Smartphones, Our Children, and Their Mental Health

     What does the year 2010 and the increase in mental health issues of children have in common?  You can probably guess from the title of this blog that it is Smartphones.  In an article on the website for U.K.'s The Telegraph, one of the country's foremost psychotherapists explains that in 2010, "I saw my work increase by a mad amount and so did others I work with. Suddenly everything got much more dangerous, much more immediate, much more painful."
     Dr. Julie Lynn Evans explained that in the 1990s she might have one or two suicide attempts a year.  Now that number has increased to around four per month.  She reports that the access to the internet that comes with Smartphones has opened up a world of danger to our kids.  These phones, in effect, allow predators easy access to impressionable young minds.  Just consider that anything -- anything -- is available on the internet.  Add to that, the reality that parental approval or supervision is unnecessary and rarely asked for, we are left with an unsupervised generation that is easily exploited.
     We've all seen them ... the adult chat rooms, the pornography sites, the virtual reality rooms where anyone can disguise their real identity.  Children wander into these sites, and spend unlimited amounts of time there, being sucked into dark places they are too inexperienced and unprepared to handle.
     But it is not only pernicious sexual situations that are harming our kids.  Dr. Evans says, "My clients are cutting their arms, thighs, shoulders and stomachs; they are exhibiting signs of seriously disordered eating, they are medicating fast and furiously, they are refusing to go to school, they are sleepless and scared. Some are depressed and anxious, some have conduct disorder and problems with authority, and some are simply terrified. My consulting room, and those of my colleagues, are full of children who are more dramatically unhappy than they were a decade ago."
    As if that's not enough, kids are not developing healthy relationships because Smartphones don't encourage kindness, compassion, or ethics.  Everything is instantaneous and no thought is given to consequences from an unkind or cruel remark.  Bullying has become a constant companion for far too many kids.  And parents are too busy on their Smartphones to notice the warning signs.
     I have spent far too many instances with people who can't stay off their phones long enough to have a complete conversation or share a meal.  Meanwhile, their kids are becoming zombies; glued to their phones and unable to communicate in any other meaningful way.  That has to be affecting their brains, as well as their social skills and ability to solve problems on their own.
    Once again, I find myself lamenting the rapid advancement of technology.  Has it really improved our lives for the better?  Sure, it has brought progress in medicine; helped us to organize our lives better; and expanded our knowledge base.  We can find the answer to almost any question we have on the internet.  But have the negative side effects outweighed the advantages?  Have Facebook and Google advanced our culture, or just taken our attention away from real person-to-person dialogue?  And have we given up our privacy and freedom from intrusion in our daily lives?  Has it been worth it?  Are we a healthier nation -- both mentally and physically?
     I am just afraid that Smartphones have become an unnatural and abnormal lifeline for the youth of this nation.  The devices provide a parent-free, unsupervised world in which they are losing their humanity.  We were not created to live such isolated lives; and Smartphones cannot express human feelings, grant forgiveness, or experience the joy of human contact.  What a perfect way for the Devil to entice our children into a life that lacks God's love.  Yes, technology has made our lives easier, but are our kids paying the price?

To read more about the mental health issues conveyed by Dr. Julie Lynn Evans, please click here or here. 
   
