Apostate America and the Ichabod Church

Before I present the heart of this premise, let's identify what I mean by the terms I use in this title. To begin, the word "apostate" means "one who has abandoned their religious faith, a political party, one's principles, or a cause". To my way of thinking, America is guilty on all those fronts. Let me plead my case: according to the latest report by Dr. George Barna's Cultural Research Center, although 69% of Americans self-identify as "Christians", this figure represents a diverse population with often conflicting theological views, with some even having beliefs that hold, frankly, unbiblical perspectives. When taking a closer look, Barna found that "many in this group hold views clearly in conflict with traditional teachings and only 9% actually possess a biblical worldview". And of that 69% of self-identified Christian Americans, only 6% live a lifestyle that demonstrates a consistent understanding and practice of Biblical principles. 

In other words, 69% of Americans simply call themselves Christians and their diverse belief systems include such "doctrines" as people are basically good; they consider feelings, experiences, or the input of friends or family as their most trusted source of moral guidance; having faith matters more than which faith you pursue; all religious faiths are of equal value; if a person is good enough, or does enough good things, you can earn your way into heaven; they believe that the Holy Spirit is not a real, living Being but is merely a symbol of God's power, presence, or purity; they believe in karma; and finally, that determining moral truth is up to each individual [there are no more moral absolutes]; moral truth is subjective  [based on opinions and interpretations]. None of that follows the tenets of the Bible or true Christian faith!

Then, there is my opinion that America is guilty of apostasy for abandoning the personal and political principles that once identified us as an honorable, ethical, and decent nation. But corruption at the highest levels of our government [and within our political parties], and the hunger for power and money in our elected officials and heads of business, have led to men and women willing to compromise their personal and professional principles and responsibilities in favor of perversion and wickedness. 

And that leads me to what I see as America being guilty of apostasy by abandoning her cause. Whether you consider the legend of the early European settlers to America as the "new Israel entering the Promised Land" to be a myth or not, it cannot be denied that this nation was the first in all of history to establish the common man's right to own land as personal property. We have had our share of flaws and mistakes, but millions have been drawn to our shores in search of freedom [which is an instinctive desire to act, speak, or think as one wishes] and liberty [the state of being free from oppressive restrictions, or control, imposed by authority on one's way of life, behavior, or political views]. It doesn't take much of an argument to propose that liberty is the root cause of freedom, or that liberty is under threat in an apostate America.

As for what constitutes the Ichabod Church, the background for this appellation comes from 1Samuel 4, in which the Bible tells us of Eli, a Hebrew priest who served God in the tabernacle in Shiloh. The prophet Samuel was just a boy at the time, attending to the service of the Lord under the supervision of Eli. However, Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phineas, were guilty of dishonoring and blaspheming God and Eli did not rebuke them. So the Lord told Samuel to warn Eli of the coming judgment upon his family for their sinful behavior. It came to pass that Israel and the Philistines went to war, and Israel was defeated. The elders of Israel called for the ark of the covenant to be brought from the tabernacle at Shiloh [and to be among them] so that the Lord would come and save them from the hands of their enemies. But the prophecy that Samuel had spoken from the Lord was fulfilled. Thirty thousand foot soldiers of Israel were killed in the battle, including both of Eli's sons, and the ark of the covenant was taken by the Philistines. Upon hearing the news, Eli fell backwards off his seat by the city gate [where he enacted justice among the Israelites], broke his neck and died.

His daughter-in-law, Phineas's wife, who was pregnant, went in to labor at the news, and gave birth to a son, whom she named, Ichabod, saying, "The glory has left Israel, because the ark of the covenant is gone". And because the labor had been difficult, she died soon after giving birth. The significance of his name is this: the meaning of "Ichabod" is "inglorious", or "there is no glory". In the history of Israel, the Glory of God was evident in the pillar of fire and the cloud that followed Israel and guided them and guarded them during their Exodus from Egypt. Once the ark of His covenant with Israel was built and placed in the tabernacle, it became a symbol of YHWH's presence with His people, and signified God's favor and blessings on them. Therefore "Ichabod" became a reality to Israel ---  and it remained as long as they remained disobedient to His commandments.

With the ark of the covenant absent from the tabernacle of Israel, so was the glory of God. And Jesus refers to this concept in Matthew 23:37-38, when He says, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who murders the prophets and stones [to death] those [messengers] who are sent to her [by God]! How often I wanted to gather your children together [around Me], as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.  Listen carefully: your house is being left to you desolate [completely abandoned by God and destitute of His protection]!" The Greek word "desolate" means "abandoned to ruin".

Notice that He says "your house". It is no longer "My House" or "My Father's House" -- God is no longer there! There is no glory! Ichabod! As much as it saddens me to suggest this, but the same sins of disobedience, idolatry, and compromise have entered into far too many modern churches. The Holy Spirit is not present, and the glory of God has departed. Which leads me to this summation: When I look upon the apostasy of America and her abandonment of true faith, a righteous government, Godly principles and the cause of freedom and liberty... and I combine that with an Ichabod Church where God's amazing and powerful glory has been replaced by self-promotion for the purpose of power, status, or wealth, I find it difficult to see signs that God is going to forego judgment or discipline. 

Believe me, I pray that we can humble ourselves and turn the hearts of the people and our leaders back to Him and His glorious ways, but that means we must restore our covenant with Him on so many levels. He is a God of miracles and I hope you will join me in praying that He will pour out His mercy upon this desolate land! Let the name of Ichabod be removed from our lexicon and the true meaning of "Christian" be restored to reflect one who has a deep commitment to passionately pursue being like our glorious Savior, Jesus Christ!

1 Timothy 1:17  Now to the King of the ages [eternal], immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

  

A Prayer For The World

 I was awakened early this morning with a prompting to write a prayer for those who will find their way to this post. I honestly don't know what words will flow as the Holy Spirit leads me. So, I pray that you hear what you need to hear in your own spirits, just as my spirit cries out to our Father in Heaven... 

Father, I come before your throne this morning humbled and repentant. I ask for forgiveness for all my sins against You, and the sins of my nation. I ask that You extend Your compassion and mercy as I approach You with a heavy heart. Just as so many in the world are experiencing, I received news yesterday of a dear Sister in Christ who has been given a diagnosis that has rocked her world. It came out of nowhere and seems to be connected to a recent bout with Covid. Father, the world has been devastated by far too many of these diagnoses. Lives across the globe have been shattered, and those of us who know You are aware of the unholy roots of this contagion. We cry out for justice!

