Do You Feel It?

Author Unknown 

 
I visited a doctor today, a man I have known for some time.  He is a quite remarkable man, Chinese, but devoutly, incredibly Christian. He is the sort of man who makes me stop and pause when I consider a life truly lived out for Christ.  He travels the world, going to various places as a preacher.  He has also raised two doctor children – one an eye surgeon, the other an internist.  His father had been converted by missionaries before WWII, who also helped his father overcome his opium addiction.

My doctor friend came to this country a little over 30  years ago.  He remarked to me today, that at that time, the U.S. seemed overwhelmingly Christian.  Christian almost in an “in your face” kind of way.  It was who we were.  Businesses were shut down in much of the country on Sunday – widespread repeal of blue laws did not begin until the early 80s.  Now, he notices a great change. Many people are not Christian, and of those who claim to be, only a limited number practice their faith to any real degree.  More and more people are not just agnostic, they are militantly atheistic.  It’s not just that they don’t want to practice Christianity, they don’t want you to either, and they are more and more willing to try to drive Christianity from the public square.

Then there is the persecution of Christians in other countries.  The doctor and I share a mutual friend who is Iranian.  She converted to Christianity a few years ago. She is really on fire.  She has gone back to Iran a few times to distribute clandestine Bibles.  She was going to go back again, soon, to help coordinate some underground Christian groups, when a fresh persecution fired up in Tehran. Christians were crucified, children dragged from their homes and thrown in prison.  Things like this haven’t happened in centuries, because……well, for numerous reasons.

Then we discussed the militant homosexual lobby and the efforts to have “hate crime” laws expanded and then, the ultimate vehicle of the persecution – state recognition of gays simulating marriage. Churchmen have already gone to jail in Canada for simply reading various bits of Scripture condemning homosexual acts and doing nothing more.  If so-called “gay marriage” becomes the law of the land, here, the floodgates will be open for denying the Church its rights and a great state-empowered effort to finally and completely drive Christianity from public life.

That’s when he said “Do you feel it?”  At first I didn’t understand what he was saying, so I had to think, but then I got it – the persecution.  It’s coming.  I have had a number of Christians of all stripes relay to me their concerns that there is a mighty persecution coming in this country.  Perhaps we’re just doomsayers, but I feel it. I’ve written about it, primarily in passing, from time to time on my blog. Pastors have been warning us about this for 120 years or more – specific references to how the culture is de-Christifying and becoming something very much darker – a sort of new, high tech paganism.  My doctor friend, using his spiritual sensibilities, believes this coming persecution means end times.

No one can be certain of the exact day or the last hour, but we do know from the Book of John that there will be a great falling away even before the antichrist comes.  Do you feel it?  Do you read the signs of the times and come to the same conclusion?  Or do I travel in some wacked out alarmist circles?  If Obama is re-elected, should we all stock up on food items for remembrance of the Lord's Supper?

But, even if the above is true, it is no reason to fear.  We should hold fast in the Faith, and actually thank God for being so lucky as to suffer for Him.

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. Ye are the salt of the earth... ~Matthew 5:10-13a

We All Have a Back-Story

This was something I wrote to a friend about a week or so ago. The Lord has prompted me to share this with you as well. I hope it will be a help to you:

Preaching to myself -- It takes a supernatural power to love those who seem to be unlovable and that ability only comes from God. It is instilled in us at the very moment the Holy Spirit indwells us. It is our responsibility to cultivate that love for others through studying the life of Christ and how He interacted with others, making a choice to forgive 70x7, but most importantly, always remembering where we came from and what we were when Jesus found us.

We all have a back-story. When we meet a person on the street and they act out a certain way we may never know what that person has been through to cause them to act like that. We think we know how we would handle their situation, but we really have no idea until we have walked a mile in their shoes.

When we witness to these people, who may not have a church background at all (like my whole family growing up) or a person who may have gone to church at one time and was hurt by people who professed to love God, we have to empty ourselves out along with all our preconceived notions and be filled with the Spirit of the God who IS love. While telling them there is a hell to shun we must do it through humility and our tear-filled eyes knowing that if it had not been for the grace of God we would have the same fate. There is NO righteousness in us apart from the blood of Christ.

When it comes down to it, Satan is the ultimate enemy, not each other. He is working overtime because He knows his time is drawing near and at times I get desperate for my child’s salvation knowing the Lord’s return may be soon.  Because I pray for her salvation often it makes me more mindful of hell and its awful realities. Since I pray for her daily it is on my mind daily. I don’t really tell anyone this, but I have a great desire to witness and I often go onto online forums to witness to atheists because of this mindfulness of hell. They are very hard-hearted and curse others who come at them in an angry tone and I can tell they have closed that person off, but they respond to me with respect when I show them respect and love and treat them like people. I have found that at some point in time these people were hurt by “the self-righteous religious” or they simply want to live their lives with no consequences and they have convinced themselves there is no one to answer to. They have traded the Truth for a lie. 