1 John 4:4    "Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world."
   

Ancient Prophecies And Modern Iraq

      It is true that the world continues to be horrified by the barbaric crimes against humanity being committed by ISIS in the name of the Islamic Caliphate.  Who can fathom the hatred and wickedness that is behind the beheadings, the torture, the raping of children, genocide against entire Christian villages, and destruction of ancient historical sites?  Northern Iraq has been overrun by Evil, and the world watches in horror.
     Yet, from my Biblical worldview, this is not the first time this area of the world has seen such wickedness.  I have alluded to the significance of ISIS's stronghold near the ancient city of Nineveh in a previous post.  But there is much more to the story ... there is actually a connection between what is going on today in Iraq, and a prophecy in the ancient Biblical Book of Nahum.
     In just three short chapters, the prophet Nahum prophecies about the Judgment-to-come upon Nineveh, the vengeance of the Lord, and the defeat of the wicked.  Since it is speculated that Nahum wrote his prophecy somewhere around the mid-600s B.C., could it have any relevance for us today?
      First, I want to thank David Ettinger, copy editor for Zion's Hope Ministries, for his scholarly research on the prophet Nahum and the ancient Assyrian Empire.  Through his writing, I discovered that ancient Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrian Empire, "one of the most cruel, vile, powerful, and brutal nations that ever existed."  If you are a student of Biblical history, then you know that it was Assyria that defeated the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 722 BC, took them into captivity, and exiled and dispersed them from their land.
     Just how evil was the ancient Assyrian Empire?  Here, in their own words, are examples of the crimes they committed against humanity (Details are graphic, so please be forewarned):
•  King Ashurnasirpal II (883-859 BC):  "I stormed the mountain peaks and took them.  In the midst of the mighty mountain I slaughtered them; with their blood I dyed their mountain red like wool... The heads of their warriors I cut off, and I formed them into a pillar over and against their city; their young men and their maidens I burned alive in the fire." (Luckenbill, Ancient Records of Assyria and Babylonia, 1:148).
•  King Ashurnasirpal again, telling of a captured enemy leader:  "I flayed [him], his skin I spread upon the wall of the city..." (ibid, 1:146).
•  King Sennacherib (705-681 BC):  "I cut their throats like lambs.  I cut off their precious lives [as one cuts] a string.  Like many waters of a storm I made [the contents of] their gullets and entrails run down upon the wide earth ... Their hands I cut off." (ibid, 2:127)
•  King Shalamaneser II ( 859-824 B.C.):  "A pyramid of heads I reared in front of his city.  Their youths and their maidens I burnt up in the flames." (ibid, 1:213).
•  King Ashurbanipal (669-626 B.C.):  "I pierced his chin with my keen hand dagger.  Through his jaw ... I passed a rope, put a dog chain upon him and made him occupy ... a kennel." (Ibid, 2:310).
     Now, unless you think that these accounts are all ancient history (which they are), I implore you to realize that this same area today is seeing the same wretchedness and evil practices of these historic kings.  The actions of ISIS are no less an abomination.  Plus, the ancient city of Nineveh is near modern-day Mosul, which is occupied by ISIS fighters; and ancient Assyria is now the nations of Syria, parts of Iran, Iraq and modern day Turkey.
     It is important, when considering the prophecies of Nahum, that we understand that Nineveh had been given the privilege of knowing the one true God through the preaching of Jonah (refer to my previous post).  This great and powerful city had repented of their evil ways, and God had graciously stayed His judgment.  But it wasn't long before the Assyrians forgot their revival and returned to their habits of violence, idolatry, and arrogance.
     A few years later, Nahum would write that the God of Israel will inflict "brutal (and much warranted) judgment upon the detestably wicked heathens."  Here are his very words in Chapter 1, concerning the oracle of Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria: "The Lord is a jealous God and avenging; the Lord avenges and He is full of wrath. The Lord takes vengeance on His adversaries and reserves wrath for His enemies."  Nahum's prophecy regarding God's judgment would be fulfilled in 612 B.C., when the Babylonian Empire would completely destroy the city.  As I noted in my post of July 10, 2014, "the ancient Nineveh's location is marked by excavations of five gates, parts of walls on four sides, and two large mounds. These ruins are across the river from the modern-day major city of Mosul, in the Nineveh Governorate of Iraq."
       So, we can see that God made good on His prophecy through the prophet Nahum.  But is this prophecy limited to a one-time fulfillment?  Is not our God, Immutable and Never-Changing?  The atrocities and evil that occurred in ancient Assyria are the same as what is being committed by ISIS in Iraq and Syria, the modern-day counterparts of ancient Assyria.  What makes us think that God will deal with them any differently?
     This idea might not be popular among the factions of Christianity that only see God as loving, full of Grace, and compassionate.  He IS all of that!  But He is also a holy and righteous God , a "consuming fire" (Deuteronomy 4:24), and He will not allow such evil to reign unrestrained.  His justice was not limited to Old Testament judgment and retribution.  His justice demands that He take vengeance against evil and punish wickedness -- whether it occurs in 650 B.C. or 2015 A.D.
     The fact that ISIS and their radical ideology have made Christians a focal point of their murderous ways will not be lost on God.  God will punish blatant, cruel, and persistent sin, and the wicked will not escape their due.
     But we, in the West and America, must look to our own apostasy.  Like ancient Nineveh, we have known the one true God, but are rapidly descending into moral depravity.  We may not have committed the vile acts of brutality that Assyria or ISIS have done, but we have been blatant and persistent in our sin, without repentance.  While our nation has not enjoyed its powerful status as long as ancient Assyria, we have nonetheless been recipients of His blessings ... as long as we remained faithful to Him.  But I cannot help feeling that as America and the West have withdrawn from God, He is withdrawing from us, and leaving us to our own devices.
     Should we not take a lesson from the ancient Ninevites and Assyrians?  We know that God can turn His wrath aside if we repent and seek His forgiveness and blessings.  What will history record about us?  How will God deal with us versus the evil perpetrators of ISIS?  We would be wise to study the ancient prophets and listen to the enduring Word of the Lord.

Nahum 3:19    "There is no healing of your hurt; your wound is grievous. All who hear the news about you clap their hands over [what has happened to] you. For upon whom has not your [unceasing] evil come continually?"

Luke 8:25

And He said to them, [Why are you so fearful?] 

Where is your faith (your trust, your confidence in Me—

in My veracity and My integrity)?

    Perhaps just like the disciples in Luke, Chapter 8, you are facing some storm in your life.  For me, it is about finances.  Being self-employed, the upcoming tax season is always a burden to my soul.  Again this year, we are faced with a tax bill that isn't justified by our income.  How can we owe so much, and have to pay so much in quarterly taxes, when we made less this year than last -- and paid less in taxes than we owe this year?  

     And I must confess that each year at this time, I am filled with unbelief.  How will we meet this financial burden, and are we truly following God's will for our life by remaining self-employed?  These feelings of mistrust and doubt are no different than those experienced by the Disciples as they were tossed upon the Sea of Galilee in the midst of a raging storm.  Just like the Disciples, it is times like this in my life, when I feel as if I am sinking.  And what do I do?  I give into the despair that comes with the lies Satan is whispering in my ear ... "There's no way you can pay those taxes!  And even if you come up with the money for Tax Day, two months later you have another bill due in the matter of the Quarterly payment.  How can you possibly think you can overcome these tremendous financial burdens?"  

      But this is when I must seriously change my focus.  If I keep my eyes and my mind on my problems, then it only leads to a lack of faith.  After all, the Disciples had Yeshua, the Son of God, who could bring people back from the dead -- and He was right there in the boat with them, and they still doubted that they would survive their storm!  I don't want to repeat their unbelief! 

     That's why it is paramount for me to realize that He is in my boat, too.  He's right here with me, in the middle of my storm, and I need to refocus my mind and my energy on Him, rather than the problem I am facing.  I need to remember not only Who He is, but who He says I am, and what He can do in my life.  I need to focus on the tremendous Power that He has in my life, and that His Word is true, as are His promises. 

     In Psalm 50:15, the Word reads, "And call upon Me in the day of trouble:  I will deliver you, and you will glorify me."  Psalm 34:7 reads, "The angel of Yahweh encamps round about them that fear Him, and delivers them."  Now, I can try to focus on these promises and try to remember them, but if I don't believe them, then these promises cannot deliver me, can they?  There is no power in the promises, without belief and trust.  

     If I will but focus on Him, there are certainties that cannot be dismissed.  If I believe that one day I will reside in Heaven because Yahweh can resurrect me from my dead body and give me a new glorified body like His Son, then why can't I believe Him for solving a lack of finances?  When I look at my storm from that perspective, it seems silly to be tossed about upon a sea of worry and stress, doesn't it?  When I focus on that aspect of His nature and how big He is, then there is no doubt that He can deliver me from this inane issue of taxes.  

     I know that it does not mean that I will never have any troubles in my life.  The Bible is clear that we will suffer tribulation in this world.  But I must keep my eyes on my eternal life and focus on the Lord's Power, His Word, and His promises.  I can't ignore my tax problem, but I can take action according to my faith and belief in Yahweh, instead of reacting with fear and frustration.  When those doubts and unbelief begin to threaten my stability, I need only believe that He is greater than anything in this world.  Don't get swamped by unbelief -- focus on Who is in the boat with you!

