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Along with the rest of our nation, we are watching the news with expectancy as America engages world governments about the fate of Sadaam Hussein and his regime in Iraq. This world conflict inspired a message I recently delivered to our local church in Littleton. Because this message was born of deep spiritual conviction, Deborah has asked that I share some of the key points of it with you.
The world debate on Iraq has focused on “war” versus “peace”. Framing the issue in such a way clearly reflects a secular viewpoint and denies the Biblical truth of the world in which we live. The truth is: the world is already in a state of war! Across the globe there are hundreds of conflicts. Many of those conflicts consist of methodical, government-endorsed persecution and/or killing of Christians, such as in Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Sudan, and 39 other countries. This is one representation of the spiritual battle that Christians wage; a battle against spiritual forces wherein the enemy goes about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Regardless of what happens with Iraq, we must acknowledge and recognize that the world is NOT at peace. And, according to the Word of God, it will not be at peace until the millennial reign of Christ.
We cannot be deceived into thinking that a lack of military engagement is the equivalent of “peace”. It is not. The only true peace anyone will have on earth is peace with God through Jesus Christ and his finished work on the cross. About three weeks ago over five million people protested around the world against war with Iraq. They held signs that said, “Give peace a chance.” The Word of God has told us for centuries that the only peace that has a chance is the peace offered between God and man----through Jesus. Jesus did not offer peace between men when he came to earth. Matthew 10:34 says, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” Jesus went on to say that son would be against father and daughter against mother. This division occurs because some will accept Him and His peace, while others will choose to embrace the world system, creating a deep conflict of values and belief systems.
History has shown that we tolerate incredible injustices during times when we are supposedly ‘at peace,’ simply because we avert our eyes from the aggression of evil.
- From the mid 1930’s until 1941 much of Europe and America heard reports of terrible aggression and atrocities against humans inflicted by Nazi Germany. Also, the western world heard of the Japanese aggression and atrocities including the rape of Nanking, China. America did nothing until we were attacked in 1941. We tolerated those events until we could no longer look the other way.
- After America pulled out of Viet Nam in the mid 1970’s, the communist government killed well over 1,000,000 Vietnamese. At the same time, over 2,000,000 people were killed by the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia. Where were the protest marches? Where were the peace signs? Where was the U.N.? We were tolerating the violence because we didn’t want to see the aggression of evil. After all, “it didn’t touch us.”
There are currently 43 countries that openly persecute Christians, 30 of which are Islamic and openly violent toward Believers. These 43 countries are responsible for 400 martyrs per day, 146,000 deaths per year! Again, where are the protestors? Where are the peace marches? Everybody tolerates this violence because it doesn’t touch him or her personally! Except that these 146,000 are my brothers and sisters in Christ—and they are your brothers and sisters, too.
On a deeper plane, the issue of Iraq and America is not about peace and war, it is about how much we are willing to tolerate. We can only change what we CANNOT tolerate. Sadaam Hussein is merely a symbol of evil in the world. He is a symbol of the many evil men and governments whose actions are tolerated because they are “not harming us.” Such men and governments kill hundreds of thousands of people each year while we are at so-called “peace” in the world.
Moses had an opportunity to enter and possess the Promised Land. He sent 12 men to spy out the land. They reported back, but only two, Joshua and Caleb, stood strong and insisted they could defeat the inhabitants of the Promised Land. The majority of the men did not want to risk the battle. The people got into fear because of the perceived risk, and chose the way of unbelief. Their compromise purchased them 40 years of wandering in a “no-conflict” desert, and they were not allowed to enter the Promised Land.
Joshua, Moses’ successor, was offered the second opportunity to possess the Promised Land. God said it was time to move, and Joshua directed his captains to prepare the people to move. He sent only two spies and they reported back only to him. There was no committee. There was no deliberation. The Lord confirmed God’s plan in Joshua 5:13,14 “Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies”? “Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” It was not an issue of whether God was for them or against them; it was an issue of God’s divine plan being implemented! Joshua and his people went in, and Jericho fell in a supernatural way. Joshua knew the time had come to move. He could not tolerate the status quo!!! Joshua did not take a public opinion poll. . . that had been done 40 years before and failed. There was no committee to debate the pros and cons of giants in the land.
Today, Iraq is a symbol of evil and challenge to what America can tolerate. What we can tolerate we CANNOT change! Are we willing to tolerate the Sadaam Hussein’s of the world? Are we willing to let world opinion sway our decisions? This is about our will…our will to act and implement change. This is about our will to pay a price…a price in world opinion and, perhaps, in human lives. This is about our will to look into the face of evil and defy fear.
Richard Wurmbrand, author of Tortured for Christ, was a young pastor in Romania as Joseph Stalin took over his country. Richard and his wife Sabina were in a gathering of religious leaders called by the government, wherein all the leaders were being asked to declare their allegiance to Joseph Stalin. As church leader after church leader stood up and declared their allegiance to Stalin, Sabina turned to Richard and said “Richard, stand up and wash away this shame from the face of Christ! They are spitting in his face.” Richard said to her, “If I do so, you will lose your husband.” She replied, “I don’t wish to have a coward for a husband.” As a result of his public refusal that day to pledge his allegiance to anyone other than Christ, Richard paid the price of 14 years of torture and imprisonment.
How much can we tolerate if it doesn’t directly affect the U.S.? Will we listen to committees and voices of fear? Are we willing to stand alone, or with another willing partner, against evil? Are we willing to pay a price for freedom for our brothers and sisters in Christ who now know no freedom?
It is time to stop “averting our eyes” in the hopes that evil will go away. We must have the will to fight evil. If we have a strong will, we can often win without a violent battle. But if battle is necessary, then so be it.
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