Godlessness and Religion

Crime statistics for England in the 20th century: As Christianity's influence waned, crime exploded

When the apostle Paul revealed that "there will be terrible times" (2 Timothy 3:1) throughout the world during the last days, he also mentioned something that explains why evil will prevail in the end times.

Paul wrote that many folks will have "a form of godliness" (2 Timothy 3:5) but without any power. What does that mean? It means that godliness lacking God's supernatural power is useless. It's empty, hollow and irrelevant.

There's a proper term for this type of godliness and it's called religion. Unlike true faith, religion is cold, hard, mechanical, repetitive and cultural. And it comes from man rather than God. 

While true faith challenges its adherents to believe in and fear God based upon the available evidence, religion mandates blind loyalty to a structured man-made belief system along with its customs, fetishes, idols, traditions and rituals.

Religion is the reason why western civilization is dying a slow, methodical moral death. Religion only works absent a competing secular belief system. For many centuries, religion went unchallenged in the west until the advent of Charles Darwin and his godless theory of evolution.

When Darwin published his Origin of the Species in 1859, a terrible book that attempted to explain the existence of life without God, it was poorly received in the science community because it was filled with lies, myths, half-truths and untested theories. 

Nevertheless, Darwin's theory gained traction because it sounded more logical to the natural ear than talking serpents, man-eating whales and a global flood. After all, you can see fossils and the skeletal remains of dinosaurs, but you can't see God. 

And for nearly a century, Darwin's dubious theory went virtually unchallenged until the advent of microbiology. What's so significant about microbiology? It allowed us to examine the genetic structure of the living cell. 

What that examination revealed was a vast network of DNA that is so complex that only a fool would believe that such a network came about by some random, unintelligent process. That network revealed design--the design of life created by an incredibly intelligent being who is God. 

And each living cell revealed the complexity of over 300,000 bits of DNA arranged in a specific order to allow the cell to function and multiply. To rearrange or even remove just a few of those tiny DNA bits would destroy the cell. 

Unfortunately, the Christian church in the west failed to take Darwinism seriously. Many church leaders not only believed that most people would continue to believe in God despite the growing threat from this nemesis, they were convinced that both Christianity and Darwinism could coexist peacefully.

And they were dead wrong. Why? Because Darwinism denies God. And religion can't provide an adequate explanation for God's existence nor make the Bible's revelation of man's corrupt sinful nature and his need for redemption relevant to the modern world.

Thus, when people no longer believe in God they don't believe that they're held morally accountable for their actions. And they certainly don't believe that there's eternal judgment awaiting them at death.

And so, there's a direct correlation between the decline of the Judeo-Christian influence in the western world and the rise in crime, lawlessness and depravity. What the western world desperately needs is a return to true God-centered faith, not more dead and decrepit religion. That always fails.

Or, as Paul so aptly put it: "I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith." (Romans 1:16-17)

Ghosts? Or Demons?

Is it a ghost or a demon?

A man whose website I won't reveal because I don't want to promote his profession, claims that folks can get in touch with their deceased parents, relatives, friends etc.

This man says that he's had contact with the spiritual realm since he was a young boy. He claims that when he was a child, spirit beings or ghosts began visiting him in his room.

He's drawn pictures of these "beings" and posted them on his website. He's made spirit contact his career. And he travels around the world giving lectures about his experiences with spirits and he teaches folks how to connect with their departed loved ones.

I won't identify the man, but I will tell you that he's the son of a former professional athlete who played here in Chicago many years ago. I doubt that his father's profession had anything to do with his sensitivity to spirits. But then again, who knows?

I'm convinced that the man means well. I don't think that he's into the occult. He claims to be a Roman Catholic who believes in heaven, hell, Jesus Christ, angels and demons.

However, his religion is probably the reason why he embraces such a distorted view of the spiritual realm. The Roman Catholic Church promotes a very unbiblical form of Christianity that defers to church tradition over biblical exegesis.

What does that mean? It means that whenever there's a conflict between the Bible and Catholic teaching concerning a spiritual matter, the Roman church strongly recommends that its members listen to what the church says over what the Bible teaches.

Thus, many Roman Catholics seldom--if ever--read the Bible. And so, they don't know what it says concerning its laws that forbid spiritism.

When you ignore the Bible for tradition or even religious (spiritual) experience, you're on the road to spiritual deception and even oppression. The Bible is very emphatic in its caveats concerning forbidden spiritual contact.

For example, the Lord issued this stern warning through Moses: "I will set my face against the person who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute himself by following them, and I will cut him off from his people." (Leviticus 18:6)

Under the Mosaic Law, the penalty for those who made unlawful contact with the spiritual realm was capital punishment: "A man or woman who is a medium or spiritist among you must be put to death. You are to stone them; their blood will be on their heads." (Leviticus 20:27)

Certainly, many folks who attempt contact with the spiritual realm have probably never read those two scriptures. Or, if they have, they don't believe that those biblical caveats apply to them. They will usually argue that those laws applied only to the ancient Jews.

Nonsense. Those laws are part of God's universal laws that apply to everyone. They were given by God to Moses to teach them to the nation of Israel that was supposed to teach them to all the nations of the world. And those laws are also written on the hearts of all human beings. (Romans 2:15)

What happens when you attempt to contact the spiritual realm? You're likely to make contact with demons that are experts at impersonating the dead. They'll masquerade as the person you're seeking, and they'll come equipped with enough information to convince you that they're indeed that person.

