Kathy L McFarland

When the first healing for Christian victims of childhood sexual abuse takes place, they understand that it was the devil that created the situation that moved the pervert to harm them, to prevent them from feeling worthy to come toward the Lord. But, there is much more healing that must be done if spiritual restoration and growth are to be accomplished. The first step gives reason to the victim. The next steps must be faced by the Christian with a real acknowledgement of the truth of the matter.

How do mature Christian adults deal with the tremendous burdens brought upon them as a direct result of childhood sexual abuse and the common lies that swirl against them when the secret is revealed? How can the attacks upon their soul be lessoned through the teachings of Christ? How can scarred Christians apply forgiveness to the perpetrators (pedophiles) and their protectors (mothers, church leadership), when attacks upon their integrity, faith, and lives are pummeled with wicked lies and hateful doings? What responses can adult Christians make when active persecution continues, to protect the monster that is guilty of horrific crimes that ultimately separate victims from mothers or siblings or congregational worship of God? What actions should be taken when the rapists are separated from their protectors (usually from the death of one or the other)? Should revenge attacks be visited upon the guilty pedophiles who have cowered behind their protectors to shield their guilt? Should the protectors be given new chances to see the truth once the control of the devil is removed if they outlive the perverted? And, after the pedophiles’ death, should the truth of their actions be told forevermore, guaranteeing tainted memories that at the least causes pause among those that might have praised the dead in their mourning?

1. The devil of lies has removed any hope of the truth being understood without the movement of God

When the past abused see small openings where truth might seep into the nest of lies that the abuser and his protectors create, it is natural to have hope. However, unless the movement of God chooses a defining moment, as He did with the recent Roman Catholic Church scandals of revealed sexual abuse, chances are slim that the truth will ever be heard. Remember, thousands of youth have been abused by the church leadership; only a few that live today and are mentally able to withstand scrutiny are judged not-guilty with their truth heard; the rest of the victims remained silent, hidden, damaged, and unknown.

The truths of the victims that have been attacked by the devil in the spreading of lies against them to shield the abusers are likely to never receive favorable judgment in this lifetime from family or church leadership. It is the experience of Becker Bible counselors that even when the pedophile dies first with the protector left alone and finally out of his wicked control, seldom is progress made in understanding the wrongs that have been visited upon the victim. The devil’s attacks have been too focused, too virulent, too condemning; if family and church members are unable to identify the wickedness in their midst when the pedophiles are standing next to them, then after their death they will honor the memory and reject the victim with even more intense hatred and false accusations.

The protectors of the sexual abusers, beloved mothers that should love back and church leaders that should reflect the love of God, are most likely to be reached if the pedophile dies before them. But, if the protector was too weak with the presence of the abuser, then the protector will likely be too weak after he dies to face the reality of the situation. There seems little hope for the situation to be resolved, and Christian adults that are scarred from this persecution must recognize this probability. The devil did his job well by placing the abuser into a marriage or into a church setting where there were inherent weaknesses in the natures of partners. Abusing men were paired with fearful and weak women who did not want to lose their husbands, or scared and weak priests who did not want to lose their status. Regardless, after the abusers die, there still remain fearful protectors that do not have the nature, wisdom, or heart to seek truth and reconcile with the victims.

Quite frankly, the citizens of the world are not as prone to facing these soul issues, especially with regards for truth-seeking, forgiveness or reconciliation. These ideas belong to Christian folk with regards to this matter; regular worldly attitudes are much different in separating from anything that brings distress with blame against others unquestioned. It is the Christian faith that leads the falsely accused victims to think upon these things that elevate choices beyond simple revenge-taking measures that are often available to the carnal unsaved.

