This past week brought reports on President Obama's effort to compile a database that has detailed information on schools, communities, financial institutions and businesses by race. The purpose of the database is to identify areas where there have been inequalities in the treatment of minorities in this country. Essentially, "the first black president has built a quasi-reparations infrastructure perpetually fed by racial data that will outlast his administration." President Obama will be able to realize his dream of spreading the wealth around even after he leaves office.
The election of President Obama was supposed to demonstrate that the United States has moved beyond racism. BHO was heralded as the great uniter of the people of this country. Instead, our president has done more than any other person to stir up racism and division. This is as Jesus told us things would be like prior to His return. He said in Matthew 24:7 that one of the birth pang signs of His soon return would be, "nation will rise against nation" (NKJV). The Greek word translated "nation" is pronounced "ethnos" so this is referring to racial conflicts. President Obama is doing his best to fulfill the prophecy Jesus gave us that there will be increasing racial conflicts as a sign of His soon return. But the mentality behind this database provides even more evidence we are close to the return of Christ...
Apparently this racial database will be used to prove discrimination in housing, employment, and schools even when there have been no complaints. It will then provide the basis to force institutions to implement racial and economic justice as defined by the database administrators. The database is already being used to make cases against: "banks that don’t make enough prime loans to minorities; schools that suspend too many blacks; cities that don’t offer enough Section 8 and other low-income housing for minorities; and employers who turn down African-Americans for jobs due to criminal backgrounds."
The database doesn't just use census data which can become outdated quickly, it collects data on individuals regarding credit history and location by zip code. If a zip code has less than 50% "non-white population," it will be considered segregated and become the focus of the social justice police. The new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has the task of providing everyone’s credit status sorted by race (who knew this would be part of their mission). Since we don't have to provide our race when we apply for a credit card, their data mining has to use other sources such as social media to determine a person's race.
This kind of information tracking of individuals is unprecedented. It is not what happens in a free and open society, it's what happens in a police state. The mentality to collect and use this kind of data is the spirit of Antichrist. Today it is race data, tomorrow it will be political and religious affiliation. The vision of George Orwell in 1984 of a tyrannical government tracking our every move is coming to fruition in the government of Obama.
The Bible tells us that in the time before Christ returns during the Tribulation, there will be a worldwide government that controls people to the extent that, "no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name" (Revelation 13:17). This means that anyone who has not sworn allegiance to the government of the Great Leader will not be allowed to participate in the economy. They will be ostracized from society. Tyrants can not tolerate any opposition and anyone who has not pledged their support will be punished.
We are seeing the beginning of this spirit of Antichrist in the government of President Obama. What we are seeing today in BHO foreshadows what is to come under the Antichrist during the Tribulation. The spiritually discerning have been able to see this for some time and for those who are watching, the pace of developments revealing a spirit of Antichrist is increasing.
Most people in this country are in denial that tyranny could happen here... they think God has blessed us so much and our government has too many checks-and-balances for a totalitarian ruler to emerge. But we have recently seen our constitutional rule of law yield to the whims of an oligarchy in recent Supreme Court rulings. And we have seen Congress yield their authority to the President because they are effectively of one mind. This is exactly how the Antichrist comes to power, see Revelation 17:13.
The Bible makes it clear that worldwide tyranny will happen prior to Jesus returning so the United States will not be immune to totalitarianism raising its ugly head. "Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man" (Luke 21:36).
Monday, July 27, 2015
Monday, July 20, 2015
Deception
There were multiple news stories this past week that are noteworthy from a prophetic perspective. The common thread tying them all together is the growing sense that things are not what they seem to be. The ruling elite wants us to just accept the narrative being trumpeted by the mainstream media at face value. They don't want us to question the story we're told and marginalize any who do as radical conspiracy theorists. The amazing thing is that the propaganda is effective, most people just accept the official party line as-is not wanting to believe that their trusted institutions could be so brazenly deceptive.
We apparently now have a deal with Iran that will lift the economic sanctions on them in return for their promise not to build a nuclear weapon any time soon. It remains to be seen if Congress can do anything to stop this agreement from being implemented. Once upon a time in this country when we were governed by constitutional rule of law, the U.S. Senate had to ratify any treaty negotiated by the President. Well things are changing rapidly with the trend of representative bodies like Congress yielding their power to a more centralized authority, like the President. This foreshadows the spirit of the Antichrist where, "these are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast" (Revelation 17:13).
PREDICTION: So given this trend and the times we are in where all power is being centralized, it is likely Congress will be impotent in stopping the Iran deal. [Note: this will be a new feature of this blog to make predictions based on the trend and what the Bible says of the times preceding the return of Christ... Predicting the path of this world is getting easier all the time.]
The official narrative of the Iran deal is that it makes peace in the Mideast more likely. President Obama is still trying to earn his Nobel Peace Prize. The peace rationale of the President and his fellow humanists must be that the Iran deal makes it harder for Israel to attack Iran in order to thwart their nuclear weapon development because such an action now goes against the international will. This is as if throttling Israel is all that is needed to prevent war in the Mideast. What naive, irrational thinking. In reality, this Iran deal will ignite a nuclear arms race in the Mideast with Saudi Arabia certain to nuke-up while it empowers Iran as the world's foremost sponsor of state terrorism to fund more conflicts. Both factors make war in the Mideast much more likely and represents a security threat to Israel. Indeed, Jesus said one of the signs of His soon return would be an increase in "wars and rumors of wars" (Matthew 24:6, NKJV). By the way, there will be national repercussions for actions that threaten Israel's security, "for he who touches you [Israel] touches the apple of God's eye" (Zechariah 2:8).
Another noteworthy development in the news was the terrorist attack on the U.S. military reserve center in Chattanooga, Tennessee where four Marines and a Navy petty officer were gunned down. Our government spokespeople and mainstream media pundits are all advancing the story that the terrorist was acting alone and was not directed to perpetrate his murderous attack by any Islamic organization. While this is probably technically true, it totally ignores the bigger picture that the Muslim religion inspires most of the terrorism in the world. The idea that this most resent domestic terrorist was a lone wolf is a derivative of the more general narrative that Islam is a religion of peace. Most independently thinking people who are not duped by the propaganda of the ruling elite know better. As Jesus said in Matthew 7:16, "you will know them by their fruits..." the fruit of Islam is oppression and death.