But they're not. They're demons in the service of Satan sent to deceive you. What's their goal? To prevent your salvation by convincing you that (1) no judgment exists after death; (2) all religions lead to God; (3) there is no such place as hell and (4) Jesus Christ wasn't God but rather a highly evolved holy man.

The antidote for spiritual deception is the wisdom of God's word contained in the Bible. As the word says: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline." (Proverbs 1:7)

Eternal Life and Eternal Death

The gates of Hell

Many years ago, a man who I'll call Randy described to me in graphic detail about a near death experience he once had.

However, unlike those popular recollections that describe brilliant lights, deceased family members and benevolent spiritual beings, Randy's experience was quite a bit different.

You see, Randy saw a glimpse of hell. How did Randy's vision come about? He was a heavy drug user at the time and he happened to overdose one day on some powerful dope. 

Randy went into cardiac arrest and he was rushed to the hospital. Fortunately, the doctors in the emergency room were able to revive him and he went on with his life. He was so grateful for his second chance that he gave up the drugs and turned his life over to Jesus Christ.

But that wasn't the whole story. Randy related that while he was unconscious, he found himself standing before the gates of hell. He recalled that the gates began to open and he saw immense flames of fire just beyond the gates. And he stated that he felt himself being pulled toward the gate when he suddenly woke up in the emergency room.

Was Randy's vision just a nightmare he experienced from a bad drug trip? Perhaps. But he didn't believe it was a bad dream. This is what he told me: "I know what dreams are, and this wasn't a dream. It was real. I was there. I know what I experienced was real and I thought for sure that I was going into hell."

But the Lord spared Randy eternal damnation in the abyss. Randy later found out that when he was brought into the hospital, a Christian man who was present in the emergency room began praying for him. 

Who was the man that prayed for Randy? He doesn't know. But Randy's convinced that had the man not prayed for him, he'd have died and gone into hell.

What's also important to know about Randy is that he's Jewish. He didn't believe in Jesus Christ at the time, and he certainly didn't believe in the existence of hell. But he's a born-again Christian who certainly believes in hell now. Especially after his close encounter with eternity.

Unfortunately, not everybody gets to experience what Randy saw. And that's too bad because if they could only get a glimpse of what eternity is like without Jesus Christ, they'd repent of their sins and turn their lives over to Christ in a heartbeat.

Randy wasn't threatened with hell because he took drugs. He didn't get a glimpse of the dreaded abyss because he wasn't religious enough. And he didn't face eternal damnation because he hadn't done enough good things in his life to offset all the bad things he'd done.

He was threatened with hell because he was a sinner. But the good news is that Randy's sins were washed away by the blood of God's Lamb Jesus Christ who died for all sinners--including you and me--on Calvary's Cross 2,000 year ago.

How does God cancel our sins and our eternal death penalty? Through our faith in Jesus Christ. Let the apostle Paul explain it: "That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the scripture says (Isaiah 28:16), anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." (Romans 10:9-11)

If you're trusting in anything or anyone other than Jesus Christ for your salvation, you're wasting your time. You're putting your faith in something that can't save you.

And when your moment of reckoning comes--when you enter into eternity--don't count on someone convincing God to spare your soul and give you a second chance. Most folks don't get second chances. 

Therefore, the time to repent and turn your life over to Christ is right here and right now. Don't put it off.

Muhammad or Isaiah? Part II

The Book of Isaiah: Words of a genuine prophet

If you asked most people if they were familiar with the prophet Muhammad, they would answer affirmatively. But if you asked them if they were familiar with the prophet Isaiah, they'd probably tell you that they never heard of him.

Who's Isaiah? He was one of Israel's major prophets who lived about 28 centuries ago. Most people who call themselves Christians and Jews should be familiar with Isaiah because his prophetic book is contained in their bibles. Sadly, many of these people have never even heard of him which means that they probably never read the Bible.

What is so important about Isaiah? He revealed intimate details of the Jewish Messiah nearly 800 years before Jesus Christ was born.

For example, the Lord revealed to Isaiah that the Messiah would be born of a virgin birth. (Isaiah 7:14) The Lord revealed to Isaiah that the Messiah would be no ordinary man, but he would be God incarnate. (Isaiah 7:14) 

He revealed to Isaiah that the Messiah would be the Son of God; the visible incarnation of the Triune Godhead. (Isaiah 9:6) And He revealed to the prophet that the Messiah would also be the Son of David (Isaiah 9:7) who would rule as Israel's king forever. By identifying the Messiah as both the Son of God and the Son of David, Isaiah revealed that the Messiah would come from the tribe of Judah and He would be both God and man.

And the Lord also revealed to Isaiah that the Jewish Messiah would die for the sins of the Jews and Gentiles. The Messiah's death, according to Isaiah, would become the ultimate and everlasting atonement for the sins of mankind. Here's what Isaiah wrote: "Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We, like all sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all." (Isaiah 53:4-6)

And then Isaiah wrote this: "Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors."  (Isaiah 53:10-12)

What did the prophet reveal in those passages? He revealed that after the Messiah died for the sins of the world, He would be resurrected from the dead. We know that happened three days after Christ was crucified on Calvary's cross for the sins of the world.

Keep in mind that Isaiah recorded those prophecies nearly eight centuries before Christ set foot on the earth. This was a true prophet of God. No one could possibly have made something like this up. The odds of that occurring are mathematically impossible.

