Not TWO… But THREE
We often think that everyone in our country, or the world for that matter, serves either God or the devil. We view the spiritual struggle as one side against the other. Therefore we tend to view anyone who isn’t saved as “on the devil’s side.” This simply isn’t accurate. There are three groups, not two. There are; the “Good Guys,” those who openly work for God; the “Bad Guys,” those who openly work for the devil and then there are the vast majority of people who are pretty much neutral and can be influenced by either of the above.
I use Gulf War I as an illustration of this. There were three groups involved in the Gulf War; the Iraqis, who represent the “Bad Guys;” the Coalition Forces, who represent the “Good Guys” and the innocent citizens of Kuwait, who simply needed liberated. Our military didn’t try to “convert” the Iraqis to anything but corpse. They didn’t hold their hand and cry and tell them how happy they would be if they simply left Kuwait. No, they killed them! Each time they killed some of the Iraqis they gave ground and pulled back, leaving liberated Kuwaitis behind them. The “Bad Guys” needed to be confronted and driven from the field and the innocent civilians need to be liberated. The “Good Guys” didn’t shoot at the Kuwaitis, whom they were there to liberate, but they didn’t waste any time dealing softly with the enemy, who were there to kill them.
You might ask, “But how did the “Good Guys” know who the “Bad Guys” were? That’s simple, the “Bad Guys” shot at them. I am sure if a Kuwaiti citizen picked up a rifle and pointed it at an American soldier he would be “dropped like a bad habit.”
This is the same thing Jesus did in the Gospel of John when He confronted His adversaries without trying to win them. Instead He drove them from the field. Each of these confrontation closes with a little testimony of victory “and many believed.”
John 2:1-11 – Here Jesus is abrupt with His mother but the end of it was that His own Disciples believed.
John 2:23 – Here He miraculously “attacks” sickness and death and “…many believed in his name…”
John 4 – You don’t find Jesus wringing His hands trying to win the Samaritan woman. Instead He “smacks” her for her sin. The end result? “And many of the Samaritans of that city believed…”
John 7:1-31 – Although the Jews sought to kill Him, Jesus defied them and walked right into the Temple and preached. What happened? “And many of the people believed on him…”
John 8:1-30 – Again He is in the Temple, in His enemies’ stronghold. He embarrasses the Pharisees concerning the woman caught in adultery and then rails on them in a discourse in which He ultimately says they are of the devil. But, in verse 30 we find, “…many believed on him.”
John 10:22-42 – Again Jesus is confronted by the Pharisees and again, rather than whine and tell them how much He “loves” them and wants to see them saved, He blasts them. But the People, having seen their oppressors silenced acted, “And many believed on him there.”
John 11 – Here Jesus destroys the power of death by raising Lazarus and, “Then many of the Jews … believed on him.” (v 45)
Bible believing Christians have been sold a bill of goods that says, “Never offend anyone. Love them like Jesus did and cry for them, weep for them and embarrass yourself and the Gospel to show them how much like God you are.” But you’re not! Jesus didn’t try to win His enemies. If you read John 3 He didn’t even try to win Nicodemus. In fact He “got in his face” and demanded, “Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?” People, that was a slap in Nicodemus’ face! Do you insult someone you’re trying to win? Nothing says Nicodemus believed on the Lord in chapter three. But by John 19:39 he had become a believer… in spite of having been insulted.
Going back to the Gulf War we see this same thing take place. The Iraqis were arrogant and boisterous and boasted of all that they were going to do to our troops. But after we mercilessly pounded them they would surrender as soon as they saw our troops. Some teachers tell our young Christian soldiers they aren’t allowed to offend anyone. Look at Iraq today! Stupid George Bush wanted to conquer that country but kept apologizing to them. Look at Muslims. We are told, “Don’t offend them.” which only appeases them and makes them bolder and more demanding.
How does this play out in everyday life? Simple, we should confront the enemies of Christ without attempting to win them. (When I say “confront” you know I don’t mean kill, shoot, burn, destroy or cause physical damage.) You ask, “How do I know who is the “enemy” and who is an innocent civilian who needs liberated? That’s simple. The enemy shoots at you. Some folks need to be humbled before they will ever be spiritually prepared to accept the Gospel. Thus, when someone on a School Board, Zoning Board, city Council, or a teacher or college professor or anyone else tries to institute a policy that damages the cause of Christ you should confront, argue, berate and drive them from the field. What will happen? First, many of the innocent civilians they were oppressing will be free to consider Christ. Second, having been humbled, they themselves may trust Christ.
If we had confronted the enemies of Christ in the past instead of approaching them with a fake, effeminate “love of Jesus” we may have prevented some of the ungodliness that has taken over our country. Who knows how many of our young people would be open to the Gospel instead of being tattooed freaks waiting for Hell to claim them.
What I am saying is Barak Obama and Nancy Pelosi and her fellow criminals are the enemies of Christ! So are most college professors, school teachers and City Council members. We should be confronting them and thwarting them and not “weeping for their souls.” Should we pray for God to kill them? NO! I don’t want them to go to Hell. I’m simply not willing to “show them we love them by doing nothing” and let them damn the entire nation. I never pray for God to kill these people. I simply pray “Lord, disarm your enemies.” Have you heard from Janet Reno lately? See, God didn’t need to kill her. He simply needed to take her out of the picture. If Nancy Pelosi goes to Hell I will feel as badly as I do when one of our soldiers shoots an Iraqi terrorist. She joined the wrong side. She reaped the result of her choice. I don’t care a bit about her.
But I care about you & your kids. I care about the tattooed victims of public school. I care about our country. I care about the Lord. A soldier doesn’t kill his enemy and then go through his wallet, find pictures of his wife & kids and weep over him. He joined the wrong side & reaped the result of his choice.
If we are really soldiers of the Lord we shoulder boldly and mercilessly engage the people working against Him. If we are successful we will liberate some enslayed souls who can then turn to Christ.
In the next letter I am going to tell you about a brave soldier of Christ who publicly engaged one of Christ’s enemies with concern for the Innocents not the enemy. It’s one of the most encouraging stories I’ve heard in years. Are you a “soldier of the Lord?” Then act like one!