Birthday Reflections after Passing Four Score!

Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations." [Jeremiah 1:4,5 (KJV)].

It all began on a small farm in Monroe Township, Clarion County in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on August 5, 1933. From then on life would never be the same for Russell and Helen (Sedgwick) Harriger since their lives had been invaded by a young one whom they named Clayton Duane Harriger!

As I observed the date in 2014, with a reminder that I am older than I have ever been before, I was blessed with numerous greetings from friends who live in many different places throughout the world. And I was likewise blessed with greetings and gifts from family members as well.

However, I gave some thought to two main things:

First, I have been blessed by a God of love and mercy far, far beyond what I deserve. This love and mercy became very real to me back in the latter months of 1957 when I received Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord of my life. Shortly after that I sensed His call to enter pastoral ministry and in June of 1959 was appointed to serve the Greenwood and Simpson Methodist Churches in New Castle, Pennsylvania.

I have been blessed in the ministry for over 55 years in every place where God has led Jean and me to serve. We have made many friends in the faith in those places. I have been blessed with good health, taking a limited amount of medication on a daily basis. I “officially” retired from the United Methodist ministry in June of 1996. In November of 1999 I agreed to work with the congregation of the Gipsy Christian Church in Gipsy PA on a part time basis. So I am still doing some pastoral work and will continue so long as God gives me strength to do so.

Blessings have also come over the years since God put it on my heart to start a web site and then a short time later a blog. The web site is Circuit Rider’s Range and the blog is Musings of a Maverick. Both deal with controversial issues as well as related subjects involving faith and responsibility.

Second, I have thought about changes which have taken place in our nation and world in the four score years I have lived. Lots of wars and conflicts of different kinds, starting with WW II in my time. It was noted in today’s news that the 69th anniversary of the dropping of the atom bomb on Hiroshima in Japan was being observed with thousands in attendance. The United States is now more often than not being painted as a very bad guy for having done this. My response is rather simple – who were the people who started something at a place called Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941? I rest my case on that one!

But the more critical changes that have taken place over those 81 years that I have lived are spiritual and moral with pollution in these realms spreading like a fast growing destructive cancer!

God has made available a special revelation to us commonly known as the Bible. He took a period of about 1,500 years and used 40 or more persons in the process to put it all together. It tells us accurately Who God is, what He has done in the past, what He is doing now, and what He plans to do in the future.

His greatest act of course was the sending of His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world for the express purpose of becoming the sacrifice for all the sins committed by the entire human race so that we could be totally forgiven, receive eternal life, and be a citizen of His Kingdom forever!

For over half a century the Christian faith has been viciously attacked and heretics have undermined basic doctrines so that it is no longer unusual to see immoral conduct readily accepted as “normal” in United States culture. When even church leaders conduct “weddings” for same gender “couples” it is obvious we are on the skids racing toward sure and certain judgment!

The two main driving forces in any nation are political and religious in nature. When these become corrupted, then there will be trouble manifested in many different ways. Our own nation is fast approaching its own death throes unless drastic action takes place on part of the leadership followed by the citizens – that drastic action is called repentance – turning from all forms of sin on a personal level as well as collective. However, our political and religious leaders are providing no evidence whatsoever that they are really concerned about getting squared away with Almighty God! And if there is no concern about recognizing the reality of sin and how it is being so readily accepted, nor a serious concern about repenting and seeking God’s mercy, then there is only one thing to which we as a nation can look forward – the undiluted wrath of God poured out in judgment! It is now a question as to how long it will be since God has been increasing the calamities and issuing the call to turn back to Him!

And it shall come to pass, when thou shalt shew this people all these words, and they shall say unto thee, Wherefore hath the Lord pronounced all this great evil against us? or what is our iniquity? or what is our sin that we have committed against the Lord our God? Then shalt thou say unto them, Because your fathers have forsaken me, saith the Lord, and have walked after other gods, and have served them, and have worshipped them, and have forsaken me, and have not kept my law; and ye have done worse than your fathers; for, behold, ye walk every one after the imagination of his evil heart, that they may not hearken unto me…. [Jeremiah 16:10-12 (KJV)]

Too Late to Pray for Our Republic?

