The Reason We Might Be Left Behind

     I cannot lay claim to this concept.  It was suggested to me by PLW, who heard it on a podcast by Daniel Duval, a righteous man who teaches the Truth through his radio program.   It makes a lot of sense to me, and I thought I would pass it on to you for your consideration.
     It seems to me that much of the Church is awakening to the thought that the Pre-Tribulation Rapture doctrine might not be in God's playbook.  I confess to a non-denominational approach to the Bible, so I'm not sure which branches of the Christian Church have, or have not, adopted this teaching, and it doesn't really matter -- the point of this essay is not to criticize, but to examine the reasonableness of this argument.
     DISCLAIMER:  I do not claim to be an expert on this subject, or to know God's thoughts, or to be privy to His counsel.  I don't believe anyone can say for certainty, based on Scripture, when this event will happen.  In fact, I have been part of various Bible study groups where Pre-Trib, Mid-Trib, Pre-Wrath, and Post-Trib Rapture positions have each been successfully defended using Scripture.  Only God Knows!
     So I am not going to present a detailed thesis on the emotional and historical reasons for holding the Pre-Tribulation position.  I have done that in a post titled, The Tribulation: A Sensitive Subject.  This time, I want to approach the subject from a different perspective; taking all emotion out of it.
     For starters, I would suggest that all Believers would prefer to be taken out of this world before the Great Tribulation descends upon mankind; before the earth and all its inhabitants become the recipient of God's wrath.  That's a very rational desire.
     But try to look at the timing of the Rapture from God's perspective.  The one thing we can all agree upon, and which is verified without a doubt in Scripture, is that there will be a time of great distress, tribulation, and persecution on the earth before Jesus returns, right?  And we know that God desires that "none should perish", correct?  The final part of this equation is the fact that "the saints" will be raptured -- whenever that event might occur.  So who and what constitutes "a saint"?
     The word “saint” comes from the Greek word hagios, which means “consecrated to God, holy, sacred, pious."  According to Ephesians 4:12, the ministry, or work, of the saints is to "build up the body of Christ", which I take to mean encourage, grow, or strengthen.  So, can we agree that those raptured will be God's "A-Team", so to speak?  Those who have lived a life in service to Him and His Son.
     Now, let me see if I can paint a picture of the End Times scenario .... the world has become increasingly wicked, and the influence of the Devil has grown to great proportions.  Satan has his counterfeit political system (embodied by the Anti-Christ and his Beast administration); his substitute economic system (Mark of the Beast); and his false religious system (run by the False Prophet).  All of these systems will be persecuting everyone who does not bow down to the false god, Satan himself.
     But, let's go back to one of the foundational principles of God's character ... he desires that none should perish.  Why would he take his A-Team out of the game, just as the competition for souls is at a fever pitch?
      And you need to understand this VERY IMPORTANT POINT:  I do not believe that the Western Church today is aware that we are in a Spiritual War.  We look at the horrific actions of ISIS, the conflict in the Middle East, and our own national crises, and we think we are fighting against evil men of the world.  But we are fighting a SPIRITUAL WAR, and when we are faced with the Tribulation, God's "A-Team" will be trained in spiritual warfare.  They will know how to rebuke a demon; they will know how to stand against the powers of the air; they will understand the Enemy in all his facets.
     If they are taken out of this world at the beginning of the Tribulation, how do those left behind have any chance of resisting the Anti-Christ?  With a lack of God's saints and representatives, wouldn't all men perish?  Doesn't it seem more logical that God would want his "A-Team" to be in the thick of the spiritual battle -- in full "ministry mode" to help plant the seeds of salvation for every one of His creations?
     Doesn't it make sense that we will be at our most valuable to God's Kingdom during that time of Tribulation?  Won't our willingness to endure and to suffer for Christ, if necessary, be the greatest testimony to convince an unbeliever to resist the devil and accept God's gracious gift of salvation?
     As I said at the beginning of this post, I do not proclaim to know the time of the Rapture, but I feel safe in asserting that our service to God, His Church, and His Kingdom will never be more valuable than during the Tribulation.  God wants as many to accept Salvation as will.  At what point He will achieve His "full number of Gentiles", I cannot say.  But whenever that happens, He will pull His people out of the earth, because "we are not appointed to suffer wrath" (1 Thessalonians 5:9).
     So, in conclusion, let me say this ... no man knows God's timetable or His strategy.  Is it a specific number of saved that must be reached?  Will it coincide with one of the Lord's Feast days?  No man can tell; certainly not me.  But this I do know ... It will be a joyous day; a day that will be the culmination of living a faithful and obedient life unto the Lord; the first day of all eternal days, in which we will live with the Lord.  Any suffering, persecution, or tribulation will be worth it!

1 Thessalonians 1:10   "when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed."

The Vaccine Debate and The Hegelian Dialectic

     It seems that the Vaccine Debate has become the next Hegelian Dialectic being forced upon us.  I have talked about this "Marxist process of change" before, but in case you are not familiar with this term, let me explain it.  Let's say those in power want to accomplish some goal; we'll call it A, but they know that the populace would never go for it.  So they create scenario B that drives the public into a panic.  They then have solution C (which is actually A) waiting in the wings to help solve B.  But what the populace doesn't realize is this: they've been played.  The whole sequence of events was staged and planned to achieve the original goal.
     Confused?  Let me give you a little demonstration of this theory ... say some malevolent government wanted to institute martial law, but the people of the nation are generally lovers of freedom, and the officials know the people will not easily surrender their rights.  So agents within the government create a situation (say something like Ferguson, Missouri), that spills over into nationwide violence and chaos.  Widespread looting occurs, cities burn, innocent citizens are targeted by angry mobs, and the nation's economy becomes seriously affected.  Those same freedom-loving citizens start to think that perhaps a temporary period of martial law is needed to get things back to normal.  They beg the government to do something, anything, to solve the problem... and guess what?  The original goal is achieved; but it ain't temporary!

