God, Evil and Supernatural Power

   

     There is so much rattling around in my head today!  The news media reports the diabolical beheadings of Coptic Christians in Egypt and the escalation of attacks on European Jews, and it appears as if there is no good news on earth, when it comes to our shared faith.  All we see is what is happening before our eyes -- or what we are allowed to see by those who control the media -- and we try to make sense of it according to our Western definition of civility, morality and justice.  Christians in the Middle East endure, suffer for the Faith, and pray for deliverance.
     Meanwhile, I receive an uplifting comment on yesterday's post from a reader who informs us that "Last night at church we had a pastor who has also been a missionary in Egypt tell us about the great number of Muslims who have been converting to Christianity. He said that we won't see this on Fox News -- but that it is huge. They are having visions and dreams and seeing Jesus.  [This is fulfillment of prophecy.]  He said that there are billboards [in the Middle East] that ask Has a white man appeared to you in a dream? Call --- --- ----.  He also said that the behavior of ISIS is also driving many Muslims to Christ."  The commenter then follows up his statement by reporting that Egyptian pastors have visited the church in recent months, confirming these conversions.
     I will admit that I find it curious that Jesus would appear as a white man, since He was a Jew of the tribe of Judah; most likely Middle Eastern in appearance.  But I am not privy to the knowledge of how He chooses to show Himself to others; and it doesn't really matter, does it?  My point is that I have also heard of these conversions through other missionary sources, and it validates what an awesome God we serve, and just how supernatural is this thing we call "faith".
     Those of us of the Western Church, and I think especially American Christians, fail to understand just how our God works through supernatural means.  Think about it ... we say that the Bible was supernaturally "breathed" into the spirits of men, who wrote it down for the ages.  But do we really know what that looks like?
     The Holy Book is full of supernatural accounts ... not only the appearance of our God, who lived among us as a perfect human being, but other angels appearing to mortal men; "Joshua's Long Day", when the sun actually stood still; Manna falling from heaven to feed the Israelites while they wandered the wilderness; God's appearance in pillars of fire by night, and a cloud by day; Mary's virgin birth; turning water into wine; the casting out of demons, miraculous healings, and the raising of the dead ... I could go on and on.
     But many in our Western culture do not believe these accounts to mean exactly what they say; they prefer to view them as allegories or parables, or worse yet, folk or fairy tales.  And, even those who believe the Bible to be true in every word  may not comprehend the full significance of these events.  As Americans, we do not seem to be able to look beyond the three dimensions of this finite world we've constructed for ourselves.  We cannot perceive of the multiple dimensions that the God of the Universe has created, nor of the manifestation of events or beings which can be attributed to some force beyond scientific understanding or the laws of nature.  In other words, our Western minds tend to want to explain things by putting them in tight, little boxes that are constrained by Science and Logic.  But centuries of written accounts by ancient peoples have shown us that supernatural events have occurred throughout the history of man.
     I am merely concerned that American Christians face a difficult time in the near future, if they are unable (or unwilling) to suspend their restricted sense of reality.  We need to understand that the horrific things that are happening upon the earth are being controlled and manipulated in supernatural ways.  We need to open our minds to exactly what the Apostle Paul is saying in Ephesians 6:12 ... For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
     Do you get what he is telling us here?  This is not some ecclesiastical statement that is meant to sound lofty and exalt Paul as some super-Christian!  And the rulers and authorities he speaks of are not leaders of nations on this earth.  He is telling us in plain English what we are up against in this life ... powers and spiritual forces of evil that reside in heavenly realms!  That means supernatural agents of the Devil that aren't defined by the limitations of flesh and blood bodies.  They are able to move in and out of different dimensions; they are not limited by length or height or breadth or depth.  And they are not contained on this earth; they have access to another dimension that lies between our earth and the throne room of God.
     Remember that the Bible refers to three heavens; our sky and atmosphere is the first heaven (Genesis 1:14).  The second heaven is beyond our atmosphere and where the sun, moon and stars exist (Jeremiah 8:2).  This is also where spiritual warfare occurs (the spiritual forces of evil that Paul refers to in Ephesians 6:12), and where Daniel was told that the Archangel Michael was fighting the Prince of Persia (Daniel 10:13).  Satan is the Prince and Power of the Air in this second heaven, and he is allowed access to our realm.  The third heaven is the dwelling place of the Most High and the angels of God; it is the unique realm of God and the highest of heavens.
     So are Western Believers able to conceive of just how big that makes our God, and the territories in which we must exhibit our faith?  Can we grasp that the atrocities we are witnessing throughout the world against the Chosen People of God and Christians, ("the grafted-in ones"), is an extension of activity and spiritual forces beyond our earthly dimension; and that it is being conducted in a supernatural way?  There is more going on than what appears before our eyes, or that can be explained through rational or logical thought.  That's why we can make no earthly sense of what is happening -- because the force behind it is not of this earth!

     Just open you mind to this bigger concept ... What do you think the Biblical account of the Tower of Babel is really all about?  It was a tower built to reach that next dimension beyond earth; to tap into the power and spiritual forces that resided in that second heaven.  Mankind opened a gate to the next level of heavenly realms; tempted by the same spirit of evil that tried to convince Adam and Eve that they could gain knowledge to become like God.  A portal was opened and man gained access to that second heaven and the spiritual forces of evil -- Satan and his fallen angels.  What was the result?  "God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways" (Genesis 6:12).
     I am inclined to think that portals have been opened to that second heaven and man is once again attempting to "be like God" through his exploits in artificial intelligence, transhumanism, and microchipping of humans.  Once again, the opening of portals have also allowed the spiritual forces of evil to interact with Godless men, and victimize those who follow YHWH.  That is what we are seeing in the actions of ISIS and the growing persecution of Christians.  I believe we are entering a new age of martyrs.  And could it be also be why there is a fascination with the declassification of the Roswell files, and our growing obsession with Extraterrestrial Beings and the Ancient Aliens from outer space?  Do ancient drawings and archeological findings prove that these beings may have traveled between dimensions and heavenly realms thousands of years ago?
     The sightings of space ships, and tales of creatures from outer space who abduct humans have been on the rise in recent years.  They may all be speculative and unproven by our human standards.  But we cannot ignore the Apostle Paul's clear warnings; or the proliferation of evil acts against Believers; and especially the increase of dreams and visions of Jesus.  As Americans, Christian or not, we must come to terms with the fact that we are fighting supernatural forces and a supernatural enemy.  But I would highly recommend that you ask Jesus to supernaturally enter your heart and accept Him as your Savior.  Accept His Power that is in you, and receive His strength.  It's the only chance you have to conquer the Enemy among us.

Ephesians 1:19    "And [so that you can know and understand] what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength,"