Father, we believe and trust in Your heavenly government on this earth, and I pray that the true Church will stand in their role as Your Ekklesia -- Your governing body to see Your righteous will done in every circumstance. Rule from on High, King Jesus and give us heavenly strategies! We know we are in a fierce spiritual battle against Evil, and we call on Your Heavenly Host to fight for us and alongside us. Give us the courage to stand our ground, the wisdom to hear only Your voice, and the power of Your mighty arm to defeat every adversary sent by the Enemy. 

And Father, the world seems poised on the brink of a global war. Are we truly at the point that, just like in the days of Noah, "every imagination or intent of the thoughts of man's heart is only evil continually"? Do you recognize any of us as righteous, or are we all tainted by the corruption, greed, and perversion of those who have chosen to follow the Evil One? Father, Your Word has proven over and over that You save a righteous remnant for Your purpose. Let us be among those You use to restore Your Name in the hearts of humanity! Let it not be too late to please You, Father! Show us how to battle in the spirit against the agents of the devil, and how to sow seeds of Justice and Mercy in the lives of those who need to know You. Establish us in our spheres of influence so that others might see You through the ways we do Your work in our daily lives. Let us be beacons of hope for a better world, even as we show them that we never take off our spiritual armor. 

Lord Jesus, I have had the joy of seeing so many beautiful babies being brought into this confusing world, and for their sake, I pray that we can partner with You to turn this ship around. Help us to stop the perversion of Your design for humanity ... help us to stop the confusion over gender identity; the glorification of racism; and, Lord, stop the trafficking of their innocent bodies and souls! Help us to defeat the Beast System that is trying to infiltrate every aspect of our lives -- from the structure of our families, to our schools, our forms of government, and even our Churches. As a whole, we have lost our way, but You still have an obedient remnant who humble ourselves before You, confessing that we let down our guard, and we ask for forgiveness and another chance to do right!

Deliver us from these Evil times, Father! Turn the hearts of men back to You! We implore You to turn Your righteous anger and wrath upon those who have defiled Your Name and sought only evil and wickedness. We don't deserve it, but we know we have a Savior who has redeemed us, and we glorify the Name of Yeshua Hamashiach! He is the King of Kings and no man is above Him! So, Father, we ask that you cleanse our land and the world. Bring low those who would seek to sit on Your throne, and reveal the battle we are in to the blind and self-centered. We long to see Your glory on the earth and in the lives of our loved ones. Let Your Peace reign in every heart and heal us from all our pain. Give us not a spirit of fear, but give us steadfast faith as we walk in the power and authority of Jesus in us! I thank you for hearing this prayer and all the prayers that will accompany it. We bow before you and declare our love and allegiance. Thank You, Father, and we shout out loud that all the Power and all the Glory and all the Kingdoms of the world are Yours! Amen!

Zephaniah 3:9    Then I will give to the peoples [clear and pure speech from] purified lips [which reflect their purified hearts],
That all of them may call on the name of the Lord, To serve Him shoulder to shoulder (united).

 

Trust The Lord To Lead You In The Way You Should Go

I want to begin today by stating clearly that I know we Believers are destined for victory in our Lord. I believe that we are Overcomers with a glorious inheritance awaiting us in eternity. I believe that the hope we have through our faith will fortify our spirits and we will triumph over this world and dwell in the House of the Lord forever. But forgive me if I don't jump on the various prophecy trains that have predicted a world-wide revival, or "shifts in the spiritual atmosphere" that will restore our nation's prosperity and heal the corruption, perversion, and greed that pervades our land. It's not that I doubt that God can do all that, or that He still reveals warnings and messages of hope to His people on earth. I am just more likely to believe these "prophetic words" when they line up with Scripture. For me, that is the ultimate vetting process for the reliability of prophecy. As much as I want to believe these self-proclaimed prophecies are God's truth, and we will see them fulfilled, the track record of such prophetic voices is not very convincing to me. And Jesus's own account of the time before He returns doesn't promise such a rosy picture.

That is not to say, that I discount my God when He declares, "And in the last days it shall be that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams". And I certainly support pointing everyone to the saving grace of Christ and His triumph over evil! I praise those who share that message with the world! That message is the foundation of what I believe! But there are other messages that I find myself called to share, and it is those that I wish to address today.

I know that God has not anointed me as a prophet, [and I would never claim to be] yet I have had dreams that my spirit discerns are messages of His warnings, or I have received words of counsel and guidance from the Holy Spirit about something the Father wants me to comprehend. In my conversations with Him, answers are revealed that are beyond my carnal knowledge or understanding, and it is only through drawing closer to Him and seeking the mind of Christ that I can even hope to know His will in a matter. 

It is difficult to share all those insights with the Body of Christ because first of all, we live in an age of celebrity and "name recognition" -- even in the Church. I don't wish to seek that for myself. Any time I have stepped up to the podium to speak or teach on a subject that is relevant to Believers, my spirit cries out to hear from the Lord that it is truly His will. And I will admit that there have been some thorny issues that I was hesitant to introduce because I knew it would not align with the current messages of triumph, victory, and revival that people want to hear. And I know of others who encounter the same reticence in their spirit when contending whether to reveal the haunting dreams and visions they experience. 

So, I want to encourage those who are walking this private path; those who are not seeking the spotlight or the recognition ... I know what a lonely road it can seem. If I can speak on your behalf and from my own experience, I would say this: It's as if we are swimming against the current, yet we must be true to our spirit and we will not be persuaded to abandon our convictions. Our relationship with the Lord is so intimate; we know His voice and trust what He is telling us. We are unable to speak what itching ears want to hear, no matter what it costs us. It's not easy to speak God's Truth that He has entrusted to us because we know it's going to be unpopular and probably be criticized. But in these days, comfortable, soothing words will not prepare the lost [nor the Body of Christ] for what the Enemy has planned in his spiritual war to kill, steal, and destroy the world's hope.

So, if this describes you, I want to exhort you to stand strong and firm in your unique assignment for the Kingdom of God. Our names will not be remembered in the annals of history; books won't be written about us. Even our attempts at utilizing social media and technology for the Lord will fade away when what the Lord has shown us begins to take place. I don't think I'm all that special in the Lord's plans for revelation; and I'm sure I'm not the only one receiving these same warnings. I just know that I must discern the sometimes complex and puzzling clues He gives me, and when given the opportunity and the command to share them, I will be obedient. And I think God wants to do that with all His children. He wants us to be tuned in to His voice; to be confident in proclaiming His Truth, and to be steadfast in times of confusion and bewilderment. You are not alone if this post spoke to you today. And if you are among my fellow Brothers and Sisters in Christ, and find it unpleasant to hear my words of caution, please know that I have not abandoned my hope or victory in Christ -- it is because of my love for the Body of Christ that I cannot be silent. It is my prayer that we remain committed to the whole counsel of God and walk together in unity, harmony, and peace.