By the very nature of secretive child abuse, it is highly unlikely that it occurs in a household that is filled with Christian believers that walk the way of Christ or in a dedicated Church that reflects His light continuously. Therein lies the glimmer of hope that Christian abused sometimes hold onto, and that gives them a possible reconciliation. If the pedophile or protector accepts the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior, and if the Holy Spirit guides the newly born to the place of understanding, then there is a small chance of reconciliation with the Christian victim; however, in our experience, that has never happened. But, we have heard of a few cases where it might have happened. Remember, all things are possible with God; but, it will take God to make that reconciliation happen. Reconciliation will not happen, however, through the falsely accused victims efforts, but rather through the pedophiles or the protectors when they have bent a knee to Christ, confessed their sins and vowed to sin no more. Until that happens, reconciliation with a Christian will not come.

2. The Lord does not heal child abuse victims with strength to seek revenge upon abusers or protectors

Quite the opposite actually; the Lord offers Christian victims the chance to heal so they can come closer to Him. It is that relationship that the devil was trying to stop in the first place. The Lord claims His own, and Christians come toward Him, without restraint of the devil. That is the most real victory over the devil, and it is evident of the Lord’s love for His followers. The Lord does not want you wasting that righteous healing on scum that matters nothing in the Kingdom of God.

When Christian victims begin the healing process at some point healthy anger takes over. For years, the victims might have blamed themselves for the abuse that was forced upon them, so the time when anger comes is always hopeful times for the counselors. But, great care must be taken that the anger is not directed to revenge against the abuser or the protector. In the big picture, once spiritual restoration begins, the abuser and the protector needs to be placed further and further in the background of the victims mind; in reality, they no longer matter.

Violence and revenge can never be the solution to spiritual and physical recovery. BUT, these thoughts are going to creep into every survivor that has faced such tremendous wickedness; remove shame for thinking them, but gain strength in rejecting those thoughts through confidence that the Lord will take care of those things. Thankfully, the Lord Jesus Christ, in His example, taught His followers how to endure to the end, to walk in faith with hope and expectation that one day all wickedness will be punished for the persecution brought against His people.

Persecuted Christians must remove themselves from persecution if they are able, and never walk back into the mess. Christ gives most victims the ability to move away from the wickedness and rejection. Going toward it once again after safety has been given by Christ is sure to create both spiritual and physical loss in those not heeding this warning.

3. Forgiveness does not mean reconciliation

Christians must forgive those that do injustice against them. It is non-negotiable. When victims become strong enough to deal with these issues, AND NOT A MOMENT BEFORE, they must also contemplate how to forgive such horrible acts, especially when persecution through false witness against them continues. It is not easy. Every time another hurt comes as a result of false witness, human nature and even instinct wishes to respond with a hurt right back.

But, let’s face it; Christians can never do the wickedness that their attackers do to them. At the most, retaliation is so diluted that it makes the enemies mock, and come back stronger against them. Yet, somehow, the soul, the mind of the Christian, must figure out a way to forgive them, but keep them far, far, far, away in order that wickedness does not come close to the righteous.

It will not be done with the Christian victims talking face-to-face with the monsters or their protectors. They no longer matter; they have done all the damage that can be done and the devil has rewards or punishments for them depending on how well they followed his plan.

Now the Christians must recognize that if they hold hatred in their heart, they will suffer loss when their works are measured by Christ. Christians must realize that forgiveness comes to them in the same manner as they are able to forgive others. The heaping of coals upon the wicked heads takes place when forgiveness is given in the heart and mind of the believer and the abuser is thought of no more.

That step in the recovery process elevates the Christian above the problems associated with these horrible attacks. The minute that forgiveness comes inside the Christian, the abusers lose all power, the devil loses his grip completely, and the Christians become empowered with the capability of receiving more Holy Spirit. This is because the clutch of the enemy is released from the folds of the mind, making more real estate available for the righteousness of God to dwell within.

What a victory it is for Jesus when the Christian victims are able to forgive and move on with their spiritual restoration!

