Jesus’ own words foretold that such hatred for Him and for His followers would grow intensively down through the generations as time progresses toward the climax of human history and Christ’s return at Armageddon.

Paul, as prophet, gave the characteristics of end-times man in his perilous times enumeration as recorded in 2 Timothy 3:1-5. Paul, as Christ’s faithful apostle, gave parallel analysis of that prophetic end-times generation as recorded in Romans, listing what will be the results of evil men and seducers growing worse and worse while writing God out of their cultures and societies:

And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” (Romans 1: 28-32)

How many times have you heard–or have you said yourself: “This world has gone crazy,” or something similar? Paul was predicting that the people of the world would indeed go crazy as the end of the dispensation of grace nears. People would be allowed to have the reprobate mindset –the satanic mindset—they desired. They would, in the final rush to throw off the shackles of God’s restraining influence (Psalms 2: 2-3), exchange in their thinking processes good for evil and evil for good (Isaiah 5:20).

The satanic mindset is upon us, with evil these days being called good and good being called evil. There is but one good, and His Name is Jesus. He is the only person who has been born in human flesh who has not sinned. That is why God, His Heavenly Father, offered Jesus–His only begotten (sired by Him Personally) Son—as the Lamb that takes away the sins of the world.

It is the perfection of Jesus Christ that God accepts as the only payment for the sins of mankind. The righteousness of Christ provides the only way to Heaven. As I mentioned in last week’s Nearing Midnight article, this is why Jesus –why we who are called by His Holy Name— are hated. It is the satanic mindset that infects the fallen minds of the world and enlists them to come against the only good there is in the world.

Now, lest the enemies of Christ take that previous statement and proclaim that I’m saying Christians are without sin, thus better than those who aren’t Christians –as human beings— I will endeavour to explain. Christians are fallen creatures just like all of humanity. But they have been redeemed by Jesus Christ, the sinless Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.

Because believers in Christ are born again into the family of God (John 3:3), the Heavenly Father sees them as pure and righteous –through the prism of His Son Jesus, who died on Calvary for them. They have chosen the only way to God the Father and Heaven for eternity (John 14:6).

This “only way” to Heaven–to God— enrages the satanic mindset. Such satanic rage was made obvious in a news item this past week, in my opinion.

The U.S. military have been told in a training briefing that evangelical Christians are the No. 1 extremist threat to America – ahead of groups like the Muslim Brotherhood, KKK, Nation of Islam, al-Qaida, Hamas and others… The briefing, which was given to an Army reserve unit in Pennsylvania, came from a U.S. Army Reserve Equal Opportunity training brief titled “Extremism an extremist organization.”

A slide titled “Religious Extremism” lists multiple organizations such as the Muslim Brotherhood, al-Qaida, Hamas, the Nation of Islam, the Ku Klux Klan and the Christian Identity movement as examples of extremist groups…However, the first group on the list is evangelical Christianity. (Jack Minor, "Christians Targeted ahead of Muslim Brotherhood, Al-Qaida, KKK," WND, RR News, 4/9/13).

Again, Jesus forewarned about the satanic mindset and how it would act to impact His followers –Christians of the last days. But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me. If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin. He that hateth me hateth my Father also. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. (John 15:21-24)

The only thing the Lord Jesus has done to “offend” the world –the satanic mindset—is to love the world of sinners so much that He died for each and every one of us, individually. He is the only being who has ever lived who can offer the world the peace that has been so desperately sought throughout the millennia.

Despite the satanic mindset that opposes at every turn, we who are Christians are to serve with all our might as royal ambassadors to present God’s peace offering to mankind.