Spreading The Good News

     Imagine my surprise when I received an email that asked, "How would you like to be on the radio?"  My first reaction was, "Are you sure you've contacted the right person?"  From the beginning of this blog, I have never considered myself as having "a ministry".  I was merely following a prompting I received from the Holy Spirit to reach out to people who, like me, were searching for God's meaning and understanding for the times in which we live.
     During the course of the nearly three-and-a-half years that I have been writing this blog, I have discovered that I was not alone in my search, nor was there a lack of desire to see God in our culture. That covered the "Salvation" part of my mission.  But, I soon discovered that the "Survival" component was just as compelling to people.  After all, even though this is our temporary home, we have to live on this earth during these turbulent times, and we must figure out how to survive -- and thrive -- and whether you believe in God or not, we are all in this together.  

     So, when presented with an opportunity to be a part of the new KNCS Christian Radio ministry, I was uncertain if I fit the profile of their station.  I certainly wasn't an ordained minister, as many of their segment hosts were; nor do I have a popular podcast, as other hosts can boast.  My blog is all about pointing the way to God in a world and culture that have veered off course ... is that what their  audience was looking for?  And I will admit that I struggled with how I would find the time for this additional task, since my days are full with writing daily commentaries, teaching a home Bible Study group, and assisting my husband in his business.  Could I, first of all, make the time; and then, secondly, could I do justice to the radio station's expectations?  Finally, would this endeavor be pleasing to God?
     Ultimately, I decided that I couldn't make it all about me.  That if God wanted to give me another chance to glorify Him, how could I say no?  The time would be there and I would do the best I could.  And I was really impressed with the mission of KNCS.  The purpose of this radio station is "to write, speak, sing and shout about God’s love!  [They] want to tell everyone how He has been working in lives, and [they] want to spread the good news about His wondrous love, and bring hope to every life."  We definitely had the same goals, so perhaps I wouldn't be such a bad fit, after all.
     But I want you to know about KNCS Radio --  a non-profit organization, out of Arvada, Colorado.  They are just beginning, and until they can get more material, their broadcast time is 6 am - 4 pm, Monday through Friday.  But they are finding their way by utilizing their ingenuity and creativity by working with Live365, an Internet radio broadcasting and listening network where users can create their own online radio stations, or choose to listen to thousands of human curated stations created by people from around the globe.  In other words, they have taken big steps in their desire to glorify God and present some truly different and inspiring broadcasts for listeners.  In this day and age, I applaud such commitment and dedication.
     So I urge you to listen in to the broadcasts.  I think you will be impressed with the professionalism and the inspiration you will receive from the various musical artists, pastors, and writers.  I am still finding "my voice", so to speak, as a radio broadcaster, and I promise that you will find more professional performances than mine.  But what I want you to take away from this new endeavor, is not my participation, but the encouragement I received in finding promising new enterprises who are engaged in the mission of spreading the Good News.  May God bless the endeavors of KNCS Radio and may their ministry grow and flourish.

If you would like to tune in to my segment, it airs at approximately 2:30 pm (Mountain Standard Time) on Monday afternoons.  And please check out all the fine programming at KNCS Christian Radio at http://ncsradioministries.net/ncsrmblog/.

2 Timothy 2:15   "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth."
   

The Continuing War To Eliminate God From Our Military

     From the founding of this nation, God has been an integral part of our Military.  Read any of the writings of George Washington, the Commander-in-Chief, and you will know that he relied on God for victory.  In short, faith in God was an essential element among our fighting forces.  That same faith has seen our military through countless wars, including our own Civil War, and the World Wars of the 20th Century.
     That's why it is astounding to realize that it has been just 70 short years since the U.S. government has gone from printing, at taxpayer expense, editions of the New Testament and Psalms for Protestant soldiers serving in World War II, to attempting to silence the prayers of Christian chaplains and military leaders.  The latest case involves Navy Chaplain Wesley Modder, who has been a Chaplain in the Navy for almost 20 years. He has ministered to Navy Seals under fire in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He has been described in official reports as “the best of the best,” a “consummate professional leader.” He has been recommended for “early promote,” which is the “highest rating possible.”

     Yet, a Navy lieutenant junior grade, who was assigned to the chaplaincy while waiting further assignment, allegedly laid a trap for the well-respected Chaplain.  He appears to have been running his own private investigation into Chaplain Modder’s Christian beliefs and how they conflicted with his interpretation of proper tolerance for LGBT individuals.
     It seems that the Lieutenant JG hid his homosexuality from the Chaplain as the two discussed various aspects of Modder's Christian faith.  When Modder expressed his deeply religious convictions on the subjects, the Lt. JG lodged a complaint against him for being homophobic.  He was accused of not properly “comforting” those who came to him for counseling, and now he faces the possibility of being kicked out of the Navy for what amounts to a "perceived offense."  Modder denies that he has ever "religiously coerced" those who come to him for counseling.  At the same time, he has never shied away from responding to questions in counseling sessions “honestly and from a biblical worldview."
     So, how did we get here?  How have we come from a nation that embraced prayer for (and in) our military, to a nation that institutes laws designed to limit the presence of God among our fighting forces?  I find it incomprehensible, especially since the National Defense Authorization Act (FY, 2013) prohibits military personnel from requiring a chaplain to perform “any rite, ritual, or ceremony contrary to the conscience, moral principles, or religious beliefs of the chaplain.” The law also says the chaplain cannot be denied a promotion for such refusal.
     I guess you could say the anti-God agenda was further promoted in 2014, when the U.S. Congress told the Department of Defense that the Military Departments “will accommodate individual expressions of sincerely held beliefs” “unless it could have an adverse effect on military readiness, unit cohesion, and good order and discipline…”.
     As it turns out, the commanding officer of the Navy Nuclear Power Training Command says Chaplian Modder is doing just that ... and has accused him of homophobia and insensitivity -- the official charge is "substandard performance".  The commander said his decision was based on the effect Modder's opinions would have on “military readiness, unit cohesion, health, safety, morale, good order, discipline, and mission accomplishment.”
     Specifically, the commander said that Chaplain Modder had failed to respond to the complainant under the core capability of chaplains to provide "care"; in other words, the Chaplain had failed to perform his duty "to be sensitive to the religious, spiritual, moral, cultural, and personal differences of those you serve."
     Does anyone else see the irony here?  Is the Navy being sensitive to the religious, spiritual, moral, cultural, and personal opinions of the Chaplain?  Or is the Navy's position that only the "different opinions" of the LGBT lobby need to be honored?  I guess that question is answered when you consider that the Department of Defense is now considering allowing transgendered soldiers to serve openly in the military and to pay for their sex change surgeries and hormone treatments.
     But I still fail to see exactly how Chaplain Modder -- or any religious person in the military, for that matter-- can negatively impact the military readiness, or the unit cohesion, or the morale of our armed services.  Instead, it seems to me that by attempting to eliminate Chaplain Modder's freedom to express his religious opinions and beliefs, we have a clear violation of his constitutional rights to religious expression.
     From the beginning of time, military campaigns have been waged with the presence of cultural gods.  Granted, many of them were fought by praying to false gods.  But the Bible clearly shows the Israelites experiencing both victory and defeat, all dependent on whether God was in their midst or not. If our Military continues down this path of giving recognition to the false gods of "tolerance" and  "sexual freedom", the road will only lead to defeat.  How long will it take to censor all the chaplains and remove them from service?  When that occurs, our military will cease to be ready, cohesive, healthy, safe, moral, or disciplined; and the true mission of the anti-God agenda will be accomplished.  Then victory will no longer be ours, but belong to the Enemy.

