The New Decade
No man, Bible prophecy teacher or not,
can specifically predict what will happen in the future.
But, we have not been left in the dark about what is
on the near horizon. We can make some fairly good guesses
by noting the past, seeing where we are presently and
putting it all in perspective with the template of Bible
prophecy. And, the key to getting the clearest picture
possible is the avoidance of both sensationalism and
secular bias, for the former skews the truth and the
latter denies it. Said another way, to see what is
coming simply examine what God has said then look at
what is happening before your very eyes.
The world is falling down around us
with no hope in sight from the secular viewpoint. Yet,
this fact is denied daily by those who believe in the
power and determination of the human race. They portray
their secular hopes in movies, TV sitcoms, newspaper
op-eds and by any other means possible. The mantra
goes something like this: Yes, things are bad, but
they’ve been bad before. And, just as we’ve solved
serious problems before, we will do it again. All we
need to do is to come together, pool our resources,
choose a real leader, get rid of nationalism and borders,
restrict personal liberty for the good of the planet,
focus on the godhood that is in all of us and we will
most certainly overcome. This is the kind of claptrap
that comes from politicians and cultured secularists
who are clueless about what God has said. Reminds me
of President Obama when he said Tiger Woods has in himself
what he needs to overcome his rampant infidelity.
Consider several things that might
be on the future’s short list.
Increasing trend toward Globalism
Globalism is officially defined as
a national geopolitical policy in which the entire world
is regarded as the appropriate sphere for a state's
influence. In plain language it means the world becomes
a single state. To add more clarity I would add that
it emphasizes the centralization of political, economic
and military power along with a singular, inclusive
religion. The European Union is a good example of evolving
globalism in that EU member states have essentially
given up sovereignty in order to be part of it. The
United States is more deeply involved in the globalist
effort than many might think. This is seen, among many
ways, in our judicial system where any number of judges,
including some members of the U.S. Supreme Court, advocate
taking foreign law into consideration when establishing
legal precedent.
The effort of globalizing the planet
is not limited to money and pure politics. Globalists
understand they must necessarily destroy the very foundation
of biblical order, and that is the family. We might
expect continued pressure on the U.S. Senate to ratify
the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. This
global directive has been ratified by every member of
the UN except Somalia and the United States, and Somalia
has said they will ratify it. All signatories are required
to “act in the best interest of the child”, with the
world-state deciding what is best. Basically, the eventual
result will be American legal sovereignty being trumped,
and especially the rights of parents. Is the United
States ready for world bureaucrats to dictate to parents
how to raise their children?
Globalization will produce a legal
system wherein parents who teach their children the
biblical worldview will be charged with child abuse,
or reckless endangerment, or some other indictment requiring
state custody of their children.
Growing Islamic Influence and Belligerence
On the Temple Mount in Jerusalem there
are water faucets where Moslems wash their feet before
going into the mosques to pray to Allah. America, however,
does not provide public foot-washing faucets. So, at
the Indianapolis airport in 2007 Moslem taxi drivers
decided to wash their feet in the sinks in the traveler’s
restrooms before praying, something found to be disgusting
to travelers. Since political correctness requires
Moslems be appeased at any cost to everybody else, the
new addition to the airport buildings included floor-level
sinks for the dirty feet.
Moslems in some areas of America are
wanting to be governed by Islamic sharia law instead
of American law. The thing about Islamic law is it
is not merely part of their religion, it is the basis
for life; a 7th century pagan lifestyle to be exact.
What most people do not understand is Islam is not simply
about going to a mosque, but it is about what you eat,
what school you attend, how you dress, who you hate,
how many wives a man has, etc.
And, Moslems are now being welcomed
into our government. President Hussein Obama has appointed
two Moslems to very important and sensitive positions
in the U.S. government. Arif Alikhan is now Assistant
Secretary for Policy Development at the Dept. of Homeland
Security, and Kareem Shora (born in Syria) is now a
member of the Homeland Security Advisory Council. Both
are referred to by the Obama administration as “devout
Moslems”.
In the same vein, watch for Iran to
increase her animosity toward all things Christian and
Jewish. The threats from the ayatollahs and Ahmadinejad
will not likely go away. Especially as they near the
completion of an atomic weapon and its delivery system.
Ongoing dilution of Christianity
Sectarianism based upon opinion is
not only not good, but is unbiblical (Romans 14). Equally
true is the fact that taking a strong stand for biblical
truth is not only good, but is biblical (Jude 3,4).
Yet, modern religionists do not agree, for they seem
to really enjoy their pompous smiles and pursed lips
as they label “fundamentalists” as unsophisticated religious
morons. Religious inclusiveness will persist in being
the new god of the religiously sophisticated crowd,
and it will continue to happen in direct proportion
to the dilution of biblical truth.
Sadly, many of those people are at
least somewhat biblically literate. That is, they were
biblically sound at some point in their lives. Though
they know the truth, yet they place themselves in that
crowd for social and business reasons justifying it
all by pointing to what they call narrow-minded parents,
and closed-minded churches. Truth becomes no longer
important as long as they are lauded and labeled as
“progressive” by modern emergent church leaders and
friends.
