The Pride Of Life

(1 John 2: 15 - 16) “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If any one loves the world, love for the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world.”

What’s John’s frame of reference and what does it mean today? 

(Genesis 3: 3 - 6) Now the serpent was more subtle than any other wild creature that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree of the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden; but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, and he ate. 

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, There it is, the lust of the flesh, our bodies require food for sustenance.

and that it was a delight to the eyes, Here is the lust of the eyes, the fruit was attractive and looked delicious.

and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; Desiring to know what God knows she disobeyed God’s command and ate, an act of pride. A willful action follows after the whims of a prideful thought, Eve was following after the very same mindset of the fallen angel Lucifer who appeared as the serpent and tempted her. And because she succumbed to the temptation along with her mate Adam who agreed, mankind instantly took on the same fallen personality traits of Lucifer and both were thus expelled from the Garden of Eden.

(Isaiah 14: 12 - 14) “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! You said in your heart ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will make myself like the Most High.

Questioning God’s word and using half truths, which are nothing but lies disguised in fragments of truth, was the same method used by Satan when he tempted Christ unsuccessfully after His forty day fast in the desert recorded in the book of Matthew.

(Matthew 4: 1 - 11) Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’” Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’” Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’’ Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.

Consider what transpired there in terms of current times. It is interesting to note that every single commercial and sales person employs that same Lucifarian method of temptation to create desire. We are encouraged to purchase an item because  it looks good, we then imagine how that item will enhance our lives and we often impulsively go ahead and purchase it even though we may not be able to afford it, or we realize that it might be excessive materialistic behavior. Consider how timely and never changing bible scripture really is and how apropos it is for us today. I marvel about that because people are all so prone purchasing items they can ill afford on credit with borrowed money. The following verse from Proverbs rings true today.

(Proverbs 22: 7) “The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender.” 

More importantly we need to understand that the bible is true, and that if we are honest with ourselves we need to admit that we do have a fallen nature and that we are continually falling for the wiles of the devil in the same old way. Prayer and meditating on the astounding truth of what the word exposes here will enable us to emulate Christ and how He successfully dashed the attempts of Satan to pieces by focusing on the will of God and using scripture as the sword of the spirit. When we are tempted to do what we know is evil this is what we need to do as I have said several times before:

(Ephesians 6: 11 - 17) “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” 

The Lord Provides

(1Corinthians 2: 6 - 14) However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

I have often wondered about the incredulous amounts of oil that has been taken out of the earth over the last hundred years by numerous nations. The level of consumption has grown exponentially each year as more countries become part of the twentieth century manufacturing and producing world. In 1872, the standard oil barrel was firmly established as 42 US gallons. A recent estimate of total world oil consumption in 2014 amounted to 20,802 barrels of oil per day which amounts to 873,684 gallons used up each day of the year or 75,927,30 barrels a year. These figures are rather astounding when one considers how much of the earth’s volume is filled with solid rock, molten magma, coal, water and natural gas which leaves one wondering about the standardized story of how the dinosaurs and the primordial forests decayed down through the ages supposedly creating these vast oil reserves, thus allowing the unbelieving world to negate God from the picture entirely. 

British Petroleum has provided an intriguing update to its global oil reserves estimate in the company's recent yearly review of energy statistics. BP raised its reserve estimate by 1.1% to 1,687.9 billion barrels, which is enough oil to last the world 53.3 years at the current production rates. However, there's likely a lot more oil left in the tank beyond what BP sees today. This statement once again leaves the primordial explanation wanting and extremely doubtful for a believer who understands that God created all things with simply a word, speaking all things into existence which remains fully under His control. 

Consider the following old testament story of God’s provision through nature and the prophet Elijah which illustrates how the needs of those who trust in Him will be fulfilled. When Ahab became King of Israel the backdrop was set for one of the most astounding shows of God’s providence through His prophet Elijah as Ahab and Jezebel continued to murder the prophets while attempting to eradicate all trust in the one true God of Israel.

(1Kings 16: 29 - 32) In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria over Israel twenty-two years. Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those before him. He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he also married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and worship him. 

(1Kings 17: 1 - 16) Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.” Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah: “Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there.” 

(Elijah was on the run, fleeing from those who would take his life and he followed God’s instructions and headed out to the wilderness)

So he did what the Lord had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.

Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. Then the word of the Lord came to him: “Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.” So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, “Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?” As she was going to get it, he called, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread.”

“As surely as the Lord your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread, only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die.” Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.’” She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah.