     Now carry that premise over into the curiously revived debate on Vaccines.  I say "curiously" because, doesn't it seem like this issue came out of nowhere?  Like overnight?  There has been an ongoing discussion and controversy over vaccines for quite some time.  Frankly, it is my impression that doctors are divided over the necessity of so many vaccines on the market today.  Plus I am not convinced that there is not a link between childhood vaccines and autism.
     According to the Autism Science Foundation,  "In 2014, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network reported that approximately 1 in 68 children in the United States has an Autism Spectrum Disorder. This new estimate is roughly 30 percent higher than previous estimates reported in 2012, of 1 in 88 children. In the 1980’s autism prevalence was reported as 1 in 10,000. In the nineties, prevalence was 1 in 2500 and later 1 in 1000."  Now this organization is careful to say that a decade ago, research seemed to show that vaccines were a likely cause of autism, but they have changed their stance to reflect that recent research has discounted that theory.
     Then there is The Autism Society, which says "There is no known single cause for autism spectrum disorder, but it is generally accepted that it is caused by abnormalities in brain structure or function... Research indicates other factors besides the genetic component are contributing to the rise in increasing occurrence of autism – for example, environmental toxins (e.g., heavy metals such as mercury), which are more prevalent than in the past."
     Now, I am not a doctor nor a scientist; and I have no way to prove which of the above theories is the correct one.  But I cannot dismiss the countless stories of normal, healthy infants suddenly developing autism after receiving a conglomeration of vaccines during a well-child checkup.  I have heard too many stories like this one:  My neighbor, and good friend, experienced a frightening situation when her infant son went into a seizure-like state after receiving a vaccine shot.  I can understand why she, like many mothers I know, do not get their children vaccinated.  And there lies "the rub" for our government, and why there is a need for the latest Hegelian strategy.
     You see, I don't want to engage in a conversation about the pros and cons of vaccinations -- although that is a worthy discussion to have.  (Please read this well-documented report on measles in the pre-vaccination era versus today.)  No, I'm more concerned in what that discussion seems to be leading towards.  There is a near hysteria over the recent measles outbreak in California, with parents concerned that unvaccinated children who get the measles could spread the virus exponentially, causing an epidemic of children who might "suffer the serious complications of measles, such as deafness and brain damage or even death" (as one CNN news report disclosed).
      As the alarm over the 155 cases of measles in 16 states (which started at Disneyland in December) is trending as a major "measles outbreak", I am more alarmed over what I see as a collaboration between the media and government to hint at "forced" vaccinations.  When you have Megan Kelly, one of the out-front news anchors of Fox News saying she "is not opposed to Big Brother getting involved when it comes to child vaccinations", I think that is a deliberate and planned warning to the American people.
     First of all, explain to me why 155 cases in about 2 months is cause for such hand-wringing?  The Center for Disease Control, itself, reported 27,672 measles cases reported in 1990, and 75,290 reported cases in 1971.  True, they acknowledged that failure to vaccinate children at the appropriate age was the major factor in these numbers; but they also related that there was an increase of measles in Central and South American countries, and that black and Hispanic children are less likely to be age-appropriately vaccinated than are white children.
     So, it seems to me that it's not really the number of measles cases that is the cause for all the hysteria; could perhaps the recent measles cases just be a convenient excuse to push the vaccine agenda?  Let's see, what recent events have occurred in our country that would have introduced a large population of unvaccinated children of Hispanic origin into the midst of our otherwise healthy population?  Could there be any connection between our open, porous borders and the sudden push for vaccinations for all children?
     And if you want to follow that trail down the rabbit hole, you better screw on your tin foil hat ... because I have some very important questions that everyone must answer for themselves.  Do you trust the CDC and do you trust all the additives in today's vaccines?  Do you believe that the Elite of the world are interested in population control?  If so, why, and how could they implement a widespread reduction of the world's population?  Is there any connection between the growing GMO food supply and the combinations of vaccines that children now receive?  And, finally, do you think the U.S. government should mandate vaccinations for all children?  Consider Megan Kelly's response (whom I would certainly include in the ranks of the Elite) when asked if she opposed mandatory vaccinations for children.  She clearly stated her objective:  "No".
     Now, let's go back to the question I asked at the beginning of this essay ... Doesn't it seem like the heated debate on this issue came out of nowhere?  Is it possible that mandatory vaccinations (for whatever reason -- good or bad) are the goal?  And in order to sell the American people on yet another loss of the freedom to live their lives as they choose, a "false measles epidemic" is incited to cause widespread panic and a demand from frantic parents to protect their children from those immoral parents who choose not to vaccinate?
     I know it all sounds crazy and Machiavellian; and it is difficult to think that anyone could engineer such devious plans for the world's population.  But the Haves will use any means necessary to retain control over the Have Nots.  It's just too bad that we have to question the motives behind everything these days.

Galatians 4:17:   "They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them."

Judges 6:24

So Gideon built an altar there to the Lord, 

and called it Jehovah-Shalom.  

To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

     This simple verse is an excellent example of the richness of the Bible.  There is so much information to be gained from digging deep into the significance of this brief verse, yet how many of us have read over it without giving it any further thought?  It is incumbent upon each of us to build an understanding of the Bible -- line upon line, and precept upon precept.  That is why it is important to know the history of Gideon up to this point, why it was important to him to build an altar to the Lord, and why he named it as he did. 

      I love the history of the Bible!  The story of Gideon is one of God using the least prominent among us to accomplish great things for His kingdom.  At this point in the story, we need to understand that Israel is under judgment by God for "doing evil in His sight" (Judges 6:1), and were "delivered into the hand of Midian seven years".  (Israel had a history of worshipping the false idols of surrounding pagan cultures.)  For seven years they suffered under the Midianite oppression; their crops destroyed, they were "greatly impoverished" (Judges 6:6)

      The story of Gideon begins in verse 11, and if we read forward to our selected verse , we get the "big picture" of why Gideon is led to build the altar we see here. (Judges 6:11-14).

      Gideon was "the least in his father's house" and a "thresher of wheat" when he was called by God to lead Israel in the battle against the formidable Midianites.  It is not hard to understand why Gideon challenged the "angel of the Lord" to give him a sign -- after all, he was not a warrior or trained in battle.  (It is paramount that we recognize this angel as not a created angel, but the Son of God himself, the eternal Word, the Lord of the angels.)

    But then Gideon asks the angel to tarry while he brings him some refreshment under the oak tree ... the meat of a kid, unleavened bread, and broth.  But instead of eating it, the angel tells Gideon to place the meat and unleavened bread upon a rock, and to pour the broth over it.  He then touches the end of his staff to the items on the rock, bringing fire out of the rock and consuming them as a sacrifice.  As the well-respected theologian Matthew Henry expounds, "[the angel] turned the meat into an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto himself, showing hereby that he was not a man who needed meat, but the Son of God who was to be served and honoured by sacrifice, and who in the fulness of time was to make himself a sacrifice."

      Then, as verse 21, tells us, the angel of the Lord immediately vanishes.  Gideon is then consumed with fright, crying out "O Lord GOD!" because he realizes he has seen God face-to-face, and "no man can see him face-to-face and live" (Exodus 33:20).  But the Lord calms him and sends Gideon His peace, as He assures him that he will not die.  And in remembrance of this vision that would set him on his path to becoming a Hero of Faith, Gideon builds an altar to the Lord, naming it after Him, Jehovah-Shalom ... The Lord is peace.  He builds it in Ophrah of the Abiezrites (a city of Manasseh; Abiezer being a descendant of Manasseh).   It might also interest you to know that Oprah is the place of Gideon's birth, his home after his ascension to power, and the place of his burial in the family sepulchre).  

     But there is another reason that I believe Gideon builds the altar in Ophrah.  In Judges 6:25, the very next verse after the one featured today, we see that Gideon is instructed to destroy the altar of Baal that resides in his father's house.  Joash, Gideon's father -- an Israelite -- is worshipping Baal!!!  He symbolizes the very reason that Israel has been under God's judgment.  Gideon is faithful and destroys the altar, showing Israel that their God is superior over all other gods.  He has purified his fathers house and is ready to go on and lead the Israelites in battle against their opponent, Midian.

      Gideon's subsequent experience at being called out of obscurity to lead the Israelite army against the Midianites is a clear example to us -- it shows that when the situation is desperate, we will most likely encounter fear, and long for the peace of God.  Gideon experienced that peace from God's Son, Himself, and to honor Him, builds an altar and names it after Him.  In this single act, Gideon is worshipping God in total submission, dependance and reliance.  You can imagine that he has no idea how he is to defeat the Midianite army, but he has just encountered the "Peace of God" who has assured him of victory.

     Because Gideon relied on the Lord to lead him into battle, and remained faithful all his days, becoming a righteous judge over Israel (Judges 6:23), he has the distinguished honor of being listed in Hebrews, Chapter 11, among the Hall of Fame of Faith.  

     Oh, how I pray that when the desperate times come in our future, that I will have the faith to rely on Jehovah-Shalom ... that I will submit to Him in total dependence and reliance, knowing that my victory abides in Him.  In the midst of fear, chaos, and attacks by the Enemy, I will know that the Lord, who is Peace, will be with me.

