When Watchdogs Become Wolves
If there is one spiritual principle in play during this year's Presidential election cycle it is the power of the media to corrupt the truth. Simply put, the media and the press are now defining the "truth" and creating reality for most people. They have the ability to make anyone into a sinner or a saint and to get the public to believe just about anything, whether it is true or not. What everyone needs to understand in this hour is that the patterns we are seeing rapidly emerging in our nation have a prophetic fulfillment in the Bible.Every person makes decisions based on the information they have been given. Whether we fully understand it or not, we usually end up doing what we have been conditioned to do. As an example, if people hear stories that drinking water in plastic bottles causes cancer, people will drink less water in plastic bottles, even if there is no data or research to prove it. In a similar way, when people hear that one candidate is "good" or another candidate is "bad" they vote accordingly. Few people seem to realize that these decisions are often not entirely "free," but have been carefully influenced by others with a hidden agenda. As a result, independent and objective thinking by the public is an increasingly rare phenomenon.
In what has to be one of the most astonishing cases of moral hypocrisy in political history, Democratic Candidate for President, Hillary Clinton has asked the voters of America to abandon Republican candidate Donald Trump over a recently released video/audio tape. The tape in question shows Mr. Trump engaging in a sexually explicit and degrading conversation about women with a reporter that was recorded over 10 years ago while he was a private citizen.
Well, the countdown has begun. In a few weeks another President will be elected. The nation has been obsessed with this election, perhaps more than at any other time in recent memory. The stakes are large for all of us and the world. And yet, whoever is elected President they will fail on some level. It always turns out that way. Anytime people are placed in elected office it seems that many of us end up disappointed. Has there ever been a President that always did the right thing? We vote people in with high hopes for great things and often sit back 4 years or so later with sadness and regret over what went wrong. Such is the state of politics in America and the world.
Do you like surprises? Most people might say "Yes," but then again, it might depend on what kind of "surprise" you are talking about. Now when it comes to our Lord, all of us should be asking ourselves if we think the Lord has any "surprises" left for us. The answer to that question is the foundation of the Bible, our Faith and the future of the world.
If there is ONE issue that seems to be troubling our nation in this hour, it is the loss of the truth from public discourse. There is not a single day that goes by that we are not deluged with bold lies from political candidates, the media, our universities, foreign governments and a host of other sources. Once these lies get into the thinking of the public it is almost impossible to find the real truth. This clearly applies to this coming national election in November, but it extends to every aspect of life and every decision we will ever make. No one can make a good decision when the information used for that decision is based on lies. As an example, if you think Washington D.C. is north of New York City, you will never find it. If you go north looking for it you will end up at the North Pole and die of hypothermia. One lie wrongly believed and acted upon can have a disasterous effect on our lives.
Our great nation seems hopelessly divided as we get ready to vote in this year's election in November. And yet, this great divide happened before in 1857. Understanding what happened 159 years ago is the KEY to discerning the current spiritual issues surrounding the coming election that will significantly affect America and the world until our Lord Jesus Christ returns.
Whether we fully understand it or not, America stands at a crossroads like no other time since 1776. Perhaps that crossroads is best seen in the current political battle underway as the Presidential elections draw near this fall. Both candidates offer a radically different view of reality and the future that will forever change America and the world. 
While Americans are living in a brave new world of political correctness, almost no one understands what is going on or why. Our society is being totally transformed by a group of "PC Police" that want to control everything in life from where we go to the bathroom to how we refer to God. Universities, once a haven for the First Amendment, are being transformed into havens for fragile students and faculty that need to create "safe zones" on campus where no one will be offended by a different idea. Even America's pulpits are being shaped by politically correct Bible translations and sermons that might find it hostile to use non inclusive gender language or refer to the Lord as a "Him" or "He."
The greatness of any society or people rests on their ability to remember their past and what was sacrificed to create and defend it. Surely this is true for our Nation on this Memorial Day Weekend. No nation has sacrificed so much for the cause of freedom and justice as the United States. America has sent more of her youth to die on foreign battle fields than any other nation in human history. If you wonder about this, simply watch this video on American military cemeteries outside of this county at 
What would you do today if your government told you that you needed to wear an orange shirt or you would have to pay a large fine? And upon further investigation, you found that the reason you were asked to wear that orange shirt was simply because a politician in Washington liked orange shirts. You might think this was some sort of bad movie. After all, this is America, the land of the free and home of the brave. Right?
Imagine for a moment, that you are in a boat in the middle of the ocean with one other person and that person says, "I can't see any water." You might think they were a little crazy, but that is exactly what is happening today regarding the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us John 1:10 that, "He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him." The world is surrounded by the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus, like the water of a vast ocean, and yet people can't see him anywhere. His name is rarely referenced today in very many places. Even the church world is strangely quiet about Him.Where did our Lord go?