As long as God’s elect remains on the earth He will continue to provide for the needs of mankind as He sees fit in spite of the dark thinking of those who believe the world’s destiny is somehow limited and controlled by man.

Prayer The Outflow Of Faith

Prayer is the outflow of faith and the only overt and sometimes covert evidence of the believer’s acknowledgement and dependence on God. It is the only means by which we communicate with our Creator, either through words spoken or by thoughts and sighs which only the Spirit can understand. There is no specific time or place when we should pray, I often turn to the Lord out on my patio while having morning coffee. At my age, and after reflecting on some of the things I have endured and how God has been there all the time ordering my footsteps, I have no choice but to be thankful and to express my thankfulness to Him. Oftentimes I have taken advantage of the noise of my morning shower and the exhaust fan where no one can hear me but God while praying about those stressful things that can bring grown men to tears and make them want to cry out to God for His forgiveness and providence. “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old received divine approval.” (Hebrews 11: 1 - 2) We as believers want to receive divine approval as well. “ And without faith it is impossible to please him. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (Hebrews 11:6) The converse of that is also true, meaning that He does not reward those who don’t seek him! How often I have yearned to hear from my adult sons as I wondered how they are doing and if all is well with them. The only time they ever call me is if they want something or need my help. We shouldn’t treat our Creator as shamefully when He loves us so much.

(Proverbs 15:29) The Lord is far from the wicked, But He hears the prayer of the righteous.

We are righteous only because of the righteousness of Christ imputed to all believers, thus we are encouraged to pray if we claim Him as Savior and Lord. Prayer is an act of faith that is routinely overlooked by many who claim to have faith in God. First of all we are inherently lazy, then there are too many other things that are tangents that seem to demand our attention which deflect our thoughts and usurps our time to communicate with God. Like so many children we simply just take Him and his great daily providence in our lives for granted which is a sin of omission by putting ourselves and our interests before acknowledging Him first on a daily basis which flies against the commandment which is written in the hearts of all believers, “Love the Lord with all your heart.”

(John 16:24) “Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” The Lord expects us to pray with thanksgiving in our hearts for the forgiveness for our sins that He has provided us through His Son Jesus Christ. Pray always in Jesus name as it is He who imparts His righteousness on us as it says, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” (James 5:16b)

(Matthew &: 7 - 8) “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” The converse of that is also true, those who don’t ask will not have any answers. Those who don’t seek will find nothing. Those who fail to knock on wisdom’s door cannot expect to receive any.

(Matthew 21:22)  “And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

Prayer is a twofold act of faith which entails both doing and believing. I have often wondered about those who pray out loud in the congregation with such eloquence. My prayers are often such simple and sometimes garbled messages to God that I wonder if He even understands what I’m trying to say. But here’s what Jesus says God wants from us, after all He already knows all those flattering praises that men down through the ages have said, He’s more interested in the matters of the heart, our attitude means everything.

(Matthew 6: 5 - 8) “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. 

How Shall We Then Live?

We are living in fast moving and very frightening times where unpleasantries can overwhelm us without a moment’s notice. There was a time not long ago when Christians found the concept of being beheaded for one’s faith as something that happened in past centuries unconscionable in modern twentieth century civilization. And yet with the dawn of Arab Spring, the political destabilization of the Middle-East and North African countries, it has become an all too common occurrence, Christians are being slaughtered for their faith. Several years ago I had a conversation with an older Christian man concerning the “Great Tribulation.” He was clinging to the popular view that nothing bad will happen to Christians in the latter times in which we live and that the church will be taken up and spared any tribulation. Unfortunately he was laboring under a popular heretical delusion, because the Great Tribulation is all about horrible events and testing that true believers will endure in the latter times including martyrdom before the return of Christ. It is arrogant to believe that modern day Christians will somehow escape the persecutions endured by all the saints from the first century church and down through the ages when one asks, did God love them any less? Consider the following excerpts from the Book of Revelation in context with the persecution and martyrdom currently going on in the Middle-East and North African nations.

(Revelation 6: 7 - 11) When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” And I saw, and behold, a pale horse, and its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed him; and they were given power over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth. When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne; they cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before thou wilt judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell upon the earth?” Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.

(Revelation 7: 9 - 14) After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no man could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels stood round the throne and round the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God for ever and ever! Amen.” Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and whence have they come?” I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

So then considering all this, then how shall we then live? The answer is found in the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Ephesians.

