May 21, 2011 - Another Same Old, Same Old Day in This Chaotic World!

Harold Camping was able to convince quite a number of people that 11-05-21 was THE DAY Jesus Christ was coming back and judgment was going to take place. --- a myriad of media sources reported on this, especially during the week preceding the "predicted" event!

It is 2:50 PM EDST on May 21, 2011 in Belsano PA USA as this is being written. It appears that Harold C. and his friends are not exactly on target concerning the return of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, to this troubled world. As many pointed out along the way on this unfolding drama, Jesus explicitly said that no one among the human family knows the day nor the hour that He will return to the world which He created a long, long time ago. That moment is known only by God the Father Who knows the end from the beginning. Harold, of course, had an "explanation" as to how he was able to side step this statement by Jesus.

There are at least three primary tragedies in this whole episode:

First, the waste of a huge amount of money spent on the "campaign" is likely unfathomable. Billboards, for instance, were put up all over the place at a cost of more than a tad above $1.98! It is simply impossible to calculate the total amount spent in one way or another in getting the "message" out all over the world that 11-05-21 was indeed THE DAY! Most would probably agree that this gigantic sum could have been spent in a much better way such as helping the poor and needy. It is an example that compares to how our federal government handles money -- just pour it down a rat hole!

Second, the focus on a specific date set for the return of the Son of God diverted attention away from a Christian's primary responsibility. That responsibility is to be involved in every way possible in implementing the parting command of Jesus to go into all the world and share the Gospel with all people in all nations. By implication (and on basis of Jesus' personal claims and demands upon all humans) we are also declaring that all religious expressions apart from Christianity are false and that only Christianity is the true faith -- it is exclusively the only way to know forgiveness and peace with God! This is not personal opinion nor is it vain speculation -- it is solid fact as based on the claims Jesus made regarding Himself and the four demands He set forth which every person must meet if that person is going to know God and be a citizen of His eternal Kingdom.

Third, the subject of Jesus' return to this world is real. But now, after the May 21, 2011 fiasco, references to prophetic Scriptures and the attempt to preach and/or teach on the subject will likely be met with more ridicule and skepticism than ever. God has revealed quite a bit about what to expect in times preceding the return of Jesus to earth. The one thing God has not given us is a specific calendar date and hour on that date when human history as it is now being played out will come to an earth-shaking conclusion.

What to do? Seek direction from the Holy Spirit as to your involvement in carrying out Jesus' command (see His statements in Matthew 28) and live each day in expectation that He may return before the sun sets. When you lay your head upon the pillow at night remember that Jesus could return before the sun rises the next morning! The key is to live in a state of readiness at all times.

"Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not expect Him. Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods. But if that evil servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." --- Matthew 24:42-51

Science Is Still "god" in the Minds of Some Persons!

O LORD, I know the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps. --- Jeremiah 10:23

The debate has at times been fierce and the battle has never seen an "armistice" take place in modern times. It has been the clash between what some may refer to as the irrestible force and the immovable object! Those in the field of science and those in the realm of religion seem to be very often on opposite sides of the fence when it comes to God and His relationship to a mighty universe which has boundaries we have not yet approached in all our probing and viewing.

Recently British physicist, Stephen Hawking, made some statements that are bound to cause an uproar from certain quarters, particularly those who profess to be Christian in their faith. He was interviewed by The Guardian newspaper and referred to the notion of Heaven as being a "fairy story." Hawking said, "I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its components fail. There is no heaven of afterlife for broken down computers; that is a fairy story for people who are afraid of the dark."

He advocates that science can explain the universe's origin without the involvement or existence of God being necessary! Why is it when I hear statements such as that coming from someone who is dismissing God as casually as I throw some unwanted item into the garbage can that the game, Pin the Tail on the Donkey, comes to mind -- you know, a bunch of kids with blindfolds on stumble about trying to find the correct part of the donkey's anatomy so they can attach the tail?

