A Tale of Two Churches: Seeker-Friendly or Christ-Glorifying – Jonathan Brentner - https://www.jonathanbrentner.com/https/jonathan-brentner-g8fgsquarespacecom/config/2022/11/4/a-tale-of-two-churches   It’s a church filled with joyous expectation of Jesus’ soon appearing to take His saints home to glory.   It’s a church concentrates its efforts upon appealing to the lost and increasing attendance on Sunday mornings.   In short, it’s a tale of two types of churches that one finds in our world today.   Revelation 3:7-22 describes churches in the towns of Philadelphia and Laodicea. In Jesus’ letters to them, we discover aspects of each that help us understand the dichotomy between those that resemble each in today’s world.   On any given Sunday, a casual observer might not notice any difference between these two types. The worship and preaching will sound identical at first. Over time, however, discrepancies become apparent.   What, then, sets apart churches more closely aligned with the ancient body of believers in Philadelphia from the Laodicea-leaning ones?   THE FOCUS   The first distinguishing aspect between the two is the differing focus; one tends to be more inward while the other exhibits one that’s outward more than upon themselves.   In Revelation 3:17, we read Jesus’ words regarding the church at Laodicea:   “For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.”   Among the other things that we notice from this verse, we recognize that the focus of this church is upon itself. Their economic prosperity had blinded the leaders to their spirituality poverty. They were proud of their affluence and assume that numbers imply God’s blessing and approval.   The tone of seeker-friendly churches tends to be self-serving; they frequently emphasize what they are doing. Like the one in ancient Laodicea, they often showcase their achievements. Church membership means commitment to its programs and local ministries.   Jesus, when describing the church at Philadelphia, says this in 3:8a:   “I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut.”   Churches that mirror the one in Philadelphia pursue open doors even when such opportunities take the limelight away from themselves. In Jesus’ message to this body of believers, we see both an outward and upward focus.   THE WORDS OF SCRIPTURE   While both types of churches typically display a high regard for the integrity and inerrancy of Scripture in their statements of faith that one finds on their websites, there’s a critical difference in how they treat all the words of Scripture.   Notice the emphasis on words in Jesus’ opening comments to the church at Laodicea:   “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation.’”   It’s been my experience that many Laodicean-leaning churches cherish the words of the Bible until it comes to the matter of future things. Many of them adhere to replacement theology, which relies on the spiritualization of the words found in biblical prophecies regarding the future of Israel. They overlook what the words of Scripture actually reveal; they tell of God’s glorious restoration of a kingdom for the descendants of Jacob during Jesus’ thousand-year reign on the earth during which time He will sit on the throne of David (Luke 1:30-33).   In other places, the pastors of such churches remain quiet about the blessed hope of the Gospel even though they believe in a pre-Tribulation Rapture and God’s future restoration of Israel.   Notice the sharp contrast that we see in Jesus’ commendations of the Philadelphian church:   “I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.”(Revelation 3:8b)   “Because you have kept my word about patient endurance . . .” (Revelation 3:10a)   The word for “kept” in the above verses can carry with it the sense of guarding something so as to keep it in the state that one finds it. Leaders in these churches retain the words of the Bible in the state that they find them, words that signify Jesus’ imminent appearing to catch us up to meet Him in the air and His thousand-year reign during what we refer to as the “millennium.”   It’s to this church that Jesus’ says “I am coming soon” or quickly as the word suggests in the Greek (Revelation 3:11a). This promise of the Rapture brings us much needed reassurance in these perilous times.   It’s in the words of Scripture that we find hope amid the perils of our day. It’s the glorious hope that’s embedded in the Gospel.   THE PLACE OF JESUS   Jesus stands on the outside of the Laodicean church knocking at its door (3:20).   Many seeker-friendly churches today worship Jesus with music and praise, but He remains on the outside in many ways. Attendance numbers trump feeding the feeding flock with with the meat of God’s Word so that believers grow spiritually and learn how “to distinguish good from evil” (Hebrews 5:14).   When planning for the future, its leaders often fail to heed the wisdom found in James 4:13-17.   Jesus’ message to the Philadelphian church reveals a much different story regarding the place of the Savior. He offers no criticism of this church, but instead provides loving encouragement. It’s a message of praise for believers who clearly love Him. He’s the reason for their endurance as they patiently wait for Jesus’ appearing amid scoffing and distressful circumstances.   