Isaiah 58:11   The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring.

 

A Heavenly Reminder

Do you ever have that spiritual discernment when you know that God is tapping you on the shoulder and reminding you of something that He has disclosed to you long before? It's as if He's saying, "Do not forget what My Holy Spirit imparted to you; all revelation is for My purpose in due time". In fact, the Bible confirmed this for me in 2 Peter 1:19-21 ... So we have the prophetic word made more certain. You do well to pay [close] attention to it as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and light breaks through the gloom and the morning star arises in your hearts. But understand this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of or comes from one’s own [personal or special] interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. 

So, I sit here today, amazed at the work of the Holy Spirit, connecting my time in prayer yesterday with four Godly women, to an anonymous comment on a post I was inspired to write nearly ten years ago to the day. Our prayer time yesterday was focused on crying out to the Lord in repentance for how far our nation has fallen from its original purpose in God's plan for the nations. We enjoined our Father to intercede on behalf of His remnant who still recognize who this nation is in the Spirit. We declared that we would not submit to the Enemy's agenda or strategies to destroy the holy covenant made at the dawn of this nation's discovery, nor the profound faith the Founding Fathers had in Divine Providence to deliver our new country of America from what seemed like certain defeat at the hands of the British Empire. 

We admitted that we were not blind to the sins of our nation or our fellow countrymen, and we were not naive regarding the unholy covenants and intrigue in which those placed in authority over us have engaged. But we confessed our belief in our God to restore and reestablish covenant with His righteous remnant. We asked for the Blood of Jesus to purify the land and cleanse the hearts of the wicked, returning it all back to God's original design for our Republic. We upheld the fervent prayers of our historical forefathers as they sought to establish what had never been accomplished before ... a land born for personal liberty and freedom; the same tenets that Jesus proclaimed as His purpose: setting the captives free; healing the blind to see; and giving liberty to the oppressed and downtrodden. We asked that our captivity in modern-day Babylon be ended, and we be allowed to receive His blessings of prosperity, hope, and a redeemed future.

As I drove home from that prayerful time, my spirit was refreshed, but I knew we could not let up. We have committed to consistently meet to hear from God on how we are to execute our assignments in His Kingdom and strategize as His spiritual army of Heavenly representatives on earth. I was reminiscing how far down this path we have come since the Lord spoke to me about writing this blog. He asked me to be obedient to share what I heard Him say in the times of disquiet and, yes, even despair in my soul. So, imagine my amazement when I checked my blog to see if there were any comments I needed to respond to, and I received this comment on a post titled, Jeremiah 2:20-21. The anonymous reader wrote these three concise sentences: "Ten years have passed since this posting and things are worse. God will not be mocked. He will always have the last Word".

I knew it was the Holy Spirit prompting me to revisit what He inspired me to write so long ago, and it is a message for all Americans. So, I wish to implore you with the same appeal as the Angel of the Lord spoke to George Washington in the middle of a bitter winter in 1777, "Son of the Republic, look and learn".  So, now, Sons and Daughters of this Republic and the Most High God, I invite you to read the following ten-year-old prophecy from the Lord that I have been reminded to share...

From March 4, 2012 ... Although God prophesied to the nation of Israel about the coming judgments due to their disobedience to Him, I sense that our own nation has fallen away from recognizing the part that Divine Providence played in the founding of this great nation.  Indeed, George Washington, himself, acknowledged this concept when he said in his First Inaugural Address, "No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the invisible hand, which conducts the affairs of men, more than the people of the United States.  Every step, by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nation, seems to have been distinguished by some token of Providential agency."

Alas, I am afraid, as Jeremiah 2:20-21 charges, that we have "broken off this yoke and tore off our bonds" to this "invisible hand".  We have removed Him from our schools, our town squares, our houses of Law, and are increasingly diminishing His true voice, even in our churches.  Within the halls of our Government, and throughout our Literature and the Arts, we have declared, "I will not serve You!"  

We have sacrificed our morals, values and principles for the sake of tolerance, greed, and popularity. Indeed, like a prostitute, we have cheapened and perverted who we were as a nation; we have abandoned the true meaning of "equality" and "liberty" and lowered the standards in which we were rooted. 

Divine Providence blessed us with a unique opportunity....we were planted "like a choice vine"; the first nation in the history of the world founded on the principle that "all men are created equal".  We have traded self-sufficiency and liberty for entitlements and servitude.  Is it really that hard to imagine God questioning, "How then did you turn against me into a corrupt, wild vine?"  Can you deny that God has every reason to pull up such a profane and dishonorable root?  

As in the case of the nation of Israel, God will not be patient forever.  It is time to recognize our decline and set things back on the path towards reclaiming our heritage.  In the words of President George Washington, in his First Inaugural Speech, "The propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right, which Heaven itself has ordained."  

That is what I wrote then; it is not a prophecy that was imagined by my own mind or will; I did not not write my own interpretation of what I heard the Holy Spirit say, but just transcribed what I heard in my spirit on that day. And I have dutifully recorded a Scripturally sound comment from someone who stumbled upon a ten-year old post. Is that anonymous reader giving us a word of knowledge from God, Himself? I don't pretend to know that answer. But I do know that the comment speaks of God's truth. He will not be mocked. We have been created and placed here, in the greatest land on earth, in this particular time of history, to represent God's purpose in His plan of redemption. Those seeking to pervert His purpose and power can try to convince themselves that they have the better plan, but God will have the last Word! 

So, please .... wherever you are; whether you are able to gather in numbers large or small, please join our small group of praying women to ask Jesus to show us the way to reclaim our nation for His Glory! Let us be eyewitnesses to His miracles of the restoration of our land, the reinstitution of righteous government, and the realignment of men's hearts with the Father's. It's not too late! Maybe that's why I received that "anonymous" comment ...

Jeremiah 2:20-21     Long ago you broke off your yoke and tore off your bonds; You said, 'I will not serve you'! Indeed, on every high hill and under every spreading tree, you lay down as a prostitute. I had planted you like a choice vine -- of sound and reliable stock. How then did you turn against me into a corrupt, wild vine?   

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Christians: Why It's Important To Have An Answer!

