Is Al Qaeda an Enemy of the United States?

If the photograph on the left is any indication, then the answer is yes! Why then does the President of the United States want to support an Al Qaeda-infested rebel force seeking to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad‘s Syria? It doesn’t matter that Assad is evil, Al Qaeda is OUR enemy and if we do anything to support them, it’s an act of treason.

Am I overstating the issue?

Is treason too strong a word to use in regard to the intended actions of the POTUS?  

You decide…

Aid and Comfort:

To render assistance or counsel. Any act that deliberately strengthens or tends to strengthen enemies of the United States, or that weakens or tends to weaken the power of the United States to resist and attack such enemies is characterized as aid and comfort.

Article 3, section 3, clause 1 of the U.S. Constitution specifies that the giving of aid and comfort to the enemy is an element in the crime of Treason. Aid and comfort may consist of substantial assistance or the mere attempt to provide some support; actual help or the success of the enterprise is not relevant.

If the president drops one bomb on Syria, guess who he is aiding and comforting?

That’s right – our enemy: Al Qaeda. 

What’s our recourse?

Short of prayer, I’m not 100% certain, so let’s begin with that and be persistent in it! I trust that the Lord will guide His children in how we are to respond. I do know that God in His word instructs us to be subject to the governing authorities (Romans 13:1), so as good subjects we should vote when we’re able and encourage those in power to do what’s morally and Biblically right.

Treason is a stipulation of our Constitution, therefore anyone who violates it needs to be prosecuted. Untied State citizens (subjects) in good-standing need to lovingly stand behind any effort to remove law-breakers from our society, even if it is the president. As ‘good subjects’ we must see to it that our laws are enforced.

We also should be praying for our president (and those who support his position on aiding Al Qaeda), that they would adhere to the laws of the United States. More importantly, that he (and others) would act like the Christian that they say they are. Our prayers in this regard are essential and any implementation should not be ignored or rejected.

The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, “Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us.” He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision. Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, And distress them in His deep displeasure: “Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion.” (Psalm 2:2-6)

Related articles

• Al-Qaeda Praises Obama Reaching Out To Friends McCain And Graham (disquietreservations.blogspot.com)
• Al Qaeda in Benghazi Is Training Our Rebel Allies in Syria! (independentsentinel.com)
• US strike would help al-Qaeda: Syria (sbs.com.au)
• U.S. Travel Warning: Al Qaeda-Linked Syrian Rebels Have ‘Claimed Nearly 600 Attacks’ (undergroundpoliticsdotorg.wordpress.com)
• Al-Qaeda replacing Assad is the biggest threat to US security – CIA deputy director (jewishterrorism.com)
• In Syria debate, little mention of rebels (tv.msnbc.com)
• Ron Paul: Al-Qaeda would benefit most from Syria chemical attack – not Assad (themuslimissue.wordpress.com)
• U.S. troops protest deployment to Syria (theopinionpress.com)
• ‘If Assad Falls, Al-Qaeda Rises’ (israelnationalnews.com)
• Report – Syria: Al-Qaeda Force Passengers Off A Bus And Behead 24 Of Them, Including A Mother And Baby (undergroundpoliticsdotorg.wordpress.com)

If you agree with me on this issue, please SHARE the blog on facebook, Twitter, and other social media. Believe it or not, many Americans do NOT understand what’s going on in Syria in regard to Al Qaeda. Sharing the blog may help to inform others. SUBSCRIBE to the blog as well.

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My Civic Duty?

But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” So Samuel prayed to the Lord. And the Lord said to Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.” 1 Samuel 8:6-7

I voted today.

I rode my bike to the polls so at the end of the day I would not feel like the effort was a total waste of my energy. You could possibly conclude from that remark that I am not entirely thrilled with the election process and/or the candidates vying for my precious vote.

Be that as it may, riding home I found myself musing over some portions of scripture, not remembering exactly where in the Bible they were found.

I looked it up when I arrived home. 1 Samuel 8:6-7.

The passage is convicting and as it relates to my experiences today, I found myself compelled to mull over, “What in God’s name is civic duty and how does it line up with the ‘truth’ revealed in the Romans 13:1-4 verse?”

Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Romans 13:1-4

Civic Duty

I looked it up.

‘Free Dictionary’ told me that civic duty is, “The social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force.”

Frankly, that definition frightened me a little.

In another location, civic duty was equated to citizenship and this definition was provided, “Citizenship status, under social contract theory, carries with it both rights and responsibilities. ‘Active citizenship’ is the philosophy that citizens should work towards the betterment of their community through economic participation, public, volunteer work, and other such efforts to improve life for all citizens.”

Okay.

I can live with a philosophy as long as it maintains that the truths found therein are derived from the God of the Bible. Plainly said, a philosophy without God is a lie and a sure path to destruction. Our true citizenship is in Heaven; therefore, the force that propels and binds the Christian is not social, but Spiritual.