And then we have the story about how Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion provider is effectively selling baby organs which is both illegal and immoral. While this story went viral on social media, it was initially ignored by the mainstream media. They eventually had to start reporting on it in order to do damage control on behalf of Planned Parenthood. It is obvious to all but those caught-up in the humanist world view that stories which don't advance their agenda just don't get reported. So those who trust the mainstream media to tell them everything they need to know are willfully blind to what is really going on.
It shouldn't be a great surprise to us that abortion proponents who have no respect for human life in the womb so cavalierly regard baby body parts resulting from their operations as commodities to enhance their revenue. You'd think that there will be criminal ramifications from these revelations and there may be some token Planned Parenthood representatives going to prison but don't expect this to make any changes to their operations. The "right" of a woman to kill her unborn child is too ingrained in our corrupt culture to reverse. It will take the Lord pouring out His wrath on our nation to change the direction of our culture. The Lord did warn us on 9/11/2001 and this nation appeared to turn back to Him for a couple of weeks then it was back to the path away from Him that we have been on for some time. For those who work to advance our abortion culture, "it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones" (Luke 17:2).
The time-frame of Christ's return will be characterized by deception. "Evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived" (2 Timothy 3:13). Our ruling elite and their mainstream media sycophants represent themselves as though they are acting in our best interests when in reality they are faithful to an ideology that hates their Creator and seeks to harm Him by oppressing His people. They lie to advance their agenda because in their mind, the end justifies the means. So we can expect more deception from the high priests of humanism. This is just one more thing that has us followers of Christ looking forward to His return. Come soon Lord Jesus, this corrupt world sorely needs Your intervention.
We apparently now have a deal with Iran that will lift the economic sanctions on them in return for their promise not to build a nuclear weapon any time soon. It remains to be seen if Congress can do anything to stop this agreement from being implemented. Once upon a time in this country when we were governed by constitutional rule of law, the U.S. Senate had to ratify any treaty negotiated by the President. Well things are changing rapidly with the trend of representative bodies like Congress yielding their power to a more centralized authority, like the President. This foreshadows the spirit of the Antichrist where, "these are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast" (Revelation 17:13).
PREDICTION: So given this trend and the times we are in where all power is being centralized, it is likely Congress will be impotent in stopping the Iran deal. [Note: this will be a new feature of this blog to make predictions based on the trend and what the Bible says of the times preceding the return of Christ... Predicting the path of this world is getting easier all the time.]
The official narrative of the Iran deal is that it makes peace in the Mideast more likely. President Obama is still trying to earn his Nobel Peace Prize. The peace rationale of the President and his fellow humanists must be that the Iran deal makes it harder for Israel to attack Iran in order to thwart their nuclear weapon development because such an action now goes against the international will. This is as if throttling Israel is all that is needed to prevent war in the Mideast. What naive, irrational thinking. In reality, this Iran deal will ignite a nuclear arms race in the Mideast with Saudi Arabia certain to nuke-up while it empowers Iran as the world's foremost sponsor of state terrorism to fund more conflicts. Both factors make war in the Mideast much more likely and represents a security threat to Israel. Indeed, Jesus said one of the signs of His soon return would be an increase in "wars and rumors of wars" (Matthew 24:6, NKJV). By the way, there will be national repercussions for actions that threaten Israel's security, "for he who touches you [Israel] touches the apple of God's eye" (Zechariah 2:8).
Another noteworthy development in the news was the terrorist attack on the U.S. military reserve center in Chattanooga, Tennessee where four Marines and a Navy petty officer were gunned down. Our government spokespeople and mainstream media pundits are all advancing the story that the terrorist was acting alone and was not directed to perpetrate his murderous attack by any Islamic organization. While this is probably technically true, it totally ignores the bigger picture that the Muslim religion inspires most of the terrorism in the world. The idea that this most resent domestic terrorist was a lone wolf is a derivative of the more general narrative that Islam is a religion of peace. Most independently thinking people who are not duped by the propaganda of the ruling elite know better. As Jesus said in Matthew 7:16, "you will know them by their fruits..." the fruit of Islam is oppression and death.
And then we have the story about how Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion provider is effectively selling baby organs which is both illegal and immoral. While this story went viral on social media, it was initially ignored by the mainstream media. They eventually had to start reporting on it in order to do damage control on behalf of Planned Parenthood. It is obvious to all but those caught-up in the humanist world view that stories which don't advance their agenda just don't get reported. So those who trust the mainstream media to tell them everything they need to know are willfully blind to what is really going on.
It shouldn't be a great surprise to us that abortion proponents who have no respect for human life in the womb so cavalierly regard baby body parts resulting from their operations as commodities to enhance their revenue. You'd think that there will be criminal ramifications from these revelations and there may be some token Planned Parenthood representatives going to prison but don't expect this to make any changes to their operations. The "right" of a woman to kill her unborn child is too ingrained in our corrupt culture to reverse. It will take the Lord pouring out His wrath on our nation to change the direction of our culture. The Lord did warn us on 9/11/2001 and this nation appeared to turn back to Him for a couple of weeks then it was back to the path away from Him that we have been on for some time. For those who work to advance our abortion culture, "it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones" (Luke 17:2).
The time-frame of Christ's return will be characterized by deception. "Evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived" (2 Timothy 3:13). Our ruling elite and their mainstream media sycophants represent themselves as though they are acting in our best interests when in reality they are faithful to an ideology that hates their Creator and seeks to harm Him by oppressing His people. They lie to advance their agenda because in their mind, the end justifies the means. So we can expect more deception from the high priests of humanism. This is just one more thing that has us followers of Christ looking forward to His return. Come soon Lord Jesus, this corrupt world sorely needs Your intervention.
Monday, July 13, 2015
Greece
The economic situation is Greece is being watched closely by people in the financial markets because it has the potential to trigger a much broader crash than what is happening there. Now that the Greek people have voted against implementing the austerity demanded by their European Union creditors, it remains to be seen if Greece will exit the EU or not. We have learned today that the EU has agreed to another bail-out of Greece in return for some scaled-back austerity in an effort to reboot their economy. This will only delay the inevitable since people still don't trust their banks.
If Greece ends up exiting the EU, they will have to stop using the Euro for their currency and will probably start using the drachma again. This means that depositors who currently are not able to get their Euros out of their banks will have their Euros converted to drachmas. They'll find the purchasing power of their drachmas to be less than what they thought they had in Euros.
