Musings of a Prodigal Son - The Architect of Evil

"But what I am doing I will continue to do, so that I may cut off opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the matter about which they are boasting. For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds." (2 Corinthians 11:12-15)

I remember as a child living in Alabama that there were these beautiful red berries that grew in the woods that looked so delicious. However, at an early age, my mother and dad taught me that eating these berries would make me very sick. They looked delicious. In fact they looked even more delicious than the strawberries that we grew in our small strawberry patch. There is a lesson in these berries. Things that can hurt us are not always "ugly" and they don't always "appear" to be bad.

There are two types of people in this world (there are actually more but basically we can divide people into two groups. There are those that believe that there is an organizing entity who works in this world toward some end. They believe that things are not random but rather intricately designed by a creator who has a divine purpose. There is also the type of person in the world who believes that everything is random. This person believes that things happen per chance and that  arbitrary circumstances create the world as we know it. These people believe that evolutionary changes in one way or another will continue until some happen stance destroys this world as we know it. This will result in some other form at some distant time in the future. This is some form of the "Big Bang" logic of the universe.

The purpose of this blog is not to discuss the differences of each of these viewpoints. I want to spend time today exploring the first type of belief where an organizing entity works toward some end or purpose. For those of us who call ourselves Christians, we believe that the organizing entity is God and that He is moving His creation toward a specific purpose. Mainly, to create a people who will have eternal fellowship with Him.

Just as God has a purpose for humanity, so does Satan (the fallen one mentioned in scripture many times). His overriding purpose is to destroy humanity and keep us all eternally separated from God. The Bible says that he roams the earth (his domain), seeking whom he may devour.  It would seem that an enemy so cruel would be readily recognizable. However, this is not the case. Make no mistake, just as God's plan for each of our lives is very detailed, so is Satan's. Satan is the master architect of this present world. This is his domain, his stage. This is where he plays his final cards, this is his curtain call. As such, he makes the most of the resources that he has at his disposal.

A tactic of war since the beginning of time has been to blend in with the enemy. This is a very effective tactic as it is impossible to kill an enemy whom you cannot see or distinguish from your allies. This is the reason that spies and traitors, throughout history have met with such stiff punishments when caught. They are very destructive to a nation or people. There is no defense against something that you don't see coming. Name the greatest defensive weapons you can think of and I'll guarantee you that they are ineffective against an unseen foe. Terrorism is such a destructive force not because of its firepower and brute force but rather because of it's potential to remain unseen until a strike is eminent.

I became a Pastor in 1991. At that time, I was a "wet behind the ears" 23 year-old who wanted to conquer the world for God. I didn't have the "big city experience" of some large church in a urban setting but did take my task seriously as a small town pastor of a church of loving people. The world in which I began to pastor was a world that basically got its news from three sources: the TV, the newspaper, and the radio. Anything else was "hearsay" that someone heard from someone else. It wasn't a perfect world, some of the same abuses occurred then as today but good information was easier to gain and people often got their world view and moral underpinning from people that they "knew". The trusted people in the community were the Pastors, the teachers, and the civil authorities, as well as elderly people who had truly "lived" before. Many today would call this an "isolated" existence. They would be mistaken. Many of the same lessons learned by people today were learned by people who lived this type of life. Additionally, the same concerns, the same problems (though the manifestation might have been different) existed then as today. The opportunity to grow as a person existed then as it does today.

I remember studying history in college. There was a period of history called, "The Age of Enlightenment." Sounds good doesn't it. Basically, this was a time period during the 18th century in which people expanded their minds to think in new ways. The Arts and Sciences expanded greatly during this time to include things that were forbidden before. Reason became the guiding force instead of faith. This in turn fostered in an age of discovery in which many inventions and technologies developed. These periods of "evolution" are marked by many good things. New vaccines are developed, new appreciation for various forms of art developed, and many technological advances were gained that allowed for a better quality of life. In a parallel sense, destructive forces also gained a foothold. These included the advent and expansion of forms of destructive arts, music, and man's elevation to the place of God as the determining entity for future success. Various diseases, which did not exist previously also began to manifest. Humanism (man's quest to determine his own destiny) began to take a foothold in the educated world. It seems in the recent past, we, as a nation have had somewhat of another "Age of Enlightenment" as man depends more and more on his own humanistic devices to make the world a better place. With the advent of new and better gadgets, we have also seen a moral decay and lack of accountability to a determining authority and objective truth greater than ourselves. In short, as we became more enlightened as a society, we have moved further away from the truth of God.

