OBFUSCATION

I Was Just Thing About - - -

Several years ago, I was called as a witness for the Defense of an institution where a temporary employee had become angry, slammed his coffee cup down on a file cabinet and announced: “I quit! Don’t expect me to return.” The position held had to be immediately filled so the institution could legally perform its services. His lawsuit indicated: (1) The institution should’ve known that I was under contract!” And (2) Even though the institution informed me that due to my announcement, my services were no longer required. they should have known that (3) When I said I would not return was just a statement I made in anger.” When I was called as a witness, I was administered the oath: “Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?” It was actually a chilling moment! Why? Because the Lawyer representing his client against the institution was very well qualified and had skillful mastery of the English language. It is at this point when obfuscation can become a factor.

What is obfuscation? It is: “the act or an instance of making something obscure, dark, or difficult to understand.” When an oath is taken to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, careful attention has to be given to the content of a question and any employment of nuances (a subtle difference or distinction in expression, meaning, response) with words that are employed. It is equally important to listen for and measure any inflection (modulation of the voice) that occurs when a question is being asked. The Grammatical explanation of the affect when inflection is present is stated to be: “A change in the form of a word, usually modification or affixation, signaling change in such grammatical functions as tense, voice, mood, person, gender, number, or case” (Dictionary,com). Why is any of this important?

There is an obvious illustration from the world of politics. Comedians have used the line: “It is easy to determine if a politician is lying - if his lips are moving, he’s lying.” Generalizations need to be understood for what they are, an exaggerated comment being made to prove or disprove a given point.That which causes a basis for the comedic statement is the reality that most politicians, seldom, if ever, are willing to give a direst “Yes!” or “No!” answer to a question asked. This parlance (a way or manner of speaking; vernacular; speech, especially in a formal discussion or debate) is almost uniformly employed by and in the political class.

Sadly, in this day of mega-churches and large media-ministries, obfuscation is part of the structure for many of them. Ministers in these ministries have usually taken a vow to “tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth” prior to their ordination. 

• How many of them speak of a very real Hell reserved for those who come under the judgment and condemnation for their persistence  in their sin and continual rejection Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord? 
• How many of them reference Romans 1 and God’s condemnation of homosexuality? 
• How many address the pericope of Romans 3:9-20(NIV) and the clear defining of sin versus righteousness? 
• How many echo the words of Jesus Christ: “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
• How many expand on the “truth that will make one free” by the clear presentation of the Gospel as recorded in I john 5:9-12 (NIV), “We accept human testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” 

The truth is that one must exercise Romans 10:9-10 (ESV), “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” This is the truth that must be proclaimed. It is also the truth that can set one free from the bondage of sin and the condemnation because of one’s sin(s)!  Consider these things with me!

SORROW UPON SORROW

I Was Just Thinking About - - -

On Friday, there was a time of gloom, despair and fear. Jesus Christ has been crucified and has died. It is understandable how those closest to Him would shed tears and be filled with sorrow. Their hopes, dreams and aspirations seem to have come to an abrupt and treacherous end. In their fear, the disciples would hide behind locked doors lest they suffer the same fate as their friend whom they had followed for three years. Three days later, all of this will change dramatically. Word is circulated that the stone has been rolled back from the tomb where Jesus had been placed. The tomb is now empty and an Angel declares to the women who had come to the tomb: “He is not here! He has risen just as He said!” (Matthew 28:6). Their sorrow would be changed to concern, anxiety and a search for the body of Jesus.

For them and us, Easter Sunday would be more properly declared as the commemoration of The Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Several Hymn Writers captured the significance of the day with the words they have penned, such as: Christ the Lord Is Risen Today – Alleluia; Jesus Lives and So Shall I; and the refrain that expresses: "Up from the grave He Arose, with a mighty triumph o’er His foes; He Arose a Victor from the dark domain; and He lives forever with His saints to reign. He Arose! He Arose! Hallelujah, Christ Arose!" An appropriate application in this regard is II Corinthians 5:15, “And He died for all, that they who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him Who died for them and rose again.” Sorrow should be turned to joy; anxieties should be turned to hope and confidence; fear should be turned into hope and triumph. To His followers, Jesus had promised peace and comfort.

While the Biblical Christian never loses sight of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and one’s identity with Him in His death and resurrection, the ebb and flow of life can bring with it sorrow. Paul emphasizes this when his friend and colleague in ministry, Epaphroditus, had become very ill. He indicates in Philippians 2:25-27 these words: “Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow.” Paul is emphasizing the gravity of the situation and his concern for the ongoing ministry. In The Expositor’s Greek New Testament, it notes the intensity within the phrase “sorrow upon sorrow” that it carries with it the idea of “the heaping up of one thing upon another.” I gave considerable thought to this as my wife and I drove to Church for Easter Sunday Worship. It is almost oxymoronic to think of a day of rejoicing within a context of cares and concerns for loved ones, friends and family who are presently facing sorrowful times.

