In many Middle Eastern, Asian and South American countries Christians are openly and routinely persecuted, tortured and murdered for their faith in Christ.  But their persecutors are about to come face to face with the vindication of a Sovereign God concerning His Bride.  The blood of the martyrs has been and still is crying out and its sound has echoed through the corridors of heaven and reached the throne of God.  The Mighty Lion of Judah is about to roar and bring deliverance to the oppressed in a way that we had not thought of or even expected. 

There have been many prophetic words released concerning the recent tragedy on September 11, 2001 in Manhattan, N.Y. at the World Trade Center.  The events of that day were unimaginable and will forever change all of our lives and how we live our daily life.  If it doesn’t change something in us then God help us.  I won’t comment on any of the released words, I will only share what the Lord has given me understanding on.  Do I believe we are being “punished” for something?  No.  I do believe though that our own lukewarm faith and complacency left the door wide open and caught us off guard.  

Nonetheless, our God has promised to work all things together for our good regardless of what the circumstance is.  In order to see this in the midst of the pain and anger we must allow our understanding to be stretched beyond its current limitations and be willing to peer through the eyes of heaven to see a broader picture.  My Pastor started stretching my narrow view and as I allowed it to be stretched this is what I understood:

I want to create a parallel to help you understand what the Lord is saying:

First, start in Exodus 2:11-23, Moses, being born a Jew but being raised in the palace of Pharaoh looked upon the burden of Israel and tried to vindicate them only to be rejected by them and then pursued by the wrath of Pharaoh for his attempt at vindicating his Jewish brothers.  Moses flees and makes his home in Midian where he marries and settles down, has a good life, prosperity, security, stability and freedom from bondage and oppression.  Then, the Lord appears to Moses in a burning bush and says to him  “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and I have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.  So I have come down to deliver them out of the hands of the Egyptians to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perrizites and the Hivites and the Jebusites.  Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.  Come now therefore and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel out of Egypt.” 

Now move forward, the United States of America, home of the free, land of the brave.  Gracious and generous sending out missionaries and supplying humanitarian aid and military aid, desiring to help and teach others less fortunate how to live in the freedom of democracy only to be rejected by the very ones she was trying to help.  So, she looks the other way not wanting to get to heavily involved in taking up the cause of the oppressed lest she offend and stir the wrath of opposing nations.  She enjoys a good life, prosperity, security, stability and most of all freedom.   Then, the Lord appears to her in a burning bush (George W. Bush) and expresses His desire for change, for unity, for mutual respect toward all mankind and His desire for her to be a friend to the nations and stand up for the oppressed.   In His desire for her to stand up for the oppressed He is saying He has heard the cry of the widow, the fatherless the oppressed not only in this nation but in other nations where they cannot attain freedom on their own and He knows their sorrows.

Just as the Lord raised up a deliverer for Israel, He is raising up a deliverer for the oppressed through out the world.  While most of Christian America has been aware of the persecutions of our brothers and sisters abroad, the rest of America is unaware because it is not something that our news media chooses to report.  Even though in the past America has taken minimal action at best concerning human rights violations abroad, it falls severely short of her true capability and responsibility.   Because America had not ever experienced the kind of oppression and violence that other nations had, she was not able to number herself with them and count the cost with them.

In response to the outcry of the oppressed, God is raising up an alliance of nations that He can wield as a weapon in His hand to break in pieces the evil and injustice (Jeremiah 51:20-23) and He is calling America to take the lead. He is calling America, the country He has so blessed with freedom and liberty to defend and share that blessing with the rest of His creation.  He is using what the enemy meant for evil in America to answer their cry and bring deliverance to the oppressed.  You see, now, because of the recent terrorist evil that has invaded America, she is now able to number herself with the oppressed of the enemy, now she is able to rise to the occasion with personal understanding and compassion for what the rest of the oppressed have endured for years.  Freedom is too much a part of who she is to sit idly by and not defend it.  

 As America is rising it is sending the sound of deliverance echoing through out the world.  There is an eager expectation stirring in the atmosphere from the four corners of the earth in those who have cried out day and night for vindication of their pain, their scars, their humiliation and in those who have been crying out for a move of the Spirit of the Living God that changes the face of the earth.  

I had a vision of Joshua on his face before the Commander of the army of the Lord (Joshua 5:13-15).    Joshua asked the Commander “Are you for us or our adversaries?”  The Commander answered  “No, but as Commander of the Army of the Lord I have now come.”   The Commander was very clear that He was not “for” either side.  He wasn’t “for” Israel and “against” the other nations.  He was there to make sure the plan of God was carried out not the plan of man.  It wasn’t about “sides” it was about eternal purpose.  It is God’s desire that none should be lost, that all should be saved, even those who persecute others though many will reject Him.   Hebrews 2:10 says the He is the captain of our salvation.  He is to be in charge of our new life in Him as He leads us to the promises stored up for us, the Promised Land.

