MERRY CHRISTMAS

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Christmas began in the heart of God...

It is not complete until it reaches the heart of man.

May your hearts be open to the Savior of the First Advent

And prepared for the Lord of Lords and King of Kings of the

Second Advent

Encouraged by Christ.......and you

Les & Barb Young

World News Through the Third Lens: What About the Next Generation?

"Narnia cruises to No. 1 debut with modest $24.5M" declared the banner headline in today's Johnson City Press. While it was number one at the box office this weekend, the figures are less than glowing; in fact they pale in comparison to "Narnia 1's" opening take of $65.6 million and "Narnia 2's" opening which did $55 million. Without delving into the mysteries of Hollywood and the movie industry, I was immediately brought back to some headlines I had read just a few weeks ago. After looking up the details on-line, I can tell you that....

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1 set all-time opening for the franchise with over $125 million," reported Box Office Mojo. Further checking revealed that this Harry Potter release has grossed over $777 million world-wide in its first 3-1/2 weeks. Why would I care about that? I can guarantee you that I not looking to become Roger Ebert's new partner in the movie ratings business. No, there really is a Scriptural connection to these two recent Hollywood blockbusters.

Through the Third Lens of Scripture: In this morning's reading from Our Daily Bread The lesson was drawn from 1 Corinthians 12:14-26 and from the Zebras and Wildebeests of the Serengeti Plain. From the animals we learn that the Zebras and the Wildebeests travel and migrate together because the Zebras have keen eyesight and a poor sense of smell, while the Wildebeests are just the opposite. By traveling together, they are both less vulnerable to predators. From the Scriptures we learn. "The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ" (1 Corinthians 12:12). "The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I don't need you!' And the head cannot say to the feet, 'I don't need you!'" (1 Corinthians 12;21). So while I may come across as a strong exhorter, I understand that God has placed such people in the body of Christ for a reason. While my strong suit may not be mercy, God has placed others in the body who excel in dispensing mercy (see Romans 12:8).

That leads to today's exhortation, which connects back to the opening remarks about two movies and their respective draws at the box office. Both of these movies are filled with fantasy, greatly enlarged by the silver screen. Both depict competing forces which might be labeled as "good and evil" or "light and dark." However, the Harry Potter movie, in fact the entire Harry Potter series, is much more dark than light; much more evil than good. The good displayed in these movies is more of the human variety, and the Scriptures declare, concerning this subject: "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags..." (Isaiah 64:6a). On the other hand, the Narnia movies reveal a different kind of good; a good that is redemptive and that comes from outside of humanity. In these movies, the Lion Aslan is seen as a type of Christ.

So what do we have here? We have a movie which is heavy into magic, both black and white, with little redeeming value grossing 5-6 times as much as a similar movie which, although fantasy, portrays biblical truth in an entertaining format. I would venture to say that 5-6 more children have seen Harry Potter as have seen Narnia 3. And the Scriptures declare: "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it" (Proverbs 22:6). I would challenge those parents who think that there is no difference between the two movies to think again. Some of the most dangerous thoughts we can entertain are, "It doesn't mean anything. It's only for fun. It's just an act. It's just entertainment." This applies to music, TV, movies, concerts, etc. Remember, a little bite of a piece of fruit got us all in one big jam.

Yesterday our pastor brought a message entitled, ""Bring the Children" (Developing a Faithful Generation). It was probably the best exposition of Matthew 19:13-15 I have ever heard. That passage reads: "Then little children were brought to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. When He had placed His hands on them, He went on from there."

I could never hope to do justice to Pastor Hilton's message, but allow me to recap the three main points to his message: 1) Bring the children to Jesus. I dare say that there is a lot more Jesus in the Narnia movie than in the Harry Potter movie. Children must be brought to Jesus, so that in a spiritual sense they might feel His touch. 2) Do not keep children from Jesus. It's one thing to bring them to Jesus, it's another thing to not keep them from Him. Often we adults get in the way by failing to prioritize children, or by being ignorant of their value (this begins at conception). We train by example as well as by instruction. 3) God works generationally. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Someone once said that Christianity is only one generation away from extinction. It is up to us to raise up the next generation in the training and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4).

So, let's be good role models to the children. Let's bring them to Jesus, which includes church at the top of the list, but also includes pointing out Jesus in every area of life. It means always being on the lookout for the answer to W.W.J.D.? (What would Jesus do?) As we develop a faithful generation, God has promised great blessing on them. "Praise the Lord. Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in His commands. His children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever." (Psalm 112:1-3).

Be encouraged in Christ!

World News Through the Third Lens: What values Are Being Defended in the Afghan War?

"High-level Interests? Afghan Christian convert's case may be the subject of a U.S. meeting" reads the November 30, 2010 banner to a by-line by Mindy Belz of World Magazine.

"The case of Afghan Sayad Mossa, who has been in a Kabul jail since May 31 allegedly for converting from Islam to Christianity, will be the subject of a meeting between Gen. David Petraeus and Afghan President Hamid Karzai, according to legal counsel who arrived in Kabul this week to assist the 45-year old Mossa."

Belz goes on to state in her article that there have been a number of conflicting reports concerning Mossa's case, who had just last week been able to secure legal representation through Advocates International, a faith-based association with 25,000 attorneys in 130 countries. Belz quoted the prosecutor in charge of western Kabul, Din Mohammad Quraishi, as saying that Mossa and another prisoner, Ahmad Shah, are being detained and charged with apostasy: "They are accused of conversion to another religion, which is a crime under Islamic law. If proved, they face the death penalty or life imprisonment."

The article goes on to point out the tenuous situation in Afghanistan, the touchy issues already on the table following Karzai's criticism of NATO troops and the recent leaks from Wikileaks revealing the US's raw frustration with corruption within the Karzai government.

Through the third lens of Scripture: "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you." (Matthew 5:11-12). "They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony: they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death." (Revelation 12:11). How easy it is to post those Scriptures from the comfort of my office. Nobody is persecuting me today because of the profession of my faith in Jesus the Christ. Yet the day is not over, and because I am about to encourage all Believers through this blog to get ready for what may be in our lifetime a time of widespread persecution of Christians, I expect some to be repelled by the message. However, I am compelled, not by a desire to be liked by everyone, but only to hear my Lord say, "Well done, good and faithful servant," to speak what I know to be the truth on what are often disturbing subjects.

There is a mixed message in this country as to whether the church is gaining in influence and popularity or whether the opposite is true. I suppose the answer could depend on your definition of the church: is it the institution with its outward appearance or is it those who have experienced the new birth and have chosen to walk the narrow road that leads to life? Certain segments of the visible church have demonstrated a continuing willingness to go along with political correctness so as to get along with the powers that be. Homosexuality has been redefined from a moral abomination to a legitimate alternative (and thus a civil right); marriage has been redefined from "one man-one woman-for life" to (well....we've already started down the slippery slope so there's no telling where it will end). To stand up for the sanctity of life or biblical marriage will always invite persecution from somewhere.

And now to speak ill of Islam, or our country's ominous war on terrorism is to probably walk on thin ice also. So be it. How can there be any question that our presidents have gotten it wrong when they label Islam as a "religion of peace?" Virtually every nation on the planet where Islam is in the majority, Christians are persecuted to some degree or another. How could the United States of America, with its Constitution (including the First Amendment) expend so many resources (including human lives where are of inestimable value) to free a country from Taliban rule, only to replace it with a government set up to persecute Christians? What values are our service men and women putting their lives on the line to defend? Could it be a portent of things to come where, even in the USA, all manner of religious expression other than Christian is protected? The best way to prepare for and yes, even prevent such an eventuality is to speak and live biblical truth now, at every opportunity.