The country singers Joey and Rory Feek (featured on the Gaither Network) dealing with Joey’s cancer that led to her death on March 4, leaving behind a two-year old with Down Syndrome; after Church having a dear soul share about the death of a nephew who has left behind a daughter with Down Syndrome; a friend who was miss-diagnosed and is having to endure treatments for Cancer; a young child who recently turned six-years of age and who had been pronounced “cured” of ALL after 2 ½ years of treatment learning on his sixth birthday that he will have to endure two more years of intense treatment because his ALL has returned; a relative whose wife recently died now having to bury his brother later today; a family member whose Doctor indicated he has done all he can for him; the casualness of professing-Christians who miss the transformative power because of Christ’s Resurrection. Peter wrote about this in I Peter 1:3-7, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.” 

Until that “last time” arrives, how are we to cope with sorrow upon sorrow? The word of hope is stated in II Corinthians 1:3-7, “…the God of all comfort comforts us in all our troubles…the comfort you can share with those who are going through similar circumstances…” Walk by faith and in hope! Rest in God’s comfort and peace! Consider these things with me!

"REAL CHRISTIANS"

I Was Just Thinking About - - -

The discussion regarding who is or who is not a Christian can usually generate more heat than light. The term and how it is used is generalized so that it means anyone who is not Jewish is thought to be a Christian. The narrower definition is expressed in Easton’s 1897 Bible Dictionary: “It is the name given by the Greeks and Romans, probably in reproach, to the followers of Jesus. It was first used at Antioch. The names by which the disciples were known were brethren, the faithful, elect, saints, believers. But as distinguishing them from the multitude without, the name Christian came into use and was universally accepted.” The three places where the name Christian appears in the New Testament are: (1) Acts 11:26, “The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.” (2) Acts 26:28, where the question of King Agrippa posed to the Apostle Paul was: “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?” And (3) I Peter 4:16, “However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.”

In the current political climate, the issue has arisen in terms of who can speak as a “Real Christian” representative and/or project that a personal political opinion echoes the “evangelical” point of view regarding who would be the best elected official for the nation at this time. On The Blaze TV, Glen Beck assumes that: “No Real Christian Would Vote for the New York Mogul.” When criticized by a mega-church “evangelical”, Beck responded: “I’ll take on the Jews, and I’ll take on the Lutherans, and I’ll take on the Catholics, and I’ll take on the Mormons — I’ll take ‘em all on.” He then added: “Religious voters are not living your principles today in American society. We’re a Christian nation — are we really? he asked. Why are we in so much trouble? Why do we have the same kind of problems that the non-Christian nations do with pornography and drugs and everything else? We should be setting an example if we were actually living our Christian faith.”

As a counterpoint, Robert Jeffress, pastor of the First Baptist Church in Dallas, TX and a supporter of the current leading Republican candidate states: “Beck does not know God's mind.” He then quotes a Beck statement: “All throughout the South the evangelicals are not listening to their God.” Jeffress’ comment (retort) is: “Beck's wacko comment speaks for itself… I am somewhat puzzled that Beck claims to know how the God Christians worship would vote in the Republican primaries.” Jeffress is contradictory in his criticisms inasmuch as he has publicly endorsed one candidate who appears to lack the Biblical principles required of a “Real Christian.”

What are some of the basic Biblical principles for anyone who claims the identity of being a “Real Christian”? A beginning point would be Micah 6:6-8, “With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God? He has shown you what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Connect this requirement with Philippians 2:5-8,  “Have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself.” As Jesus began His earthly ministry, he began to choose and call disciples who would follow Him. He did not want or need the “self-made-man” types. Instead, Jesus stated. “Follow Me and I will make you…” into what I want you to be – seeking others who will follow and learn about Me.” It was a dramatic call and shift from a focus upon “I” to one that was upon “Him”! Later on, Jesus would broaden His appeal to others when He stated (Matthew 11:28-30): “Come to me…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.” 

Are you a “Real Christian”? Are you allowing Jesus Christ to make you into what He wants you to be? When I was attending a Bible College, a song that meant much to me then, as it does now, was written by Charles P. Jones in 1904: “Jesus Christ is made to me, All I need, all I need, He alone is all my plea, He is all I need. (The Refrain): Wisdom righteousness and power, Holiness forevermore, My redemption full and sure, He is all I need.” Consider these things with me!