The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, "Stand in the gate of the Lord's house, and proclaim there this word, and say, 'Hear the word of the LORD, all you of Judah who enter in at these gates to worship the LORD!'".......... Therefore do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them, nor make intercession to Me; for I will not hear you." --- Jeremiah 7:1,2, 16

There are two very common assumptions about prayer.

One, that God always hears every prayer. That is, when anyone prays, then God is going to hear and respond to that prayer no matter who is doing the praying and no matter the nature of the request that is submitted.

Two, that God will always be around in a crisis when the time comes in which we need to be "bailed out" -- after all, is God not a God of love and He would never leave us stranded in a time when He is so greatly needed, would He?

Tons of books have been written on the subject of prayer. Further, there seems to be no end to a listing of persons considered to be "specialists" in the realm of prayer in times such as these.

And certainly there has at times been an emphasis upon praying for our republic and its leaders. There are solid Biblical grounds for engaging in such a practice.

However, the Bible also reveals that there are limitations regarding prayer. It's sort of like the proverbial "line drawn in the sand." There can be times when God Himself makes clear the fact that it is useless to pray any longer!

It happened in years just prior to 586 B.C. in the ancient Israelite kingdom of Judah. For the most part God's commandments and standards had been rejected by the religious and political leaders in the kingdom. With that kind of leadership it was simply a matter of time before the majority of the citizens followed the ungodly examples set before them. There was a small remnant which still held to the true faith but the influence of this group could not bring about a miraculous change so that the kingdom again was under the favor and blessing of Almighty God.

Now then, how about the United States of America -- the "land of the free and the home of the brave?" Are we in a postion to effectively call on God with assurance that as a nation we will be abundantly blessed and secure or have we "crossed the line" and if there is a response, it is worded something like this: "Therefore do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer for them; for I will not hear them in the time that they cry out to Me because of their trouble." (Jeremiah 11:14).

There is more than a tad of evidence to suggest that it could be the latter scenario! We continue to destroy thousands of unborn children every week of the year. As of this writing we have mutilated and murdered more than 54 million unborn children since the infamous Supreme Court decision in January of 1973. We are a nation of fools of the first magnitude if we believe that God is not going to respond to this massive shedding of innocent blood for which we are solely responsible!

We continue to follow our idols at a fervent pace with money being the #1 "god" and the pleasure "god" being a close runner-up. Idolatry can take many forms and certainly has done so in our republic over decades of time. It can be an object, a person, or a type of activity and involvement in the same.

Our sexual immorality is practiced at an unprecedented rate and the philosophy that "Sex is fun with anyone, or more than one anyone at the same time, anywhere and at any time!" is being adopted by all ages in U.S. culture. God has in His special revelation to us explicitly shown where the boundaries on human sexuality are drawn. The sacred gift of human sexuality is to be shared and experienced within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman. Search all you want to -- you will not find even a hint that God has enlarged the boundaries to include additional sexual activity of different kinds involving males and females, same gender persons, adults with children and/or animals, or whatever bizarre perversion may enter a person's mind.

We are teaching millions of our young every year that we have evolved from lower life forms over millions and millions of years in time -- go ahead, insert however many millions of years you want to -- does it really make any difference? Perhaps the big difference in the millions of years is whether the forehead is sloped 3/4 inch backward or a mere 1/4 of an inch! Of course this also means that you have no need of a Creator and you are free to make your own "rules" in life with no real accountability after you die. Since it was convenient to ban God from the public classroom, it was also very convenient to deny that we are the focus of an act of creation in the past with a divine purpose and plan for each conceived human being. A godless theory filled the resulting vacuum and we are producing millions of young people who wander about day after day with no meaning to their existence!