Be encouraged in Christ!

World News Through the Third Lens: Dare We Speak Against Islam?

Woman in Austria faces prison for speaking against Islamic law (Diana West, Johnson City Press editorial, November 19, 2010). On a recent trip to India (which, by the way, cost our bankrupt nation an outrageous sum) President B. Hussein Obama set us up for the Big Lie when he said, "I think all of us recognize that this great religion [Islam] in the hands of a few extremists has been distorted to justify violence towards innocent people that is never justified." Then why is it that all of the sacred books and schools of Islam say differently? One need not distort the Islamic texts to justify the violence of jihad from Mumbai to Tel Aviv to New York City to Bali to Madrid and beyond.

Just yesterday, the Religious Freedom Coalition reported that in the past week there were 30 Islamic terror attacks in 12 different nations with 83 dead and over 200 wounded. RFC also reported that two weeks earlier and Islamic terror attack on a Syriac Catholic church in Baghdad left 58 dead and 78 wounded. Not a week goes by but what multiple events like this happen, most of them not reported by the media. Asia Bibi, a 45 year old Christian woman in Pakistan (supposedly one of the USA's partners in the war against terror) has been condemned to death for insulting Islam. You can click this link to get a first-hand report on what conditions are like in Afghanistan, a country where our military have been laying it on the line for the past 9 years - for what? http://video.foxnews.com/v/4348748/daanger-of-missionary-work-in-afghanistan

All that is backdrop for the case of Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff, the Viennese mother and housewife who will go to trial on November 23, in which her home country of Austria will attempt to send her to prison for as long as three years for "hate speech" against Islam, very similar to those I've just written. Her statements were not without foundation based on personal experience and intense study. From living as a child of an Austrian diplomat stationed in Iran during the 1979 Islamic Revolution, to working in the Austrian embassy in Kuwait at the time of the Iraqi invasion, to working at the Austrian embassy in Libya on 9/11, she has seen wide-spread fanaticism on display. She has studied the Islamic texts, commentaries, apologetics and critiques at length and eventually decided to exercise her God-given right to free speech and begin educating others.

In seminars promoted by the Association of Vienna Academics and the anti-Islamization Freedom Party, since 2008 she has been educating Austrians about Islam, the Koran and Shariah law. It so happened that one of the seminar attendees was a journalist for the left-wing publication NEWS, who branded the seminar as a "hate school." This caused a huge uproar in the establishment, and one bishop, who never attended a seminar, weighed in with, "One must never speak about any religion the way Ms. Sabaditsch-Wolff did about Islam." Elisabeth's husband, a military surgeon and her father (a career diplomat) know the truth and support her 100 percent.

Through the third lens of Scripture: It appears to me that Elisabeth is about to stand trial because she is a courageous proclaimer of the truth - something which threatens all states of denial. He plight mirrors that of Paul with the Galatians, where he said, "Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?" (Galatians 4:16). I know experientially how quickly this can happen within the Body of Christ; therefore it's no surprise how one's own country can turn against some of its best and brightest citizens. I'm not a doomsayer, just an encourager - be prepared all of you Christian patriots.

And when it comes to confronting false religion, Jesus was the Master, and He warned His disciples, "All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved....A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master....If the head of the house has been called Beelzebub, how much more the members of his household!" (Matthew 10:22, 24-25). I don't have time in this article to point out all of the places where Jesus confronted false religion. Here are just a few examples: Matthew 23; Mark 7:6-13; John 7:23.

No confrontation with false religion would be complete without exposing the truth. To begin with, every Muslim who claims to have no affiliation with jihad, terror, or Shariah does not have far to go to remove themselves from Islam. And the "fanatics!" Well, they already have what it takes to become zealous Christians. We must remember that Jesus' sacrifice on the cross was the full and satisfactory payment, not just for our sins, but for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:2). And so let us not be afraid of sharing the Gospel (Good News) of Jesus Christ, even with those who would appear to be its greatest enemy. Just reread Acts 7-9 for a refresher.

Caesar is still Caesar

I don't know what election year this particular image is supposed to depict, and I don't know exactly how yesterday's election changed the colors; but one thing I do know is the CAESAR IS STILL CAESAR. There is a lot of celebrating in the US of A today, and rightfully so. Liberty, freedom, the Constitution, free enterprise, government of, by and for the people have all made their voices heard in the polling places around the country. Messages have been sent to the establishment. In some cases, righteousness has actually won the day. I praise God for this, even as I know that CAESAR IS STILL CAESAR.

It matters some whether Caesar is colored red or blue, for the heart of the king (Caesar - whether he be self-appointed or democratically elected) is in the hand of God and He turns it whatsoever way He wills, even like the rivers of water. (Proverbs 21:1). A righteous king (or government) brings blessings to the land and its people and they rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan (Proverbs 29:2). Changing a state's color from blue to red doesn't automatically establish righteousness in government. The people have to desire righteousness and pursue it.

CAESAR IS STILL CAESAR and he will make his demands on the people, and the people must give to CAESAR that which is his. Glory and worship are not CAESAR'S no matter how much he may portray himself as a god. As it is written, "Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only." (Matthew 4:10). In worshipping the One True God and serving Him only, one is constantly challenged. Yesterday in Colorado, the home of a number of large, well-known ministries (i.e. Focus on the Family) there was an item on the ballot entitled "Amendment 62." If passed, it would have declared personhood to begin at conception (which is biblically correct and therefore righteous), conferring to babies in the womb all of the rights and privileges granted to any other person under the Colorado Constitution. The measure failed to pass by about 70% to 30%.

So even where the people have spoken (the people in CT for example do not have a right to speak as did the people in Colorado), unrighteousness still prevails. Unfortunately, little babies in the womb are being killed in red states as well as blue states. Every state in the union runs red with the blood of innocent babies. So Christian, you and I have a lot of work to do and it should include the following:

1. PRAY. Paul did not distinguish which kind of king merited our prayers; he just said, "Pray." "I urge you first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for every-one--for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness." (1 Timothy 2:1-2).

2. Live godly and holy lives, whether we can do that in peace or not, remembering these other words from Paul, "...everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." (2 Timothy 3:12) There will always be those who persecute the godly. It's a terrible thing when its the government that is doing the persecuting.

3. In godliness and holiness we must cry out in behalf of those who have no voice. David was able to cry out to God to save him from bloodthirsty men because he had a voice. He was able to declare, "Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and He hears my voice." (Psalm 55:17) Babies in the womb often have no voice but yours and mine.

4. Jesus has not yet put a halt to the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). Continue to proclaim the Good News with your life and with your words. When they are in harmony, the song is beautiful. When you stand as a witness in front of an abortuary, you are not just proclaiming the sanctity of life, but you are offering hope, love, forgiveness and salvation to troubled Moms and Dads as well. Thousands of salvations have taken place in the vicinity of the killing places as the theology of the church becomes the biography of the streets.

5. Stay involved. Find was to practically apply the words of Jesus when He said, "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl, instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house." (Matthew 5:13-15)

That should keep us busy until the next election.........

