(Chapter 34) God so Loved the World that He Gave His Son:

God so Loved the World that He Gave His Son: The greatest Spiritual battle ever fought – part twenty eight

When I released the new blog post last Friday I had no idea that, only one week later, we would be perilously hanging on the edge of World War 3! The vicious attack on Israel by Hamas this week has my head spinning, and my heart aching! Brutally murdering innocent people including children and babies is pure evil straight from the pit of hell!!! Then we see people in this country, as well as other countries, taking the side of the ones doing the evil! I get so upset when I hear about those deceived people taking the side of evil! I’m reminded of what we heard from the Lord last week regarding the “Full Armor of God!” Here is a little reminder:

Ephesians 6:11-18 (NLT2)
¹¹ Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. ¹² For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. ¹⁴ Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. ¹⁵ For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. ¹⁶ In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. ¹⁷ Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. ¹⁸ Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

I have to constantly remind myself that it is evil in the spiritual realm that is stirring up this entire mess. My wife Shirley often reminds me, however, that there are people who had a choice and they made the decision to sell out to the devil!

1 Peter 5:8-9 (NLT2)
⁸ Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. ⁹ Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.

Evidently, there are lots and lots of people who were not standing firm in the Lord and were taken over by the devil! When we speak of the devil / satan, if we’re not careful, he starts to come off as some sort of cartoon character. Just the opposite is true however… we are right now getting a glimpse of him as he actually is. He is motivating people, who are sold out to him, to do the unthinkable atrocities that are happening right before our very eyes! I had the thought yesterday that we are witnessing an example of what Hell will be like. I realized that I sure don’t want to be in Hell, and I got a panicky feeling when I thought of family members and friends who may not have made Jesus Christ their Savior!
Jesus Himself said:

Matthew 25:31-41 (NLT2)
³¹ “But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left. ³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. ³⁶ I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ ³⁷ “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? ³⁹ When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ ⁴⁰ “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ ⁴¹ “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons.

It’s so easy to choose Jesus!  

Romans 10:9-10 (NLT2)
⁹ If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰  For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.