Who’s The Real Spiritual Rapist Here?

When I first shared the gospel with family and friends twenty-eight years ago, at best there was laughter and ridicule, at worst there  was scorn and abuse plus labeling; “religious nutcase” and “fundamentalist idiot.” Two years later when I began in earnest to systematically study the Scriptures, I was warned to prepare for an all-out attack that would one day come upon all who centered themselves in Jesus Christ and who grounded themselves in the Bible. That day is here. There’s an anti-gospel man of influence in the USA labeling us, “fundamentalist Christian monsters of human degradation.” Eighty years ago, that was Joseph Goebbels’s language for the Jews.

In this man’s view, we subscribe to a, “putrid theology.” More labeling: “monstrously savage” and “hideous monsters.” Do not lubricate the path of their racism, bigotry and prejudice. Doing so directly threatens the national security of our beautiful nation.” If he were alive today, Goebbels would stand and applaud the man just as his nation stood and applauded him. To those with whom we share our gospel, he says, “……. you are being spiritually raped by fundamentalist Christian religious predators.” When one does so in the US Armed Services he should be charged with “treason.” I wonder how long it will be before “spiritual rape” becomes the common accusation made against us by all who are offended at hearing the gospel of Christ, for it surely is an offence.

The USA is not my nation; I know little about the man, but a lot about the language he uses. It’s language designed to shut down those of us who are Christ-centered and Bible-based. What’s in the heart of a person always gets expressed sooner or later and that’s when you get to know the real person Matthew 12:34-35. He’s a Christ-despiser, one of millions in the world that are in every generation John 15:18. He has more influence than most of the millions however. Knowing how Satan the devil works in such people, will his language be picked up by others soon and used against us just like “Islamaphobe” and “homophobe” is used against us? Those two labels have shut the mouths of Christians, how effective will “spiritual rapist” be if added?

In the last days perilous times will come we are told 2 Timothy 3:1. Indeed, perilous times and perilous men! I don’t hear or read of many Christians talking of such however. Multitudes appear to be caught up in prosperity gospels, purpose-driven life gospels, self-esteem gospels, emerging church love-type gospels, social gospels, while others who do see the times we’re in seem to be sitting around waiting for the Rapture to happen. The few who are warning us of perilous times and perilous men are lone voices in the wilderness; their brothers and sisters in Christ don’t want to know. Should the Lord delay His coming and allow these men to have their way, Christians are a people on their hit list, “fundamentalists” or otherwise!

Christians who pay little to no attention to the reality of the demonic spiritual realm, will be the first to cave in to these men. Acknowledgement of the reality of Satan as our enemy is not enough. We have to know how he speaks, how he thinks, how he schemes and how he operates. It’s also wise to know that Satan cannot be in two places at the one time, so who else does he use and how else does he use them? But there’s no way for us to know unless we diligently study the word of God, the Bible. It’s one thing for us to say we wrestle not against flesh and blood Ephesians 6:12, it’s something else altogether to know just who it is we are wrestling with and how we go about getting the victory Christ has already won for us. 

I often marvel at how Satan uses people. He’s not known in the Scriptures as the accuser of the brethren for nothing Revelation 12:10. As stated a few times on this blog, Satan accuses Bible Christians of being and doing exactly what he is and does. For example, the word monster means: ‘one who inspires horror and disgust.’ That’s Satan to a tee! He’s the author of it. As for human degradation, he is the Source of it all! There was no such thing in existence until God threw him out of heaven. Putrid means: ‘decomposed’ ‘foul-smelling’ ‘rotten’ ‘morally rotten’ ‘corrupt’ ‘extremely objectionable’ ‘vile’. This speaks of death; but death didn’t exist until Satan came on the scene, he’s the Source of all this too.

A predator is: ‘one that victimizes, plunders, or destroys, especially for one’s own gain.’ That’s what religious predators do too. But they don’t belong to Jesus, they belong to Satan; he’s their father, their teacher, their motivator and their guide. The world is full of religious predators just like it is full of political predators, Corporate Business predators, medical and health predators, banking and financial predators, media predators, legal and judicial predators. Each of these never fails to leave a trail of human devastation and destruction behind them. Is this anti-gospel man of influence serious when he makes the same comparison with born again Christian messengers of the gospel? If he is serious, where’s his evidence?

