Others are wondering why God is allowing this madness and how can people do such things in the name of God. Those were the very questions on the minds of Jesus' disciples when they witnessed Him being arrested like some criminal in the garden of Gethsemane over 2000 years ago.
He explained this by saying to those who were arresting Him, "When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched not forth your hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness."(Luke 22:53)
It looked like the evil was having an upper hand when Jesus was arrested, brought to false trials, tortured, and executed. And so it does today when we see people, most of them innocent civilians including women and children being tortured, raped, and killed in the name of Islam by ISIS fighters.
Even though it is easier for us to identify with the victims of Paris attacks, we still realize that much greater carnage is going on everyday in Middle East with no end in sight.
The conflict is intensifying with more world powers being drawn into it and more fanatics, as many as 30, 000 fighters recently, are being recruited by ISIS militants from around the world. It is the hour and power of darkness.
But we know the end from the beginning already. We know from the Bible that this hour will not last. There will be those who will resist and who are already resisting and overcoming this evil by the blood of the lamb ( Jesus), by the word of their testimony, and by laying down their lives for their faith if they have to.
It is midnight on the prophetic clock. It is dark, but there is a call going out for all the virgins ( Christians) to wake up because the bridegroom is coming. So, it is time for us to trim our lamps, fill them with oil and shine in the midst of this darkness.
It is not right to hate or worse to attack the Muslims now because majority of them are not fanatics at all. We have the opportunity now to reach them with the Gospel, which now contrasts more than ever with the hate of the fanatics.
We are to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. While we condemn the violence of ISIS and expose Islam for what it really is, we must still share the love of God with Muslims, we must reach them with the Gospel before the fanatics reach them with their message of violence and hate. And we must pray against more of those attacks and pray for our political leaders to be wise, vigilant, and not to underestimate the enemy.
After Paris attacks, we know that the new chapter in war with ISIS had just opened. It is no more a far away Middle East problem. It could happen anywhere, but we cannot give in to fear. It is time to shine our light forth brighter than ever before.
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