What is more likely as demonstrated by the latest EU bail-out band-aid is that the EU stake holders will come up with some plan to enable Greece to stay in the EU. The EU experiment of "unity in diversity" can not be allowed to fail. Indeed, the global ruling elite look to the EU model of national collaboration as what they want to expand worldwide. Since austerity has been taken off the table for Greece, it is highly likely that the Greek banks will be required to impose a bail-in on their depositors giving them a 30% haircut. The impact on depositors will be the same as exiting the EU but unity will be preserved and Greece will not have to start printing drachmas.
We know that the EU ruling elite love the bail-in solution to government debt problems because it has already been done in Cyprus and they are forcing all European nations to adopt bail-in legislation. As a matter of fact they are doing this with some urgency requiring their member states to have such legislation on their books by early August or face legal action. It looks as though they think they might have to use it as early as September. This either means there is some economic event planned by the ruling elite which sounds awfully conspiratorial or that even secular authorities know about the economic pattern of the Shemitah.
One way we know that we are close to the return of Christ is the growing spirit of Antichrist as God removes His restraint of evil in the world. The wealth-destroying bail-ins that we'll be seeing in Europe is just one more example of the spirit of Antichrist who, "shall destroy many in their prosperity" (Daniel 8:25). When people don't trust in God for their well being they have to trust in something and this usually ends up being human government. We will see the spectacular failure of human government during the coming Tribulation.
Greece has gotten into debt troubles because of their government's love for expensive social programs coupled with their citizen's proclivity for tax evasion and fraud. One of the Greek islands has almost 500 people fraudulently getting benefits for being blind. This is why the Greek people have consistently voted down any suggestion of tightening their government spending, too many people are making a good living on the dole.
Government overspending eventually has consequences as seen by what the Greek people are going through today. Their government debt is 353% of GDP. That sounds bad but the U.S. debt-to-GDP ratio is even higher at 370%. One reason why the EU is anticipating more bail-ins is that other European nations are almost as bad or worse. Germany, who is supposed to have it's financial act together has debt at 302% of GDP, Britain is at 546% and Ireland is more than 1,000%.
All the debt we see among the nations of the world sets the stage for the economic system of the Antichrist when total control over everyone in the world will be imposed, "no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name" (Revelation 13:17, NKJV). For people to embrace this draconian level of control, some great economic crisis has to happen. And this financial disaster may be triggered by some other significant event like a major war or a natural disaster.
Christians watching for Jesus to return hope the Rapture of the Church protects us from the coming economic new world order. Indeed, the Rapture may well be the event that triggers it. When millions of people instantly vanish from earth there will be great confusion, uncertainty and panic among those who remain. This will be the opening Satan is looking for to raise up his man with a plan. People will embrace the Antichrist and his solution for economic world order because there will be no alternative that they can see. The mark of the beast will require them to swear allegiance to the world ruler and most will happily do this so they can buy groceries. Those who don't will be regarded as enemies of the state. The economy of the Antichrist will not be much fun and will fail spectacularly as described in Revelation 18.
While economic cycles come and go, there is a growing expectation that the next one will be significant. We already have a worldwide economy so a global solution will be required to fix it when it crashes. When you look at all the debt and other measures for the health of the economy, it is amazing that our house of cards has not yet fallen. It is God who holds the economy together and allows it to fail in His timing to serve His purpose. For those who know Jesus Christ as their Savior, this is all good. "All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).
The best way to prepare for the coming world economic calamity is to have Jesus in your life. Do not think you can put off this most important preparation for what is coming.
If Greece ends up exiting the EU, they will have to stop using the Euro for their currency and will probably start using the drachma again. This means that depositors who currently are not able to get their Euros out of their banks will have their Euros converted to drachmas. They'll find the purchasing power of their drachmas to be less than what they thought they had in Euros.
What is more likely as demonstrated by the latest EU bail-out band-aid is that the EU stake holders will come up with some plan to enable Greece to stay in the EU. The EU experiment of "unity in diversity" can not be allowed to fail. Indeed, the global ruling elite look to the EU model of national collaboration as what they want to expand worldwide. Since austerity has been taken off the table for Greece, it is highly likely that the Greek banks will be required to impose a bail-in on their depositors giving them a 30% haircut. The impact on depositors will be the same as exiting the EU but unity will be preserved and Greece will not have to start printing drachmas.
We know that the EU ruling elite love the bail-in solution to government debt problems because it has already been done in Cyprus and they are forcing all European nations to adopt bail-in legislation. As a matter of fact they are doing this with some urgency requiring their member states to have such legislation on their books by early August or face legal action. It looks as though they think they might have to use it as early as September. This either means there is some economic event planned by the ruling elite which sounds awfully conspiratorial or that even secular authorities know about the economic pattern of the Shemitah.
One way we know that we are close to the return of Christ is the growing spirit of Antichrist as God removes His restraint of evil in the world. The wealth-destroying bail-ins that we'll be seeing in Europe is just one more example of the spirit of Antichrist who, "shall destroy many in their prosperity" (Daniel 8:25). When people don't trust in God for their well being they have to trust in something and this usually ends up being human government. We will see the spectacular failure of human government during the coming Tribulation.
Greece has gotten into debt troubles because of their government's love for expensive social programs coupled with their citizen's proclivity for tax evasion and fraud. One of the Greek islands has almost 500 people fraudulently getting benefits for being blind. This is why the Greek people have consistently voted down any suggestion of tightening their government spending, too many people are making a good living on the dole.
Government overspending eventually has consequences as seen by what the Greek people are going through today. Their government debt is 353% of GDP. That sounds bad but the U.S. debt-to-GDP ratio is even higher at 370%. One reason why the EU is anticipating more bail-ins is that other European nations are almost as bad or worse. Germany, who is supposed to have it's financial act together has debt at 302% of GDP, Britain is at 546% and Ireland is more than 1,000%.
All the debt we see among the nations of the world sets the stage for the economic system of the Antichrist when total control over everyone in the world will be imposed, "no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name" (Revelation 13:17, NKJV). For people to embrace this draconian level of control, some great economic crisis has to happen. And this financial disaster may be triggered by some other significant event like a major war or a natural disaster.
Christians watching for Jesus to return hope the Rapture of the Church protects us from the coming economic new world order. Indeed, the Rapture may well be the event that triggers it. When millions of people instantly vanish from earth there will be great confusion, uncertainty and panic among those who remain. This will be the opening Satan is looking for to raise up his man with a plan. People will embrace the Antichrist and his solution for economic world order because there will be no alternative that they can see. The mark of the beast will require them to swear allegiance to the world ruler and most will happily do this so they can buy groceries. Those who don't will be regarded as enemies of the state. The economy of the Antichrist will not be much fun and will fail spectacularly as described in Revelation 18.