Be encouraged - No matter who thinks they are king, Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

World News Through the Third Lens: The Value of a Life

Today being the ninth anniversary of the 9-11-01 attacks on American soil, there has been much written and said about what happened that day, vis-a-vis the degree to which religious tolerance is part of the bedrock of this nation, the proposed burning of the Koran by a small Florida church and the planned construction of a mega-mosque within two blocks of Ground Zero in Manhattan. I do not think for one second that I can compete with the rhetoric that has been expended on these topics. Yet I am stirred in my heart to write something that might be of value to someone. In my attempt at that, I will be abandoning the normal format of this blog in favor of stringing together some thoughts which in total I pray might glorify God and encourage the soul of a fellow pilgrim.

Ground Zero has taken on an aura of holy ground over the years, probably because of the magnitude of the tragedy that occurred there nine years ago. That's usually the case with us fallen people; we tend to place some unknown value on a human life, and then multiply it by the number of lives lost. Yet this leaves us with just a "bigger" unknown value, but because it is "bigger," more honor should be given. Consequently, when almost 3,000 people died on September 11, 2001; in the following years a complicated formula would be devised to determine the value of each particular life.

Much has been said of those who died that day: innocent, hero, unlucky, in the wrong place at the wrong time, selfless. With the exception of the 19 individuals who hijacked the 4 aircraft, everyone else probably was innocent with respect to having done nothing which justified the taking of their lives by another. Bible truth declares however that "There is none righteous, no, not one..." (Psalms 14:1; Romans 3:10); "....for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..." (Romans 2:23). And then, "For the wages of sin is death...." (Romans 6:23a). So no one who died on that die could claim innocence in the sense that they deserved to avoid death.

So the innocence of those who died should not have been a factor in their worth. It must have been the huge numbers. Because over 300 firefighters died that day, their individual lives must have been worth more than the lives of the three who died a week or so earlier while fighting a fire. (I hope you sensed the sarcasm). The families of the three collected maybe $150,000 - $200,000 total while the value of each one who died on 9-11 was worth well in excess of $1,000,000. This just shows how flawed the human system is. The Bible states clearly that every soul is of equal value to God. It's apparent in perhaps the most well-known passage of Scripture in the New Testament: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16).

"Whoever" is the word which clearly indicates the value of each and every life. The Bible says that God "...is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9). This repentance involves acknowledging our own personal sin and that Jesus is the only one who can save us. "Nor is there salvation in any other name under heaven given among men by which men must be saved." (Acts 4:12). Allah cannot save; Mohamed cannot save; Buddha cannot save; and man surely cannot save himself. If this sounds condemning, please listen to the words of Jesus. "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (John 3:17-18).

Islam is a lie, and none who follow it will be saved from sin and allowed to enjoy eternal life. Buddhism is a lie, and none who follow it will be saved. Secular humanism is a lie, and none who follow it will be saved. I'm not going to make a statement that Christianity is the truth and all who follow it will live because Christianity exists today in many aberrant forms. I will say what Jesus said: "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6). True Christians follow Jesus as both Savior and Lord. When it comes to the lordship of Jesus Christ it is important to remember His words: "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven." (Matthew 7:21).

True repentance involves a yielding of ones ways to the ways of God. It is a false belief within false Christianity that you can profess Jesus as Savior and wilfully say "No!" to Him as Lord. You can be forgiven every sin, big or little, when you come to Him in repentance; but you cannot use a cloak of "Christianity" as a license to do whatever you want. While it is the truth which sets people free, it is complete futility (or worse) to try to stamp out everything that is opposed to the truth. Truth will always stand on its own. So Christians do not fight Islam by burning the Koran (a book of lies) but rather by sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with Muslims. Christians do not fight abortion by shooting abortionists, but by sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with them and those who seek their services. Christians do not fight the assault on the sanctity of marriage by degrading gays, but by sharing with them the Good News of Jesus Christ.

What is the value of a life? Every human life is so valuable that, "inasmuch then as the children [you and me] have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself [Jesus Christ] likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." (Hebrews 2:14-15). Now Jesus is able to say, "I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen." (Revelation 1:18). His life and His death and His resurrection alone are able to save. It is this truth which needs to be spoken and lived.

World News Through the Third Lens: America's Problems Are Moral, Not Financial

A posting from the Center for Bio-Ethical Reform (CBR)stated today that America's problems are moral, not financial. They then went on to cite the Tea Party Movement (TPM) as being a reflection of America's discontentment with the the direction this country is going, while stating that the TPM doesn't go far enough. They stated that with few exceptions, the TPM fails to address the greatest human-rights tragedy of our day - the abortion of pre-born children. I agree completely with this statement.

CBR went on to say that this September they are going to be displaying large photos of aborted pre-born babies on truck mounted billboards in key gubernatorial and Senate states, such as Pennsylvania, Illinois, Indiana, Florida, and Ohio. Fr. Frank Pavone, Director of Priests for Life and a CBR board member is wholeheartedly behind this effort. I applaud this effort as well as the efforts of such dedicated organizations as Operation Save America. Please God, may the shedding of innocent blood end in this country, now!

Through the third lens of Scripture: The Bible is so clear and simple on this issue that it sounds almost trite to restate it; yet I declare this to be the absolute truth as revealed by the Holy Word of God - life is sacred from conception until natural death. In fact the idea of death of any sort is so contrary to the will and nature of God that in His great love for the world, He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him would not perish, but have everlasting life.

Regarding life in the womb, God has this to say: Speaking to Jeremiah as He called him to be a prophet of Israel, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." (Jeremiah 1:5) King David was given this divine insight which he penned as follows: "For you [God] created my inmost being; you knot me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well....your eyes saw my unformed body..." (Psalm 139:13-14,16)

God, the author and creator of all life has made it clear; it's not a lump of tissue; it's not a problem; it's not a woman's right to privacy' it's not a reproductive health care issue; IT'S A BABY! And this is a very important issue. God states clearly that He detests those who shed innocent blood (Proverbs 6:16-17) and He will exact vengeance because of the shedding of innocent blood (Jeremiah 22:17-19). While abortion may top the list of egregious national sins, it is still a symptom of the wholesale abandonment of righteousness that has occurred in the USA in the past 50+ years. "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people." (Proverbs 14:34). God bless the people who don't shy away from controversial issues but who seek to promote righteousness on a community and even national level. It has become a huge task and is much more than one issue. Consequently (and this is not a criticism of them), but CBR hasn't gone far enough. The church, the body of Christ, hasn't gone far enough. The standard of truth, which is Jesus Christ and His Gospel has been entrusted to the church but what have we done with it? The answer to that is, "Apparently, not enough!" and is a subject for another day.

In closing, I can only encourage those who claim to be followers of Christ to take up your cross daily, and in denying yourself, make a difference in your world. Bring the truth of the Gospel to bear on an issue that burns in your breast. Our country's problems are many, and like Israel in Jeremiah's day - we may have crossed the line and can only expect judgment. That's not my call - my call is to speak and live the truth as well as I can, by the grace of God....and so is yours.

World News Through the Third Lens: The Love of Money

Trustee: Man owes trust funds $2.2 million read the banner over a one column story on the front page of today's local paper. This blog is not being written to exploit or defame anyone. Decades ago my mother taught me, when looking at someone elses plight, rather than be judgmental, say, "There but for the grace of God go I." I will try to write in that spirit without watering down the truth. I will say that this incident strikes closer to home than most things I read from various news sources because I know many of the parties involved. Needless to say, the whole thing came as a shock.

