And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. Mark 13:13
The Bible says the days we are living in will be perilous times (2 Timothy 3:1). 2020 has proven this beyond any doubt. First, these are perilous times for unbelievers, because they have no idea who their enemy is, or how to resist him. They’re at the mercy of the devil, and bad news for them - he doesn’t have any! Secondly, these are perilous times for weak and ignorant Christians, who because of doubt and unbelief, are defenseless concerning the devil’s tactics brought to bear against them. 

Simultaneously, these are exciting times for believers who know who they are, and what to expect going forward in Christ. They know how to advance under fire for the Kingdom of God. Because they recognize the end-time signs, they’re able to prepare for successful spiritual warfare. They’ll stand their ground in faith without wavering in fear. Knowing how the devil works will give them the advantage when they engage him on the battlefields ahead (Ephesians 6:13). The Bible declares it best. Wisdom and knowledge will provide us with battlefield stability, and that stability will provide us with all the strength we’ll need to withstand any level of persecution that comes our way in these last days (Isaiah 33:6). 
In 2 Corinthians 2:11, we’re told in the Word of God not to be ignorant of the devil’s devices, and one of the most obvious examples of this is today’s growing animosity and hatred for Christianity. God expects us to be aware of this, and not be surprised (1 Peter 4:12). Jesus specifically addressed this repeatedly. Here are two examples: 

If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. John 15:18.
 
But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, they hated Me without a cause. John 15:25. 

See also Matthew 10:22, Matthew 24:9, Luke 19:14, Luke 21:17, John 15:24 and John 17:14. We’re not to consider it strange when fiery trials come against us, as if something out-of-the-ordinary is happening. We’re told to count it all joy when, not if, we face temptations and trials (James 1:2). Therefore, understand that the hatred driving these attacks against believers is purely demonic in origin. Notice that Jesus said His enemies hated Him without cause. That means while here on earth, there was nothing Jesus ever did to warrant such intense hatred against Him. He went about doing good, and healing all who were oppressed by the devil (Acts 10:38). If we follow our Lord’s commands, we’ll be going about doing good in His name - ministering life and love to those oppressed by the devil. That’s why we’ll be hated the same way Jesus was. He hates God and everything God loves. Satan oppresses people, and God sets them free. In Christ, we are the stronger man who spoils the strong man (see Luke 11: 21-22 – for a detailed teaching on this, get my book “You can be who you already are”). This is what fuels Satan’s hatred for those who obey the Great Commission of Mark 16:15-20. 

The devil is no respecter of persons – he hates every human being – saved or unsaved, just because we are loved by God. Nothing more is needed for him to hate people the way he does, but his hatred for believers is much more intensified.  We have an extra big target on our backs, because only the Christian represents the “boots on the ground” that God uses to wreak havoc throughout the kingdom of darkness, preparing the way for the triumphant return of Jesus. 
The earth has been in spiritual warfare ever since Adam committed treason and opened the door for the devil to gain legal access into the world. From then until now and beyond, God works through people to spread His love and message of salvation. Likewise, Satan works through people to spread his hate, lies and deception. Most of those being used by Satan don’t even know it. He is pulling their strings and they are powerless to resist, because they have allowed him to deceive them. In politics, such a person is referred to as a USEFUL IDIOT. By definition, this is a derogatory term for a person aggressively promoting a cause without fully comprehending the cause’s goals, and who is cynically used by the cause’s leaders. The term was originally used during the Cold War to describe non-communists regarded as susceptible to communist propaganda and manipulation. The term has often been attributed to Vladimir Lenin, one of the principal founders of Communism, but this attribution is unsubstantiated. It doesn’t matter who coined the term on earth, because in reality it originated in the heart of hell. The devil is the originator for this terminology. This is how he views the poor souls who do his bidding.  
Useful idiots are simultaneously laughed at from both heaven and hell. From Satan’s side, he laughs at them for their willful ignorance (2 Peter 3:3-7). Little do they know they themselves are hated by the one driving them to hate Christians as they do. He lies to them, discards them when finished using them, and laughs as they descend into hell for all eternity. On God’s side, He laughs at them for the utter stupidity of rejecting His free gift of salvation, or by thinking the devil can somehow overthrow the plans and purposes of Almighty God. God isn’t the least bit worried or frazzled at their pitiful attempts to stop the Great Commission of Mark 16:15-20. He sees their end, and knows it is coming soon.

The wicked plots against the just, And gnashes at him with his teeth.
The Lord laughs at him, For He sees that his day is coming. Psalms 37:12-13
 
I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your terror comes. Proverbs 1:26.   

Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing?
The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together,
Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, "Let us break Their bonds in pieces
And cast away Their cords from us." He who sits in the heavens shall laugh;
The Lord shall hold them in derision. Then He shall speak to them in His wrath,
And distress them in His deep displeasure:  Psalms 2:1-5

At evening they return, they growl like a dog, and go all around the city.
Indeed, they belch with their mouth; Swords are in their lips; For they say, "Who hears?"
But You, O Lord, shall laugh at them; You shall have all the nations in derision.  Psalms 59:6-8
Don’t let their threats bother you. Yes, we should be praying for our enemies, which is clearly taught throughout the New Testament. But as we pray for them, we should be laughing at their threats right alongside God. It's scriptural to do both at the same time. God tells us to pray for our enemies, but He also expects us to follow His example. If He chooses to love those hate-driven enemies of the gospel, while simultaneously laughing at their insane stupidity, it’s okay if we do the same. It’s a fearful thing to contemplate though – how close these fools are to an eternity in hell. They’re living on borrowed time. Useful idiots have absolutely no hope in this life or the next. Unless they see the light and repent, their day of violent departure from planet earth is imminent.