Therefore, God indeed spoke to Isaiah. He never spoke to Muhammad. The Quran contains not one single prophecy written by Muhammad that can be proven to have occurred after he recorded it. Not one.

And yet Muhammad has been historically celebrated as a prophet of God, even by many well-meaning but ignorant Christians. And except for bible-believing Christians, Isaiah is virtually unknown.

That's tragic. That's why false religions flourish--because of willful ignorance.

Some will accuse me of being culturally insensitive. So be it. I've been called worse.

Is it insensitive to be concerned about the eternal destiny of lost souls? For those who would hold back the Gospel from Muslims so as not to be culturally insensitive, I would say shame on you. And woe to you as well.

Muhammad or Isaiah? Part I

Isaiah the prophet

The Random House Dictionary defines a prophet this way: "A person who speaks for God or a deity, or by divine inspiration."

For nearly 1,400 years, Muslims have claimed that Muhammad received God's divine inspiration and recorded it into what became the Quran.

But how do we know that God really spoke to Muhammad? How can we prove that? What evidence exists that proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Muhammad actually heard from God and not from a demonic spirit or his own imagination?

Thank God (no pun intended) that we can still ask those questions here in the western world. If you asked those questions in many other places, you'd probably suffer the same fate as James Foley, the journalist who was recently separated from his head by ISIS thugs.

And so, let's ask some questions. Did Muhammad actually hear from God? Based upon the evidence, that's extremely unlikely. 

First of all, the Quran contains two different accounts of God's literal creation of the earth and the physical universe. Sura 41:9-12 claims that God created the earth and physical universe in eight days while Suras 7:51 and 10:3  claim that God created the earth and universe in only six days.

Secondly, the Quran contains some very serious historical inaccuracies. Sura 7:136 claims that Noah's flood took place during the time of Moses.

That would've been impossible because not only did Noah live over 1,000 years before Moses, but the flood would have destroyed Egypt, Pharoah, Moses, the Hebrews and the Egyptians, just for starters.

Islam would never have existed had Noah's flood taken place during the time of Moses because the flood would've destroyed the ancestors of the Arabians. Remember that Islam was born in Arabia. 

The Quran also teaches that Jesus' mother Mary was the sister of Moses and Aaron. (Sura 19:28) That's preposterous. And the Quran teaches that the Samaritans encouraged the Jews to build the detestable golden calf-idol during the time of Moses. (Sura 20:87-95) That's impossible because the Samaritans didn't exist at that time.

And the Quran claims that Macedonian King Alexander the Great (356 B.C.-323 B.C.) was a Muslim who worshiped Allah. (Sura 18:89-98) Again, that's impossible because Islam didn't come into existence until the 7th Century A.D.

Those are just some of the glaring mistakes contained in the Quran. No intelligent person could possibly believe that the Quran was divinely inspired. No intelligent person could possibly take this book seriously.

Then why do two billion people across the world follow Islam? Because it's a cultural religion, much like Roman Catholicism. Many people follow Islam because they believe that they're required to because of their cultural, ethnic and tribal roots.

Others follow Islam because they've been coerced into that religion. They were warned that unless they converted to Islam and submitted to Allah, they would be killed.

And still others follow Islam because it's a religion that preaches hatred and violence against Jews and Christians. We're continuously told by those who know little--if anything--about Islam that Islam is really a religion of peace that's been hijacked by "extremists" and "radicals."

That's pure bull. Islam is a religion that's historically perpetuated itself through violence. The Quran contains over 100 war verses that command Muslims to wage jihad against unbelievers or infidels until they either convert to Islam or they are killed.

In Part II, we're going to look at a man named Isaiah who lived about 2,800 years ago. Unlike Muhammad, Isaiah recorded several startling prophecies that were fulfilled, proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that God indeed spoke to this man.

What were those prophecies? Stay tuned. 

America's Future

Ferguson Missouri

It was the apostle Paul who revealed that there would be great evil on earth in the end times preceding the return of Jesus Christ: "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days." (2 Timothy 3:1)

In his epistle to the early Roman church, Paul explained why. When people willingly turn their backs on God and snub His laws, then anarchy prevails. 

Here's what Paul wrote to the Roman church: "For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles." (Romans 1:21-23)

Thus, the road to chaos and anarchy begins with the rejection of God. When God is either downplayed or completely ignored, then human beings cast off all moral restraint. 

And then? Anything goes. Paul continues: "Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them." (Romans 1:28-32)

Tragically, we're witnessing the fulfillment of Paul's words right here in the United States. America was a nation founded by men who feared God and obeyed His laws. Certainly, not all of America's founders believed in God, but most of them did. And they warned that if the nation ever turned away from God, its end would soon follow.

When we look at the tragic mess that's enveloped Ferguson, Mo. in the days following the police-shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown, we can see what the future holds for America. And the future doesn't look good.

The assorted Marxist riffraff, violent street gangs and lawless hooligans causing trouble in the streets of Ferguson couldn't care less about Brown, or other alleged victims of police brutality. They're on the streets because they have no respect for law, authority or the innocent folks whose homes and businesses are being destroyed by these clowns. 

These are the people Paul warned us about 2,000 years ago. They are godless, wicked people who are never satisfied until they destroy something. Certainly, many of these thugs are taking their cues from race hustlers such as Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and anarchist groups such as the New Black Panthers.