Consequently can we say that God desires to use us towards the betterment of our temporary homes through our active participation? Yes, I believe we can draw that conclusion, as long as we are seeking God’s will and direction in the choices we make.

Hence, prayer is a critical component.

Confession Time

I’m ashamed to tell you that this man of prayer forgot to pray before I voted today. I merely voted along party lines; the ones most closely associated with the same godly, moral standards I embrace. I fear if I had prayed beforehand, I might not have cast a vote at all.

In that light, is not voting a viable option?

I think it is, but I’m not entirely convinced.

Perspective 

My son is retiring from the United States Navy in less than a month and I surely do appreciate that he and thousands before him, risked their lives in order to preserve my right to freely choose.

 

Thanks Dan!

And thanks dad, my World War II veteran!

And thanks Pop Pop, my World War I and World War II veteran!

And thanks to all the unknowns!

In honor of your service I promise, if Christ Jesus should tarry, to cast or not cast my future votes as wisely as I can.

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation. Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men – 1 Peter 2:9-15

Related articles

• Pressure Fit for a Princess (choosingkidfree.wordpress.com)
• Jury duty: unfair burden or civic obligation? (cbc.ca)
• Ballot Casting and other fish tales (mikespub.wordpress.com)

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Is the End REALLY Near?

Is the end really near?  I would suggest, as Gary Kah does, to read your Bible and look around; then decide. Gary Kah makes no predictions as to when the end shall be, but strongly argues (that) we are very close.  Christian, you need to watch.

Are you a fan or supporter of President of Obama?  Then you need to watch.

Are you a fan of Rick Warren, or Bill Hybels, or Tony Campolo, or Brian McLaren, or Tony Blair, or the Pope?  Please don’t defend your man until you watch the video.

Please watch (and share) the video, then share your thoughts.

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One Nation Under God ~ Obviously

Indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the Lord your God, also the earth with all that is in it. Deuteronomy 10:14

Our Nation’s Pledge of Allegiance; The Pledge of Allegiance, includes the words, ‘One nation under God,’ except (apparently) when it is included as a part of NBC’s coverage of the U.S. Open Golf Championship. Shame on the National Broadcasting Company and those responsible for the omission; who do they think they are?

Do they not believe in God?

I don’t care what they believe nor does it matter; it’s every person’s choice to recite or not recite the Pledge as they see fit. However, NBC acting as a proxy for the United States Government (when they chose to use the Pledge in their promotion) had absolutely no right; legal or otherwise, to alter its composition. In so doing they essentially denied every God-fearing, American their right to freely choose. If this isn’t somehow a violation of the law of the land, it should be. Again, shame on NBC.

What does God think?

The incident begs the question, “Is our nation ‘One nation under God’ or isn’t it?” According to the Bible, not only are we one nation under God, but we’re one planet under God. Since our little nation is a part of the earth, we are therefore under God; we and the planet we’re riding on belongs to the Creator. Don’t believe it? It doesn’t matter—what we believe to be true cannot change the truth. God, among others things, is absolute truth; period.

The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein. For He has founded it upon the seas, And established it upon the waters. Psalm 24:1-2

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My Country Tis of Thee

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, The people He has chosen as His own inheritance…No king is saved by the multitude of an army; A mighty man is not delivered by great strength. A horse is a vain hope for safety; Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength. Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, On those who hope in His mercy, To deliver their soul from death, And to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, Because we have trusted in His holy name. Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, Just as we hope in You. Psalm 33:12, 16-22

You know, I have sung the song, ‘My Country Tis of Thee’ a gazillion times, but I don’t think until today I fully understood (or appreciated) who the ‘Thee’ is. I mean obviously, the ‘Thee’ being referred to is God, but I don’t ever recall having thought about the true Focus of the song or the ideals it espoused as being equated to God. For years, I’m sad to say by rote I sang these words without giving them much consideration.

My Country tis of Thee

My country,’ tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing; land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrims’ pride, from every mountainside let freedom ring!

My native country, thee, land of the noble free, thy name I love; I love thy rocks and rills, thy woods and templed hills; my heart with rapture thrills, like that above.

Let music swell the breeze, and ring from all the trees sweet freedom’s song; let mortal tongues awake; let all that breathe partake; let rocks their silence break, the sound prolong.

Our fathers’ God, to thee, author of liberty, to thee we sing; long may our land be bright, with freedom’s holy light; protect us by thy might, great God, our King.

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord

Depending upon which source you tap, a clear majority; roughly 76 percent of all Americans profess to be Christian. Therefore it would stand to reason that as a nation (whose majority is Christian), we could rightly proclaim that Jesus is Lord and that we are blessed because of it. Why then, I ask, is God’s sovereignty even an issue in these United States?