And the church at large that claims to be "Christian" in faith has become corrupted over decades of time. The Bible is under assault and its truths denied by apostate renegades. Just a couple of many examples is denying the literal resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead following His crucifixion and that Jesus was indeed God appearing on earth in human form in the 1st Century! The United Methodist Church stresses that it is a "connectional church" due to its organized structure. What isn't recognized is the seriousness of the "infection within the connection." When a church leader says that we need to forget about going to other nations and converting the people to Christianity because they have their own religions and we ought not to interfere with that, then something is terribly wrong in light of Jesus' command to take the Gospel into all the world and confront all nations with His claims and call.

Pray for our republic and expect to be heard? It could happen if certain conditions are met. The main one is that the majority (including political and religious leaders) are willing to pray in a repentant spirit as did Daniel who found himself being carried away from his home and placed in a raw heathen environment known as Babylon! Consider the opening statements of his prayer: "Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. And I prayed to the LORD my God, and made confession, and said, 'O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments, we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments. Neither have we heeded Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings and our princes, to our fathers and all the people of the land.....'" (Daniel 9:3-6).

Anyone up to admitting that we are badly out of step with the Creator of this mighty universe and we are guilty of commonly accepted practices which have caused Him to pour out His undiluted wrath in the past on cultures that committed similar transgressions?

And what is this thing that is said about history repeating itself?

Then the LORD said to me, "Do not pray for this people, for their good. When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. But I will consume them by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence." Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, the prophets say to them, 'You shall not see the sword, nor shall you have famine, but I will give you assured peace in this place.'" And the LORD said to me, "The prophets prophesy lies in My name. I have not sent them, commanded them, nor spoken to them; they prophesy to you a false vision, divination, a worthless thing, and the deceit of their heart." --- Jeremiah 14:11-14

Trying to Lead Without the Blessing of God!

Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, "Now, son of man, will you judge, will you judge the bloody city? Yes, show her all her abominations! Then say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "The city sheds blood in her own midst, that her time may come; and she makes idols within herself to defile herself. You have become guilty by the blood which you have shed, and have defiled yourself with the idols which you have made. You have caused your days to draw near, and have come to the end of your years; therefore I have made you a reproach to the nations, and a mockery to all countries. Those near and those far from you will mock you as infamous and full of tumult.” --- Ezekiel 22:1-5

He’s off to bring many of the prominent nations of the world together and to convince them to work together – according to his idea of how the financial woes of the world ought to be resolved, or will he?

President Obama is totally on his own in this venture and so it is also with his administration as he and his key players attempt to govern a republic known as the United States of America.

Just a few simple things to keep in mind:

• he and his people are totally on their own in all that they do with the main reason being that no longer is the blessing of God upon the nation.
  
  
• rampant disobedience on the part of a majority of our population in part has contributed to the withdrawing of God’s blessing. Our mass shedding of innocent blood, idolatry, immorality, pleasure seeking, and indoctrinating our young with lies about our origins does more than stir the emotions of a holy God just a trifle!
  
  
• B. O. is the first president to aggressively support and further expand the destruction of the unborn at all stages of development from a few weeks (embryo destruction) to a short time away from birth. 50 million dollars has just been channeled to groups that do abortions in foreign countries.
  

Read again the statement from Ezekiel which is posted at the top of these comments – God made clear to a people long ago that because of their persistent disobedience the time would come when the nation would be a mockery among other peoples.

Stop and think for a moment – some of us who are older can remember a time when the United States was not only the most powerful nation on the face of the planet, but it was respected in most all places. Wherever the stars and stripes waved there was reason to pause and give thanks for what the nation stood for and the liberties for which it was well known. It was known to be the “land of the free and the home of the brave.”

That is no longer the case. Increased corruption within the leadership ranks, of both state and church, over the years has taken a heavy toll. Those corrupting influences have had a very negative effect on the citizens. As noted in previous postings, you can see an excellent summary as to how a culture unravels at 2 Chronicles 36, beginning with verse 11. Do some comparing and then remember that the tragedy is this -- the vast majority fail to see what has been happening and the reason behind it all!