BIBLE TEACHERS: I have written this as one of several pieces that I try to write every year on the week of March 15. Some of my writings contain Bible Lessons to help guide Christian victims back to spiritual restoration and healing. But in this piece there are no Scriptures referenced for a very important reason:

There are many, many, many Scriptural references that can guide the Christian victims back to spiritual restoration and connect intimately with their spirits. But, healing cannot be done unless the Holy Spirit is moving through that healing. I encourage Bible Teachers to read this paper to understand the likely emotions and problems that Christian victims start to have as their healing begins. It all matters. And once Bible Teachers understand, I pray they pray for the anointing of the Holy Spirit so He might guide Scripture references perfectly, depending upon the needs of the victim. It is in that controlled and comfortable situation, where trusted teacher and broken student, guided by God, as they search Scripture together, that full healing can begin.

As always, Christian victims of child sexual abuse should be referred to professional counselors to deal with the myriad of problems associated with these things. That’s the legal way to say it.

But the spiritual reality is this: One day, or many days, in an innocent child’s life, the devil moved perverse attacks to come against them, in order that as they grow up, they feel so dirty that they would be unworthy of accepting Christ. Counselors can partially heal the mind, but it takes the Holy Spirit to bring full restoration to the person; in most cases, it is the presence of a righteous Bible Teacher that shares His movement as that healing process begins.

Together, you and the recovering victim, with the Holy Spirit’s movement and Scripture referenced liberally, can begin that healing process perfectly. But, know it is the most difficult tasks that you will ever encounter, as you help victims stand and walk with Christ that is sufficient enough to cast their hopes upon Him for their healing. My prayers are constantly raised to the Lord for those Bible teachers and Christian leaders appointed by God for such important and critical restorative work upon the broken spirit of a Christian soon to be healed.

We teach it to our students daily, and preach it to any Christian that will listen. Moral and courageous leadership is crucial for the movement of the Word of God in these perilous times, and vital for the eventual establishment of the New Earth. The trouble is, how do we develop Christian leadership in an atmosphere of practiced religions that meet expectations of man, but ignore expectations of the LORD God?

Our Christian men are not often learning leadership through example. Most known Christian leaders today have long ago forgotten who they serve, and prosper with the money and power that come with their position. They change the messages they deliver in the name of God to fit their opulent lifestyles, and remind people that they too can have things if they do as they do.

So how do teachers encourage the leadership potential of young Christians when they show leanings toward that calling?

It’s all in the details. the little troubles in life that barely make a ripple to most, but create opportunities for a young Christian to start building that foundation. It is the choosing the most righteous answer, and taking a stand by himself to execute his solution, that creates the foundation of leadership.

It’s too easy in these days to rely on others to solve problems. We have laws and rules and societies and authorities to fix anything that goes wrong in our life. If we have a problem, pick that phone up and find the biggest authority with the quickest response.

I just finished talking with a good and growing Christian man who struggled with how to approach his neighbors about a dangerous and immoral situation that had developed. He is a righteous man, and he recognized the wickedness of the situation immediately. But how does he respond after his Christian soul moves him to act to right the wrong? The easy answer to call the authorities that might be a choice of most followers of Christ, is not the correct response by him. The leadership training of this young Christian has begun, as he confronts the first of many, many stressful and sometimes dangerous situations, and learns to bring righteousness to bear in the midst of the wicked things in life. It all in the little details, in the tiny movements of response, that begin building the character of a great leader in the Kingdom of God

The leaders that teachers of the LORD God guide today, will be some of the same Christian leaders that help establish our new lives on the New Earth. Our work today, will have consequences and enduring results to all Christians; it is vitally important that we apply our focused efforts to the development of leadership skills among those God Wills right now!

Establishing Professional Theology, where its Christian leaders go out into their communities and minister to the unchurched believers, is not without a bit of unplanned drama sometimes. The four-walls of traditional churches offer some protection from surprises at more formal events; Pastors must always be alert to the unplanned happenings that can quickly pop up in formal ceremonies outside.

Officiation at my granddaughter’s wedding, exposed to the forces of nature on a deck overlooking the Clearwater National Forest and the Clearwater River flowing provided many good memories for attendees. I counseled the bride and groom that almost every marriage ceremony there are always a few hiccups that memories are built upon. They believe me now.

The bride was so beautiful walking down the aisle to join her tearful groom. They had courted each other for a year, and had done everything right in that courtship to ensure that they were legitimately joined by God as husband and wife. And the bride had planned every part with exacting detail, and demanded all of her supporters to follow her lead precisely.

