From 1995 - 1998, I was a student in Seminary taking various theology and philosophy courses on the way to my master's degree and, among other things, learning about post-modernity. Post-modernity is the major shift in world view taking place in our time, in which culture and society (which is all of us) are moving away from Modernity. This is a major, profound event in our lifetime, on the same scale as the shift from the Middle Ages and the Romantic agricultural period of human development to the Renaissance and the Industrial Age. A bit of background and context might be helpful here.
The 20th Century, 1901-2000, saw the maturation of the rise of Modernity and what I believe to be a major strategy on the part of Satanic forces: the clash of the "isms" of ideological/political movements around the world. Examples? How about just a few: last century, there unfolded the wars between competing world forces of huge political ideologies (or "isms") such as Imperialism (Japan), Nazism (Germany), National Socialism (Italy and Germany), Communism (Russia & Soviet Union, China, Cuba and Central America), Socialism (Spain & Europe) and Capitalism & Democracy (United States, Canada, Britain, Australia & New Zealand) which warred with one another and competed for dominance.
I believe behind some of these isms was Satan and his attempts to influence world affairs. How else can one view the pure evil of Nazism, the butchery of Japanese Imperialism, and the evil empire of Communism that we warred against for much of that century? To be sure, the political warring during the age of Modernity is just one of Modernity's characteristics (actually more of a symptom than a characteristic), and the reader would be well advised to learn the basics of both Modernity and Post-modernity. However, it would be a grave mistake not to see the wizard behind the scene attempting to shape and influence these events and worldviews. His strategy of pitting political ideologies against one another succeeded very well. His strategy resulted in two major world wars and many other conflicts around the globe which resulted in hundreds of millions of deaths, horrific atrocities, and untold human suffering. It also resulted in disillusionment and a deep, profound sense of hopelessness...that we humans are all alone...that we have no destiny. Satan, through Modernity and the rise of science, destroyed belief in God, promoted hedonism and materialsim as salves to the wounds and despair, and offered up evolution as the only way to "explain" how we humans got here in the first place. It only took a little more than half of the century before man declared, "God is Dead." Evil was behind these events, pushing it, prodding it along, and influencing the humans that chose to follow it. A careful examination of the conflict between Nazi Germany and Communist Russia alone reveals evil turned upon evil which resulted in terrible human suffering and death. I firmly believe that while humans certainly bear responsibility in those crimes and brutality, it is clear to me that Satan was influencing and orchestrating it. As to the broader strategy of Modernity, while still ongoing in many ways, it has given way to a new plan added on top of the remnants of the old one.
Satan's newly focused and prized strategy is different. The age of Modernity, which is said to still be going on in certain ways with its philosophical and cultural momentum not yet fully wound down, symbolically ended with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the total collapse of European communism by the end of 1991. I arrived in Russia in January of 1993 and lived & worked there for more than two years, with many follow-up trips in the years since. My first child was born in Moscow. I had also served in the U.S. Army in West Germany from 1984 to early 1986, patrolling the border with Czechoslovakia. I know a bit about what I speak.
This new danger has arisen to take modernity's place. It is not the purpose of this brief article to go into all the characteristics of Post-Modernity, but suffice it to say that I said back in 1995 that what I saw for the coming century (the 21st) was a shift from the political warring of the last century to a shift to religious wars and religious ideology for the next century. This shift from wars of political nature to wars of a religious nature is a new satanic strategy. More precisely, the concept is not new (he's used it before), but never on the scale of what we are seeing today. Where the last century saw wars of political ideology, the next few decades will be wars of religious ideology.
Indeed we have already seen this prediction coming true with the rise of Al-Qaeda, the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and our war against radical Islamic terrorism in its many forms, including the Taliban, Iran and Hamas, and Hezzbollah. The latest versions are al-shabaab and the rise of the Arab Spring. [The Arab Spring, while certainly potentially positive, also is a concern that in the distabilization radical Islamic Fundamentalists will rush in and fill the vacuum. Egypt, for example, is a huge concern in this respect.] The rise of religious wars would, I predicted, emerge as the global threat, and this is exactly what is happening. I predicted this on the basis of it being a shift in Satan's strategy. No, it is not that I am some genius. Many who make it part of their lives to try understand what is really going on in the events of our time, have active prayer lives, and attempt to "see" through eternal rather than temporal eyes, can sometimes get a picture of reality that reveals much of what is truly happening. The truth is revealed to those who have eyes to see and ears to listen to the Spirit of truth. That is actually the major portion of what prophecy is. Many think prophecy is future-telling, which is a minor part of prophecy. Most prophecy is fore-telling, which is simply accurately telling it the way it truly is, and being brave and bold enough to say it (despite being called a lunatic or being viewed as such). I don't consider myself some sort of prophet, but I can see the obvious. You can too. Look at the evidence.