But many others are in Ferguson merely for the thrill of causing trouble. That's what these cretans live for--the opportunity to destroy something. That's because they are the spiritual offspring of Satan, who comes only "to steal and kill and destroy." (John 10:10)

What would happen if the Republican Party decided to impeach Barack Obama? Then Ferguson, Mo. would break out all across America.

That's what happens in societies where God is no longer wanted. 

Phony Reverends and Real Crises

Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton

Predictably, after chaos erupted in the town of Ferguson, Missouri recently following the shooting death of a black teenager by police, the vultures swooped in from out of town.

Among the vultures were the Rev. Jesse Jackson and the Rev. Al Sharpton, two legendary race hustlers who have amassed their fortunes by resurrecting the corpse of Jim Crow. 

Jackson and Sharpton live for the type of incidents that happened in Ferguson. Before Ferguson, there was Sanford, Florida (February, 2012) where another black teenager named Trayvon Martin died after he was shot during a struggle with a neighborhood watchman named George Zimmerman.

Jackson and Sharpton showed up in Sanford after that shooting, and they stirred the pot of racial unrest just as they usually do wherever and whenever an African-American dies at the hands of a white person, be that person a police officer or a neighborhood guardian. 

There's no sense in dredging up the Sanford incident again. Though many folks--including Jackson and Sharpton--accused Zimmerman of racial animus for shooting Martin, Zimmerman was ultimately exonerated by a court of law. 

However, the race hustlers such as Jackson and Sharpton so poisoned Zimmerman's character in the court of public opinion that he will be a marked man for the rest of his life. 

And it's irrelevant whether Zimmerman's a racist or just a man who has poor judgment. Under the American system of jurisprudence, a person is considered innocent until proven guilty. Under the justice system practiced by the race hustlers, Zimmerman was convicted of racism and murder before he had his day in court.

No doubt, life will never be the same for the Ferguson police officer who mortally wounded 18-year-old Michael Brown. Though the investigation has just begun, many people are calling for the cop's scalp. And even if he's ultimately exonerated like Zimmerman, his life will forever be changed. If his picture is ever released to the public, he'll become a marked man like Zimmerman.

I have nothing but contempt for charlatans such as Jackson and Sharpton. While thousands of blacks die across America at the hands of black shooters--many of the victims innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire--the race hustlers remain dead silent. But when an African-American is shot by a white person, they spring to life like vampires crawling out of their coffins.

And when they show up in places such as Sanford or Ferguson, they attract the usual vermin such as Marxists, anarchists and even the anti-Semites wearing Palestinian keffiyehs. There's nothing like the police shooting of an unarmed black teenager to bring out the zombies who call for Israel's destruction.

And so, if Rev. Jackson and Rev. Sharpton truly desire racial justice, then they can start by becoming genuine representatives of Jesus Christ instead of phony ones. They can start by preaching the biblical gospel that mandates the fear of God and respect for His laws and commandments that we're all accountable to.

Those laws include respect for authority, chastity before marriage, getting an education and staying out of trouble. As Solomon wrote: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline." (Proverbs 1:7)

Unfortunately for Jackson and Sharpton, there's no money and fame in the genuine gospel. That's why they promote the faux social gospel. It's all about them rather than about those they shamelessly exploit. 

In the end, they're going to reap what they've sown. In eternity.

Radical Islam or Fundamental Islam?

Despite its violent history and its holy book that exhorts its followers to fight against all unbelievers, millions of folks throughout the world remain convinced that Islam is a religion of peace.

There are those who actually believe that Islam merely needs to undergo the same sort of reformation that Christianity experienced about 500 years ago when a Catholic monk named Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of a church in Wittenberg, Saxony.

However, the Protestant Reformation arose because the church had strayed far from the Bible into the realm of heresy and man-made traditions.

For example, the Catholic Church promoted (and still continues to promote) a very anti-biblical gospel of works that was never revealed by Jesus Christ nor taught by his disciples and apostles.

Luther decided that the church needed to be reformed by rejecting Rome's false gospel and getting back to the biblical gospel of salvation by faith in the crucified and resurrected Jesus Christ for the sins of the world.

How could Islam possibly be reformed? Is the increasing violence and terrorism committed in the name of Allah merely the result of Muslims who have strayed from the teachings of the Quran? Hardly.

The violence and terrorism committed in the name of Allah are done in obedience to the teachings of the Quran, rather than in opposition. There are over 100 war verses in the Quran that command Muslims to commit jihad against unbelievers or infidels until they either convert to Islam or they are killed.

Here are some examples: "Fight them, Allah will punish them by your hands and bring them to disgrace..."  (Quran 9:14) "O Prophet! strive hard against the unbelievers and the hypocrites and be unyielding to them; and their abode is hell, and evil is the destination." (Quran 9:73) "O Prophet! Strive against the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and be stern with them. Hell will be their home, a hapless journey's end." (Quran 66:9)  Allah's Apostle said, "I have been ordered to fight the people till they say: 'None has the right to be worshipped but Allah'.  And if they say so, pray like our prayers, face our Qibla and slaughter as we slaughter, then their blood and property will be sacred to us and we will not interfere with them except legally." (Bukhari 8:387)

And then there's this: "The person who participates in (Holy Battles) in Allah’s cause and nothing compels him do so except belief in Allah and His Apostle, will be recompensed by Allah either with a reward, or booty ( if he survives) or will be admitted to Paradise ( if he is killed)." (Bukhari 1:35)
 
Muslims who persecute non-Muslims and commit violence aren't radicals. They're fundamentalists. Fundamentalists are those who interpret the Quran literally. That's not radicalism.

