“I have spoken these things to you in order that you may have peace in Me. You have affliction in the world, but take-courage— I have overcome the world”.                  John 16:33 DLNT version

As I reflect on so many things that are troubling this world, I realize that we are getting closer to the time Jesus was telling his disciples about.
Yes, there was an almost immediate prophetic or predictive message that Jesus was talking to His followers about. Yet, He in many of His teachings spoke to them about a time where everything would be seen as coming to an end. This end of ages or epochs seems to be here.
All I have to do is watch the news or read about it on the internet to see that this world is upside down.
There are forces of evil working as we speak. They are vent on getting rid of what is right and acceptable in society.
Why? Because they want to impose a hellish form of culture to control the masses. They will also impose their way of thinking spiritually and mentally.
They are cruel and if one truly sees them for what they are, one will find that they have become debased in their lives. So much so, that they have become like animals, where the fittest survives and the weak does not.
This evil we know is only from one source. As Christians, we must stand firm in our faith. As Christ warns us:

1. They will come after us because the world hates him. Since we are of His Way, we can expect the same treatment.
(The New Testament Gospel of John, chapter 15 2nd half and beginning of chapter 16)

2. He will not leave us alone. He promised us a Comforter. The Comforter will instruct and guide us. He will bring peace in everything we do for Him. We are to listen to this Comforter because He will lead us throughout our lives in the normal times and during the bad times.
( The New Testament Gospel of John, chapter 16)

3. This Comforter will convict the world. Concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment. (John 16:8&9). You see, the world will hear us preach. They will watch us live. If we are doing what God has taught us to do, they will feel a strong sense of conviction because they are listening and watching us.
This is what is happening with those that are dying in the middle east. Those brutal terrorist forces hate Christian people around them. Because they see Jesus in them and they hate everything that He stands for. Christ shines a light through us that people in darkness can’t stand.
You see, when people do things in darkness, they don’t want to get caught doing them and that is what is happening in the area around Iraq and its neighboring countries. When people live in darkness, they don’t want their wrong doings being exposed. They don’t want other people showing off their clean living. So what do those in darkness do? They get rid of those who are shining a huge light so bright on their sinful lives.
There is a reason why they are systematically getting rid of Christians in that area.

4. The main reason is that people don’t like those who directly or indirectly show them that their lives are not right in the eyes of God. People don’t like being told that they are going in the wrong direction when it comes to morals. So instead of personally changing, they get rid of those that are living differently and more purely than they are.

So today, if you are stressing out because of the dreadful things that are happening to our brothers and sisters in Christ, don’t fret. Jesus told us ahead of time that this would happen. We know what happens to all those that oppose Him in the end. This doesn’t mean that we should stand idle. There are a few things that we can do. How can we help?

I. We need to pray for those who are being persecuted  for their faith.
II. We need to pray for those who are blinded by their pride and hate.
III. We need to pray for ourselves, that we become more Christ-like so that when the time comes, we do not fail Him in our tribulation.
IV. Pray for our leadership in this country. Because we have become like Europe during the Nazi rise to power. There were those that wanted to appease Hitler, and we see what happened when they did.
We now have our leaders in this country frozen with fear because we have been at war far too long. They are afraid of what the people will say if we start another war.

But we as Christians know better. We must defend the fatherless and the widows. We must defend those that can’t defend themselves.
(Hebrew Scriptures book of Isaiah chapter 1 verse 17)

I leave you with this, Jesus tells us to cheer up because He has beaten the world(sinful part) into a pulp (spiritually). He reminds us who is in control. In the end, He will win and we need to always remind ourselves of this. We also need to remind ourselves that God will always have His way. He is ultimately in control!