We are now experiencing the reality of what was stated by a prophet of long ago by the name of Ezekiel. No longer can we claim to be under the blessing of Almighty God!

"Look, the princes of Israel: each one has used his power to shed blood in you.In you they have made light of father and mother; in your midst they have oppressed the stranger; in you they have mistreated the fatherless and the widow. You have despised My holy things and profaned My Sabbaths. In you are men who slander to cause bloodshed; in you are those who eat on the mountains; in your midst they commit lewdness. In you men uncover their fathers' nakedness; in you they violate women who are set apart during their impurity. One commits abomination with his neighbor's wife; another lewdly defiles his daughter-in-law; and another in you violates his sister, his father's daughter. In you they take bribes to shed blood; you take usury and increase; you have made profit from your neighbors by extortion, and have forgotten Me," says the Lord GOD. "Behold, therefore, I beat My fists at the dishonest profit which you have made, and at the bloodshed which has been in your midst. Can your heart endure, or can your hands remain strong, in the days when I shall deal with you? I, the LORD, have spoken, and will do it.” --- Ezekiel 22:6-14

Taking the Wrong Fork in the Road!

"See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the LORD your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess.” --- Deuteronomy 30:15-18

Yes, they were words spoken many centuries ago with most people today being totally unfamiliar with them and the context in which they were spoken. Further, very few today would say that those statements have any relevance in the United States in the year 2009 -- that there is nothing there of any value to us in the 21st Century.

Those words were spoken by the God Who created this universe to a people who were about to occupy a piece of real estate which had been promised centuries earlier to their ancestors. It had been made extremely clear that the people were to honor and obey this God Who had made this lush territory available to them. Warnings were clear also as to what would happen if they lapsed into a state of disobedience and began to adapt to the heathen ways of the people who surrounded them.

As history in shocking fashion reveals, the Israelite people eventually did become corrupted and brought upon themselves the cursing and calamities of which God had warned well in advance. Human nature is such that we apply the “Wet Paint - Don’t Touch!” standard to God’s laws and principles on an ongoing basis – you know, you see a sign that says, “Wet Paint - Don’t Touch!” and you just have to put your finger on the surface to see if the sign means what it says! God says "Don't..." and somehow we feel we can go ahead and go against His command and be OK anyway!

A republic known as the United States has had full access to God’s complete revelation from the time it was established as a sovereign nation. We too have to face the fact that Almighty God has set before us “life and good, death and evil.” The choice is to seek to obey and honor Him on an individual basis as well as collectively as a nation, or to defy Him and choose foolishly to “do our own thing.”

The present government at federal and state levels has exhibited a spirit that demonstrates God’s will and ways for us as a nation are not the least bit important. Consequently the choice has been to travel down the wrong fork in the road with the result being increased calamities of unprecedented intensity in many different forms. This choice is further detailed in the 28th chapter of the book of Deuteronomy in which blessings are described for obedience to God on the national level as well as the calamities and chaos resulting when a nation of people chooses to be disobedient – which is where we are at.

There are many loud voices which claim to identify with conservatism and the call is to return to a “conservative” approach in dealing with our national problems. But even these avoid mentioning the fact that the country is out of step with our Creator and we as a nation have rejected His laws that are absolutely required for a sane, sensible, serene, surviving and spiritually healthy culture.

One of the most deadly attitudes going strong in our nation at the present time is the assumption that God is always with us, looking favorably upon us and He is going to take care of us, no matter what! This assumption is reinforced each time the president speaks to the people and at the conclusion throws out that very familiar phrase, “God bless you and God bless the United States of America!”

The time may be much closer than we realize that our leaders have made very bad decisions and have chosen to take us down the wrong fork in the road -- now it's harvest time! Those of us who grew up on a farm know all too well -- you sow certain seed, you get a harvest from the type of seed which was sown! I rest my case on this one.

