CROSS & NATION #3
(#1 can be easily accessed via the Blog Archive dated, 11/08 - 11/15)
What prompted this particular topic? Politics are usually ups and downs depending on what side of the political aisle you're on. But this election is like no other in our lifetime, one that can and potentially will change our nation like never before. The COVID-19 pandemic shutdown, even church closures and restraints on worship are a first for America and in violation of the first amendment. So there is plenty to ponder and consider.
Today’s politics is a bellwether for tomorrow’s state of the union. Regardless of how things go with the election and pandemic, God is sovereign, and our hope needs to rest in Him. We know where this world is heading, we just don’t know when. Scripture tells us there will be a New Heaven and New Earth (Rev. 21:1; 2 Pet. 3:13). Does that mean we should ignore this one? Not at all. We have a moral and civic responsibility to care and do what’s right, even in politics. When we step back, Satan will gladly have someone step in, which is how evil prevails.
2 Peter 3:13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. (NIV)
Rev 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. (NIV)
We were in lockdown for Thanksgiving. Will the same be true for Christmas? How long will joyful gatherings of family and friends, and the right to worship, be restricted by the government? As COVID cases spike up, we need to remember that our strength in not in who we are or what we do, it’s in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. Even in today’s events we need to be mindful that God is sovereign. Whatever happens is in accordance with His will. Yes, He lets evil happen, but Satan’s victories are short lived. God’s victory is eternal.
Isa 46:10 I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. (NIV)
Local elections, like national elections, reflect the will of the people (except if an election is stolen or voters don’t pay attention). I lived in Seattle in the late 1970s, for three years. It was a wonderful and clean city. So what happened? Why were the riots in Seattle WA, Portland OR, Minneapolis MI, allowed to go on for days on end, and not stopped by local officials whose response was cutting police funding? Where were the Christians when those public officials ran for office? If Christians don’t care enough to take an active role in selecting their representatives, others will gladly do so. Perhaps that is what we are seeing. Are these comments political or moral? Both, because they are intertwined as we are told in Eph. 6:12. One’s politics and state of mind go hand-in-hand, be it for good or for evil. Indifference allows the evil to dominate and prevail.
James 1:22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. (NKJV)
Let those words sink in, especially apathy and indifference, which, if we judge by the election results, may be where far too many Christians are. It’s how we got where we are as a people and as a nation. What will the next four years be like? Only God can change hearts which is why prayer is essential.
Let’s presume that Biden takes office on January 20th. All the people he is selecting for his Administration have a history of being far left of center, some with corporate-lobbying ties. It’s somewhat certain that most of Trump’s policies will be undermined, ignored or discarded. If God is sovereign, and He is, what’s the lesson? Maybe God will use the next four years to show just how bad the Left’s policies can be for America. The progressive-left’s ideology (both national and local) is responsible for policies and laws that eliminated school prayer and the pledge of allegiance in many schools. In some jurisdictions “so help me God” is no longer part of the court witness' oath. Maybe it will open eyes and turn people to God who may not otherwise turn to Him.
Prov. 19:21 Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails. (NIV)
Or perhaps even fully awaken the Church. How many Christian ever wonder, where does my church fit? Rev. 2 & 3 – Jesus messages to the churches is as valid today as when John wrote it as a Revelation of Jesus Christ.
Pray that elders will be given a vision for the future of the church that is in line with God’s vision. Pray that they hear the voice of the Great Shepherd, leading them as they lead others.
Location of the seven churches in Rome’s Asia Minor. (Modern day Turkey).
What will be the new normal in 2021? Some experts are saying that even with the vaccine, the virus will still be a threat and social restrictions will still be with us well into the new year. Church closures? Limited attendance at worship? No singing during worship? What else will be part of the new normal? Perhaps no 4th of July celebrations commemorating our independence.
Prov. 16:9 In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps. (NIV)
Eph. 1:11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will … (NIV) So what is God’s will for America?