I'm sure you've all had this experience .... a skeptic of our faith asks a question about the Bible or Christianity and you don't have an answer for them. For my husband, it was a non-believing friend asking him where the dinosaurs fit in the Bible narrative. That's not an unreasonable question. And I would surmise that the number one question asked is, "How can you believe in a God who tells his followers to kill every man, woman, child, and animal in a different tribe"? Could you answer that question? Because if you are trying to share your faith with the lost world, I can guarantee you will get those kinds of questions from all kinds of people -- atheists, agnostics, skeptics, and people genuinely searching for something to believe in. But if we can't defend what we believe, and why we believe it, then we are going to miss opportunities to bring the lost into the Kingdom of God.

Mark has stayed in touch with our friend with the dinosaur question, and has regained his trust that allows Mark to speak into him, but he's a slow move towards accepting Christ because the world provides all his carnal needs. But because Mark felt he squandered an opportunity to introduce our friend to the complexities and glory of God, this experience was the impetus for both of us to become serious about studying the Bible and being able to explain and provide reasonable proof and answers [according to Scripture] as to why we believe what we believe. As to the question regarding the commandments of God to destroy entire people groups, one aspect of the complex answer is this: When Satan tempted Eve in the Garden, God declared to Satan, "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring". The Hebrew word used instead of "offspring" was "seed". In effect, God is saying that there is going to be a genetic component to this war on earth between His Kingdom and the devil's kingdom. We see the first big impact in Genesis 6, when fallen angels impregnated earthly women, who give birth to the Nephilim (half fallen angel/half human) giants. These hybrids were NOT created according to God's will, and are NOT made in His image. But they were part of Satan's plan to see that Jesus had no pure blood line to be born into. If Satan could corrupt the gene pool of humans on earth, then he could stop God's plan to provide us with a perfect and sinless Savior to deliver us from the wages of Adam and Eve's sin, which is Death. 

Throughout the Bible, God is committed to saving His chosen people from their own destructive behavior. He wanted to keep them sanctified and protected from the influence of nations, tribes, and peoples who followed the ways of Satan through their demonic idols, perverse sexual taboos, and the abhorrent sacrifice of their children. That's why He instructed them to not intermarry with these pagan, ungodly foreign peoples. That would only add to polluted bloodlines and lessen the possibility of Jesus's pure birth. Yet, they did anyway, which led to wicked influences and continual rebellion. Scripture tells us that "every intention of the thoughts of man's heart was only evil continually. And the Lord regretted that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him to his heart" -- so much so that He decided to "make an end to all flesh", [both human and animal]. The Flood was designed to do that, leaving only Noah and his sons and their wives to repopulate the earth. Yet we know that wickedness rose again quickly upon the earth, and we find Abraham fighting giant kings, and the rise of Nimrod, who "began to become a mighty one on the earth". Many of the legends of antiquity paint Nimrod, who was likely born just 70 years after the flood, as a giant of a man; rebellious, tyrannical, and a warrior-king who modeled himself after the wickedness of the Nephilim. That spirit of rebellion has permeated the earth ever since.

So, when presented with a monumental question such as "Why would a loving God seek to destroy humans", we must be knowledgeable of not only Scripture and history, but of the character and nature of God, and be able to express how the battle between God and Satan is still waging today. We must be able to demonstrate the truth that God's plan of redemption and reconciliation with mankind was based on sending our Redeemer, Jesus, as the pure sacrificial offering to atone for all of mankind's sins. We must be able to explain that Satan has remained just as committed to maintaining his dominance and rule in the earth. The ungodly bloodline which began in Genesis 6 was the beginning of centuries of Satan's attempts to manipulate and corrupt our godly genetics and human makeup in order to keep mankind from being restored to our relationship with our Creator.

We only have to look some 80 years ago to see the same satanic actions of Dr. Josef Mengele to "conduct genetic research" on the human occupants of Hitler's death camps. He was known as the "Angel of Death" and sought to pervert God's creation with his diabolical experiments. Today, it is important that we understand the implications of what Scripture reveals in this "seed war" between God and Satan. We must be mindful of Satan's agenda as we spiritually discern the objectives of modern science and genetic research. Anything that seeks to change our DNA should be suspect, and we must be willing to look upon everything with a heart to defend God and His divine plan of Creation and Eternity. And our hearts must be rooted in love for our fellow man as we gently, yet persuasively lead them to God's Truth. 

There is so much more I could say about the questions that are intended to diminish our faith and its influence on our modern society and culture. It saddens me to see how lax we've become in truly knowing the Truth of the Bible in order to not only defend our faith, but to exert Godly influence in the lives of people who are growing more cold every day. How did we so easily relinquish the Christian influence in this nation? I pray that the remnant who recognizes where we are on God's timeline will assert their voices and proclaim our firm trust in the knowledge of Him and His ways, so that we might silence all doubt and unbelief when questioned about our faith. 

Those who attack our God and faith are well-versed in how to debate against our belief system by using arguments centered in moral relativism, humanistic doctrine, and the tenets of their false religions. We, as Christians, must be able to represent our beliefs with answers and evidence based not only on the Bible, but through sound logic, and verifiable observations and experiences, as well as intellectual resources. We don't need to be experts, but we should be able to speak from a spiritual confidence as to the what, why, when, where, and how we find our hope in Jesus. Our reasoned response may very well be the inspiration or encouragement for a soul to seek his or her Creator and Savior. Defending our faith with love and boldness should be the high calling of every follower of Christ.

1 Peter 3:15   ... sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, but with gentleness and respect; 

Will Artificial Intelligence and the false god of Technology Replace Jehovah?

No, I'm not trying to be snide or sarcastic. It's a very real question that came to me as I read an article at The Christian Post by Assistant Editor, Leah MarieAnne Klett. In her article, she interviewed theologian and author Wallace Henley. In the article, Henley made this impactful statement: "We are all made for transcendence, God’s overarching glory. As Solomon said in Ecclesiastes, God has put eternity in our hearts. St. Augustine said, ‘The human heart was made by God for God and only God can fill it.’ And if we don't fill it with God, we fill it with whatever else we can find … that's what all idolatry is about. The idolatry of the future is going to be the worship of these machines, which has already started, either tongue-in-cheek, or some people literally [and very seriously] worshiping the works of their hands."  