"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. Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Cursed shall be the fruit of your body and the produce of your land, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks. Cursed shall you be when you come in, and cursed shall you be when you go out. The LORD will send on you cursing, confusion, and rebuke in all that you set your hand to do, until you are destroyed and until you perish quickly, because of the wickedness of your doings in which you have forsaken Me.” --- Deuteronomy 28:15-20

"If you will not hear, and if you will not take it to heart, to give glory to My name," says the LORD of hosts, "I will send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have cursed them already, because you do not take it to heart." --- Malachi 2:2

Cancer Isn’t Healed With a Band-Aid and An Aspirin Tablet!

A new “stimulus” package of over ¾ of a trillion dollars is being pushed by the Obama Dynasty with the mistaken belief that it will heal the nation’s ills! --- a wide variety of news sources release detailed information on the legislation that will be passed by the U. S. Congress soon.

And the LORD said to Moses, "Go, get down! For your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves. They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them. They have made themselves a molded calf, and worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, 'This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!'" And the LORD said to Moses, "I have seen this people, and indeed it is a stiff-necked people!” --- Exodus 32:7-9

Here’s the situation – you have been diagnosed with a fast spreading deadly cancer – your doctor slaps a band-aid on your arm, gives you a bottle of aspirin tablets, tells you to take 4 tablets a day and come back for a check up in a month!

Crazy? Unreal? Something that was conceived in the Twilight Zone? Sure it is! Anyone with at least 2 ounces of brain knows that.

But that is precisely what is going on in our republic at the present time as the Obama Dynasty seeks to come up with a “prescription” to heal the nation’s ills. This newly installed dynasty mistakenly believes it is the economy that needs the “fix” just as soon as possible.


The root problem, however, is moral, ethical and spiritual in nature. Until that is seriously addressed the economic calamity will abound, as will a host of others besides. It simply hasn’t dawned on elected officials (and church leaders too!) that we just may be in a period when Almighty God is beginning to reckon with the false gods we have devised out of perverted imaginations and established throughout this nation over time, including the prominent and dominant “god” of money! We are a 21st Century version of what is described in the Scripture above as God observed that those who claimed to be His people had corrupted themselves.

But heading the list of our offenses for which we are reaping a most unpleasant harvest is the “shedding of innocent blood” – you know, the intentional murders of thousands of unborn children every week of the year! President Barack Hussein Obama vigorously supports this policy, is determined to preserve and continue it and recently signed an executive order which directs that millions of our tax dollars will go to family planning groups in foreign countries that do abortions and encourage this option in the “family planning” experience!

There is a heap of repenting needed at the present time due to our massive accumulation of offenses committed against the God Who in mercy raised this republic up over 232 years ago.

Tossing out phrases such as “God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America.” are totally meaningless. Elected officials and church leaders are in the strategic position to issue a most urgent clarion call to repent of all sin and call upon God for mercy through His Son, Jesus Christ, Who alone makes forgiveness, healing and reconciliation possible!

Will it really happen? A few of us would hope so but it is not likely in light of many past lessons from history, especially as we learn details of the ancient kingdoms of Israel and Judah which existed centuries ago and how these related to God.

The Obama Dynasty will blindly and ignorantly insist on applying the band-aid and aspirin treatment to a terminally ill patient.

Note below how it was for a nation that found itself in the same quandary as we at the present time. Maybe the question isn’t seriously being asked yet, but it will be somewhere down the road!