EVANGELICALS (And Other False Identities)

I Was Just Thinking About - - - 

How do you and the politicians of our day understand and define “Evangelical”? Overall, do we have a sense of what the term means and implies? Would you identify everyone in the church you attend an “Evangelical”? In today's culture, do we and it even come close to knowing and understanding what an "Evangelical" really is? How many Biblical Evangelicals do you know? 

World Magazine has attempted to state a description and offer a definition of this word. A good start are some comments in a column in World Magazine (April 2, 2016 edition). It stated: "Indeed, as a slew of exit polls reported Trump had won the support of at least one-third of evangelicals or born-again Christians across a dozen states by early March, many marveled to see a thrice-married casino owner who uses vulgar language and brags about adultery capturing the support of evangelical Christians.But a critical question arose: What’s an evangelical? For pollsters, the answer seems simple: An evangelical is a person who claims to be an evangelical. Most exit polls apparently allowed voters to self-identify as evangelical or born-again, without any follow-up questions about beliefs or practice. For Bible-believing Christians, the answer is much richer: Evangelical comes from the Greek word for “good news” and conveys one of the core teachings of Scripture: Christ saves sinners. A crucial outflow: The life of the saved sinner shows it. In a 2007 study, the Barna Group asked participants a series of nine questions about Christian beliefs, including whether Jesus lived a sinless life, and if salvation is through grace, not works. Based on the results, the study found as few as 8 percent of Americans may be truly evangelical. That’s far fewer than estimates from other national groups with less stringent measures, and it’s also fewer than what some politicians proclaim.”

The question/issue is the same for defining a “Biblical Christian” (Evangelical).”  If we understand what a “Biblical Christian” is we can also understand what a “Biblical Evangelical” is! Just one starting place is Proverbs 28:13-14, “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy. Blessed is the one who fears the Lord always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity.” The basic elements are: Confess And Forsake all sin(s)/ transgression(s). Failure to do so places one in the category of those whose hearts are hardened against spiritual verities. 

And then, Romans 10:9-10, 13 is a necessity: “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 

The basics for the “Biblical Christian (Evangelical)” are also clearly stated in II Corinthians 5:15, 17, “He (Jesus Christ) died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised…If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” Do these basics define and describe you today. If they do, then you are a “Biblical Christian (Evangelical).” Otherwise, it is a false claim to believe you are a “Biblical Christian (Evangelical).” Consider these things with me!

TRIBULATION OR JUBILATION

I Was Just Thinking About - - -

There are two ways of considering this subject: (1) as a temporal experience and situation, or (2) from an eternal point of view and purpose. Part of the definition of Tribulation indicates it will be a time of “grievous trouble; severe trial or suffering.” By extension, the Synonyms are: affliction, hardship, distress and adversity. Jubilation is far different in its meaning because it is defined as “a feeling (and reality) of great joy and celebration.”

In a temporal way, many people experience a type of tribulation by means of extenuating circumstances. When our son-in-law was hospitalized for Cancer, it was heart-rendering to see in that same treatment facility a very young child being treated for cancer, as well as older adults. The end result is not always positive and the remaining family experiences hardships and sorrows. Our son-in-law died in the hospital at age 30. Sorrow gripped us all, especially his widow and her two children aged 2 and 4. On the other hand, and more recently, one of our Great Grandsons was diagnosed with cancer when he was not yet 3 years of age. After more than two years of treatment, he was pronounced “Cancer-Free” and part of the Jubilation and Celebration will include a trip in a few days to Disney World. We all share in his personal victory and know that feeling and sense of “great joy and celebration.”

From an eternal perspective, tribulation indicates a time of God’s wrath being displayed and a day of judgment ensuing. In His Olivet Discourse, Jesus stated the following regarding tribulation: “How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not occur in the winter or on the Sabbath. For at that time there will be great tribulation, unmatched from the beginning of the world until now, and never to be seen again…Immediately after the tribulation of those days: The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken” (Matthew 24:19-29).

Does the Biblical Christian have any need for fear and doubt about the future and one’s relationship in Jesus Christ? Paul wrote in Romans 8:35-39, “Who (or what) shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Paul adds in Romans 12:11-13, “Do not let your zeal subside; keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, persistent in prayer. Share with the saints who are in need. Practice hospitality.” As the Book of Revelation begins, there is the scene where Jesus is walking in the midst of the seven churches. To the Church in Smyrna (Revelation 2:10), He states: “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Look, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison to test you, and you will suffer tribulation…Be faithful even unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.”

