The Battle Line Is Drawn:

The Battle Line is drawn

lifebeyondhorizons.com

And because they did not think it worthwhile to acknowledge God, God delivered them over to a corrupt mind so that they do what is not right. They are filled with all unrighteousness, evil, greed, and wickedness. They are full of envy, murder, quarrels, deceit, and malice.  Romans 1:28-29

Our world has been given over to it’s own deceit and immorality. This treacherous current of confusion pushes us ever farther from what is true and what is right. This over-indulgence of subterfuge, a chaos of the mind, perpetrated upon society by a master manipulator, an enemy not to be under-estimated, the father of lies.

You don’t have to search to find examples, it’s right in front of us, but we have to understand one thing – for those treading the broad path to destruction, they are unable to see the truth, they are blind to it, so they believe only what they are able to perceive. As believers, we have to understand this state of being, otherwise we too will become so grieved in spirit that our testimony is rendered useless. We see the truth through the lens provided by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and that makes it difficult to understand how so many people can accept these hypocritical declarations and daily contradictions that are espoused from our so-called experts and leaders.

However, much of the confusion that comes from these official spokespersons regarding the issues of today, such as COVID-19, could be intentional to drive an agenda. It is a known practice to use confusion as a way to control others, through information overload, distraction, contradiction, without any pause for someone to regroup. This technique moves a person or groups of people to a place of uncertainty, whereby they begin to question their own beliefs, which induces a level of stress on the mind that results in a surrender of logic. People will eventually let go of reason just to find a way to escape the stresses that have overworked their entire being.

Let’s use the statements of a leading “expert” on the current pandemic that grips the world. Dr. Anthony Fauci has been the go-to source for information regarding the pandemic for much of the last year, but his messages have at times seemed contradictory in nature, leading many to wonder what is right and what is wrong. 

“There’s no reason to be walking around with a mask,” said Dr. Fauci in an article from the National Review, March 2020

Dr. Fauci shared a similar message that same month when interviewed by 60 Minutes, “Right now, in the United States, people should not be walking around with masks, there’s no reason to be walking around with a mask.”

He continued, “When you’re in the middle of an outbreak, wearing a mask might make people feel a little bit better and it might even block a droplet, but it’s not providing the perfect protection that people think that it is.”

Fast forward to early summer of 2020 and Dr. Fauci was sharing a different perspective entirely when interviewed by ABC news.

“I have been on the airways, on the radio, on TV, begging people to wear masks. And I keep talking in the context of wear a mask, keep physical distance, avoid crowds, wash your hands and do things more outdoors versus indoors.”

In January and February of 2021, Dr. Fauci spoke in support of double masking, as he was now serving as Biden’s chief medical advisor.

“You put another layer on it just makes common sense that it likely would be more effective. And that’s the reason why you see people either double-masking or doing a version of an N95. A lot of people are putting on two masks. I’ve done that myself. And the reason is, you can have common sense and say if it’s a physical barrier, maybe I’d feel more comfortable,” Fauci continued. “The reason why the CDC hasn’t changed the recommendation is that they don’t have the scientific evidence to say that two are better than one. But if a person wants to put on two masks, I see no reason to tell them not to.”

Yet at the same time while speaking to NBC’s Meet the Press, Dr. Michael Osterholm, also a COVID-19 adviser to Biden, said, “If you add on another mask, you may actually make it tougher for the air to move through the two-cloth area, and then at that point it causes more air to actually leak around the sides, which actually enhances your ability to get infected.”

So which is it, no mask, one mask, two masks? Think about that for a minute, these are not people that have just graduated from medical school, in fact, Dr. Fauci is an American physician-scientist and immunologist who serves as the director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases with more than 35 years of direct experience. One would expect a person with this pedigree to possess a consistent foundational approach to basic precautions such as when or where a mask would be necessary. Yet in only a few months time his guidance varied from one extreme to another, from no mask, to one mask to double masks. What are we to believe?

I use these examples to highlight the confusion that we face in today’s world. I’m not here to debate the use of masks or to speculate on the possible agenda behind Dr. Fauci’s methods. This is just one of many examples of mixed messages and outright hypocrisy that we are forced to sort out every single day.

One thing is becoming very clear, the battle lines are being drawn and one day soon, you will have to choose on which side you will stand. The effective use of identity politics is making the case – currently the target is on those reluctant to get vaccinated. A front page article this month in the New York Times stated “millions of white evangelical adults in the U.S. do not intend to get vaccinated against COVID-19.” The article went on to say it was due to tenets of their faith and a mistrust of science, along with their politics, that lead to their refusal.

This is similar to the political climate in which we live, where groups of people are identified by their race, their religion, their economic group and so forth. By labeling people, often with names that suggest bigotry and hatred – “white evangelicals” – it becomes easier to marginalize those groups in the public forum.

Others that have not been vaccinated, not wanting to be lumped in with this category, will feel inclined to change course so they can avoid being singled out. Human nature has proven that most people do not want to be excluded or left out, thereby playing into the hands of those that pull the strings and sow the seeds of discontent. 

To stand their ground, to say “I’m not yet willing to take a vaccine that has not been thoroughly tested” is to subject yourself to ridicule or worse. Recently Johnson and Johnson’s single dose vaccine has been “paused” due to some recipients reporting blood clots, which the World Health Organization has now admitted are suspiciously similar to the same dangerous blood clots following doses of the Moderna vaccine. But to refuse these vaccines until more data can be attained is reason to be singled out and mocked.

Debate is dead, we are now in a very dangerous world, made even more treacherous by the fact that we are no longer allowed to disagree. Right has been declared by one side – to disagree is to commit an unforgiveable act. Cross the line drawn by those who have deemed themselves above reproach and you will find yourself canceled – out of work, removed from public discourse, persona non-grata.

“Above all, be aware of this: Scoffers will come in the last days scoffing and following their own evil desires.” 2 Peter 3:3

The path for the believer is clear, Jesus told us that in the last days these things would occur, but we are not to be troubled or surprised. As He said in Matthew 24: 6-8, “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.”

It is very important to note that Jesus referred to these times as the beginning of birth pains. Once labor has begun, the birth pains come at recurring intervals, closer and closer together. Do you see it in the world right now? All of this conflict, murder, pestilence, pandemic, rumors of war – we have Russia amassing troops on the border of Ukraine while China has launched a campaign of aggression towards Taiwan – coming at an ever increasing pace.

The battle line is drawn, take up the full armor of God and stand. Take your stand on the side of truth, prepared to share the gospel of peace. But don’t wait until you are called out to decide – if you are a believer in Jesus Christ – the time is now. If you have never taken that step of faith by asking Jesus into your heart, surrendering to him as Lord, your opportunity is now – please don’t put it off.

Do not let yourself be distracted, do not be discouraged, focus on Jesus and be a bright shining light in this lost world. Remember that our fight is not against our neighbors or communities, with those that disagree with our beliefs. Our enemy would like nothing more than to invoke within us an anger at individuals or groups that call us out and mock our faith.

. If we give in to that desire, if we respond in anger, do we not become like those that call us out? They do not know the truth because they have not accepted the Truth. We must remain patient and live our life according to scripture. We have to share the love of Christ with those around us – if we don’t, who will?