There is no need to reiterate the number of transgressions that were reported in the article, nor to speculate beyond that which was reported. Rather I would like to use this as a launching pad into a brief look at God's Word. Some people have gone through the Gospels and have concluded that Jesus spoke more about money than He did about any other subject. I can't prove or disprove that, but I can assure you that God does have a lot to say about money.

Through the third lens of Scripture: The very first money Scripture that comes to mind is one that is often misquoted. "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil..." (1 Timothy 6:10a). Often times the word "love" is left out, incorrectly stating that money itself is a root of all kinds of evil. Money is neutral - it's man's affection for it that leads either to good or evil. The verse goes on to say: "Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." (1 Timothy 6:10b). So a poor man can be eager for money and live to rue the day he departed from ethics, morals, or even common sense in an attempt to get it. A rich man may succumb to a pattern described by the richest man ever, King Solomon, in these words: "Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless." (Ecclesiastes 5:10).

I live in the southeastern part of Connecticut, where in the last 15 years, two of the largest casinos in the world have arisen out of the ashes of an industrial-military economy now only a shadow of its former self. During this period of time there have been many accounts of fiduciary accounts in the hands of lawyers and accountants being mishandled; trustees of the public treasuries caught embezzling funds, and non-profits being ripped off by their treasurers - often to feed or cover up a heavy involvement in gambling. I don't know whether today's reported incident has a gambling connection or not, but some of the money being held in trust for certain beneficiaries was loaned (without collateral) to a former chairman of the tribe which owns one of the afore mentioned casinos. Here's just one of many biblical warnings to those who seek to get rich quick (the desire which fuels the gambling industry): "A faithful man will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished." (Proverbs 28:20).

To bring this little blog to a conclusion, a trust account was created because one man worked hard and shrewdly, yet he went the way of all flesh and left his wealth to another. "For all can see that wise men die; the foolish and the senseless alike perish and leave their wealth to others." (Psalm 49:10). A successful accountant was charged with managing the trust for the benefit of its beneficiaries. It appears that, although he was successful and wealthy in his own right, that the desire for more clouded his judgment and his ethics were tossed to the wind. "People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction." (1 Timothy 6:9).

I've learned some of my lessons the hard way, and I've learned some of them by sticking to God's Word. I've come to prefer the latter; so I pass this on to you, the reader, with hope that by following the Lord's instructions, you will be blessed. "Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life." (1 Timothy 6:17-19). And to those who have blown it, there is a word of encouragement: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9).

World News Through the Third Lens: A Calculated Deception

"President's Rhetoric = Calculated Deception" reads the headline of an article written by former White House policy advisor, Peter Ferrara, as posted on www.onenewsnow.com website. Ferrara accuses the president of "playing" the American public, and to prove his point he cites remarks made at a stump speech in Nevada recently. He quotes Obama as saying: "You know, when we were trying to pass the healthcare reform bill, everybody talked about all these scary results that were going to come out of the health bill. And now look; we passed it three, four months ago, and where are all these scary results they were talking about?"

Ferrara is quick to point out that the provisions of the healthcare reform bill don't kick in until 2014, meaning that the effects of those changes won't be recognized for several years; which causes him to ponder out loud: "Just how stupid does he (Obama) think we are?" He further adds that manipulation is a problematic leadership tool that Obama uses to get his way. Ferrara concludes that once again the American public has been shamefully manipulated by "calculated deception" because Obama thinks we're too stupid to pay attention.

Through the Third Lens of Scripture: There's a whole sermon's worth of Scriptures I could use through which we can view the above news item; but I'll refer to only a few. First, I would like to remind President Obama and all of his cronies that the Scriptures are filled with warnings against such brazen audacity. "There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to Him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood [such as via the abortion provisions that are still in the healthcare reform, despite executive orders], a heart that devises wicked schemes....." (Proverbs 6:16 - 18) How about this one? "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." (Proverbs 16:18) And one more from the New Testament, after Paul has reminded Christ followers of what happened to disobedient Israel: "So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall." (1 Corinthians 10:12)

I hope you realize that these admonitions from Scripture (hence from God Almighty) are not just for President Obama, but for all of us. However, there is a scriptural principle that is applicable here: "Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful." (1 Corinthians 4:2) Now, as concerning deceitful or manipulative speech, here is one warning out of many: "These are the things you are to do: speak the truth to each other and render true and sound judgment in your courts." (Zechariah 8:16) Faithfully adhering to such high standards is impossible without help from God, whether you're the President or Joe the plumber. Perhaps that will help guide your prayers.

World News Through the Third Lens: Why Read the Bill

Congressman John Conyers: "Why read the bill?

I know this is old news, but it is as relevant as today's headlines, and the Word of God is timeless. Jesus said, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." (Mark 13:31) In the spirit of this blog, I will keep it brief and simple, trusting that you, the reader will be able to grasp the principle and then apply it.

In May, 2009, Representative John Conyers (D-MI), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee addressed the National Press Club concerning the then, proposed Healthcare Reform Bill. When questioned about reading the bill, he remarked, "What good is reading the bill if its a thousand pages and you don't have two days and two lawyers to find out what it means after you read the bill?"

Yesterday, July 15, 2009 the Dodd-Frank Financial Reform Bill passed the senate and is awaiting the president's sure signature. This bill is reported to be over 2,000 pages long, doing precious little to correct atrocities at Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, while imposing several restrictions on your local/community bank which had precious little to do with the financial meltdown. I suppose that would take 4 days to read and 4 lawyers to tell you what it meant.

Through the Third Lens of Scripture: Jesus said, referring to the then Jewish custom of swearing by things thought to possess various degrees of holiness, and the thus complicated system of swearing oaths which would then carry all sorts of loop holes and escape hatches if only ordinary language was used. While Jesus was not condemning the need to sometimes explain or equivocate, He did leave us with a good principle which should be applied to the making of laws. "But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes' and your 'No.' 'No.' For whatever is more than these is from the evil one." (Matthew 5:37)

14th Century English logician, theologian and Franciscan friar, William of Occam, developed a principle that came to be known as Occam's Razor. In essence it said that "entities must not be multiplied beyond necessity." The popular interpretation of that came to be, over the years, that the simplest explanation is usually the correct one. While there may be exceptions to that principle, I will leave you to ponder how Jesus' statement and Occam's razor might apply to our political system, and perhaps even to your relational life. God bless!

World News Through the Third Lens: The Important War

"In Afghanistan it includes a war on Christians" reads the sub-banner of an article published in the July 17 issue of World. They quote Michael O'Hanlon, writing in The Wall Street Journal as saying that there is "too much loose talk and sloppy thinking" on Afghanistan. "Along with the debates on timelines for U.S. troop drawdowns, the confusion feeds a sense of strategic drift that is not helpful to maintaining national resolve on this important war." In context it becomes clear that O'Hanlon was not talking about something that began with General McChrystal's off the cuff remarks to a liberal journalist in a Paris hotel. It has characterized much of U.S. policy toward Afghanistan for the nine years of war in that country.

