Is Mesa Baptist Church under spiritual attack? Photo: Google Earth
Police are investigating a number of arson fires outside churches located in Mesa, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix.
According to an article on Charisma News, there have been six fires reported. Three were set in May at Mesa Baptist Church, two set in June at the East Mesa Christian Church and Pilgrim Lutheran Church and one in July at Calvary Baptist Church.
It doesn’t seem these were deliberate attempts to set the churches on fire as they were set in front of church doors, but far enough back not to affect the building.
The fires may have actually been a form of satanic sacrifice.
In each case, the fires involved burning a pile of Bibles.
Mark Rice, senior pastor of Mesa Baptist church, noticed the words “Hail Satan” had been scratched into a gate near one pile of burned Bibles. Bibles are often burned during Satanic black masses as a sacrifice.
The fires were also set in very open areas where the person(s) could easily have been seen, heightening the risk of capture.
Satan craves worship
The word “hail” used in this sense means to acclaim. It is derived from an old Germanic word “hāl” — its modern German equivalent being “heil.” During World War II, people were forced to use “Heil Hitler” as a greeting which repeatedly acclaimed Hitler as their sovereign leader. The English phrase “Hail the King” does the same thing.
The phrase “ave Maria” used in the Roman Catholic Church’s Latin mass is similarly translated as “hail Mary.”
In the temptation of Christ recorded in Matthew, we read:
Again, the devil *took Him to a very high mountain and *showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; 9 and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus *said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’” (Matthew 4:8-10 NASV)
Satan offered Jesus everything for a moment of worship from the Son of God. Satan craves worship from his followers.
In the Mesa incidents, I believe these Bible burning incidents were a form of sacrifice and the risk associated with it heightened the worship.
This isn’t the first time the phrase “Hail Satan” has popped up. During pro Life demonstrations at the Texas Legislature in July 2013 supporting the government’s move to restrict abortion, a pro-life spokesperson was speaking and those supporting abortion began to chant “hail Satan.” The confrontation was recorded using a phone.
In August 2013, someone painted the words along with an upside down cross and pentagram on the walls of the Brethren Church in Danville, Virginia. The words in this instance were written in Latin.
Christians need to recognize that the spiritual war we have talked about for years is suddenly becoming very real.
Read more:
OpentheWord.org 