A Spirit of Fear

I'd like to expand on my post from this past Saturday regarding fear. I have a theory you see. Or maybe it's simply a summation of thoughts, based on scripture and some eye witness testimony. Either way, I have come to a conclusion about this whole COVID -19 panic thing and many will not like it.

The first verse that pops into my head about this topic is, "God did not give us a spirit of fear." - 2 Timothy 1:7. I used the verse in a story last week about fear but I didn't ask the obvious question. In light of all of the panic-buying of supplies and the stock market crashing, if God did not give us a spirit of fear, who did? Who is responsible? Ponder that for a moment.

Here's another verse in my theory. "If you're not for us, you're against us." - Matthew 12:30, Luke 11:23. Who is the one person who is against God and would want to give us a spirit of fear? Satan. He is also the answer to my first question.

If Satan wants to instill fear in us how could he do that? Sickness? Panic? And how could he spread the fear that he wants to give us? The media and . . . here's where I am going to get myself into trouble . . . the "Democratic" Party. Or, as one of my friends likes to call them, the DEMON-crats.

Back when I was a kid the Democrats were really quite different from the Democratic party of today. JFK, Bobby Kennedy. I LOVED Bobby Kennedy! So what has happened to them? I think it was satanic in nature. And here's why.

Shortly after Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in 1968 there was a court case called Roe v Wade. It was determined at that time that it was legal for a woman to abort her pregnancy, killing the baby growing inside her. That was the beginning of the end for the left - in my opinion. They became TOO liberal - in God's eyes.

Since that day things in this country have been getting worse, to the point where we are today. We have minimized God and maximized ourselves and our wants. We are even killing babys OUTSIDE of the womb now. Which brings to mind another verse.

"He must increase, but I must decrease." - John 3:30

We are placing ourselves on a pedestal. You know, the one where God used to be? We are living the exact opposite of those words from John The Baptist. That leads to THIS verse.

“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 3You shall have no other gods before Me." - Exodus 20:3

We the people . . . have become our own gods.

I assemble all these verses and I watch the news and ask, "How can all this be?" Read the Book of Job, specifically chapter two, and see if you can find any similarities to today's world. I believe God is allowing our current decay, even this corona thing, because of our sin.

This is not a political war we are waging. It is a spiritual war. A war for the souls of man. Spiritual warfare, in case you haven't heard about it, is a really big thing. ANd many don't even know it's happening.

The media and the Democratic Party are merchants of fear. It's how they get all of their money and their power. Fear. Everything they pedal is fear. That is also how Satan gets HIS power. Coincidence?

The world will end in 12 years, say the Green New Dealers, if we don't end global warming now! The stock market dropped a thousand points the other day and three thousand on Monday all on FEAR of the coronavirus. Why? The media's non-stop coverage carries some responsibility. 90% of all media coverage of our current president, for example, is negative according to the Western Journal.

What ever happened to the Democratic Party and guys like JFK who said, "My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." Gone. SO who are these new Democrats? You tell me.

Satan is running things here in this world. He has been for quite a while. But you know what? I think God has had just about enough. And he's coming back to take all of His people away with Him. That is the hope we have as Christians. Our hope is not in THIS world, but in the Next.

"As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air (Satan), the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh a and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved." -Ephesians 2:1-5

There is an event in the Bible where all of the Christians get taken up to heaven to be with Jesus. My pastor tells me that it can occur at any time now. Just imagine what this place will be like without all the compassion and love that Christians and Christian organizations bring to it. It's not going to be pretty. No Compassion International, Samaritan's Purse, Heifer International, Lutheran World Relief, The Salvation Army just to name a few. And don't forget Hobby Lobby and Chic-fil-A!!

There is a 100% cure for the Coronavirus - repent! God has given us the answer in His Word.

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land." - 2 Chronicles  7:14

Prayer is our key weapon in this spiritual war we are fighting. We cannot change people's minds or hearts with our words. But God can. So we must be praying. Jesus Himself gave us something to think about in Matthew 24 when He talks about all of this. Please read it, and so, be prepared.

Matthew 24:30-51

Thanks for listening (reading). These are troubled times. Be in prayer. Exhibit God's grace to ALl people. The time is short. Look up, for your redemption is drawing near.

Spiritual Warfare (Part 1) - Alistair Begg
Spiritual Warfare (Part 2) - Alistair Begg
Powerful Repentance Prayer - Ravi Zacharias

Blow Up Your TV

Back in the day, back before "smart" phones and laptops, flat screen TV's and Oprah, there was an ancient philosopher named John Prine. John had some great advice for all of us. We never listen.

This week I am fasting. Not in the traditional sense when you don't eat food. I am fasting from television, specifically anything to do with "news". You should try it! Spiritually refreshing!

I used quotes around the word "news" because, in my honest opinion, there IS no more news. News  reporting has died and been replaced by opinion. But that's just MY opinion.

Opinions are like noses. Everybody has one and they all smell.

Mr. Prine offered up some of HIS opinion in the song Spanish Pipedream. Here's the chorus.

Blow up your TV, throw away your paper
Go to the country, build you a home
Plant a little garden, eat a lot of peaches
Try an' find Jesus on your own

There is no "news" these days. It doesn't matter what you watch - ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, The Internet - it's all opinion. If you are seeking to learn the truth, forget about it. Well, there is ONE place you can go for truth - The Bible.

Did you know that God cannot lie? Lying is a sin and that is simple contrary to God's character.

You might say, "Yeah, but I want to hear about current events in the Middle East." To that I say, "Have you read Matthew 24?"

This is Jesus speaking. You know, the one who cannot lie?

"At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." - Matthew 24:10-14

I've rewritten John Prine's song. It goes like this.

Blow up your TV. Open up the Bible. Try to find Jesus on your own.

