Pray for Those in Authority

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

 It's been amusing to see how many TV preachers are currently talking about scripture's admonishments to honor and pray for those in authority, such as I Timothy 2:1-2, I Peter 2:17, and Romans 13:1.

In very many cases, these are preachers who have "discovered" those scriptures only since the inauguration of a man they like.  The previous eight years, many of them were preaching God's hatred of unrighteous rulers: and doing some explicit Obama-bashing from the pulpit, in case anyone missed the point.

When the peoples' shepherds are hypocrites, despising God's charge to accurately handle the word of truth (II Timothy 2:15), will God sleep ?

Now, King of Glory, regard the deception these unrighteous do in Your Name.  In Your great mercy toward Your sheep, protect us from these false shepherds.  Execute Your judgement on the liars who have come among your flock to mislead those You love, and make them prey for the enemy.

In Jesus' Name, Amen !!  Amen !!

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

Who's Next ?

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

Many people, even some of his former followers, are beginning to see that Donald Trump's presidency is disastrous for our country.

It makes me cautiously hopeful.  It's always good when people are honest about reality.  Living by lies (or the "spin" today's deceivers give it, "alternative facts") inevitably brings people, and nations, to a bad end.  Jesus said He IS "the Truth" (John 14:6): and scripture affirms that people and nations perish when they will not "...receive the love of the truth so as to be saved" (II Thessalonians 2:10).

It will be good when Trump is removed from the office where he has the power to do harm to the country.  But no individual politician completely embodies the enemy's destructive spirit, until antiChrist comes on the scene.

It's been clear from the start that; as much as he operates in the enemy's spirit of lies, immorality, pride, unrighteousness, and greed; Trump is neither smart enough nor "slick" enough to fill the role of anti-Christ.  According to scripture, anti-Christ will be a unifying figure who is almost universally adored and trusted.  Jesus said that deceiver would be able to "...mislead, if possible, even the elect" (Matthew 24:24).  But it's increasingly clear that the majority of  people...maybe even millions of his white "evangelical" followers..no longer believe or trust Trump.

I think it's easy to see how the enemy might manipulate our current politics to his purposes.

Those who've tied their political fortunes to Trump will frantically try to disassociate themselves from him as he sinks in public estimation.  They will try to shore up their political fortunes by putting forward a "leader" perceived as more honest, intelligent, and likeable than Trump.  They will easily find such a person: 99% of people meet that criteria.

But in the political nature of things, many who've become disgusted with the evil politics that Republicans (and the vast majority of America's Christians) have so long practiced, will be convinced that only voting counter-Republican will "save" them.

If the enemy is smart...and he is, very... he can be expected to manipulate the other parties to also offer a person smarter, more attractive, and more masterfully deceitful in hiding his evil spirit, than Trump.  The enemy's surest deception might be to give us a Democrat, or Independent, or third-party, evil "savior:" someone who appears personally and politically opposite to Trump.  That ploy could be very successful with the simple-minded, the politically-minded, and those lacking spiritual discernment...surely the large majority of humanity.

I think the Spirit is saying we should be alert, and sharply discerning, towards anyone presented us as the "anti-Trump:" and especially careful to not be deceived by his anti-Trump political credentials.

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

Unrepentance

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
 Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.     --  Isaiah 55:8

In his seminal "Agreeing With God," my beloved teacher Derek Prince emphasized that it's critical we agree with God's definitions.  What God says anything is, is what it absolutely is.

Last week I was meditating on repentance.  I often find it helpful, in getting a clear and full idea of a subject, to consider its opposite, so I was searching for scriptural references to "unrepentance," "unrepentant," and related words.

There were none, in any of the top three English translations of the Bible (the King James, New American Standard, and NIV versions).  I found it remarkable that the Bible speaks so often of "repentance" and "repenting," but not once of its opposite.  But clearly God thinks in different terms than I do.

When I told Donna about it, she immediately came up with the same word I did, as scripture's characterization of the unrepentant: "stiff-necked."

That's the beginning of another study, of what scripture says about being "stiff-necked."

But in the meantime...while I was working in the garden yesterday and pondering these things, a thought came very clearly to mind.  We often hear these days of public figures who are publicly shamed for telling lies or doing wrong.  It is amazing to me how often they justify their lies and unrighteousness, rather than repenting of them.

The term that's commonly used to described their self-justification is "doubling down."  Rather than admit they've lied or done anything wrong, they angrily "double down" on their sin.

The thought God put strongly in my mind is that I should think "stiff-necked," and "unrepentant," each time I hear that someone "doubles down" on his lies and unrighteousness.

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

"Conservatives" and Their "Reality"

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

Had to compress my comments, talking on a local site to a guy bloviating all the standard "conservative" talking points and attitudes.

Rather liked that the short-form comment seemed to get to the point (better than I usually do):
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bob: did you notice I strongly recommended, above, a belief in "objective truth" ?

If so, you can see why you're wrong-footed from your first statement, that "there [are} facts and there are Liberal facts."  Objective truth is, by definition, the same for everyone: and not under the control of any faction.

No, Bob: there are facts, and there are lies (or as "conservatives" like to call them, "ALTERNATIVE facts").

Reality is what it is: not what ANY human being ("liberal" or "conservative," since those seem to be the poles of your worldview) wants to conjure it.

To live in objective reality, you have to admit it exists; and you have to acknowledge reality is sovereign to your personal interpretation of it.

Those who aren't God, but want to believe reality is their own creation, really REALLY need to repent.