A Sheltered Life

God means what He says and says what He means! My hermeneutics are “literal”, however, that being said…study the scriptures yourself and make up your own mind! Pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit…

Have you considered that even though, the pandemic is still roaring it’s way around the world, as Christians…at least for the time being…we live a sheltered life in America!

It’s true, we definitely have our share of let downs and disappointments, but in most places in America we can sleep peaceful at night and when it comes right down to it, we wake-up in the morning to a day that isn’t a whole lot different than yesterday and 10 years ago…except for now, we’re wearing masks and social distancing again because of a new strain of the Covid Virus. Our nation’s working class has faced ups and downs in unemployment and the economics of this country has been on a roller coaster ride since it’s foundation. We’ve always had a population of poor and rich and some in between…we just need to keep the faith and trust that God our Father in Heaven has a plan!

I’m not saying that we should stop paying attention to what’s going on around us or lay down and play dead to the woe’s that do exist in the “Good Ole USA”. I’m not saying that we should just live in LA-LA land and sing that old Doris Day song – Que Sera Sera (Whatever will be will be). However, we need to remember that Whatever is God’s Will …will be…

What I am saying is: let’s go to bed each night being thankful to Heavenly Father for the protection he’s afforded us today and when we are blessed to wake up each morning we need to ask him…”How would you like me to serve you and my fellowman today?” There are millions of Christians around this world who don’t know the meaning of a peaceful night of sleep or the joy of waking up to another day. 1 out of every 8 Christians in this world live in countries where persecution is the norm.

All of that being said: Let’s not forget that as sons and daughters of the first Adam, we don’t deserve any of the blessings that Heavenly Father bestows upon us. However! He LOVES us that much! He actively works to “seek and save” us!

Scriptures from KJV ~ King James Version of the Bible.

Luke 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Romans 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

Take into consideration that we have an enemy who is dangerous and his goal is to “seek and kill” he’s the power that perpetuates the virus, he’s the power behind our earthly governments, he’s the power who pursues us “like a roaring lion, seeking someone to destroy”.

1 Peter 5:8  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.

John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

WE must remain vigilant and aware of the fact that our adversary Satan will not stop pursuing us and as Christians, we need to expect and be prepared for persecution! We need to put on the full armor of God and stand against the enemy, the thief who’s out to steal our salvation, kill our faith and destroy our trust. We need to wake up one another to these facts, we need to wake up our children, our grandchildren, they need to know that there are extremist here in America that would do us harm.

Every pulpit in America needs to be preaching the fact that we’re in a mighty battle and without the armor of God, we have no chance of winning the battle. I’m not trying to put you in a down mood and if you remember your Scriptures you also remember that Jesus the Messiah – Yeshua Ha Mashiach warned us that we can’t be followers of Him without experiencing persecution, but he also tells us to be joyful and keep our eyes on Heaven.

Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

You might say…that’s a peculiar Scripture to use when talking about persecution, as it’s reminding us that God our Heavenly Father is to be feared…that is, if we give ourselves over to the enemy.

The minute, we equate such things as churches being closed because of the misplaced guidance of authorities over the virus as persecution, we’re taking away from the potency and reality of what is true persecution. I’m talking about the physical pain of wounds, hunger, sleeping in excrement and violence beyond anything anyone of us in America can imagine – even Hollywood with all of their writers wouldn’t get it right because they don’t have a clue. Then there’s the countries where there’s the death penalty just for owning a Bible or any other Christian related items. For those of us living in America and a few other places in this world, Satan is working out his plan in a more subtle manner using material things such as the movies, the internet and other means to separate us from God, WE MUST RESIST!

Persecution of the Church has been a part of Christian existence since Jesus – Yeshua walked this earth. Even Paul (Saul of Tarsus)one of the foremost Disciples of Christ, before his conversion was guilty of persecuting the church. So my question is: Who do we think we are as Christians that we are exempt from this possibility of persecution? There’s no way that I can see that America is a favored nation in the sight of God.

John 15:18-19 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. ¹⁹ If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

So no matter what happens tomorrow: Read the WORD of GOD, keep your faith and trust and let’s be there for one another for when real persecution comes and we must know…it will come! Maybe not today and maybe not tomorrow, but it’s inevitable.

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.