Notice the promise Jesus makes to this ancient body of saints and and by inference to us as well:   “Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.” (Revelation 3:10-11a).   Isn’t it interesting that Jesus’ promise in the above verse applies to living saints? There’s no need to assure the “dead in Christ” that they will miss the “hour of trial” that everyone living in the world in the last days will experience.   Jesus’ glorious promise applies to all born-again believers. All those in Christ will be caught up in the air to meet the Savior, exactly as Paul describes in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. After that, the Day of the Lord wrath will descend upon the earth-dwellers that Jesus refers to in the above verse (see also 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11).   EYESIGHT   Perhaps the greatest need for current leaders of Laodicean-leaning churches today is “salve to anoint” their “eyes” (Revelation 3:18).   Pastor and Bible commentator John MacArthur wrote this regarding the need for sight on the part of the ancient Laodicean church:   “Though they prided themselves on their allegedly superior spiritual knowledge, the Laodiceans were in fact spiritually stone blind. Blindness represents lack of understanding and knowledge of spiritual truth.”[i]   His words not only ring true regarding this late first century AD church, but speak to today’s lack of insight into the prophetic texts of the Bible. So many pastors today fail to recognize the signs of the times, which reveal that that we live in the last moments before the Rapture and the start of the seven-year Tribulation.   We live in a world filled with continuing threats of a nuclear World War III, warnings of catastrophic food shortages for 2023, and dire forecasts of continued soaring inflation for the basic necessities of life, which cause many to wonder how they will be able to both heat their homes and put food on the table for their families at the same time this winter.   This is not a time to shy away from proclaiming what the Bible says about our glorious hope that starts with Jesus’ return for us, His beloved bride.   It’s the true state of our world that scares people (or at least it should). Biblical prophecy, on the other hand, both comforts us and prepares us for what lies ahead.   The Bible said that the world would look exactly as it does today in the days leading up to the Tribulation period. By faith we see His hand at work even during this time of lawlessness. We glorify God as we recognize that He remains sovereignly in control of history and of the nations. And most encouraging, He controls our future as well.   As we witness a multitude of signs telling us that the world is right on the edge of seeing the fulfillment of all that John wrote about in Revelation 6-19, we magnify the greatness of the name of Jesus. The book of Revelation glorifies Christ from beginning to end. (see my post: Don’t Mess With the Book of Revelation).   My heart often breaks for believers who sit in churches never hearing about the glorious news regarding our future.   BUT THEY FAITHFULLY PREACH THE GOSPEL   Many will protest my criticism of seeker-friendly churches by citing that its leaders often proclaim a pure Gospel in spite of teaching errant views or remaining silent regarding future things.   I agree that it’s wonderful that many seeker-friendly pastors proclaim the true saving message of the cross and people are coming to the Lord through their preaching.   However, as I have written in the past, those that divorce our “blessed hope” from their proclamation of the Gospel err in at least two ways:   They must ignore or gloss over many biblical texts that speak to our glorious hope in Jesus’ appearing. They fail to prepare the saints under their care for what might lie ahead before Jesus comes for us and God’s wrath descends upon the world   This is the tale of two churches.   Though most do not check all the boxes of the Laodicean church that Jesus describes in Revelation 3, the seeker-friendly churches of our day exhibit many of its characteristics. My primary criticism is that more often than not, they fail to emphasize the glorious, amazing, and over-the-top joyous message of Jesus’ appearing to take us up to glory.   Those that follow the lead of the Philadelphian church in today’s world hold tightly to Jesus’ words regarding His return for us and persevere in their watchfulness of His soon appearing.   My book, The Triumph of the Redeemed-An eternal Perspective that Calms Our Fears in Perilous Times, is available on Amazon. It’s all about how a strong biblical foundation in our glorious hope equips us to face a world ablaze in wickedness, deception, and lawlessness.   Note: Please consider signing up for my newsletter on the home page of my website at https://www.jonathanbrentner.com/ . Thanks!   [i] John MacArthur, Jr., The MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Revelation 1-11, (Chicago: Moody Press, 1999), p. 139.