Hawking has no authority on which to base such statements except his own personal speculation. All of us humans have a tendency to do that due to having been born with a fallen nature that is inclined at the very beginning to concentrate on the self -- or to put it another way, we are born with an imaginary fiddle in our hands, and when we play it, everyone else in the world is expected to dance to our tune. And if there is a God out there somewhere, then He had better learn to dance to that tune as well!

Hawking's approach is nothing new -- in fact it's been around ever since the disaster that took place in the Garden of Eden a long, long time ago and involved two people known as Adam and Eve. Ever since their fall and banishment from the Garden, all born humans want to set themselves up as an "authority" on anything and everything, including whether there is God or not existing.

God, of course, has clearly revealed Himself to the human race in three major ways. First, through His creation in which the seriously thinking person by observing the creation comes to a sensible conclusion -- there has to be a Supreme All Powerful Being of some kind behind all this.

Second, God took a long period of time to have information recorded and preserved to further enlighten the members of the human race as to His identity, His character, His actions and the conditions by which the human race can become acquainted with Him. About 1,500 years was the amount of time and the use of at least 40 persons or more in bringing about an inspired record commonly now referred to as the Bible. There are a few of us who agree that this record is the final authority on all matters having to do with faith and the practice of that faith in human life and experience.

Third, God chose to become human and reveal Himself in a body of flesh and blood to the human race. The primary purpose for this action was that He would take upon Himself all the sins of the entire human race and provide atonement for all human sin through His sacrificial death on the cross. Through Jesus' death and subsequent resurrection from the dead, total forgiveness is now offered to each human being. The condition is to be honest, admit one's transgressions and repent of those, seek mercy and forgiveness and be restored to fellowship with God our Creator.

But for Hawking and countless others such as he, there is no need for God. Some in this crowd consider any religion as merely a "crutch" to lean on through life because one is not strong enough to go it alone!

Now back to a statement made by Hawking about Heaven -- he dismisses it as something similar to a "fairy tale." Now here's that fork in the road again -- Hawking says there is no Heaven, but Jesus Christ, God in human form, says there is and that He is preparing a place for those who have chosen to follow Him as Savior and Lord. Whom will you believe? I admit that I am not personally acquainted with Stephen Hawking but I am personally acquainted with Jesus Christ. In fact I've known Him now for nearly 54 years! No hesitation whatsoever -- I choose to believe Jesus and look forward to being a citizen in His eternal Kingdom forever!

This, of course, is a faith issue. God Himself has revealed that there has to be a measure of faith at work in relating to Him. But He has also revealed that each person is given a measure of faith - note Romans 12:3. However, it is also obvious by wrong choices made that faith can be quenched just as easily as one can put out a burning match by throwing a gallon of water on it!

For any that may be struggling a bit over this issue, further encouragement is given at How to Become a Christian. It is God's desire that all come to repent, receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, and live day by day with the blessed assurance of having everlasting life and a place in Heaven after life is concluded on this earth.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks. By faith Enoch was translated so that he did not see death, "and was not found because God had translated him"; for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. --- Hebrews 11:1-6

To What Extent Will God Permit the Heathen to Attack Us?

"Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger and the staff in whose hand is My indignation. I will send him against an ungodly nation, and against the people of My wrath I will give him charge, to seize the spoil, to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets." --- Isaiah 10:5,6

As the celebrations continue over the death of Osama bin Laden it is time to consider an issue which only a few are willing to think about and/or discuss with others. That issue is God's use of heathen peoples as instruments in His purposes to judge those who claim to be His people but at the same time they play the hypocrite by rejecting His standards and principles for a sane, sensible, serene, stable, and secure nation with a positive hope for the future! Corruption in political and religious leadership is a major contributing factor in such a circumstance.

