March 13
Satan Has No Friends
This weekend, the body of peace activist Tom Fox turned up on the streets Baghdad. He was found near a railroad track with gunshots to his head and chest. There were cuts on his body and bruises on his head, indicating torture.
Last November, the previously unknown Swords of Righteousness Brigades claimed responsibility for kidnapping Fox and three other Christian Peacemaker Teams members, who disappeared Nov. 26. The captives still missing are: Canadians James Loney, 41, and Harmeet Singh Sooden, 32; and Briton Norman Kember, 74.
The Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) are based in Chicago. They have a rather nebulous goal of being an international association set up to support teams of peace workers in areas of conflict around the world.
After doing a little research about this organization, I found that the CPT believes in universal salvation. This view claims that Jesus is not the only way of salvation, and there are several paths that lead to God. Of course, the Bible clearly says otherwise.
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).
As far as the CPT’s political activities go, it is group that specializes in championing Arabs as victims of western aggression. They’ve been active in reporting on the misdeeds of Israeli soldiers in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Their official reason for being in Iraq was to document the abuses committed by American forces.
When the four CPT members were reported captured, the leadership of the organization refused to blame the terrorists: "We are angry because what has happened to our teammates is the result of the actions of the U.S. and U.K. government due to the illegal attack on Iraq and the continuing occupation and oppression of its people."
I can only cite demonic delusion to explain why the CPT has been such a loyal lapdog to Arab radicals. They even touted an “Adopt-a-Detainee” program on their website. The program was concerned with “abuses” of terrorist detainees. No where do you find them showing any concern for our military members on the ground or for people on the Western side of the conflict.
As one person said in a weblog, “They went to Iraq not to condemn the Sunni terrorists who bomb innocent men, women and children, but rather the security forces that work to keep this from happening. They went preaching their message of 'peace at any price.' If it means letting the bad guys win, turning the country into a brutal terror State, then so be it.”
The liberal media made no mention of the incredible irony at work in the kidnapping and death of Mr. Fox. At least they could run a headline like “Poor, Misunderstood and Oppressed Iraqis Turn on Their Supporter.”
This poor man died probably begging for his life at the hands of the people he had come to defend. What Fox failed to realize is that the devil has no friends. He was a murderer from the beginning (John 8:44). When he can’t kill the Christians who represent the truth, he’ll settle for a misguided one who serves as a cheap substitute.
-- Todd
UFOs, and the Real War of the Worlds –Part 1
Satan, according to Bible prophecy, plans spectacular displays of fireworks and other supernatural pyrotechnics for the tribulation, the last seven years before Christ’s second advent. Those phenomena will, again, according to God’s Word, take place in the atmosphere above earth and in space. We are given that forewarning in the following Scripture:
“And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do…” (Rev. 13: 13-14).
Jesus made it clear that the phenomena that will come at the end of days will be fearsome to behold:
“And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves
roaring; Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken” (Lk. 21: 25- 26).
There is coming a second great war in the heavenlies, and it will make H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds fiction look tame by comparison. The resulting devastation and carnage will literally cause the hearts of earthdwellers of the tribulation era to explode with adrenalin-pumped fear. However, and strangely perhaps, from our mortal perspective, Lucifer, now named Satan and called “the Devil,” continues to be given access to God’s throne, above which he was once a guardian. He is now an accuser of believers in Jesus Christ.
The first war of all creation--not just a war of mortal worlds, or of galaxies-- took place when Lucifer and the angels who joined him in rebellion against the Most High were cast out of God’s realm. That is, they were no longer a part of God’s kingdom, but now were forever lost, outside of God’s eternal kingdom.
We know that Lucifer, the fallen one, came before God to ask to be allowed to torment and test the great man of God, Job. We know that he asked the Lord to”sift” or put the Apostle Peter to a similar torturous testing. Satan will be allowed to come before the throne of God until a certain point. We learn this in the following:
“And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser
of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night” (Rev. 12:10).
And, this Scripture brings us to the most fierce part of human history for tribulation earth-dwellers. It will be the second great war of the Creation –the war of two worlds, eternally apart in their intents and purposes. Satan and his fallen angelic armies are to be removed from the very presence of God and confined to Planet Earth.
Now that isn’t such good prophetic news for flesh and blood earthdwellers of that future time of apocalypse! The prophecy tells us:
“And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his
angels were cast out with him” (Rev. 12:9).
Jesus said, of that time: “And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven” (Lk.10:18).
John the prophet and apostle was given the words to encourage believers, and forewarn unbelievers down through the centuries:
“Therefore rejoice, [ye] heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having
great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time” (Rev. 12:12).
The great Apostle Peter forewarned of this rage Satan has for all of God’s human creation, and for believers in particular: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour…” (1 Pet. 5: 8).
God has placed so much in His Word to warn about this adversary and his legions, the devil and his minions, that the evil that has been in all the cosmos since that first great war in heaven must saturate every aspect of existence. But, we who name the name of Jesus Christ can take comfort. We are on the other side –the other spiritual dimension of this cataclysmic collision of supernatural worlds.
It is true that we who are flesh and blood must exist side by side with that dimension, because we live in a third dimension –one we perceive to be reality, but which is really existence that is no more than a vapor, in terms of God’s eternal economy. But, we are not left without defense against our horrific enemies that comprise Satan’s evil forces. God tells us in Ephesians 6:10-18 that not only CAN we stand against Satan and his evil, but that it is our duty to do so. He promises to provide armor to fight the good fight. But, we are required to put it on. And, it is not a defensive, but an offensive strategy the Lord demands. Our defense, you see, IS our offense: the cross of the Lord Jesus!
--Terry