For more information on the story of Chaplain Modder, please click here.  To read the official charges brought by the Department of the Navy, click here. 

 Exodus 14:13-14     And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent."

Starbucks To Brew Up A Political Storm

   

     At first, I thought this might be a fluffy kind of post, but on deeper reflection the subject really gets my gall.  Picture this ... You're in a hurry to get to your job, or an appointment ... or you just want to relax after a hard day by enjoying your favorite flavor of Starbucks coffee.  You place your order, and when the barista hands you your cup, there is a handwritten message on it that says, "Race Together".
     As you ponder the implications of this personally written note, your server attempts to engage you in a conversation on the oh-so-pleasant-and-agreeable topic of race relations.  Unless you have formed a close bond with your local Starbucks barista, how are you going to feel when a veritable stranger asks your opinion of the Ferguson, Missouri fiasco?  What's more, how are you going to respond, as those around you wait breathlessly for your answer?  And finally, what exactly is the progressive corporation Starbucks hoping to accomplish with this latest social survey?
     Are you finding this as offensive, insulting, and invasive as I am?  I say "offensive", because I don't need some character from Starbucks issuing me a challenge on race relations in a room full of strangers.  I'm thinking it's "insulting" because they obviously think I need to be reminded that we have a race relations problem in this country.  "Invasive" comes to mind as I contemplate that this is a serious subject in which I have personal and intimate opinions that I don't want to share with just anyone; there needs to be an atmosphere of mutual trust.  That's not going to be the case with someone I just met for the first time that day and who is handing me a Tall Skinny Mocha Latte.
     But, yet, this scenario is exactly what Starbucks is launching as their latest gimmick in their "social justice" campaign.  As Breitbart.com reported earlier this week, Starbucks has published a full page ad in the New York Times — a stark, black, page with a tiny caption “Shall We Overcome?” in the middle, and the words “RaceTogether” with the company logo, on the bottom right. The ad, along with a similar one in USA Today, is part of an initiative launched this week by the coffee store chain to stimulate conversation and debate about the race in America by getting employees to engage with customers about the perennially hot button subject.
     Granted, the servers are not required to engage with customers, but I'm pretty sure that most of their employees are more than eager to ruffle a few feathers in favor of the corporate strategy.  Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz maintains that he is not trying to cause friction between his company and the general public, saying "It it is so vitally important to the country, and that the United States is so much better than what the current state of race relations portray it to be".  But remember, this is the guy whose opinions on same-sex marriage, abortion, gun control, and the Bible fall on the far left side of the spectrum.  So do you think he really has any interest in hearing conservative opinions on any of these topics, let alone race relations?
     What happens if someone consents to a conversation with the barista and agrees that race relations were a flash point at Ferguson, but goes on to point out that race turned out not to be the real issue in the death of Michael Brown; it was the actions of Michael Brown, himself.  Or how will the barista respond to the customer's question, "Do you think race relations have been politicized in this country"?  Is that the kind of conversation that Starbucks is looking for?  Or is it all one-sided, and this is just another publicity stunt to taunt the public with the corporation's progressive agenda?
     I don't know about you, but I am paying for a warm and cozy experience ... I don't need -- or want -- to be bombarded with social commentary.  According to their own mission statement, here is what Starbucks is all about:
•  Creating a culture of warmth and belonging, where everyone is welcome.
•  Acting with courage, challenging the status quo and finding new ways to grow our company and each other.
•  Being present, connecting with transparency, dignity and respect.
•  Delivering our very best in all we do, holding ourselves accountable for results.
•  We are performance driven, through the lens of humanity.
     I guess what really bothers me, is that I know good and well that this company is not interested in the "free flow" of ideas, or in having mutually respectful dialogue.  This is just a not-so-subtle way of driving the public discussion in their pre-determined direction.
     So, let me just give them a piece of unsolicited advice... all I want from them is the warm, welcoming atmosphere and a good cup of coffee; a place to escape the politicization of our society.  I don't need them to "be present" or "to connect".  I can go to a political rally for that.  As far as their performance, all I want them to do is deliver the best cup of coffee they can; that's what I'm paying for.  And I'm willing to bet that this latest social campaign gets dropped before the next buttery caramel sauce can sink to the bottom of a macchiato.

Titus 3:9    "But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless."

Israel: What Does The Future Hold?

     Yesterday morning, as I awoke, I was keenly aware that the nation of Israel was deciding on its next leader.  And just as in the days of old, the decision they would make would have important consequences.