China Is “Preparing For War” – I Will Give You One Guess Who The Primary Opponent Will Be - by Michael Snyder - http://endoftheamericandream.com/china-is-preparing-for-war-i-will-give-you-one-guess-who-the-primary-opponent-will-be/   Chinese President Xi Jinping has just announced that China will be “preparing for war”, and that should deeply alarm all of us. Needless to say, nobody is going to be attacking China any time soon. So why would the Chinese need to prepare for war if there is zero chance that they will be attacked? Unfortunately, the answer is obvious. The only reason China would be engaged in a military conflict any time soon is if it chooses to invade Taiwan. The moment such an invasion is launched, the United States and China will be at war. The Chinese know this, but Chinese President Xi Jinping is going ahead with preparations for war anyway…   China will focus on preparing for war with the country’s security ‘increasingly unstable and uncertain’, President Xi Jinping has declared.   Beijing will now comprehensively strengthen its military training and preparation for any war, Xi said today, according to state broadcaster CCTV.   This is the very first time in decades that China has been on a war footing.   Not too long ago, the Chinese were our new best friends and we were doing all that we could to deepen trading relationships with them.   Now our economy is deeply, deeply dependent on goods from China, and once a military conflict erupts that flow of goods will come to grinding halt.   So let us hope that such a war does not materialize any time soon.   Sadly, it has become exceedingly clear that Chinese President Xi Jinping is strongly considering the option of “reuniting” with Taiwan by force…   Xi’s announcement that China will focus on preparing for a war will raise fears that the nation may invade the self-governing island of Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own.   China, which has the second-largest economy and military in the world, has repeatedly threatened to annex Taiwan by force if necessary.   A lot of people out there seem to assume that a conflict with China is not an imminent threat.   But just last month, the top ranking officer in the U.S. Navy warned that it could come “as soon as this year”…   Last month, US Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Michael Gilday warned that China could take Washington and the world by surprise and invade Taiwan as soon as this year.   Amid the military exercises by air and sea of Taiwan’s coast, Admiral Gilday said: ‘It’s not just what Jinping says, it’s how the Chinese behave and what they do.   ‘What we’ve seen over the past 20 years is that they have delivered on every promise they’ve made earlier than they said they were going to deliver on it.’   Personally, I don’t think that we will see war between the United States and China in 2022.   But 2023 is a very real possibility.   And it turns out that many officials in Japan also see the need to prepare for a coming conflict with China…   If China were to attack Taiwan, it wouldn’t just have to face a hostile superpower. It would also likely have to confront its longstanding regional rival, Japan. For centuries, Japan and China have vied for hegemony in East Asia; at times, they have threatened each other’s survival. Today, as I found from three days of meetings with Japanese officials and analysts in Tokyo, the threat of Chinese aggression is producing a quiet revolution in Japanese statecraft — and pushing the nation to get ready for a fight.   Tensions just continue to intensify month after month.   As I discuss in my brand new book, eventually a breaking point will be reached.   Meanwhile, North Korea and South Korea are also getting closer to war.   In recent days, North Korea has test-fired over 30 missiles, and that includes an ICBM which prompted “an evacuation alert in northern Japan”…   The North has test-fired more than 30 missiles this week, including an intercontinental ballistic missile Thursday which triggered an evacuation alert in northern Japan — a response to an aerial military exercise between South Korea and the US.   Of course North Korea has test-fired lots of missiles before, but in this case the North Koreans are actually admitting that they just conducted “simulated strikes on South Korea”…   North Korea said on Monday that its recent missile launches were simulated strikes on South Korea and the United States as the two countries held a “dangerous war drill,” while the South said it had recovered parts of a North Korean missile near its coast.   War between North Korea and South Korea is coming.   But my personal opinion is that it won’t happen until China invades Taiwan first.   Speaking of missile tests, it is being reported that the Russians will soon conduct another test of the new RS-28 Sarmat…   Russia is reportedly plotting to test-fire an intercontinental ballistic missile for a second time. Moscow first tested the RS-28 Sarmat in April. It is capable of carrying 10 or more warheads and decoys, striking targets at 16,000mph.   