Since I have a 21 year old grandson who is currently serving in the Marines in Afghanistan, such remarks really caught my attention. While I am incredibly proud of my grandson (he continues a military tradition in my family that goes back to WWI), I am deeply disturbed by the apparent fact that our country seems to have no viable strategy for Afghanistan, unless it's the waste of $70 Billion a year; along with the waste of the lives of brave warriors whose patriotism is being used to cover up a scheme almost too diabolical to imagine. It goes way beyond the fact that our forces cleared the Taliban militants from mountaintops, only to have them sweep back in via the valley's back door. It goes beyond graft and corruption being fed on an epic scale with U.S. dollars. It goes way beyond rules of engagement being changed so as to favor an enemy with no respect for human life or the Geneva Convention.

The significant event marking the "loose talk and sloppy thinking" began back in 2004 when Afghanistan's constitution was adopted to the applause of Washington and Kabul alike. Since then our troops have been risking life and limb in a battle against two evils, where it is difficult to distinguish which is the lesser thereof. Officially the "lesser evil" is the government of President Karzai, but this government is officially an Islamic republic, with "Islam as its sacred religion." Article 3 states that no law can be contrary to Islam. Article 130 allows for "Hanafi jurisprudence," a form of Shariah law, to take precedence where there is no legal provision on any issue. These provisions marked the end of free speech and personal liberty in Afghanistan before they had ever been secured - so what are our troops fighting for?

The country's Christians (much like the Christians in Iraq) have been discovering the effects of such provisions. Christians have been arrested - some released only after intense international pressure - and others have been forced to renounce their Christianity. What happens out in the country, out of sight from TV cameras is anybody's guess. Afghan Christians had already been living in fear and worshiping underground; overnight they became targets. NGO's (non-government organizations) with the word "church" or "Christian" in their name have had their work suspended. There has been little international pressure for the Karzi's government to grant a greater measure of religious liberty, and there has been NO statement from the White House, or from U.S./NATO leaders in Kabul to this regard - for 6 years!!!

None of the news outlets with full-time correspondents in Afghanistan have covered this issue. A lesser known editor who picked up on World's story contacted the State Department, but received only silence. The only people to speak up is a group of 150 Afghan Christian exiles, all living in New Delhi, India who fled their homeland under duress. What have they said? "We do not know how the whole world and especially the global church is silent, while thousands of their brothers and sisters are in pain, facing life danger...persecuted and called criminals."

So what are we in Afghanistan for...to defend Kabul's right to kill Christian converts? If our government supports - at such a high price - such activities in other countries, how long will it be before they support it at home? If it is still OUR government, then WE need to do something about it.

Through the Third Lens of Scripture: Today I heard a sermon which was based on part two of Jesus' answer to one of the Pharisee's questions concerning which, of all the commandments, is the most important? Jesus' answer was, "Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:29-31) The preacher made it clear that the kind of love we are to extend to our neighbor can only come from a vital love relationship with God. Then, referencing Luke's account, where Jesus answers a follow-up question: "...who is my neighbor?" (Luke 10:29b), he went on to explain that our neighbor is someone as close as our own spouse or child, extending out to fellow members of our faith community, to those outside that community and even as far as our enemies.

I cannot begin to fathom whether there ever was any moral purity underlying our initial involvement in Afghanistan, but it certainly appears to have vanished as long ago as 2004. Why should our troops be on foreign soil enabling a people who, at their very core, consider the U.S.A. as the "great Satan" and Israel as the "little Satan" to persecute a minority who have chosen to trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior? The Scriptures mandate that followers of Christ should "mourn with those who mourn" (Romans 12:15) and "We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves." (Romans 15:1) "Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering." (Hebrews 13:3)

I know this is not true of all the church, but in general there seems to be too much partying going on. There need to be loud outcries to heaven and to the halls of injustice on earth. This will probably not result in popularity, but remember Jesus' words: "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matthew 5:10-12)

World News Through the Third Lens: Public Prayer

Christian Leader to Plead "Not Guilty" at Arraignment after being arrested for praying on a public sidewalk outside of a Planned Parenthood Clinic in Washington, D.C. (www.christiannewswire.com June 29, 2010). The article goes on to say that Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney, Director of Christian Defense Coalition, was charged with "unlawful entry" as he was praying and reading his Bible on a public sidewalk, several dozen feet from a Planned Parenthood Clinic in the nation's Capital. Rev. Mahoney stated, "This marks the first time in the history of our nation's capital that prayer and First Amendment activities have been prohibited and banned on the public sidewalk. Sadly the city of Washington, D.C. has chosen to protect the abortion industry and Planned Parenthood rather than the First Amendment. These actions should send shock waves to all Americans who cherish free speech and civil liberties."

Rev. Mahoney has pleaded, "Not Guilty!" to the charges and will be represented by the American Center for Law and Justice." He further stated, "As I plead not guilty to these outrageous ad baseless charges, I am affirming the power of the First Amendment and free speech and joining a long, proud tradition of Americans who refused to keep silent and go quietly into the night and surrender their God-given rights and liberties."

Rev. Mahoney can be contacted at (540)-538-4741 for more information.

Through the Third Lens of Scripture: This is not the first time, nor will it be the last, that a Christian gets in trouble for praying publicly. In Daniel 6, as King Darius was about to place Daniel in charge of all 120 of his governors, the governors got jealous and wanted to see Daniel convicted of some sort code of conduct violation. They concluded. "We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God." (Daniel 6:5) So the governors went to the king and hoodwinked him. Appealing to his pride and vanity, they convinced him to make a decree that for 30 days, no one in the kingdom could pray to any god or man except the king. The penalty for violating the decree would be an overnight stay in the Hungry Lion Motel. Their motive is revealed five verses later.

"Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows faced toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before." (Daniel 6:10) Daniel got to stay at the Hungry Lion Motel, but the power of God that attended him made the lions a whole lot more sleepy and content, than hungry. The attack against Daniel was at its roots an attack against the God Whom he worshipped. It is no different with Rev. Mahoney.

This explains why, in our Nation's Capital, a city filled with public prayer, Rev. Mahoney was arrested. Sessions of Congress open with prayer; sessions of the Supreme Court open with prayer; and references to the Bible, Almighty God and prayer are inscribed in granite all over the city. But that's old stuff. It's OK - it's part of the pluralism which is running rampant in the land. This year - 2010 - Tony Perkins was disinvited to pray at Andrews Air Force Base; Franklin Graham was disinvited to pray at the Pentagon; and there was no National Day of Prayer observance at the White House. More and more it is becoming clear that to allow public prayer to the One True God is to acknowledge that He may in fact exist, and if He exists, then we might just be accountable to Him........And that is unthinkable in these days of secular humanism, socialism, Marxism and all the other "isms" which are an affront to Holy God.

My encouragement to the body of Christ is to pray all the more. Yes, pray in your prayer closet, for we are admonished to do so (Matthew 6: 5-15). The real point here was not so much to pray in a closed room where no one could see you, but to not pray so as to curry favor and admiration from men. So go ahead, pray in public also. Pray corporately; don't just be "led" by a celebrity prayer. Pray with and for others - even your enemies (Matthew 5:44). Let your light shine; individually like a candle set upon a stand and corporately like a city set upon a hill (Matthew 5:13-15). How much better, as a follower of Christ, to be arrested for Patrick Mahoney type behavior than for running a red light or neglecting our kids. (1 Peter 2:20).

Practical Application: Coming this fall (Sept. 22 - Oct. 31) to a city near you is a 40 Days for Life event. Get involved.