I banter with them using scientific facts, common sense, The Way of the Master technique, and of course God’s Word, but I do it with a heart of love and concern for their souls. They open their ears to me when I use these tools which in turn prepare the way for the Holy Spirit to plant a seed. To be honest I could probably teach a class on this and maybe through the prayers of God’s people, like you and others, I can get well and do just that one day. I may not know the reason God has allowed me to go through what I have, but I know that it has changed me and that was most likely His purpose all along. 

May God bless you today over and above what you are able to receive! 

Much Love, 

The Princess Warrior 

Copyright Information

All blog entries are copyright by Wanda Williamson on the date they are posted, unless otherwise indicated. All rights reserved. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture references are taken from the King James Bible.

A Letter of Love: Another Letter to an Atheist

A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word, 'darkness' on the walls of his cell. ~C.S. Lewis 

Dear Friend:

I have a few things to tell you. Please know that all is said in love and here is what I have to say...

When a person truly becomes God's child the Bible says that the result will be a change of character...that this person will now possess what the Bible calls the "Fruit of the Spirit" as proof of their conversion and the longer they are in this life the larger this fruit will grow. And the fruit of the Spirit are: love, joy, peace, long-suffering (patience), gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance (self-control) (Galatians 5:22).

So why on earth are atheists so threatened about people coming to possess these qualities? Wouldn't the world be better off with these kinds of people in it? Why are they so angry that these people want them to know the truth, come to Christ, and then possess these same qualities? Why don't they just say, "Well, they're not hurting anyone, leave them alone and let them live with their fairy tales?"

I could understand if we were giving out material that would cause people to become rapists, murderers, liars, and thieves. That would be unthinkable. But, since I am God's child I know what God's Word says. I understand it and I know why. On the other side of the coin the Bible also describes the works of the flesh (not from the Spirit) and they are: adultery, fornication (sexual immorality), uncleanness, lasciviousness (impurity and debauchery), idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife (discord), seditions, heresies, envy (jealousy), murders, drunkenness, revellings, lying, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, orgies, etc (most of these can be found in Galatians 5:19-20).

The real reason atheists are so angry is because if there is a God then the Bible is true (because God would not create us and then leave us to ourselves without any instructions for life here). That makes no since to my mind and I'm not even smart enough to create a fly much less a universe.

God's law leaves all people guilty before a holy and righteous God. There will be consequences for our sin so they try to squelch the Truth.  The Truth is that Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through me (His sacrifice) (John 14:6).

Atheists walk around blind to the truth. They have a blindfold on while walking on this earth to live their lives the way they want, but God has made Himself known to everyone and deep within themselves...THEY KNOW and it angers them. We all know what will happen to someone with a blindfold on day after day. They will eventually be destroyed.  They will fall off a cliff; walk out in front of an oncoming car, etc.

So, I am asking with all love and compassion please take off your blinders before it is too late. Once you cross over that cliff, there is no turning back. Do it now because that cliff may be the next step you take.

Everything I've said can be found in God's Word. Don't you want to know the truth? Why do you want to live a lie? I can't fathom it. If you are not afraid then I dare you to start reading His Word. Not defiantly, but humbly wanting to know the truth (start in John). If you don't you will miss out on a home where God has said that we can't even comprehend with our minds what God has planned for those who love him (1 Corinthians 2:9).

Please don't let your pride keep you from having God's best! What have you got to lose except your eternal fate in hell? Hell is a place of total loneliness, darkness yet with fire (how? because God is light & His presence will not be found there), weeping and wailing (knowing that you could have avoided this, but your pride got in the way), earthly desires that will never again be fulfilled.

God created hell for Satan (the deceiver of all mankind), not people, but He has no choice because sin cannot enter heaven and sin cannot continue. Sin has to be put out of His presence. BUT, you have a choice. He gives you freewill. He will not force you to love Him like I would not force my own children to love me because that wouldn't really be love would it?

Lay down your pride (Gods resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble - James 4:6), admit that you have sinned against God, repent by turning to Him. I love you friend because God gave me a supernatural love for you. So, in love, I have to give you the Truth.

With a Heavenly Love, 

The Princess Warrior 

Copyright Information 

All blog entries are copyright by The Princess Warrior Ministries on the date they are posted, unless otherwise indicated. All rights reserved. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture references are taken from the King James Bible.