Why Seeing the “Other Party” as the Enemy Is Dangerous for Us All

[stevevw]

If you look unto the whole world, there is no need to speak of past times. The Church grows in countries like Iran, where there is severe persecution.

Sometimes it is the other way: Persecution starts, when non-christians observe the church i growing. In the USSR, the bolsheviks imaged religion would die out when the masses are enlightened by atheist propaganda, so (apart from the state church,m which suffered as a former agent of Tsarism (it had persecuted Russian believers!) Christians were free to evangelize - that was stopped by Stalin in 1928.

Ask OpenDoors for the present situation - there is persecution in almost every continent!

Yes I have seen this. I know some areas are having a revival especially in persecuted nations. But at the same time Christian persecution has increased dramatically. Not just in the obvious nations like Islamist and Communist nations but in western nations as well. As secularism and ideology has become more dominant in western nations.

Overall Christain persecutions has risen sharply. In some nations its reaching genocidal levels.

A member of the British parliament commented as to why this issue recieved so little attention especially from world bodies like the UN and other Human Rights Organisations. Or even politicians who always seem to be protesting about the smallest issues related to breaches of rights.

There is also a church that has no problems to go into bed with the mighty ones, the »merchants and kings«, as Revelation says. Christians hailing a politician (king) that is a friend of multi-billionaire »merchants« may be the first step to such a »harlot of Babylon«.

Yes every trick will be tried in the book of lies. But Gods truth can never be extinguished. Those who hate Christ hate the truth and Gods light is not in them. While claiming to be wise they have become fools to hide the truth.

There is no rationality or logic in their lies and only hate. But the true hate is of God. Humans and political opponents are the vessels that carry Gods truth both in word and in the natural order for which we exist in reality.

So in that sense any ideology, any science or rationality that defies Gods truth and order is in the end a lie and designed to destroy and not to love and want better for humankind. Even if that means destroying everything in defiance.

 

[stevevw]

You made me cry. (Don't worry it's not bad)

Thank you for the encouragement .. Praise God.

God bless you and your family greatly. May the Lord bless you and keep you all.

The same to you, your making me cry now lol, no its not funny. Well its a good kind of funny lol.

 

[RDKirk]

I will come because when Christainity is persecuted it sorts out the wheat from the chaff and calls upon Christains to be Christains. But Christains as in past times when they were persecuted and we know from these times many great revivals and works were done.

The truth shines for all to see more when subjected to the lies of Satan and it cuts even more to the bone because the situation becomes life or death and reality itself.

In fact this also pushes the evil tactics and ideologies to new levels where people get desperate and attack the truth even more. Its no longer an implicit attack but becomes explicit. Its like it triggers all the evil bile to come to the surface. People get vicious and want to attack, shut down and actually want to kill those who represent the truth.

We have seen this come up in recent times. So I think we are moving into a showdown of somesort where Christains are going to be persecuted a lot in one way or another. Though Trump has won a reprive for God and the Truth I don't think things will change.

So fundementally this is a spiritual battle behind all the political ideology about respecting or defying God. But like I said thats when the true Christains stand up and this will shine and many will not be able to resist the truth of what they are witnessing.

Or, Trump is a judgment from God and the same thing happens.

 

[RDKirk]

If you look unto the whole world, there is no need to speak of past times. The Church grows in countries like Iran, where there is severe persecution.

Back in the 90s, I had to do a military intelligence assessment on the persecution of the Church in North Korea. It was so horrible that my boss (a Marine colonel who had multiple Purple Hearts from Vietnam) read a few pages of it, turned white, and pushed it away.

Yet, the Church in North Korea has grown ten-fold since then. It has persevered so robustly that Kim Jung Un has stopped trying to exterminate it, and is now trying to co-opt it as a "state church."

 

[stevevw]

Or, Trump is a judgment from God and the same thing happens.

That would be a scary prospect. The Left are already complaining and to some extent thats true that Trump will allow the truth more than the Left. It always happens with a change of government. There will be people worried at the moment that their dirty little secrets will come out.

But it could also be that he makes it a whole lot worse. In the end I don't think we are heading to some Gods Kingdom on earth right now so the status quo of humanism and secular ideology will continue just in another form.

But I do think the stakes are getting higher to be a Christain and this is where Christainity performs best.