It's been an amazing week in politics. As of Tuesday, it looks like controversial businessman Donald Trump is going to be the Republican nominee for President after his main rival, Senator Ted Cruz dropped out of the race. Many of Senator Cruz's supporters and other Republicans don't feel Mr. Trump is a true conservative or conservative enough, triggering deep division within the Republican world. A similar battle is going on in the Democratic Party between Senator Bernie Sanders and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. However, on the Democratic side, people seem to be fighting over who is more "liberal" and what it means to be a true "liberal." Invariably, all of this leads to an obvious question on whether or not people have the slightest idea of what the words "conservative" and "liberal" really mean.
If you ever wanted a barometer to measure how much trouble our society was in today you need look no further than people fighting over "who" can go to "what" bathroom. How much worse can it get? That, of course, is the lastest battle going on in America today regarding where transgendered individuals can go to the bathroom. This issue has now even begun to be talked about by presidential candidates and the media on a regular basis. There surely is no end in sight to this fight, as it has started to involve the federal government and our legal system. One day soon it may even move to the Supreme Court, with people being eventually told where they can and can't go to the bathroom.
Lately, it's been a little hard watching what is going on. It's been hard to watch our Nation being seduced by socialism in one form or another from politicians of both parties. It has been hard watching our young people being deceived with silly campaign speeches that imply stealing from a few billionaires will "save the world" and makes their lives better. It has been hard watching a majority of our tenured professors in academia relentlessly attacking this Country's foundations and our economic system that created their colleges and universities. It has been hard to watch people thinking they can create Heaven on Earth without God. So living in America these days has increasingly been hard with so many delusions and illusions that seem to define "reality" for increasing numbers of people.
Often time's truth seems stranger than fiction. That is surely what must be said regarding the opening of Noah's Ark in Williamstown, Kentucky starting July 7. The full scale, 510 foot model of the Ark will open this summer after a couple of years of legal battles about religious freedom, employment hiring practices and tax exemption issues. The Noah's Ark Theme Park will eventually employ about 400 workers, to manage everything from the Ark itself, to supporting gifts, exhibits and concessions. When finally opened in July, this park will be a major tourist attraction for Christians and curiosity seekers from all over the world. If you are interested in what is happening in Kentucky, you might like to check it out at www.arkencounter.com and maybe even plan a trip for the summer.
If there is one cry that comes from the heart of every true believer, it is to hear from the Lord. Such a cry is the desire to have a real and powerful opportunity to hear from Heaven and know what the Lord is saying to us. Such a desire comes from deep within our souls and is very much like a child crying for their father and saying, "Abba! Father!" as the Apostle Paul reminds us in Galatians 4:6. Only the Lord Himself can meet the deepest need of being our Father, Lord and Savior by speaking tenderly and directly to His people through His Word.
While much of the Nation seems to be preoccupied with the "mud wrestling" going on today with the race for President, the story of greatest importance is being overlooked. Our current political chaos is only a symptom of a much deeper cause. The story everyone should be concerned with right now is the rapid secularization of the Nation and departure from the historic Christian Faith that helped to create it. This is the hidden story behind ever other story. It is THE story being suppressed by the media and largely ignored by many pastors and churches.
As we joyfully prepare to celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ in a few days, it is exciting to see the Lord confirming this glorious truth to the world in an amazing way. The Lord Jesus rose from the dead on the 3rd Day, as He promised during His public ministry in Matthew 16:21. However, many have missed the Resurrection of Israel as THE greatest modern witness to our Lord's victory over sin, death and Hell since the apostolic age.
Do you remember where you were when you heard something about the Resurrection for the first time? The Resurrection is such an amazing event that it should be like a spiritual 9-11 that is unforgettable. How could we not be shaken by it? Surely that had to be the case for the Lord's disciples when they knew Jesus was alive. How do you forget something like that? It is the kind of thing that once heard it redefines your life and reality forever. Nothing else matters as much after hearing about it. Of course, that was the Lord's intent from the beginning.
America is angry tonight. Have you noticed? If you are not sure about that, all you have to do is watch the recent debates and rancor going on within the Republican Party. These debates are a good barometer of how many people are feeling......angry. Many Americans are surprised, shocked and troubled by what is going on and are fearful for the future.
One of the things that have recently emerged in American politics is the rise of Socialism. Before the election of President Obama in 2008, almost no one in the Nation even used the word. Socialism and its more radical cousin, Communism, were systems of government in places like Europe and Asia, but surely NOT in America.
One of the great questions that has been raised by many Christians and Bible students over the years is simply this, "Does America appear anywhere in the Bible?" Surely that has to be an important question if the Lord has a plan for the world and America is at the center of the world right now as THE major Super Power. Several books, sermons and articles have attempted to tackle this subject, but there seems to be little agreement about a possible answer.
Many of us will be watching the Super Bowl this weekend. Some people even attend "Super Bowl Parties" with family and friends that were planned for weeks or months. It is estimated that about 190 million people will be watching the game. Even the commercials are "super," costing about $5,000,000 for a 30 second spot. The Super Bowl has grown over the years to not only be one of the most watched events in history, but it has made legends and superstars out of some of the players. For some people, winning the Super Bowl is the stuff of dreams and reflects the ultimate glory of this life with regards to achievement and status.