While economic cycles come and go, there is a growing expectation that the next one will be significant. We already have a worldwide economy so a global solution will be required to fix it when it crashes. When you look at all the debt and other measures for the health of the economy, it is amazing that our house of cards has not yet fallen. It is God who holds the economy together and allows it to fail in His timing to serve His purpose. For those who know Jesus Christ as their Savior, this is all good. "All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).
The best way to prepare for the coming world economic calamity is to have Jesus in your life. Do not think you can put off this most important preparation for what is coming.
Monday, July 6, 2015
Yielding Sovereignty
While we have been distracted by gay marriage becoming the law of the land, most of us have not given much thought to the massive yielding of national sovereignty represented by Trans Pacific Partnership. The U.S. Congress has given President Obama "Fast Track" authority to negotiate a trade agreement with the nations involved in the TPP. What is curious about how this came to be is that it took congressional Republicans to pass the laws giving President Obama the power to agree on a new trade treaty without the need for Congress to approve.
Another curiosity about the legislation related to the TPP is the secrecy that has surrounded it. Just as with Obama Care, it looks like the TPP legislation has to be passed before the public will be permitted to learn what it will do to us. Of course most people don't really care assuming that our government will only act in the best interest of its citizens. However, most realize at this point that Obama Care has not lived up to the promises of its promoters so we should expect Obama Trade to likewise be harmful. What other possible reason could there be for the intense secrecy?
On the surface, it would appear as though congressional Republicans supported TPP to facilitate more free trade which is good for all, right? But we are learning in dribs and drabs what is driving it and, as with Obama Care, it appears as though crony capitalism is at play here where major multi-national corporations are pushing for TPP to happen. True-free trade would accommodate the participation of any size company but huge corporations lobby for regulations as barriers to keep their smaller yet usually more innovative and nimble competitors from participating in the market.
The trend in this age is consolidation of powers and we are seeing that play out in huge corporations assimilating or crushing their competition with the help of governmental regulations they write themselves. This is not good for either the consumer or for workers. The era of too-big-to-fail companies reveals that our economy is closer to socialism than it is to true-free market capitalism. Once upon a time the government broke up monopolies but today we see the government sanctioning market oligarchies. As President Eisenhower warned about the "military-industrial complex," we should likewise beware the government-industrial complex.
While congressional Democrats are hardly immune from crony capitalism, in this case they opposed TPP fast-track legislation because their labor union constituents were obviously a bigger factor. The U.S. does not have a very good track record in preserving jobs with our trade agreements. Since labor unions are major donors to congressional Democrats, they had no choice but to oppose the TPP. It is pretty obvious to all that the TPP will cause the U.S. to lose jobs because Trade Adjustment Assistance providing benefits to U.S. workers effected by international trade was part of the TPP fast-track legislation. Apparently multi-national cooperation is more important than U.S. jobs.
It also appears as though the TPP is about more than just trade. Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) told Congress that the TPP, "says it’s designed to promote the international movement of people, services and products; basically the same language used to start the European Union." The European Union is the classic modern model of nations giving up their national sovereignty to a multinational central authority and it involves more than just trade. It looks like the world's ruling elite are now ready to expand the EU model to other parts of the world. The fact that the European Union is not working so well as demonstrated by Greece is beside the point, progress is only seen in nations yielding their sovereignty in the interests of working together. How else will we be able to realize the peace on earth that the nations seek after?
The Bible tells us that the peace the nations manage to work out for themselves in the time-frame of the Lord's return is a false peace. "For when they say, 'Peace and safety!' then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape" (1 Thessalonians 5:3, NKJV). There will not be peace between the nations until the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ returns to rule. Human efforts to organize peace between nations apart from God will fail miserably. As Pax Romana was oppressive, Pax Romana Renatus (revived) will be even more terrible.
The Bible says that the nations of the earth will be governed by ten rulers just prior to establishing the global government of the Antichrist. "The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast" (Revelation 17: 12-13, NKJV). Since Congress has given President Obama power to be an active participant in the TPP, he is no-doubt a candidate to lead it. Given the phase of history we are in, it is likely that President Obama will be one of the ten kings of Revelation 17.
Even though it seems like every day the news has yet another disturbing development, Christians can draw strength from the certain knowledge that our Lord will come for His Bride before the consequences of mankind's rebellion fully metastasizes. In the meantime, we see people every day who have not experienced the love of Christ in their lives. We should be fervently praying for those we know who need Jesus in their lives and do what we can to help them see the love of God before it is too late.
Another curiosity about the legislation related to the TPP is the secrecy that has surrounded it. Just as with Obama Care, it looks like the TPP legislation has to be passed before the public will be permitted to learn what it will do to us. Of course most people don't really care assuming that our government will only act in the best interest of its citizens. However, most realize at this point that Obama Care has not lived up to the promises of its promoters so we should expect Obama Trade to likewise be harmful. What other possible reason could there be for the intense secrecy?
On the surface, it would appear as though congressional Republicans supported TPP to facilitate more free trade which is good for all, right? But we are learning in dribs and drabs what is driving it and, as with Obama Care, it appears as though crony capitalism is at play here where major multi-national corporations are pushing for TPP to happen. True-free trade would accommodate the participation of any size company but huge corporations lobby for regulations as barriers to keep their smaller yet usually more innovative and nimble competitors from participating in the market.
The trend in this age is consolidation of powers and we are seeing that play out in huge corporations assimilating or crushing their competition with the help of governmental regulations they write themselves. This is not good for either the consumer or for workers. The era of too-big-to-fail companies reveals that our economy is closer to socialism than it is to true-free market capitalism. Once upon a time the government broke up monopolies but today we see the government sanctioning market oligarchies. As President Eisenhower warned about the "military-industrial complex," we should likewise beware the government-industrial complex.
While congressional Democrats are hardly immune from crony capitalism, in this case they opposed TPP fast-track legislation because their labor union constituents were obviously a bigger factor. The U.S. does not have a very good track record in preserving jobs with our trade agreements. Since labor unions are major donors to congressional Democrats, they had no choice but to oppose the TPP. It is pretty obvious to all that the TPP will cause the U.S. to lose jobs because Trade Adjustment Assistance providing benefits to U.S. workers effected by international trade was part of the TPP fast-track legislation. Apparently multi-national cooperation is more important than U.S. jobs.