Samuel anoints Saul

     For most of its early history, the nation of Israel was led by judges and prophets. The prophets relayed the word of God, while the judges counseled the people in times of peace, and led them to battle in times of war.  Then in the year 880 BC, after 400 years of being led by prophets and judges, the people approached the Prophet Samuel, desiring a king “like all the other nations.”   Although God was disappointed in their lack of faith in relying on Him to reign over them, He nevertheless allowed Samuel to anoint Saul as Israel's first king.  We know the rest of the story ... Saul fell out of favor with God for disobeying His command to wipe out all the inhabitants of the Nephilim tribes in the Promised Land.  God then anoints David, a young shepherd, as King over Israel.  It is through his line that the true King of Israel, Jesus Christ, would be born.  God is Sovereign in all that He does and allows to happen.
     And that is what I am telling myself this morning, as it appears that Benjamin Netanyahu has been re-elected as the Prime Minister of Israel.  The choices couldn't have been any more stark, or any more grave.  Netanyahu had vowed that there will be no more concessions to terrorists while on his watch.  His primary opponent based his election promises on Socialism and Negotiations; both of which would have been injurious to Israel and the rest of the world.  They've been there before, and it did not work in their favor.
     In fact, the Bible records the consequences of Israel splitting their nation in two after the death of King Solomon in 796 B.C.   The unified nation of Israel had been strong and able to hold its own against the nations that surrounded them.  But the division came as a result of tribal discord and political unrest.  This left the once strong, unified nation a weak, divided nation; and it fell prey to the re-emerging empires of Egypt, Assyria and later, Babylon.  The peoples of the Northern Kingdom, Israel; and the Southern Kingdom, Judah, were carried off into captivity and scattered across the world.
     Now, after 2,000 years, they have returned to their homeland, and even recaptured Jerusalem, the City of David, where the Lord will one day sit upon His earthly throne.  But political unrest and discord have once again settled upon the land of Israel.  The nations of the world have sought concessions of "land for peace", while continuing to plan Israel's total destruction.

Israelis vote in what could be the
election of their lifetimes

    I believe the future of the nation of Israel hung in the balance yesterday during the nation's elections.  Depending on who won, Israel would either determine victory over her enemies -- or assure her own eventual extermination.  At the crux of the issues facing Israel is the Palestinian state.  As Breitbart.com points out, "The 'two-state solution' for peace—which is the only platform largely supported by the international community—has shown to be a complete failure in securing peace for both Israel and the Palestinian people.  With the signing of the 1993 Oslo Accords, Israel became the first country to give Palestinians self-governing land. In 2005, Israel forcibly removed all Jews from the Gaza Strip in exchange for hopes of an elusive peace. In both instances, and other “land for peace” endeavors, the result has always been the same: the creation of hostile Palestinian entities that have chosen to seek Israel’s destruction through militant conquest and delegitimization practices."
     In ancient history, the nation of Israel had to live in fear of being conquered by Egypt, Assyria and Babylon.  Today, they are surrounded by state sponsors of terror like Iran and the emerging Caliphate of ISIS.  We saw what happened nearly 2600 years ago when they did not strengthen themselves from within -- their weakened state left them vulnerable to oppressive regimes.  Today, the same holds true; only the stakes are higher.  If Israel weakens their position, making further concessions or withdrawals, they won't just be scattered across the world -- they could very well be totally decimated by a nuclear Iran, or Iran's proxies.
     Voter turnout in Israel was relatively high, showing that the people are aware of the gravity of this election.  (Of course, we cannot ignore the fact that busloads of Arab voters were transported in -- seems as if voter fraud knows no national boundaries).  But ultimately, with the apparent victory of Benjamin Netanyahu, -- who has declared there will be no Palestinian State as long as he is in office -- the nation has secured (for now) the unconditional, eternal covenant that YHWH made with their ancestor Abraham -- to be restored to, and possess, the land He gave them.  Let's pray that they have elected the best man; one who will honor that sacred covenant.  And let them remember that they are not to be like "all the other nations".  It is prophesied by the Apostle Paul that Israel will one day come into its full purpose of world leadership.  Is Netanyahu the man who will fulfill that prophesy?  Only God knows the "big picture" ... but when the final victory is declared, we will have a pretty good idea of where their immediate future lies.

Jeremiah 23:1-4    "Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord. Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for my people: “You have scattered my flock and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for your evil deeds, declares the Lord. Then I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, declares the Lord."

Ignore God's Calendar At Your Own Risk!

     How do you think you would live your life if you didn't have a calendar? Would you miss important dates and appointments?  Just how would you live your life differently? Would the passing of time matter; or how would you keep track of forecasts, predictions, and forewarnings?  On a very simple level, think of it this way ... without a calendar, how would a farmer know when it was the proper timing to plant his crops? Or, if a doctor tells you that you only have a few months to live, how would you keep track of time, and how would you spend those remaining days?

     Well, since the world was created, man has turned to the heavens to track time and to prognosticate about his future.  But in these days of such advanced technology, we are looking down at our computers or our phones ... and I fear that it may jeopardize our survival.  We would do well to listen to such learned men as Jonathan Cahn, author of “The Harbinger” and “The Mystery of the Shemitah,”; both books that point us to God's signs and signals for the future of man.

     This year, 2015, is remarkable for heavenly portents of God's design for this world.  They have not gone unnoticed by secular man; but their weightier significance is lost on the uneducated.  So let me attempt to enlighten you, and I think you will find that what I am about to disclose is -- at the very least -- fascinating.  And you just might find that the implications are astounding!

     You might have heard meteorologists and weather forecasters predicting a solar eclipse on March 20th, just a few days away.  There has also been much talk about the "Blood Red Moon" events of 2014-15.  Since I see all things through a Biblical worldview, it shouldn't surprise you if I point out that these events and dates coincide with a Biblical calendar instituted by God.  After all, He tells us in Genesis 1:14 that He created the lights in the heavens "[to mark] seasons, days, and years".  These "lights" include the sun, moon, and stars.

     So, taking the next step ... what do I mean by Biblical calendar events?  Do I mean to say that God has established certain days and holidays that can be tracked in the heavenly skies and on an earthly calendar?  Absolutely!  Of course, man in the form of Julius Caesar and Pope Gregory XIII had to go and mess with the Jewish lunar calendar, as established by God.  So if we are to understand the exact dates we are about to discuss, then it is important to keep to the Jewish Calendar.

