans, as are the people in Europe; we are not gods.
As a result, no super-Socialist man ever spawned and existed.
They learned, much too late, people only change when there is an actual change in their heart. People do not change when they are forced, we will change only when we are changed from within.
Today, Isis is falling to the same thought that occupied the minds of the Communists; force, power and rule will make people do what we want.
No society in history has long lasted by force; Isis is no different.
Fear will always give way to hope; hope will always point to God.
And God will always prevail.
Like Isis, the Communists of old believed that they, not a God, determined morality.
Instead of inside out, it became from the top, down to others.
The Kremlin would dictate what was right and good; then enforce it at the point of a gun.
Yet, this never works.
Now, we live in the 21st Century and sometimes, when we see what these evil, radical people are doing
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| The murder of James W. Foley |
We seek God to be heavy-handed on those who seek to do us harm.
But if you will remember the Old Testament, God did that once; He was involved to a super-intense level, but His people, nor humanity at large responded.
The Law He gave was ultimately ignored and it did not produce holiness as He desired; at best, it led us to only being marginally conformed to His ways.
So, how were those people of Biblical times defeated when they came against God's people?
The same way Isis must be defeated - Spirituality.
As it is written, 'Not by might, not by strength; but by My Spirit, says the Lord.'
After the Soviet Union fell along with the Easter Block, once dubbed, the 'Iron Curtain,' it opened up to Christianity.
The reason was because there had been for 74 years an underground church praying for such an event to happen; many martyrs died along the way, and there was only a handful of the faithful left.
But when their prayers were finally answered, there was a spiritual awakening within those countries that the media never reported.
Like the early church, those who remained behind the Iron Curtain had many avenues closed to them; they simply could not go public with their faith.
Being limited, they did what countless of Christians have done in closed countries - ministered only to the neediest people; the hurting, the poor.
To "make" followers, you don't see this from the 'religion of peace;' instead, you see violence and force.
But it is compassion as given by the Spirit of God which opens the heart and mind to the true witness of the Gospel.
And sometimes it takes years of hard work and dedication for God to use the witness.
American Christians want the battle against Islam to be easy and quick; it will not be either easy nor quick.
Other want to rely solely on a political solution or a military solution; these may help, but ultimately, when the problem is spiritual it must be solved in a spiritual way.
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| The Falling of the Berlin Wall |
In 1989, after a few weeks of prayer meetings and vigil protests that had begun after a church prayer meeting, the Berlin Wall fell.
It was the first crack in the Communist Armor in Europe; I remember watching it take place and men and women celebrate as the pushed holes through the stone wall separating the two Berlins. Soon, it wasn't just East Germany which became liberated.
After that night, nine other Communist nations is Europe, including the arch-rival of the United States, the Soviet Union, fell to non-violent revolutions.
That one fall brought state-sponsored atheism and evil to its knees; and the one, giant Super Power known as the U.S.S.R. was dissolved into 15 independent republics, almost overnight.
In some ways, the 74 years of Communist rule in Europe is a symbol of what we need to remember in this age.God will indeed win, but He will win at the most appropriate time.
Just as Soviet aggression ended; so too will the Islamic State.
But there is one question that remains - what is it that controls you?
Is it fear? Is it politics? Or is it Jesus?
Friend, it is primarily a spiritual war; it will primarily be won through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Until next time, win one for the good guys.
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