Russian politician Aleksey Zhuravlyov previously threatened to use the deadly weapon as Finland and Sweden were poised to join NATO.   He said Satan-II could hit the UK in 200 seconds if fired from Russia’s European province, Kaliningrad.   It has been claimed that a single RS-28 Sarmat possesses enough firepower to destroy an area the size of Texas.   The U.S. does not have anything comparable.   In fact, the aging Minuteman missiles that currently form the backbone of the U.S. strategic nuclear arsenal are not scheduled to be replaced by something new until some time around 2030.   Unfortunately, the world will look completely different by 2030.   I believe that World War III has already begun, and several new conflicts are likely to erupt over the next 12 months.   In this article I haven’t even talked about Israel and Iran. Personally, I think that is probably the most likely conflict to erupt next.   This truly is a time of “wars and rumors of wars”, but most people out there still do not understand what is happening.

Prophecy Update Videos

False Prophets: A Sign of the Second Coming – Britt Gillette 2022 US Elections – Pastor James Kaddis & Don Stewart Bible Prophecy and Current Events Q & A – Amir Tsarfati & Pastor Barry Stagner Love God, Live As You Please – Pastor Jack Hibbs

' 'Nearing Midnight: The Strategic Petroleum Reserve Has Become a Joke – Todd Strandberg - https://www.raptureready.com/category/nearing-midnight/   The Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) is an emergency stockpile of petroleum maintained by the United States Department of Energy (DOE). It is the largest publicly known emergency supply in the world. The oil is stored in giant underground salt domes in Louisiana and Texas. The SPR has a capacity of 714 million barrels.   The United States started the petroleum reserve in 1975 to mitigate future supply disruptions as part of the International Agreement on an International Energy Program after oil supplies were interrupted during the 1973–1974 oil embargo.   Because President Joe Biden’s poll numbers were hurting, he authorized in March the release of 1 million barrels of oil per day from the reserve for 180 days. The Biden administration will release another 15 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in December in a bid to drive fuel prices down.   Since 2015, Congress has been selling the oil in the reserve to partly fund the national deficit, in unpublicized sales. The DOE has run at least seven sales since 2017, selling 132 million barrels, or about 18.2% of what had been in the reserve.   According to legislation already in place, the amount of oil in the reserve could fall to as little as 238 million barrels in the next five years. This will be a 67% reduction to the oil in the reservoir since 2010.   The SPR was never a vast underground sea of oil that could fuel America for a long time. The most recent inventory was 401.7 million barrels. This equates to about 20 days of oil at 2019 daily U.S. consumption levels of 20.54 million barrels per day, or 41 days of oil at 2019 daily U.S. import levels of 9.141 million barrels per day. However, the maximum total withdrawal capability from the SPR is only 4.4 million barrels per day, so it would take about 91 days to use the entire inventory.   The administration has no working plan to refill the reserve. In 2012, the total value of the crude in the SPR was approximately $43.5 billion, while the price paid for the oil was $20.1 billion (an average of $28.42 per barrel). The current spot price of oil is around $90 per barrel, so we would pay through the nose to refill the SPR.   Biden has turned the SPR into a joke. The inventory is now so low that it could not help with any major crisis. If Biden and future presidents are going to deplete the SPR during every future oil spike, the reserve could eventually run dry.   The SPR has just been neutralized by our so-call friend in the Arab world. The oil-producing cartel OPEC and its allied countries announced they would cut their collective production by 2 million barrels a day. Biden went to the Saudi Arabians to beg them to produce more oil, and they made a fool of him by taking the opposite action.   The U.S. used to have all types of reserves, but we sold most of them off in good times. We once had a billion-ounce reverse of silver. The treasury now has zero ounces of silver. Our ability to import goods from China has caused us to not even have reserves of essential drugs and rare earth metals. The only meaningful reserve we have left is a huge stash of government cheese. The dairy lobby has convinced Congress to fund this hoard that sits in old mines and rots.   