One of the things that a lot of people are experiencing is a sense of oppression. The number of complaints increase: the regulations around us are onerous. As Orwell said, in times of deception, speaking the truth is a revolutionary act. It does not take much time to find examples.
A local Christian women’s Facebook group, after a couple months of ambiguity, determined to update their policy to clarify that they were open to Christians only, not unbelievers. My friend politely asked what this did and didn’t mean, since there were Mormons in the group as well, who by definition are not monotheists. The group admin *deleted* her comments, then, when confronted, insisted that she had somehow done so by accident.
So my friend dutifully posted again, bending over backwards to coat her words with grace and love, and merely noting that it was important to be clear that Christians and Mormons don’t really share the same faith at all, so the group should be simply be renamed for the sake of clarity and accuracy. A Mormon friend of hers cheerfully rejoined and said that actually Mormons are Christians, and another said, “Yeah, we believe the Trinity—three distinct beings in one Godhead, etc.”
My wife piped up briefly to say, “Well, see, that’s the problem. Actually Christians don’t believe in three distinct beings” and quoted from the Athanasian Creed. One of the Mormons responded fairly defensively seeking to justify the Mormon view from Scripture.
At that point, the group admin shut down the thread, declaring that it was not glorifying to God, the devil was at work, it was hateful and slanderous, and posted a general rebuke warning people not to debate their beliefs. This was the cue for the other (mostly conservative evangelical) people in the group to pile on and accuse my wife and her friend of “hate speech.
…But taken in the whole, it should be readily apparent that across the increasingly divided West we are now caught up in a full-blown culture war. It is still a cold war, in that it is merely livelihoods rather than lives that are being lost, but it is clear that the conflict is gradually heating up.
The people of the lie do not care about us. They want to destroy us, for in our destruction they gain power over others. As in the Soviet times, the witch hunts can be random, for their laws are such that all have broken them, and they will rule by fear.
But when there is a cold or open war against Christ, there is also a door open for the Gospel. Some will ask why it is that the Christians are hated against, and then look at those who advocate our destruction, and see the lie. It has reached the point where the opposition is happening even here: I have had to block those who try to engage in twitter conversations to gain data for complaints.
We should know by now you only get flak when you are over the target.
1Now concerning the collection for the saints: you should follow the directions I gave to the churches of Galatia. 2On the first day of every week, each of you is to put aside and save whatever extra you earn, so that collections need not be taken when I come. 3And when I arrive, I will send any whom you approve with letters to take your gift to Jerusalem. 4If it seems advisable that I should go also, they will accompany me.
5I will visit you after passing through Macedonia — for I intend to pass through Macedonia — 6and perhaps I will stay with you or even spend the winter, so that you may send me on my way, wherever I go. 7I do not want to see you now just in passing, for I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. 8But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, 9for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.
This is not a good time. The progressive left are now controlling most of the state apparatus and have converged the corporations. They want us gone. The truth is now crimethink. But this is the time that we were placed on this earth for. The battle is starting. The war will become clear.
Choose who you and your family will serve. Choose well. For this is a time when there will division: As in the time of Stalin, husbands will denounce wives and daughters their fathers. To claim virtue.
And as in the time of Stalin, it will end badly.
But know this: the kings of this world can destroy your livelihood and your liberty and remove your life. but they cannot damn you. Fear instead God, who will damn those who align with the powers of this world, for they knowingly or unknowingly worshipping Satan and his minions. As would we, but for the work of Christ.
Do not align with such. Do not be them. Do not be like them.