Exposure to anything over a long period of time creates a desensitization to whatever is exposed. Even nature bears this out. When an antibiotic is used to treat a disease caused by a bacteria, over time, the bacteria develops a mechanism to "live comfortably with" the anti-biotic. The bacteria has become "immune" to the invader. As humans are exposed to various things in the world, we too develop a tolerance for them and learn to "live comfortably with" whatever those things are. If these things contain seeds of destruction, if we are not careful about our exposure, we began to live comfortably with them. Over time we become desensitized to these things and live comfortably with them. These things can be good or bad. How do we determine which is good and bad if we can "live comfortably" with both? This is where God's Word comes into play. I used to think that Pastor's made such a big deal about the Bible being the inerrant Word of God. Why is this so important to believe? Because without a belief in the "guidebook" (Bible), humanity is open to any and every type of deception. We cannot interpret the guidebook by our experience but rather must interpret our experience by the guidebook. Deception does not come at us and "announce himself" as being deception. By its very nature, deception is the act of appearing to be something that it is NOT. An example may be prudent here. If you see pictures of me now, you will clearly recognize that I am overweight. If I used Photoshop to "paste" a well-toned muscular body on to my head and my skill was great enough to make it blend in and I posted a picture of this TOMORROW, you would still recognize it as a "fake" because of the drastic change in my appearance in a very short period of time. If, however, I posted pictures daily of me working out with weights, used Photoshop OVER TIME to doctor my pictures with various stages of muscle, it would not be hard to make you believe that I have a "six pack" abdomen and am in excellent physical condition, although in reality I may still be overweight. The point is I am deceiving you "by degrees" or incrementally. I heard it said many years ago that if you place a frog in water and begin to boil the water, that the frog will stay in the water until it begins to boil and hence meet its demise. However, if you toss a frog in boiling water, it will immediately jump out due to the sudden recognition of the brevity of its situation (never tried it and it would be cruel to). This illustrates my point. Deception always happens in stages when it is deception on a large scale.  As acceptance of the deception becomes the norm, it also becomes the "enlightened" or "reasonable" perspective.

The days when I pastored a church were markedly different than things are today. Not just in the various types of technology we have, but also in the perception of the people that the gospel message has been proclaimed to. Let's go back even further. After the civil war in the United States, there was a marked focus on holiness among God's people. The process of sanctification and being "set apart" was stressed from pulpits across the land. The result was an outpouring of God's power due to a people who did not isolate themselves but DEVOTED (set aside themselves) in service to God. The focus has now shifted from service to God to God serving us. I've heard it said, "Tithe and God will give you blessings." Implied in this statement is the assumption that we are giving so that God serves us! How subtle the change but how dynamic the result! It was stressed that one's life was to be devoted to God! In today's world (I'm speaking to myself also!), to a large extent you cannot tell the difference between God's people and those who do not acknowledge God.

When I talk to my youngest children, the tolerance of things that are not Godly is very scary to me. It's as if the young people of today (even the so-called "millenniums") have been exposed to so much of the world, they espouse that to be Godly is to be accepting of everything and everyone. It is important to note that a lack of acceptance does not always correlate to "judging" another. Just because I don't accept something does not mean that I am judging a person for practicing it. Deception says that it is. Deception says that to take a stand on certain issues that God says are clearly wrong are being intolerant and therefore ungodly. How far from the truth this is! Where did this subtle change take place? How did it occur?

Could it be that we have far more exposure to the things of the world than we do the things of God? This may seem obvious to many but just how drastic is this shift? Look no further than network television. Things that plots are written about today would not have even been approached 40 years ago. Our current president even gave an award recently to one of the "ground-breaking" actors who spearheaded the shift in one of these areas. Dysfunction is touted as heroic on television and in movies. Deception is often masked as diversity in our slip down this slope. The only thing that is not tolerated is the truth, particularly when truth is absolute because it comes from our creator, God. When what we tolerate in our own lives and as a society is clearly contrary to what God says in His Word, we are in DECEPTION and at the mercy of the Architect of Evil, Satan.

I Love Video Games. But I must admit that video games have also taken that gradual shift down the road to deception. They desensitize us to violence (as does TV) and they also use up valuable time that could be spent in better "learning" activities. As I write this, keep in mind that I am not only speaking to others, I am speaking to myself. I play video games. But I must admit that this medium has also been used to take us further down the path to desensitivity. The themes and fantasy world are ripe with elements of the occult and dark arts in many video games. Are we naïve enough to think that these do not have some influence on those who play them?

Social Media (which is the avenue that I am using to get this blog entry out) has also been used as a medium of deception. The benefits have been touted. It does give us contact with those who live far away and allows us to "stay connected" in some way with others with whom we have some prior connection. However, it can also be an avenue to spread subtle forms of deception.

Remember Satan often runs his network of deception along the same lines that God uses to communicate His blessings (the way some pay-by-month phone companies use the networks of Verizon and AT&T). An example of this is the subject of sex. God created sex to be a wonderful form of connection to a person that you are bound to in a relationship of commitment that we call marriage. Satan also uses those same lines of sex for all manner of perversion and immorality.