Spanish Pipedream - John Prine

Who Can You Trust?

If this presidential election has taught us anything, it's that we can't trust anyone! The media used to be trustworthy - kind of a watchdog over the government. Now just about every media outlet has an opinion. They have an agenda. Isn't there anyone we can trust anymore?

Social media is worse. That's the place to go where NO ONE knows what is fact or fiction. It is getting harder and harder to determine who is telling the truth with the vast majority of reported leaning to the left or the right. And EVERYONE has an opinion.

So, where do we go to find some facts, some middle-of-the-road reporting? I have been placing more and more faith in the Bible than anything else and I'll tell you why. It's rather simple actually.

• God cannot lie. It's not in His nature. Lying is a sin and God cannot sin. Therefore everything God tells us must be true.
• God knows everything. He is omniscient. If God knows everything and cannot lie, wouldn't he be a trustworthy source of information? 
• God loves us. If someone truly loves us, would they really lie to us? I don't think so.

 Okay, you say, I get it that God doesn't lie and He always tells the truth. How does that help me discern what is true on the nightly news? Well, if we know His Word, if we know the truths that God reveals to us, can we not use those truths to shine a light on all things?

For example, God doesn't lie and He doesn't want us to lie either. Once someone has been caught in a lie they lose all credibility in my opinion. And once someone gets a reputation as a liar, why would anyone believe them?

It won't belong before we find out that God is the only one we can trust. Just about everyone has an agenda. And if we decided we can only trust God and only listen to what HE has to say, I wonder . . . if the world might become a better place to live in and we the people might be just a little more trustworthy along the way.

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." - John 14:6

Let us use God as our guide through this world of deceit and lies. He will never lead us astray through deceptive words and God's only "agenda" is for us to love one another and to love Him. May this day be filled with truth, hope and love. May we follow Him instead of ourselves and our selfish desires.

Who can we trust? Our heavenly Father.

"⁹ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” - Joshua 1:9

What Is The Truth? - The Passion Of The Christ
How Do We Know The Bible Is True? - Ravi Zacharias

Media

No matter which side of the political aisle you find yourself sitting on, it's hard to deny that there is biased media reporting in this country, or around the world for that matter. As an example, Fox News and The Wall Street Journal tend to favor conservatives while other media outlets like NBC and The New York Times tend to favor liberal viewpoints. Why is that? Shouldn't the truth be the truth?

Well, the problem of course is "us humans." The reporters and the editors of the news are human beings and, as a result, they all have their own opinions of what is right and what is wrong, what is fact and what is fiction. They report things through their own eyes.

This past weekend my wife was watching NBC's Today Show. She always watches The Today Show on Saturday and Sunday because she loves to watch Lester Holt. It's kind of cute really. It seems as if her and Lester are old friends the way she talks about him. ANYWAY . . .

NBC is a liberal-slanting media group. They tend to favor liberal issues amidst their reporting. They tend to favor the democratic side of things - President Obama, gay rights, pro-abortion, social justice issues, global warming, things like that. They also tend to report very little about Christianity, unless The Pope says something to support one of their issues.

This is all background for the story I am about to tell you regarding a news report on NBC's Today Show this week about the downed passenger plane, Flight M17. Lestor Holt cut to a story by one of NBC's reporters - LIVE . . . ON THE SCENE.

The reporter told a story focused on a husband and wife who had just arrived at the crash site from the United States. Maybe you saw it. Their daughter had been on the plane that had crashed just a few days earlier. They laid flowers on a piece of the wreckage. They hugged all the workers at the crash site and thanked them for their all they had done. And then they prayed . . . the Lord's Prayer. And then they did something the reporter had a hard time understanding. The obviously Christian couple went over and hugged some of the Russian soldiers who were guarding the crash site. Russian soldiers who likely were part of the group responsible for shooting down the plane. That act affected the reporter rather dramatically.

He then reported back to Lester what he had just witnessed and questioned why our country had not made it to the crash site yet while this Christian couple from the United States had. Live, on the air, the reporter questioned both the democratic president and acknowledged that this Christian couple seemed to care more about the victims than our country did - even reaching out in love to those who had just killed their daughter. You should have seen the look on Lester's face as one of their own reported something contrary to the company line. It was priceless! Amazing is the power of God and the testimony of His children.

In regards to this story there are two questions that seem to jump out at me. The first question is "Where do we find truth these days. If news networks slant their coverage one way or the other, how do we know what is truth and what has been "spun"?

The second question is "Who is our media serving? Are they providing a service to us? Or is their reporting part of a larger agenda?

It is my opinion that the media these days tend to be either left-leaning or right-leaning. Actually, that's more of a fact. It is also my opinion that media, representing both sides of the political aisle,  is interested in reporting things in such as way as to favor their side of things. They tend not to report things that negatively impact their sides agenda.

That's what surprised me about this report I saw. The reporter went against the company's desires to ask some very real and hard-hitting questions. It kind of makes me wonder if he still has a job.

So where do we find truth these days if everyone's news stories are slanted this way or that? And just who should we be serving? Ourselves? Or the ones we were created to serve? Please, open up your Bibles with me and read these verses.

"14 “Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” - Joshua 24:14-15

And this . . .

“16 My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. 17 If anyone's will is to do God's will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. 18 The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood." - John 7:16-18

We, as followers of Jesus, are not to place our faith in men, but in God. We are to take everything that man says, whether we agree with it or not, and compare it to what God says before we can determine truth from a lie. It is not for us to decide what the truth is. That is God's job. Our job is to follow, to worship and to serve. And to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30).

We are not to slant our words and opinions in favor of one political party or another. Instead we are to align ourselves with God's Word. In doing that, there CAN be no opinion in our statements. Only truth.

Voice of Truth - Casting Crowns