      Now, it is also important for us to realize that the Hebrew people have counted and observed 7-year cycles in their agricultural labors, as mandated by the Torah for the Land of Israel -- and they still observe this 7-year cycle in contemporary Judaism.  The 7th year in the 7-year cycle is called a Sabbatical year (God rested on the 7th day, the Sabbath), or a Shemitah year.  The Hebrews were to let the land rest, and were promised bountiful harvests if they followed this commandment.  They were "to release" the land from its activity, as well as releasing their brethren from their debts.  It was to be a year of freedom and relying on God.  

     Furthermore, there was a certain perfection of the Sabbath Year legislation. It provided for a double portion of rest every 50th year. Each 49th year would be a Sabbath Year (7 x 7), followed by a Jubilee Year in the 50th, so that for two consecutive years the people would be bound to restore the land, restore personal and economic freedom, and depend on God.  Land reverted back to its original owner, and slaves were set free.  It was to be a time of liberation and celebration!

     So why should all this be of interest to us?  Well, it turns out that there are a tetrad of Blood Red Moons in 2014-15, PLUS this event coincides with the beginning of the “Shemitah” as well as a “Jubilee Year”.  That's right!  There is a convergence of all these God-ordained events within the time-frame of one year!  The current Shemitah Year began on September 25, 2014, and runs to September 13, 2015.  And let's not forget the Blood Moons and the upcoming Solar Eclipse.  

     In the Jewish tradition, a Lunar Eclipse has forecast a bad omen for the Jewish People or the Land of Israel.  A Blood Moon has meant that a sword (or judgment) was coming.  A Solar Eclipse has pointed to a bad omen for the world.  So, if we are to give any of this credence, we should be able to point to incidents in history in which these events have occurred and in which these predictions actually happened, right?

     Consider these interesting facts, and partial list of events:  

•  Four TOTAL lunar eclipses occurred on the Jewish Passover and Feast of Tabernacles in 162 - 163 AD, coinciding with the worst persecution of Jews… and Christians in the history of the Roman Empire. Within 3 years the Antonine Plague killed eight million people, a third of the population. 

•  Four TOTAL lunar eclipses occurred on the Jewish Passover and Yom Kippur Holidays in 842 - 843 AD. Shortly after the eclipses the Vatican church in Rome was attacked and looted by an Islamic invasion from Africa.

•  Four TOTAL lunar eclipses occurred on the Jewish Passover and the Feast of Trumpets Holidays in 1493 – 1494. Only months after King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain ordered all Jewish people to leave the country (after about 200 AD, Spain became and remained a second Jewish homeland for well over a millennia. So deeply woven into the fabric of Spain are the Jews that neither history can be fully studied without considering the influence of the other).

     And if you're thinking that this is all just coincidence, and nothing has happened in recent history, take a look at this event:

•  Fouyr TOTAL lunar eclipses occurred during the 1948-49 time period (one year) of the founding of the modern nation of Israel.

•  Four TOTAL lunar eclipses occurred on the Jewish Passover and Feast of Tabernacle in 1967 - 1968 coinciding with the 6 Day War when Israel recaptured Jerusalem. 

     So, you might be asking, "What does this have to do with me, here in the U.S.?"  Well, here is what has happened on the last two Shemitah years, which occurred in 2001 and 2008 ... 

•  Shemitah year 2001:  America was attacked,  killing nearly three thousand people on 9/11 and this sad day became America's new day of… discredit and humiliation!

•  Shemitah year 2008:  America experienced a stock market crash on September 29 when the market fell 777 points in one day. It was the greatest one-day decline in the history of Wall Street.

     Author Jonathan Cahn is quick to point out that these events are synonymous with the 29th day of Elul on the Jewish calendar (which corresponds to our August-September).  The two biggest single-day stock market crashes in U.S. history occurred on the 29th of Elul -- Sept. 17, 2001 and Sept. 29, 2008.  In the 2008 crash, the Dow fell 777.7 points on the news that the House of Representatives voted down a $700 billion bailout deal.  (Perhaps you've heard that the number "7" has special meaning in a Biblical context ... divine completeness).  Kind of eerie, huh?   

     Now, if you're good at math, you've already figured out that the next Shemitah year is this year, 2015.  And this time, the 29th of Elul will occur on September 13, 2015.  Should we be looking for another catastrophic event to occur?  Don't put it past God, says Mr. Cahn.  "I see a similar phenomenon playing out in America.  [One can trace] the first signs of judgment to 1973, a Shemitah year, following the removal of prayer from public schools in the 1960s and then the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion. That started a downhill spiral, with each judgment getting more pronounced, including the stock-market crashes of 1980 and 1987, followed by terror attacks and a market crash in September 2001, then another financial collapse seven years later in September 2008. The present Shemitah year started Sept. 25, 2014, and is now halfway to its climax in September 2015."  

     Is anyone willing to bet that we've changed course enough as a nation to avoid further judgment?  Combine all these occurrences with the Blood Moons and the Solar Eclipse, and it looks like a possible recipe for some sort of cataclysm or catastrophe.  

     Admittedly, if you have no interest in the Bible or God's sovereignty, or just think this is all serendipity at its finest, then you are not going to give this any credence.  That is certainly your prerogative. But there is enough evidence for me to keep a watchful eye on the heavens and to be cognizant of what day it is.  Might it not be wise for you to at least consider what the centuries have disclosed?

For more information about the Blood Moons, click here.  If you would like to know about Jonathan Cahn's warning to America, please click here.

Luke 21:36   "Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen..."

     

Is CERN Recreating the Tower of Babel?

     Are you ready for a mind-blowing topic?  If you are reading this blog post today, then we can determine that the world has not been sucked into a dark vortex, or atomized into more than a trillion particles.  If you are wondering why I would make that astounding statement, it is because yesterday, March 15, 2015, CERN was set to restart its Large Hadron Collider (LHC) for its second 3-year run.  This event would have seen the world's most powerful particle accelerator double its collisional energy.  (As of this morning, I can find no news reports or evidence that they went through with their plan.  I guess we will have to wait and see if they make some kind of big splashy announcement).  But I plan to show you how, once again, Man is trying to "become like God".  And we know what happens every time we try to break into that barrier that separates us from the throne room of God, right?

