Hard Pressed But Not Crushed
by Jack Hectormann
"We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed;
perplexed but not in despair; persecuted but not
abandoned; struck down but not destroyed", said the
Apostle Paul. (2 Cor. 4:8-9)
There was great conflict and war-in-principle going on
in the great Apostles life. "We are hard pressed on every
side, perplexed, persecuted and struck down" is what
happens in conflict and war. In a long drawn out war no
army ever wins every battle, especially when at bottom
it's the World Wide History Wide War Between Evil and
Good.
Why does God permit His children ~~ His army ~~ to
endure set-backs and to lose battles ? Of course, I do not
speak for God, I can only answer that question based on
what I believe I have learned over the years. Here is my
best shot at it:
(1) In order to build a real army that will fight hard, steady,
and long-term-determined in a real war the army MUST
be seasoned in combat and learn war. It MUST be taught
warfare.
"...These are the nations the Lord left to test all those
Israelites who had not had experience in the wars of
Canaan (he did this to teach warfare to the descendants
of the the Israelites who had not had previous battle
experience...") Judges 3:1-2 Note: That's a word for
word quote. The parenthesis is part of the Biblical text
in the NIV.
Here is the King James text:
"..Now these are the nations which the Lord left, to prove
Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known
all the wars of Canaan; Only that the generations of the
children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least
such as before knew nothing thereof..."
"To teach them war"
This is true, I believe, for a "civilian army" as well as for
a military combat division. Why wouldn't it be !
A large number of well-meaning Conservatives have a
very rosy picture of what war really is. Their idea is for
the Conservative Army to write a whole slew of articles
and books, make thousands of guest appearances on TV,
conduct Luxury Sea-going Seminar Cruises to some of the
exotic spots on the planet meeting influential people and
wealthy donors, establish some Conservative "think tanks"
etc and keeping on doing such as that till liberalism is
defeated and the country becomes Conservative. Peace
at last.
Sign me up for that ! That's a piece of cake ! And a man can
make a good living, even get rich if he's smart, while doing
all that.
But it's NOT war.....not even political war ! Doing all that
is, moreorless, fun.
What do you think of the Drill Instructor in the following
scenario ?
Let us suppose that there is a special boot camp for a
special department of the United States Marines, and that
it runs for 4 grueling grinding months. That it is so hard
and tough that no higher that 60% of any company has ever
graduated.
Let us further suppose that there is a major war underway
that has been going on for two years, and that all the recruits
for this special Marine Force come from the civilian population.
Civilians who have known nothing but the soft quiet peaceful life
of the civilian their entire lives.
Let us further suppose that as soon as they complete the 4 months
of training they are sent to the front lines for 6 month combat tours
of hard grinding combat.
When they return they would have a total of 10 months of hard
rigorous experience: 4 months of tough boot camp plus 6 months of
hard combat experience. That's 10 months of a truly life and mind
changing experience.
Now let us suppose there is a Drill Instructor that wishes to eliminate
those 10 months of hard tough experience and instead "talk" ,using
abstract reasoning, to the incoming recruits in such a way that
produces within them the same warrior attitudes, warrior
determination and warrior grit and warrior fighting spirit equal to
that of the soldiers who actually experienced the 10 months of grueling
grinding combat training and experience. He gives them 10 months of
"military classes" and "talks" to them incessantly.
What kind of U.S. Marine Company do you think he would have after 10
months of just talking to them ? How would you like to go into combat
with that company ?
It is the view of this writer that the Intensification of this culture war
between the forces of evil and the forces of Good started in 2008 and
that over the coming years this Intensification will increase gradually
in increments. That there will be graduations, temporary stops, and
de-graduations, that is ups and downs and temporary stops, but that
averaged out there will be a gradual increase of the Intensity of this
conflict over the coming years. There are tens of millions of true
Christians in America and we're not going anywhere. We're going
to be right here in America.
It appears to this writer that the Sovereign God has decided to put
his army in the field and engage in hard tough political war, and like
in all wars there are going to be some causalities and some seasoning,
and some "training" and some strong warrior-political determination
developed within millions of Conservative Christians...perhaps tens of
millions of Conservative Christians.
Christendom is in a fight for it's very survival here in the West and
that includes America. Only a very few Christians even KNOW that.
The rest are sleepy, indifferent, unconcerned, entertained, and
mesmerized by their own private lives and by television.
But they are about to be recruited for the Christian Conservative Political
Army...they just don't know it yet. But they will.
(2) The second reason God permits His children ~~ His Army ~~
to endure set-backs and lose battles is perhaps to teach us that we
do not fight in our own strength and on our own power. That we have
to come to trust and depend upon Him for our victories and fight on
with hope and faith in our hearts. Hope and faith in Him for victory,
and not hope and faith in our gifts, talents, abilities, and political battle
skills. We rarely learn that lesson when we are riding in political victory
parades. We seem to learn that lesson best when we suffer set-backs
and defeats.
Thoughts For Today.
"...Have faith in God..."
__The Lord Christ
( Mark 11:22)
___________________
"It does not...depend
on man's effort, but
on God's mercy..."
__Romans 9:16
_________________
"Seven times will pass
by for you until you
acknowledge that
the Most High is
Sovereign over the
kingdom's of men...
your kingdom will be
restored to you when
you acknowledge that
Heaven rules..."
__Daniel 4:25-26
__________________
"...You are my King and my
God, who decrees victories
for Jacob.
Through you we push back
our enemies;
through your name we
trample our foes.
I do not trust in my bow,
my sword does not bring
me victory;
but you give us victory
over our enemies..."
__Psalms 44:4-7
______________________
God Bless America and
may God bless His people
and continue to bestow
His mercy and Grace upon
us. Amen.
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