It also appears as though the TPP is about more than just trade. Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) told Congress that the TPP, "says it’s designed to promote the international movement of people, services and products; basically the same language used to start the European Union." The European Union is the classic modern model of nations giving up their national sovereignty to a multinational central authority and it involves more than just trade. It looks like the world's ruling elite are now ready to expand the EU model to other parts of the world. The fact that the European Union is not working so well as demonstrated by Greece is beside the point, progress is only seen in nations yielding their sovereignty in the interests of working together. How else will we be able to realize the peace on earth that the nations seek after?
The Bible tells us that the peace the nations manage to work out for themselves in the time-frame of the Lord's return is a false peace. "For when they say, 'Peace and safety!' then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape" (1 Thessalonians 5:3, NKJV). There will not be peace between the nations until the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ returns to rule. Human efforts to organize peace between nations apart from God will fail miserably. As Pax Romana was oppressive, Pax Romana Renatus (revived) will be even more terrible.
The Bible says that the nations of the earth will be governed by ten rulers just prior to establishing the global government of the Antichrist. "The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast" (Revelation 17: 12-13, NKJV). Since Congress has given President Obama power to be an active participant in the TPP, he is no-doubt a candidate to lead it. Given the phase of history we are in, it is likely that President Obama will be one of the ten kings of Revelation 17.
Even though it seems like every day the news has yet another disturbing development, Christians can draw strength from the certain knowledge that our Lord will come for His Bride before the consequences of mankind's rebellion fully metastasizes. In the meantime, we see people every day who have not experienced the love of Christ in their lives. We should be fervently praying for those we know who need Jesus in their lives and do what we can to help them see the love of God before it is too late.
Monday, June 29, 2015
Days of Lot
Everyone who is aware of the signs Jesus gave us to watch for His return should not be surprised by the Supreme Court ruling on gay marriage. I predicted this ruling would happen back in May when I first heard the gay marriage issue was before the court in this blog post. Since events are accelerating toward the return of the Lord, it is getting easier to predict what is likely to happen next. The spiritually discerning are "not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief" (1 Thessalonians 5:4, NKJV).
The Supreme Court ruling was easy to predict because of the many signs indicating that the end of the Church Age is near. The most important one is the stage of maturity of Israel per the Parable of the Fig Tree in the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24:32-34). There is also evidence that God is increasingly removing His restraint of evil over our world so we should expect more devilish edicts from our ruling elite. Jesus told us that one of the signs of His soon return would be "as it was also in the days of Lot" (Luke 17:28). This is an obvious reference to the public acceptance of homosexuality which was rampant in Sodom when Lot lived there (Genesis 19).
Making gay marriage the law of the land by Supreme Court decree goes against the will of the people as represented by the Defense of Marriage Act passed by Congress and signed into law by President Clinton in 1996. DOMA was made a law because marriage had been under attack from progressives for some time. So what we now see in this Supreme Court ruling is another example of rule of man displacing rule of law. This was also seen in the other big ruling the Supreme Court made this week favoring Obama Care. The rule of law being replaced by the rule of man is exactly what we would expect to see as the spirit of Antichrist grows stronger in this world. Indeed, the Antichrist, "shall intend to change times and law" (Daniel 7:25).
The Supreme Court ruling on gay marriage is not about stopping the discrimination of gays. The secret hidden agenda of the gay lobby is to assault the religious freedoms of Christians. It is spiritual warfare manifesting itself in our physical world. You don't see progressives targeting Islamic bakers for destruction because of their convictions not to serve a gay wedding. It is the Christians who are attacked. "The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, 'Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast away Their cords from us'" (Psalm 2:2-3).
Progressives love to say they are fighting for gay marriage because they don't want Christians imposing their morals on them. But that is not what is really happening. The morals that are being imposed on people is that Christians must submit to the progressive view of morality or be destroyed. A person's convictions about gay marriage has become the primary litmus test as to whether a person has properly embraced the new State Orthodoxy that defines right and wrong. The separation of Church and State no longer applies when the State establishes its own religion.
So what will happen next? There will be increasing confusion and chaos which the Enemy of God loves (1 Corinthians 14:33). The activist progressives are already salivating over the opportunity this new law of the land gives them to attack Christians. We can expect more persecution in this country and we'll see some pastors go to jail or be fined for refusing to perform gay marriages. Eventually, Churches will have to make a decision if they will embrace gay marriage or lose their tax exempt status. I think we will all be surprised by the number of them that will yield to the new State Morality; many are already well down that road. There will be Christians who engage in public disobedience and many will abandon the traditional church as we know it seeking the fellowship of informal home Bible studies... the true Church will be forced underground, kind of like it was in Rome under Nero. Religious freedom will be over in this country; Satan and his followers are already rejoicing.
Some have said this country's in-your-face-God embrace of homosexuality cry's out for God's wrath; that if this act of defiance does not bring judgment down on us then God will have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah. But I don't think that will happen now. It looks like we are so close to the Tribulation that God is saving up His wrath for that Day. All indications are that God is done warning this country. Documented in my book, "End Times Evangelism" are several instances when we have suffered natural disasters as a direct result of coercing Israel to give up some of their security for peace. Those were warnings which this nation has failed to recognize. There have been many other instances in recent years when our actions against Israel should have triggered a swift reprimand from God but has not. God has given the United States over to an irrational, debased mind which will, during the Tribulation, compound the consequences of turning away from Him (see Romans 1:28 in context).
Once upon a time, we did not have to be too concerned with what the Federal government did in this country. Back when Constitutional rule of law governed our country it was rare that something the Federal government did effected the common man on the street. But those days are over. It seems that every day we look at the news to find out what our rulers are doing today to impose more control over our lives. While the freedoms we have long enjoyed in this country are still present, we can see how the stage has been set for them to be suddenly yanked away from us. All it will take is some crisis to give justification for this and that day will surely come.
It is hard to imagine seeing all the changes going on in this world and feel good about it. Even the progressives who are the agents of change are dissatisfied with this world and are seeking to make it into their Humanist vision of utopia. But human efforts to fix this fallen world will fail miserably as will soon become painfully obvious to all. The Tribulation will be the death knell for Humanism. Thank God He is in control and will soon take charge of ruling this world.
Seeing all that is going on should drive us to Jesus, to double down on our loving Him and loving our neighbor. "Do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light" (Romans 13: 11-12).