With COVID-19 as a backdrop, the World Health Organization (WHO) expressed distain for Trump’s policies of “putting America first”. Proclaiming that America must join the rest of the world in its globalization agenda—to share resources and prosperity with the less fortunate! Many of the establishment-elite and global-corporate-billionaires resent President Trump’s “put American first” policies in opposition to globalization, which of course includes Communist China. Globalization may be the very basis for the Antichrist’s rise to power. Satan is working behind the scenes to achieve it. We don’t know God’s will, but we can be certain that ultimately His plan is for good and not evil, and there will be more elections to come, and perhaps we will be wiser because of this one. Either way, the country may not be the same any time soon or at all.
Dan 2:20-21 – 20 "Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. 21 He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. (NIV)
The 1st Amendment includes freedom of assembly. Thousands recently attended a Trump rally in Washington DC. At the conclusion of the rally while returning to their hotel, many were attacked and some seriously injured. The attacks weren’t by unhappy Democrats, but by an organized group effort, many of whom were bused into DC for just such a purpose. Tactics like this, that are pure evil, have been used in other countries to intimidate those of mainstream political beliefs and instill fear.
History is full of lessons on Satan’s tactics. One example is the Nazis rise to power in post WWI Germany. The Great Depression of 1929 brought opportunities for the Nazis to solidify their power using street violence against opposition political groups, to achieve power and control of the government. Similar tactics as those used in Washington DC against Trump supporters and elsewhere during the recent riots in major American cities.
Even the German clergy fell sway to Hitler’s charm and charisma. How much more convincing will the Antichrist be? A great deal more as stated in the previous lesson’s description of the Antichrist, posted below if you missed it.
An essay by Aaron Sibarium, editor of the Free Beacon, titled the “Weimarization of the American Republic”. Weimar was the period of German liberal democracy between 1918 (post WWI) and 1933 (Hitler’s rise to power). What’s the lesson? It raises the question, are the key institutions and values that made the American experiment successful being eroded? The essay focuses on today’s politics with these words ‘“The Democratic Party,” wrote the late Walter Laqueur, was “liberal and slightly left-of-centre [sic] in outlook, progressive but not too much so, in favour [sic] of reform but afraid of going too far. . . . They had quite a few professors among their leading supporters and also some bankers and industrialists, but for the majority of academics . . . [it] was quite unacceptable.” Bourgeois parties “are never militant, almost by definition”—and the “Democratic Party was perhaps the least militant of all.”’ (con’t next slide)
The point of the essay is that we are seeing a major shift to the left toward progressive-socialism by a major political party; a movement away from the founding principle of the United States and our Constitution—including freedom of religion—for which some governors seem to have little regard. America’s founding principles served as a barrier to Satan and stumbling block for the Antichrist. As we are told in Jeremiah 7, it can make all the difference in our walk with God as a people and as a nation.
Jer 7:23-24 – 23 but I gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in all the ways I command you, that it may go well with you. 24 But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts. They went backward and not forward. (NIV)
Journalism was tied to a set of ethical standards and values, including truth and accuracy, fairness and impartiality, and accountability. Today’s journalism has strayed from objective fact, resulting in biased news that misleads, manipulates and divides us. Most of the mainstream media have ignored apparent evidence of voter fraud, including cases of Dominion software flipping votes. They have instead demanded that the President concede, while ignoring the people’s constitutional right that all legal votes be counted, and illegal votes (by other than the registered voter) ruled out.
Ps 101:7 No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence. (NIV)
Flash “Headline News”: Everyone, including reporters who disregard the truth, unless they repent, will be held accountable when standing before Jesus at the Great White Throne Judgment. Election fraud isn’t just about stealing an election; it’s about stealing the very soul of a nation.
Rev 20:11-12 – 11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. (NIV)
The chart shows 2.7 million votes diverted from red (Trump) to blue (Biden). OAN & Newsmax are the only networks that covered it, while being totally ignored by the mainstream media. It goes beyond political, falling into the category of moral corruption and an evil effort to steal the very soul of our nation (Eph. 6:12).
