Finish the War by Ron Wood
Six years ago, my wife and I sat in our humble apartment in Johannesburg, South Africa, watching live video of the World Trade Center attacks.
My wife had obeyed the prompting of the Lord to switch on our TV set which aired only one channel in English. At 4:30pm local time (8:30am Eastern US) there was nothing worth viewing. But someone in the local station had just flipped a switch so the global CNN feed was going out live with breaking news. She saw the flames from the first plane’s impact. I returned home minutes later and sat beside her as the second plane hit the other tower.
We watched in shock and grief until both the towers collapsed, realizing thousands of people were dying. It was the first time in my life I had ever thought or spoken the words "homeland." My shock turned into anger, not only for the innocent victims who died, but at the ruthless belief system that caused otherwise rational people to waste their lives in senseless slaughter of innocents.
Suddenly, the unseen war inspired by ideologies at odds with western civilization had clashed in a violent and visible way. The concealing veil over the nations was stripped away. We knew we were at war.
War seems to visit every generation. It should not surprise us. Perhaps lasting peace awaits the return of the Prince of Peace. I remember the Viet Nam war. I almost enlisted but a wise pastor suggested I finish my college degree instead. I’m glad now that I didn’t go, since our political leaders lacked the will to finish what they had started. Their sacrifice, typified by the Viet Nam Memorial Wall in Washington DC, is an enormously sad place.
Today, our government is deliberating whether or not to continue the troop surge and give Iraq time to consolidate its political factions. I hope we can succeed so that peace will have a chance. But whether we stay for years or bring our US troops home early, one thing is certain: the war is on and it will not end regardless of when we withdraw.
Behind the visible war is an invisible reality.
Fierce powers, hostile toward Israel and anti-Christ in their nature, have shown their true hand. Their hostility is filled with ancient bloodlust. They are not satisfied to co-exist; their goal is the extermination of the Jewish state and the humiliation of the United States. They hate America because it is the protector of Christianity. They are jealous of our prosperity. Their stated objective is the dominance of the whole globe under a system that shames and oppresses women, disallows the freedom of an individual’s conscience, and subverts civil liberty into an autocratic or religious tyranny. Its captives are genuinely prisoners of war.
Thank God for America where in the public forum of debate, all ideas are treated equally. We have the right to speak our mind, worship as we choose, and assemble freely. We can choose our religion or even choose no religion at all. Patrick Henry said, "Give me liberty or give me death," and then was hanged as a rebel. Do we believe our cause is worth fighting for, worth sacrificing for, worth dying for?
The contest of ideas, religions, and philosophies won’t end when soldiers return. I submit to you that the greatest cause is not just our nation’s protection or patriotic pride, but rather the cause of the kingdom of God. Who will rule the earth? In that battle, we dare not be passive.
Nations will rise and fall, but the Bible’s prophets say that the kingdom of our God and of His Christ will endure forever. The stone cut out from the mountain without hands has struck the feet of humanistic empires. God has declared, "This is My Son. Hear Him!" The Psalmist David prophesied by the Spirit to the kings of the earth, "Kiss the Son lest He be angry with you." The apostle Paul said, "Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess Jesus Christ as Lord." In the end, we win.
Like it or not, God has installed Jesus as King of the earth. Expect it or not, the Lord will visibly return with millions of His saints and thousands of His holy angels to reign on planet earth. Prefer it or not, He will rule from the chosen City of the King, an undivided Jerusalem.
Until that Day consummates all of human history, our job is to wage war with words of extravagant praise, using the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. Our job is to declare the Good News that Jesus Christ has won the victory through His finished work on the cross and His resurrection. Every sin can be atoned for; every disease can by healed; every broken heart can be mended. Our job is to model heaven’s way of life in the church through love, faith, and unity so we can be salt and light to every segment of society. To this end, God has sent forth modern apostles and prophets to plant His government in the Spirit.
Here are some prayer points and reminders about this season:
You can rule your spirit by making your thinking submit to what God says, not what the media feeds you. You can control your personal atmosphere by filling it with praise and worship, speaking in unknown tongues, using high praises, extolling God’s grace, and testifying of His goodness. You can strengthen the hands of leaders who are righteous by being an intercessor for them and lifting them up in prayer. Pray for our President, not because he is perfect, but because of his office and responsibility. Expect the Lord to bless your work; claim your inheritance in God to prosper like Abraham and don’t be surprised at sudden extras that come your way for every good work. Get ready for a new release of supernatural anointing and Holy Spirit gifts both inside the house and outside in the field.
Let me pronounce a blessing upon you:
May The Lord of Hosts (The God of Armies) be with you. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. May your faith in God enable you to overcome the wickedness of this world. Be clothed with the armor of the Lord. Don’t fear when the enemy growls. You are a child of God. You have the gift of eternal life. You are justified in Christ. You are not the one at risk here, he is!
