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 INTRODUCTION
The tragedies of September 11 caused a definitive shift in the heavens and on the earth; in the natural and in the supernatural! A shift from North against South and East against West, to anti-terrorism against terrorism. For the first time in History, war has shifted from being fought by one nation against another to a coalition of nations against an ideology; terrorism! If ideas live in the same neighborhood as the spiritual, then the real battle is a war of the Spirit.
HISTORY REPEATS?
Historian Richard Riss recently wrote in his "Awakening List" of "… the similarity of the sacking of Rome [by the Barbarians] in 410AD to the attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. For hundreds of years, Rome was safe and suddenly, that changed overnight... The pagans blamed that event on Christianity and the forsaking of Roman Gods, just as the Islamic militants today blame our tragedy on our non-allegiance to Islam and our acceptance of Trinitarian Christianity, which they consider to be the worship of three Gods, and therefore blasphemous. In answer to the charge of the ancient pagans, Augustine wrote [the classic apologetic work] 'City Of God'.
Everyone in the ancient world remembered where they were and what they were doing when they received word of the sacking of Rome. Jerome, for example, was sitting in his cave in Bethlehem writing his 'Commentary On The Prophecies Of Ezekiel'. While [this] was the beginning of the end of ancient civilization in the West, it was not the end of Christianity; just the opposite. Rome gradually fell, but the Church carried on, and ended up having to govern the collapsing civilization."
"Ideas live in the same neighborhood as the spiritual"
"JIHADISTAN VS. MCWORLD"
In his recent book "JIHAD VS. MCWORLD", Benjamin Barbar describes how Globalism and Tribalism are re-shaping the world with the inevitable conflicts that come from the meeting these two opposite world-views. Having spent some time in the East, I can understand how this present monumental clash can have cultural roots. Tribalism is based on barter and bargaining, while Globalism demands a set price. This outlines the battle in the natural with President Bush and the International Coalition setting a price with no negotiation, while the Talaban want to bargain. Who was it who said; "East is East and West is West and neither the twain will ever meet"? It is precisely this insolubility that is at the root of the current conflict.
F.E.A.R. (FULLY EXPECTING ANOTHER RUIN)
The real enemy of America is not Osama Bin Ladin, his network or even Afghanistan, but it is FEAR!!! This will stop America more than any number of terrorist attacks. Without diminishing the tragedy due to the recent Anthrax scare, loss of life has been relatively small. This year an estimated 20,00 people will die in America from the flu. Whether created by terrorism or any other means, fear can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Ninety per cent of the things that people worry about never come to pass. Franklin Roosevelt spoke to the nation in another era saying; "We have nothing to fear but fear, itself". Even Job discovered; "The things I feared came upon me!" Fear itself threatens to become A WEAPON OF MASS-DISTRACTION in America!
THE BIG GUNS
The only way you can combat a spiritual enemy is with spiritual weapons and the church should have the best arsenal! Prayer has more power than all the B52's over Afghanistan. The course of history has been changed more through the power of prayer than all the wars that ever were.
AMERICA THE CHOSEN
God chose America to take the Gospel to the World and despite many distractions, it has largely stayed true to its destiny. It is the goal of extremists to hijack a religion for political purposes that will ultimately oppose the Gospel. America is "the protector of the Flame".
"'In righteousness you shall be established; You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; And from terror, for it shall not come near you. Indeed they shall surely assemble, but not because of Me. Whoever assembles against you shall fall for your sake… No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their righteousness is from Me,' Says the LORD." (Isaiah 54:14-17)
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