(Ephesians 6: 10 - 13) Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you will be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand.(Ephesians 6: 14 - 18) Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 
Meaning to be knowledgeable memorizing scripture, living in the spirit of Christ, understanding that persecution and death come at the hands of those indwelled and moved by evil spirits. Keep in mind always that death holds no eternal sway over those who believe in and trust Jesus Christ and who are themselves eternal like Christ.

Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 
Stand therefore is a command given to soldiers about to face the onslaught of a formidable enemy, stand means to not cower or back down or turn and run, stand! Having heard the gospel, understanding the truth about sinful mankind and the righteousness of God that He imparts to those who have taken on Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, you have thus girded yourself with the truth and wear the breastplate of God’s righteousness that He has imparted through Christ. Next shod your feet with the Gospel of peace by learning to effectively proclaim the gospel and your faith in Christ to those who persecute you. The shield of faith is an unshakeable trust in God, and like our Lord who gave us His example during the temptation by Satan in the desert, respond to the evil one using scripture, the word of God. (Matthew 4: 3 - 4) And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” 

The word of God is an all powerful weapon when used against the evil one.

(Hebrews 4: 12 - 13)  For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And before him no creature is hidden, but all are open and laid bare to the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

Is That All There Is?

The final lines of a very melancholy song sung by Peggy Lee in the 1960’s concluded with the following as she exudes a total sense of hopelessness and finality to life. “I know just as well as I'm standing here talking to you, when that final moment comes and I'm breathing my last breath, I'll be saying to myself Is that all there is, is that all there is, If that's all there is my friends, then let's keep dancing let's break out the booze and have a ball If that's all there is.”

Unfortunately it is the sad song of all those dying of despair and who are perishing, doomed to an eternity in the “outer darkness where there is wailing and gnashing of teeth” because they refuse to acknowledge God and His Christ. Depressing as it is this need not be the case for those who wish to turn their life around and discover the alternative which begins when we seek God’s face. 

Suppose for an instant that you were to die tonight and find yourself standing before the Creator of the Universe and He asked you, “Why should I let you have a new life and enter my perfect heavenly new world?” It’s an astounding thought isn’t it? So consider for a moment, what would your answer be? There are many who might say that they have lived a good and decent life on this earth and have followed the laws of the land and did what they always thought was right. That is commendable but unfortunately it is not even close to meeting the criteria that God has established to become a part of His kingdom. I want to share what that is, but first there are a few things to consider.

The bible says concerning God: (Habakuk 1:13) Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look upon iniquity.

Concerning man in contrast to God: (Matthew 5: 48) You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

God had said according to (Ezekiel 18: 20 - 21) “The soul that sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself. “But if a wicked man turns away from all his sins which he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die.”

Consider this: You suddenly find that you are facing a meeting with a very important person, one who holds your entire future in his hands. So on short notice you decide to make him your favorite when he comes to dinner, a nice stew with lots of choice meat, vegetables and seasoning. You assemble all the ingredients but find that you have come up short on the necessary amount of meat, so you take leftover meat from last weeks dinner that has been aging in the refrigerator. Unfortunately the meat is soured and slightly spoiled, the ingredients in the stew doesn’t sufficiently cover it and the guest finds it unacceptable and offensive. It turns out that you have done to this man the same thing that you have been doing to God by serving up your life with some good elements along with that which is spoiled and polluted, then expecting God to find your life acceptable. The following verses show how pathetic and lost all of mankind is naturally:
(Ezekiel 18:4) Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sins shall die.

(James 2:10) For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all of it.

(Romans 3: 23) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Romans 3:10)  as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one.

Obviously God has set a standard that has put himself as well as all of mankind in a quandary. Man is constitutionally incapable of keeping just ten simple commandments perfectly which means that man is incapable of saving himself from the due penalty of sin which is eternal death, a separation for eternity from God and from all those whom He has saved. So God has taken the initiative upon himself to save His creation from it’s own miserable shortcomings. Immediately following the fall of man in the Garden of Eden God slew an animal for the skins making coverings for Adam and Eve’s nakedness. With this act He made it clear that henceforth He would require a blood sacrifice as a cover for man’s sin. This was later confirmed when Adam’s son Able sacrificed a lamb and it was found pleasing to God as He looked ahead in time and saw His own Son, a Lamb without spot or blemish nailed to the cross, the final sacrifice for all time for the sins of all of mankind. With this God has established His criteria that the only thing from man that He will find acceptable, is a contrite heart and an acknowledgment that nothing we can ever do on our own is sufficient, and that the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ His only begotten Son, is sufficient coverage for our sin as He becomes our Lord and Savior.

(John 3:16 - 17) “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

(1 Thessalonians 5: 9 - 10) For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.

