We Will Take The Small Victory -- But Stay On your Guard!

     Thanks to a faithful reader who commented on a post, I learned that the replica of the destroyed Arch from the Temple of Baal has been cancelled for New York City and London!  Before I made it public on this blog, I wanted to be certain ... and sure enough, it was confirmed by several reliable sources on the internet.
     As far as I can tell, no replica arch will be constructed in Times Square, but London is going ahead with a reproduction of the Arch of Triumph, which the Romans originally built in Palmyra and that has nothing to do with Baal, the pagan god.  As you may or may not know, the United Nations (and UNESCO) wanted to construct these 3-D replicas as an "act of defiance" against ISIS, who destroyed the entrance to the Temple of Baal in Palmyra, Syria last year.
     I, for one, do not underestimate the importance of Christians across this country praying against the installation of such a pagan symbol in the city that represents this nation's economic prosperity.  And, in case you are unaware of this spiritual significance, I will let columnist Matt Barber explain it in clear and precise language:  "Baal worship involved burning infants alive, and ritualistic Baal worship, in sum, looked a little like this: Adults would gather around the altar of Baal. Infants would then be burned alive as a sacrificial offering to the deity. Amid horrific screams and the stench of charred human flesh, congregants – men and women alike – would engage in bisexual orgies... The ritual of convenience (of getting rid of the unwanted consequences of the orgies) was intended to produce economic prosperity by prompting Baal to bring rain for the fertility of 'mother earth'. "
     Do you see the connection between New York City/Wall Street and the worship of Baal to produce economic prosperity?  And do you also see the similarity between the ancient pagan "rituals" and our practices of abortion and sexual immorality?  By our prayers and repentance, did we convince God to delay His judgment for just a little longer, so that we might bring about a nationwide repentance?  I would like to think so... but for now, I am just thanking Him for His grace and mercy!

The real Arch of Triumph in Palmyra,
before its destruction by ISIS

     So, I'm here to tell you that we're not out of the woods by a long shot! We must remain on our guard and be vigilant.  We must not think the Enemy will give up this easily.  And, so I wanted to know the historical and spiritual significance of this alternate Arch that will be constructed in London; Trafalgar Square, to be exact.  What are the underlying implications of it's construction and what clues could I find in regard to the Enemy's next attack?
     To begin with, the Arch of Triumph in Palmyra, Syria, is also known as the Monument Arch, or the Arch of Septimius Severus, a Roman emperor who ruled from 193 AD to 211 AD.  After conquering his rivals for Emperor, he consolidated his rule over the Western provinces, and defeated the Parthian Empire in the East, which consisted of the political and cultural power in ancient Iran and Iraq.  Late in his reign, he actually travelled to Britain, strengthening Roman power in that region and invading Scotland.  But he fell fatally ill in late 210 AD, and died in early 2011, in what is now York, England.  His sons succeeded him as Emperor; and ultimately, Severus founded the Severan dynasty, the last dynasty of the empire before what became known as the "Crisis of the Third Century.".  This period was also known as the "Military Anarchy" or the "Imperial Crisis", (AD 235–284) in which the Roman Empire nearly collapsed under the combined pressures of invasion, civil war, plague, and economic depression.
     Are you starting to connect the dots yet?  Nothing ... and I mean nothing ... is really new in the history of the world.  It has always been about the same thing since the Garden of Eden.  Lucifer, the Enemy of God and His Chosen, is trying to convince the peoples of the earth to be disobedient to God's commandments; to place themselves as equals to the Creator; by tempting them to become like him:  a lover of self, rebellious, prideful, boastful, arrogant, and unholy.
     These Arches are monuments to empires ruled by pagan men who could not afford the division that Christianity versus paganism caused in their domains.  Although Severus was called both a persecutor and an apologist by early Church historians, he felt the need to promote religious harmony by promoting syncretism, and by possibly issuing an edict that punished conversion to Judaism and Christianity.  According to Wikipedia, Syncretism is "the combining of different, often contradictory beliefs, while blending practices of various schools of thought. Syncretism involves the merger and analogizing of several originally discrete traditions, especially in the theology and mythology of religion, thus asserting an underlying unity and allowing for an inclusive approach to other faiths." [My emphasis].
      Can you see where I'm coming from?  Do you think it is simply coincidence that the monument to a Roman Emperor, who promoted synchronization of different faiths is being constructed in one of the capitals of Europe?  Do you find it interesting that this monument, which was originally built in the heart of the Parthian Empire (a province that this Roman Emperor defeated in war), will now be built in the heart of modern-day western Europe?  Do you not think that this has mega-significance in the spiritual realm?  We must not lose sight of the fact that the early Roman acceptance of other cultures' religions into their own made it easy for them to integrate the newly encountered religions they found as a result of their expansion.  Could the Enemy be turning that historical fact on its ear, and could the building of this monument in London play into the current scenario of Islamic migrants and refugees flooding into Europe?
     Remember that Emperor Severus, for whom this Arch of Triumph was built, was part of the last dynasty before "the Roman Empire nearly collapsed (in the Third Century) under the combined pressures of invasion, civil war, plague, and economic depression."  Will we, in the 21st Century, see our own period of "Anarchy" or "Crisis" from invasion, civil war, plague, and economic depression?  Is this Arch meant to prophesy that coming doom?  Is it a symbol of the impending collapse of Europe?
     Here is what I want to leave you with ... While we can breath a sigh of relief that the entrance to the Temple of Baal will not be reproduced in New York City, there is no guarantee that this Arch of Triumph will not eventually be installed in Times Square.  The Institute of Digital Archeology (IDA), creators of the new monument, made this statement:  "There will be no simultaneous unveiling in New York – they may transport the London arch there later, or build another one...".  So, you can see, this may just be a brief respite before the Enemy tries another attack against our spiritual armor.  I would tell you to keep praying, repent of the sins of this nation, and ask God to forgive us.  Ask for a Holy Fire to sweep our land and renew us; ask that we not be led into temptation [to follow after our own desires and knowledge], but be delivered from Evil.  One more day of Grace means one more day to help save a soul.

Ecclesiastes 1:9   "What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing new under the sun."


   

Isaiah 38:17

Indeed, it was for my own welfare

that I had such great bitterness;

but Your love has delivered me

from the Pit of destruction,

for You have thrown all my sins behind Your back.

     How many of us are familiar with the emotions that accompany this image?  Have you ever felt so far down in the "Pit of destruction" that all you can glimpse is just a small piece of a blue sky?  The Scripture that I have chosen today is speaking so strongly to what I have been witnessing over the last few weeks.

     As you know, if you are a regular reader, the Lord has brought new revelation to my husband and myself about our authority in Christ to receive spiritual healing.  So many Christians are secure in their salvation, but in misery in their bondage and oppression.  They love the Lord, but deep down in the recesses of their soul (their mind, emotions, and will), they do not trust Him to forgive them of their sins.  And, boy, does that present an easy target for the Enemy to disrupt our relationship with Jesus, and cause confusion and chaos in our lives.

     In Chapters 36 and 37 of Isaiah, we read of the challenge directed to God and His people by King Sennacherib of Assyria.  Remember, that in the Bible, Assyria represent's sin and man's intellectual reasoning for why he sins.  The result of this reasoning is that we end up justifying our sins instead of believing that God can truly rid us of them, if we will just turn towards Him in repentance and ask for His forgiveness.