Well I submit to you that God is sovereign here (and elsewhere) whether there is 76 percent support or zero percent. What’s at issue is how blessed [as a nation] we truly are—as Christianity wanes, as the Gospel is diluted, and yes, as morals decline, so go our blessings. As a nation, we look around and are concerned, but it would seem we refuse to do anything about it. More precisely, we refuse to do what God would simply have us do.

What does God want us to do?

“Then it shall come to pass, (if) you listen to these judgments, and keep and do them, that the Lord your God will keep with you the covenant and the mercy which He swore to your fathers. And He will love you and bless you and multiply you; He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your land, your grain and your new wine and your oil, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flock, in the land of which He swore to your fathers to give you. You shall be blessed above all peoples… Deuteronomy 7:12-14a

God has given us the Law and further tells us if we adhere to the Law and follow its obvious course (which leads us directly to the Cross and Jesus Christ), we will be blessed. The Deuteronomy passage, by the way, is for all people, so it doesn’t matter if you live in a free American democracy or a brutal foreign dictatorship—the blessings are for all who believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior and obey.

“So it shall be, when the Lord your God brings you into the land of which He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give you large and beautiful cities which you did not build, houses full of all good things, which you did not fill, hewn-out wells which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant–when you have eaten and are full–then beware, lest you forget the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. You shall fear the Lord your God and serve Him, and shall take oaths in His name. You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are all around you (for the Lord your God is a jealous God among you), lest the anger of the Lord your God be aroused against you and destroy you from the face of the earth. Deuteronomy 6:10-15

We might debate to what degree, but there is no denying it—we are currently blessed. The danger (and the reason why our blessings are diminishing right before our eyes) is because across the board we have forgotten Who has provided our blessings. Generally speaking, we have taken everything for granted. To make matters worse, we have become a nation whose selfish one-word motto is, ‘Entitlement.’ As a result so many of us do not worship God any longer. We have become a country that idolizes the blessings rather then the Blesser and in our flesh we strive to obtain that which we don’t yet have.

Then it shall be, if you by any means forget the Lord your God, and follow other gods, and serve them and worship them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish. As the nations which the Lord destroys before you, so you shall perish, because you would not be obedient to the voice of the Lord your God. Deuteronomy 8:19-20

Finally, as a nation, we do not fear the Lord. Ask a Christian what the fear of the Lord means and you’ll likely receive a variety of answers. “Fear,” they might say, “means ‘respect’ or ‘awe,’ but it doesn’t mean we actually fear God.”

Really?

Read Deuteronomy 8:19-20 again and tell me honestly there isn’t something there we should fear.

I never feared by dad when I behaved, but I most certainly feared him when I had done something wrong. At that point, my fear had very little to do with respect and awe and a whole lot to do with dread. Did I still love my dad? Absolutely. The fear of my dad served to keep me in line; you could say it kept me blessed. The fear of the Lord also keeps me blessed, but in much more significant way.

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 I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

These ramblings are typically (but not always) a byproduct inspired by God through my personal Bible study at SearchLight with Pastor Jon Courson and with my pastor at my home church, Calvary Chapel Coastlands

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When Right is Wrong

So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, united together as one man. Judges 20:11

An Incensed Israel

What got Israel so fired up? In the previous chapter, a woman was horribly abused and killed at the hands of the Benjamites, a tribe of Israel—the account is one of the most bizarre stories in the Old Testament. It was seen as an act of terrorism against the nation of Israel as a whole; a wake-up call of sorts. The men of Israel mobilized in order that they could mete-out revenge for the travesty. And a travesty it was; in the first battle Israel would lose twenty-two thousand men; in the second battle, eighteen thousand—a full ten percent of their righteous army was wiped out by these Benjamite terrorists. How could this be?

God is on Our Side!

God unquestionably was on Israel’s side; the problem was that Israel was not on His side. The very last sentence of the Book of Judges sums up precisely where Israel’s priorities were, “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes,” Judges 21:25. What seemed right to Israel (in those days) was revenge; fueled by hatred and they chose to rally around vengeance rather than God.

Israel Figures it Out

Then all the children of Israel, that is, all the people, went up and came to the house of God and wept. They sat there before the Lord and fasted that day until evening; and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. So the children of Israel inquired of the Lord (the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days, and Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days), saying, “Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of my brother Benjamin, or shall I cease?” And the Lord said, “Go up, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hand.” Judges 20:26-28

Israel repents. Her sin was having become united in a cause, a mission, and a ministry, rather then being submitted to the God who guides us in all these things. Why is it so tragic and sinful to rally around a cause? Because when a cause is our motivator, after it is realized, any harmony that had developed as a result of it will ultimately break down. Don’t believe that to be true? Consider where the United States of America was as a nation in the days, weeks, and months subsequent to September 11 and where we are now almost ten years later.