     

Words Don't Lie

   

     I cannot let the President's remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast go unanswered.  But before I give you my own assessment, I would like you to read the following comments by some of the more celebrated of our Presidents in the last three-quarters of a century (during their Prayer Breakfast addresses):

President Dwight D. Eisenhower (The first President to speak at the newly inaugurated National Prayer Breakfast):  First, there is a need we all have in these days and times for some help which comes from outside ourselves as we face the multitude of problems that are part of this confusing situation. I do not mean merely help for your leaders or the people in Congress, in the Cabinet and others in authority, because these problems are part of all of us. They face each one of us because we are a free country ... Once in a while it might be a good thing for us to turn back to history. Let us study a little bit of what happened at the founding of this Nation ... We have begun in our grasp of that basis of understanding, which is that all free government is firmly founded in a deeply-felt religious faith ... (Read full speech here.)

President John F. Kennedy:  You and I are charged with obligations to serve the Great Republic in years of great crisis. The problems we face are complex; the pressures are immense, and both the perils and the opportunities are greater than any nation ever faced. In such a time, the limits of mere human endeavor become more apparent than ever. We cannot depend solely on our material wealth, on our military might, or on our intellectual skill or physical courage to see us safely through the seas that we must sail in the months and years to come.
     Along with all of these we need faith. We need the faith with which our first settlers crossed the sea to carve out a state in the wilderness, a mission they said in the Pilgrims' Compact, the Mayflower Compact, undertaken for the glory of God. We need the faith with which our Founding Fathers proudly proclaimed the independence of this country to what seemed at that time an almost hopeless struggle, pledging their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor with a firm reliance on the protection of divine providence. We need the faith which has sustained and guided this Nation for 175 long and short years. We are all builders of the future, and whether we build as public servants or private citizens, whether we build at the national or the local level, whether we build in foreign or domestic affairs, we know the truth of the ancient Psalm, "Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it."  (Read full speech here).

President Ronald Reagan:  We all in this room, I know, and we know many millions more everywhere, turn to God in prayer, believe in the power and the spirit of prayer. And yet so often, we direct our prayers to those problems that are immediate to us, knowing that He has promised His help to us when we turn to Him. And yet in a world today that is so torn with strife where the divisions seem to be increasing, not people coming together, within countries, divisions within the people, themselves and all, I wonder if we have ever thought about the greatest tool that we have—that power of prayer and God's help.
     This power of prayer can be illustrated by a story that goes back to the fourth century. The Asian monk living in a little remote village, spending most of his time in prayer or tending the garden from which he obtained his sustenance—I hesitate to say the name because I'm not sure I know the pronunciation, but let me take a chance. It was Telemacmus, back in the fourth century. And then one day, he thought he heard the voice of God telling him to go to Rome. And believing that he had heard, he set out. And weeks and weeks later, he arrived there, having traveled most of the way on foot.
     And it was at a time of a festival in Rome. They were celebrating a triumph over the Goths. And he followed a crowd into the Colosseum, and then there in the midst of this great crowd, he saw the gladiators come forth, stand before the Emperor, and say, "We who are about to die salute you." And he realized they were going to fight to the death for the entertainment of the crowds. And he cried out, "In the name of Christ, stop!" And his voice was lost in the tumult there in the great Colosseum.
     And as the games began, he made his way down through the crowd and climbed over the wall and dropped to the floor of the arena. Suddenly the crowds saw this scrawny little figure making his way out to the gladiators and saying, over and over again, "In the name of Christ, stop." And they thought it was part of the entertainment, and at first they were amused. But then, when they realized it wasn't, they grew belligerent and angry. And as he was pleading with the gladiators, "In the name of Christ, stop," one of them plunged his sword into his body. And as he fell to the sand of the arena in death, his last words were, "In the name of Christ, stop."
     And suddenly, a strange thing happened. The gladiators stood looking at this tiny form lying in the sand. A silence fell over the Colosseum. And then, someplace up in the upper tiers, an individual made his way to an exit and left, and others began to follow. And in the dead silence, everyone left the Colosseum. That was the last battle to the death between gladiators in the Roman Colosseum. Never again did anyone kill or did men kill each other for the entertainment of the crowd.
     One tiny voice that could hardly be heard above the tumult. "In the name of Christ, stop." It is something we could be saying to each other throughout the world today.
     And then President Reagan quoted the farewell message of the Ambassador from the Philippines, General Romulo, as he returned to his home after 17 years in diplomatic service: "Never forget, Americans, that yours is a spiritual country. Yes, I know you're a practical people. Like others, I've marveled at your factories, your skyscrapers, and your arsenals. But underlying everything else is the fact that America began as a God-loving, God-fearing, God-worshiping people, knowing that there is a spark of the divine in each one of us. It is this respect for the dignity of the human spirit which keeps America invincible.  May you always endure and, as I say again in parting, thank you, America, and farewell. May God keep you always, and may you always keep God."
      President Reagan informed the Congressional crowd at the National Prayer Breakfast, that this farewell address was a tribute, as well as a warning. (Read full speech here).

President William J. Clinton:  I helped to start the first Governor's prayer breakfast in my State ... And every year I had the pleasure of delegating two Arkansans, one a clergyman or -woman and one a citizen, to come to this wonderful event.
     I thought about the first time I ever saw Billy Graham—appropriate to mention now. He came in the 1950's, in the heat of all our racial trouble, to Arkansas to have a crusade. And the white citizens council tried to get him, because of the tensions of the moment, to agree to segregate his crusade in the fifties in the South. And he said, "If I have to do that, I'm not coming." And I remember I got a Sunday school teacher in my church—and I was about 11 years old—to take me 50 miles to Little Rock so I could hear a man preach who was trying to live by what he said. And then I remember, for a good while thereafter, trying to send a little bit of my allowance to the Billy Graham crusade because of the impression he made on me then.
     I am honored that all of you are here not for a political purpose. We come here to seek the help and guidance of our Lord, putting aside our differences, as men and women who freely acknowledge that we don't have all the answers. And we come here seeking to restore and renew and strengthen our faith.
     I have always been touched by the living example of Jesus Christ and moved particularly by all the religious leaders of His day who were suspicious of Him and always trying to trap Him because He was so at ease with the hurting and the hungry and the lonely and, yes, the sinners. And in one of those marvelous attempts to trick Christ, He was asked, "What is the greatest Commandment?" And He answered, quoting Moses, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." And then He added, as we should add, "This is the great and foremost Commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Read full speech here).

President George W. Bush: We are a nation of prayer; America prays. Each day, millions of our citizens bow their heads in silence and solitude, or they offer up prayers in fellowship with others. They pray for themselves; they pray for their families; they pray for their neighbors and their communities. In many congregations and homes across this great land, people also set a time—set aside time to pray for our Nation and those entrusted with authority, including our elected leaders...
     The greatest gift a citizen of this country can give those of us entrusted with political office is to pray for us. And I thank those in our Nation who lift all of us up in prayer...
     Many in our country know the power of prayer. Prayer changes hearts, prayer changes lives, and prayer makes us a more compassionate and giving people. When we pray, we surrender our will to the Almighty and open ourselves up to His priorities and His touch. His call to love our neighbors as we would like to be loved ourselves is something that we hear when we pray. And we answer that call by reaching out to feed the hungry and clothe the poor and aid the widow and the orphan. By helping our brothers and sisters in need, we find our own faith strengthened and we receive the grace to lead lives of dignity and purpose...
      In the quiet of prayer, we leave behind our own cares, and we take up the cares of the Almighty. And in answering His call to service, we find that, in the words of Isaiah: "We will gain new strength. We will run and not get tired. We will walk and not become weary."  (Read full speech here).