A lot of history reveals that God in times past used heathen peoples to chastise and in some cases ultimately judge those who claimed to be His people. The ancient Israelites were a people to whom God had revealed Himself and then were chosen to represent Him as the true God in a world engulfed in ungodly practices, even to the point of human sacrifices in worship rituals.

There were times that the Israelites adopted the practices of their heathen neighbors. In the Old Testament book of Judges we observe a "roller coaster" experience. For a time the people were obedient and under the blessing of God. But then they abandoned the way of obedience and God would respond in a very negative way. Terms used to describe these experiences are: "forsook God", "did evil", etc. God's actions are described as: "delivered them into the hands of...", "sold them into the hand of...", etc.

And so it went for centuries as kings came and went. Some were good kings who truly feared God and sought to be obedient, but many others were not and succumbed to evil influences and the worship of false gods. Often a part of this again involved human sacrifice, such as throwing an infant or young child into a roaring fire as an act of worship. It is actually reported that some kings who are clearly identified engaged in this horrendous practice!

But the time comes when evil, like an out of control cancer, reaches a terminal state. God no longer raises up prophets with an appeal to repent and come back to Him for mercy and forgiveness. The message of the prophets changes dramatically and basically warns of impending judgment.

The ancient northern kingdom of Israel was invaded and destroyed by the Assyrians in about the year 721 BC. The southern kingdom of Judah hung on a bit longer, but eventually time ran out for it and the Babylonians totally destroyed the proud city of Jerusalem in about 586 BC. In both cases God reveals that it was persistent disobedience and refusal to repent that led to these disasters.

In both cases God's "instruments" of judgment were the Assyrians and the Babylonians -- both were about as heathen as it is possible to get. It later turned out that these heathen kingdoms were judged by God with a lot of detail given as to what would happen before their respective judgments actually took place.

Now consider this: God does not change in His way of dealing with members of the human race and the nations which they establish through time. The United States was founded on Judeo-Christian principles and the Bible was quite prominent in the experiences of the founding fathers as well as successors in decades to follow.

The nation was identified with the Christian faith -- that is, most of the citizens professed to be Christian in their faith. From time to time there were some significant "awakenings" in which people in rather large numbers actively sought God's mercy and forgiveness, with faith centered in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

But as the republic entered the 20th Century something not good was happening. The seeds of doubt and skepticism were being sown within the ranks of Christianity. This new "trend" was eventually referred to as "liberalism" -- a "pseudo-intellectual" view and interpretation of the Scriptures! It was the "in thing" to question the information reported in Scripture concerning the works of God, the miracles, and of course, the Person of Jesus Christ and everything related to His life here on earth, including His sacrifice for the sins of the human race and His literal resurrection from the dead following His crucifixion.

The rebel seed has taken root over time and is producing "fruit!" The United States has taken on the characteristics of the ancient kingdoms of Israel and Judah. The main difference is that we have technology that those people did not have and consequently we can sin quickly, massively, and in ways those people could not even have imagined! As a result we are ripe for judgment action on the part of the Creator of this mighty universe.

Could His instruments of judgment at a certain point involve heathen peoples set on revenge because of our involvement in, our bragging and our intense celebrating the death of one of their own who was world famous? Most will instantly reject this possibility and if for no other reason, in ignorance declare that God would never do such a thing or allow such a thing to happen to the United States. Oh, and on what basis does that bit of speculation rest -- any Biblical authority to confirm that as fact?

Almighty God has yet to make a full response to the ungodliness that permeates this nation from one end to the other. It will not be pleasant to be living within its borders when that response does come, and it may come sooner than any of us want to honestly recognize!

It remains a solid truth -- the only thing we learn from history is the fact that we fail to learn from history and as a result are doomed to repeat the tragedies of previous cultures whose ruins lie in the dust and rocks of the earth!

Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. He also did evil in the sight of the LORD his God, and did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke from the mouth of the LORD. And he also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear an oath by God; but he stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the LORD God of Israel. Moreover all the leaders of the priests and the people transgressed more and more, according to all the abominations of the nations, and defiled the house of the LORD which He had consecrated in Jerusalem. And the LORD God of their fathers sent warnings to them by His messengers, rising up early and sending them, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. But they mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against His people, till there was no remedy. Therefore He brought against them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man or virgin, on the aged or the weak; He gave them all into his hand. And all the articles from the house of God, great and small, the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king and of his leaders, all these he took to Babylon. Then they burned the house of God, broke down the wall of Jerusalem, burned all its palaces with fire, and destroyed all its precious possessions. --- 2 Chronicles 36:11-19

United States Now Safer and More Secure? Not Even By the Length of a Gnat's Eyelash!

"It is a good day for America" -- "the nation and the world are now safer" -- "we mean what we say" are some of the expressions in the rhetoric employed by the president and others on the occasion of the killing of Osama bin Laden. --- a hoard of news sources have been addicted to reporting these things on a repetitive basis 24/7

There is no limit when it comes to how easily people can be deceived, especially when it comes to safety and security. By implication in remarks made by President Obama with assistance by other high profile persons of influence plus the added spin of the media circus, we are now much better off with Osama bin Laden's body submerged somewhere in the deep waters of the North Arabian Sea.

One has to wonder whether those persons in high and powerful places really believe our republic is now safer or whether they believe that Islam is a "peaceful" religion and Muslims will all unanimously agree with our president's assessment that everything is OK now or do they erroneously believe that the God of Christianity will protect us from any future threats that may arise?

Islam in its purest expression is not peaceful -- the Quran teaches that all who do not accept and believe in Allah are regarded as infidels, and that includes Jews and Christians. The ultimate goal is a world where Islam rules and controls the total world and infidels exist no more! Granted there are those Muslims who have compromised their faith and are "good and friendly" neighbors here in the United States. And just as they have compromised their faith in regard to the "infidels" so have too many professing Christians compromised their faith, allowing that those of other religions such as Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and others have a faith that is just as legitimate as the Christian faith and the "playing field" of religion is level for any expression of faith whatsoever!

But Christianity in its purest expression is also very radical but not violent in its treatment of non-believers. At the heart of Christianity is a love for all persons and the Christian witness is simply this: God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son (Jesus Christ) that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. No gun is held to a person's head threatening to kill unless he or she believes -- the message is shared in love and the choice is strictly up to the one with whom it was shared. The basic Christian message as based on God's revelation is that salvation from sin and forgiveness are possible only through Jesus Christ and in no other way. Any religion that does not have Jesus Christ at its center, acknowledging Him as Savior and Lord, is a false religion!

The violent death of Osama bin Laden has been highly publicized and wide coverage given to the "celebrations" that have gone on endlessly accompanied by much flag waving as "patriots" took to the streets in the good old U.S.A. and expressed their great delight that this #1 terrorist was now dead.

Really now, are we safer due to this sudden and unexpected event? Most will play the ostrich role and say "Yes, we are." Those few who are realistic will recognize quickly that dedicated Muslims will not sit back and do nothing. There will be responses in times to come. Remember it was an "infidel" nation that ended the life of Osama bin Laden. Do you understand how infidels are to be treated in light of the teachings of the Quran?

There will be those who vainly insist that we are a "Christian" nation and God will protect us. This is another grand deception. The phrase, "... one nation, under God..." is absolutely meaningless in these times when the prevailing mood and spirit of our nation is to give God the all too familiar obscene gesture, and then we set about to do things as we so determine -- God is not honored nor respected and there is certainly no desire to express regret over our flagrant rebellion. Seeking His will for everyday living is the most distant thing from the minds of our leaders as well as the majority of our citizens!

There is one thing that is absolutely guaranteed -- there will be Muslim responses in regard to the U.S.A. killing of Osama bin Laden and the deadly mistake of the widespread celebrations of his death throughout the nation with extensive coverage by the media circus performers! It is simply a matter of time as they make their plans and how those plans will be implemented.