     Historically, King Sennacherib has come against all the fortified cities of Judah and conquered them.  As he approaches Jerusalem, he mocks those who believe that the Lord can save them from his (Sennacherib) assault.  In Isaiah 36:4-5, the wicked king sends his emissary to speak to the Jewish king, Hezekiah: "Say to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: On what do you rest this trust of yours?  Do you think that mere words are strategy and power for war? In whom do you now trust, that you have rebelled against me?"

     This is exactly what the Enemy does to the faithful today!  He taunts us with whispers of doubt about our ability to truly trust the Lord.  He ridicules us for thinking that mere "words" can save us from the destruction he is trying to take us towards.  And so he sends spirits of bitterness, and anger, and self-rejection, and self-loathing for all the things we know we have done to offend our Lord.  And then he sends perhaps the strongest spirit to interrupt our salvation process ... unforgiveness; the unforgiveness we have towards others who have hurt us, and the unforgiveness we think we deserve. And the Enemy tells us that our human reasoning is right; that person deserves our anger or bitterness, and does not deserve to be forgiven.  Furthermore, we don't deserve to be forgiven because we harbor these sinful emotions.  

     I believe that is why King Hezekiah fell ill in Chapter 38.  Although God heard the prayers of Hezekiah and destroyed Assyria's attempts to defeat Jerusalem, Hezekiah could not let go of his guilt, shame, and bitterness over how the House of Israel had blasphemed and disobeyed the Lord.  He knew they had sinned against the Lord, but he allowed the Enemy to insert seeds of doubt about the Lord's trustworthiness, and his own unworthiness.  Upon the defeat of Sennacherib, Hezekiah had expected nothing but an uninterrupted peace to himself and his government, but he was suddenly seized with a sickness in his spirit; a knowledge of his pride, shame, and guilt.  This resulted in spiritual bitterness, and it resulted in such despair that it seemed to be the bitterness of death itself. This was his condition when God sent him deliverance and balm for his soul.

     This is what I have seen this week.  Wonderfully, faithful Christians have been brought to the depths of desperation because of the taunts and lies of the devil.  Just as Hezekiah says in verse 17, "It was for my own welfare that I suffered this bitterness [of soul]."  Because he was so sick in his soul, and at such a desperate place, he was ready to allow Jesus to minister to Him.  And that is what I witnessed this week... several women who were so sick and tired of being sick in their souls with shame, guilt, and unforgiveness, that they were ready to allow Jesus to deliver them from their own personal Pit.

     They were ready to hand over all the garbage that resulted from the lies of the Enemy to Jesus, and  let Him and the Holy Spirit remove the shame, and guilt, and bitterness from them, "as far as the east is from the west".  And then they were able to give Him the most destructive of all their sins... unforgiveness; the sin that keeps us in perpetual bondage, because we cannot be forgiven, if we don't forgive.  Once that millstone was removed, they could truly be set free from their spiritual oppression.  They were able to imagine, in their spirit, what Jesus did with those sins.  For one, it was throwing them into the Pit; for another, it was casting them into a Holy Fire.  But for both, it was similar to Hezekiah saying, "You have thrown all my sins behind Your back."

     It can be the same for all Christians today, if we would only allow Christ to heal our "sickness" as God healed Hezekiah's.  This King of Israel suffered the same spiritual battle that we face today.  The Enemy taunts us with our failures, and it is not until we are willing to lay those burdens at the feet of Jesus, and allow Him to plant the Cross and the empty tomb between us and our adversary, that we will be healed and set free.  Who wants to live their life with only a glimpse of that beautiful blue sky?  Let Jesus and the Holy Spirit deliver you out of that deep Pit where the Enemy has you bound, and come into the full and bountiful life a captive set free!

Why Religious Freedom Protection Laws Are Under Attack

     Frankly, I'm getting tired of Big Business and the Entertainment Industry distorting the attempt by state legislatures to apply some common sense to the culture war over same-sex marriage, transgenderism, and other LGBT issues.  I know we now live in a world where God's commandments are no longer seen as the guide by which we should live our lives.  And I realize that there is no way to put this genie back in the bottle.  The Supreme Court (man's law) has supplanted God's laws.... at least in the public square.
     It is hard to ignore the battle that is creeping across our land, as states enact individual laws that some Americans argue protect our religious beliefs and rights, while others argue that these pieces of legislation are discriminatory against the LGBT community.

     Mississippi and North Carolina are in the public crosshairs for their recently passed legislation that proposes to protect the religious beliefs of their citizens; but the truth is that nearly 200 bills have been proposed in various state legislatures in 2016.  I can't help but feel it is in response to the citizenry's alarm over businesses, such as bakeries and florists, who have not been allowed to run their companies according to their consciences, along with the disconcerting transgender bathroom movement.
     But perhaps just as unsettling is the distortion and downright lies being engendered by corporations and entertainers, who misrepresent what the laws are designed to accomplish.  Gina Miller, has written a sharp and incisive article on Barbwire.com, pointing out the inconsistencies and the misrepresentations of the Mississippi law.  In her article, she writes, "It’s certainly distressing to see the large corporations and senseless celebrities and politicians babbling their nonsense about a law that only reiterates our fundamental, God-given rights of conscience that are already protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution... This is not about a homosexual being denied generic products or services, nor is this about denying “single mothers baby shower services,” because none of that is happening."
     She continues:  "Another of the big lies pushed by opponents of Mississippi’s law is that it’s no different than “Jim Crow” laws, that this is a “civil rights” issue.  That is a grotesquely sinister affront to the genuine civil rights struggle that black people engaged in."  I must agree!  Black people, white people, yellow people, brown people, and all people are equivalent in God's eyes.  He created us all!  But when we are rebellious to His natural order; when we do not recognize His sovereignty in determining marriage, the sex of a person, or how we are to respect Him and each other, then by what "right" can we demand that all must conform?
     In essence, what the opponents of both the Mississippi and North Carolina legislation are trying to do is to "rebrand" religious liberty (upon which this nation was founded) as nothing less than bigotry, intolerance, and hatred.  Not so!  What the new laws are attempting to do is to prevent discrimination by ensuring the government will not force people to violate their conscience in very specific contexts spelled out by the law.
     As Jennifer Marshall at Religious News Service points out, "For starters, Mississippi’s new law ensures that churches and other religious groups aren’t punished for declining to host or solemnize weddings that would violate their conscience. Remember the controversy over Kim Davis, the county clerk in Kentucky? Mississippi won’t have that kind of a showdown because the new law ensures everyone eligible for a marriage license gets one without delay while also accommodating individual clerks who want to opt out of issuing marriage licenses altogether."  (While I'm pretty sure that this is still too accommodating for our Lord, how can anyone declare this is a hate law?)
     Ms. Marshall also points to the fact that "the law also ensures religious schools and ministries, [who are] serving those in need, can continue to set their personnel and housing policies in accord with their beliefs. (This provision covers only religious organizations, not businesses. The law has nothing to do with business hiring or landlord policies.) Faith-based adoption agencies will be free to continue placing every child they serve with a married mom and dad... While bakers, a photographer, and a florist in other states have faced massive fines, creative professionals in wedding-related businesses in Mississippi cannot be coerced to use their talents to celebrate same-sex weddings."
     Isn't it time that these business owners be protected, based on their faith?  And why should people of faith be forced to give in to the pressure for transgender bathrooms?  I applaud Mississippi's new law, which allows private businesses and schools to set their own policies for the use of bathrooms, showers, and locker rooms. But would it surprise you to know that PayPal announced plans to cancel an office expansion in North Carolina after that state passed a similar privacy protection measure?  Even though the law leaves them and other businesses free to make these policies however they see fit?
     Am I reading this wrong, but does it look as if Big Business and the Elite Corporations have no desire in compromising -- although I hate that word?  Doesn't it seem as if they want Christians and Christian businesses to bow down to the morally corrupt culture, and admit our defeat?  But here is the truth that they will never admit, and don't want the general public to know:  Most of the new law is about protecting religious groups and individuals who have a different perspective on marriage. It guarantees their religious freedom while not taking anything away from anyone else. What the new law is trying to express is that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect regardless of differences.  Big Business and the Entertainment Industry believe in that precept, too -- unless you are Christian, and wish to live your life (which includes how you conduct business) according to your moral conscience and faith.
     I just want you to be cognizant of this media and marketing blitz that is going to come against the religious community.  We are already seeing it on nearly every TV commercial and prime time show. They are targeting our children in school, and portraying the faithful as bigoted, hate-filled, insensitive and intolerant.  "Transgenderism" is the new cause célebré; children are encouraged to seek their "true" gender, which could be the opposite of that in which they were born, or any number of variations, according to their desires and what they would "like" to be.  Experimentation and imagination are invited and cultivated.
     The Bible tells us that immorality will increase in The Last Days, and even tells us what an immoral society looks like:  People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.   I think men wanting to dress as women and using the womens' bathrooms pretty much hits the target of immorality, wouldn't you say?
     So, while we watch our society and culture grow further away from our Christian morals and values, we can expect the backlash and the distance between us to grow.  The discord between the faithful and the faithless will become rampant; and sadly, those weak in their faith will walk away from the hope that is Jesus, and distance themselves from us, too.  But I'm not telling you anything you didn't know.  It's just hard to watch it coming so fast, and almost without a fight.  At the same time, it is our privilege to stand for God in this battle, and to seek His Spirit for courage and endurance.  We know it's coming ... and we know what we must do!