As the bride’s hands were placed in the grooms, I had to pause for a few moments just so they could gain their composure before we began the formal ceremony. Suddenly, without warning, the bride gasped, and looked to me with an anxiousness that I knew something was terribly wrong. She dropped the hands of her beloved and started squirming gently, then much more than that, as she tried to signal to me what was wrong. Finally communicating to me that a bee had flown into her bosom and was crawling further and further into the places no one would want to be stung. Her husband-to-be responded quickly, and reached out to help his beloved remove the insect before it took a bite out of her. She slapped his hands away, reached into her bosom, deeply, and pulled out the offending bee without a sting. The bride’s family had no idea what had happened; the groom’s family members were trying to hold in their laughter.

Later, I asked the bride what thoughts she had as the drama unfolded. She said her first fear was being stung; but then, when she saw her groom began to reach into her bosom and find the offender, all she could think of is protecting their honor and go fishing in her bosom by herself, since the vows had not yet been shared. She imagined how some of the elderly folks would react if her groom had reached inside and aggressively searched for the offender.

So as she was squirming, I was trying to figure out as the officiant how to protect the sanctity of the event and still go after that ornery bee that must have been seconds away from a sting. Finally, after wiggling and readjusting things inside her dress, the bride found the offender, pulled it out and sent it flying away without a sting. But, you can be assured that every witness, every family member upon finding out about the squirm has joked about the “boo-bee” that created such a ruckus on that beautiful and hot day by the river in the wilderness of Idaho.

The political stage is set for the coming world control of the antichrist. The end times prophesy is unfolding before our eyes. True Christians everywhere are watching closely and waiting for the our time, when we are raised in the air to greet our Lord Jesus Christ.

So the stage is set…If only it were that easy. Before our raptured entry into our new and glorious life, we must face the real possibility that the wicked powers that will take control for a time need to make us go away, or become their fools.

Fake raptures are probable and predictable. The technology exists today to trick large groups of people who are primed for a spectacular event.

“For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if [it were] possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, [he is] in the secret chambers; believe [it] not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” (Matthew 24:24-27 av)

The very elect face the real possibility of being deceived. It’s gonna be that dramatic, that believable, that distressing and that devious. The great signs and wonders are not going to appear on burnt toast, or watered lawns and saturated buildings. They are not going to come by way of the cults in the burning buildings of Texas, or the bomb shelters in Montana.

The great signs and wonders are going to come in the sky, and placed in our minds, and spoken by everybody.

FAKE RAPTURE EVENTS WILL COME TO TRICK THE FAITHFUL CHRISITANS AND USHER IN THE COMPLETE CONTROL OF PEOPLE BY THE ANTICHRIST… and it’s coming soon to yours and my neighborhoods!

The tools the world powers possess are devious and wicked, and promised to be quite effective against the masses of people who need to be controlled. There has been rumors of high energy beams and holographic image capabilities in government programs such as Project Blue Beam and HAARP as well as government suggestions of UFO’s being real. It is reported that the potential exists for dramatic and real looking holographic images to be placed in the sky, to move normally, to be seen by many, and to speak. It has also been suggested that the technology exists that actual voices can be focused inside the ears of a person, where they hear things spoken, and can be tricked into believing that it is the voice of God.

Who knows. Certainly as a Teacher of the Word of God, I am not privy to any of the scientific and technological advances and never will be. But I do know my business! And my business is preparing Christians to be strong and faithful in spite of the attempts of world powers and the antichrist to trick and deceive.

So let me put it in very simplistic terms.

1. The LORD God or the Lord Jesus Christ will NOT appear in the skies in a “flamboyant show” of power.

2. Jesus Christ is not going to appear in the sky to order you to go anywhere.

3. Jesus is aware of all of the potential areas that world powers can trick and control you, and is NOT going to be angry at you if you doubt that the dramatic events are not His doing. In fact, he is going to be very proud of you for questioning.