The bragging that was all too obvious in presidential remarks and those of other elected officials within the government as well as high profile media personalities will simply fuel the fire all the more -- we have more than proven that we are indeed the "Big Satan" as seen and regarded by many in the world of Islam! Jesus' statement in John 16 takes on new meaning in light of what has been happening in recent years -- "These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble. They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me." (John 16:1-3).

Many recognize, of course, that the president is going to exploit the O.B.L. murder with "tough talk" and a flood of photo-ops in his 1 billion dollar (or likely a great excess of 1 billion dollars) reelection bid in 2012.

When the crises come and the appeal to God for His help goes forth, what will His response be? Read carefully the statement below and then begin to make proper preparations. Note also what He specifically told Jeremiah in regard to answering prayer in Jeremiah 7, 11, and 14. Since I am in a very good mood at the moment, I will allow you the honor of taking your Bible and locating those 3 chapters!

"As the thief is ashamed when he is found out, so is the house of Israel ashamed; they and their kings and their princes, and their priests and their prophets, Saying to a tree, 'You are my father,' and to a stone, 'You gave birth to me.' For they have turned their back to Me, and not their face. But in the time of their trouble they will say, 'Arise and save us.' But where are your gods that you have made for yourselves? Let them arise, if they can save you in the time of your trouble; for according to the number of your cities are your gods, O Judah. Why will you plead with Me? You all have transgressed against Me," says the LORD. --- Jeremiah 2:26-29

Past Celebrations That Ended in Disaster!

Celebrations That Ended in Disaster in the Past

A great spirit of "celebration" dominates the republic of the United States over the death of Osama bin Laden, who was considered "Public Enemy #1" throughout much of the world. --- media sources are full and overflowing with written and broadcast reports accompanied by a myriad of photos detailing the great "celebration."

On Monday, May 2nd, I posted a blog that suggested a celebration of the death of Osama bin Laden is not good and cited reasons for that position. But who would pay any attention to a country boy farmer whom Jesus Christ redeemed from sin and then called to preach and teach His Word? But for any who have not read it and might consider doing so, it is at Osama bin Laden Dead? Don't Dance in the Streets and Celebrate Just Yet!

But now consider some celebrations in the past that ended in disaster:

1: Hurricane Camille. Camille was a category 5 storm which hit near the mouth of the Mississippi River on the night of August 14, 1969. Sustained winds were at or above 190 MPH! At least 259 people lost their lives. One reported incident reminds us that we need to be careful of what and where we celebrate. A group of younger aged people made a big joke out of the fact that the police urged them to leave the area because of the severity of the hurricane about to strike. No, they refused to leave and were greatly amused when the police took down their names and addresses. They had a big party going in an upper floor apartment -- they called it a "hurricane party" and the celebration moved into high gear. But then Camille came in with devastating power. The apartment building where the big celebration was taking place was totally destroyed and all persons in the building lost their lives. Ah yes, it is wise to be careful what and where you celebrate, is it not?

2: The Great Depression of 1929. There was a very great "party spirit" existing as people were making money by the bushels and the stock market was booming. It was the time of prohibition but alcohol was still flowing like water and often law enforcement simply looked the other way while pocketing bribe money in many instances. Once in a while there might be a "raid" and the party was broken up, but those were more the exception rather than the rule. But just as the "celebration" was in full swing, it happened -- the stock market crashed. People who had gained wealth found themselves wiped out and penniless! The parties and the celebrations were now over for a long, long time. Suicide rates increased dramatically as many could not face the reality of what had happened! Be careful of what and where you celebrate!