God shall likewise destroy you forever; He shall take you away, and pluck you out of your dwelling place, And uproot you from the land of the living. The righteous also shall see and fear, And shall laugh at him, saying, "Here is the man who did not make God his strength, But trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness."
Psalms 52:5-7
Why should we follow God’s response when attacked by those driven by demonic hatred? Because the joy of the Lord is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10), and its critical we stay battle-strong in the face of withering attacks fueled by demonic hatred. Joy is different than happiness. Joy is a fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22). It comes from the inside, from our born-again spirit. Happiness is a feeling. It comes from the outside, from our dead-to-sin flesh. Anyone can experience happiness – saint or sinner alike. Only a Christian can experience joy. It’s not just a spiritual fruit, but also a powerful spiritual force that has the ability to carry us through the most difficult of times - when there is nothing to be happy about. This is how Jesus could endure the horrors of being tortured and then crucified (Hebrews 12:1-2). This is how Paul and Silas could be singing praises to God at midnight, with their feet fast in the stocks, having been severely whipped, beaten and thrown into the deepest, darkest prison cell (Acts 16:24).   That’s what joy can do for us – and there’s no better way to release that joy than through laughter! Listen to what Jesus has to say about this:

Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you, And revile you, and cast out your name as evil, For the Son of Man's sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets. Luke 6:22-23
Let’s take a closer look at what Jesus said. He said “blessed are you when…” When what? When men shall hate you! That means the hatred spewed forth against us is actually working to increase the level of blessings coming our way in Christ! You’re blessed when you’re hated for Jesus – rejoice and leap for joy! When you’re excluded – rejoice and leap for joy! That means when people don’t want to be even near you because you’re Christian. When you’re reviled – rejoice and leap for joy! That means when you’re being cursed at, with all manner of verbal filth hurled at you and your loved ones. When they hate the very mention of your name because you’re a disciple of Jesus – rejoice and leap for joy! The more they do these things the more blessed you are – now and forever in heaven. When do we do all of this rejoicing and leaping for joy? The same day you’re hated, excluded, reviled, and ostracized for the Lord’s sake. As they say, just laugh it off! Why? For two reasons. First, a merry heart does good like a medicine (Proverbs 17:22). Its therapeutic for you physically. Second, as you’re laughing and leaping for joy down here, your rewards in heaven are becoming greater and greater by the day - rewards you’ll enjoy for all eternity. 

Allowing the joy of the Lord to lead us to laughter when facing the hordes of haters – is a discipline every front-line Christian soldier must develop. If you haven’t had a good belly laugh over your enemies lately, do so – and put a spring in your step when you do! Don’t be intimidated by those who speak evil to you, or threaten you at work, at school, or anywhere else Jesus has placed you. Leap for joy! You are His witness, and He’ll always be at your side to protect you. It’s a very stupid thing to come against a child of God (Psalms 105:14-15), and that’s who you are. Let God defend you, because He delights in doing so. Love them and pray for their salvation, but do so as you laugh and joyfully leap in the face of their hatred for who you are, and for who you represent. Remember, Jesus said the gates of hell will never prevail against the church (Matthew 16:18). Never. 
You Can Be Who You Already Are
This book is written with a sense of urgency unlike any other the author has written. You Can Be Who You Already Are has at its main core the purpose of helping believers fearlessly rise up in the midst of all the chaos around us and embrace the tremendous opportunities we have to win souls for Jesus in the last days. Many points or verses are repeated for emphasis to help us really grasp the truths presented through the repetition of certain passages, stories or examples found in scripture. You will be enlightened, reminded and encouraged to be who you already are in Christ. You can be the StrongerMan, members of God s congregation of the mighty. You can be who you already are!
Advancing Under Fire

In today’s world there has been a gradual “slide” away from God and the things of God. What was once thought perverse and unthinkable is now thought to be the norm. Churches and ministers are bending over backwards to appease people calling, their approach “user friendly” or “seeker friendly,” not wishing to “offend” anyone. In Advancing Under Fire, Mike Keyes Sr. challenges the body of Christ to rise up, shed the mistakes and failures of the past, and join forces to engage the enemy with the truth of the Gospel.

Advancing Under Fire is a must read for anyone who desires to be used by God in these last days. It goes beyond the truths expressed in the author’s previous book, Military Mentality, and presents the very real-world facts about life and death. Christianity is not a passive concept and the body of Christ is not a reactionary army. We are an aggressive group of dedicated soldiers. Jesus gave us the command to charge! We have been told to advance and so we will – but it will always be under fire!
Military Mentality

Military Mentality concerns the global war raging at this moment over the souls of humankind. Time is running out and human society worldwide is in an obvious and accelerating death spiral. We must do all we can while we can to rescue the lost by introducing them to Jesus, who alone can snatch them from eternal doom, destruction and damnation in hell. Nothing is more important than this! Through careful examination of the challenges the United States faced in World War II, the parallels are shocking in their simplicity and biblical power as they relate to our key role in bringing our enemies to their knees in surrender. The body of Christ is at war and faces many of the same challenges faced in World War II. Our weapons are different and our enemies are not flesh and blood. However, we can apply many crucial lessons we learned in the war to our fights of faith today.
Daily Devotionals. Find them on our Mike Keyes Ministries International Facebook page. 
Read them. Learn from them. Apply them.   

Also, if you have friends who need to stay in touch with us through these newsletters, please forward this information, and have them add their email address to our ever-growing list of partners and friends of this ministry. Direct them to www.mkmi.info where they can submit their email at the bottom of the page.

Have you missed any of MKMI's newsletters? Check out the newsletter archive HERE.