How can we recognize when enemies "raise a tumult" against God today? Setting the Scene from Psalm 83:2 “See how Your enemies rage, how Your foes rear their heads.” The Spirit shows that hostility toward the Lord is noisy, public, and self-assertive. That same pattern repeats today. Ways Enemies “Raise a Tumult” Now • Open blasphemy—mocking or cursing God’s name in media, classrooms, politics (Exodus 20:7). • Legal pressures that forbid or punish biblical obedience (Daniel 6:5–11; Acts 5:28–29). • Cultural celebration of sin that Scripture plainly condemns (Isaiah 5:20; Romans 1:32). • Aggressive efforts to silence or marginalize biblical voices online and in public forums (Amos 5:10). • Uniting diverse groups solely around hostility to Christ and His people (Psalm 2:1–3; Revelation 17:13–14). • Distorting the gospel into a man-centered message—denying the deity of Christ, the necessity of the cross, or the call to repentance (Galatians 1:6–9; 2 Peter 2:1–3). • Systematic persecution—loss of employment, fines, imprisonment, violence for confessing Christ (Matthew 5:11–12; 2 Timothy 3:12). Telltale Attitudes Behind the Noise • Pride—“We will not have this Man to reign over us” (Luke 19:14). • Autonomy—exalting human opinion above God’s Word (Judges 21:25). • Rage—irrational fury whenever Scripture is quoted (Acts 7:54–57). • Conspiracy—strategic planning to erase Christian influence (Psalm 83:3–4). • Fear-mongering—insisting that biblical morality harms society (John 11:48). Guardrails for Discernment • Measure every claim against clear Scripture (Acts 17:11). • Watch for fruit: does this movement produce righteousness or rebellion? (Matthew 7:16–20). • Listen to the Spirit, not the crowd (John 16:13; 1 John 4:4–6). • Remember that the gospel will always be “a stumbling block” to the world (1 Corinthians 1:23). Encouraging Truths to Hold Fast • God laughs at raging nations; His plan stands (Psalm 2:4; Proverbs 19:21). • Christ already triumphed; opposition, however loud, is temporary (Colossians 2:15). • The Word cannot be chained (2 Timothy 2:9). • Those who fear the Lord will shine in a crooked generation (Philippians 2:15). |
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