The Promised Land awaiting us is for the whole Body of Christ and it is His desire for His Bride to enter in as a whole.    Moses started the conquest to freedom and to the Promised Land but Joshua finished it.  Joshua and Israel had to irradiate the evil that stood in the way of their inheritance.  They had to conquer seven nations before finally calling Canaan their own.  In those nations, there were, mingled in, the non violent along with the radically violent.  This is why the Commander was not “for “ either side, not everyone in those nations practiced and carried out the evils of those nations.  Even so, the evil had to be completely destroyed.  Now, let me be very clear about something, I am not advocating the total annihilation of other nations, as was the case with Israel and the nations they had to conquer.  I see the difference here being that to allow any survivors of the evil nations they were to drive out would later cause Israel to turn to the idolatry of that nation.  On the contrary, I the case we find ourselves in we need only drive out and annihilate the evildoers who do not wish to change their ways and live peaceably with others.  

This declared war is not going to be the same kind of war that we have been used to seeing throughout history.  This will be very different and I believe every effort will be made to spare innocent lives but we must understand there will be innocent people caught in the middle and there will be innocent lives lost.  It has already occurred in Manhattan.   It occurs in the Middle East every day.  Hundreds of thousands are martyred for their faith everyday all over the world.  We are only fooling ourselves if we think that we can go after this kind of evil that has many deep and often hidden roots everywhere and not see innocent lives lost.  There have been too many lost already.   This is why we MUST pray NOW that all mankind will come to a saving knowledge of Him.  We must pray for the salvation of the innocent BEFORE it is too late.  There have been many testimonies of Muslims who have described seeing Jesus telling them that He is the only way and they gave their life to Him.  But we must pray to see this continue.

We must pray for our leaders to have great wisdom and discernment and they need to see their own need to get on their face as Joshua did and listen to THE Commander letting Him lead this campaign with an eternal purpose of salvation, freedom to the oppressed and to remove the heavy burden (Isaiah 58:6-7).  Bringing the whole Bride into the Promised Land, not just the American Bride.

Let us guard against becoming prideful and arrogant in thinking it is in our own resources that we will accomplish this.  We must depend on God first and then on our allies who have so graciously offered their help and support.  We must also pray for those who have offered support, as they too will suffer retaliation for their involvement with America.  We must pray for Middle Eastern Americans, for their safety and salvation, as they too will be persecuted, much to our shame, by Americans.  My Pastor suggested going out of our way to tell them we are praying for God’s divine protection for them and their families.  I tried this and the gentleman was so very thankful for my prayer.  I simply said “I am praying for God’s protection for all Middle Eastern people and I ask for the divine protection of God to be on you and your family.”   I make it a point to smile and greet people of other ethnic backgrounds to try and ease their fears of domestic retaliation.  We must also learn to be silent.  We must choose our words carefully.  There is way too much “bashing” and arrogant boasting going on.  This will only serve to stir more strife.  Wisdom is shown by the one who can be firm yet gracious not allowing the enemy any clue of the real strategy.

In closing, there is one word of caution.  Joshua 9 records the terrible mistake on the part of Israel in making a treaty with the Gibeonites.  The Gibeonites had heard of how Israel had conquered Jericho and they were afraid Israel would kill them too.  They disguised themselves and pretended to be from somewhere else.  They lied to Joshua and the Elders and the Bible says that because Joshua did not consult the Lord, they were deceived and made a lasting treaty with the Gibeonites that could not be broken because God held them to their word.

America must be very careful who she aligns herself with at this time.  There are nations who have pledged their support who will not be as true as they appear to be at this moment.  There is one in particular which I will not name but this nation will eventually turn against the allies because of the double standard concerning human rights that she operates in already. 

In one of the pictures of the explosions the face of our true adversary is very clear.  He is laughing as if mocking God and the Church.  We must remember that he is not only laughing at God and us, he was laughing at those who carried out his diabolical plan.  They thought they were doing a great service and would somehow be honored.  They were so terribly deceived.  When I saw that picture I could hear the hideous laugh and I thought of the eternal torment that those who carried out this plan were in at that moment and are still in today.  Hell is not a one time death, it is ETERNAL just like those who die in the Lord have life eternal.  Eternal suffering for one and eternal joy for the other. 

The ruins if what is left of one of the towers, you have probably seen it, it almost looks like the ruins of a coliseum or something are in the middle of Church Street.   I believe God is handing the Church the assignment in Isaiah 58:12, to build up the old waste places, raise up the foundations of many generations and be called the Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of the Streets to Dwell In.

Please keep in mind through all of this and try not to lose sight of it, there are millions of children who are being taught that it is an honor to do what these terrorists did and these kids are being trained at very early ages.  Our real adversary in not flesh and blood, it is in the powers and principalities and rulers of darkness. 

In Him,
Sandee Wichkoski
9-15-01
swichkoski@kenmontcap.com