The DOE has raised the possibility of limiting fuel exports in a bid to force domestic gasoline prices lower, but the administration has in recent days toned down its rhetoric, according to two industry people. Oil company executives and analysts have said the move could backfire because it could cause producers to slow their drills if they no longer have access to foreign markets, increasing domestic prices.   The SPR was a good idea, but government corruption ruined it. We should have had an SPR of at least 2 billion barrels. Energy is something that you can’t live without. Europe now sees the value of having greater gas reserves. Great Britain was really caught with its pants down. Its natural gas reserves are near 100%, but they will only last a few weeks. Some European nations have reserves that will last them until next spring.   One of the most inspiring scriptures that explains why we have a problem with oil is Deuteronomy 25:4. I like Timothy’s quote that is sighted below. When Biden came to office, he attacked oil companies as greed firms that should be driven out of business. He still attacks them as profit-driven, but that is how the capitalist system works. Without a reward, you get less production. God is not only the Lord of the universe, but He is the world’s wisest economist.   “For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward” (1 Timothy 5:18).

‘Blatant Mocking Of God’: The History Behind The Drag Queen Phenomena – By David Fiorazo - https://harbingersdaily.com/blatant-mocking-of-god-the-history-behind-the-drag-queen-phenomena/   A lot can happen in fifty years. The drag queen phenomena – nowhere on people’s radar – has now become mainstream. How did we arrive at the point that men – dressing up as women – are allowed to read to, interact with, and perform for young children? Drag Queen Story Hour (DQSH) is now celebrated as performances take place in bookstores, libraries, public schools, and tragically even in some so-called churches.   These “performances” are applauded by many parents causing many of us to ask, ‘Why would they go along with this?’   Part of the stated drag agenda is to disrupt foundational and traditional (biblical) beliefs about sex and gender.   This was once an obscure and hidden part of the gay subculture. Not anymore. Primarily homosexual men take on a drag queen persona, find a public space to work, act flamboyantly and often erotically, and are a common feature of pop culture.   But what kind of history is behind this agenda?   First things first: this is an overt attack on the image of God in mankind as well as a rejection of the truth of Scripture. We are witnessing acts of rebellion and debauchery, progressive efforts to not only ‘queer’ children but even seduce the church of Jesus Christ.   In his excellent article, “Drag Queens and the Queering of the Church,” M.D. Perkins writes that queer has become a label of pride within the LGBTQ+ acronym. Scholars began using the word to define radical social theories and the disruptive process of promoting non-biblical, non-traditional sexuality.   Perkins states:   “Queering is intended to complicate and disrupt what is perceived to be normal; to directly challenge heterosexuality, traditional gender roles, or the male/female binary. …”Queering is one strategy for queer activists who want to unsettle or complicate normative practices…”   In other words, the demonic goal behind most drag queen performances is to use entertainment and emotion to move people’s perceptions in order to confuse binary depictions of sex and gender.   Drag Queen Story hour is also a nonprofit organization which helps them solicit donations and use its status to get into schools and claim rights to public spaces. Their website proudly states their mission is to reach children, “defy rigid gender restrictions,” and promote the idea that “everyone can be their authentic selves.”   Not who God created you to be, but whoever you imagine or identify as. It is a perversion of the truth, an extension of the ‘born in the wrong body’ philosophy, and obviously a blatant mocking of the God of creation. This is not new; they just found another way to do evil and to attract kids.   The Bible states:   Jude 1:17-18 KJV – “But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.”   Innocent, impressionable children as young as toddlers are being targeted by DQSH.   This past summer, Fox News reported the fact the nonprofit now known as “Drag Story Hour NYC” received approximately $207,000 in taxpayer funding since 2018 from New York residents. It has yet to be determined how many other states have similar groups that send drag queens into classrooms and access schoolchildren as young as age 3.   A gay college professor, drag queen, Harris Kornstein, who performed some of the first readings in public school libraries not only wrote a children’s book but also sits on the board of Drag Queen Story Hour. In fact, the nonprofit has since expanded to 40 local chapters having put on hundreds of performances across the country.   