The result is two-fold: First, people
go where they will hear what they want to hear about
themselves. Nothing is said from the pulpit about sin,
righteousness and coming judgment. Those subjects are
too passé and uninspiring, you see. Second, the shell
of the modern church appears clean and polished from
the outside, but the inside is putrefied with spiritual
rot as seen by the growing attitude that God is no longer
to be honored and respected, but rather He becomes everybody’s
home-boy/good-buddy. Add to that, if you will, a cavalier,
if not down-right militant, opinion regarding prophecy.
The slope becomes so slippery that the truth is soon
unrecognizable. Quickly, the slide becomes so steep
and the ride becomes so exhilarating that people do
not see the destructive end.
Harassment of Christians
It is not only coming, it is here!
In Santa Rosa County, California “communication with
a deity” is prohibited, school officials cannot bow
their heads if someone else is praying and they cannot
reply to any email that contains religious language.
Nurse Catherina Cenzon-DeCarlo has sued Mt. Sinai Hospital
for forcing her to participate in an abortion, or face
disciplinary action. Toni Lemly won her court case
in Louisiana when she was fired for refusing to administer
the “morning after pill”. A Christian photographer
in New Mexico was found guilty of discrimination when
he refused to photograph a homosexual “wedding”. Julea
Ward is suing Eastern Michigan University because they
dismissed her from a counseling program because she
refused to affirm homosexual behavior. (All cases cited
above are from World, 16 January 2010, p. 48).
Expect such cases to increase in number.
Christians are going to be stripped of their “right
of conscience” at every opportunity. And, in the near
future this will not only apply to public jobs and private
enterprise as we understand those terms, but we can
look for freedom of conscience to be attacked should
a member of the U.S. military refuse to take part in
future martial-law operations against what Homeland
Security Secretary Janet Napolitano calls those right-wing,
religious, military-veterans who are against homosexual
rights and abortion.
Think it can’t happen? History students
remember Union General Benjamin “The Beast” Butler and
his infamous Order # 28 for women in New Orleans in
1862. It stated, Any woman who might "By word,
gesture, or movement show contempt for any officer or
soldier" could be used as a "woman of the
town plying her vocation." Could be used as a prostitute.
In essence rape was legalized under martial law,
and it was not just the suspension of civil liberty
that was so egregious, but the vindictive, in-your-face
attitude of the U.S. government.
The use of the military in civilian
law enforcement duties is prohibited by the “Posse Comitatus
Act” (Latin: force, or power, of the county). However,
this prohibition is suspended during times of
insurrection or national disaster. Hence when a U.S.
president declares martial-law a number of constitutional
liberties are ignored. The logical question is what
defines insurrection or national disaster? The answer
is it depends on who is president and what is his agenda.
You see how far this can go. You might wish to read
the John Warner National Defense Authorization Act
which went into effect 17 October 2006, particularly
Section 1076 regarding use of the Armed Forces during
emergencies.
What will happen when an Army MP platoon
shows up at someone’s home or church with orders to
arrest and detain a private citizen for speaking out
against the government during an incident some president
has declared as a “public insurrection or national disaster”?
It is not easy to think about it, but it appears these
matters are presently being discussed at numerous coffee
klatches and other gatherings. As one national reporter
said last year, such fear and distrust of government
has not been seen since 1860.
And, this kind of distrust is not owned
solely by Americans, but essentially by the whole world.
What is happening in America has already happened in
Europe, Asia, Russia, South America, etc. The careful
observer will see something coming together on a worldwide
scale that is unprecedented. Further, that “something”
is not so much a visible plan-by-the-numbers, but more
of an ebbing and flowing process that has no definite
form, at least at this point. Yet, like a shapeless
flow of lava, it slowly, but surely captures and consumes
all resistance. The result of this process will be
chaos and fear, and will thus solidify to become the
stage upon which anti-Christ will appear. He will appease
the masses, and replace chaos and fear with stability.
And, by that time the world will be so tired of terror
and turmoil it will welcome him with open arms and at
any cost.
Is the world re-living the 1930s?
Though not entirely the same, yet there are some parallels.
In 1938 Mao Zedong, the late and bloody Chinese Communist
dictator, said, “Political power grows out of the barrel
of a gun.” Adolf Hitler had the same philosophy. His
SS and Gestapo henchmen were fond of saying to those
who opposed Nazism based upon the rule of German law:
“You have your law and I have my gun. Who do you think
will win?”
So, what is the bottom line? Things
will not get any better. The U.S. Constitution cannot
hold back a demonically inspired agenda when it has
the backing of powerful political figures. But, do
not fear. God told us it would be this way. As we
race toward socialism and totalitarianism (national
and international) we fight those battles we can, but
our real hope is not in human government because even
the best is tainted. Actually, our hope is in the imminent
rapture of the church. And regarding the liberty-robbing
agendas of puny human demagogues, do not worry — Jesus
will not only pour out His wrath on their fiefdoms for
seven years, but during the ensuing millennium He will
smash every dictator-want-to-be into submission and
make them like it. Thank God there is more to the kind
of life we were created by God to live than what can
be found on this present earth.
And, those around us need to hear this
message of hope. They do not know the truth, and thus
live in fear and anxiety. What a joy it is to see despair
become hope in the lives of those who were formerly
called “earth dwellers”. DLM
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