President Barack Obama (Let me say that it was more difficult to extract the essence of this President's speech than it was the other Presidents.  His speech was three or four times longer, and seemed to be crafted to present an underlying message.  Read it in its entirety yourself, to get the full impression; but here are the highlights that jumped out at me):  
     Now, over the last few months, we’ve seen a number of challenges -- certainly over the last six years.  But part of what I want to touch on today is the degree to which we've seen professions of faith used both as an instrument of great good, but also twisted and misused in the name of evil...
     So how do we, as people of faith, reconcile these realities -- the profound good, the strength, the tenacity, the compassion and love that can flow from all of our faiths, operating alongside those who seek to hijack religious for their own murderous ends?
     Humanity has been grappling with these questions throughout human history.  And lest we get on our high horse and think this is unique to some other place, remember that during the Crusades and the Inquisition, people committed terrible deeds in the name of Christ.  In our home country, slavery and Jim Crow all too often was justified in the name of Christ.  Michelle and I returned from India -- an incredible, beautiful country, full of magnificent diversity -- but a place where, in past years, religious faiths of all types have, on occasion, been targeted by other peoples of faith, simply due to their heritage and their beliefs -- acts of intolerance that would have shocked Gandhiji, the person who helped to liberate that nation...
     Our job is not to ask that God respond to our notion of truth -- our job is to be true to Him, His word, and His commandments.  And we should assume humbly that we’re confused and don’t always know what we’re doing and we’re staggering and stumbling towards Him, and have some humility in that process.  And that means we have to speak up against those who would misuse His name to justify oppression, or violence, or hatred with that fierce certainty.  No God condones terror.  No grievance justifies the taking of innocent lives, or the oppression of those who are weaker or fewer in number...
     There’s wisdom in our founders writing in those documents that help found this nation the notion of freedom of religion, because they understood the need for humility.  They also understood the need to uphold freedom of speech, that there was a connection between freedom of speech and freedom of religion.  For to infringe on one right under the pretext of protecting another is a betrayal of both...
     But part of humility is also recognizing in modern, complicated, diverse societies, the functioning of these rights, the concern for the protection of these rights calls for each of us to exercise civility and restraint and judgment.  And if, in fact, we defend the legal right of a person to insult another’s religion, we’re equally obligated to use our free speech to condemn such insults -- (applause) -- and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with religious communities, particularly religious minorities who are the targets of such attacks.  Just because you have the right to say something doesn’t mean the rest of us shouldn’t question those who would insult others in the name of free speech.  Because we know that our nations are stronger when people of all faiths feel that they are welcome, that they, too, are full and equal members of our countries...
     Humility; a suspicion of government getting between us and our faiths, or trying to dictate our faiths, or elevate one faith over another.  And, finally, let’s remember that if there is one law that we can all be most certain of that seems to bind people of all faiths, and people who are still finding their way towards faith but have a sense of ethics and morality in them -- that one law, that Golden Rule that we should treat one another as we wish to be treated.  The Torah says “Love thy neighbor as yourself.”  In Islam, there is a Hadith that states: "None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.”  The Holy Bible tells us to “put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”  Put on love.
     As children of God, let’s work to end injustice -- injustice of poverty and hunger.  No one should ever suffer from such want amidst such plenty.  As children of God, let’s work to eliminate the scourge of homelessness, because, as Sister Mary says, “None of us are home until all of us are home.”  None of us are home until all of us are home.
     As children of God, let’s stand up for the dignity and value of every woman, and man, and child, because we are all equal in His eyes, and work to send the scourge and the sin of modern-day slavery and human trafficking, and “set the oppressed free.”  (Applause.)
     If we are properly humble, if we drop to our knees on occasion, we will acknowledge that we never fully know God’s purpose.  We can never fully fathom His amazing grace.  “We see through a glass, darkly” -- grappling with the expanse of His awesome love.  But even with our limits, we can heed that which is required:  To do justice, and love kindness, and walk humbly with our God.

     MY FINAL THOUGHTS:  If you have taken the time to read my selected highlights, or waded through the speeches in their entirety, I think you get a sense of those who were genuinely expressing faith, and those who saw it as a somewhat political function of the Office.  There were a couple of glaringly obvious aspects of the speeches that I would like to point out.
     First, to a man, each President introduced the historical significance that faith has played in either his life or the history of our nation.  All of the Presidents, except one, lauded the great lengths to which the Christian faith had positively influenced the world and/or the founding of this great nation.
     Most of the Presidents refrained from bringing their political agendas into a speech whose purpose is to acknowledge the importance of prayer in our national dialogue and administration of government.  However, the Presidents who have held office since 9/11 inserted both their personal and political agendas into the conversation.
     All the Presidents, save one, painted positive pictures of our national history.  All the Presidents, save one, shed the spotlight on Christianity alone, which is the historical bedrock of this nation.  Only one President attempted to equalize other religions with our Christian faith, and then point out that, historically, "evil deeds were done in the name of Christ".  Instead of pointing out that evil deeds have been done by men throughout history in the name of religion, this is a duplicitous tactic to smear  the name of Christ.
     Our national history and that of the world is not perfect.  On that, we can all agree.  But to insinuate that the Crusades had anything to do with the teachings of Christ is a gross misinterpretation of the political and unholy wars fought by both Christians and Muslims.  Furthermore, to connect slavery and Jim Crow laws to the "injustice" of Christianity is ludicrous.  It was the Christian faith that led the way to the repudiation of slavery.  The obvious attempt to equivocate recent Muslim atrocities had no place at an annual U.S. Prayer breakfast.
     Of course, there will be a momentary uproar among the talking heads of the media circus; ironically, it is obvious that many of them are speaking from a position of unbelief.  And I can sum up the lack of true concern with this statement by Lynn Sweet, of The Chicago Sun-Times:  "Did [the President's remarks] merit being mentioned on the nightly news?  I don't think so.  There's a lot going on in the world."
     That's right.  The focus of most people is on the world.  Perhaps we should re-focus on the original intent of the National Prayer Breakfast --- our need for national prayer to our God.  I would suggest we do more than "drop to our knees on occasion" as was suggested in the latest Prayer Breakfast address.  I would also disagree with the statement that "we [will] acknowledge that we never fully know God’s purpose".  The One True God's purpose is clear if you read the Bible --- not the Koran, nor the Hindu Vedas, or the Buddhist Tipitaka.  His purpose is to reconcile His creation with Himself through our acceptance of His son, Jesus Christ, and His sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins.
     It is all so sad to me.  What was once an occasion for the Leader of our country to give thanks to the providence of God, and to exhort the nation to pray for His continued guidance and protection, has turned into a self-serving excuse to promote personal ideologies and insult YHWH.  Now, more than ever, we need to heed the warning of the Philippine Ambassador:  May God keep you always, and may you always keep God.

Psalm 2:1-4    "Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying, “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.” He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision."

A Consuming Fire: The Tale of Two Religions

   