World News Through the Third Lens: Judging and Being Judged

"Judge not, lest ye be judged," (Matthew 7:1) is a Scripture often quoted by people who respect neither God nor His word, just to silence someone who may be speaking Biblical truth. I wish to say at the outset, that i do not set myself up as judge over Supreme Court nominee, Elena Kagan - the Lord is more than capable of doing that. However, He will judge according to his revealed word. He is not going to pull out some ancient rule book that no one has ever seen and judge everyone according to some secret code. The general principle behind this statement can be seen in these two antithetical promises of God found in Deuteronomy 28.

"If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all His commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God." (Deuteronomy 28:1-2) The antithesis: "However, if you do not obey the Lord your God and do not carefully follow all His commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:" (Deuteronomy 28:15).

It should come as no surprise to you that there are judges in the modern world who place themselves above God, and judge according to some undefined standard that changes and evolves through time. They judge according to situational ethics or relative truth; meaning that there is always a surprise lurking in their judgment. There is some serious evidence that the current Supreme Court nominee, Elena Kagan, is one of those judges. There is evidence abounding that she is anti-life/pro-abortion; that she is pro-LGBT while at the same time supporting Sharia concepts which condemn LGBT people to death. It looks like she is for anything that is against Christianity and the bedrock truths of the Bible, which will never pass away. (Matthew 24:35) The video clip at the following link is evidence of this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZNQ7qcQ4&feature=player_embeded

Through the Third Lens of Scripture: The judges of Israel, who refused to judge according to the word of God wound up high on God's own judgment list. The directives given to judges was clear, as in this passage from 2 Chronicles. "He (Jehoshaphat) appointed judges in the land, in each of the fortified cities of Judah. He told them, 'Consider carefully what you do, because you are not judging for man but for the Lord, who is with you whenever you give a verdict. Now let the fear of the Lord be upon you. Judge carefully, for with the Lord our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery.....You must serve faithfully and wholeheartedly in the fear of the Lord. In every case that comes before you from your fellow countrymen who live in the cities - whether bloodshed or other concerns of the law, commands, decrees or ordinances - you are to warn them not to sin against the Lord; otherwise His wrath will come on you and your brothers. Do this and you will not sin......Act with courage, and may the Lord be with those who do well.'" (2 Chronicles 19:5-7, 9-10, 11b)

God's view of those who take the law into their own hands and judge with partiality is clear throughout Scripture. "Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly." (Leviticus 19:15) "So I have caused you to be despised and humiliated before all the people, because you have not followed my ways, but have shown partiality in matters of the law." (Malachi 2:9).

Lawlessness is already running rampant in the land. The executive branch of the federal government has been usurping powers not granted to it by the Constitution, and we have seen several signs of a judiciary legislating from the bench. The people have become confused and don't know where to turn. "We all growl like bears, and moan sadly like doves; we look for justice, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far from us. Justice is turned back and righteousness stands afar off; for truth is fallen in the street and equity cannot enter." (Isaiah 59:11,14). Read the rest of Isaiah 59. Apart from God, and His Savior - the Lord Jesus Christ - there is no help. But they who put their trust in Him will not be disappointed.

World News Through the Third Lens: The Economic Consequences of Abortion

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernake warned on Wednesday that "the federal budget appears to be on an unsustainable path".....Bernake, testifying before the House Budget Committee also recognizes that an "exceptional increase" in the deficit has been necessary to ease the pain of recession. To Republicans, he offered warnings about the fiscal perils of an aging population and the potential threat of soaring long-term interest rates. (Source: World Watch Daily, Koenig International News, June 11, 2010)

The picture above is of me and a good friend Vinny, standing in front of a place in Bridgeport, CT called the "Women's Summit" which is nothing more than an abortuary - where innocent babies are killed and women (and some men) are scarred for life - sacrifices made to the god's of greed, fear, and convenience. The picture that Vinny (who with other faithful saints come to this killing place twice a week, every week, regardless of the weather) is holding, as gruesome as it is, is real, truthful evidence of what happens when a baby is surgically dissected and ripped from its mother's womb. Few people, when they see these graphic pictures, just shrug them off. Praise God, across this land they arrest the attention of thousands of mothers before they enter the killing fields. What usually happens then is that the sidewalk counselors give them literature, encouragement, and genuine offers of real tangible and spiritual help. In Bridgeport alone, 120 mothers changed their minds and brought their babies to full term. Many of these mothers also entered into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ, and made life-long friends.

The other side of that praise report is that last year, about 1500 babies were killed at the Bridgeport abortuary, and since January 22, 1973 over 50,000,000 babies have been killed because of the legalization of abortion on demand. The number of surgical abortions in the country has dropped somewhat in the last decade. Many abortuaries have closed. It's hard to tell whether that represents on any increased appreciation for the sanctity of life, or whether just more and more abortions are being performed by "the morning after pill." A conservative guess would be that at least 20-25,000,000 of those aborted babies would now be in the workforce, all contributing to social security and medicare (two huge unfunded liabilities carried by the federal government). They would also be consumers, helping to drive the economy.

Through the Third Lens of Scripture: God's dealings with the people of Israel, from the time of Moses, until the last king (until King Jesus returns) in the line of David serve as an ongoing object lesson for us (see 1 Corinthians 10: 1-11). We can see from Israel's history that time and time again they were judged when they turned to idolatry, often accompanied by child sacrifice. "They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons. They shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was desecrated by their blood. They defiled themselves by what they did; by their deeds they prostituted themselves. Therefore the Lord was angry with his people and abhorred his inheritance. He handed them over to the nations and their foes ruled over them." (Psalms 106:37-41) Without citing the many times that it actually happened, let this prophetic illustration suffice to show what happens to nations who reject God. His judgment often begins with some sort of financial disaster, which in an agrarian society would include famine. "Because you did not serve the Lord your God joyfully and gladly in the time of prosperity, therefore in hunger and thirst, in nakedness and dire poverty, you will serve the enemies the Lord sends against you. ..... They will devour the young of your livestock and the crops of your land until you are destroyed. They will leave you no grain, new wine or oil, nor any calves of your herds or lambs of your flocks until you are ruined." (Deuteronomy 28:47-48, 51)

Judgment is beginning - its footprint is all over the land, in the halls of government and in the so-called citadels of justice. One "pro-choice" (which really means "pro-death") advocate caught sight of one of those graphic signs, being held by a mother defending life, and yelled out, "How can you allow children to see those horrible pictures?" To which the mother rightly responded, "How can you allow children to become these awful pictures?" In an effort to stem the tide of judgment (or at least be a witness to the fact that God is both just and merciful) I am joining with Personhood USA to help bring the personhood initiative to Connecticut. Abortion must stop. If not now, when? If not through us, through whom? This is the first step towards financial reform - not Senator Dodd's proposed legislation.

World News Through the Third Lens:The War of Gog & Magog?

RUSSIAN, IRANIAN AND TURKISH LEADERS MEET, reads the headlines today (AP/RIA Novosti, June 8, 2010). "As Israel becomes increasingly isolated from the world, Russia, Iran and Turkey are meeting today in Istanbul, Turkey to discuss how to form a closer alliance......Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov told RIA Novosti Monday that in Istanbul, Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan will also discuss bilateral cooperation....Putin said he will meet with Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Istanbul Tuesday ahead of a UN Security Council vote to impose a fourth round of sanctions on Tehran."

