The Most Powerful god in the World Is in a Staggering Mode and Suffering Acute Anemia!

"You shall have no other gods before Me.” --- Exodus 20:3

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money…….lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God…--- 2 Timothy 3:1, 2a, 4b

Millions would deny it, but it is true, no matter the objections – the most powerful “god” in the world is no longer that. In fact as suggested by the title, this “god” is in a staggering and quite weakened mode, suffering acute anemia in terms of monetary strength!

It is most appropriate to refer to this as a “deity” that dominates the thoughts and lustful desires of a majority of this world’s population in all nations. Furthermore, it has the allegiance of the poor as well as the very wealthy. It is not just in the corporate world that this “deity” has its devotees, but in governments among all nations as well. This definitely includes a debtor nation known as the United States of America!

This “god” is money! As mentioned, there would be a lot of vehement denials, but as the old saying goes, “The proof of the pudding is in the eating!” Where is it that major attention is now focused and has been for quite some time? Is it not on what is happening in the world of finance? Is not the evidence overwhelming that money is the “god” to which multitudes give attention day and night, and it is that toward which they expend energy in order to get as much as they can? And in far too many places are not highly questionable “ethics” employed in that quest, because this “god” has no ethical standards – get all the money you can by “hook or by crook” – and whatever you can get away with, whether you be in government or in business, it’s OK so long as you don’t get caught. And if you should get caught, if you have enough of the “green stuff” you can usually buy your way out of the situation with a high powered lawyer (whose ethics may also be highly questionable) or get a very mild sentence at most! Years ago a fellow got nailed for insider trading on wall street, spent a short time in a country club prison and then was released to go and enjoy the millions he had made illegally. His philosophy was that a little greed is a good thing!

The crisis has developed, not just in the United States, but talk is in regard to the “world economy” and how disaster has struck in many, many places around the world in terms of the money situation! There are protests in many foreign cities as people feel extreme frustration about what is happening financially and the negative impact that is having on their lives.

Now if we may turn our attention to the true and living God Who created a mighty universe of which this puny world occupies but a small spec of space – for the time being this God has permitted the chaos to take place since a majority has chosen to make money their “god.” However, it is wise to remember that the true and living God also chooses when He will bring judgment on false and totally unreliable deities which people take unto themselves. One of the most dramatic demonstrations of this was when Almighty God set the Israelite people free from their enslavement to the Egyptians and brought them to the promised land of Canaan. It is explained simply in such words as these:

“For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.” --- Exodus 12:12

Have you ever noticed that God is quite explicit in speaking to the issue as to Who should be God and the deadly danger of replacing Him with another deity?

Keep alert and see what all happens in days to come as this very popular “god” which so many members of the human race have set up for themselves comes increasingly under the “gun” of the One Who put this world together a long time ago by simple spoken commands! It will also be most interesting to see how government leaders and their “expert advisors” deal with the “god” which is suffering from acute anemia – and you do know, do you not, that this “god’s” blood runs green!

By the way -- do you see what God says will happen if a people who make the claim that He is their God, but they choose to make another deity or a number of deities dominant in their lives? How about reading that whole chapter -- it takes a while for God to detail all the calamities that will come on a nation that makes the fatal mistake of replacing Him with false and unreliable gods!

"So you shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right hand or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them. But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you: Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the country…” --- Deuteronomy 28:14-16

The Shedding of Innocent Blood – 21st Century Application!

They did not destroy the peoples, concerning whom the LORD had commanded them, but they mingled with the Gentiles and learned their works; they served their idols, which became a snare to them. They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons, and shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; and the land was polluted with blood. Thus they were defiled by their own works, and played the harlot by their own deeds. Therefore the wrath of the LORD was kindled against His people, so that He abhorred His own inheritance. --- Psalm 106:34-40

One of the earliest recorded statements employing the term, “shed innocent blood,” is found in the book of Psalms in the Old Testament. The practice of such goes back much earlier in human history.

The expression refers to a deliberate act in which an innocent victim is violently assaulted and his or her life is terminated! The very first instance of the shedding of innocent blood took place when a man by the name of Cain made a decision to murder his brother, Abel. (Genesis 4).

The circumstances under which the shedding of innocent blood can take place are widely varied. The result, however, is always the same – one or more innocent persons lose their lives because of violent acts perpetrated against them. The ages of the victims can vary greatly ranging from infants to the very elderly.