A portal, or star gate, or wormhole;
Is this what Nimrod had in mind?

     To begin with, if you are like myself, and you are not really sure what CERN is, or what it does, all we really have to go on is information that they disseminate about themselves on their own website.  In the course of describing their mission, CERN maintains that they are an organization of European physicists and engineers who are "probing the fundamental structure of the universe. They use the world's largest and most complex scientific instruments to study the basic constituents of matter – the fundamental particles. The particles are made to collide together at close to the speed of light. The process gives the physicists clues about how the particles interact, and provides insights into the fundamental laws of nature."
     The pursuit of discovering how matter is created began in 1954.  In the past 61 years, the scientists at CERN have developed many accelerators whose purposes include sending a beam through 732 kilometres of solid rock to a project in Italy; boosting negative hydrogen ions to high energies, which will become the source of proton beams for the Large Hadron Collider in 2018;  and conducting all kinds of experiments with "super colliders", which boost beams of particles to high energies before the beams are made to collide with each other or with stationary targets.  Detectors then observe and record the results of these collisions.  One has to ask him or herself, just why do we need this information?  Read on.
     Oh, yeah, one of the scientists involved with CERN -- Dr. Peter Higgs -- is responsible for discovering the "Higgs boson", a particle that gives mass to other particles, and is otherwise known as the "God particle".  And that brings me to the crux of my discussion today.  I readily admit that I am no scientist, and physics was not my favorite subject in school.  But anytime that man determines to explain away the Sovereignty of God in creating the world by dismissing it as a simple matter of "a particle that gives mass to other particles", then I have a problem, and I sense the hair on the back of my neck begin to rise.
     Furthermore, when these same men begin "colliding" these particles at extremely high energies, supposedly for the purpose of discovering how the universe works, then I also smell a rat.  In fact, CERN's own website brushes off the extremely dangerous work of these super colliders by posing these questions:  "What is the universe made of? How did it start?"  They then want us to buy into their seemingly altruistic mission by assuring us that "Physicists at CERN are seeking answers, using some of the world's most powerful particle accelerators."
     In reality, what these scientists are doing is smashing protons which are moving at 99.999999% of the speed of light into each other in order to recreate the conditions a fraction of a second after the Big Bang.  However, there are many far wiser than I who think that what these scientists are really trying to accomplish is far more sinister -- they are trying to open a wormhole.
     In case you are unaware of this term, a wormhole is a theoretical passage through space-time that could create shortcuts for long journeys across the universe. Wormholes are predicted by the theory of general relativity. But be wary: wormholes bring with them the dangers of sudden collapse, high radiation and dangerous contact with "exotic matter".  Our knowledge of the existence of wormholes is a result of the research of physicists Albert Einstein and Nathan Rosen, who used the theory of general relativity to propose the existence of "bridges" (which became known as "wormholes") through space-time.

     Still with me? So exactly why would these scientists at CERN want to create a wormhole?  Could they possibly be trying to recreate the mission of a Sumerian king named Nimrod, who ruled over 4300 years ago from Babylon, and thought he could build a tower (actually a gate) to heaven?  And what did God do?  He destroyed the tower and scattered the peoples across the earth, causing them to lose their common language, and reducing them to strange tongues (babble) so they couldn't understand each other and collectively conspire against Him.
     In so doing, Nimrod became known by many different names ... Baal, Gilgamesh, Orion, Adonis, Apollo, and in Egypt as Osiris, the god of resurrection.  In fact, inside the ancient Greek god Sety’s temple at Abydos, in the Osiris Chapel, is the magnificent depiction of Osiris as a pillar or tower.  The Egyptians called this Osiris pillar the Ta-Wer or ‘bond between heaven and earth’.  This sure seems to mimic the Biblical story of the Tower of Babel, doesn't it?  Think it is just coincidence or some ancient fable?
     But what does that have to do with CERN and its mysterious. and potentially dangerous, experiments?  Does it make you nervous at all that scientists are messing with the universe, and attempting to open a hole -- or portal -- to the unknown?  Is this what Nimrod was trying to do?  If you are a student of the Bible then you know that there are levels of "heaven", and the "dark forces of the spiritual world" live in the second heaven.  Remember Ephesians 6:12, in which the apostle Paul tells us, "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places"?  Could these be the "exotic matter" that we have the potential to come in contact with through wormholes?
     Was Nimrod trying to gain access to that next realm and enlist the spiritual forces of evil in his quest to conquer God?  Did he think that opening a portal, or gate, to this next realm that these forces could "come through", so to speak, and strengthen his position, as well as increase his knowledge of how to overpower and become like God?
     The prophet Daniel mentions such beings as "Watchers", or holy ones, who report to God and make decrees on behalf of God.  But Watchers were also mentioned in pseudepigraphal books, such as Enoch and Jubilees, which were popular and influential in the First Century, and ranked alongside the Torah, Psalms and Isaiah in importance to Jews.  These apocryphal books were also alluded to by Peter and Jude in the New Testament, giving them at least historical credibility.  In these instances, "Watchers" were among a superior class of angels, some of whom fell from heaven, led astray by Satan.  In the 7th and 18th chapters of the Book of Enoch, some of the Watchers who fall are imprisoned in the 2nd heaven, and others are cast to earth where they take human women (Enoch 7:3, 18:4) who bear giant offspring (the Nephilim of Genesis 6).
     Again, I ask:  Was Nimrod trying to open the gate to this 2nd heaven?  And what was his goal ... to slay God and take over the throne?  If you read the historical text of the Book of Jasher, you will find this about Nimrod and the building of the Tower of Babel:  "And the Lord knew their thoughts, and it came to pass when they were building they cast the arrows toward the heavens, and all the arrows fell upon them filled with blood, and when they saw them they said to each other, Surely we have slain all those that are in heaven."
     Or was Nimrod trying to create these "wormholes" to allow the Watchers to enter our realm, enlisting their aid in order to gain their knowledge of heaven and help him (Nimrod) attain his goal?  And zooming into the 21st Century, is it possible that these CERN Scientists have already opened portals with their discovery of the so-called "God particle"?  I could certainly entertain that concept as I witness the increasing amount of Evil present on the Earth.  They may not be using arrows to create a portal to the next heaven, as Nimrod did, but wouldn't their powerful beams of atomic matter serve the same purpose?
     In order to fully dissect all the implications of CERN and their experiments, it would take me days of singular posts.  I'm not sure I could ever adequately cover all the connections and significance to our future.  Suffice it to say, that my spirit discerns something more than just scientific advancement for the future of mankind.

