Photo by Staff Sgt. Levi Riendeau
By Yay Padua-Olmedo
“Heartless” could not even describe it—how some extremist groups have become savages, pumped our hearts with dread and even shamed governments.
Consider these latest incidents happening too eerily close to each other:
The MILF decimating 44 of our finest policemen; ISIS beheading 21 Egyptian Christians; and jihadists very recently abducting 90 Syrian believers.
Last year, Boko Haram kidnapped nearly 300 school girls in Nigeria. And backtracking, Hitler exterminated six million Jews between 1933 and 1945.
Yet all these don’t even come close to the quiet yet equally barbaric disposal of a demographic too helpless and voiceless to protest or defend themselves—the 40-50 million babies aborted yearly worldwide; 125,000 daily abortions per the World Health Organization (WHO)
How and why has it come to this? The statistics reveal a rising trend of lawlessness on all fronts as we approach the end-times.
2 Timothy 3:2-4, “… men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God…”
Those who kill in the name of religion do so because they believe God rejoices every time they murder “infidels.” They even expect extravagant rewards when they enter heaven.
Hitler was maniacally driven to upscale the Aryan race when he decimated the Jews. Some terrorists do it merely for money and power. Those who have their babies aborted do it to cover up their shame or to avoid inconvenience.
God is loving, compassionate and gracious. How could anyone even think that He would sanction hatred and murder? If He wonderfully and fearfully created each one of us (Psalm 139), how could He say yes to genocide, rape and violence against helpless infants, children, women and ethnic groups?
Some of us are clueless about the devil’s machinations. He is real and has upped his game because he knows his time is limited. Jesus will come again soon to forever establish His reign.
Revelations 12:9, “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceives the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”
Yes, there has been a tsunami of lawlessness. But we cannot cower in fear. The bible reminds us: “God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline'” 2 Timothy 1:7
Meanwhile, let’s pray and believe―that He will visit and make Himself known to those who maim and kill; and make their hearts right with God.
“Son of Hamas” best-selling author Mosab Hassan Yousef was a member of one of the most-feared terrorist groups; but Jesus visited him in prison one day and his life completely turned around.
Remember Paul? He too persecuted and approved the killing of believers. But he met Jesus on the road to Damascus and like Mosab, he became a fearless believer.
God is still in control, folks. Let’s stay awake, praying and believing.
Remember too: His angels encamp around those who trust Him. If He is for us, who can be against us?