Through the Third Lens of Scripture: I will make very little comment here, other than to point out some of the modern names for countries listed in Ezekiel's prophecy. While there is not unanimous agreement among Bible scholars, the majority seem to agree on these names. Most also agree that Ezekiel is not describing the Battle of Armageddon (Revelation 16, 19) nor any other event which takes place during the 70th week of Daniel, but rather some yet future event which will precede this last 7 years of human history as we know it.

Ezekiel 38 begins with these words: "Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 'Son of man, set your face against God, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him, and say, 'This says the Lord God: "Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and lead you out with all your army, horses and horsemen, all splendidly clothed, a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords. Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya are with them, all of them with shield and helmet; Gomer and all of its troops; the house of Togarmah from the north and all its troops - many people are with you....After many days you will be visited. In the latter years you will come into the land of those brought back from the sword and gathered from many people on the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate; they were brought out of the nations, and now all of them dwell safely." (Ezekiel 38:1-6, 9)

Ezekiel goes on to describe a vicious war in which God intervenes, wiping out the combined forces arrayed against Israel, granting her victory. To understand how today's headlines might be a portent of this event, it helps to know the modern names of the nations.

Gog probably refers to the name of the ruler of Magog.

Magog was identified by Josephus as the land of the Scythians, now occupied by Russia.

Rosh, Meshech and Tubal - parts of modern Turkey.

Persia - Iran

Ethiopia - Ethiopia and northern Sudan

Libya - Libya

Gomer - Eastern Turkey

Togarmah - part of Turkey bordering with Syria

Land of those brought back from the sword - modern Israel

This is not a time to be caught up in the temporary pleasures of the world. It is a time to remain prayerful and alert. It is a time for watchmen to mount the walls and blow the alarm. "....When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from their territory and make him their watchman, when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people, then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will save his life." (Ezekiel 33:2-5)

World News Through the Third Lens: A Stench Rising to Heaven

The Book of Revelation describes an angel offering the smoke of much incense mixed with the prayers of the saints on the altar before God's throne. (Rev. 8:3:4). Immediately after this beautiful picture is described, the wrath of God is unleashed on the earth, as a censer, filled with fire from the altar is hurled to the earth, unleashing the seven trumpet judgments which contain also the seven bowl judgments. (v.5-6). While the prayers of the saints are described as a sweet incense before God, I can only imagine what a stench to His holy nostrils the wickedness of mankind must be.

Three items in particular which were in the news over the past few days caught my attention. The first was one in which I was caught right in the middle, so to say. Last week I had the privilege of attending the Watchmen on the Wall Briefing in Washington, D.C., sponsored by the Family Research Council. They are a class organization, led by some classy people who love the Lord and who love this country. During the 3-day briefing, those who had made arrangements, were given an opportunity to visit with our congressmen on Capital Hill. Since both Senator Lieberman (D-CT) and Rep. Courtney (D-CT) were busy with legislative matters, I had arranged to meet with their legislative aid and chief of staff, respectively. I was received with courtesy and was allowed to read Isaiah 59 in each office, pray for the congressmen and their staffs, and to make a plea for the nation to be returned to a foundation of righteousness. In short, I did everything that God laid on my heart to do.

To my dismay, Friday's news revealed that the House of Representatives had voted to repeal the Military's mandate of "Don't ask; Don't tell." This policy, implemented during the Clinton administration, while a far cry from the moral virtue of years gone by, it still allowed the military to function with a modicum of moral decency. So that's stench #1.

Today I received a video of vicious beatings suffered by innocent Christians in Asam, India. This was followed shortly thereafter by a very disturbing article concerning child trafficking and prostitution - also from India. The radical Hindus apparently are allowed to go on rampages with little or no intervention on the part of the police. The video showed unarmed people being beaten to death by club-wielding fanatics, while the police just stood on the fringes. Later, the police came in and supervised the removal of the corpses! If that isn't bad enough, www.Examiner.com of Hartford reported "hundreds of children are trafficked to Amur, Rajasthan region from Delhi and other regions in India. According to the report, girls as young as six months old are trafficked into the villages, where they were given sexual hormone shots, oxytocin, to accelerate their sexual maturity to enter prostitution. ......The Rajasthan police denied the allegation." These are stench #2 and #3.

Through the third lens of Scripture: How can you possibly extract anything biblical from such nasty news, and then publish it on a site entitled "End-Times Encouragement News?" My answer to that, in the vernacular, is that God is not a "sandbagger." Webster defines the slang use of this term as "to deceive (an opponent) by deliberately playing poorly. Some of you may remember Paul Newman, in the movie "Cool Hand Luke" getting his knuckles busted because he "sandbagged" by playing pool poorly when the stakes were low, suckering people in to bet the big bucks, only to clear the table. God does not do that. He does not sucker us into "summer time and the living is easy" life styles, only to hammer us when we are ill-prepared. That's the ploy of the devil, and I hate to say it, but too many sermons feed into his game plan. Godly encouragement comes from looking with open eyes at the things God has said concerning the end-times and preparing accordingly.

The majority of congress is acting with abject stupidity. How else can you describe educated, experienced people who defy nature and nature's God, by imposing their own warped thinking on our nation's military. There are a lot of commandments in the Old Testament which involve ceremonial law - those very detailed matters of worship which all pointed to the Messiah. Jesus was/is that Messiah and He fulfilled the entire Law. Consequently, Christians do not embrace any form of sacrificial worship. Many of the other commandments were in the category of "good advice" from the all-wise Creator. Obey them and you will reap natural benefits; disobey them and you will reap natural detriments. These include such matters as diet, sanitation, crop rotation and sewing patches on garments. Other commandments are what we would describe as God's moral law. As Christians we do not always live up to the high standards of God's moral law, but we should always aspire to do so. And we must never call God's moral law as evil and man's substitute as good (Isaiah 5:20). God calls "man lying with a man as one lies with a woman" (homosexuality) a detestable thing. (Leviticus 20:13)

Now, here's a passage of Scripture which describes those who thing that repeal of "Don't ask; don't tell" is something noble. "For though they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.... Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.... Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men.... Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them." (Romans 1:21-32). This sounds awfully harsh, perhaps making the one who quotes it appear over the top in piety. So please let me remind you that in this same letter to the Romans we read: "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption which came by Christ Jesus." (Romans 3:23-24). The problem is not that homosexuality is so much greater than the sin of some straight person; it's that the sin of homosexuality has been normalized and even placed in a category of special rights and privileges, and now is being forced on our military. This is just plain wrong! I urge you to let your congressmen know so.

The beatings of innocent, defenseless people is nothing but demonic. There is no logical explanation of such behavior. Jesus gives an apt description of the spirit behind such horrific activities and the people who commit them. "You are of your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." (John 8:44) For us who have not yet faced such persecution, let us "Remember those in prison, as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as you yourselves were suffering." (Hebrews 13:3) Keep in mind Jesus' promise: "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven..." (Matthew 5:10-12)

And what can we say regarding the poor little ones being used to satisfy the lusts and greed of men? Pray for them as Hebrews 13:3 exhorts, and remember that those who harm such little ones will reap their due reward (Matthew 18:6). The entire godless economic system, which the Bible calls "Babylon the Great" will suddenly come crashing down under the wrath of God (Revelation 18:2, 17). At the end of the list of all the merchants who suffer loss are those who "traffick in the bodies and souls of men." (Revelation 18:13) Divine justice will be satisfied, and the innocent little one, beginning with those conceived in their mother's wombs will be recompensed, for "...in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 18:10)

Be encouraged by Christ, that you might encourage one another. Rev. Les Young is the founder and director of Encouragement for End-Times Ministries, www.endtimesencouragement.com His teachings concerning the end-times and how we must live can be accessed from the website or directly at www.endtimesencouragement.blogspot.com

World News Through the Third Lens: Connect the Dots

"Teachers won't budge on contract. Union rejects concessions to help shortfall." Norwich Bulletin, May 14, 2010.