"And it will be when you say, 'Why does the LORD our God do all these things to us?' then you shall answer them, 'Just as you have forsaken Me and served foreign gods in your land, so you shall serve aliens in a land that is not yours.' "Declare this in the house of Jacob and proclaim it in Judah, saying, 'Hear this now, O foolish people, without understanding, who have eyes and see not, and who have ears and hear not: do you not fear Me?' says the LORD. 'Will you not tremble at My presence, Who have placed the sand as the bound of the sea, by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass beyond it? And though its waves toss to and fro, yet they cannot prevail; though they roar, yet they cannot pass over it. But this people has a defiant and rebellious heart; they have revolted and departed. They do not say in their heart, "Let us now fear the LORD our God, Who gives rain, both the former and the latter, in its season. He reserves for us the appointed weeks of the harvest." Your iniquities have turned these things away, and your sins have withheld good things from you. 'For among My people are found wicked men; they lie in wait as one who sets snares; they set a trap; they catch men. As a cage is full of birds, so their houses are full of deceit. Therefore they have become great and grown rich. They have grown fat, they are sleek; yes, they surpass the deeds of the wicked; they do not plead the cause, the cause of the fatherless; yet they prosper, and the right of the needy they do not defend. Shall I not punish them for these things?' says the LORD. 'Shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?' "An astonishing and horrible thing has been committed in the land: the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own power; and My people love to have it so. But what will you do in the end?” --- Jeremiah 5:19-31

Politics and Prostitution -- Now, There's a Marriage Made in the Good Old U.S. of A!

NEW YORK - As Gov. Eliot Spitzer faced mounting calls to resign, Republican legislators indicated they will seek to impeach him if he doesn't quit within 48 hours, a spokesman for a leading New York assemblyman said Tuesday.

"The governor has 48 hours to resign or articles of impeachment would be introduced," Josh Fitzpatrick, spokesman for Assembly Republican Minority Leader James Tedisco, told Reuters.... -- opening statement of MSNBC news release as contributed by AP and Reuters, March 11, 2008

Well now -- what have we here? This "marriage" between politics and prostitution -- why is it that some of us are not surprised? It's not as though things of this kind never happened before -- it's just that now, when it happens, it's a feeding frenzy for the media people -- same thing as throwing a bloody piece of meat into waters swarming with great white sharks!

There was a time when the media knew, but kept quiet -- remember Jack and Bobby? You know, those Kennedy brothers who had an overwhelming tendency to stray from their marital beds! But times have changed a bit since those days of long ago, when politicians who strayed were exempt from the media watch dogs.

But why all the fuss over Eliot's indiscretion, or how ever many times he chose to indulge in playing "house" with females other than his wife? This is simply a symptom of a far greater crisis -- a symbol of the moral and spiritual health of the whole republic!

But you will not hear the media giving headlines to this one -- the United States has played the role of an adulterous wife -- she has forsaken the God Who in mercy raised the her up from the beginning and blessed her abundantly through many decades. The tragedy can be best expressed in the words of a prophet who lived a long time ago and who addressed his generation in such words, as God directed, as the following:

"They say, 'If a man divorces his wife, and she goes from him and becomes another man's, may he return to her again?' Would not that land be greatly polluted? But you have played the harlot with many lovers; yet return to Me," says the LORD. Lift up your eyes to the desolate heights and see: where have you not lain with men? By the road you have sat for them like an Arabian in the wilderness; and you have polluted the land with your harlotries and your wickedness. Therefore the showers have been withheld, and there has been no latter rain. You have had a harlot's forehead; you refuse to be ashamed." --- Jeremiah 3:1-3

The Spitzer scandal is very minor compared to the national scandal of how we have in a sense given Almighty God that obscene gesture which is very popular with people of all ages, including the very young! What are we going to do when God makes His response -- and be assured, He will definitely make a response and when He does, no one will feel like partying! There is an outside possibility that large numbers will entertain the thought that maybe they ought to check in the neighborhood to see if any churches are open and whether or not there are any pastors around who might give an explanation as to what is going on! It may be that the experience will be a rerun of something that happened a long time ago ------

"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

Obsessed with Fouled Up Celebrities in a Culture with a Fouled Up Justice System!

O LORD, how long shall I cry, and You will not hear? even cry out to You, "Violence!" And You will not save. Why do You show me iniquity, and cause me to see trouble? For plundering and violence are before me; there is strife, and contention arises. Therefore the law is powerless, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; therefore perverse judgment proceeds. --- Habakkuk 1:2-4

One has to wonder -- that is, if you have the stomach to view it all for a few minutes -- news media people are drawn to those fouled up celebrities more so than flies are to a rotting carcass on a hot summer day -- you know, those flies that lay eggs which hatch into maggots by the thousands and they eagerly gnaw away on that rotting carcass!