3: RMS Titanic. Some referred to it as a ship that was unsinkable. With a lot of hoopla, RMS Titanic set sail on her maiden voyage in April of 1912 from Southhampton, England to New York. Very powerful and very wealthy people were on board who occupied the first class cabins which were very luxurious to say the least. But there was a "party spirit" which was very obvious and is accurately reflected in movies made about the ship and its first voyage to America. It is speculated that the captain, Edward J. Smith, wanted to set a new record for reaching New York in the shortest time yet. The ship was moving along at a good clip in spite of warnings of ice bergs having been sighted. Then it happened -- a collision with a giant berg which tore a deadly gash in the side of the ship. One movie shows a scene of young men frolicking on the deck amidst the ice thrown on to the deck as a result of the collision. Remains of the Titanic now lie at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean along with whatever is left of the remains of 1,517 passengers who lost their lives. Be careful of what and where you celebrate!

4: A Rich Fool. A man owned land and farmed it. He became very prosperous as his crops produced most abundantly. Then a problem confronted him. The crops were so prosperous that he did not have sufficient room to store them all. A decision was made as he engaged in a personal conversation with himself. This is what he said: "What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?" So he said, "I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 'And I will say to my soul, 'Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.'" Reason to celebrate, right? Wrong -- God interrupted him in the midst of his intended celebration with these words, But God said to him, "You fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?" We know the answer to that, do we not? The money would buy him a fancy casket in which to be buried and the kids would fight over what was left! Jesus told that story in Luke 12:13-21 as a reminder to be careful of what and where you celebrate!

5: The Execution of John the Baptist. He was considered a religious fanatic, but there were those who had listened to him and made a positive response when he called them to repent of their sins and be baptized as a public witness that they had done exactly that. He even rebuked political people for immorality. One of these never forgot that, and likely vowed that she would get him some day in the future. The day came when Herodius' husband, Herod, was throwing a party and the big-wigs were there celebrating his birthday with him. Herodius' daughter did a dance that pleased and excited the crowd immensely. Herod, in the spirit of celebrating, offered his step-daughter anything even up to the half of his kingdom. Instructed by her mother, the daughter asked for the head of John the Baptist on a platter. The execution was carried out and the head of John was delivered to Herodius who very likely had a great celebration over the death of one she vowed "to get!" Comments on this event are found at Staring at a Severed Head Forever! Details of this incident can be found at Mark 6:21-28. We need to always be careful of what and where we celebrate!

6: Belshazzar's Celebration. Beshazzar was a ruler, second in rank to his father, in the mighty kingdom of ancient Babylon. One night he threw a party and in the midst of the revelry he remembered the vessels from the Jewish temple that had been taken when the Babylonians had invaded and destroyed Jerusalem many years before. So the excitement accelerated in the celebration as they drank out of the golden vessels and praised the heathen gods. Suddenly the image of a man's hand appeared and fingers began to write on the palace wall. Belshazzar was so shook up that it is recorded that his knees began to knock together. Eventually the prophet Daniel was called in to interpret the writings. In summary this ruler learned that God was going to put an end to his kingdom and that he, Belshazzar had been weighed in the balances and found wanting. That very night of the celebration his life was taken as the Medes and Persians invaded the city. Details are given in Daniel 5. Belshazzar and his fellow party people found out that you need to be careful of what and where one celebrates!

Many other happenings in regard to celebrations ending in disaster could be noted here. But the foregoing should be enough to remind us that sometimes a celebration is not a smart thing in which to be involved. Such is the lunacy going on at present in the United States and in some other parts of the world -- the festive spirit and ongoing "celebration" of the death of Osama bin Laden. As I heard the "news" about this, I was reminded that here was a man for whom Jesus died on a Roman cross, as He did for me and for you so that our sins could be forgiven. Unfortunately, Osama bin Laden made some very wrong choices including the rejection of God's mercy as shown in His Son, Jesus Christ, and the choice to follow a false religion and become involved in violent acts which he believed would help purge the world of "infidels." Muslims who are true to their faith and the teachings of the Quran view all non-Muslims as infidels and are specifically instructed not to take Jews nor Christians for their friends!