Records from more recent history indicate that motives for such activity were the elimination of what were considered “undesirables” for one reason or another or else a “purifying” by the racial group which held the reins of power in government. Nazi philosophy and actions during WW II is a shocking demonstration of this. The shedding of innocent blood by the Nazis amounted to at least 15 million or more.

In very ancient times certain heathen peoples became convinced that some of their deities could not be appeased unless a human being was offered in sacrifice. We have Biblical information on some details concerning these abominable practices. The Canaanite people threw babies into a blazing fire as a sacrifice to one deity named Molech. It was the only way you could keep Molech from getting mad and doing some nasty things to you!

Eventually the Israelites, who had been previously informed rather clearly that there was but one God and He was to be honored and obeyed, became corrupted by compromise and began to worship such heathen deities as Molech and others. Needless to say, God was more than a little upset about this as we learn from statements made in the Scriptures.

As we look at the scene in those days as the shedding of innocent blood became a rather popular way of life for backslidden Israelites, suppose we could have engaged in conversation with them -- what might they have said? “You ask why do we do this shedding of innocent blood? It’s practical and convenient – it’s a way of population control and we don’t have to be bothered with that kid which we didn’t want in the first place – just another mouth gone which we don’t have to feed anymore! We weave religion into the whole process with the understanding that Molech certainly has our best interest at heart!”

Realistically one would have to conclude that a civilized culture could never resort to such practices. Certainly a number of people who are sensitive to true justice and a realistic view of human life from God’s point of view would agree that the shedding of innocent blood is something to be avoided without exception.

However, the United States has been proving that it has been an exception for quite some time. Honesty dictates to a sensitive conscience that the shedding of innocent blood applies not just to every human being ever born, but to those who are yet to be born.

But we have leaders in government, including the president, and other people in high places as well as in organized groups who take a backslidden Israelite approach to the shedding of innocent blood – it’s convenient for a number of reasons and it is a “constitutional right” to do so.

There are even church “leaders” who sanction the practice – if they had lived centuries ago, they would have been the ones who would have seduced the Israelites to “try the Canaanite ways, because it looks like a good thing!”

An interesting thing exists in the United Methodist Church – lots of talk and “campaigning” for getting mosquito netting to combat malaria in Africa – we are told of at least 1 million children dying each year in Africa from malaria – but you won’t hear even one United Methodist bishop making an issue of the shedding of innocent blood in this country and the shocking fact that over 1 million unborn children are torn to pieces and murdered in their mothers’ (term used very loosely) wombs each year in these “civilized” United States!

Will it ever be stopped? Not likely – the spirit of Molech is deeply entrenched at all levels of our culture – well that is, it likely won’t be stopped until that day when Almighty God steps in and puts a stop to it – do you want to be around when that happens?

Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue has muttered perversity. No one calls for justice, nor does any plead for truth. they trust in empty words and speak lies; they conceive evil and bring forth iniquity………….. Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths. The way of peace they have not known, and there is no justice in their ways; they have made themselves crooked paths; whoever takes that way shall not know peace. --- Isaiah 59:1-4, 7, 8

"For if you thoroughly amend your ways and your doings, if you thoroughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbor, if you do not oppress the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, or walk after other gods to your hurt, then I will cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever.” --- Jeremiah 7:5-7

Are the U. S. "gods" Finally Coming Under Fire?

"For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD." --- Exodus 12:12

The new year of 2008 isn't starting off with a host of pleasant and nice things for the United States. Lots of calamities of one kind or another are erupting!

After going through a rash of destructive wild fires, California is now being hammered again with a massive storm which has resulted in mass power outages, a big bunch of snow in high elevations, and threatened mud slides in those areas burned off by the fires earlier.

There are other weather related problems which have or are taking place in other parts of the country and causing more than just a tad of havoc!

And then there is the bad news of higher unemployment and the loss taking place in the stock market -- the U. S. dollar is taking a hammering in more ways than one throughout the world!

International relations are not the best as we continue to struggle with the Iraq and the Afghanistan debacles. The assassination of the former Prime Minister of Pakistan has not helped the U. S. as it continues to "wage war" against terrorism as President Bush attempts to define it!