The Supreme Court ruling was easy to predict because of the many signs indicating that the end of the Church Age is near. The most important one is the stage of maturity of Israel per the Parable of the Fig Tree in the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24:32-34). There is also evidence that God is increasingly removing His restraint of evil over our world so we should expect more devilish edicts from our ruling elite. Jesus told us that one of the signs of His soon return would be "as it was also in the days of Lot" (Luke 17:28). This is an obvious reference to the public acceptance of homosexuality which was rampant in Sodom when Lot lived there (Genesis 19).
Making gay marriage the law of the land by Supreme Court decree goes against the will of the people as represented by the Defense of Marriage Act passed by Congress and signed into law by President Clinton in 1996. DOMA was made a law because marriage had been under attack from progressives for some time. So what we now see in this Supreme Court ruling is another example of rule of man displacing rule of law. This was also seen in the other big ruling the Supreme Court made this week favoring Obama Care. The rule of law being replaced by the rule of man is exactly what we would expect to see as the spirit of Antichrist grows stronger in this world. Indeed, the Antichrist, "shall intend to change times and law" (Daniel 7:25).
The Supreme Court ruling on gay marriage is not about stopping the discrimination of gays. The secret hidden agenda of the gay lobby is to assault the religious freedoms of Christians. It is spiritual warfare manifesting itself in our physical world. You don't see progressives targeting Islamic bakers for destruction because of their convictions not to serve a gay wedding. It is the Christians who are attacked. "The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, 'Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast away Their cords from us'" (Psalm 2:2-3).
Progressives love to say they are fighting for gay marriage because they don't want Christians imposing their morals on them. But that is not what is really happening. The morals that are being imposed on people is that Christians must submit to the progressive view of morality or be destroyed. A person's convictions about gay marriage has become the primary litmus test as to whether a person has properly embraced the new State Orthodoxy that defines right and wrong. The separation of Church and State no longer applies when the State establishes its own religion.
So what will happen next? There will be increasing confusion and chaos which the Enemy of God loves (1 Corinthians 14:33). The activist progressives are already salivating over the opportunity this new law of the land gives them to attack Christians. We can expect more persecution in this country and we'll see some pastors go to jail or be fined for refusing to perform gay marriages. Eventually, Churches will have to make a decision if they will embrace gay marriage or lose their tax exempt status. I think we will all be surprised by the number of them that will yield to the new State Morality; many are already well down that road. There will be Christians who engage in public disobedience and many will abandon the traditional church as we know it seeking the fellowship of informal home Bible studies... the true Church will be forced underground, kind of like it was in Rome under Nero. Religious freedom will be over in this country; Satan and his followers are already rejoicing.
Some have said this country's in-your-face-God embrace of homosexuality cry's out for God's wrath; that if this act of defiance does not bring judgment down on us then God will have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah. But I don't think that will happen now. It looks like we are so close to the Tribulation that God is saving up His wrath for that Day. All indications are that God is done warning this country. Documented in my book, "End Times Evangelism" are several instances when we have suffered natural disasters as a direct result of coercing Israel to give up some of their security for peace. Those were warnings which this nation has failed to recognize. There have been many other instances in recent years when our actions against Israel should have triggered a swift reprimand from God but has not. God has given the United States over to an irrational, debased mind which will, during the Tribulation, compound the consequences of turning away from Him (see Romans 1:28 in context).
Once upon a time, we did not have to be too concerned with what the Federal government did in this country. Back when Constitutional rule of law governed our country it was rare that something the Federal government did effected the common man on the street. But those days are over. It seems that every day we look at the news to find out what our rulers are doing today to impose more control over our lives. While the freedoms we have long enjoyed in this country are still present, we can see how the stage has been set for them to be suddenly yanked away from us. All it will take is some crisis to give justification for this and that day will surely come.
It is hard to imagine seeing all the changes going on in this world and feel good about it. Even the progressives who are the agents of change are dissatisfied with this world and are seeking to make it into their Humanist vision of utopia. But human efforts to fix this fallen world will fail miserably as will soon become painfully obvious to all. The Tribulation will be the death knell for Humanism. Thank God He is in control and will soon take charge of ruling this world.
Seeing all that is going on should drive us to Jesus, to double down on our loving Him and loving our neighbor. "Do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light" (Romans 13: 11-12).
Monday, June 22, 2015
The Fullness of Technology
As an electrical engineer and the son of an electrical engineer, I've always had an affinity for technology. Consequently, I ended up working 27 years at Texas Instruments marketing digital microprocessors to the high-tech electronics industry. Our state of technology is an important indicator of where we are on God's prophetic timeline. Indeed, one of the largest chapters in my book, "End Times Evangelism" addresses the most significant technological signs of Christ's soon return. A recent article by Wilfred Hahn, one of my favorite prophecy columnists, inspired me to document some other observations about technology not addressed in my book.
In his article, Wilfred Hahn points out that we now have all the technology in place for fulfillment of Bible prophecy. He highlights the smart-phone as the last key technical achievement since it facilitates the "love of self" that will consume the average person in the time Christ returns (2 Timothy 3:2). I was surprised to learn that half of all adults on the planet now have a smart-phone with 80% saturation forecasted for the year 2020.
I would also point out that the smart-phone will make it even easier for all the world to see key events happening in Jerusalem during the Tribulation (Revelation 11:9). Until recently it would have required God's supernatural intervention for the whole world to witness some event happening in Jerusalem. But with satellite communications, the Internet and smart-phones, people can watch developments in other places wherever they are using technology that is now commonly available.
Wilfred Hahn admittedly uses some hyperbole in his claim that we have reached the end of technology. But making such a claim reinforces the idea I discuss in my book that the state of technology is now such that all is ready for the Lord to return: "when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son" (Galatians 4:4, NKJV). As the pervasiveness of the Greek language and presence of Roman roads facilitated the dissemination of the Gospel when our Lord first came, today's technology is such that most of the prophecies associated with His return may be fulfilled through natural means. And this is necessary for determined unbelievers to continue in their unbelief. While God wants everyone to be saved (2 Peter 3:9), freewill must be accommodated and "we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7).
As a former electronics industry insider, I can also add that we have reached the end of the digital processor innovation that made smart-phones possible. That is why Texas Instruments exited the mass market digital processor business. Such processors are now a commodity product with little opportunity for differentiation from a hardware perspective. This state of technology is the direct result of Moore's Law no longer applying to CMOS integrated circuits. CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) is the computer chip process used for all advanced digital microprocessors. Back in the day Moore's Law applied, semiconductor manufacturers could double transistor integration, increase processor speed, reduce power and cost every couple years by simply shrinking the chip lithography. But no more, we have reached the physical limits of CMOS capabilities.