In the waning days of July 2007 a "celebrity" actress grabs the headlines with a second D.U.I. plus having cocaine in her possession. Instantly there is an assembly of "experts" to dissect this drama as to what this means in terms of possible jail time, etc. As the discussion is pursued the viewer is plagued with constant exposure to the actress in question as photos are splashed across the screen.

At the same time news breaks forth concerning a star NFL football player and his direct involvement in illegal dog fighting activities. Again, the "experts" are called upon to comment -- what will happen to this guy who has a multimillion dollar contract to toss around a piece of pig skin filled with air?

With the ongoing corruption of the judicial system and the favoritism that is always shown in regard to the rich and the famous, not a whole lot will come of these latest debacles. The maximum will be a slight slap on the hand with an admonishment in so many words, "You naughty little girl (or boy) -- you shouldn't do that -- now promise you'll try not to do it anymore!" We also need to remember that the number of lawyers without any real deep convictions between right and wrong keeps increasing -- with dollar signs in place of eye balls this bunch is willing to do whatever necessary to get a rich client off the hook, in spite of the client being clearly proven guilty -- ah, money -- that green stuff that we will do anything to get, even by questionable means!

The greatest tragedy of all is the powerful influence such warped personalities as mentioned above have on our young folk -- there is no conscience and no sense of responsibility in setting a high moral and ethical standard by way of example for those young and tender in age to follow.

Equally tragic is the fact that those in the news media so obsessed with the antics of those fouled up celebrities do not give any significant emphasis to the need of being a high quality moral example to the young who look up to those celebrities!

And we continue to wonder why our culture is unraveling at the seams. Has anyone made a connection that it is due to abandonment of those Judeo/Christian values which are absolutely necessary to the ongoing sober, sane, sensible, serene, and spiritual existence of a culture?

"Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'Execute true justice, show mercy and compassion everyone to his brother. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. Let none of you plan evil in his heart against his brother.' "But they refused to heed, shrugged their shoulders, and stopped their ears so that they could not hear. "Yes, they made their hearts like flint, refusing to hear the law and the words which the LORD of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. Thus great wrath came from the LORD of hosts. "Therefore it happened, that just as He proclaimed and they would not hear, so they called out and I would not listen," says the LORD of hosts. --- Zechariah 7:9-13

Peeking into the Future!

Ah, what fascination -- what adventure -- unparalleled excitement as one seeks to probe the future and what lies in store for us!

Many are the gimmicks and methods employed to see what the future holds for us. There are efforts to contact the dead -- maybe we can touch base with aunt Susie or uncle Sylvester and they can give us a clue as to what's going to happen next month on the 23rd! Then there are the crystal ball people and the others who lay out cards with weird pictures on them. Still others say it's all in the stars and planet alignment -- the zodiac and your astrological sign -- all this stuff as it interacts somehow shows us what is yet to be. And it is a given -- there are those who read the daily Horoscope (should it really be spelled "Horrorscope?") religiously and act accordingly -- it is their "bible" for shaky times such as these!

OK -- do you want information that is 100 per cent accurate and comes from the most reliable source you will ever consult in a lifetime? Really -- are you sure about that?

Then be sure you hold to that desire, because it is possible to know some things for sure when it comes to future happenings. Now this is not the kind of information where you will be tipped off as to what you will eat for breakfast next Friday morning or what you will be wearing when you leave the house. On the other hand, this is information that gives you basic facts as to what is going to happen so that you are challenged to make the proper preparation for the events taking place.

Our Authority is none other than Jesus Christ Himself! Only He is qualified to reveal the basic facts as to what the future of this world holds in regard to its human inhabitants. Statements He made on future events are found mainly in Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 17 and Luke 21 in the New Testament Scriptures.