Matthew 24:11-12    "Many false prophets will appear and mislead many.  Because lawlessness is increased, the love of most people will grow cold."

Beware A Boastful Tongue!

     Have you seriously considered why in the world all the young girls across this nation seem to be enthralled with sharing photos of themselves sticking out their tongues?  Is your spirit pricked with an uneasiness that tells you there is more to this than just frivolity?  Well, I'm here to tell you there is.
     I, like adults of every generation, have looked upon the entertainment industry as a possible instrument of the devil; a tool of temptation that will lead our youth astray.  When I was young, I laughed at my own parents' concerns, considering them to be out-of-touch and too old-fashioned.  Yet I can see where those suggestive lyrics and the loosening of sexual standards only served to encourage much of the debauchery in evidence today.  And I'm pretty sure that this generation feels the same way about our warnings as we did our parents.
     But what they don't know is this … they didn't invent this viral social media rage of sticking out your tongue in every photo you post online.  Actually, it can be traced to the Hindu goddess, Kali.  Furthermore, they don't know that her identity can be traced back to the Queen of Heaven/Mother Goddess worship.  One of the foremost promoters of this worship, which honored Baal's consort, was the wicked Phoenician princess, Jezebel, who married the evil king of Israel, Ahab.
     As I wrote in an earlier post, Jezebel influenced Ahab to fully establish Baal worship in his realm. In Phoenicia, Baalism included the worship of Molech with fiery sacrifices of children and the worship of Astarte, the Phoenician Ishtar, Queen of Heaven.  Jezebel caused altars to be erected to this idol in every part of Israel; and at one time four hundred priests attended the worship of Ishtar/Ashteroth.  She had such a powerful control over Ahab, that he built a temple to Baal, and the Bible records that he sinned against God more than any other king.  But here's the result of that idolatrous relationship:  The nation of Israel became so entangled with the Queen of Heaven/Mother Goddess worship that YHWH judged them by sending them into captivity by the hand of the Assyrians, and the nation of Israel was scattered to the ends of the earth.
      And how did this Queen of Heaven/Mother Goddess express her immorality and debauchery?  By sticking out her tongue!  And today, our young girls and women mimic her, without even knowing what they are doing!  It seems that everywhere you look now on television and the Internet, the craze of sticking out the tongue is rampant.  And the media stars of this generation are leading the way.
     It seems that with every performance, Beyoncé, Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, and their peers can be seen posing for the camera with their tongues sticking out.  How in the world did this become something worthy of imitating?  Well, I don't have to tell you that there is a war on for the hearts and minds of our children, and we are losing this battle with each passing day. As a 2013 article in Before Its News reported, the Devil is so sure of victory that he no longer feels the need to hide what he is doing. He knows that we – even born again Christians – have gotten so cold, so lazy, we don’t pray, we don’t read our Bibles – that we offer little to no resistance.
     The essence of the tongue pose is sexual perversion, indecency, lewdness and promiscuity; and it has great spiritual value to the dark side.  Entertainment moguls such as Jay-Z boldly sport famed occultist Alistair Crowley's immoral motto, "Do What Thou Wilt" emblazoned on his clothing line.  And he parades his stable of willing young female entertainers (who seem to have sold their souls for fame and stardom), showcasing them flashing Illuminati signs and occult symbolism.  And our youth blindly follow, not even knowing that they are paying homage to wickedness in the spiritual realm.
     Furthermore, the erection of a replica of the Temple of Baal in New York City this next weekend, is openly inviting the spirit of that false god into our heartland.  What you might not know is this ... worship at the Temple of Baal involved public orgies and displays of unrestricted sex among all participants.  If, unfortunately, a pregnancy occurred, then the unwanted offspring of those liaisons were offered in fiery sacrifices to the god Molech.  Jezebel would be proud to know that once again the Temple of Baal will be bringing its ungodly influence to the world. Will God judge us as He did ancient Israel for our idolatry?  Will He hand us over to captivity and the fruits of our rebellion?  It remains to be seen, but I cannot imagine that He will delay His anger much longer.
     But, here is what saddens me, and to be honest, frightens me, as well.  I decided to ask a question of several young women whom I admire and respect; moral young ladies whom I know love the Lord -- yet, they too, have succumbed to the popularity of this viral pose.  I asked them, "What is the meaning of this pose?  Does it have a particular significance to your generation?"  Here are their answers:
     "That's a great question, actually!  Some think it looks cute and they probably do it to attract guys. They usually do it when they think they're hot stuff and think it makes them out to look even hotter, and more out there; like they want something from a guy.  And then there are some people who do it just because that's what everyone else is doing in pics.  So it kind of seems to become the norm for girls to do it in pictures they post, whether a girl is meaning for it to have a message behind it, or it is just an innocent pose to fit in [with the crowd.]"
      Another young friend said, " I wish I had a better answer, but as far as I know, it doesn't really mean anything more than just being a silly thing to do.  It's like when you're a kid, it's kind of a mocking thing to do, and as an adult, it seems almost self-mocking.  That's how I feel about it, but I could be wrong."
     And my third young friend told me, "I don't think it means anything specific.  I think it's more of trying to look cute or maybe just an "I don't care what you think" pose.  Occasionally, when it's done it means something sexual (when fingers are involved with the pose)."
     As you can see, all three have no clear meaning of what the tongue pose tells the viewer; although they all instinctively know there is something negative about it, even sexually suggestive.  But it was the last comment that made me do a little more research.  Obviously, there is an intentioned meaning when fingers are involved.  If young girls are imitating this pose -- and some innocently -- I wanted to know what message they were sending.
     I apologize if what I found out is offensive, but we cannot and should not ignore what is being perpetrated among our youth.  Let's just say that the Urban Dictionary's definition was too graphic, and let it suffice to mean the simulation of oral sex.
     Once again, I feel I'm screaming from the rafters, but technology and phones have become the tool of the devil!  I know that sounds like I am an uptight, straight-laced prude -- and believe me, I am morally incensed because I know how easy it was for me to be misled and misguided in my youth!  I am not pointing fingers, without having looked in the mirror of my own past.
     It just grieves me to see the beauty and innocence of our young women being distorted into something that is perverse, immodest, and defiling.  They are unwittingly paying homage to false gods and diminishing their own self-worth in the eyes of the True God.  And I cannot ignore the warning of Isaiah 57:3-5:  "But come here, you sons of a sorceress [raised in deception and superstition], Offspring of an adulterer and a loose woman [prostitute].  Of whom do you mock [make fun]? Against whom do you open wide your mouth and stick out your tongue? Are you not children of rebellion (sin), Offspring of deceit, Who inflame yourselves [with lust in pagan rites] among the oaks, Under every green and leafy tree, Who slaughter the children [in sacrifice] in the ravines under the clefts of the rocks?"
     After reading back over this, I realize that I will look and sound like a religious fanatic.  I do not consider myself either "religious" or filled with single-minded zeal over this topic.  Rather, I feel I am able to look beyond this world's interpretation of such actions, and see the consequences in the spiritual realm.  And whether they know it or not, our young girls and young women are in rebellion against the God that many profess to love.  They are being led astray by a culture that enshrines the immoral and the occult.  Pray for our youth!  Pray that they will be unblinded and detach themselves from the temptation that technology offers them.  And pray that it happens before they are completely enslaved to its alluring and enticing whispers of deception and debauchery.