Finish the War © 2007 by Ron Wood. Visit us online at www.touchedbygrace.org.
My wife had obeyed the prompting of the Lord to switch on our TV set which aired only one channel in English. At 4:30pm local time (8:30am Eastern US) there was nothing worth viewing. But someone in the local station had just flipped a switch so the global CNN feed was going out live with breaking news. She saw the flames from the first plane’s impact. I returned home minutes later and sat beside her as the second plane hit the other tower.
We watched in shock and grief until both the towers collapsed, realizing thousands of people were dying. It was the first time in my life I had ever thought or spoken the words "homeland." My shock turned into anger, not only for the innocent victims who died, but at the ruthless belief system that caused otherwise rational people to waste their lives in senseless slaughter of innocents.
Suddenly, the unseen war inspired by ideologies at odds with western civilization had clashed in a violent and visible way. The concealing veil over the nations was stripped away. We knew we were at war.
War seems to visit every generation. It should not surprise us. Perhaps lasting peace awaits the return of the Prince of Peace. I remember the Viet Nam war. I almost enlisted but a wise pastor suggested I finish my college degree instead. I’m glad now that I didn’t go, since our political leaders lacked the will to finish what they had started. Their sacrifice, typified by the Viet Nam Memorial Wall in Washington DC, is an enormously sad place.
Today, our government is deliberating whether or not to continue the troop surge and give Iraq time to consolidate its political factions. I hope we can succeed so that peace will have a chance. But whether we stay for years or bring our US troops home early, one thing is certain: the war is on and it will not end regardless of when we withdraw.
Behind the visible war is an invisible reality.
Fierce powers, hostile toward Israel and anti-Christ in their nature, have shown their true hand. Their hostility is filled with ancient bloodlust. They are not satisfied to co-exist; their goal is the extermination of the Jewish state and the humiliation of the United States. They hate America because it is the protector of Christianity. They are jealous of our prosperity. Their stated objective is the dominance of the whole globe under a system that shames and oppresses women, disallows the freedom of an individual’s conscience, and subverts civil liberty into an autocratic or religious tyranny. Its captives are genuinely prisoners of war.
Thank God for America where in the public forum of debate, all ideas are treated equally. We have the right to speak our mind, worship as we choose, and assemble freely. We can choose our religion or even choose no religion at all. Patrick Henry said, "Give me liberty or give me death," and then was hanged as a rebel. Do we believe our cause is worth fighting for, worth sacrificing for, worth dying for?
The contest of ideas, religions, and philosophies won’t end when soldiers return. I submit to you that the greatest cause is not just our nation’s protection or patriotic pride, but rather the cause of the kingdom of God. Who will rule the earth? In that battle, we dare not be passive.
Nations will rise and fall, but the Bible’s prophets say that the kingdom of our God and of His Christ will endure forever. The stone cut out from the mountain without hands has struck the feet of humanistic empires. God has declared, "This is My Son. Hear Him!" The Psalmist David prophesied by the Spirit to the kings of the earth, "Kiss the Son lest He be angry with you." The apostle Paul said, "Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess Jesus Christ as Lord." In the end, we win.
Like it or not, God has installed Jesus as King of the earth. Expect it or not, the Lord will visibly return with millions of His saints and thousands of His holy angels to reign on planet earth. Prefer it or not, He will rule from the chosen City of the King, an undivided Jerusalem.
Until that Day consummates all of human history, our job is to wage war with words of extravagant praise, using the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. Our job is to declare the Good News that Jesus Christ has won the victory through His finished work on the cross and His resurrection. Every sin can be atoned for; every disease can by healed; every broken heart can be mended. Our job is to model heaven’s way of life in the church through love, faith, and unity so we can be salt and light to every segment of society. To this end, God has sent forth modern apostles and prophets to plant His government in the Spirit.
Here are some prayer points and reminders about this season:
You can rule your spirit by making your thinking submit to what God says, not what the media feeds you. You can control your personal atmosphere by filling it with praise and worship, speaking in unknown tongues, using high praises, extolling God’s grace, and testifying of His goodness. You can strengthen the hands of leaders who are righteous by being an intercessor for them and lifting them up in prayer. Pray for our President, not because he is perfect, but because of his office and responsibility. Expect the Lord to bless your work; claim your inheritance in God to prosper like Abraham and don’t be surprised at sudden extras that come your way for every good work. Get ready for a new release of supernatural anointing and Holy Spirit gifts both inside the house and outside in the field.
Let me pronounce a blessing upon you:
May The Lord of Hosts (The God of Armies) be with you. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. May your faith in God enable you to overcome the wickedness of this world. Be clothed with the armor of the Lord. Don’t fear when the enemy growls. You are a child of God. You have the gift of eternal life. You are justified in Christ. You are not the one at risk here, he is!
Finish the War © 2007 by Ron Wood. Visit us online at www.touchedbygrace.org.
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