Somewhere down the road in the future we in the republic of the United States will realize that it was very foolish and deadly to have celebrated the death of Osama bin Laden. Almighty God has indicated that He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. So then, who are we that we feel we have the "right" and should do otherwise?

"Say to them: 'As I live,' says the Lord GOD, 'I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?'" --- Ezekiel 33:11

Osama bin Laden Dead? Don't Dance in the Streets and Celebrate Just Yet!

Osama bin Laden Killed by U. S. Forces --- one of many headlines flooding the media outlets on Monday, May 2, 2011

It's a day that many longed for with great anticipation -- the death of one considered by huge numbers of people, including some government leaders, to be the Number 1 enemy in the world, Osama bin Laden.

Interesting quotes from various sources:

Al-Qaida leader killed in operation led by Navy SEALs, CIA forces

President Barack Obama declared Monday that the U.S. had "kept its commitment to justice," saying the death of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden was "a good day for America."

Obama: Bin Laden's death means world is a safer place

DNA evidence: 100 percent certain it was bin Laden

A word of caution here though very few have considered the possibilities of what can happen in the future so far as the United States is concerned. It is no time to dance in the streets and celebrate in the same spirit as you would if your favorite team has just won the Super Bowl!

Consider why we should refrain from expressing a spirit of joy and gladness in the death of Osama bin Laden:

First, this is just one man with a lot of connections who is a hero and a noble example to those who engage in terrorists' activities, with the United States prominently on the list of targeted nations. What do you suppose is going to be the reaction of highly trained terrorist groups as leaders in the United States strut about boasting of this great "accomplishment?" At least a few of us take the position that these people will not sit down and twiddle their thumbs for months or years before they begin to embark on a campaign of revenge! The best approach would have been to keep the whole operation a secret and not let it be known that the man had been killed, but our deceptive pride would never permit that to take place!

Second, the blessing of God is no longer upon us as in times long since past. We are a nation steeped in defiance and stubbornness when it comes to taking God and His holy standards seriously for establishing a sane, sensible, serene, sober, secure, and stable republic. Leading the way as a special "invitation" for God to pour out His wrath on us is the fact that we intentionally destroy 25,000 unborn children every week. And this is done with the express approval of our president and a large number of the members of the U.S. Congress! Other issues that also place us in the precarious position of being harshly judged by Almighty God are discussed at "Driving the Final Nails". So it is not wise to celebrate the death of one considered to be a great enemy to our nation and to the world at large! We have a heap of work to do in getting our own house in order ethically, morally, and spiritually.

Third, God's standard in regard to the defeat and/or death of those considered to be enemies is quite different than the usual human approach. In His Word God reveals this:

Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; lest the LORD see it, and it displease Him, and He turn away His wrath from him. --- Proverbs 24:17,18

But of course, to make reference to such a statement as the preceding from God's Word, is to simply confirm the fact that we as a nation do not want God meddling in our affairs, especially when we are so used to living in a proud and self-serving fashion. Who in the world wants to listen to God -- He's too unreasonable in His demands, so we'll just do things our way!

The day will come when the celebration in the streets will be turned into intense mourning and maybe, just maybe, someone will say, "We need to pray and call on God!" And His response may well be a repeat of what He said a long time ago when a people turned to Him in a crisis. I will not quote that here, but if you dare, turn to Jeremiah 2 in the Old Testament of the Bible and see the details. Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!

In spite of the growing intensity of calamities striking our republic as time goes on, there is no real serious call that we need to repent and turn to God as a nation. Those in elected leadership refuse to seriously take God at His Word and those in church leadership don't seem all that concerned either as to the fact that we may well have crossed over the line of God's offer of grace and mercy on condition of repentance and now it is a matter of time until He brings judgment!!

Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. "Therefore if your enemy hungers, feed him; if he thirsts, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. --- Romans 12:19-21