The real radical Muslims are the ones who refuse their religion's call to wage jihad against the unbelievers. And thank goodness that the majority of the world's two billion Muslims are radicals rather than fundamentalists.

Because if they were fundamentalists, then what's going on in the Sunni Triangle, Gaza, Libya and Syria would be occurring all over the world.

And so, Islam can't be reformed. If the world truly wants peace, then it will have to eliminate this nemesis.

If Hitler Had Merely Been "Contained"

Orthodox Islam: ISIS thugs commit mass murder

Without a doubt, Adolf Hitler was a diabolical man who orchestrated the mass murder of 10 million people--six million of them Jews-- during his nightmarish reign of terror as Germany's chancellor in the 1930s and 40s.

Though worse mass-murderers than the Fuhrer have existed throughout history such as Genghis Khan, Mao Zedong and Josef Stalin, Hitler's crimes standout because they were committed in plain view before the entire world.

Even today, nearly 70 years after he took his last breath, Hitler is still used as the measuring stick for all things demonic and evil. His name is a curse word and the antithesis of everything that's considered good and decent.

When the United States and its allies finally confronted Hitler during World War II, they realized that the Fuhrer and his Nazi war machine had to be completely annihilated. To leave any part of that evil enterprise intact would have invited its comeback and threatened every nation in Europe with extinction. 

And so, from 1940 until 1945, the Americans and British dropped 67,000 tons of bombs on the city of Berlin. No flyers were dropped in advance warning the residents to get out of town. No careful planning was undertaken by the military commanders to limit the bombing to weapons depots or German airfields. 

The civilian death toll was massive. It's estimated that at least 50,000 Berliners died in the bombings. Another 35,000 died during the bombing of Dresden on February 14, 1945. Though the bombings were a grim reminder of what happens in war, the civilian casualties were unavoidable. 

Had Bill Clinton, George W. Bush or Barack Obama been president during that time, only the good Lord knows how World War II would have turned out. But it probably wouldn't have turned out good for America or her allies. 

For example, when Osama Bin Laden was spotted in Kandahar, Afghanistan by the CIA in the 1990s, Clinton refused to pull the trigger, fearing collateral damage to the village the terrorist mastermind was hiding in. Thus, Clinton's failure to kill Bin Laden resulted in the deaths of 3,000 Americans on September 11, 2001.

More recently, President Obama reluctantly ordered the bombing of some ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Al Sham) munitions depots and military vehicles after the al Qaeda fighters had strewn thousands of corpses of Christians and non Muslims across Iraq in their quest to overthrow that nation.

Obama has no stomach for war and he believes that the terror group can be intimidated and contained with a few air strikes. But they can no more be contained than a wild beast can be contained with duct tape. 

Unless the ISIS head-hackers are annihilated, they will eventually takeover Baghdad and then set their sights on Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and of course, Israel. 

War is indeed hell. But to do nothing, or to merely attempt to contain evil is far worse than war. In fact, that's obscene.

And that's why in the ancient times, the Lord ordered the Israelites to completely destroy their enemies when they went off to war. (1 Samuel 15:18) 

Because if they didn't, their enemies would reconstitute and come back to attack them. Imagine then, if we had only "contained" Hitler? 

The Mystery of Evil

Though some folks will disagree, evil is something that's inherent in all of us.

For example, King David, who was called a man after God's own heart (1 Samuel 13:14) and is considered by many to be the greatest monarch in human history, also happened to be an adulterer and a murderer.

David, the great monarch, had a fondness for women. So much so that one night while he was walking on the roof of his palace in Jerusalem, he noticed a naked young woman bathing in a nearby house.

Inflamed with lust, David ordered his servants to bring her to him so he could have sex with her. The young woman's name was Bathsheba and she happened to be the wife of a soldier named Uriah who was away at the time, fighting in a war against the Ammonites. (2 Samuel 11:1-5) 

David's one-night stand with Bathsheba produced consequences. Uriah's wife conceived and after she informed David of the pregnancy, the king devised a scheme to bring Uriah back from the battlefront so he could sleep with his wife and believe that he had impregnated her.

Unfortunately for David, the scheme failed when Uriah, out of loyalty to David and Israel, refused to sleep with his wife after he returned home. So David panicked and devised a scheme to return Uriah to the battlefront where he would be killed in action.

David ordered his commanders to bring Uriah into battle and then abandon him. The men did as David ordered and Uriah was killed. Problem solved? Rather, David's problems had just begun.

The Lord sent the prophet Nathan to David to tell him a parable about a very wealthy man who owned a large number of sheep. According to the story, the man held a banquet for a traveler who had come into town for a visit. But rather than butcher one of his own sheep for the meal, the rich man forced a poor man and his family to give up the only lamb they owned. (2 Samuel 12:1-4)

When David heard the story, he was furious: "As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this deserves to die! He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity." (2 Samuel 12:5-6)

Then Nathan dropped the bombshell on David. The parable was about him. The Lord sent the prophet to convey his anger against the king for choosing such evil in violating another man's wife and then having the man killed after the king discovered he had impregnated her.