In other words, we were created as incomparable beings [without equal] by God to spend eternity with Him, and worshiping Him only. Eternity with God is literally part of our DNA. But there are scientific men and forces who want to dethrone the Most High God, the Creator of the Universe, and replace Him with a creation of their own. That is called idolatry and results in the worship of false gods. And Mr. Henley warns of the spiritual crisis that is coming [and in reality, is here] as mankind approaches the ultimate idolatry, worship of the machine. This became quite clear, when he heard a technology specialist make the following disturbing statement: "He said, if there is a machine that can go a billion times faster than the human brain, then the only thing we can call it is God.' "

Please don't consider that statement lightly. In 2014, I wrote about the international Global Future Congress 2045. The focus of the Congress that year was "a discussion of a new evolutionary strategy for humanity aimed at overcoming the 21st century's civilization challenges. The strategy is based on carrying out two revolutions: spiritual and sci-tech. We believe this is the only way to overcome existing crises." As I wrote then, being a very spiritual-minded Christian myself, I wanted to see if these scientific minds could, in any way, mirror my concept of spirituality and God. That question was answered in the very next statement of the Congress's objective: "A vision will be presented for the spiritual transformation of humanity, and new technologies will be demonstrated which are likely to form the basis of the sci-tech revolution. The Congress will also showcase our Avatar science mega-project, aimed at accelerating the creation of technologies enabling a gradual transition from our biological bodies to an increasingly advanced artificial carrier of the human self."

That should be chilling to any Spirit-filled follower of Christ! There are so many implications here, and these statements were made in the summer of 2013! How far down the road have these "scientific minds" come in developing possible ways to "transform humanity"? Frankly, it's eerily mindful of the "follow the science" mantra we've heard the last couple of years throughout the virus crisis. And we're yet to find out the long-term effects of that "science"! Are we going to see a meeting of the minds between the health scientists and the technology scientists, resulting in our spiritual transformation? It is incumbent upon us, as God's magnificent creation to be mindful of the ethics of these experiments and developments. 

We are already seeing Artificial Intelligence assuming many of our human tasks -- everything from vacuuming to assembling cars. And human dependency on machines has become so celebrated that we hardly recognize the dire implications -- just think about the rush for the latest version of iPhone. Wallace Henley brings up an important consideration: Who is going to design the ethics that go into these machines? What is the spiritual nature of that person? Could there be, at some point, the elimination of the directive inside that machine that says, "Thou shalt not kill"? What if the machine decides that we, the human race, is the problem, and to maximize its utility, we need to be removed? 

That may seem extreme, and highly unlikely, but isn't that a possibility as our society and the world continues to move towards the worship of technology over our reverence for God? Doesn't that make technology an idol, and the machines "little g" gods? And if you think we have advanced beyond the nature of the Israelites who followed pagan gods and sacrificed to false gods; or the Greeks and Romans who worshiped their gods of war and fertility and prosperity... what makes you think this generation isn't capable of worshiping the gods of technology?

Just consider what I discovered when researching the likelihood that Technology has become a god. I asked the question, "Is there a god who could be considered the god of Technology" and found a website that posed that very question. Here are some of the answers ... One young woman, who called herself a practitioner of witchcraft, stated the god Ogun's domain was technology; everything from teaching birds how to build nests to teaching humans about computers.  Then there was this interesting opinion: a woman who identified herself as a sorceress and consort of another foreign god, who stated that she ascribed to the belief that society creates new gods to control the forces of new things. "So perhaps Tesla can be considered the god of Technology. Or perhaps Technology itself is an entity deified by our reliance on it". [I'm sure she has no idea how close she is to the truth]. And finally, there was the opinion of a practicing witch and Norse polytheist: "Perhaps Hermes? As the messenger of the Olympian gods, he was tasked with the transmission of messages from god to god. Nothing does that task better than instant messaging and social media". 

Can you see how easy it will be for the masses who do not know our Sovereign Lord to fall into idol worship? As Scripture says, in Psalm 115:4-8, Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see. They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell. They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat. Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them. The Bible tells us that the ancient people created and treated these idols as real beings. Haven't we done the same with Siri and Alexa? 

This is a very serious subject matter that the Body of Christ needs to address! Yes, we are to concentrate on sharing and spreading the Gospels of Salvation and the Kingdom of God, but this is an invention that we have allowed to develop [and have become dependent upon ourselves] that threatens to rule us -- or at least become a weapon in the hands of the Anti-Christ to control us physically, emotionally, and destroy our spirituality and relationship with God. As part of my final comments in that 2014 blog post, I wrote that a pivotal objective of the Avatar project of the Global Future Congress 2045 was to become "a positive contribution to building the world as it should be". Not, mind you, as our God would will it, but as these Godless men and women would design it. Their goal was then -- and is now -- to bring new earthly innovations to a science lab near you! We must not be naive Christians to the influence that science and technology have on our society, and, as Spirit-filled Christians and ambassadors of God's Kingdom, be naive of the plans to make AI the object of our worship. We must not let our guard down. And we must acknowledge the One True God in all our ways!

Habakkuk 2:18   What profit is the carved image when its maker has formed it? It is only a cast image, and a teacher of lies. For its maker trusts in his own creation [as his god] when he makes speechless idols.

These Are The Days of Difficulty and Lawlessness

 

This is going to be a very emotional blog post from me today. As I sat and watched the funeral of NYPD Office Jason Rivera, I was overcome with emotion and crying out to the Lord. This 22-year-old police officer, who was living his childhood dream of becoming "a cop", was senselessly gunned down when he and his partner answered a domestic disturbance call. This is personal to me because I have three nephews, all brothers, who serve their communities as law enforcement officers. This post is not meant to be a social commentary on the failing of law and order in this country, the soaring crime and murder statistics, or "soft-on-crime" district attorneys -- although it's time that all these topics become the focus of serious discussion among all Americans. No, I cried out to the Lord because I am witnessing the raw reality and the consequences of my country's slide into Biblical lawlessness.

And I deliberately use the phrase "Biblical lawlessness" because my worldview is based on the tenets, principles, and moral laws of the God of the Bible, and I can clearly see the road we are headed down, based on God's Truth in the Bible. My Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, prophesies in Matthew 24:12, "And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold". We can certainly see hearts growing colder as the number of deaths by violence continues to grow. But what is the origin of this lawlessness? We aren't born cold and heartless! We must face the truth that lawless nations don't just happen in a vacuum. We must come to the knowledge that our nation's sins have given birth to a lawless generation. And that happens when people reject the righteous laws of God; when they decide to do what is right in their own eyes [because it brings them profit and power -- and is convenient], rather than acting according to the moral law of God.

I know some will see this post as "religious" and not in the interest of the masses. It may be seen by those who do not know God as sanctimonious, preachy, or holier-than-thou. It will be rejected because it leaves no room for personal opinion. But that will come from people who don't understand the importance of boundaries when it comes to keeping an orderly and productive society. But there is a greater knowledge that we all must come to understand: It is important for all people to keep the commandments of God because that is how He is going to judge the nations. 