 

[RDKirk]

That would be a scary prospect. The Left are already complaining and to some extent thats true that Trump will allow the truth more than the Left. It always happens with a change of government. There will be people worried at the moment that their dirty little secrets will come out.

But it could also be that he makes it a whole lot worse. In the end I don't think we are heading to some Gods Kingdom on earth right now so the status quo of humanism and secular ideology will continue just in another form.

But I do think the stakes are getting higher to be a Christain and this is where Christainity performs best.

I don't agree that Christianity performs best in the US, not by a long shot. We don't hold a candle to Christians in Muslim countries or in China and North Korea.

To be sure, there is a lot of performance Christianity going on in the US.....

 

[Hazelelponi]

If you look unto the whole world, there is no need to speak of past times. The Church grows in countries like Iran, where there is severe persecution.

Sometimes it is the other way: Persecution starts, when non-christians observe the church i growing. In the USSR, the bolsheviks imaged religion would die out when the masses are enlightened by atheist propaganda, so (apart from the state church,m which suffered as a former agent of Tsarism (it had persecuted Russian believers!) Christians were free to evangelize - that was stopped by Stalin in 1928.

Ask OpenDoors for the present situation - there is persecution in almost every continent!

There is also a church that has no problems to go into bed with the mighty ones, the »merchants and kings«, as Revelation says. Christians hailing a politician (king) that is a friend of multi-billionaire »merchants« may be the first step to such a »harlot of Babylon«.

Did you literally call us the harlots of Babylon and Trump the anti-Christ?

Really?

Plus you got a winner from someone over the disparaging of our faith?

If the Holy Spirit be in us ... Just a reminder.

 

[Hazelelponi]

I don't agree that Christianity performs best in the US, not by a long shot. We don't hold a candle to Christians in Muslim countries or in China and North Korea.

To be sure, there is a lot of performance Christianity going on in the US.....

Performs better under persecution - not "in the United States" however, when persecution reaches western countries it will cause the real Christians here to shine.

Is this intentional misunderstanding on your part or are you skimming?

If your skimming you need to back up.

Also, Jesus Christ of Nazareth was a political prisoner, falsely accused, who was put to death by the state for crimes against the state He never committed - because He is King.

That's always going to run up against the state... And it's always going to run up against those who think they can determine the rules of the Kingdom for themselves without consultation.

 

[stevevw]

I don't agree that Christianity performs best in the US, not by a long shot. We don't hold a candle to Christians in Muslim countries or in China and North Korea.

To be sure, there is a lot of performance Christianity going on in the US.....

For sure and thats the best way to decieve is to be a wolf in sheeps clothing. Not even a wolf as some of todays churchs are very secular orientated. Not that this is a bad thing. But I always say if your not having some conflicts with secular ideology then whats the difference.

Many Christians comfortable in the west would freak out at being a Christain in these anti Christain nations. But we in the west are capable of doing the same given enough time and ideological differences.

Though not as bad now it could get worse and its not always obvious. Thats why it can happen because the truth and reality is skewed towards one particular worldview over another. We have been through this before with Eugenics and other beliefs that were barbaric and dehumanising.

Look whats happening with Jews at the moment. Who would have thought anti-semetism would raise its ugly head again in a modern world thats suppose to be so Woke.

 

[Helmut-WK]

Did you literally call us the harlots of Babylon

No. But the harlot has traits:

• Wealthy, not persecuted
• »In bed« with the mighty ones (rulers and merchants),
• riding the beast,
• therefore untrue to God
• enemy of true followers

The more of these traits apply to you, the more you are similar to the harlot.
Judge yourself.

I described a first step towards being a »harlot«, whether this will develop into the harlot in Rev 17, future will show. But I notice that parts of the description of the fall of Babylon in Rev 18 also apply to the destruction of the WTC. What does such a »foreshadowing« tells us (a real question, I don't claim to know the correct answer)?

and Trump the anti-Christ?

In biblical terms, »anti-christ« means a false teacher with a heretic christology. Just look where this word appears in the Bible (it is not in the Revelation!). I can't remember Trump issuing any christological statement, therefore he is no anti-christ.

You mean the (first) beast in Rev 16 - it is not visible. Maybe the person which rules the world is already present, it could be Xi, or Trump - future will tell.