Though David was full of remorse and repented after the Lord confronted him with his sin, he was punished severely for his transgression. The Lord issued this decree: "Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own. Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity upon you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel." (2 Samuel 12:10-12)

David went on to marry Bathsheba. What happened to the child that she conceived with David? The Lord struck the child with death as part of David's punishment. 

But the couple had another son who went on to become a great king over Israel. He was Solomon who became one of the wisest men who ever lived. Solomon built the first Jewish Temple in Jerusalem and he is the main author of the Book of Proverbs.

What's the moral of this story? Even great human beings aren't immune to the power of sin. And when we fall, we can expect punishment, for "the Lord disciplines those he loves." (Hebrews 12:6)

And the Lord disciplines us to make us stronger human beings rather than weaker ones. That's what His grace and mercy are truly all about.

Ancient Israel and Modern America

Though America is never mentioned directly in the Bible, there are some striking similarities between the United States and ancient Israel.

For example, during the time of the prophet Isaiah (8th Century B.C.) the nation of Israel had strayed so far from God's law that the Lord warned the Jews to either repent or face harsh judgment.

Compare the Lord's rebuke of ancient Israel with modern America today and you'll notice the striking similarities. Like modern America, ancient Israel abandoned God for pagan religious practices: "They are full of  superstitions from the East; they practice divination like the Philistines and embrace pagan customs."  (Isaiah 2:6)

Like modern America, ancient Israel had not only embraced sexual immorality, but the Jews proudly displayed their perversion in the public square: "They parade their sin like Sodom and do not hide it." (Isaiah 3:9)

And like modern America, ancient Israel became a violent nation under the control of clueless and morally bankrupt leaders: "Youths oppress my people; women rule over them. O my people, your guides lead you astray; they turn you from the path." (Isaiah 3:12)

And of course, like modern America today, ancient Israel had a dearth of true faith but no shortage of religion: "Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. New moons, Sabbaths and convocations--I cannot bear your evil assemblies. Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts, my soul hates. They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them." (Isaiah 1:13-14)

Did Israel heed Isaiah's words and repent? Tragically no. About two centuries later in 586 B.C., the Lord fulfilled His promise to punish the Jewish nation for its rebellion when he allowed Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar to invade Jerusalem and take many Jews into captivity.

And the Jews remained captives in a foreign land until 445 B.C. when the Persians, who had succeeded the Babylonians, allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem.

How does all this relate to the United States? Does God deal with modern nations today as He dealt with ancient Israel?

In fact He does. For those with short memories, recall August, 2005 when President George W. Bush and his administration coerced Israel into handing over Gaza to the Palestinians for the intended purpose of achieving "peace" in that region between the Jews and the Palestinians.

Just days after the land swap took place, Hurricane Katrina roared into New Orleans and devastated that city and many surrounding towns. For those who remember Katrina, that storm was headed toward the east coast of Florida when it suddenly veered left into the Gulf of Mexico and headed straight for New Orleans.

A coincidence? Perhaps. But probably not. I believe it was the Lord's warning to the United States to (1) stop forcing Israel to give away its land to its enemies and (2) to stop defecating on His laws and commandments.

We know what happened after the Jews vacated Gaza. The terrorist organization Hamas moved in and turned Gaza into a launching pad for rocket attacks against Israel. In fact, the war that's currently going on there between Israel and Hamas is the direct result of the terrible policies of the Bush administration.

There's little doubt that the United States is a nation in very serious decline. Only fools would believe otherwise. Sadly, there are a lot of fools who continue to ignore the truth.

The reasons for America's decline are the same reasons for Israel's decline and fall in the ancient times. Unless Americans repent--and soon--the United States is going to become another third world sewer. In fact, that's already happened in various cities and towns across America.

Though the Lord spoke these words to the obstinate and rebellious Israelites, His words also apply to Americans: "If my people, which are called by my name, shall 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." (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Americans, are you listening? The time is getting short.

Ebola and the Last Days

The effects of Ebola

According to Jesus Christ, one of the prophetic signs of the last days will be the spread of deadly plagues and diseases throughout the world: "There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven." (Luke 21:10-11)

Certainly, we've seen dramatic increases in earthquakes and famines across the world since the dawn of the 20th century. 

http://www.prophecyreviewonline.org/apps/articles/ 

And those fearful events and great signs from heaven? Christ was very likely referring to the appearance of UFOs along with sunspot activity that has threatened power grids throughout the planet. 

For example, a sun-storm that occurred in 2012 sent solar debris close enough to the North American EMP grid that could have plunged much of the eastern half of the United States and Canada into darkness for an extended period of time. http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2014/23jul_superstorm/

But what of the increase in pestilences? Plagues and pandemics have been around since the dawn of human history. Some of them have killed millions of people. For example, during the 18th century, smallpox killed an estimated 60 million Europeans, many of whom were children.

From the 14th through the 18th centuries, the Black Death or Black Plague killed an estimated 75 million people worldwide. Keep in mind that during the time of the Black Death, the earth's population was only a fraction of what it is today. So, the death toll was catastrophic for the time the plague occurred.

Then came the Spanish Flu (1918-1919) that resulted in the deaths of 50 to 100 million people worldwide. Thus, deadly pestilences aren't anything new to the world.

However, during the 19th and 20th centuries, huge advancements in medical science led to the discovery of new vaccines and antibiotics that nearly eradicated such deadly killers as smallpox, polio, rubella and diphtheria. It seemed that no matter how deadly the disease, science finally had the ability to overcome it.