But we also need to understand the complexity and totality of God's laws. In a decent society, it is about more than obeying traffic signs, not stealing, or murdering. It is about how we treat each other; how we help the underprivileged and the widows and orphans. It's about teaching our children to value every individual, and to govern their own lives in fruitful ways. It's as simple as good behavior. When a society abandons these Godly principles, it only leads to crime, disorder, and chaos... men living according to the desires of their flesh. 

Another way to think about it is this ... There is an absolute Truth by which we are to live in this world (see previous post). That Truth comes from God and His laws. He created them when He created the world. For lack of a better way to say it, they were "baked into the creation" from the beginning, and we don't get to say whether they are right or wrong, and we don't get to try to change them. And if we decide to go against these moral and absolute laws, then we will pay the consequences. We need to understand that there is a limit to how much God will withstand our rebellion before His restraint against evil is taken out of the way.

That's why I am deeply saddened in my spirit as I see the growing number of innocent people dying in our streets. And I see far too many good men [who have dedicated their lives to holding back the evil] being targeted for the color of their uniform. I know it grieves the Father's heart! If we don't have a national change of heart and abandon our sinful ways, I'm afraid we will find this nation judged as in in the words of Isaiah: The grave is licking its lips in anticipation, opening its mouth wide. The great and the lowly and all the drunken mob will be swallowed up.  Humanity will be destroyed, and people brought down; even the arrogant will lower their eyes in humiliation. But the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will be exalted by His justice. The holiness of God will be displayed by His righteousness.

It is crucial that we recognize that the spirit of Antichrist is fomenting a spirit of lawlessness in these difficult days. This spirit is nothing new in the history of mankind. It has been present since the Garden. I am not yet ready to say that the person who will embody this Anti-Christ spirit is present on the earth at this time -- we still have people to reach for both salvation and knowledge of their kingdom assignments. But, we, as the Ekklesia, who are charged with carrying out the government of Heaven here on earth, must guard against the seduction and deception of thinking "the Church" is going to get raptured out of here, thereby escaping any participation in "the time of Jacob's trouble". We still have a role to play in the restoration of Israel. I want to borrow a quote from writer Emily Bernardi of the Adventures in God website: "Do you think God waited all of these years for us to learn our authority, only to "Rapture" us out when the going gets tough?" 

It's time that we who have matured into that knowledge of our power and authority in Christ turn back the tide of lawlessness in our nation and the world. We need to personify God's nature and walk in His laws. We need to make ourselves visible and heard. The Lord is our banner, willing to lead us into battle against lawlessness; but let us not leave Him wondering if we have the courage to follow Him. Let the world see Him [and acknowledge Him] speaking and acting through us. Let us not be witness to any more heartbreaking funerals of innocent citizens or guardians of society's law and order.

It pained me to see Officer Rivera's young widow, in all her justifiable anger, grief, and tears as she recounted that last morning with her husband. The regret and pain was almost unbearable. It is my prayer that we will do as Mrs. Rivera did at the end of her eulogy for her husband .... stiffen our spines, throw back our shoulders, and lift our eyes to Heaven, declaring that "we will take the watch from here". Lord Jesus, we commit to partnering with You to uproot all sin and law-breakers out of Your kingdom on earth. We will no longer be silent in the midst of lawlessness; we will no longer cower in the face of tyrants. We will stand for Your rule of law in all the heavenly realms. Amen!

Matthew 13:41-43   The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!

We Are Guardians of God's Truth!

 

We're hearing a lot about "misinformation" these days, which is defined by our media culture as misleading and deceptive news. But we are also inundated with "disinformation", which is deliberate, often orchestrated attempts to confuse or manipulate people through delivering dishonest information to them. We see that in abundance in the political arena in our country.

And lest we think dispelling [or eliminating] truth is a new phenomenon invented in the modern age of technology, disinformation is as old as the Garden of Eden. Satan deliberately manipulated Eve with dishonest temptations to lead her astray from the will of God. In fact, among the definitions of "dishonest" is the word "cunning", exactly how Genesis 3 describes Satan as the serpent! And nothing has changed! Down through the centuries the Enemy of God has attempted to distort the Creator's Truth [with a capital "T"] in order to corrupt and defeat God's plan for reconciliation with mankind.

We must never forget that our Creator [who happens to be the Most High God] gave us the administration of this earth, so that it would be governed as He governs in Heaven. We are overseers and God's stewards; not only of this planet and realm, but of His Truth! The Bible calls us servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. But what is truth...  specifically God's Truth? Interestingly enough, that very profound question was asked by Pilate, an unbeliever, in response to Jesus's declaration that He had come into the world to testify to the truth. 

And here we are 2,000 years later, with the world still arguing over whose definition of truth [with a lower case "t"] is, well .... true. The world has rejected the one over-riding fact about defining truth. We learn from the Bible that truth comes from God. It is consistent with the will, mind, character, nature, glory and being of God. God is truth; it is His self-expression, and the  knowledge of who He is. All truth flows from God. And as His representatives on earth, we are stewards of His Truth. We are the guardians of how God is expressed in the world; we are the guardians in charge of maintaining and preserving what is left of Biblical truth. 

In case you haven't noticed, our culture is steeped in "moral relativism", which is the concept that there are no absolute truths about what is moral or not; whether something is right or wrong can change depending on opinion, personal or social context, culture, or other societal factors. The same is becoming evident when it comes to truth, itself. In other words, truth is now becoming defined by personal or cultural standards, instead of our God, who personifies both morality and truth! To far too many people, there is no foundational truth; it can be manufactured to suit any personal or group agenda. 

God's Truth and moral laws have been slowly disappearing from every aspect of our lives. Just consider how God's Truth is being redefined in the seven mountains of influence: family, religion, business, politics, education, media, entertainment/arts. How far have each of these institutions deviated from the expression of God in the Bible? We see the effects of this slow deterioration in the re-defining of family; the glorifying of evil in the entertainment industry; the further removal of anything Christian in our schools, centers of government, and social commentary.

We can see that what the Bible teaches us about God and His Truth is no longer sufficient nor tolerated by a growing number of the earth's inhabitants. When Jesus announced to His disciples that He would be going away to prepare a place where they can be with Him, Thomas questions Jesus about how to find the way to Him. Jesus's answer points to what we need to reclaim and promote as guardians of God's Truth... I am the [only] Way [to God] and the [real] Truth and the [real] Life...".

Furthermore, Jesus made it clear that He was not of this world, nor a part of it -- and He states the same is true of us. He prays to our Father, "Just as You commissioned and sent Me into the world, I also have commissioned and sent them (believers) into the world. For their sake I sanctify Myself [to do Your will], so that they also may be sanctified [set apart, dedicated, made holy] in [Your] Truth". That is what our Savior has declared over us! We are to be set apart to testify to that Truth! We are to be dedicated to protect that Truth! And we are to walk in holiness as we demonstrate God's Truth! 