There are times when it’s natural to think that there are things we need to do to get in good stead with God, this isn’t the case at all as it is so typical in all the false religions of the world whereby their adherents believe that they can do good works to achieve a place in the next life. None of their false gods have ever died for the sake of their adherents and then come back to life again.

(Proverbs 14:12) There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.

(John 14:6) Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

(Ephesians 2: 8 - 9) For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

So here are the promises to those who take this to heart and not just simply believe it as a historical fact but act on it and ask Jesus into their life right now. Today is the day of salvation!

(Romans 10: 9 -13) 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 the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

(John 1: 12) But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

(2 Corinthians 5:17) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Do not be dismayed when the old nature occasionally resurfaces, we are all still human and live imperfect lives in an imperfect world and God knows this and has provided once again for man's shortcomings.

(1 John 2: 1 - 2) I am writing this to you so that you may not sin; but if any one does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the expiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

Western Civilization Under Seige

                                           (2 Chronicles 7: 13 - 15)

When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place.

Europeans and Americans for the most part have long ago turned away from God and assumed a mantle of Secular Humanism including many nominal Christians who no longer put their trust in God, murdering infants by the millions, lying, cheating, stealing, engaged in every kind of abomination. Having no understanding, astounded by what is happening to Western Civilization the nations having all turned away from the Lord are experiencing just the beginnings of God’s judgment. The answer is in 2 Chronicles but alas no one understands, no one considers or is interested in believing that without a turning and change of hearts even Donald Trump will be ineffectual at making America great again and the forces of hell will bring certain destruction, suffering and death. Even now the EU as it formerly was no longer exists!

(2 Corinthians 4: 3 - 4) But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

(1 Corinthians 2:14) But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

(Isaiah 53:6) All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way…….

Swimming In The Cesspool

The first time I ever really listened to the parable of the prodigal son and heard with my ears and understood with my heart, I saw myself for the first time as I actually appeared to God, it was ugly. Realizing this story is about how we conclude that there are shameful parts of our lives that no one knows about, things that would upset and disappoint our parents while never considering that God sees all, even into the shadows and darkest corners of our lives. This story is applicable in some way to every human being as we all have an innate propensity to make poor choices rather than do what we intrinsically know is right.

(Luke 15: 11 - 24) “There was a man who had two sons; and the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that falls to me.’ And he divided his living between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took his journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in loose living. And when he had spent everything, a great famine arose in that country, and he began to be in want. So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have fed on the pods that the swine ate; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ And he arose and came to his father. But while he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry; for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to make merry. 

The parable is a perfect picture of God's patient endurance and there are other insights to be gleaned from this story as it becomes evident that the son had been raised by parents who revered the word of God. 

(Proverbs 22: 5 - 6) Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse; he who guards himself will keep far from them. Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. 

They do depart though, the temptations of the world are at times overwhelmingly alluring, but those grounded at an early age in biblical truths will always have a solid foundation to fall back on when they eventually realize their ways have become woefully errant and painful and is eating a hole in their soul.

It also becomes obvious as we read the story that the father, though disappointed continued to love that son in spite of his behavior, and although he allowed him to go far off to misbehave, he never gave up on him and most likely continued to pray fervently for that child. It is evident in the father’s joy as he realized that the child had turned the corner and had experienced a change of heart and had repented in tears and in misery. The prophet Isaiah speaks to the truth of this parable knowing full well about the fallen nature of man and having foreseen Christ the coming Messiah as the only antidote that can eradicate the poison eating at mankind’s soul when he said, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” 

Isaiah provides us with one of the most astounding prophecies of the bible when this prophet from the 8th century BC foresaw the coming of Christ from afar and envisioned His suffering and death as retribution and payment for the sins of all of God’s prodigal children past, present and future who would repent and receive Him through faith as Savior and Lord. This is how we leave the hog swill and pods of our lives behind and return to the open arms of our Father.

(Isaiah 53: 1 - 12) Who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or comeliness that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the will of the Lord to bruise him; he has put him to grief; when he makes himself an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand; he shall see the fruit of the travail of his soul and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous; and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured out his soul to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

For those of us that have decided to turn the corner, forsaking the cesspool of this life, the pods and hog swill that this world has to offer, we have a new hope for a brighter future knowing that we have Jesus the risen Messiah standing as our advocate before the Father.

(John 1:12) To all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. 

(1John 2: 1 -2) My little children, I am writing this to you so that you may not sin; but if any one does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the expiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

(Titus 2: 11 - 14) For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.