Until recently. In 1981, the HIV-AIDS virus was discovered after unusually high rates of cancer and pneumonia began afflicting homosexuals. While medical treatment and new drugs have significantly slowed the spread of the disease, there is still no cure for HIV-AIDS. It's estimated that about 33 million people globally are infected with the virus.

Not coincidentally, the apostle Paul recorded this in an epistle to the early Roman church concerning God's judgment of those who practice the homosexual lifestyle: "Men committed indecent acts with other men and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion." (Romans 1:27)

Now comes Ebola, a deadly disease that World Health Organization (WHO) officials fear could threaten the planet with the type of death and destruction not seen since the days of smallpox and the Black Death. Currently, there is no cure for Ebola--only containment and treatment.

How deadly is this virus? According to Dr. Amesh Adalja, a specialist in infectious diseases at the University of Pittsburgh, the disease kills about nine of every 10 persons it infects. However, he adds that "It’s hard to say exactly what the [death] rate would be in a modern hospital with all of its intensive care units."

http://www.webmd.com/news/20140404/faq-ebola-virus

Could the Ebola virus kill millions of human beings across the planet? It has the potential. Only time will tell whether this virus indeed becomes a mass murderer. 

In the mean time, remember Christ's prophetic words concerning the signs of the last days. Ebola provides additional proof that we are indeed living in the end times.

Compassion Then and Now

The St. Louis in 1939

Rahm Emmanuel, the mayor of Chicago, Illinois and a Barack Obama lite, has a plan to bring 1,000 of those immigrant children that recently crossed our southern borders from Central America to the Windy City to be placed in permanent homes.

Emmanuel, who uttered the famous phrase: "Never let a serious crisis go to waste", certainly isn't letting this current crisis go to waste, even if the crisis was largely manufactured by the president he once served under. 

When Emmanuel's plan was released to the media, he was skewered with criticism, even by some of his ardent admirers. Why was he lambasted? Because many saw his compassion as nothing more than a cheap political trick to curry favor with Hispanic voters in Chicago.

Emmanuel is running for reelection next year and his poll numbers don't look good. He's losing the African-American vote because of the high jobless rate and the escalating violence in Chicago's black wards. Emmanuel can't produce the jobs and his police department can't stop the carnage on the streets. 

African-Americans have long been some of the most loyal supporters of the Democratic Party, and when they're fed up with hot-air balloons in expensive suits such as Emmanuel, then Chicago's mayor is in trouble. Since Hispanics are also a dependable Democratic Party constituency, Emmanuel doesn't want to lose them either, or he could lose the upcoming election. 

And so, Chicago's crisis manager has decided to utilize the border crisis to spread a little love around Chicago's Hispanic community. Thus, those 1,000 children have become political props for Emmanuel's reelection campaign.  

When he was asked about the children, Emmanuel sanctimoniously blurted that his political party--the party that's produced such creatures as Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid--is the party of compassion. According to Emmanuel, his party has an historical legacy of reaching out to those who are desperately in need of compassion.

Really? Emmanuel's either lying or history isn't his best subject. Those who know their history might remember the year 1939. What was so significant about 1939? That was the year the ocean-liner St. Louis sailed from Hamburg, Germany to Havana, Cuba.

That voyage began on May 13, 1939. The ship carried 938 persons, most of whom were Jews who were fleeing Hitler's Holocaust that would result in the mass murder of six million Jews and four million others.

When the ship arrived at a Havana port on May 27, only 28 passengers were allowed to exit; 22 of whom were Jews who held valid U.S. visas. The ship then sailed to Miami with the remaining passengers who were hoping to gain asylum in America. 

When the St. Louis arrived in Miami a few days later, President Franklin D. Roosevelt's State Department decided it didn't want the refugees either, even though they faced certain death if they returned to Germany. 

Thus, the ship sailed back to Europe. Some of the Jews managed to find asylum in Belgium, Great Britain and France. But the rest were returned to Germany where they eventually perished in Hitler's death camps. 

And so, Emmanuel's party of compassion wasn't so compassionate 75 years ago when anti-Semitism was raging, even in America, the Home of the Free.

And now with anti-Semitism raging across Europe on the heels of Israel's wipe-out of the Iranian proxy Hamas in Gaza, will it be coming to America once again? 

If it does, will Emmanuel's party of compassion show the same compassion for the Jews as it does for the refugees of Central America? Or will it repeat the history lesson if 1939?

Dawn of the Super Evil

Biblical prophecy reveals several specific signs that alert us to the last days on earth that precede the return of Jesus Christ. One of these signs reveals the explosion of violence, depravity and evil across the world in the end times.

Since everything has a cause and effect relationship, then the increase in wickedness in the last days certainly has a cause. And evil's increase has largely been caused by Judeo-Christianity's declining influence throughout the world. And that influence began to wane in the 19th century when the Christian church turned away from the inspiration of the Bible to embrace universalism.

Certainly, evil is commonly defined as violent crimes such as murder, assault, robbery, extortion and rape. But the evil spoken of in prophetic context encompasses much more including idolatry, false religion, atheism, sexual immorality and perversion, debauchery, narcissism and nihilism.

In his second letter to fellow apostle Timothy, the apostle Paul explained the increase in evil this way: "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God--having a form of godliness but denying its power." (2 Timothy 3:1-5)

What Paul described is what inevitably happens when people turn away from God. And Paul wasn't merely talking about atheism, he was talking about those who reject God's Holy Spirit to follow forms of dead religion--"having a form of godliness but denying its power."