Some scoff at the idea that we are done with microprocessor innovation citing research being done to find a replacement for CMOS. But there is nothing on the horizon that offers the same in terms of cost, performance, power and manufacturability. All the hardware innovation that is going on today is in terms of functional block integration. Most of the system innovation that is happening is on the software side. So a case can be made that we have indeed reached the end of electronics technology. We can expect no more significant (life-changing) technological advances in electronics until the Lord returns.
Humanists refuse to believe that we have reached the limits of technology. They believe that the technology we have is due to the inherent inventiveness of mankind. But all the life-changing progress we have made is a gift from God (James 1:17). Our Lord has blessed us with technology that improves the quality of life and, at the same time, makes it possible for prophecy to be fulfilled.
I do believe that mankind will enjoy more technological innovations, but not until the Millennial Kingdom and the Eternal State which follows. The technological progress we have made to-date was necessary for Bible prophecies to be fulfilled. There are no more advances we can expect for this Age; all the necessary technologies are in place. So I say, come soon Lord Jesus, I am looking forward to the technology You will bless us with in the future. God made this vast universe for us to explore and I know we are getting close to the time we can begin to see it.
In his article, Wilfred Hahn points out that we now have all the technology in place for fulfillment of Bible prophecy. He highlights the smart-phone as the last key technical achievement since it facilitates the "love of self" that will consume the average person in the time Christ returns (2 Timothy 3:2). I was surprised to learn that half of all adults on the planet now have a smart-phone with 80% saturation forecasted for the year 2020.
I would also point out that the smart-phone will make it even easier for all the world to see key events happening in Jerusalem during the Tribulation (Revelation 11:9). Until recently it would have required God's supernatural intervention for the whole world to witness some event happening in Jerusalem. But with satellite communications, the Internet and smart-phones, people can watch developments in other places wherever they are using technology that is now commonly available.
Wilfred Hahn admittedly uses some hyperbole in his claim that we have reached the end of technology. But making such a claim reinforces the idea I discuss in my book that the state of technology is now such that all is ready for the Lord to return: "when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son" (Galatians 4:4, NKJV). As the pervasiveness of the Greek language and presence of Roman roads facilitated the dissemination of the Gospel when our Lord first came, today's technology is such that most of the prophecies associated with His return may be fulfilled through natural means. And this is necessary for determined unbelievers to continue in their unbelief. While God wants everyone to be saved (2 Peter 3:9), freewill must be accommodated and "we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7).
As a former electronics industry insider, I can also add that we have reached the end of the digital processor innovation that made smart-phones possible. That is why Texas Instruments exited the mass market digital processor business. Such processors are now a commodity product with little opportunity for differentiation from a hardware perspective. This state of technology is the direct result of Moore's Law no longer applying to CMOS integrated circuits. CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) is the computer chip process used for all advanced digital microprocessors. Back in the day Moore's Law applied, semiconductor manufacturers could double transistor integration, increase processor speed, reduce power and cost every couple years by simply shrinking the chip lithography. But no more, we have reached the physical limits of CMOS capabilities.
Some scoff at the idea that we are done with microprocessor innovation citing research being done to find a replacement for CMOS. But there is nothing on the horizon that offers the same in terms of cost, performance, power and manufacturability. All the hardware innovation that is going on today is in terms of functional block integration. Most of the system innovation that is happening is on the software side. So a case can be made that we have indeed reached the end of electronics technology. We can expect no more significant (life-changing) technological advances in electronics until the Lord returns.
Humanists refuse to believe that we have reached the limits of technology. They believe that the technology we have is due to the inherent inventiveness of mankind. But all the life-changing progress we have made is a gift from God (James 1:17). Our Lord has blessed us with technology that improves the quality of life and, at the same time, makes it possible for prophecy to be fulfilled.
I do believe that mankind will enjoy more technological innovations, but not until the Millennial Kingdom and the Eternal State which follows. The technological progress we have made to-date was necessary for Bible prophecies to be fulfilled. There are no more advances we can expect for this Age; all the necessary technologies are in place. So I say, come soon Lord Jesus, I am looking forward to the technology You will bless us with in the future. God made this vast universe for us to explore and I know we are getting close to the time we can begin to see it.
Monday, June 15, 2015
Freedom
A recent survey has found that an increasing number of Americans are no longer claiming to be Christians. This is happening as we see the stage being set for our freedoms of religion and speech to be eroded away in the United States. There is a connection between a falling away from the Christian faith and the loss of our freedoms that are part of a trend revealing our proximity to the return of Christ.
The United States has been an exceptional place in the world because of our freedom culture. And this was only possible because the founders of this country were mostly Christians who applied biblical principles in structuring how our government should work. George Washington made it clear that human governments will fail apart from God's help when he said, "It is impossible to govern the universe without the aid of a Supreme Being" (from 1835 book titled, “Paulding’s Life of Washington”). You can't have enough laws to make a civil society, people must be self-governing or the government will fail.
Historical revisionists are hard at work trying to erase this country's Christian heritage and have made significant progress in "reinterpreting" our Constitution on many fronts. The attitude of the progressives in opposing God is reflected in Psalm 2:2-3: "The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, 'Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast away Their cords from us.'" (Psalm 2:2-3, NKJV). The more America turns away from God, the more our God-given freedoms will evaporate. The loss of freedoms in the last bastion of liberty in the world is just one more indication that the Day of the Lord is near.
Agnostics are those who believe nothing can be known of the existence or nature of God beyond material phenomena. They are proud of being on the fence about God declaring neither faith nor disbelief in Him claiming to be open to any evidence that could cause them to change their mind. But their thoughtful-sounding position is generally a smokescreen hiding the fact that they have already made up their mind and prefer to remain uncommitted. There is plenty of evidence for the supernatural nature of Scripture in the prophecies that have been fulfilled but agnostics use all kinds of rationalizations to remain willfully ignorant of them.
There is a grave misconception among agnostics that to embrace Christ is to limit themselves. They think by remaining a spiritual free agent, they are exercising more freedom than Christians who constrain themselves by their religion. The agnostic perspective appears to be reinforced by stories of people who were once practicing Christians but have stopped believing saying they have felt liberated by their decision to leave the faith.