     The world is haunted by the video released by ISIS.  A captured Jordanian pilot was subjected to the barbaric act of setting a man on fire and then crushing his body with a bulldozer, along with the cage in which he was held.  It all seems so incomprehensible.  That is, unless you look at this horrific act through the lens of world history and religions.
     What I think we are seeing with this horrific act is the use of fire as a symbol of destroying or eradicating the enemy of ISIS, as well as purifying what they perceive as a disobedient Muslim.  Remember the pilot shared the same faith.  But he is not the only one who has felt the deadly flames of fire in the Islamic world.  The following report comes to us from Front Page Mag:  
     "Hundreds of women in the Muslim world have been murdered by fire in honor killings. The murders were often disguised as suicides or accidents. In the first six months of 2007, in Iraqi Kurdistan, 255 women were killed, three-quarters of them by burning. An earlier report cited 366 cases of women who were the victims of so called fire accidents in Dohuk in 2006, up from 289 the year before. In Irbil, there were 576 burn cases since 2003, resulting in 358 deaths. In 2006 in Sulaimaniyah, Iraq there were 400 cases of women burned. In Tunisia in May 2014 a father burned his 13-year-old daughter to death for walking home with a boy. In October 2013 a 15-year-old Yemeni girl was burned to death by her father for communicating with her fiancé. In March 2009, a sixteen-year-old Muslim girl, suspected of having a relationship with a boy, was burned to death by four male neighbors in her village in Ghaziabad, North India.  But this form of punishment is not reserved just for women ... In April 2011 three men were set on fire in Iraq for being gay. A video of that incident is easily accessible online. In June 2008, the Taliban burned three truck drivers of the Turi tribe alive for supplying the Pakistan Armed Forces. There have been numerous reports of Christians burned alive by Islamist jihadists. In November 2014 a Christian couple in Pakistan Sajjad Maseeh, 27, and his wife Shama Bibi, 24, were burned alive in a brick furnace after it was rumored that they had burned verses from the Quran. 'Bibi, a mother of four who was four months pregnant, was wearing an outfit that initially didn’t burn…… The mob removed her from over the kiln and wrapped her up in cotton to make sure the garments would be set alight.' These incidents are rarely reported by the mainstream media and were difficult for most people to comprehend as real until ISIS started filming documentaries of their ritual murders."
     Did you notice the operative word in that last sentence?  It is RITUAL.  Fire and Ritual are an important part of all world religions; even our own Christianity.  The Lord God Jehovah even appeared as a blazing fire in the midst of a bush!  In this case, Fire communicates the very presence of God.  The first Believers were baptized with the Holy Spirit as tongues of fire rested upon their heads.  This is our God at work.
     In fact, YHWH uses fire for many purposes in His redemptive work.  He uses fire as a defense for His divine love and protection; a covering, if you will (Isaiah 4:5).  He uses fire as a means to make amends (or atonement) for sins (Leviticus 16:27).  Our faith tells us that God will use fire as a means of transforming the earth in the Great Day of the Lord (2 Peter 3:10).  But perhaps the most identifiable attribute of God to us Christians, is its purification aspect.  We will all be subjected to the "Refiner's fire" when we stand before God to measure our efforts on behalf of His kingdom. (1 Peter 1:7).  Each of these applications of fire is a picture of God's mercy; of how much He loves us.
     But I'm sure that the members of ISIS would say they use fire to purify their religion, too.  But there is one huge difference:  They use fire as a form of retribution, punishment and revenge for those they decide have been disobedient.  Where is the restoration of the individual?  YHWH uses fire to sustain the lives of those who follow Him; purifying them even as the fire dissolves their sins and rebellion.  The end result is a new life; a renewed spirit of allegiance to the God who created them.
     But as Front Page Mag points out, the ritual burning of the Jordanian pilot does not purify the faith of Islam.  Instead it "symbolically unleashes an epidemic of contagious evil ... Ritualizing the violence justifies it and makes it sacred."  And now comes the report from the the U.N. Committee on the Rights of the Child, who said it has received reports regarding ISIS and "several cases of mass executions of boys, as well as reports of beheadings, crucifixions of children and burying children alive." Where is the honor in this?  How does this serve to glorify their religion or their god?
     So, as I see it, here's the bottom line ... the goal of ISIS appears to be to take over the Islamic religion and "purge it" of its "unclean" members. But what is the final outcome?  We see death, destruction, fear, and utter ruin.  Christianity, on the other hand, also acknowledges the need of its members to be "purified" or "cleansed".  But the goal of the consuming fire of our faith is to renew a life and make it new; it is the sin that is destroyed, not the flesh and blood person.
     Those far smarter than I, have stated that the video of the Jordanian pilot's murder was sent around the world as a symbol of an Islamic purification ritual that serves vengeance, and restores honor and purity to the community of believers.  The difference is, my faith preaches love among its fellow members; and honors and glorifies our God, rather than the community of believers; and ultimately, leaves vengeance to the Almighty God of the Universe.
     At the heart of the matter is this:  two consuming fires; two religions with vastly different interpretations; and only one that treasures each created life.  We are to pray for those who wish to persecute us.  As hard as that may seem in the face of such inhumanity, I suggest we put that at the top of our priority list.

Matthew 5:44-45     "But I tell you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, To show that you are the children of your Father Who is in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the wicked and on the good, and makes the rain fall upon the upright and the wrongdoers [alike]."

One More Step Towards "The Beast System"

     You might be asking what I mean by the "Beast System".  No matter how one views the world, we cannot deny that technology is making rapid progress towards instituting a computerized and cashless society.  Our privacy is being sacrificed to countless methods of "data collection" devices, as we are numbered and categorized according to our tastes, desires, and consumer habits.  "It's all for the sake of customer convenience", we are told.
     However, from the perspective of my Biblical worldview, we are simply being herded towards a pervasive system of control that will rule the world.  It's described in the Bible as "the Mark of the Beast", in which no one will be able to buy or sell without this "mark".  Secularists will say that this is all nonsense.  Mankind is just evolving; we are discovering new and more efficient ways to live our lives, and technology is the means to achieving maximum productivity with a minimum amount of wasted time and effort.
     But it might interest you to know that Barclays, one of the oldest International financial institutions in the world, is storming the "wearables market" and introducing numerous "contactless" methods of payment.  For instance, last Christmas, in the United Kingdom, they introduced gloves that allowed customers to pay for their purchases by touching their gloves to contactless card readers.   The concept went like this:  The Barclaycard contactless chip, which is linked to a debit or credit card account, was embedded in the gloves and could be used to pay for goods up to the value of £20 -- a little over $30 in American currency.  
     Barclays revealed that the contactless gloves were just as popular as Smart Rings and Payment Bands.  The following commentary was taken from a website called Intelligent Environments, and I think you will be amazed at just how far the current generation has come in their embracement of the new technology: (Quote) "This is something absolutely magic! With a movement of your finger you can manipulate things and devices, simplifying your everyday life ... I want to have the option to go out without carrying my purse or my wallet, I want to make my life easier, I want to be able to go everywhere without additional weights, all I need is my phone and my ring: my ring is my wallet, my money, my shortcut, my support, my fashion item. Today I want my “magic” ring. Today I want the future ... This will be the item that can make your childhood dreams come true. Using your “magic wand” you can become the wizard you always dreamt of being, so what are you waiting for? Wear the power!"
     I can't help but be alarmed at some of the terminology of global conglomerates like Barclays, who use language like ... "by allowing customers to use Payment bands for other activities, a range of opportunities, such as loyalty, branding and recognition, would open up for suppliers... This data can then be used by venues to target customers more effectively with ads. and promote correct loyalty schemes, as well as improve customer service.... There is a strong possibility that in the future they could be used to access bank accounts and, why not, to make payments! The contactless technology is currently having such a great success that I would not be surprised if it is adopted on these new wearable advices."
     Computer Weekly reports that "the new generation of banking customers would rather use biometric security devices than PINs and passwords for authentication, according to Visa Europe."  It seems that to "Generation Z" it just feels like passwords are an unnecessary burden.  To them, Biometric authentication using fingerprint recognition or retinal scans offers an ideal solution, combining unique security and ease of use.  What's more, more than half of 16 to 24-year-olds think passwords will no longer be needed or used by the end of 2020, and will be replaced by authentication methods such as facial recognition or fingerprint and retina scanners.
     But what is even scarier is the fact that our youth, are being sucked in to the ease and convenience promised by the new technology.
     But there are even more outlandish methods waiting in the wings.  Are you ready for  Finger Vein Authentication Technology, also known as VeinID?  Or what about Voice biometrics?  If can be imagined, they will develop it!
     So, here's my concern with all this technological advancement:  currently the contactless chip is embedded in gloves -- or rings, or payment bands, or your iPhone.  How long until it is suggested that it will make life easier for consumers, suppliers, and banks -- if it is embedded in you?!?  What is the possibility that in the near future it becomes the mandatory method of payment?  And my biggest fear  is that it will be just fine with the Youth!  This latest generation has known nothing else but the convenience of technology -- it will be a natural development for them.  And what's worse is that they don't know the 1900 year-old prophecy in the last book of the Bible.  They do not know that the Bible says, "he [the Beast] provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name."
     Now, we can argue who or what "the Beast" is and the significance of his number (666) -- but that's a topic for another day.  Today -- right now! -- we need to take note that there is a prophecy that all men will be required to accept "a mark" to buy or sell.  Ultimately, folks, that means in order to eat, to work, to bank ... to survive ... you will need to comply with "the system".
     So, does it look as though technology is taking us to that moment in prophetic time?  I think so.  And I am deeply concerned that my fellow human beings are being seduced by the temptations of more convenience, ease of use, and cutting-edge technology.  Maybe you don't believe in the Bible or the prophecy, but can you deny that it is getting more difficult to act outside the system?  Think about it.  And then take a moment to consider this thought:  what if the there is a possibility that the prophecy is true?  Do you want to take that chance?  Today's Scripture tells you the grave consequences of complying with the system of the Beast.  All would do well to view technology with new eyes and a new understanding.