Eph 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (NIV)
This election isn’t just Left vs. Right or Blue vs. Red. It’s a spiritual battle for the very heart and soul of America. How then should we stand? We can start by putting on the full armor of God.
Eph. 6:12-13 – 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. (NIV)
When a presidential candidate who barely campaigns, stays in his home office almost the entire campaign season, rarely is interviewed by the press, and still wins, then something is seriously wrong, and puts the Republic at risk. If one election can be stolen, all future elections become questionable, and faith in the Democratic process is broken, and many will stop turning out to vote. Few if any future president will ever have legitimacy here at home and abroad in dealing with other nations. America will lose its credibility on the world stage. We can be certain it goes beyond politics as usual…..
Eph. 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. (NKJV)
Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano’ served as the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States (Holy See’s diplomatic representative to the U.S., 2011-2016). On June, 2020, he wrote President Trump a letter stating that the current crises with the coronavirus pandemic and George Floyd riots are a part of the eternal spiritual struggle between the forces of good and evil. He also told President Trump, you are not alone in your beliefs on life, faith, family and freedom. The Archbishop is not a conspiracy speculator, but a perceptive observer with deep spiritual insight. Portions of his letter are on the next two slides. (Ref: June 6, 2020 – LifeSiteNews) Can a lie steal America?
Ps 120:2 Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips And from a deceitful tongue. (NKJV)
Portions of the Archbishop’s letter are shown here and on the next slide…
Prov. 10:9 The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out. (NIV)
Our prayer should be that all deceit is fully uncovered, even after the election is officially over, and those responsible prosecuted, so it doesn’t happen again. There is too much at stake to do otherwise.
Prov. 19:9 A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who pours out lies will perish. (NIV)
Again, if I was to write a book about the Antichrist and False Prophet, this would certainly be chapter 2: “A one world religion”. We don’t know if the Antichrist is way out in the future or sometime soon, and we won’t be able to second guess his arrival. I have often focused on history as a backdrop for current events. The events of WWI served as the precursor for WWII and Adolf Hitler's rise to power. Hitler’s Holocaust and murder of six million Jews in the late-1930s and early-1940s served as the framework for the rebirth of Israel in 1948. Today’s current events are tomorrow’s history, even for religion.
Scripture is clear, Satan’s kingdom will come, and he will rule through the Antichrist and False Prophet. He is clever and crafty and can even make a ravenous wolf appear to be a peaceful lamb, both in the political and religious arenas all of which will lead to a one world government and one world religion–described as the harlot Revelation 17:1-18.
With the aid of global outreach such as CNN, FOX News, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook. Pope Francis may be the most influential religious leader in history. Is it a positive influence or a negative one. Is it paving the way for the False Prophet?
This is a one world religion’s view of Christianity, in that all religions lead to God.
John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (NIV)
No pope in the entire history of the Roman Catholic Church has ever or would ever have made such a claim, as Jesus Himself told us in John 14:6, that He is the only way to God.
Why did Jesus send His apostles to preach the Gospel to the whole world, if all religions led to the same God, which would make evangelism unnecessary?
Mark 16:15-16 – 15 He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." (NIV)
Today’s news is tomorrow’s history. Mar. 07, 2019: Pope Francis said: The church also regards with esteem the Muslims. They adore the one God, living and subsisting in himself, merciful and all-powerful, the Creator of heaven and earth; and the two religions defend common values that are necessary for the future of civilization. According to a British news source, signing of what was proclaimed a global covenant by Pope Francis was done “in front of a global audience of religious leaders from Christianity, Islam, Judaism and other faiths”…
Rev 13:12 He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. (NIV)
The Roman Catholic Church is the only religion recognized as a City State, officially known as the “Holy See”, with diplomatic relations with the world’s nations. The U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See is Calista Gingrich, wife of former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich. Many believe that whoever is pope at the time of the Antichrist, will be the False Prophet. When Christians are raptured away evil people will fill the void, including the papacy. We can be certain that the “Holy See” will not go away. There will be a one world church, and there is only one place that can make a claim of supremacy for that purpose, especially under the full power of Satan and in allegiance with the Antichrist—perhaps even an alliance with Islam at the Great Mosque of Mecca in Saudi Arabia; or the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem as a precursor for the building of the third temple, as discussed in our previous study.