The deception goes deeper. Another perversion of the truth is the fact drag queens are being advertised as “family friendly” to supposedly promote reading, tolerance, and inclusion. This is yet another example of redefining strategic words and meanings.   To “queer” something is to intentionally blur the lines of right and wrong, good and evil, natural and unnatural, male and female. Those who support this philosophy in public and vote for politicians who endorse its wickedness are what the Bible refers to as “participating” in their “deeds of darkness (Eph. 5:11).   Moreover, Colossians 2:8 adds another warning:   Colossians 2:8 KJV – “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”   In his incredibly extensive article, “The Real Story Behind Drag Queen Story Hour,” Christopher Rufo details the dangerous ideology driving the movement which he says was “born in the sex dungeons of San Francisco” and then incubated in academia.   Drag became political when the Stonewall riots of 1969 took place during the sexual revolution and drag performances became open forms of resistance to sexually “repressive” laws.   Later, the academic discipline of queer theory was born in 1984 to deconstruct and subvert the “sexual hierarchy” of married heterosexual people. By cultural influence and “a revolution of values,” they have worked successfully to soften and even tear down Western (read “Christian”) morality and biblical principles.   Rufo adds:   “The purpose, then, is to subvert the system of heteronormativity, which includes childhood innocence, and reengineer childhood sexuality from the ground up.   …The drag queen might appear as a comic figure, but he carries an utterly serious message: the deconstruction of sex, the reconstruction of child sexuality, and the subversion of middle-class family life.”   Remember the goal of these visual, entertaining drag performances is to obliterate traditional concepts of gender. Cutting to the chase however, one logical ending point of this deviant process is absolutely no restrictions on sexual behavior which, sadly will lead to the bottom of the perverse barrel: pedophilia.   Some laughed at those of us who warned about the slippery slope of denying God’s natural order, of normalizing homosexuality and then, legalizing same-sex “marriage.”   One radical in the 1990s, Judith Butler, further paved the way by mixing queer theory with post-modernism. She claimed that “once the premise is established that gender is malleable (changeable) and used as an instrument of power,” the next step is social reconstruction.    With people’s basic understanding of sex and gender identity now questioned, the reality of gender is also put into crisis. Chris Rufo further explains:   “it becomes unclear how to distinguish the real from the unreal. And this is the occasion in which we come to understand that what we take to be ‘real,’ what we invoke as the naturalized knowledge of gender is, in fact, a changeable and revisable reality.”   Now that more of us acknowledge the sheer mainstreaming of this evil in our culture, why would we be surprised to see it creep into the church? This ideology spread from underground to bookstores and libraries to the public schools which are fertile ground for “queering education.”   Until more concerned Christians, parents, pastors, voters, and political leaders understand the true, diabolical nature of DQSH and the ideology that drives it, it will be difficult to stop the enemy; to replace needed boundaries, common sense, and sanity. It will sadly be difficult to save the lives of countless young people and countless souls.   Jesus once warned about those who lead children astray that, “It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea (Luke 17:2)” than cause “one of these little ones” to sin or to stumble.   God is the Author of creation including mankind (Genesis 1:27-28), Jesus confirmed the established order of marriage between one man and one woman as well as the family (Mark 10:6-9), God calls it an “abomination” for a man to wear a woman’s clothing or vise versa (Deut. 22:5), and those who practice any sexual sin outside of biblical parameters will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor. 6:9).   It is therefore astounding so many (professing) Christians have been silent or ignore these issues until it’s too late. What’s worse, too many church leaders fail to address sin and resist wickedness being played out right before their eyes. By avoidance or neutrality, we are not looking out for others and protecting vulnerable children.   Love cares enough to do uncomfortable things like warning others and telling them the truth! Repent of your sin, trust Jesus and become a new creation.   As M.D. Perkins said, this “false dichotomy between loving our neighbors and standing for righteousness needs to stop.” If you think they’ll stop at the door of our churches, you’re in for a rude awakening – and we will have to answer for how we responded in this pivotal cultural moment.