Revelation 7:13-14 addresses a day of worship, celebration and jubilation. The question asked and the answer given should give every Biblical Christian hope and great joy (jubilation), “Then one of the elders addressed me: These in white robes, he asked, who are they, and where have they come from? Sir, I answered, you know…These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” Neither “trouble or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword” is able to separate you from the love of Christ. As difficult and challenging as it may be, never allow your confidence, hope or joy to be diminished. Personalize and keep on reminding yourself: “In all these things I am more than a conqueror through Him who loved me.” Consider these things with me.

NAIVETE AND GULLIBILITY

I Was Just Thinking About - - -

One of the negative achievements of the cultural shift and movement is in the area of man’s capacity to think rationally and objectively. So much depends on who is championing the particular narrative at a given point. An illustration of this is a declaration that demeans and excoriates (criticizes severely) the Police across the nation. The result is that the safety of Police personnel knows greater jeopardy than ever before. Protest groups abound that follow a false narrative that has been declared to a point where vandalism, destruction and a degree of carnage has occurred in different communities.

During this time of political debate, naiveté and gullibility is obvious. A particular concern is its presence in what is known as the “evangelical” circles and communities. This term no longer has clarity of meaning due to the statements and actions of some who are called “leading evangelicals” in this nation. One of them who is Pastor of a mega-Baptist Church in Dallas, TX, upon his endorsement of a political candidate when he said (Breitbart, 03-04-16): “Every Christian has the right to his own opinion about a presidential candidate, but no Christian has the right to impose his preference as a litmus test for someone else’s Christianity or spirituality…Some Christians, including a well-known Christian author, have denounced one candidate for his tone and vocabulary. However, when I’m looking for a leader who is going to sit across the table from Iran or confront radical Islamic terrorists, I don’t care about that leader’s tone or vocabulary. I want the toughest, meanest, son-of-a-gun I can find!” Later, in a television interview, he added: “During World War II, no one was concerned about the tone and vocabulary of General Patton. Their concern was winning the war.”

With the philosophical and political shift in the culture, those who thought they knew what conservatism and evangelical meant are left disillusion and directionless. Following the recent annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, DC,  one pundit stated in an interview with World Magazine (03-11-16): “I think you’re watching the culture change. We’re struggling with how to react to it: When to retreat; when to engage. … This event is symbolic of that in that you’re watching more and more social conservatives saying, we’re not welcome here. I think the question then becomes for us, When do you flee? When do you run for the hills?” 

The answer to these questions rests upon another question: Who is in control of the affairs of mankind and nations? Proverbs 21:1-4 reminds us: “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will. Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart. To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. Haughty eyes and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, are sin.”

What is the Biblical Evangelical Christian to think and how should such a one act in an rapidly eroding culture? Regarding political aspirants, we note the expected and required behavior in James 1:22-26, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.” Does this diagnose any political “leader(s)” presently claiming to be “religious and Christian”? 

One additional thought that should govern how the Biblical Christian must believe and behave, is expressed in a series of rhetorical questions in II Corinthians 6:14-16, “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial (false gods or  false beliefs, the devil)? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. Verse 17 adds, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” As a Biblical Evangelical Christian, we are not to endorse or condone the ungodly nor the unseemly behaviors (crude, deceitful and profane) of political aspirants. Do not allow yourself to be either naïve or gullible. Consider these things with me!

PLAN A OR PLAN B

I Was Just Thinking About - - -

Among the news stories in The Drudge Report today is an idea being promoted by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. His rationale is based upon a concern for the increasing consumption of energy on planet Earth. Part of his summation is: “We now know in our solar system this is the only planet that's really ideal for us. It's pretty extraordinary. Some people even think we were evolved to live on this planet, that's how ideal it is for us.... That was a joke, folks. We're not going to find another Earth and we can't cover the whole surface of the Earth with solar cells. We only have a few hundred years to figure this out…I like the idea we kind of expand out into the solar system and preserve Earth as, you know, kind of light industrial and residential. Keep this the great planet that it is and move all heavy industry off Earth where there's for all practical places limitless energy and limitless resources."

The past couple of generations have been caught up in the fascination of space. The TV series Star Trek and the film and sequels of Star Wars have captured the imagination of young and old alike. Most who were born in the 1960s have memories of the Russian effort to enter space with their Sputnik Space Craft and the race that ensued with the United States regarding who would achieve going to the Moon and back again. Just recently, a historic achievement occurred. The news report was: “Scott Kelly is back in the United States after spending 340 days in space, aboard the International Space Station. It is the longest a US astronaut has ever spent in space on a single trip. Along with his crewmates he was involved in more than 450 experiments while on board. Life in microgravity meant his height increased by 3.8cm but he has since returned to his normal size back on Earth.”