Sadly, as I look at the moral objectivity on display throughout the segments of this society, it cannot be denied that the we, as the Church, and followers of Christ, have not always walked in our commission. We have not adequately stood for real Truth, which cannot be defined without recognizing that God is Truth! It's time we stop compromising with the world and trying to be impartial or neutral about what is Truth [with a capital T]. We are seeing the consequences of the concessions we've made; an undermining and weakening of what is God's absolute Truth -- His complete, perfect, unadulterated Truth -- which has resulted in the moral degradation of our country. It is evident in the rebellion and iniquity associated with all the ills of our society.

My final thoughts are this: it is God who has created and defined Truth. It belongs to Him.  And to rebel against it, or reject it, is to invite judgment. Let us agree to stand together to take back the definition of "truth" as the world sees it, and reinstate God's Truth as absolute. Let us execute our assignment to be a shield to safeguard it's trustworthiness and holiness. Just like our God, Truth should be constant and unchangeable. It is time to quit apologizing for believing in God's Truth, and be the very embodiment of it! 

1 John 4:6     We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of Truth and the spirit of error.

These Are The Times That Try Our Souls

 

As I have mentioned before, when I began writing this blog in December of 2011, it was in response to a prompting by the Holy Spirit that I speak to people in this country who might be facing fear, worries, and anxiety as they saw the heart of America changing in bewildering ways. Maybe they couldn't quite put their finger on it, but it certainly felt as though our foundation was shifting; as if the winds of change were beginning to blow and they were anything but calming and soothing.

I felt those attacks on my soul, too, and instead of dissipating in the years since, they have only increased and become more obvious. At the time, I instinctively knew that God wanted to use me to write to others who might be fearing that the nature  of our country was changing into something we didn't recognize. That's been over ten years ago, and I have witnessed the cycles of fear that the citizens of our nation have endured -- both the faithful and the secular. I've seen everything from panic, to retreating into a normalcy bias, to turning a blind eye, and now we're circling back to another level of anxiety and fear. But the purpose for this blog, as it has been from the beginning, is to be a source of hope for the fearful, while being honest and transparent about where we are in God's plan.

And by "fearful", I want to explore that term in all it's significance.  First, I want to speak to those who "fear" our God in the sense of experiencing awe for His Sovereignty, and His Power, and His love for us.  I want to be available as a source of encouragement, and to show less experienced Believers who we are to be in the world.  I want to show them that we can be glad -- that we can rejoice -- even in the midst of our burdens and concerns over world events. And I don't want to sound trite about those concerns; we are certainly at a point in our history that bears serious  consideration and apprehension.

And for those who "fear" the Lord out of lack of knowledge of Him, I desperately want to introduce their Savior to them!  I want them to see me bold and confident; to witness my peace and contentment; and to notice that I am able to take control and responsibility --- all because God's Word has given me hope.  I want to make it perfectly clear to them that His Gospel Messages of Salvation and His Kingdom on earth are the reasons that I do not fear, as they do.  And because of my testimony to this group of "fearful" people, I will take great delight in seeing them "rejoice", as they come to know the Lord.

But there's a third group that also will need encouragement in these trying times. This group understands the duality of our Mighty God -- the complex reality of both His glorious love for us and His intense hatred of sin and evil, resulting in His righteous wrath. To properly "fear the Lord", we must hold both these sides of His nature in proper tension. It is essential that we understand that He is entitled to both because He is perfectly holy. 

I will be honest ... I don't yet have a sense of whether we, as a nation, are destined for reprieve or justifiable punishment for our rebellion and disobedience. Like many of you, I have been praying, [for the sake of the righteous remnant who discern the spiritual state of our national soul and have been interceding for repentance], that our Father in Heaven will hear our cries and bring restoration, even as He disciplines the wicked. 

But even in the midst of my uncertainty about our immediate future, I am hopeful and rejoice in the knowledge that God is ever present in times of both prosperity and trouble. It is who He is -- from the ancient past to our present, and from this moment in time to eternity -- He has never changed. He has always been with those He calls His own; even when it was necessary to chastise them. It is always His plan to restore us if we are willing to humble ourselves and seek Him. I have hope because I know who He is, and I know in the deepest part of my soul and spirit, who we are. 

We have been through a rough season; and it may get even more turbulent. We may experience a period that will shake us to our core, but we have the hope of knowing our Savior will not abandon us. Even in the darkest hours of past generations, His Light could not be extinguished in those whose hope resided in Him. I want to be an expression of that hope for all who may be tempted to despair. I want others to know that my hope is a product of recognizing that Jesus is my strength to endure; He is my Power Source to destroy anything that the Enemy brings against me. 

He will see us through all our troubles, temptations, and trials! He will never disappoint us if we lean on Him! Yes, these are certainly times that try men's souls.... but we are not bound by this realm. Our hope does not lie in resolving our temporal problems, but in the expectant hope that the King of the Universe fights for us in order to deliver us to an eternal home with Him. Rejoice, if you know Him! And share His Mercy, Grace and Truth with someone who doesn't. We are God's representatives in this time period on the earth, and let us invite all who "fear" Him, in all their ways, to come sit at the foot of His throne and worship Him!

Isaiah 41:10   ‘Do not fear [anything], for I am with you; Do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, be assured I will help you; I will certainly take hold of you with My righteous right hand [a hand of justice, of power, of victory, of salvation].’

God, Education, and Our Schools

This is a topic that has long been on my heart, and has been prominent in my thoughts. First, a little background ... I come from a family of teachers. My father and his siblings were all teachers. My cousin and my sister are teachers. My brother-in-law has had a long career in teaching and being a principal. My father served on our local School Board, years after he left the teaching profession, because he believed in the importance of a good education, and in serving the desires of the parents in their children's education.

Having come from that background, I have always been interested in the quality of education, what is being taught, and the level of knowledge being attained by students in our nation. As I've gotten older, I have also become aware of the history of education, and how it can become a weapon of indoctrination in the hands of despotic men. At this point, I want to make it clear that this is not meant to be a political post, but rather my own worldview -- both secular and Biblical -- about how education is an important influence in the culture of a people, and should therefore be safeguarded as a virtuous pursuit. 

