A simple picture tonight.
A bird flies past and is quickly gone over the horizon and the peace continues in the fields at the side of this river. In a brief moment the message has gone, the bird has gone and calm ensues.
We hear messengers all the time. We hear of messages about health and safety, about child safety, about how to talk to people, how to get progress out of children, how to pray, how to think. But how often do we actually think for ourselves and justify our thought. Not listen to the popular media, not listen to popular papers. But actually thinking something through to its logical conclusion.
I don’t believe our prayers are like that, for the simple reason as when I have prayed with meaning and I have wanted an answer from my heart, an answer has always returned from God.
Lately I have started praying regularly for Christians in the far off countries that are being beaten, tortured, raped, beheaded, and burned alive. The messages coming back from Iraq and other countries that are letting this radical islam group isis carry on and commit these acts of evil are horrendous and upsetting, but I am called to pray. But there seems to be lack of people actually willing to stand up to this face of evil on the earth.
When the Nazis did the same thing, try to extinguish a race, the Jews. There ended up being a world war, everyone was behind this threat to completely extinguish it. But there seems to be an apathy for any action. Isis is singling out Christians in particular, and doing everything they can to commit evil and they are trying to strike fear and outrage – and the vast majority of the world sleeps. Why?
When Jesus came across people defiling his religion he was provoked to anger. He cleared the temple of all these sinners in a physical way with a whip of chains it seems – but he didn’t kill or hurt anyone we are told. He turned the tables over and shocked people to question their hearts.
Perhaps God is wondering how long, and how much suffering has to happen before we wake from our sleep and react to this evil on the earth! But isis and radical islam is but part of this evil.
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.
Anyone who follows Christ is made alive and is renewed. If they are truly following Christ they listen to the Holy Spirit and they are guided. Many people are sacrificing themselves to go to Iraq, and this is the proof of the voice of God, the manifestation of God. When people ignore their personal safety and choose an action that seems counter productive to their own life it seems insane to the worldly person, but to followers of Christ it is true worship of God, following his command, and putting Gods command before anything.
God is Good, and so anyone who talks about killing for God, and killing innocent men, women, children. Anyone who treats woman as second rate, who hates, who sells girls as sex slaves or buys girls or women as sex slaves. This is pure evil and they are not following God.
There is no other word for it. Satan at work. Let not the messages come and pass us by with no reaction and to be forgotten about as soon as they have left us.
As a Christian I am provoked to answer this threat, not with guns, or the sword, or more evil, but with love.
Dear Lord, firstly I pray for Christians who are standing as testaments for your faith, for you. I pray that you take away their pain, fear, and give them courage, strength and peace. Lord do not forget your people on this earth. Do not let this evil go unanswered, come down to this earth and work your healing on the nations.
Dear Lord I pray for all the people who perpetrate this evil, that you may open their hearts, let them feel the pain they have caused so that they too can be turned to you, to confess their sins and seek forgiveness. Let them turn from their following of this early prince – the devil – who you threw out of heaven, and let them be turned to Jesus.
Let everyone on this earth have their hearts opened, turned away from the curse from Adam, to the Blessing of Christ.
In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Amen
365 Exhortations 