As a society, we often tout ourselves as making progress. I have even heard over the past several weeks that we are now REGRESSING from the "progress" we have made over the last 20 years. I sure hope so. The reason I hope so is because I don't think it is progress. Rather, I think it is regression into deception. We may consider ourselves an enlightened people because of our gadgets, technology, and attitudes. However, "Enlightenment" does not always equate with progress. Just ask the first century Romans who suffered the demise of a great civilization after the hand of God was removed from their empire over their deception and condition of sin. Remember, there is a great Architect in this world (Satan) and the world's sense of "progress." Let us follow the Architect (God) whose Kingdom is not of this world. We are supposed to live in this world but not follow the same blueprint of this world. We already have a blueprint (God's Word). It hasn't changed for many centuries.

Musings of a Prodigal Son - Looking at the Forest and Not the Trees

I usually try to stay out of political discussions because, quite frankly, people get upset and a discussion of these things often breeds controversy. I feel that there are some important issues to consider as we vote for the next President of the United States as well as the other elected officials that will be leading us into the future. I have titled this entry, "Looking at the Forest and Not the Trees" because looking at the trees would make most people not even want to vote! Take a longer look at the forest. How is it shaping up? I am challenging myself and each of you to look at the forest through the lens of the Word of God.

I've heard many Christians say of this election "I am just gonna sit this one out." If anyone feels this way, they should reconsider this position. Don't forget, the freedom to elect our leaders is a blessing from God. Many people died to give us that right. If followers of Christ do not vote, we leave the electing of our public officials to those who are not seeking God. Much of the gradual decline of Christian Standards in our society is the direct result of lathargic Christian enclaves that have isolated themselves from the world, thinking that by isolating from the world, we could escape its degradation.

Two important points to consider. The first is that we, as followers of Christ, should align ourselves with what God says is truth. We should always do this to the best of our ability. This includes the process of choosing our leaders. If a prospective leader takes a stand on an issue that is contrary to the Word of God, we should in no circumstances vote for that person. God's Word for the Christian is determined by the Bible. It is God's Word. It doesn't contain God's Word, it is God's Word. Truth as the world sees it may change with the prevailing majority but God's truth has never changed. It is still the same. God's truth is not based on accepted norms, it is based on God's Word spoken through the Bible. Regardless of our opinions, we should see all leaders as human and subject to sin. There is something more important than our opinion of a prospective leader. There is their stance on various issues. Their true platform.

Let me mention one example to illustrate what I am saying. The Sanctity of Life is one of the issues that God is very clear on in His Word. God has always valued life. Any life. Every life. Not just the full-term pregnancy life. Life from its inception. Life begins in the mind of God. He said to the Psalmist, "I knew all of your parts when as yet there was none of them." He said to Jeremiah the prophet, "I knew you in the womb." The value of human life and the Sin of destroying it was truth when Roe vs. Wade was made a precedent by the Supreme Court in the early 1970s. Government sanctioned abortion is still a sin today.  When a candidate for office takes a stand against life, this is a clear indicator that they are not who we should be voting for.

There are other issues that God is very clear about in His Word that particular candidates are taking the opposite stance on. When a person aligns their agenda on the opposing side of God's Truth, they should not be voted for by followers of Christ. This is regardless of their experience and regardless of their personality or gender. Remember, WE ARE NOT VOTING FOR A PERSON, WE ARE VOTING FOR AN AGENDA. Many leaders both worldly and Godly are mentioned in the Bible. It is a rather interesting study to look at various Kings, Emperors, and Leaders throughout the Bible and their stands on things related to God and His Truth. Some of the most worldly leaders still allowed the Truth of God to be proclaimed and protected it as the standard by which other faith beliefs were measured (i.e. see Nebuchadnezzar in the book of Daniel).

Many people vote for who they think can help the economy, who they think will give them the best chance of getting a raise, or even who their labor party or favorite group says to vote for. Many vote along ethnic or racial lines. Many vote along party lines. Christians should always be guided by a higher standard. That standard is the Word of God and Truth as defined by God. We should align with candidates whose agenda falls most in line with God's Truth. When looked at from this perspective, the choice becomes much clearer than trying to follow the "he said, she said" and personal attacks from various candidates. Look at their stance on various issues. Measure the Platforms and Agenda's of various candidate by God's truth

This election is important for many reasons but the foremost reason seems to be the potential of appointing five (5) justices to the United States Supreme Court. These justices are appointed by the acting President. This is indeed one of the most powerful tools in the hand of any acting President due to the fact that United States Supreme Court Justices are appointed for LIFE. They shape policy for sometimes generations. As the Supreme Court goes, so often goes our country. Very few Presidents have had the opportunity to appoint as many Supreme Court Justices as the next President will have.

I've read that no matter who wins this election, God is still on His Throne and Jesus is Lord. Praise God that this is true! However, we should do everything we can to align with the truth of God if we have any hope that God will continue to bless our great nation. The responsibility lies with each of us.

By all means we should:  Study. Look. Pray. Vote. We have to be very careful to "walk circumspectly (looking around), redeeming the time, for the days are evil (Ephesian 5:15-16)