Psalm 12:3-4     "May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that makes great boasts, those who say, 'With our tongue we will prevail, our lips are with us; who is master over us?' "

Why Is The Constitution Becoming Irrelevant?

     We have heard this refrain for several decades now ... The Constitution has outlived its usefulness; it is a "living document" and therefore, its original intent is no longer significant.  It probably goes without saying that the political forces that are behind the "government machine" would like nothing better than to remove the one document that restricts their power.  They are not particularly fond of the opening words, "We the People", which clearly establishes that the government exists to serve the people, not the other way around.
     One cannot argue with the historical context of the Constitution -- that it was written to protect the rights of citizens from a government that was either too weak or too powerful.  We must remember that even the idea of a Constitution "for the People" was a radical and new concept on the world stage.  Prior to the rebels who dared to stand up to King George III, no other nation of peoples had ever attempted self-rule.  The American Revolution was not simply a rebellion against the king of England, it was a rebellion against being ruled by kings in general. And once that war was won, it became very important to determine exactly what system would ensure that individual rights would be secured by the rule of law.

     Our schools used to teach the U.S. Constitution as a matter of public education.  I can remember studying the seven different Articles, and how they affected the separation of powers and the checks and balances of Government.  We were tested on the Bill of Rights and the significance of the various Amendments; and how they were written to strengthen our individual rights and restrict any unlawful intrusion upon those rights by a tyrannical government.  That was then.
     Today, we teach our kids that the Constitution is just a historical document; no longer relevant to a modern society.  I must admit that our leaders certainly act as if this is so.  Presidential Executive Orders specifically violate the Constitution; the Supreme Court redefines what constitutes a "tax" (clearly a violation of their Constitutional duties); and the Legislative Body regularly changes the method of voting on Bills, depending on which Party is in power.  It is conspicuously clear that their oath "to defend the Constitution" is insincere at best; and worthless as evidenced by their conduct.
     While we can chalk up the diminishing relevancy of our Founding Document to the ravages of time and new concepts of society and government, there is one theory that we haven't considered, and I think it is perhaps the most insightful.
     We have forgotten the passion that ideas like "Liberty" and "Personal Rights" and "Sacred Honor" could burn in the hearts of people who clung to a "firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence", which by the way, in the lexicon of the times, meant "Jehovah God".  Those brave colonists who dared to stand up to the mightiest monarch and army in all the world -- who believed so strongly in their right to personal freedoms that came from their Creator -- knew that it was going to take a strong concept of government to guarantee those rights.  And they chose Leaders who understood the gravity and the foundation of those rights.
     President John Adams warned: "Because we have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion ... our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."
     "Made only for a moral and religious people".  Can we still say we fit that description?  Can our leaders be described as "moral and religious"?  If there is even a moment of hesitancy in our answers, then we can see why the Constitution is no longer held in high regard by either the citizenry or elected officials.
     Have we lost the truth that morality and faith in the Judeo-Christian God formed the bedrock of conventional thinking, society, and education at the founding of this country?  Modern secularists will deny that last statement, and proponents such as Susan Jacoby of the Center for Inquiry, have argued that America was established on reason and meant to be a secular republic, as seen with the First Amendment outlining a separation of church and state.
     To be honest, I get tired of this distorted argument.  The First Amendment clearly states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...".  They were simply making it clear, within the context of the time they lived, that there would be no State Religion by which everyone was expected to worship.  They were responding to the history of the early colonists, many of whom had fled persecution and imprisonment and loss of property as a result of pursuing their desire to worship as they pleased.  This Amendment was designed to allow citizens to choose their own faith, and there is absolutely no evidence that the Constitution promotes a secular republic!
     The importance of Biblical morality in colonial America is no more apparent than in the fact that Thomas Paine, who was certainly not a Christian, used the Bible extensively in arguing for the Revolution in his persuasive pamphlet, Common Sense.  The Bible, its moral principles and values; and most certainly, its underlying theme of freedom played an important role in determining the justification for the founding of America and its governing documents ... even by non-religious men.  Sadly, I do not see the same adherence today.
     Whether we have totally lost that foundation remains to be seen.  The Constitution, which embodies the spirit of those moral cornerstones, is increasingly ignored and flouted.  Do we still have it in us to "rely on the protection of Divine Providence?"  And whether or not we agree that God played a direct part in the hearts and minds of those who established this country and our form of government, there can be no denial that He has brought about much good from the freedom that was won as a result.  The question before us is this:  Can we continue to succeed and prosper as a nation if that astounding Document of Individual Freedom and Liberty is shredded beyond recognition?   Do we realize that without it, the very structure of our government becomes null and void, and tyranny and dictatorship will fill that vacuum?   It may be an old, antique document, but it is neither archaic nor obsolete.  It stands between me and you, and a potentially cruel and oppressive government.  We better hang on to every scrap of it!

James 2:12    "So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty."




   

Matthew 18:11

"For the Son of Man has come to save the lost."

     Can we agree that this verse is a foundational tenet of our faith?  Let me paraphrase ... That God so loved the depraved and sinful world (who consistently rejected Him), that He sent Himself in fleshly form (and in the person of a beloved Son) to offer a way for us to return to relationship with Him by believing [and believing in] that Son.  Upon that belief (faith) in the Son, we can avoid eternal separation from Him and dwell with Him forever, escaping a final destruction .... He came to save the lost! 

     So why do you think that some modern versions of the Bible have eliminated this underpinning of our faith?  Both the NIV and the ESV versions, for example, do not include Matthew 18:11.  They jump right from verse 10 to verse 12.  Why is that?  This is the opening verse of the Parable of the Lost Sheep, and is a definitive statement of the purpose of Jesus's ministry and time on this earth.  Do you think perhaps it is a softening of the gospel message; a subtle tactic of the Enemy, who has not only invaded our churches with his false teachings, but now has found a way to influence Bible publishers?  After all, the NIV version of the New Testament was only published in 1973, so it is quite new in comparison to say, the 1599 Geneva Bible, in which this verse appears.