Daily Jot: Undiscerning American Voters - Bill Wilson – www.dailyjot.com   The election was no red tidal wave. More like a tidal pool. Pundits will be dissecting the “why” for weeks, maybe months, to come. In reality, they will be discussing the strategy of this party or that candidate, but the real cause for whoever gets into office or stays in office comes down to one common denominator—the American voter. Exit polls on Tuesday’s election indicated that almost three-quarters of voters were dissatisfied, even angry, about the direction of the country. Well over half were also concerned about the Supreme Court abortion decision. Like two trains coming at one another on the same track from opposite directions, these “feelings” collided on election day. And things didn’t change much.   This has been one of the worst Administrations in history. There were Democratic governors that no one thought would be re-elected. There were states that re-elected congressmen and senators that appeared not to have a chance. When I was in politics, we learned that voters may be very angry, but they are angry at the other congressmen or politicians because they believe their representative is doing well. Even though we know that a definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results. Certainly, with the news media and corporate involvement in the elections—just the headlines alone—undiscerning voters’ perception of reality can be altered to the point that they cannot make a decision to even save themselves. It’s called ideological subversion and its alive and well in American society.   Many will point to voter fraud, voter security, voting machines. They will be labeled the election deniers. Personally, after some 16 years full time in politics and many more as a part-timer (because you really never get out of this business once you are in it), I never have been a fan of voting machines or computerized voting. Call me old fashioned, but paper ballot with proper identification is the most secure way to vote and to have votes counted. But even so, there were many elections that were altered due to other ways to cheat the system. Election security and integrity is key and when that breaks down it causes people to question their faith and confidence in elections. It is a huge problem.   Logic and discernment has been replaced with feelings and fear. Certainly, the candidates’ campaigns, with the supporting cast of the news media, calling people a danger to democracy or too extreme to serve or whatever also contribute to this societal condition. Overall, however, American voters reflect the country. It’s deeply divided, lacks a moral compass, and is confused about its identity. And that’s why we get what we get with unethical, unreasonable, even stupid leadership. Galatians 6:7 says, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap.” Deception, mocking God, reaping what is sown. And that’s why elections turn the way they do. American voters want to blame it on many things, but at the end of the day, it’s their own…say it with me…stupidocrisy.

Daily Devotion: Peace in the Storm - by Greg Laurie – www.harvest.org   Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. —Matthew 8:24   The violent storm didn’t awaken Jesus, but the cry of His disciples did. In one sense, He was asleep, but in another sense, He was not, because the Bible says of God, “Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps” (Psalm 121:4 NLT).   This is a beautiful glimpse into the humanity and divinity of Jesus. What could be more human than sleeping after a long day of work? And what could be more divine than rebuking a storm and watching it stop a moment later?   Jesus told His panicked disciples, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” (Matthew 8:26 NLT). This verse goes on to say that Jesus “got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm.”   Mark’s Gospel adds that Jesus said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” (Mark 4:39 NKJV). A more literal translation of the phrase would be “Peace, be muzzled!” It’s as though Jesus were speaking to a wild animal. Indeed, Jesus was speaking to Satan, who was behind this storm. The Devil was trying to stop Jesus from reaching His destination. On the other side of the lake, Jesus would find two severely demon-possessed men, and He would deliver them from their suffering.   This reminds us that Satan is always on duty. He doesn’t rest. In fact, the Bible describes him as “a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8 nlt). This is the reason that a spiritual battle will ensue when you try to save someone from Satan and bring them to Christ. The Devil doesn’t want to let his captives go.   Jesus didn’t promise the disciples that the journey would be smooth sailing, but He did say, “Let us cross over to the other side” (Mark 4:35 NLT). In the same way, the Bible says that God will complete the work He has begun in you (see Philippians 1:6). You will reach the other side.