Revelation 14:9-11     “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb.  And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.”
   

An Example For Us: The Faith of Persecuted Christians

   

     The nation of Niger in western Africa has been the site of recent demonstrations and violence after the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attack in France.  It is located north of Nigeria and to the east of Mali, both countries that have seen their own share of violence in recent years.  In the last couple of weeks seven Christian churches in the capital city of Niamey (along with more than 60 throughout the nation) have been burned in retaliation for the satirical depiction of the prophet Mohammed.  Niger was once a French colonial possession and retains strong cultural ties with France, and because the nation is more than 90% Muslim, the backlash against Christians has been severe.
     According to The Christian Post, U.S. missionaries in the country have reported , "all of [their] churches have been burned along with the pastors' homes ... almost every church [they] know or are associated with has been attacked." The missionaries, who despite seeing smoke "around all sides of [their] house," remain in Niamey, the nation's capital.  It has also been reported that ten people have died in the attacks.
     Christians in Muslim countries around the world are being targeted in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo controversy.  Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, who was born in Niger, has issued sermons against Christians, calling on Muslim men to join a global jihad that can be heard at mosques across the country of Nigeria.  In addition, Christians in Mali, Sudan and Somalia have fallen into states of panic in the face of increased persecution.
     Cameron Thomas, the African regional administrator of International Christian Concern (ICC), stated,  "Christians in Muslim-majority countries hostile to even the practice, let alone the spread, of Christianity face incredible hardship for their faith that is often made worse by seemingly unconnected actions in the Western world. Over the course of these riots, dozens of churches and Christian businesses and homes will burn for a cause unconnected to themselves."  ICC is an organization that derives its purpose from serving the persecuted Church in the world.  And it seems as if that need is growing.

Neal and Danette Childs, and family

     In a report on the Niger attacks, Todd Starnes of The Blaze shared the testimony of Neal and Danette Childs, who have been missionaries in the West African country since 1998; serving through their Reaching Unreached Nations (RUN) ministry.  “Our immediate response — there is that little bit of panic,” Neal Childs related. “We were ready. We were on guard.”  Childs reported that the parsonages where two ministers and their families were living were also destroyed and looted, leaving at least one of those preachers with practically nothing left over.
     But their tremendous faith is something that we here, in America, would do well to imitate.  The Christian pastors have forgiven the mobs and returned to public worship... they are not afraid.  "The church is recognizing this is something to be joyful over — the church and their faith have been proven. Jesus said rejoice and be exceedingly glad when men persecute you, for great is your reward in heaven."
     I have to ask ... where has the media coverage been over the fallout of the Charlie Hebdo storm?  Why is no one reporting that Christian communities in Africa are suffering increasing persecution?  The White House website carries no news about the events in Niger.  The New York Times quoted the reason the Muslim rioters were angry, but no comments from the Christian victims. USA Today repeated the often heard mantra that "Islam is a peaceful religion", while making no mention of the 70 Christian churches across the nation that lie in smoldering ruins.

Pastor Nwene

     But I don't want to focus on the negligence of the press.  Rather, I want to shout for joy at the faith and endurance of the Christian pastors in the persecuted churches of Niger.   On his website for his ministry, Neal Childs features the encouraging message of Pastor Nelson Nwene.  His message?  "We need to forgive.  In fact, we need to ask God to forgive those who did this, so judgment doesn’t fall on them.  Then we need to go after them.  Not to retaliate, but to reach them with the power of the Gospel.  We have an opportunity like we’ve never had before."  Childs also states, "There were tears, but more than the tears, there was rejoicing.  The church in Niger is strong!"
     In fact, Pastors across Niger rejoiced in their faith.  Pastor Zabeyrou preached by flashlight.  Pastor Moctar gave his church members the opportunity to share testimonies.  One after the other came and gave glory to God for His protection in spite of all that happened, and in spite of the fear all around them.  They shared how their neighbors saw them with a new respect when they saw them returning to church.  And mostly they shared how they had forgiven, and are excited about what God is going to do through this unprecedented persecution.

Pastor Zebeyrou preaches by flashlight

     And here is Neal Childs' own assessment of how God will use this persecution to glorify His Church:  "The Church in Niger was attacked ... The Body of Christ in this land.  At least 70 churches were burned, vandalized and looted.  Ours included.  The majority of the attacks took place on Saturday.  Also attacked were pastor’s homes, orphanages and Christian Schools.  It was an unprecedented attack that the Enemy meant to use to destroy.  What an idiot he is."
     I wanted you to know about this persecution and pray for these good people in Niger; these faithful people.  And I want us to ask ourselves the following:  1)  Are we prepared to suffer as these Christians are?  2)  Would we react in the same spirit of love and forgiveness?  3)  Are we willing to intercede in prayer on their behalf, or we will remain unmoved for our Christian brethren in their time of need, as we bask in our affluence and freedom from fear?  Think seriously about these questions, because I can tell you that we will not be spared such persecution in the future.  And I fear that the American Church will not rise from the ashes in solidarity and faith, as have the persecuted in Niger.  Look at those faces of joy in the midst of such devastation and pray that we will be found such jubilant Overcomers as they.

If you wish to make a donation to these Pastors and their churches, click here.  The donation is made to RUN ministries here in the States, and administered by Neal and Danette Childs.  To read about their committed lives as missionaries in Africa, click here. 
   
Hosea 12:6    “So you, by the help of your God, return, hold fast to love and justice, and wait continually for your God.”  

   
   

Propoganda To The Masses

   

     If you wanted to transmit subliminal messages to the world, and get the most bang for your buck, where would you do it?  Why, the Super Bowl of course!  Millions of viewers tune in each year to watch this media extravaganza that has turned into a no-brainer for capturing the attention of mindless viewers who soak up commercial after commercial.  In fact, I would submit that even if people don't have a favorite team to root for, they will watch just to see the commercials!
     Remember, we now live in a culture that is desperate to be entertained.  We crave anything that appeals to our flesh ... excitement, emotions, or new concepts of how we should live our lives.
     You all know that I see things from a Biblical worldview.  It is my belief that the world's Culture -- and that's with a capital "C" -- has tempted and seduced mankind towards a false destiny.  To Christians, the Culture has become like the Whore of Babylon mentioned in the Book of Revelation.  To the Secularist, the Culture is just a new and better way to live in the world; a "new world order", so to speak.  And the force behind this false message is none other than Lucifer, himself.
     He's done a good job of showing us this "new order" through movies, TV, video games, social media, and the ever-expanding applications available on our computer devices.  And he was so clever in making it all addictive.  Our minds have been programmed to seek the latest stimulus and to be influenced by its message -- whether it be harmful or beneficial to us.
     It is the job of those who are in the service of Satan's system to create the most engaging, captivating and alluring messages to woo us away from God's foundational principles.  The Super Bowl commercials do just that, and the massive audience who tunes in make it the best, biggest, and easiest way to push that agenda.
     But if you take a serious look at the commercials, you can discern what the "underlying" message is meant to be.  Let me share just a few from the 2015 smorgasbord of false and tempting messages meant to inspire us and prepare us for a different destiny.