     But it is also true that the passage does not actually appear in the best early Greek manuscripts which contain Matthew 18, and that it is possible that in copying it, Greek scribes borrowed Luke 19:10 to explain the underlying meaning of the Lost Sheep parable.  

     But there is also the early Church tradition that says the gospel of Matthew was originally written in Aramaic, the language of first century Israel, and the language Jesus spoke.  This is attested to by Papias and Irenaeus, both 2nd Century bishops in the early Christian Church.  There have also long been assertions that Matthew wrote his gospel, copying the writings of the Apostle Mark, which did not include the parable of the Lost Sheep, so therefore he added verse 11 from Luke's rendition. Since we have no surviving Hebrew manuscript, it's hard to say how likely this scenario is. But in any case, the gospel that made it into the Bible with Matthew's name was composed in Greek, and some translations included Chapter 18, verse 11. 

     Since the earliest versions of what I would call contemporary Bibles -- the 1599 Geneva, the 1611 King James, and the 1899 Douay-Rheims -- contain Matthew 18:11, I have to wonder why the current NIV version does not.   

     And it is one tiny verse -- only 11 words -- you might say.  What harm can it cause in a person's life?  Well, let's just take a look at the deeper meaning behind this seemingly innocuous sentence, and especially that last word ... lost.

     In the Strong's Concordance, there are three words in Greek that express the meaning of our one English word, "lost".  The primary root of the Greek word for "lost" is apo, meaning "separation, departure, cessation, reversal".  Building upon that root word, we get apollumi, defined as "spiritual destitution; the loss of well-being for eternity".  And finally, we have the Greek word, olethrus, which gives us an expanded understanding of the word "lost" in accordance with our salvation.

     The meanings of this last word really give us a clear picture of just what is at stake for each of us.  Olethrus means "destructive; of the effect upon the physical condition of an erring believer, for the purpose of his spiritual profit."  It also means "the effect of the Divine judgments upon men at the ushering in of the Day of the Lord, and the revelation of the Lord Jesus."  The permanency of olethrus can be found in this definition:  "This word stresses the final, eternal, and irrevocable character of the destruction and ruin of a person." 

     These definitions really portray the seriousness and weight of that word "lost", don't they?  And they show us the gravity and the objective of Christ's First Coming.  Without Christ coming; without His substitutionary sacrifice for each one of us, we would all be doomed to eternal separation and the destruction of our beings.  

     So, if somehow the Enemy can keep us from this nugget of Truth; if he can convince us that a little sin here or there is of little consequence, just think of all the spiritual destitution he could cause. Think of all the people who are blind to why we need Jesus, and why He came in the first place.  And then imagine how surprised they are going to be when He returns!

     It is imperative that we understand HE CAME TO SAVE THE LOST!  Whether we want to interpret that as meaning that Jesus came first to the lost of Israel, or that now that the Gospel message has been taken to all the world, He came for ALL the lost, it really doesn't matter.  We must see that we all need to be saved; that there is nothing we can do on our own to keep us from facing that eternal destruction.  By removing this one small verse from the Bible, it can have a huge impact on the modern world.  Whenever we diminish the Deity of Christ, or lesson His purpose for walking among men, it gives the Enemy another foothold to destroy lives... and to destroy them for eternity.  I want the whole truth of my God, and I don't want one word eliminated or changed.  When God says "Do not add to Scripture, nor take away from it", I take Him seriously!

    

When Political Correctness Becomes Indoctrination

   

     You may, or may not be aware, but one week from today, April 15th, the welfare of our children will be under assault.  No, I'm not talking about Tax Day.  I'm talking about "The Day of Silence" that is being promoted by the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN).
     The professed purpose of the GLSEN Day of Silence is that it is "a student-led national event that brings attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in schools. Students from middle school to college take a vow of silence in an effort to encourage schools and classmates to address the problem of anti-LGBT behavior by illustrating the silencing effect of bullying and harassment on LGBT students and those perceived to be LGBT."
     First of all, I'm not sure that I believe this protest is "student-led" or even "student generated".  As with all social movements, you can usually find an instigator behind the scenes that is pulling the strings and pushing an agenda. In this case, as reported by Linda Harvey on Barbwire.com, The Day of Silence is meant to be "a day when students remain silent in sympathy for those who are born homosexual or born in the wrong sex body, who are victimized (so the narrative goes) by any message encouraging actual male/female biology, dating and marriage -- all scorned as hateful and homophobic."
     So, our children are being subjected to guilt and intimidation under the guise of an anti-bullying campaign, when in reality, it looks an awful lot like promotion of the homosexual and transgender lifestyle in our public schools.  Listen to the testimony of another writer at Barbwire, Linda Wall:  "It was several years after I was set free from homosexuality that I discovered the pushers of sexual perversion had made it into the public schools under the disguise of “diversity”. Imagine how horrified I was in 2000 to see that AT&T had sent pro-homosexual lesson plans to every middle school of America! These lesson plans presented the politically correct view of homosexuality."
     And as the title of my post indicates, this political correctness has crossed the line into indoctrination.  Ms. Harvey goes so far as to write, "The 'anti-bullying' scam is the cover used in many school districts to expose children to obscene, bigoted and pornographic presentations. If we object, it is alleged that more students may attempt suicide."  Students and teachers in Iowa have reported workshops filled with profanity; details about oral/anal sex; how gender-confused girls can bind their breasts and sew fake testicles into their underwear as pretend boys; and even a recommendation for reacting to a pro-marriage bumper sticker: “Slash the tires.”
     This event (which may be happening at your child's or grandchildren's school) is just the latest in homosexual activism.  By pointing this out, I'm sure that I will be labeled homophobic and a hater, but that is simply not the truth.  I have gay friends whom I love, and whom I know are every bit a child of God as I am. Would I rather they were living within the will of God?  You bet!  But I do not hate them, nor do I condemn them.  That is not my purpose on this earth.  But when I see gay activists who ridicule the dignity, innocence and modesty of children, while deliberately trying to coerce immoral behavior, then I will decry such actions -- no matter who or what they are promoting.
     In her article, Harvey goes on to report that our middle school kids are being taught CSE, “comprehensive sex education,” and how to put both male and female condoms on plastic models in mixed sex classes (female condoms are most often used by lesbians). It’s humiliating for 11- to 14- year-olds, and just another of the Saul Alinsky tactics designed to shock and assault innocence.
     Furthermore, these CSE classes are distorting the truth.  They teach that abstinence and protected sex are the same thing.  A program called Making Proud Choices, teaches that "To protect yourself and your partner from sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV infection, you should: Keep a supply of condoms on hand. Get used to condoms, so they are natural and fun. …” (p.92).
     While this indoctrination seems to be happening quickly and without opposition, I do want you to know that the ACLU has issued a statement emphasizing the limits of political activism during instructional class time: "You DO have a right to participate in Day of Silence and other expressions of your opinion at a public school during non-instructional time: the breaks between classes, before and after the school day, lunchtime, and any other free times during your day ... You do NOT have a right to remain silent during class time if a teacher asks you to speak."
     So, parents who are awake and aware of the cultural marxism/political correctness agenda being rammed down the throats of our kids in the public school system are being encouraged to call their kids out of school on April 15th.  They are being encouraged to stop the hijacking of our kids' education, and to actively oppose GLSEN's socio-political goals and its controversial, unproven, and destructive theories on the nature and morality of homosexuality.  The public school classroom should not be an arena for politicization of any kind of movement; especially for the mental, emotional, physical, spiritual, and sexual exploitation of our children.
     But one more word of caution ... lest you think the ACLU is on the side of families of faith, and the traditional sexual roles in society, be on your guard.  There is a paper called Schools In Transition: A Guide for Supporting Transgender Students in K-12 Schools, which is a first-of-its-kind publication for school administrations, teachers, and parents about how to provide safe and supportive environments for all transgender students, kindergarten through twelfth grade.  It was written by staffers from the ACLU, National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), Gender Spectrum, the National Education Association (NEA), and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC).
     With statement's like "A student’s age and maturity — or that of their peers —should never be a basis for denying a transgender student an opportunity to transition in a safe and supportive environment", it is not too hard to see that transitioning away from Biblical gender roles is not only supported, but subtly encouraged; and gender confusion is seen as viable in children as young as kindergarten!  What has this culture become?!?!
     This post has barely scratched the surface as far as the assault on our children and their education systems.  And sadly, I would surmise that very few parents are aware of the indoctrination of their children.  I can't help but feel that this is one more nail in the coffin of our nation.  We have legitimized child sacrifice through abortion, destroyed the Biblical model of family and creation; and are now subjecting our children to perversion and deviancy.  How much longer will our righteous and holy God restrain His wrath?

