A Christian View of 2022 - #11
What is the lens through which the Lord’s people look? Do we have the eyes of a hawk or the disposition of a dove?
Is there a distinction to be made between praying for those who persecute you and defending territorial integrity and the safety and security of a nation’s citizenry?
Is the Christian view one of passivity?
From the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:10-11
“God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers.”
….we would conclude that this is not persecution perpetuated by a tyrannical Dictator; no, this is being persecuted for righteousness sake. (Because you are followers of Jesus)
National defense is not on the same level as personal persecution - when one suffers for His name’s sake.
I Samuel 8 - is the text that tells of Israel’s transition from Theocracy to Monarchy…
Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel. “Look,” they told him, “You are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.” So Samuel passed on the Lord’s warning to the people who were asking him for a king. “This is how a king will reign over you,” Samuel said. “The king will draft your sons and assign them to his chariots and his charioteers, making them run before his chariots. Some will be generals and captains in his army, some will be forced to plow in his fields and harvest his crops, and some will make his weapons and chariot equipment.
From that time forward Israel was a nation among nations - it is to this family of nations that Jesus prophesied of end-time hostility, conflicts and wars.
This will all culminate in a global, anti-Semitic, battle where the nations of a rebellious Anti- Christ world will come to face to face with the Lamb of God … Armageddon!!
In Revelation 5:12- He is the wounded Lamb
In Revelation 5:12 - He is the worshipped Lamb
In Revelation 19:7-9 - He is the wedded Lamb
In Revelation 19:11-16 -He is the warring, Lamb.
We are witnessing the world being re-mapped as new coalitions are being forged.
The alliance of Russia and China; the warmongering of Russia (Magog of Ezekiel 38)
are the signs of the start of a series of conflicts that will draw the world to a decisive invasion of Israel and the ushering in of Jesus’ millennial kingdom and reign.
So as the Christian views 2022 it is not with a hopeless end but rather an endless hope.
Paul’s perspective is ours …
Titus 2:13-14 AMP
“Awaiting and confidently expecting the [fulfillment of our] blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who [willingly] gave Himself [to be crucified] on our behalf to redeem us and purchase our freedom from all wickedness, and to purify for Himself a chosen and very special people to be His own possession, who are enthusiastic for doing what is good.”
Randy B. Leavitt
Pastor