If that sounds like much of the end time Christian church, that's not a coincidence. As the church has grown more unfaithful to God by lowering Jesus Christ to just another ancient holy man, the church has lost its power. That lack of power not only has translated into millions of folks who have abandoned Christianity during the last 100 years, but the millions who currently follow a counterfeit form of godliness that's nothing but dead religiosity.

And Christianity's declining influence has led to the explosion of moral depravity in the western world and the spread of Islam in the eastern world. Christianity's abdication of biblical truth has created an immense vacuum that has been filled in by evil in the form of depravity, hopelessness and false religion.

In his letter to the early church in Rome, Paul explained the cause and effect relationship between the rejection of God and the rise of depravity: "Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them." (Romans 1:28-32)

Crime statistics over the past 90 years prove Paul's writings. For example, in England where Christianity once had a strong influence, about 100 violent crimes were committed in 1921 for every 100,000 citizens. However, by the 1950s when Christianity had lost much of its influence in that nation, approximately 1,000 violent crimes were committed for every 100,000 citizens. By the early 1990s, that figure exploded to 10,000 violent crimes per 100,000 citizens in that nation. Crimes of the century: Recorded crime - Web Exclusive Article - Significance Magazine

In the United States, Christianity's influence has declined at a slower pace. But it's declining. For example, in 1960, with a population of 179,323,175, approximately 3,384,200 violent crimes were reported.

In 1970, with a population of 203,235,298, the U.S. reported 8,098,000 violent crimes for that calendar year. Though the population grew by 4.8 percent from 1960, crime grew exponentially by 240 percent. Thus, the increase in crime couldn't be attributed solely to the population increase since the explosion of crime dwarfed the population increase.

By 1990, with a population of 248,709,873, the U.S. recorded 14,475,600 violent crimes for that calendar year. The grim crime statistics validate not only Paul's prophecies concerning the end times, but also a prophecy given by Christ: "At that time, many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved." (Matthew 24:10-13)

Crime statistics don't tell the entire story concerning the explosion of evil in the last days. During the 1960s in America, 75 percent of African-American households contained married couples. By 2013, only 28 percent of African-American households had married couples. Blacks and same-sex marriage

Concerning marriage in America, 44 percent of women in the United States were married in 1982 as compared to only 36 percent today. Sadly, 55 percent of African-American women and 49 percent of Hispanic women in America aren't married. For many of them, marriage is an oppressive and outdated institution. And since welfare programs became available in the 1960s, many American women have traded income-earning husbands for government welfare.

Not surprisingly, as Christianity's influence has continued to decline, sexual immorality and its inevitable consequences have risen sharply. For example, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) reported that in the America in the year 2,000, there were 251.4 reported cases of Chlamydia for every 10,000 women. By 2009, that figure rose to 409.2 per 10,000 women in the U.S.

Concerning syphilis, a deadly sexually transmitted disease once thought to be under control, the CDC reports that the STD is making a big comeback. Since 2006, the CDC reports a 36 percent increase in syphilis. Hardest hit are African-American males where 58.2 cases of syphilis are reported for every 100,000 men as compared to 2005 when 19.3 cases were reported for every 100,000 men. The Increase of Wickedness

Another casualty of the post-Christian sexual revolution is abortion. Since abortion was legalized in the U.S. in 1973, 55 million unborn babies have been slaughtered by abortion executioners. Abortion reigns wherever Christianity has lost its influence in the world.

In Eastern Europe, approximately 43 abortions are performed for every 1,000 women. Next are the Caribbean nations followed by Eastern Africa. In Southeast Asia and Middle Africa, 36 abortions are performed for every 1,000 women while in South America, 32 abortions are performed for every 1,000 women. http://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/abortion-around-the-world-where-are-rates-highest/14/

What does biblical prophecy reveal about the very last days preceding the return of Jesus Christ? Will evil suddenly dissipate across the world? In fact, evil will continue to spread until Christ comes back. Christ Himself stated that the end times on earth will resemble the ancient days of Noah when evil and depravity prevailed across the entire world. (Matthew 24:36-51)

Biblical prophecy also reveals that a world government is going to arise in conjunction with the explosion of evil and depravity. The ancient prophet Daniel, who lived 2,600 years ago, revealed that "when rebels have become completely wicked, a stern-faced king, a master of intrigue will arise, but not by his own power." (Daniel 8:23-24)

Who is this master of intrigue? He is the Antichrist who will take control over a world government. Thus, one of the prophetic signs that alerts us that a world government and the Antichrist are coming is the rise in evil and wickedness throughout the world. It's hardly ironic that a world government is not only being openly discussed by the United Nations, but that this tyrannical government is now inevitable.

And the coming global government will possess the technology to keep track of every person on earth. That technology is necessitated by violence and evil. To thwart terrorism, the global government will institute a sophisticated electronic tracking system that everyone will be forced to receive. (Revelation 13:16-17) And the Antichrist will also mandate that everyone who wants to live under his government either receive his mark to show their allegiance to him, or suffer death if they refuse the mark.

Are we living in the evil last days? We certainly are. Look around and see what's happening--infanticide (abortion), gay marriage, the rise of anti-Semitism, violent crime and the persecution of Christians. Yes, these are indeed the last days.