Matthew 18:6    "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea."

"A Wind In The House of Islam"

     Admittedly, these are frightening times in which we live.  The world seems on fire with hatred and persecution; and ISIS openly warns "the nations of the Cross" in Europe that "either you join Islam, or pay tribute, or freeze the war.  If it was Paris yesterday... tomorrow it will be London, or Berlin, or Rome."  A recent video montage showed the attacks on New York City, Paris, and Brussels; and boasted of the bloodshed in Brussels.  It would appear that the news in regard to the followers of Islam is growing darker and more hopeless.
     But that is not the news that Missionary David Garrison brings to us in his astounding book, "A Wind In The House of Islam".   This is not a new book -- it was published in 2014, I believe, but the book is the result of 2 1/2 years of research and involved Dr. Garrison traveling more than 250,000 miles to conduct interviews with more than 1,000 people around the Muslim world.  In his book, he declares that, "we are living in the midst of the greatest turning of Muslims to Christ in history."  In total he found 69 movements that had started in the first 12 years of the 21st century, in comparison with virtually no voluntary movements of converts to Christianity in the first 12 centuries of Islam.”
     During his extensive travels around the world, Dr. Garrison wanted to know what it was about Jesus Christ that moved Muslims to faith in Him.  So he traveled throughout the Muslim world -- from West Africa to Indonesia -- collecting hundreds of interviews and personal stories of former Muslims from within these movements who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ. Garrison wanted to understand, "Why now?" "How is God at work in our day to see more Muslim movements to Christ than at any time in history?"
     What he found was that something is happening in the Muslim world, something unprecedented in history... something that should give us all hope.  Dr. Garrison set out on an amazing spiritual journey, tracing the work of the Holy Spirit as it blows through the nine rooms in the House of Islam. And, in case you are like me, and are familiar with the terminology of the "nine rooms" of Islam, it is explained as follows ... The House of Islam can be divided geoculturally into nine distinct regions or "Rooms".  These "nine rooms" are:  1) West Africa; 2) North Africa; 3) Eastern Africa; 4) the Arab world; 5) the Persian world; 6) Turkestan; 7) Western South Asia; 8) Eastern South Asia; and 9) Indo-Malaysia.
     When he began his 2 1/2 year journey and research, Dr. Garrison said he started out with a "healthy scepticism" about the number of new believers among the Muslim population, imagining that the figures might have been over-estimated. Instead, he found that numbers were often vastly under-reported.  "What is exciting is not just how big the movements are ... but how many of these movements there are now, and that they're not limited to one corner of the world, but we're seeing them from West Africa to Indonesia, and virtually everywhere in between," he says.
     So why is this turning to Christ happening now? "God has brought several elements together uniquely in our time," he says. "Some of them are old elements – Muslim violence is not new, – but what's different is today when Muslims experience this violence, they can see an alternative... they can switch on their Internet, they can turn on their television and hear an evangelist speaking Farsi or Kazakh or Uzbek."
     All I can think of at the moment is, what Satan meant for evil --with pornography, jihadist recruitment, distraction away from God -- our Father can use for His good.  As proof of this, Dr. Garrison points out that it's also the combination of Bible translation, alongside the potential for multimedia evangelism, and the growth of international travel that appears to have facilitated this change. "It's a great day that God seems to be orchestrating for this [conversion] to happen."
     And there is no reason to doubt that these conversions are still happening, despite the increase in violence by ISIS and other jihadist groups.  After all, Satan knows his time is short and we all know that he is going to be pouring on the steam to destroy as many lives as he can before our Lord comes in His righteousness and dispenses His wrath against the ungodly.
     It may be hard to come to terms with what I'm about to say .... we are living in terrifying times of suicide bombers and massive attacks upon the West ... but these are the days of salvation for Muslims! We must pray for what God wants, which is that no man be eternally lost.  And we have to face it, for much of the last 13 centuries, Christians in the West have been "failing" to bring Muslims to Christ and instead losing many Christians to Islam. Although "the tide is turning", Dr. Garrison points out that it's happening "over there".  Another challenge for the Western Church, therefore, is to be a part of this change, both locally and globally – through reaching out to Muslim neighbours, and being prepared to take the gospel to unreached communities abroad.
     It is both heartening (and personally frightening), but I have a young college-aged friend who is planning a trip to Brussels this summer as part of a Christian outreach program.  She is young, blond, and obviously American; but she is also bold in her faith and willing to take the gospel into that hostile territory.  She knows that fear is not our birth right as followers of Christ.  She knows that Christ is all about taking what man intends for evil and turning it to good.  So I will be covering her in prayer with the blood of Jesus and praying that she does mighty works in His name.

     I can do that because I believe that our God can work in the midst of the rampage and violence that is engulfing Europe today, just as Dr. Garrison found Him working in the nine rooms of Islam.  Consider this:  West Africa and Eastern Africa are filled with Muslims from largely animistic tribal backgrounds. The Arab world, where Islam originated, was previously Christian and home to many of Christianity’s earliest Church Fathers. The Persian world was predominantly Zoroastrian before its seventh-century conquest by Islamic armies. Central Asian Turkestan was the home of shamanistic Turko-Mongolian tribes with scattered communities of Nestorian Christians before Tamerlane and the Golden Horde eradicated them in the 14th–16th centuries. These same Turkic conquerors subdued the peoples of what is today Afghanistan, Pakistan and western India in the centuries that followed. Islam’s advance eastward toppled Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms in what is today eastern India, Bangladesh and western Myanmar.  By the 13th century, Islam had already gained a foothold in the Indonesia archipelago, gradually converting the Hindu spiritualism of what is today Malaysia and the largest Muslim country, Indonesia.
     YET, even with this seemingly strong footprint among the nine houses of Islam, God's presence is growing and He is shining His light into this darkness.  There IS a "Wind" in the House of Islam, and it is God's Holy Spirit!  There is a supernatural spirit sweeping through the darkness in this world, and the response to Him is shining light into that darkness.  We must not become discouraged, disheartened, or dispirited.  And this is how one Muslim woman explained why she has not fled from the violence that is ISIS:  "When God wanted to reach men, He became a man. If God had wanted to reach hyenas, He would have become a hyena. If we want to reach our own people, we've got to stay in our community to reach them."  May God's mercy and the power of the Holy Spirit shatter the darkness that the Enemy is spreading.  And may His Truth destroy every evil intent of our Adversary!