The United States used to be a nation highly respected throughout the world decades ago, but such is no longer the case. We are a country more often than not mocked, ridiculed, and intensely despised by many people in other nations. And when some high ranking official from the U. S. government goes on a "mission" to some other country for the purpose of improving relations or resolving some conflict his or her efforts often prove to be fruitless due to not having any significant measure of respect -- for instance, just how effective has Secretary of State, Condoleeza Rice, been in solving the problems anywhere she has gone during her foreign junkets? It's been talk, talk, talk with a news report of some kind saying that the discussions have been "productive." But in actuality, there has been no significant "production!"

A possible explanation for all this? Could it be that the false "deities" which we have fashioned for ourselves, especially during the last half of the 20th Century, are coming under fire by Almighty God? He has judged nations in the past and in the process has singled out their various idols as a target of His wrath! Ancient Egypt is a classic example, but not the only one!

Part of the tragedy in such an experience is that usually the leadership, political and religious, as well as the citizens refuse to face the reality of this. The response they often make is in the form of a question -- "Why is God doing these things to us?" Note the pattern which was set many centuries ago -- the only difference is that we have more technology with which to do more evil at a faster pace than did those people of ancient time!

"And it shall be, when you show this people all these words, and they say to you, 'Why has the LORD pronounced all this great disaster against us? Or what is our iniquity? Or what is our sin that we have committed against the LORD our God?' then you shall say to them, 'Because your fathers have forsaken Me,' says the LORD; 'they have walked after other gods and have served them and worshiped them, and have forsaken Me and not kept My law. And you have done worse than your fathers, for behold, each one walks according to the imagination of his own evil heart, so that no one listens to Me.'" --- Jeremiah 16:10-12

Think about this as we move through 2008 and each time some kind of calamity takes place in some form or other in our republic, ask this -- "Is God using this to try to wake us up and bring us to repentance, as individuals and as a nation?"

By the way, some of the more prominent U. S. "deities" are mentioned along the way in Driving The Final Nails! A link at the bottom of that area will bring you back to this place. A warning in advance -- the experience could upset you quite a bit!

The LORD will be awesome to them, for He will reduce to nothing all the gods of the earth; people shall worship Him, each one from his place, indeed all the shores of the nations. --- Zephaniah 2:11

A Post Script on That Ongoing Christmas Controversy!

"Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake." --- Jesus in Matthew 24:9

A couple of days ago I posted comments under the title, "It's Not Really About Christmas, But About the One At the Center of It!" Also included in those comments was a suggestion to look at "Jesus Meets the Committee!"

Jesus, Who is the absolute Authority on all matters pertaining to humans, their activities, relationships and future destiny, foretold how it would be in the final stages of human history as we are now experiencing it. After all, among other things, He is our Creator -- so why wouldn't He be the absolute Authority on all things that have to do with the members of the human race?

Specifically He said the time would come when those who faithfully identify with Him would be hated among all nations -- note that He did not say "except for..." -- He said "ALL" nations! By the way, do you suppose the United States is a part of the group?

In fact, Jesus said this thing will become so intense that those who kill Christians will believe they are doing service for God Whom they claim to represent! Oh, you can verify that by looking at John 15:18 - 16:3.

Of course there is a way to avoid this hatred and hostility which Jesus so vividly predicted and is now coming to pass just as He said.

All you have to do is to back off from insisting that Jesus is God revealed in human form -- that He sacrificed His life for all the sins of the entire human race to make total forgiveness possible -- that He literally was resurrected from the dead -- that He is the only way to be forgiven, accepted and looked upon favorably by Almighty God -- and that He is coming back to this world at some point in the future and will take complete control and rule it with true righteousness and justice (this means that all world governments will be terminated as we now know them!).

Now, now -- don't get upset with me -- just examine His statements for yourself where He makes reference to His return to earth -- if you want to deny that and try to make Him out to be a liar, that's your stupidity, not mine!

Further you simply say that His absolute demands upon all of us humans don't really mean anything (see Matthew 18:3; Luke 13:3; John 3:3; John 6:53). And you also say that His absolute claims concerning Himself don't really mean anything either (see John 6:35, 48, 51; 8:12, 58; 10:9, 11; 11:25; 14:6; 15:1).