He accuses us of racism, bigotry, and prejudice. A bigot is one who is intolerant with those who differ from him … enough said!  Prejudice means: ‘an adverse judgment or opinion formed beforehand or without knowledge or examination of the facts’ … enough said! So when one looks at what this man is saying, one discovers that all he has is an opinion. How pathetic! Opinion means: ‘a belief based on grounds short of proof’ or ‘ a belief or judgment that rests on grounds insufficient to produce complete certainty’. Human nature thrives on opinions, however; it’s much easier to embrace the opinions of others than it is to do some research and think for yourself. That’s why bigotry and prejudice will always be popular among the masses.

“Why are these people afraid?” I heard someone ask in relation to this. I don’t believe this one is afraid … not this side of the Great Tribulation and/or the Great White Throne Judgment of God. He’s just another tool in the hands of Satan, ever seeking to infiltrate the minds and spirits of the gospel ignorant. This is how the accuser operates. Who’s the real spiritual rapist here?! Enough said! Based on where much of the Western church is at spiritually, as it falls over itself endeavoring to non-Scripturally win friends and influence people, this label, spiritual rapist is sure to shut the mouths of many of God’s people. Only those whose lives are fully surrendered to the Lord Jesus will have spiritual boldness and power enough to ignore it.         

So why are people offended at the gospel? Firstly: It is confronting; Jesus brings you face to face with what you are – a sinner and a rebel. Ouch! There’s not a person in all the world that doesn’t intuitively know that about themselves at some point in their life; God has placed that knowledge deep within all so that none are ever without excuse Romans 1:20. What they hate about it is being told what they already know they are by someone else! Secondly: If you want pardon and release from the penalty of your sin and rebellion, you must come to Jesus Christ alone as a beggar and ask to receive His salvation as a gift. Ouch again! Ordinarily, people don’t mind receiving gifts because they can return the favor; but not this time – not with Jesus’ gift!

However, no matter how utterly despaired people become there are few ever willing to bring themselves down to the beggar’s level when it comes to Jesus Christ. That’s why non-biblical religions and community service institutions are more popular by far; people believe they can work out their own salvation in them. That’s why atheism is popular too. If “atheists” can convince themselves that God doesn’t exist, then they can convince themselves they’re not accountable to God for their thoughts, words and actions. Either way, it is only Christians who are a threat to anti-gospel men. Just as Jesus said, they hate us because they hated Him first. If Mohammed or Buddha were our Lord, you wouldn’t hear a murmur out of them.

Eighty years ago when Goebbels and Hitler were spewing out their verbal venom on the Jews, the church remained almost as silent as the German people in general. Whilst the odd man or woman did speak out they got little support from their brothers and sisters in Christ. Most were spiritually asleep and the rest were cowering in their spiritual corners. Then came an all-out attack on Christians as well. But because these people were ill-prepared for what hit them, they rolled over without hesitation. When God allowed those German Christians to be tested, they failed on all accounts. Instead of spiritual power and authority showing up, it was spiritual weakness and wimpiness. By the way, Hitler saw this in them long before he got into power.

Down the track a little, history is going to repeat itself, only this time on a world-wide scale. There’s going to be another all-out attack – the Jews first, then Christians. The world will remain silent on both again, as will prosperity/purpose-driven life/self-esteem/ emerging church/social gospel Christians. By remaining silent, or by supporting Godless, Christless perilous men, they think they’ll be left alone. “Useful idiots” is the term they use for such people. But once their usefulness is no longer useful they won’t be left alone, they’ll be tossed out. A time of great regret awaits them because of their failure to take the Scriptures seriously like their Bible-living/loving “fundamentalist” brothers and sisters did.

Christians ought to be thanking God for the verbal venom spewing from the anti-gospel man of influence. It’s another wake-up call for His people to get serious with Him. If we don’t get serious with God, He will not get serious with us; it is silly to presume otherwise. It is time to get serious with the Bible He’s given us and time to get serious with our Teacher, the Holy Spirit. It is time to get serious and embrace plain-sense meanings of Scripture; time to dump spiritualizing and allegorizing of Scripture. When the pressure comes on in earnest, God will stand with those who chose to get serious, the rest will fall. Who’s the real spiritual rapist here? It’s the anti-gospel man of influence … don’t bow to labels. “Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say” Exodus 4:12.