In the 2006 movie, V for Vendetta, said to be "predictive programming" for America, complete with a virus, rioting, strict government control, etc., the main character, a terrorist who you're supposed to be sympathetic toward, says in what critics call his best monologue of the flick:
"Because while the truncheon may be used in lieu of conversation, words will always retain their power. Words offer the means to meaning, and for those who will listen, the enunciation of truth. And the truth is, there is something terribly wrong with this country, isn't there? Cruelty and injustice, intolerance and oppression. And where once you had the freedom to object, to think and speak as you saw fit, you now have censors and systems of surveillance coercing your conformity and soliciting your submission. How did this happen? Who's to blame? Well certainly there are those more responsible than others, and they will be held accountable, but again truth be told, if you're looking for the guilty, you need only look into a mirror. I know why you did it. I know you were afraid. Who wouldn't be? War, terror, disease. There were a myriad of problems which conspired to corrupt your reason and rob you of your common sense. Fear got the best of you, and in your panic you turned to the now high chancellor, Adam Sutler. He promised you order, he promised you peace, and all he demanded in return was your silent, obedient consent."
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"With the suffering of our day, we understand why Paul calls it the present peril because, in the dispensation of grace, God's not dealing with us like He dealt with Israel," said Preacher Richard Jordan in a recent sermon.
"Because God's not intervening in our lives to turn away the difficult situations, that's why Paul writes in Romans 8:35-36, 'Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
[36] As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
" The word as is an illustration; for is a fulfillment. Paul is quoting Psalm 44: [22] Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.
[23] Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord? arise, cast us not off for ever.
[24] Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and forgettest our affliction and our oppression?
[25] For our soul is bowed down to the dust: our belly cleaveth unto the earth.
"That's the believing remnant of Israel in the day of Jacob's trouble and they are petitioning the Lord. How long are they killed? All the day long. There's no relief. It's just getting worse and worse; it doesn't stop. Paul says when you experience these things in Romans 8:35, you come to the conclusion that there's no intervention; it's just rolling over us.
"In Philippians 1, Paul says your adversaries see that and they seek to terrorize you. Terrorize is an intensified form of fear. These things don't go away through the common lot we have.
"The tribulation, which means trouble, is in three categories as I see them. There's personal things, economic things and social things.
"In John 16:33 Jesus says, 'In the world you'll have tribulation.' Paul says in Acts 14:22, [22] Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.
"He's talking about our lives, not the prophetic 70th Week of Daniel. You're going to have that roller coaster of experiences in life that produces hardships, death, divorce, desertion, depression, disease, betrayal, whatever it is.
"All of that produces heartache, fear. It causes you to focus on what's going on here, right now with me, inward feelings of inadequacies, failures, turmoil. It's a roller coaster of emotions and it's designed to say, 'Life's unfair and God doesn't care,' and separate you from this great love of Christ.
"Ephesians 5 says, [25] Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it. How did He love the church? He gave Himself for it based on how much He loved. He loved the church according to the will of His Father. Jesus Christ valued, esteemed, cherished, delighted in the will of His Father so much that He was willing to be obedient to the Cross.
"Trouble gets you to focus on yourself and forget all that. Distress means to be pressed into a tight place; the pressure that comes to prevent you from applying the life you have in Christ. It's the pressure to go and hide and it creates an unsettled mind and thinking process, feelings of helplessness, panic. The opposite of calm and assured, confident and hopeful.
"You need to understand that the fear and the intimidation that builds up in you is a satanic attack; a tactic to separate you away from the fact that your real identity is in who you are in Christ.
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"When Paul lists famine and nakedness, famine is the lack of food and nakedness is the idea of, 'We've been stripped away all the things that make us attractive in the world.' That's the opposite of I Timothy: [7] For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
[8] And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
"Perils refers to dangerous times where you're in danger of losing everything and everyone. That's those immediate, personal, life-threatening things that come in society.
"Listen, you and I have lived in a culture that's been very friendly toward things that you like in life; lifestyles that you like. It's not that way anymore.
"For many decades now Americans have been talking about the culture wars. Listen, we've lost the culture war and it ain't coming back. What you're seeing in the culture right now is the last gasp of watching the old ship sink.
"Consequently, the perils are in your lifetime, actually right now . . . If you go out and broadcast Romans 1 you'll be in danger, not just of social isolation but of social assault.
"There's certain things you can say and can't say without being assaulted, and the things you're not going to be able to say are things about the gospel; basic fundamental things that you and I think are normal. Things about the institutions that God established to give structure to humanity.
"Twenty five years ago you never would have thought about having to redefine marriage, but now in the culture you can't define marriage biblically and not be in peril. What is that? That's an intimidation, a dart designed to singe you, put the heat on you, make you say, 'I'll give up; I'll be quiet.'
"The sword is government. They don't bear the sword in vain. You're going to watch in the world we live in governmental persecution, all those things.
"The American experiment with liberty is the odd man in the world. Our world has been the fruit of the working out of the spiritual impact of the Protestant Reformation, but that impact has been undercut and is imploding now. We're going to go back to being like 90% of the rest of the world where governments run things, control things.
"Satan uses the world system to fire those darts at you because they are personally designed to impact in your life to separate you away from the love of Christ; from the ability to value and esteem what He's done and how He functions.
"What gets the little flock through the tribulation is they understand God is doing something in purging His nation, and you and I can look at what's going on today and say, 'For thy sake we suffer this.' Why? Because God's chosen to extend the dispensation of grace one more day.
"When you walk in light you know where to put your foot next. The Psalm says thy word is a lamp under my feet and a light. I know where to put my foot next and the light shines onto the destination I'm going.
"Now, between the destination and my feet there might be darkness, but I'm not worried; I know where I'm going and I know where to put my next foot because the lamp tells me. It shows me the footage."
(new article tomorrow)
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