Lately, with the news from Oslo, I believe we are seeing the next micro step in this continued strategy, in what lies behind the curtain in the recent Norway bombing and shootings. There has been widespread press the last several days in the New York Times and the Washington Post (among many others) about how the bomber, Anders Breivik, is a right wing Christian fundamentalist, that he acted out of hatred for Muslims, and acted in the name of God, seeing himself as a Knight Templar. This young man wrote a 1,500 page manifesto which bears the red cross of the Knight's Templar. Apparently he saw himself as God's soldier. This is perfectly in line with Satanic strategy that I perceived so long ago - as now Satan is having evil people conduct heinous acts in the name of being a Christian. This understanding of what is happening, this glimpse behind the curtain, is being seen by a few who have their ears and eyes tuned to perceive where the enemy might strike next in a strategic sense, but the masses don't get it. There are also reports coming out of Mexico of a vicious Mexican drug gang that is calling itself the Knights Templar - killing and selling drugs in the name of God. There will be more in the coming days, months and years. Stay tuned.
A strategy whereby Satan can wreak havoc by using and misguiding people who are "Christian" in name but certainly not in reality, could (and will because many are fooled) strike a huge blow to the Church and the cause of true Christianity by totally discrediting it in the eyes of ordinary people who do not understand the subtleties of the ongoing cosmic war between Good and Evil. Such people are duped by this strategy and fall for it, coming away from news reports of such things with a negative view of God, the Church, and Christians. What better way to make it seem like all religious or religious interests are equally dangerous and that Christians are just as dangerous as Satan's true tools - radical Islamic fundamentalists. If Satan can get ordinary people who are not believers to morally equivocate Christianity with the radical fundamentalists Muslims, then he has succeeded in half his plan, and he has discredited the only force on earth that understands what the danger (and strategy) truly is. The way to marginalize and discredit true Christianity is to use misguided people who call themselves Christians and get them to do horrific acts under that name, never realizing that they are no where near being actual Christ followers.
What treachery! Indeed, a treachery that will, sadly, succeed in fooling many, many people. Go online and read some of the articles in the New York Times and by Sally Quinn in the Washington Post and you will read people already completely fooled. Not only have we declared and think that God is dead, we've also killed off Satan, demons, and hell, as hardly anyone believes in these realities anymore. Somewhere along the line, we also declared sin as being dead. Instead, sin has become a "disease," or addiction, or society's fault. Anyone that does anything will find some who declare them a victim or something or the other. Casey Anthony even has her supporters...quite a few in fact. There is no personal responsibility and no such thing as sin in the minds of moderns...no God, no Satan, no demonic, no hell, no heaven...no life beyond the natural. But some of us know better.
Yet, hope remains. A glimmer of light shines out in the darkness. The curtain is being pulled back not by Toto, but by the Holy Spirit. The wool is being pulled from over the eyes of at least some of those who are unaware of what is going on behind the scenes of world and even local events. Some are thus beginning to see. We have, as Gandalf said, fallen deeper into shadow. The days grow more evil. Only this is no novel, no movie, no Broadway show or theater production. This is real life. It is time, brave Helios, to mount your steed and take your place in the line of battle. Draw your sword, cross yourself and see the truth for what it is. See...truly open up your eyes and see.
In particular, I possess a grave concern for a woman named June, who has been in contact with me for over a month, from near Oslo, Norway. June recently and bravely decided to become a Christian in her country where that is largely frowned upon and considered to be almost intellectual suicide - to be very much out of vogue. Consider her horror now that this has happened right in her own back yard and having to defend to her family and friends that she has decided to become one of these "Christians." Never mind that this nut who did this is not a true Christian at all but was a tool in the hand of Satan, many will think so much worse of June for her decision to become one of Christ's followers.
Remember the line in the movie The Rite? "He's a deceiver Michael, he's a deceiver." Satan is a master deceiver. Imagine Satan's diabolical attack on June's own mind, perhaps making her doubt her own decision (which was going to prove to be a very difficult and monumental path to begin with, even before this happened). That is Satan's goal, to make it virtually impossible...or at the least...very, very difficult...for people like June to decide to become Christians and to stay the course. How many would be so brave as to decide to believe and become Christians in a climate such as this, where so-called Christians bomb and slaughter in the name of God? Please remember June and the families of the victims in your prayers, and also pray that this strategy will be exposed and will somehow backfire. Most of all, be aware yourself of what is happening behind the curtain. Don't be duped by the wizard.
