I was going about my business while listening to the car radio. The news came on, and although I’m a news junkie, I wasn’t paying much attention to what was being said, but I did catch the end of the last sentence from the somber newsman. “Young people are dying in unprecedented numbers by drug overdose, suicide and death from despair.”
It seems our whole country has slipped into despair because belief in God is being taken away from us. All vestiges of God are being stripped away and the only time you hear the name Jesus Christ is when it is used as an expletive. Yet, it is He through whom the world was made and is sustained. It is He who gives us peace in the midst of trouble. It is He who gives us words to live by. It is He who gives us eternal beings the hope for a wonderful future with Him.
The latest “victim of despair” is Sinead O’Connor, the celebrity singer who recently called home to Ireland to threaten suicide while in Chicago. She has fame and fortune but no peace of mind and is in a state of despair. Celebrities are human, just like the rest of us. They can’t rest until they know God in a personal way. I should know I’ve encountered dozens of them in the movie business.
Since we have all but eliminated God from our lives and culture, is it any wonder so many of us are wallowing in despair? Science doesn’t hold the answer for us having a sense of purpose or even optimism. Knowledge is good but can’t sustain us when dealing with deep spiritual matters. Some have even said, “The more I know, the more desperate I become.”
We all want to know the ultimate answers to life and the reason for being. The only book that can answer these questions is the Bible. Thank God for the Jewish scribes who being led by the Holy Spirit penned the life-giving words inspired by the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
The Bible proclaims that the Word of God is alive! The Holy Spirit through the Holy Scriptures is the Revealer of all truth. All men are fallible liars, it’s in their genes. The best that can be said is that through a relationship with Christ some are more enlightened, while others just never get it. They just like playing church and the recognition that comes from doing so.
At the same time, an amazing thing has been happening in the lives of a few dedicated Christians who are gaining more spiritual discernment as time runs out for the human race. Believers with spiritual eyes can see what’s happening in our society and culture—judgment and despair, things that were becoming obvious to me years ago.
Even so, most “Christians” still just yawn or roll their eyes when someone talks about the impending judgment facing our nation and the world. Many still fail to understand that repentance toward God is the cure for all that ails us. It’s as simple as that. Of course, that would mean we would have to have a true change of heart forsaking past behavior that keeps us outside of God’s will.
Surprisingly, even pastors, some of whom should know better, are under the devil’s deception as well. Satan has crept into the Church under the guise of political correctness and sympathy for the devil and his henchmen, ISIS being the most visible. I urge you to be on the alert for his attacks, but don’t fear him. “If we fear God, we have nothing else to fear.”
The Holy Spirit fills us with love, power, hope, joy and faith. Any manmade philosophy, aside from the written Word of God must be taken with a grain of salt or discredited all together, and it may even prove to be a ploy of the devil.
Even as I write this I can count on my fingers those I know who have this discernment.
Some in the ACLU are blaming “right wing” Christians for the mass murder that took place in Orlando! They are staring the enemy right in the face and can’t see him; the enemy—being Satan. Nearly every culture acknowledges him, yet he is still able to get away with murder. At the same time, the people in the United States are being blindsided by this powerful malevolent being by ignoring him and even denying his existence.
Satan is the father of lies, and in our country lying has become commonplace. Selfishness and narcissism are our characteristics. “Selfie’s” taken with smartphones are a preoccupation. Party goers, drug users, drunks and sports fanatics are distracted by the evil one—the devil himself, from things that really matter.
We even go so far as to idolize sports stars, singing stars and movie stars, who are just as sinful and as needy as anyone else. We can appreciate their gifts and achievements but we should never put them on pedestals.
The deceiver—the devil, is out there trying to destroy anyone he can with despair, and so many don’t even acknowledge it. When was the last time you heard anything concerning the devil from the pulpit? It’s as though he doesn’t exist anymore. But I can assure you that this is one of his best strategies. For if we knew it was him causing all the killing, confusion, hatred and war we would cry out to God to deliver us.
Although Satan is much more powerful than mankind, God has him on a leash—as it were, and only He can hold him at bay. Today too many people have forgotten that Satan exists and try to fight spiritual battles in their own strength. The spiritual war we are in is very real, and Satan will do all he can to destroy mankind before Jesus Christ returns to restore order.
Some of Satan’s titles are; the father of lies, the corruptor, a murderer and a deceiver. The dilemma is this: Secular mankind has no knowledge of the devil as revealed in the Holy Scriptures. The unredeemed masses try to remedy problems by their own means and logic. It just doesn’t work. Do yourself a favor and arm yourself with the Word of God. It’s the only thing that will put Satan in his place. No incantations, no candles, no icons, no trinkets or beads will dispel his assaults.
By the way, a small “Christian” movie came and went without much notice.The Young Messiah is based on a fictional book by Ann Rice. This movie and book talk about Christ Jesus as a seven year old. Cyrus Nowrastch is the screen writer and director. In an interview I saw with him explaining how hard it was to make the film, he even broke down and choked back tears at all the setbacks and pain he had endured in making it. It was for the most part only fiction with no redeeming qualities!
YBIC,
Jim Torres “Towers”