Isaiah 9:2    "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined."
   

Could ISIS Be Anointed By God?

     Now, before you think I've gone completely off my rocker, give me a chance to explain my train of thought.  I've recently written about the Temple of Baal (or Bel) that will soon be replicated in Times Square, the heart of New York City, and in London.  I spared no words in recounting its significance in regards to idol worship in the ancient world.  I also related that this ancient temple was destroyed by ISIS last summer.  The most recent news in the last few days is that Syrian forces have liberated the ancient city of Palmyra and recaptured it, with plans to rebuild much of the ancient artifacts and archeological sites.

Palmyra prior to ISIS

     I suspect much of the world will hail this as a victory and in the best interests of man's archeological heritage.  But is it?  I want to expand on some thoughts that have occurred to me since July of last year, and just keep pricking my spirit.  I can't help but look at this situation through the lens of my Biblical worldview.  And to do that, I need to take some time to share a specific perspective with you; it's a fascinating story from the Old Testament, and one that I think casts valuable insight on God's purpose in all things.
     Remember the story of Cyrus, King of Persia, who conquered Babylon and allowed the Jews to return from captivity to their homeland and rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem?  Well, as fantastic as this sounds, apparently it was not out of the ordinary for Cyrus.  An excellent post on Cyrus, found at a website called ChurchOfTheGreatGod.org, reports that King Cyrus, as was his policy, allowed his vassal states to retain their cultural and religious identities. He advanced funds for the repair or restoration of public buildings, particularly temples and shrines, and he reversed the Babylonian policy of forced relocation of conquered peoples, allowing their descendants to return to their ancestral homelands.
     What you might find utterly amazing is that God used King Cyrus, to move forward his plan in history.  In fact, God calls Cyrus, His "anointed".  Yes, you read that correctly!  He explicitly says in Isaiah 45:1-3:  "Thus says the LORD to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held—to subdue nations before him and loose the armor of kings, to open before him the double doors, so that the gates will not be shut: ‘I will go before you and make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze and cut the bars of iron. I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places. . . . I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways; He shall build My city and let My exiles go free, not for price nor reward,' says the LORD of hosts."
     I can hear shocked Christians right now, exclaiming, "But how can a King of Persia, whose country would become a stronghold for Muslims in future centuries, be God's anointed?  First of all, we need to broaden our understanding of what the word anointed means.  The Hebrew word is mashiah, which has come down to us as "messiah" and translated as christos in Greek. Because we now use this term exclusively for Jesus Christ, the Messiah, many of us Christians fail to see its broader application.  Mashiah simply means "anointed" or "anointed one."  At its most basic, mashiah indicates a person God authorizes and sets apart for His service.... regardless of their faith, ethnicity, or background. And the type of service an anointed one might render can vary. Besides being in the service of God, he might fulfill more than one role in his service; but his primary function is to cause deliverance.  You can see how Jesus fulfilled all three of those facets of an anointed one.
     So the question becomes "Why did God raise up a Messiah, or Anointed One, like Cyrus?  The answer is found in the continuing verses of Isaiah, Chapter 45:  "[God will work through you, Cyrus,] that you may know that I, the LORD, who call you by your name, am the God of Israel. For Jacob My servant's sake, and Israel My elect, I have even called you by your name; I have named you, though you have not known Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other; there is no God besides Me. I will gird you, though you have not known Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other; I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the LORD, do all these things" (verses 3-7).  Very simply, God raised Cyrus up to do His bidding to prove to him and all the world who is the true God! God went before Cyrus, paving the way for his victories and policies so that His will and His plan would move forward.

Palmyra, after ISIS

       So, now I return to my original question, posed in the title of this blog post ... Could ISIS be anointed by God? If we use the criteria that the Bible lays forth regarding the prerequisites for an anointed one, I would say, in one sense, YES!
     (OBVIOUS CAVEAT:  The atrocities and barbaric acts of murder against Christians and non-Muslims is obviously not an act of service to God.  But remember, God is Sovereign, and He is capable of using even evil people to carry out one or more of His purposes.  In this instance, I am only looking at ISIS's acts of destroying ancient temples to idols.)
     And here's how I got there .... As I have pointed out in past blog posts, Palmyra was the site of some of the world’s most valuable Roman-style ruins, including 2,000-year-old towers and temples; among them the Temple of Baal (or Bel), which was the name of the supreme god worshiped in ancient Canaan and Phoenicia, and the Temple of Baalshamin, dedicated to the Canaanite sky deity Baalshamin.
     But last year, in its takeover of the city, ISIS blew up both structures, along with the famed Arch of Triumph, which was constructed under Roman rule during the late second century, calling them monuments to idolatry --- which they were!  In case you need convincing, here is some interesting information about the Temple of Baal:  It was known as the temple to the Sun God.  And if you are a student of Biblical and ancient history, then you know that there were many names for the Sun God throughout the pagan cultures.  Some of them are Ra, the sun god of the ancient Egyptians; Apollo, the sun god of the ancient Romans; Helios, the sun god of the Greeks; Mithras, the Iranian and Persian sun god ... and I contend that they are all names for the same spirit of rebellion that existed in the man Nimrod.
     The great-grandson of Noah, Nimrod is the prototype of a rebellious people, his name being interpreted in Hebrew as "he who made all the people rebellious against God".  As you can see by the various cultures and ethnic groups who worshiped the Sun God in his name, he led many peoples into rebellion against the One True God and into idol worship.
     Now, the modern world is lamenting the destruction of the ancient Temple of Baal, the temple of Sun God worship, in Palmyra, Syria.  And I'd like you to get a picture of what worshipping there must have been like to the pagans, as described by Amr Al Azm, a professor at Shawnee State University who served as the director of the Center of Archeological Research at the University of Damascus from 2003 to 2006:  "You would attempt to go and visit the temple at dawn [before it was damaged]. And on the east face, as the sun rises, it would eventually reach that point where, even though it was dark around you — you were surrounded by stone walls — the sun would touch a particular point on the window, and it was like someone switched on a thousand lights. The whole building would light up instantaneously."  He goes on to say, "Unfortunately, we will never be able to experience that again. That’s how significant the loss is, as far as I’m concerned."
     But might I suggest that ISIS got it right?  That it is actually a "monument to idolatry".  And might I further propose that by destroying it, the Muslim jihadis were actually in service to YHWH, liberating that area of the ancient Middle East from a centuries-long fascination and reverence to a false god?  Remember, as in the case of Cyrus, (whom God makes it very clear, did not know Him), God can use whomever He desires to move along his plan in history.  Perhaps God is tired of our interest and preoccupation in preserving these ancient temples of idolatry, and so He put ISIS, who certainly does not know Him, into service to destroy their very foundations.
     And what does the world plan to do?  To rebuild them, of course!  Or, at least in the instance of the Temple Baal, erect duplicates of them in New York City, London, and another 1,000 cities around the world --- all in the name of defiance to ISIS.  But, can you clearly see that, in reality, it is in defiance to YHWH?