We can go all the way back to the Garden of Eden to see how important the pursuit of knowledge is to God. He created a Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and warned our forefather, Adam, to refrain from eating the fruit of that specific tree. The Bible tells us that Satan was already in the Garden and Scripture tells us he was crafty [subtle, and skilled in deceit]. God knew that once Adam ate of that fruit, he would became conscious of a choice between good and evil and would be tempted to disobey this commandment, leading to his ultimate doom. We all know the consequences of Adam and Eve's choice... Knowledge of Evil was released on the earth. And the foundational definition of "knowledge" is this: facts, information, and skills acquired by a person through experience or education; the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject.

Now we see that experience and education leads to knowledge. So, it stands to reason that the facts and the information we receive are important factors in how we are educated, as well as the substance and purpose of the education we receive. From the beginning of time, education, knowledge, and wisdom have been appreciated and sought after. The Bible recognizes that knowledge [coming from education and training] is important. But sadly, it can be subject to corruption. Paul exhorts Timothy regarding this very possibility: O, Timothy, guard and keep safe the deposit [of godly truth] entrusted to you, turn away from worldly and godless chatter [with its profane, empty words], and the contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge” -- which some have professed and by doing so have erred (missed the mark) and strayed from the faith (1 Timothy 6:20-21).

It's apparent in today's world that having knowledge is simply not enough. There are countless people in the spheres of higher education, the media, science, and social philosophy who bear titles that allude to their possession of knowledge. But do they have Wisdom? Man can gain knowledge through his own efforts. But Wisdom comes from God alone. And when you receive Wisdom from God, you receive knowledge of His Truth, understand His Truth, and know how to apply His Truth. There is no greater example of the difference between having Knowledge alone, and having Knowledge plus Wisdom, than the story of Moses. 

Moses was raised as a son in the royal household of the King of Egypt. Along with his step-brothers, he would have been given a classical Egyptian education; taught reading, writing, mathematics, medicine, geography, history, music, and science. The brothers were all taught the same, yet only Moses received Wisdom from God and went on to lead God's people out of slavery and bondage and into the hope of freedom in a promised land. As simple as it may sound, Wisdom is a necessary component to receiving Godly knowledge in any education system, and it can have profound effects on entire peoples, cultures, and nations.

Which brings me [finally] to a good hard, look at our own education system. I can only imagine what God must think when He contemplates how far Wisdom has been removed from our education system, and what serves as Knowledge in our classrooms. There is not only concern regarding what is being taught, but what has been removed. In researching the classical education of children in colonial America, I discovered that the typical education of the time began at about age eight. Students who went to school were required to learn Latin and Greek grammar and to read the Roman historians Tacitus and Livy, the Greek historians Herodotus and Thucydides, and to translate the Latin poetry of Virgil and Horace. A formal education also stressed the seven liberal arts: grammar, logic, and rhetoric, as well as arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music. And, of course, the Bible.

Students were encouraged to debate ancient philosophies, and enjoyed the freedom to question dogmas in the pursuit of truth. For those who had little formal education (such as our first President George Washington), the personal study of classical thinkers was commonplace, as was a classical influence from the pulpits of Cotton Mather and Jonathan Edwards. In other words, intellectual curiosity and the pursuit of knowledge, infused with Wisdom from God and the Bible, was a guiding force in the founding and governing of this nation from the beginning. Benjamin Franklin said, "The Bible is the foundation of all education and development", and "The greatest education is the knowledge of God".

Virtue [showing and enacting high moral standards] was valued in our education system. Today, I fear that virtue has been replaced with what has become known as "virtue signaling", defined as showing support for a socially acceptable moral cause without actually doing anything to advance it; a false show of self-righteous behavior; placing more importance on the appearance of moral correctness, than acting morally. 

Instead of the Biblical character of empathy (the ability to understand and share the feelings of others), our children are now taught identity politics; it's all about me, which is the opposite of empathy. And just 60 years after Martin Luther King, Jr. shared his dream of a just nation, we find that we are still judged by the color of our skin, and not the content of our character. 

We may point out that our educational system began failing when God and prayer were removed from our schools by the Supreme Court in 1962. But the Enemy of God began invasively planting seeds of division long before that. At the turn of the 20th Century, our schools began to be infiltrated by Social Reconstructionists who believed that a
society could be reconstructed through the complete control of education. The objective was to change society to conform to the basic ideals of the political party or government in power or to create a utopian society through education. The result has been an increase in the transference of educational authority from the States to the Federal government. In addition, School Boards have become increasingly accountable to social and political causes and groups, rather than to parents who rightly hold them responsible for the education of their children. 

We have recently seen this growing national conflict between School Boards and parents in Loudoun County, Virginia. And I recently watched a live forum on Education in which educators, parents, and policy experts voiced their concerns over the manipulation and indoctrination of students in specific sociological and political ideology. Both parents and teachers voiced the harassment they have endured when they dared to question School Boards about their children's education. It was disturbing to hear how far our Educational system has veered from the standards and goals of a Godly education.

But perhaps the most alarming, yet hopeful, testimony came from a Loudoun County school teacher. She said she found herself cleaning out a classroom [before being moved to a new location] and she cried out to God, saying she was tired of fighting the system and didn't know how much longer she could continue teaching. She lamented how far we've fallen from presenting our children with a fair, true, equitable education that subscribes to Godly principles, and she repented for having failed the children. She admitted she was afraid to fight back against the School Board, having seen the personal attacks that came with that stance. And she told God she was sorry the American people had allowed Him to be removed from the classroom, but she wasn't sure how she could make a difference.

As she reached for the last book on the bookshelf, she saw that it was the Holy Bible. When she opened the flyleaf, it read, "Gifted to the Loudoun County Senior Class of 1955." And she heard the Lord say, "I did not leave. I survived the Supreme Court ban of 1962. I have not abandoned this school, and I have put you in this place for this time to represent Me in this battle for our schools". That teacher said she is no longer afraid to speak up and has joined with other concerned teachers and parents to take back the schools in Loudon County, Virginia. Indeed, that is the goal of the new governor of Virginia, Glenn Youngkin, and his amazing Lt. Governor, Winsome Sears.

I know that this post will have no great consequence in bringing the Mountain of Education under the influence of the Kingdom of God. But I just wanted to remind us all that we have a rich heritage of the pursuit of Knowledge and Godly Wisdom in this nation. It is well worth resurrecting and inviting the Creator of all knowledge to once again be the guiding Light of teaching and instruction for our generations. The road we have been going down has only served to divide us, which pleases God's enemies. Let us join together to preserve the minds and futures of our children. They are our hope. How they are educated will determine if this nation survives in freedom, or descends into oblivion.

Proverbs 4:13     Take hold of instruction; [actively seek it, grip it firmly and] do not let go. Guard her, for she is your life.