Wondering about who and when the Antichrist would appear has been pondered for centuries even by Pope Pius X (1903-1914). When ever major events arise, people will see the Antichrist. But, of course he has not come yet. Even the Apostle John warned about the coming of the antichrist, but he also told us there would be many antichrists. Not as an alarm, but as a caution, because we do not know, and will not know when he is coming.
1 John 2:18 Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. (NIV)
What about the Protestant Church? Joel Scott Osteen is an American pastor, televangelist, and author, based in Houston, Texas. As of 2018, Osteen's televised sermons were seen by approximately 10 million viewers in the US and several million more in over 100 countries weekly. Osteen has also written several best-selling books. His message is God wants you to be happy and successful. Obviously, there’s a market for good news. But it’s not the gospel of saving grace. Again, Satan is a first-class counterfeiter who comes in many forms and many disguises. Even within the Church with great harm to many, especially those who believe they are on a godly path.
Jer. 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? (NIV)
In contrast, a place where the Gospel is preached here in Orange County CA. As Christians we cannot forget that worship is part of who we are in Christ Jesus. With the latest state mandated shutdown, worship services have once again moved outdoors. Covenant has responded to the pandemic with Livestream services. If your church doesn’t have livestream feel free to join us each Sunday at 10:15, at https://covp.org. Maybe God is waiting for His people to come to Him in heartfelt worship. It can make all the difference for America. As Pastor Scott asked in his sermon, “How is God working in us?” Keep in mind that in the Bible, God has always provided for His people when they turned to Him.
2 Chron 7:14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (NIV)
The world yearns to return to normal and expects to do so once the COVID-19 vaccine is available. When a people or nation steps out of the will of God, there’s a price to pay. But what does God want? Maybe it isn’t to return to normal. Maybe by allowing this political turmoil and pandemic, God is telling us ‘enough is enough’. So what does God expect? As Jesus told Nicodemus we must be born again, which begins with the Holy Spirit convicting man of their sins; but without repentance their destiny is eternal separation from God. So, whatever happens, God has a plan. What kind of America will come out the other end of this? Our hope needs to rest in Him.
John 3:3 In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." (NIV)
The following 4-minute speech by Ronald Reagan is as appropriate today as it was in 1964 when he made it at a “Senator Barry Goldwater for President” rally. Nevertheless, the threats are similar in that “We to have a rendezvous with destiny” one that only God can determine its outcome.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhlvZlILQ6g
(copy and paste into your web browser)
Dr. David Jeremiah’s 13-minute message explains the Antichrist and False Prophet. – The End Times: Antichrist, God's Judgment & Prophecy in Revelation. For those who are so inclined, the other video is a 50-minute current message by Dr. John MacArthur, “The Truth About Death”. If you wonder why we are so divided in politics, John’s message explains. His message is not for the feint of heart, but it is for every sinner in need of repentance.
Dr. Jeremiah – https://youtu.be/xWfu8etmyxA (skip the ad)
Dr. MacArthur – https://youtu.be/QxKRH-9IRCg
(you have to copy and paste each link into your web browser)
Pray for our Nation, our President and his family during these uncertain times. Down through history Americans had to deal with threats of every kind, even the enemy within.
Ps 81:13-14 – 13 "If my people would but listen to me, if Israel [U.S.A.] would follow my ways, 14 how quickly would I subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes! (NIV)
We will resume next week. Comments are welcome via email.
END OF CROSS & NATION #3