     The sculpture of the ancient Hindu goddess Shiva (coming through a portal) at the entrance to the CERN headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland does nothing to allay my discomfort.  Shiva is the third god in the Hindu triumvirate. The triumvirate consists of three gods who are responsible for the creation, upkeep and destruction of the world. The other two gods are Brahma and Vishnu. Brahma is the creator of the universe while Vishnu is the preserver of it.  So that leaves Shiva as ... you guessed it ... responsible for the destruction of the world.  Still think CERN is all about scientific experiments?
     And it doesn't help to qualm my fears when I hear famed scientists such as Stephen Hawking sounding the alarm bells; it seems somehow prophetic when he warns that the "God Particle" could destroy the universe.  Other well-respected scientists warn that CERN's Super Collider is so powerful it could produce particles of dark matter, the mysterious stuff whose gravity holds the galaxies together.  They warn that there is a possibility of a cataclysmic event in which CERN creates a black hole that swallows the earth ... their words, not mine.
     I certainly am not qualified to make any kind of prophetic statement or even guess as to where this all leads.  I only know that it seems that once again, instead of worshipping the Sovereignty and Supremacy of God, Man thinks he can become equal to God, or ... heaven forbid ... become greater than the Creator of the Universe, Himself.  That only leads to inevitable judgment, devastation and God's justifiable wrath.  Have we become as arrogant and rebellious as Nimrod that we are about to repeat ancient history?  God have mercy on us!

If you are interested in reading more about CERN and its connections to the Tower of Babel, click here and here. 

Hebrews 11:3   "By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible."

Matthew 16:18

And I tell you, you are Peter [Greek, Petros—a large piece of rock], and on this rock [Greek, petra—a huge rock like Gibraltar] I will build My church, and the gates of Hades (the powers of the [infernal region) shall not overpower it [or be strong to its detriment or hold out against it].

     I have deliberately used the Amplified Bible's version of this Scripture today.  I have found that I often prefer this version because the Amplified Bible (AMP) attempts to take both word meaning and context into account to accurately translate the original text from one language into another.  We have lost so much in the translations from Hebrew to Greek to Latin to English; sometimes the chosen English word just doesn't do the Scripture justice.  

     As one of my favorite websites, Bible Gateway, explains it ... "The AMP is based on the American Standard Version of 1901, Rudolph Kittel’s Biblia Hebraica, the Greek text of Westcott and Hort, and the 23rd edition of the Nestle Greek New Testament as well as the best Hebrew and Greek lexicons available at the time. Cognate languages, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and other Greek works were also consulted. The Septuagint and other versions were compared for interpretation of textual differences. In completing the Amplified Bible, translators made a determined effort to keep, as far as possible, the familiar wording of the earlier versions, and especially the feeling of the ancient Book."  I think you can see that this Bible version has gone to exhaustive lengths to preserve the original meaning of Scripture.  And we certainly need to know the context and the understanding of the First Century when trying to comprehend what our Lord is telling us here.

     First of all, we need to understand where Jesus and His disciples are standing when he declares this oft-repeated verse to Peter.  The chapter of Matthew 16 takes place in Caesarea Philippi, which was an ancient Roman city located at the southwestern base of Mount Hermon, adjacent to a spring, grotto, and related shrines dedicated to the head of the Greek gods, Zeus, and his son, Pan.  

     In the Old Testament, this region was known as Bashan.  You might recognize that word in the context of "Og of Bashan", a giant king mentioned in Joshua, Chapter 12, who was defeated by both Moses and Joshua.  Og was a descendant of the Nephilim, the offspring of the union between Fallen Angels and human women; which is noted in the controversial (yet true) passage of Genesis 6:1-4.  Even more amazing is that Mount Hermon was the exact location where the Fallen Angels descended to corrupt humankind.

     This area would have made Peter and his fellow disciples very uneasy.  They knew they were standing on ground that the Nephilim had inhabited, and in Jewish theology, the spirits of these dead warrior-kings were demons.  They believed that this area, with its connection to Fallen Angels and temples dedicated to Zeus and Baal worship, was the entryway to the underworld -- the gates of Sheol, which simply means “the place of the dead” or “the place of departed souls/spirits.”  (The New Testament Greek equivalent is Hades, or in English, Hell).  In this case, with its history involving Fallen Angels, it was an area of evil departed spirits, or demons.

     Therefore, Peter clearly understood what Jesus was saying -- that when He referred to "the rock" on which He would build His Church, He did not mean either Peter or Himself.  Peter and the other Disciples knew Jesus was talking about the very rock on which they were standing -- the foot of Mount Hermon, the demonic headquarters of the Old Testament and the Greek world.

     Perhaps you have believed the comparatively recent explanation that "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" describes the Church defending itself against an assault by Evil.  But the word "against" does not appear in the original Greek translation.  Try getting a sense of the phrase without that word ... "the gates of hell will not withstand it."

     See the difference?  What Jesus is really saying is that the Church is the aggressor!  Our Lord was declaring war against Evil and Death.  Jesus declared His plan to start His Church on that very spot -- on the top of the gates of hell -- and He would crush both Evil and Death, and bury them!  He was declaring Victory over the demonic spirits and their rulers!  

     By proclaiming Peter as like a large rock, He was telling him that he need not be afraid of the power of Sheol; the power of Jesus's Church was a huge rock and would smash the rocks upon which the gates of hell rested.  Knowing the area in which they stood, you can imagine what a powerful affirmation that was for Peter!

     As you can see the true understanding of this Scripture is a bit more dramatic than we have assumed in the past.  It is not about the Church defending itself against an onslaught of evil, but about Jesus intending His Church to take the fight to the Enemy.  This understanding is so much more profound and insightful!  I think you will agree with me that anytime we can grow our knowledge of Scripture, we are blessed and enlightened.