It's really very easy and you won't upset people as you clearly establish your "demotion" of Jesus and reduce Him to the same level as other professed "deities" such as Vishnu, Shiva, Allah, Buddha, and a whole hoard of others -- Jesus becomes just "one of the boys" in a world of a gigantic religious buffet -- just pick and choose a deity (or more than one -- safety in numbers you know!) to your liking with the understanding that they all hold equal ranking -- none is superior to any other!

And don't think you will be blazing a new path by your "demotion" of the Son of God -- others have already beat you to that -- you are just moving through their dust! Among that group professing to be "Christian" are theologians, seminary professors, church leaders, pastors, teachers, and laity in church pews who have been doing this for quite some time -- it has just gained a bit more momentum in recent years!

However bear in mind that such a choice is a deadly one for anyone professing to be a "Christian" -- those demands and claims by Jesus to which previous reference has been made really do not allow for such an option, unless one wants to spend eternity in a devil's Hell!

We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other, so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure, which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer; since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed. --- 2 Thessalonians 1:3-10

Is Your God the One Who Will Do It, OR Will Your god Be a Victim of It?

The LORD will be awesome to them, for He will reduce to nothing all the gods of the earth; people shall worship Him, each one from his place, indeed all the shores of the nations. --- Zephaniah 2:11

Thus you shall say to them: "The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under these heavens. He has made the earth by His power, He has established the world by His wisdom, And has stretched out the heavens at His discretion. When He utters His voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens: and He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning for the rain, He brings the wind out of His treasuries." --- Jeremiah 10:11-13

"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

He has done it at times throughout human history and one of these days the republic of the United States will undergo a similar experience.

Cultures have only one extremely critical issue to settle and time is limited as to whether that issue is settled correctly for the citizens’ well being and ongoing survival or incorrectly with the result that disintegration and ultimate disaster takes place! That issue is simply choosing who will be the deity (or deities) that all the citizens will honor, reverence, love, and obey daily.

Will the choice be to worship and obey the living eternal God Who loved us humans so much that He gave His only Son, Jesus Christ, to be the atoning sacrifice for every sin committed by every human since Adam and Eve were kicked out of the Garden of Eden for their disobedience to this God?

OR will the choice be to reject this true God and concoct a myriad of false deities as has been demonstrated by cultures down through the millennia of human history and continues at a vigorous pace in today’s world?

God has also demonstrated something most graphically. He targets His judgments not just at defiant human beings but also at the false deities they have created for themselves. What could be more explicit than this:

'For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. --– Exodus 12:12

Egypt was in a bad state of affairs after this incident. The Egyptians also discovered too late that they had made some very bad choices when it came to selection of deities around which they would rally! Can’t you just picture those Egyptians desperately calling on their sun god during those 3 days in which it was so dark you could almost slice it with a knife?

Now, are you ready for this? For decades a large number of U. S. citizens have established their own peculiar brand of false deities – no, not the kind that are crafted of wood, stone, or metal but nevertheless they are still very real in the lives of millions of all ages. The living God Who put this great universe together by simple spoken commands is ignored, insulted, and blasphemed on a 24/7 basis! The day set aside in which He is to be worshipped and honored has been trashed in countless ways – Sunday should be renamed Funday in order to more accurately reflect how low we as a society have sunk in the decades following WW II!

So how will it be in your case? Is the God Who will eventually bring all the deities now prominent on U. S. soil down and crush them into dust your God Whom you seek to honor and serve with all your heart?

OR will your god (or gods – you could have accumulated quite a number of them as did the ancient Egyptians) be the helpless and defenseless victim/s of indescribable judgment of the living God and Creator of this mighty universe?

Those who have made bad choices in determining their deities will be in a very precarious position to say the least. Don’t be one of them. Make sure you are “squared away” in your relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ. And that you are living each day with the blessed assurance that He indeed is Savior and Lord in your life and the One Whom you are expecting to return to rule this world forever.

Further information on this eternal issue is found at How to Become a Christian! A link at the bottom of the area will bring you back to this location.

Further information with graphic details on the many deities to which citizens of the United States are giving enthusiastic devotion is found at Popular Deities of American Culture! A link at the bottom of the area will bring you back to this location.

"And you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven. They have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your concubines, have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which do not see or hear or know; and the God who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways, you have not glorified.” --- Daniel 5:23

"You shall have no other gods before Me. --– Exodus 20:3