4. The world powers may be able to produce dramatic and heart stopping cinematic images in the air, and they may well be able to enter into our own thoughts, but they can never get into our hearts!

5. The LORD God does not speak inside our head with an audible voice. Faithful Christians know His Way, and that Way is not known by the carnal, and thus, can never be copied. The LORD God is not Charlton Heston or George Burns, and doesn’t speak with thee and thou! The true real LORD GOD moves us and guides us with His Holy Spirit, who leads without fail on the path we must be!

6. Events will not unfold as the latest movies or books about them have presented. If the world is prepared for these rapture events with popular books, then trust that the world is prepared. They have their popular novels and they have their understanding of the events to come. They are wrong.

7. Faithful Christians have the Word of God forever. He is written in our hearts that is untouchable by man. Our study of His Word tells us what to expect, and how to wait and watch.

8. When Jesus Christ comes for the end times saints, and we are raptured to Him as the final things are in place, you can be certain that there will be no doubt in anyone’s mind. In fact, it is promised to be in a twinkling of an eye!

“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52 av)

When rapture to our Lord Jesus Christ takes place, there isn’t going to be time to consider. It is going to be quick, quick, quick. With that knowledge alone, a Christian is empowered to differentiate between the grand productions of the antichrist, and the true Rapture of the Faithful.

Brothers and Sisters in Christ, stay faithful, watchful and confident. The Lord Jesus Christ is not going to lose one of his sheep! Have courage in these coming times. Read and study the Word of God as often as you can so the words are written in your heart deeply, in a place that no man, no world power and no antichrist can touch!

“And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all [these things] must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these [are] the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here [is] Christ, or there; believe [it] not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if [it were] possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, [he is] in the secret chambers; believe [it] not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” (Matthew 24:4-31 av)

Christians excitedly wait in expectation of meeting our Lord Jesus Christ in the air, and forever being with him throughout eternity. We’re promised that Jesus Christ will descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and the trumpet of the LORD God, where faithful Christians who are living at the time will be caught up together with them in the clouds.

“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive [and] remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” (1Th 4:13-18 AV)

Christians know Jesus Christ will one day rapture their living souls to him at the LORD God’s chosen time. The worldly know to, as the popular best selling “Left Behind” books spread the prophecies of end times events to almost everybody in the world. Lucifer knows of the important day, when Christians are gathered to their Savior, to prepare for the ushering in of the final plans of destruction to him and his people. And you can bet the powerful world leaders who will one day assume critical roles that will trigger the events prophesized within the books of Daniel, Ezekiel, Isaiah and Revelations, know all about the plans of Jesus Christ to rapture his people to him before the final tribulation and Last Judgment begins.

What if these powerful leaders were able to create events in the skies that could trick people into believing that Jesus Christ had come? What if satellites, and computers, and lasers, and sound devices could be linked in such a way that the false appearance of Jesus Christ in the sky could be reflected? What if after such events were accomplished, that large groups of people disappeared from the face of the earth?

What would become of the Christian faithful if they thought they were left behind? How much confusion, panic, disorientation, and despair would remain within the soul of every faithful believer who had looked for the event all of their spiritual lives? How much fighting and discord would come into the gatherings of the Born Agains as they struggled with the confusions of trickery? How quickly would world religion be established as proof that the fundamental and conservative believers were all wrong, as they prepare to establish their own agenda as prophesized in the Bible?

How many Christians would lose their faith if they were tricked into believing that rapture had happened, and they were not wanted by Jesus Christ?

With the technologies of today, it is possible for world powers to create effects that mimic rapture, and we know that powers and forces could benefit from creating illusions of Christ’s coming to manipulate and control the masses with wicked precision.

How do Christians protect themselves from being tricked?

“For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here [is] Christ, or there; believe [it] not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if [it were] possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, [he is] in the secret chambers; believe [it] not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.” (Mt 24:21-28 AV)

Jesus Christ was specific in his warning and his instructions. If anyone says that Jesus Christ is here or there, do not believe them. There is going to be trickery.