     There was plenty of apocalyptic messages to go around.  There was a trailer for the next movie in the successful Terminator franchise, as well as one for Jurassic World.  It seems that both "The Singularity" of man and robot, and the Science of genetic manipulations were well represented.  
     And take the Carnival Cruise Line ad that ran a voice-over by President John F. Kennedy:  (Quote):  "I don't really know why it is that we are all so committed to the sea ... it is, I think ... because we all came from the sea.  We are tied to the ocean, and when we go back to the sea, we are going back from whence we came...".  (Closed Quote).  The spot ends with the words "Come back to the sea."  Keep in mind, that the entire 60 seconds of this spot is showing people of all ages, ethnic backgrounds, and countries; some holding hands, others smiling at each other.  "We are all one community", it seems to tell us.  Then there is the not-so-subtle message that we evolved from the sea.  Oh, and let's make sure that we suggest there is no Sovereign Creator.
     The same could be said of the Jeep ad, titled "This Land is Your Land."  Great, you might be thinking ... a good old rah-rah American ad.  But after the opening lines and stunning images that refer us to California, New York, the redwood forests, and the Gulf Stream waters, the images move to scenes from around the world.  We are shown scenes of India, Asia, the Great Wall of China, the statue of Christ of the Andes in Argentina, the Middle East, and Australia.  Wait!  This was a song written by Woodie Guthrie about America!  But in the Super Bowl version, it is obvious that we are to take away the message that "this land" belongs to everyone ... we are all part of this "one world system".  In fact, the written message at the end of the ad is this:  "The World is a Gift.  Play Responsibly.  Water is Life.  Help Provide It."  So we get a little global warming message thrown in, along with the idea that Man -- not God -- is in control of our natural resources.
    And Mophie Powerless Batteries ran an ad that featured various doomsday scenarios:  ashes falling from heaven; material objects being sucked up into the sky; trees spontaneously combusting; weather stations announcing "blizzards in Africa" and "tsunamis in Paris" while wild hyenas enter the studio.  It showed social chaos while meteors showered lawless cities, and the laws of matter and nature being displaced as satellites spun out of control.  The camera pans into outer space and we see God (who looks suspiciously like Lionel Richie in his Commodore days) peering at his failing cell phone battery.  This version of a gentle God mutters, "Gosh darn it" and we see the message on screen, "When Your Battery Dies, God Knows What Can Happen."
     You can decide for yourself what we were supposed to take away from this 60 second mini-movie.  Is God a selfish God who is uncaring about the events that take place on earth?  Or is it that God is pro-technology; and without technological power, the earth descends into chaos?  You can bet that there was a specific reason that the powers-that-be chose to advertise a cell phone battery in this manner.
     And speaking of technology and mobile applications, The Game of War was able to combine sex and a prophetic message in its ad.  As a meteor comes crashing into her castle, Super-model Kate Upton pronounces "The thing about empires ... is that the bigger you build them, the more your enemies want to knock them down.  Let them have their fun.  You and I will revisit them soon enough. Do you want to come and play?"  In the background, fire abounds and nephilim hybrids battle mankind.  But the average person watching is just thinking, "Wow!  Cool game!"  But I heard and saw something far more ominous in those words and images.
     And speaking of ominous sounds ... the ad for SquareSpace, a website builder, featuring actor Jeff Bridges chanting "Ooooom", was downright chilling.  "Om" is is a mantra and mystical sound of Hindu origin (geographically India and Nepal).  It is sacred and important in various religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism.  It is used in meditation to empty your mind and gain a realization of "The Highest".  There was no mistaking the intent of that commercial!
    These are just a few of the ads that aired during the two-plus hours of the Super Bowl.  You might think that I am making too much of them; that what harm can be done by watching a 60-second commercial?  It is not the time period that is the danger.  It is the importance that we have given to endorsing what the Culture promotes, versus the decreased value we have given to God's message.  One of these ads by itself may not make an impact.  But when taken together -- when they are combined over hours of watching TV and movies, or playing the latest online video game -- and when the entire country can't wait to see what commercials will be shown to our addicted minds ... well, I just wish we were as hungry for God's Word, and His stories, and His content.  In the meantime, Lucifer has a winning strategy.  Why should he change the playbook?

To see these ads and more, click here.  How do you discern their message?

1 John 2:16    "For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world."






   

Honoring A Hero

     Today marks the second anniversary of the murder of Navy Seal Chris Kyle.  I am still amazed at all the attacks against him and the movie American Sniper.  In this day of 24-hour news cycles, stories like this usually last a day or two and are then replaced with the next celebrity "hate-fest".
     But on this emotional anniversary, perhaps his detractors want to sling a little more mud on his hero status.  But that has just become more difficult because American Sniper surpassed Saving Private Ryan as the number one domestic grossing war movie of all-time.  They need to ask themselves why.
      You see, those of us in Texas know that Chris Kyle was not perfect.  But he stands for the sacrifice that our military have made in the last decade, and his life represents the heavy price they've all paid.  This is not a movie making a political statement about the war -- as much as "they" would like it to be -- it is a movie about the cost our military families have paid on our behalf.
      Governor Greg Abbott has declared today "Chris Kyle Day" in this soldier's beloved state of Texas.  The Governor spoke for millions of Texans, when he said, "[In the Lone State], we honor our military heroes.  In honor of a Texas son, a Navy SEAL and an American hero — a man who defended his brothers and sisters in arms on and off the battlefield — I am declaring February 2nd Chris Kyle Day in Texas,” said Abbott. “We will commemorate his passing, but more importantly, remembering his answering of the call of duty.”  And this day will honor all who have answered the call.
     That's right, we think Chris Kyle and our military are heroes.  Not because we all agree with the Iraq War, or the politics of George W. Bush, or because we hate Muslims.  We think Chris Kyle is a hero because of his incredible courage in standing up to Evil ... because he did his job the best he could, knowing that the lives of soldiers depended on him.  What an incredible burden!  To save a life, he had to take a life.  He witnessed death all around him, and his soul suffered for it.  Yet, he returned, time and again, to a job that haunted him, because others depended on him.  It wasn't only American soldiers that depended on him; Iraqi citizens benefitted from his "job", as well.
     And guess what?  It's not only Texans and millions of American movie-goers that think Kyle was a hero.  According to The Global Post, the movie opened in Baghdad, the capitol of Iraq, to strong crowds and exuberant fans of the movie.  One attendee, named Mohammed, lived through the events that are depicted in the movie.  He admitted it was hard to watch innocent citizens being killed as the Americans fought the terrorists, but overall, he liked the movie.  "I love watching war movies because it gives me the strength to face ISIS," he said.  When asked if he thought the movie was fascist or anti-Arab, he replied, "No, why?  The sniper was killing terrorists; the only thing that bothered me was when he said he didn't know anything about the Quran."
     But in an effort to be intellectually honest, the film was pulled from theaters after one week, because the movie features the killing of Muslims, and it was seen as controversial.  But the interesting thing to me was the fact that Kyle himself did not seem to be condemned as he is here, in his own country.  Writer Frank Rich continued the "racist" mantra of those who misunderstand the label of "savages" that Kyle applied to the Iraqi terrorists.  Why is it to so hard for them to see that Chris clearly distinguished between the good citizens of Iraq and the terrorist monsters when he used that term?
     They try so hard to make the movie into a political statement about the war, when it is clearly a character study of a man sent to war.  They are so desperate to vilify a man who represents the kind of Americans they detest, that they will even go so far as to compare him to the Sandy Hook killer, Adam Lanza!
     I admit that I am not qualified to defend a man like Chris Kyle.  I have not stood in his shoes, nor faced the demons of war.  Only those who have experienced the horrors of this endless war are able to give voice to the message this movie sends.   An anonymous Marine Corps veteran wrote an eloquent response to all the critics:  "The film wasn’t about any of that [politics] because for US, the war wasn’t about any of that.  Do you think any of us gave a f**k about Saddam Hussein, WMD, Bush, Cheney, or any of that s**t that was being ejaculated by the news? The film wasn’t about grey areas, because to us it didn’t matter. All that mattered to us was the guy to our left, and the guy to our right…and especially the guy that still had a can of Skoal. It wasn’t that we were willfully ignorant of the issues surrounding the Iraq War, or that we were in denial, but when your finger is on a trigger, when your face is covered in your friends’ brain matter, you aren’t thinking about “good and evil” or “grey areas.” That is the entire point [the critics] miss; the film was about a man on the ground and the struggle to come home with a head full of grief and regret, not the Iraq war itself."
     Pretty straight-forward, right?  But it was his parting shot that put everything into perspective:  "To those who saw the movie as more of a ‘pro Bush/Iraq/Right Wing/anti-Muslim’ political statement and want to bash it and our military... The movie wasn’t for you,” he concluded. “It was for the guy with mud on his boots and a hole in his heart, and for the families that are left to pick up the pieces. Go back to your latte.”  Perfect!
     Like I said, I may not be able to share the feelings and emotions of Chris Kyle and his family, but I can applaud the objectives of this movie and the voice it lends our military.  God has a purpose for every human being in this world, and our role may not always be pretty or politically correct.  The world can be an ugly place, and He needs warriors (yes, even imperfect warriors) to face Evil head-on; to destroy it in ways that we normal folks could never do.  Chris Kyle answered that call, and many soldiers came home alive because of his skills.  In my book, that makes him a hero.