The destruction of pagan statues

     And there is another aspect that I want to briefly touch upon before I end my hypothesis.  I will admit that the connecting dots are still a little fuzzy in my spirit, but I can't help but feel there is something here that we need to pay attention to.  The "recapture" of the ancient city of Palmyra from ISIS was conducted by Syrian forces, assisted by Russian troops and airstrikes.  And now the world is incensed by the destruction of the temples and the looting of the artifacts, and archeologists from around the world are rushing to the site to help reconstruct the ancient city.  Is this part of the multiple roles that ISIS could be playing in their service as God's anointed?  Could they be drawing the nations of the world to this area to preserve the treasures of idolatrous worship?
     The world's elite mourned when ISIS ransacked and burned the Mosul Public Library, destroying more than 8,000 ancient and rare books and manuscripts, calling it "cultural genocide"; an attempt to destroy an ethnic or religious group's customs, including its languages, traditional practices and ways, religious institutions and objects, and clergy members, academics, and intellectuals.  I admit that it is difficult to see God wanting the history of whole peoples wiped out.  But what if those histories, and art, and traditions, and religious practices honor gods and ways that are not of Him?  Could we then see the possibility that God could authorize ISIS to serve Him by destroying what He considers idolatry?  Even if they declare a hatred for Him and those who follow Him?
     I know!  It is hard to wrap your head around it, but throughout the Bible God used unbelievers to execute His plan for the world.  All we have to do is look at how He used Pharaoh to liberate His people from their bondage in Egypt; how He used Nebuchadnezzar to take the Jews into captivity in Babylon because of their continued disobedience, yet placed Daniel in their midst to prophecy of the return of His remnant; and how He used the Persian King Artaxerxes to allow Nehemiah to reintroduce His law to the Jews returning to Jerusalem.  And in the New Testament, the Apostle Paul often worked through unbelievers to carry out God's will and purpose.
     We must remember that He is Sovereign and Immutable ... He never changes and it is often His way to use unbelievers to execute His will.  It is not up to us to question or reason why.  I am not here to suggest that I know God's mind or that my hypothesis is even plausible.  All I'm saying is that I see idolatrous temples being destroyed and the world's desire to rebuild them.  Can we truly say it is all out of a sense of preserving cultural history?  Or is there something more diabolical happening underneath it all?  Keep your spiritual radar turned on and up!

 Isaiah 45:9-10    “Woe to the one who argues with his Maker—
one clay pot among many.  Does clay say to the one forming it, ‘What are you making?’ Or does your work say, ‘He has no hands’? How absurd is the one who says to his father, ‘What are you fathering?’ or to his mother, ‘What are you giving birth to?’ ”

Isaiah 45:20

Assemble yourselves and come;

    draw near together,

    you survivors of the nations!

They have no knowledge

    who carry about their wooden idols,

and keep on praying to a god

    that cannot save.

     During my quiet time with the Lord, I am currently finishing up the incredible Book of Isaiah.  I just love the major prophets, and while I have always declared Jeremiah my favorite, I have newfound love and respect for the inspired writings of Isaiah.  In my journaling Bible, I am filling up page after page of notes that seem to simultaneously pertain to ancient Israel and our modern world.  

     It seems that I cannot get enough of Isaiah!  And Chapters 44-50 are piercing my heart with recognition of our national sins.  But even through the stark reminders of captivity and loss and rejection of God, there runs a vein of restoration and hope, and that's what I cling to, and that which is a balm to my soul.

     Chapter 44 gives us affirmation that the Lord will not forsake Israel, even though they chase after foreign gods and make graven images for gods, following their prideful hearts.  Verse 9 says:  All who make idols are nothing, and what they treasure does not profit. Their witnesses do not see or know anything, so they will be put to shame.  I can't help but see our nation in this description.  We have turned from God and made idols of all we see -- our leaders, our celebrities, our stuff, our families, our churches -- yet none of it will profit us in the Kingdom to come.  But the sad thing is that we don't see it; nor do we even know we are doing it.  And that will be our shame.   Verse 18 reiterates this disparaging state:  Such people do not comprehend and cannot understand, for He has shut their eyes so they cannot see, and their minds so they cannot understand.

      Yet, in the midst of this sad state of affairs, Chapter 44 is a prophecy of future restoration and the forgiveness of sins.  The end of this Chapter and the beginning of Chapter 45 gives us a prophecy of God using a Muslim (King Cyrus) to accomplish His will.  (Tune in tomorrow for an interesting take on this concept). But what I love about Chapter 45 is that it is one continuous homage to the Lord as Creator, and Savior of Israel and the world.  He emphatically declares that He is the One True God ... "There is no other god" is a recurring them.  Hallelujah for that affirmation!

     Yet while we receive comfort that God is in control and He will use even those who don't know Him to bring about His will and purpose for those He calls His own, we have today's verse as a stark reminder that all the world's false gods and idols cannot save.  And the saddest part of this verse is that they have no knowledge of the One who can save them!  I shudder at how completely bereft of comfort and deliverance they will be on the Day of the Lord.  It saddens me to know that they had every opportunity to know him -- to be in relationship with the Holy One of Israel; the One who could fill all those empty spaces in their soul -- yet they chose an empty, hollow, and lifeless substitute.  

     Chapter 46 finds the people attempting to make their gods of vanity and uselessness equal to my Lord, but He makes it quite clear that these gods offer only empty, barren promises.  Chapter 47 reveals that the people love living in Babylon; and what was once the cherished woman, has now become a harlot, and God has allowed her to indulge in her lusts.  (It cannot be denied that we have followed that same path).  So God announces that loss and destruction are coming upon her for her worship of false gods, and from turning from her Redeemer.  There is no salvation except in Jesus!  All of the harlot's counsels and prophets and merchants cannot save her.  Oh, how I wish we in 21st Century America would heed this warning!

     Chapter 48 continues the lesson for the modern world.  God declares that He has shown Israel His might and His sovereignty, so that they could not claim the gods they had made had done the work, but still they chose to abandon Him.  So He declares that for His Name's sake, He will bring discipline upon them; to refine and purify them in a fire of chastening to preserve His purpose for them ... to glorify His Name!  Is there still time for us?  Or is He completely through with us?

     Chapter 49 gives us a beautiful picture of Jesus's mission, and it still reverberates today.  His mission was, is, and will be to defend Israel and to preserve their purpose of leading the world to Christ.  He will also be a light unto the Gentiles, who will help restore Israel to their land (happened in 1948), and He will destroy those who seek to destroy His chosen.  Both those living in the current nation state of Israel and those in the Gentile nations should pay heed to this declaration.  I contend that just because the state of Israel exists, it does not mean that every Israelite is God's chosen or remnant; nor that every Gentile is on board with His plan.  But His plan will prevail!

     And finally, the opening verse of Chapter 50 breaks my heart:  This is what the Lord says:  Where is your mother’s divorce certificate that I used to send her away? Or who were My creditors that I sold you to? Look, you were sold for your iniquities, and your mother was put away because of your transgressions.  The Lord did not abandon Israel, nor did He sell them.  They left Him and sold themselves. It almost seems hopeless.  Except .... Jesus still helps those who hear Him and seek Him.  He still speaks to those who wish to serve Him.  And so I take great comfort with the opening lines of our Scripture today ....   Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, you survivors of the nations!  WE are those survivors!  We are the ones who hear Him, and understand what He says to us!  He will reach down and rescue us from the destruction that is coming upon the idolators and the harlots.  Praise Him for His Mercy and Faithfulness!