These false Christs are not going to wear orange robes, or hide in bunkers in Montana, or fortify themselves in compounds in Texas. They are not going to wear flowing white robes with angelic voices singing songs of praise, as they televise a ministry of money throughout the world.

THIS IS SO IMPORTANT…the false christs will show great signs and wonders. They will be doing things that will astound everybody, and will easily trick and potentially deceive even the Faithful Christians who are closest to Jesus Christ.

The false christs will appear in the deserts, the places where the Word of God no longer flows. They will appear in the secret places, the places where the Word of God is not spoken.

Jesus Christ says DO NOT GO! Do not go anywhere to look for the coming of Jesus Christ. He assures his faithful that there will be no doubt to his presence, throughout the world, to all people, when he comes.

We must wait patiently and confidently for that great day as we begin to endure the things that have been prophesized to usher in these end times. We must prepare our minds for the things to come, through the study of the Word of God, and the memorization of our Christ’s instructions on how to protect ourselves to the very letter. It is that important!

End Time Christians play a pivotal role in His prophesies, as we are tasked with evangelizing the Word of God throughout the world. Don’t get tricked by flashing lights and sounds or fleshly displays of wonder and signs. Keep walking ahead and forward to King Jesus Christ, and doing the things he has tasked you with until his blessed return.

One summer day my family was lazily floating in individual inner tubes down the Clearwater River. It was the perfect day and the perfect time, and the slow moving river would offer a little excitement every once in a while with a tiny rapid or two. We’d hit those rapids with excitement, shoot down the river for a couple hundred yards, and then settle back down to the gentle flow of normalcy.

The perfect day was suddenly interrupted by horrible screams of animals piercing our peace from somewhere upriver. We all turned our inner tubes as quickly as we could, and scanned the river for signs of the terrible noises that were screaming behind us.

Black clumps of hair, seven of them, were struggling to stay afloat. Kittens, an apparent burden to their owner, had been tossed out the car window into the river. We watched in horror as one, and then another, gave up their struggles of survival, and sank below the surface of the water.

They were so far from us, that we could not get to them in time to rescue. I remember shouting as loud as I could to my son to follow me upstream, as we tried to figure out how to help drowning animals out of our reach.

It was that shout that drew the attention of one of the kittens that was farthest from our grasp. That kitten focused on us, and suddenly changed direction in the river, and started paddling toward us. He had over a half mile to swim, and his brothers and sisters were going under and drowning in front of him.

We knew the chances of the kitten reaching us seemed hopeless, but we watched the last kitten swim with the determination of one with HOPE.

A mile and forty minutes later, that little kitten made it to our tubes, and we quickly scooped it from the water, held it tight, and let it catch its breath. It survived because he had hope of rescue, from seeing salvation floating far ahead of him. Where his brothers and sisters had given up, he endured, because he knew he could.

Scientists have found the same conditioning in rats. To test their theory that rats can have hope, they put them in a container of water. The rats would struggle to swim, but at some point give up, and begin to drown after a few short minutes. At the moment when drowning was imminent, the Scientist would reach down and pull the rat out of the water.

The next time the rat was tested with the same conditions, he was able to swim for hours, rather than minutes. It was the hope, the knowledge of rescue, which gave him the strength to go on.

Christians endure and survive because of hope. It is hope in our salvation, in our rescue, in our survival, in our eternal life, and in our loving Savior Jesus Christ, that gives us the strength to continue in spite of all odds.

There is no doubt that we go through many trials and tribulations. There is no question that we suffer from persecutions because of our faith. It is well known that the pains and hardships of a Christian who walks faithfully are sometimes overwhelming to those looking from the outside.

But we have HOPE, and it is that HOPE that let’s us survive to live another day. Our enemies from the darkness do not have HOPE.

When attacks are coming your way, remember and endure! It is endurance that comes from Hope, and if you are a Christian, you are able to go that extra mile to survive another day. So have patience, complete the Works He Wills you to do, and have full assurance of hope unto the End!

For God [is] not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. (Heb 6:10-12 AV)