In consulting them do not let anyone, pastor or teacher or layperson, try to foul you up about "interpretation" -- just imagine Jesus speaking these words to you and take them at face value -- you'll come out alright!

The world and nations within it will become increasingly corrupted spiritually, morally and ethically. Jesus summarized this trend by saying it will be like it was in the generation in which Noah lived before the judgment of the flood and as it was in Lot's time when he lived in the city of Sodom before it was destroyed by a judgment of fire!

There will be all manner of earthly calamities and cosmic phenomena happening. Note some the specific things to which Jesus made reference:

• massive deception and delusion will take place -- Jesus repeats Himself on this warning to be alert and not allow yourself to be deceived by false teachers
  
• wars and rumors of wars with nation rising against nation and kingdom against kingdom -- there will be no peace in spite of efforts to achieve it
  
• there will be famines in many places -- people starve to death every day in some nations of this world
  
• pestilences (devastating diseases) will be found throughout the world -- e.g. Africa is being ravaged by Aids in spite of massive amounts of money being poured into that continent in an effort to bring it under control -- sexually transmitted diseases are on the increase!
  
• earthquakes are increasing in frequency -- sensitive instruments record the crust of the earth is quivering constantly like a bowl of jello being shaken -- and then a tragic by-product of an earthquake sometimes happens -- it's called a tsunami -- ever hear of it?
  
• lawlessness abounding with the tragic result that some will simply give up, considering that the price to be paid for resisting evil is simply too high!
  
• increased hatred and persecution of Christians as the home stretch of human history runs its course!
  
• a time labeled as "great tribulation" -- trouble so intense that nothing like it has ever happened before nor ever shall again!
  

The New Testament writers added to this information in different ways such as 2 Timothy 3 and 4; 2 Peter 2 and 3; and Jude. The biggie in all this is the book of The Revelation with lots of detail -- enough to make the thinking person say, "I want to be sure I'm right with God and I'm on the way to heaven when my life on earth if over."

The responsibility of the Christian is first and foremost that of being a witness in word and deed to the salvation which is exclusively offered through Jesus Christ, Who is Savior and Lord over all. Here are some things to bear in mind:

• daily disciplines of Bible reading/study and prayer -- every day, no exceptions!
  
• involvement in the fellowship of believers, giving public expression to one's faith
  
• personally pursue holiness by the grace of God as the minimal standard for one's lifestyle -- this means saying "No!" to a wide ranging acceptance of indulgences and practices by a majority of persons in today's world, including what is sometimes advocated even in professing Christian circles -- and sometimes by church leaders themselves who profess to be "Christian!" The Holy Spirit is faithful to guide us in these matters and in the making of our choices -- that is, if we permit Him to guide us.
  
• sound the warning trumpet of impending judgement by Almighty God and the reasons why God has every right to bring judgment without delay!
  
• keep reminded each day that Jesus' return could be at any time -- but also, be reminded that here in the "comfortable" United States things could become very difficult for Christians before Jesus does return -- some object to this possibility and suggest that before it gets too tough He will come and take the Christians out of here. But why should we be favored in such a manner when right now in other places in this world our Christian brothers and sisters are being put to death for their faith, or beaten, tortured and put in prison for no other reason than the fact that they are followers of the Lord Jesus Christ! We are a spoiled and pampered lot, are we not?
  
• apply the prayer as mentioned in Psalm 141:5 diligently -- pray specifically against the deeds of the wicked -- there are a lot of them around, you know, doing a lot of things which God condemns. They sit behind desks in high places as well as lurking about in dark alleys!
  

Be concerned about the future -- ask God to help you understand those things He has revealed about the future, and to prepare you to speak about it. Be bold in stressing the fact that there is absolutely no hope in the future outside of Jesus Christ. We are urged to comfort one another from time to time with the reality that Jesus is going to come back to earth again as King of kings and Lord of lords. Amen!

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. --- Titus 2:11-14