Claiming to be a Christian and even doing great things in the name of Jesus apart from having a personal relationship with the Savior has no eternal value (Matthew 7:21-23). Eventually the truth will become known; those falsely professing to be followers of Christ will either genuinely yield their life to Jesus, get tired of pretending and appear to fall away from the faith, or continue their charade until they are forced to acknowledge the truth at the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-12).
The professing Christian who appears to leave the faith feels liberated because they think following Christ is all about earning salvation through obedience and doing good works. This perspective has more in common with all the other religions of the world than biblical Christianity. The Bible makes it clear that salvation is not a function of one's own performance but having a relationship with the Savior. "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Jesus does not constrain us as agnostics believe. He invites us: "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30). This is the picture of an experienced ox being teamed up with an untrained one to learn how to be successful at what we were created to do. When we are teamed up with Christ, He does all the hard work and keeps us on the right path. And His help is what makes it possible to realize the purpose and blessings God has for us. The more we experience God's help in achieving what He has called us to, the more we realize that His constraints are hardly a burden. "Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!" (Psalm 34:8).
The agnostic view of freedom is exactly opposite from reality. They think by remaining uncommitted to the Creator they are free to do whatever they feel like when in fact their willful rejection of Christ keeps them in bondage to ultimate destruction either as a soulless evolved animal as they have chosen to believe or in the lake of fire per Revelation 20:14-15. Such an attitude compels agnostics to pack all the happiness they can into life because if this mortal existence is all there is, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!” (1 Corinthians 15:32).
Only those who know Jesus as their Savior are truly free. "Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, 'If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free... if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed'" (John 8:31-36). Christians don't fear death because we know it is not the end of our life. This takes the pressure off living and enables us to truly enjoy this life. We know we will not miss out on any good thing this world has to offer, we will have all eternity to bask in the goodness of our Creator.
The trend of professing Christians denouncing their religion is a sign we are in the season of the Lord's return. "The Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons" (1 Timothy 4:1). And we also know that the freedoms we currently enjoy in this country will have to go away to accommodate the coming global dictator: "All the world marveled and followed the beast... It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation" (Revelation 13:3, 7).
It is too bad that the agnostics of the world won't face the reality of this world's trends and recognize that all this was foretold by God to authenticate the Bible as really being from Him. Only God is able to declare, "the end from the beginning" (Isaiah 46:10). All we can do is pray for them and "be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear" (1 Peter 3:15). This is worth doing because some will believe for, "So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it" (Isaiah 55:11).
The United States has been an exceptional place in the world because of our freedom culture. And this was only possible because the founders of this country were mostly Christians who applied biblical principles in structuring how our government should work. George Washington made it clear that human governments will fail apart from God's help when he said, "It is impossible to govern the universe without the aid of a Supreme Being" (from 1835 book titled, “Paulding’s Life of Washington”). You can't have enough laws to make a civil society, people must be self-governing or the government will fail.
Historical revisionists are hard at work trying to erase this country's Christian heritage and have made significant progress in "reinterpreting" our Constitution on many fronts. The attitude of the progressives in opposing God is reflected in Psalm 2:2-3: "The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, 'Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast away Their cords from us.'" (Psalm 2:2-3, NKJV). The more America turns away from God, the more our God-given freedoms will evaporate. The loss of freedoms in the last bastion of liberty in the world is just one more indication that the Day of the Lord is near.
Agnostics are those who believe nothing can be known of the existence or nature of God beyond material phenomena. They are proud of being on the fence about God declaring neither faith nor disbelief in Him claiming to be open to any evidence that could cause them to change their mind. But their thoughtful-sounding position is generally a smokescreen hiding the fact that they have already made up their mind and prefer to remain uncommitted. There is plenty of evidence for the supernatural nature of Scripture in the prophecies that have been fulfilled but agnostics use all kinds of rationalizations to remain willfully ignorant of them.
There is a grave misconception among agnostics that to embrace Christ is to limit themselves. They think by remaining a spiritual free agent, they are exercising more freedom than Christians who constrain themselves by their religion. The agnostic perspective appears to be reinforced by stories of people who were once practicing Christians but have stopped believing saying they have felt liberated by their decision to leave the faith.
Claiming to be a Christian and even doing great things in the name of Jesus apart from having a personal relationship with the Savior has no eternal value (Matthew 7:21-23). Eventually the truth will become known; those falsely professing to be followers of Christ will either genuinely yield their life to Jesus, get tired of pretending and appear to fall away from the faith, or continue their charade until they are forced to acknowledge the truth at the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-12).
The professing Christian who appears to leave the faith feels liberated because they think following Christ is all about earning salvation through obedience and doing good works. This perspective has more in common with all the other religions of the world than biblical Christianity. The Bible makes it clear that salvation is not a function of one's own performance but having a relationship with the Savior. "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Jesus does not constrain us as agnostics believe. He invites us: "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30). This is the picture of an experienced ox being teamed up with an untrained one to learn how to be successful at what we were created to do. When we are teamed up with Christ, He does all the hard work and keeps us on the right path. And His help is what makes it possible to realize the purpose and blessings God has for us. The more we experience God's help in achieving what He has called us to, the more we realize that His constraints are hardly a burden. "Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!" (Psalm 34:8).
The agnostic view of freedom is exactly opposite from reality. They think by remaining uncommitted to the Creator they are free to do whatever they feel like when in fact their willful rejection of Christ keeps them in bondage to ultimate destruction either as a soulless evolved animal as they have chosen to believe or in the lake of fire per Revelation 20:14-15. Such an attitude compels agnostics to pack all the happiness they can into life because if this mortal existence is all there is, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!” (1 Corinthians 15:32).
Only those who know Jesus as their Savior are truly free. "Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, 'If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free... if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed'" (John 8:31-36). Christians don't fear death because we know it is not the end of our life. This takes the pressure off living and enables us to truly enjoy this life. We know we will not miss out on any good thing this world has to offer, we will have all eternity to bask in the goodness of our Creator.
The trend of professing Christians denouncing their religion is a sign we are in the season of the Lord's return. "The Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons" (1 Timothy 4:1). And we also know that the freedoms we currently enjoy in this country will have to go away to accommodate the coming global dictator: "All the world marveled and followed the beast... It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation" (Revelation 13:3, 7).
It is too bad that the agnostics of the world won't face the reality of this world's trends and recognize that all this was foretold by God to authenticate the Bible as really being from Him. Only God is able to declare, "the end from the beginning" (Isaiah 46:10). All we can do is pray for them and "be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear" (1 Peter 3:15). This is worth doing because some will believe for, "So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it" (Isaiah 55:11).
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