"State to pull troopers from schools. Officials cite lack of funding." Norwich Bulletin, May 14, 2010.

"3 arrested in Times Square bomb searches." The Associated Press, May 14, 2010.

"Thailand: Chaos in capital reignited by shooting." The Associated Press, May 14, 2010.

"Hispanics, rest of U.S. split on immigrants." AP-UNIVISION POLL, May 14, 2010.

"Top General: It's a draw in Afghanistan." Norwich Bulletin, May 14, 2010.

"BP will try to suck spewing oil to the surface." Norwich Bulletin, May 14, 2010.

"Business lobby joins health care lawsuit." Norwich Bulletin, May 14, 2010.

"Netanyahu: The battle for Jerusalem is a battle for truth." JNN News, May 13, 2010

"Israel's gestures to Palestinians met with slap in the face." JNN News, May 13, 2010

"59 women showed up, 13 turned around or changed their mind, 46 babies were killed." OSA-CT Street Report, May 1-11, 2010 (Summary of activity at Women's Summit in Bridgeport and Planned Parenthood in New Haven, where abortions are performed on a regular basis.

"Iran test-fires same missiles as handed to Hizballah." DEBKAfile, May 13, 2010

"PA finds Bibi's biblical reference distasteful" israelnationalnews.com May 14, 2010

"ACLU trying to stop Enfield graduations." Peter Wolfgang, Exec. Dir. Family Institute of CT, May 13, 2010

I could go on and on and on - "ad infinitum, ad nauseum" as some would say. There was nothing special about today, other than when I asked the Lord what to write, that still small voice responded, "Connect the dots!" The Lord God, knowing how each of us is wired, worked with me a bit until I understood to just gather together a few random headlines. I was not to do a search based on a particular subject; having been convinced that some common threads would be revealed in the process.

So I have completed my rather limited, albeit random survey of news banners from various sources, and there is a connection. I understand that there is some risk of being labeled as a fanatic (or worse) by suggesting that all of these headlines are connected. Risks aside, they are connected. They are not specifically connected to any one political party; they are not even specifically connected to some a-nationalistic group like the CFR or the Bildebergers; and they are not specifically connected to President Obama. They are all connected, however, to the Bible - the inerrant Word of God, and he who fails to connect the dots, does so at his own peril.

Through the third lens of Scripture: All of the world's problems, ranging from shortfalls in school budgets to violence in Bangkok, to environmental disasters in the Gulf, to continued unrest in the Middle East, all find their origin in man challenging the very first sentence in God's revealed word. "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). Ken Ham, founder of the ministry, Answers in Genesis, claims that the reason many pastors fail to preach with power and authority is because they "have compromised with some of the books of the Bible - such as Genesis - and therefore don't really have a firm foundation for their doctrine." I agree with brother Ham, and when this happens in our pulpits, is it any wonder that the truth of God's Word is being challenged, dismissed and dishonored by virtually every facet of our western post modern culture?

The first challenge to God's Word is recorded in Genesis 3, when Satan, in the form of the serpent (we can only imagine what that beast looked like before he was cursed by God to crawl in the dust, ultimately to be defeated by the Messiah [Genesis 3:14-15]) said, "Has God indeed said.....?" (v. 1), "You will not surely die." (v. 4), "....eat of it....and you will be like God.." (v.5). Being deceived, believing the lie, disobeying God, the forbidden fruit which appealed to the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (v. 6) man ate of the forbidden fruit and death and the curse entered the Paradise of Eden (v. 8-24) and has spread throughout the whole earth (Romans 5:12-13).

When it comes to each one of us as individuals, responsible for our own actions, the Bible states, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). This is the good news, offered as a gift, meaning that it will benefit only those who truly receive it. So, while the Bible gives us an accurate record of how the trouble got started, and what the remedy is, it also gives us a pretty clear view of the future - which is now!

In 2 Peter 3:3-7, Peter outlines four things about which people in the last days would scoff at, sort of complimenting or rationalizing their own lustful life styles. They are: 1) the Second Coming of Christ (v. 4), 2) creation (v. 4-5), 3) the flood (v. 5-6), and 4) judgment (v.7). When men begin to scoff at these truths, such as a literal creation (which is made compatible with much that is currently observable by natural science by #3 in the list - the flood), he begins to forget God. He begins to forget that he is a created being, subject to his creator. He forgets that he is prone to deception and believing the lie that he can know it all and do it all. He joins together with his fellow creatures, where ultimately some form of human government, bereft of God and His laws, is presented as the savior of the world.

Consequently, individually and corporately we violate the first three commandments, thinking there shall be no adverse effects. The nanny state gives us public education, which began with the best of intentions, where now moral absolutes have been removed; replaced by relativism, diversity and tolerance. 50 years later, we have a problem because all this has led to a need for police officers in our school halls, but we no longer have the money to pay them. We have a healthcare problem because we have done precious little to punish the abusers and the thieves. Our medical ethics have become so messed up that we require parental permission for a 14-year old to receive an aspirin from the school nurse, but that same 14-year old can be taken by the school to get an abortion while the parents are kept in the dark.

The Scriptures declare that parents are to raise their children "in the training and admonition of the Lord." (Ephesians 6:4). So what are we considering here in Connecticut as a possible means to raise more revenue? Lowering the gambling age at the casinos to 18. There are two verses which, while following one another, are profoundly connected. "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. The rich rules over the poor and the borrower is servant to the lender." (Proverbs 22:6-7). A couple generations of parents teaching their children that nothing should be denied, thrift doesn't matter but the latest fashions do, and our debt-driven economy is about ready to implode. Governments need more, so legalizing gambling and promoting gambling look like good ideas. A decade or two later and all the increased revenues have done is stoke the the fires of spending other peoples money and promote the vices of greed and control. "A man with an evil eye hastens after riches, and does not consider that poverty will come upon him." (Proverbs 28:22).

I hope it is becoming clear to some that the dots are connected. All of our troubles stem from ignoring or rejecting God's Word. Teaching evolution instead of creation eventually devalues human life and produces a whole new vocabulary. A baby in the womb is called a fetus (check Luke 1:41). Abortion is not called murder but Women's Reproductive Health Care. The USA ignores the promise that whoever blesses Israel will be blessed by God (Genesis 12:3), and sets itself up as arbitrator to an ungodly 2-state solution. We quickly forget that "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people." (Proverbs 14:34). Judgment has not yet come (except in limited warning signs which are more dots that need to be connected), so collectively we scoff. We say, "If there is a God, where/why...........?" May I remind you "The Lord is not slack concerning His promises, as some count slackness, but is long suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9) "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when a wicked man rules, the people groan." (Proverbs 29:2) If that leads you to trusting God instead of man and government, that's a good thing. Connect the dots while you still can.