An important question that all should consider is the Plan A of the Creator of this world and universe. Jeff Bezos expresses his Plan B out of concern for the human race and its survival on Earth. Meanwhile, little mention is made nor is it being considered of the Plan A of God. What will happen in the future for God’s Creation? We have a glimpse of it in I Thessalonians 5:1-11, “About times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, Peace and safety, destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober…Since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”

In the Play, The Man of La Mancha (1972), a dramatic song is sung. Some of the words of My Quest are: “To dream the impossible dream, To fight the unbeatable foe, To bear with unbearable sorrow, To run where the brave dare not go; To right the unrightable wrong…This is my quest, To follow that star, No matter how hopeless, No matter how far…To be willing to march into Hell For a heavenly cause…And the world will be better for this, That one man, scorned and covered with scars, Still strove with his last ounce of courage, To reach the unreachable star.” The problem with this philosophy and goal is that it is a humanistic effort (humanism = human fulfillment in the natural world that rejects the importance of belief in God). It is a failure to give a rightful place for the absolutes of Almighty God. One of God’s Attributes (thus an Absolute) is His Omnipotence. Amid his many difficulties and losses, in Job 42:2 Job replies to the Lord: “I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” When the Virgin Mary learns of her choice to give birth to Jesus Christ and the means of conception, she is reminded by the Angel (Luke 1:37): “For no word from God will ever fail – nothing is impossible with God.” So – where are you today? Are you caught up in the theories and philosophies of humanity (Plan B) or in the fact of The God Who is in control of all things at all times (Plan A)? Consider these things with me!

THE DULLING OF DISCERNMENT

I Was Just Thinking About - - -

One aspect of the fall of man was the obvious loss of discernment and the susceptibility to believe a cleverly designed and stated alternative for his life. The result was devastating. Romans 5 summarizes what occurred when man succumbed to an ego-driven aspiration, namely, the capability to be just like God. The brief summation states (Vs. 17), “by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man” and (Vs. 18), “just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people.” One of the more astute columnists is Thomas Sowell. His column on Tuesday, March 1, 2016 – "Last Chance For America?" Indicated the following: (One man’s) “antics and bluster may appeal to some voters – but in the world as it is, he may well cost us our last chance to recover from the great dangers into which the Obama administration has gotten this nation…the next President of the United States will need extraordinary wisdom, maturity, depth of knowledge and personal character to rescue America. Instead, if the polls are an indication, what we may get is someone with the opposite of all these things, a glib egomaniac with a checkered record in business and no track record at all in government.”

The problem is - who is paying attention to the consequences. Whatever happened to sound principles and core values that should influence a people and nation intellectually, politically, and most importantly – spiritually? Yesterday, I wrote and posted on Facebook the following: “Why is it that so many "Evangelicals" are voting for one who claims he is a "christian" but has never asked God for forgiveness? Why do people believe such a person in this and other matters. Could there be the reality of II Thessalonians 2:9-12 being fulfilled before our eyes and we lack the perception to understand who is dominating the culture and what is happening and about to happen? One needs to take the time to read and discern  II Thessalonians 2:9-12 “The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.”

Thomas Sowell’s column included: (One Candidate) “is entertaining, and he has ridden a wave of Republican voter anger against the Republican establishment, which has repeatedly betrayed them, especially on illegal immigration. But these political problems are a sideshow, in a world where Iran is guaranteed to get nuclear weapons and North Korea, which already has them, is developing long-range missiles that can reach American cities. Iran is also developing long-range missiles. Then there are the international terrorist organizations from the Middle East -- many sponsored by Iran -- whose agents have had easy access to the United States across our open border with Mexico.” Serious people need to be thinking seriously. Above all else, people need to be Taking A Serious God Seriously (A Book with tha title is available on Amazon: 
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005VHP7WS?keywords=Taking%20a%20serious%20God%20seriously&qid=1456911374&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1).

Jesus said (Matthew 7:15-16), “Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them.” Then in verse 21 Jesus said: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” Spiritual terms are bandied about by politicians such as “Christian”,  “forgiveness”, “Church” ad nauseam.  Religious Leaders, so-called, embrace and endorse the “false prophet” types and willingly open the gates of the hen-house for the “wolves in sheep’s clothing.” When the Lord is saying “Seek Me and My righteousness”, we have “Christians” seeking egomaniacs who have never seen the need to ask God for forgiveness but with bluster, blather and bloviating lead many astray and onto the slippery slope of impending disaster and oblivion. The Biblical Christian must exercise discernment and be a bold voice for for God’s values amid a world deteriorating more and more into chaos. Consider these things with me!