1 Samuel 15:18     And the Lord sent you on a mission and said, ‘Go, devote to destruction the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’ 

2 Samuel 24:1

Again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and [He] moved David against them, saying, Go, number Israel and Judah.

     There is so much about this Scripture, and the Chapter of 2 Samuel 24, that I wish to discuss with you.  But first, I want to clear up some confusion that might be associated with this particular translation, which is in the New King James version.  Notice the implication (by capitalizing the "H" in "He") that it is the Lord that caused David to demand that a census be taken of the fighting men of Israel and Judah; a move that would result in judgment against the nation.  So, I'm sure many have asked, "Why would the Lord move David to do something that He would later punish him for?"

     So, it is important to note that 1 Chronicles 21:1 tells us, "Now Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel."  Furthermore, other translations, such as the American Standard Version (ASV) and the 1599 Geneva Bible, render the Scripture without the capital "H", which makes it clear that there is another individual that is influencing King David.  In fact, the Geneva Bible has a notation that "he" means "The Lord permitted Satan...".   Now that we know the force behind David's actions, the Chapter makes more sense, and we can begin to apply its lessons to our own lives.

     How would Satan have been able to appeal to David, and what was the King's impetus for knowing how many people were in his kingdom?  It is the same sin that has plagued the world since the Garden of Eden, and the first of seven sins that Gods hates and abhors in Proverbs 6:16-19 .... PRIDE!  We can just imagine the lies that the Devil whispered in David's ear .... "You are the King of all Israel; Israel belongs to you", and "You are a mighty warrior.  You have conquered many people,  Don't you want to know the strength of your army?"

     Pride made David forget that Israel belonged to God and He was the Sovereign ruler of the nation.  Also, David had forgotten that the power behind his military victories had been the Lord.  So, had David forgotten the Lord's Word:  The Land is Mine; for you are but aliens and sojourners with Me (Leviticus 25:23)?  Had David forgotten that God is Sovereign and rules over all the nations (Psalm 22:28)?  And obviously, David's pride caused him to forget the Lord's directive in Exodus 30:12: When you take the census of the children of Israel for their number, then every man shall give a ransom for himself to the LORD, when you number them, that there may be no plague among them when you number them.  

     Why?  We must remember that in these ancient cultures, a man only had the right to count or number what belonged to him.  David forgot that Israel didn't belong to him; it belonged to God.  The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession. (Deuteronomy 7:6).  God is a jealous God, and wants no man to be so arrogant as to claim what belongs to Him.  That's why a "ransom" had to be paid by each man to the Lord, in order that he might be "preserved" or "redeemed" as belonging to the Lord.  David took it upon himself to ignore the warning of Joab, his general, and proceeded with his plan to know the full number of his "valiant men that drew the sword" (2 Samuel 24:9).  That task took nearly 10 months, and you would have thought that David would come to his senses before then.  But, Pride is a seductive temptress, as Satan well knows.

      We must never forget what Proverbs 16:18 tell us: "Pride goeth before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall."  David is about to discover this in full force!  The Bible says that "his heart smote him after he had numbered the people"; he was stricken with a guilty conscience.  And what did he immediately do?  He sought the Lord, confessed his sin, and asked for forgiveness --- which is what each of us should do the moment we realize we have sinned!

      We can be assured that God will forgive us, but we must also accept that God disciplines those He loves, and it is within His Sovereign Nature to judge our sins and demand retribution.  Peace and reconciliation is made between God and sinners by sacrifice.  That is why the Old Testament sacrificial system was necessary before Yeshua came as our sacrifice.  A price must be paid because of the preciousness of God's forgiveness, and that is what must be enacted in 2 Samuel 24 because of David's sin of Pride.  His choices?  War, Pestilence or Famine.

     The Lord chose to send a pestilence upon the nation of Israel; an appointed time in which 70,000 men died. David is grieved that his men have paid a price for his sins, and asks God to penalize him and his house.  But God had another purpose to accomplish in this affair.  David is instructed to "go up" and build an altar to the Lord in the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.  David does as he is instructed and meets the Lord there in worship.  It is important for us to note that this site was on Mount Moriah; the same hill where Abraham offered Isaac (Genesis 22:2), and the same set of hills where Jesus died on the cross (Genesis 22:14).  Because David met with the Lord on this spot, it would become the site of Solomon's Temple (1 Chronicles 21:28-22:50.

     Although Araunah offered to give David the threshing floor, the king refuses his offer and buys it from Araunah.  David knew that any sacrifice or gift to God is worth nothing in His eyes, unless it costs something.  So it is with us; if we are faithful followers of Jesus, it will cost us something ... whether enmity with the world, material wealth, persecution or personal suffering.  The question becomes, "How much are we willing to pay to be obedient?"  

     Are we willing to be mindful of our sins, confess them before the Lord, and ask for forgiveness, as David did?  David knew that the deaths of 70,000 of his fighting men in the plague did not make amends for his sin of Pride against God.  He knew that Atonement could only be rightly made through a blood sacrifice, so he built an altar to God and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings unto the Lord.  Jesus is the blood sacrifice offered to God for our grievous sins.  Only when we lay out sins at the feet of the Cross, can they be forgiven and God stay His hand of righteous judgment.  

     Each of us, as well as our nation's rulers, have a lot to learn from this episode in David's life.  God still demands obedience to His precepts and commandments; nothing has changed in 3,000 years! Pride leads to sin; Sin must be atoned for; Jesus has paid the price for us; and He is the only Way to reconcile and regain our fellowship with God.  Pray that our country will recognize this!  Otherwise, I'm afraid that Judgment is in our near future... and which will it be this time?  War, Pestilence or Famine?