A Look Back

As a nation our zeal was for retaliation and rightly so! We gathered together as ancient Israel did before the Lord and asked Him not of His plans, but that He would bless our plans as we sought our vengeance. I submit to you that when we proceeded with our agenda, God was indeed on our side, but we were not on His. Consider when was ancient Israel given the victory–after they fully humbled themselves and repented of their wicked ways. That godly principle has not changed one iota. Terrorism, earthquakes, tsunamis all serve to awake and unify nations, but when they do we would be well to remember to rally around the King and not the cause.

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 I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

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Remembering Haiti

…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 I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

The Way of Escape

While walking through the streets of Haiti, or sharing a meal at base camp, or as I lay in bed at night, I could not help but ponder, “What’s the solution to Haiti’s problems.” Haiti needs a sound government, a solid infrastructure, and a stable economy. They need leaders of industry and commerce to step-up to the challenge of investing in their nation. They need roads and sewers and running water and workable soil to farm. Haiti needs all these things and so much more, but the reality is that Haiti needs Jesus.

Think about it; without Jesus Christ, what is the relief effort really affording the typical Haitian? We can clothe, and feed, and house these souls in need, but to what end; to make them more comfortable on this earth before allowing them to slip away into hell? Our Lord would not have us offer temporary salvation, which is why everything that is done in Haiti or for Haiti, must be intertwined with the Good News of Jesus Christ.

From an eternal perspective, any relief effort that excludes the Gospel propagates the lie that tells each and every non-Christian, “Don’t worry; you’re going to be okay.” Eternally speaking, it is the cruelest thing a person could convey. At the very least, all secular relief efforts should be combined with those espousing Jesus Christ as the enduring remedy.

Having said that, I discovered my efforts in Haiti were largely secularized because I was unable to speak the language. I found some who spoke English and handed out many Christian-Creole tracts, but I realized the critical importance of being partnered with native pastors who could convey the Gospel message. What a blessing it is to know that long after I left, there will be Haitian pastors ministering to both the physical and spiritual needs of this great nation.

What YOU Need to Do

When this tragedy struck, so many of us were very quick to make a donation towards the relief efforts, but this is not enough. Christians, we need to give something on a regular basis. I would encourage every believer who is reading this now to affiliate themselves with any Christian ministry whereby they could give at least once-a-month. It makes no matter what amount you give and to what ministry you donate, but do it and have it automatically withdrawn so you will not forget.

The sad truth is that America is quickly forgetting Haiti; it is yesterday’s news. The media has set Haiti aside because the news must be fresh and exciting in order to promote advertising slots and relief work (in their eyes) does not sell. In a very real sense we are allowing the media to determine what is important to us; all the more reason why I implore you to search out a Christian ministry where you can give at least once a month.

The Work Has Begun

I chose a good day to leave Haiti; if I had stayed I would not have been able to do any work—the entire country was shut down for three days of prayer. As we drove through the streets of Port Au Prince to the bus station, we found the roads clogged with people walking to local churches or open areas where the Good News was being proclaimed. Where these places were packed beyond capacity, people overflowed onto the streets and plopped down to listen and pray. I have heard reports of thousands repenting and giving their lives to Jesus Christ. In order for Haitians to rise above the ashes, this must continue ~and~ these people must be discipled in their new faith.

All of this makes satan and his demons very mad. Non-believing factions will be rising up to combat the Christian relief and restoration efforts. For the non-believer, satan is a powerful adversary, but for the Christian he was rendered powerless by what Christ Jesus did on the cross at Calvary, therefore the body of Christ must not submit to the secular position; we must be resolute in our determination to bring the Gospel message at any and all cost. The people of Haiti’s singular hope must be in Christ alone.

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. 1 Corinthians 10:13

 

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Last Days? Scoffer?

…Scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming?”…For this they willfully forget: that…the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. 2 Peter 3:3-6Authenticated by Jesus

In chapter twenty-four of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus Christ confirms that we are in the last days and that the account of Noah and the Flood were actual events. Our Lord goes on to illustrate a parallel between the two events when He says, “For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away.” We can best see those similarities when we refer back to the Genesis text and make the comparison ourselves.

Men began to multiply on the face of the earth

In Genesis 6:1 we see the first recorded population explosion. While we do not know how many people populated the earth during this time, we do know that as a result it became problematic. Today, we see identical symptomology. Mull over the .. it took the world from the time of Noah to 1867 to reach one billion people; then from 1867 to 1935 (68 years) to achieve two billion; and by 1995 (another 65 years) we hit six billion. Currently we are approximately seven billion in total, adding a quarter million souls every twenty-four hours.

They took wives for themselves of all whom they chose

Genesis 6:2 tells us that there were some pretty wild and bizarre things happening sexually in the days of Noah (that I won’t go into here), but suffice it to say, God was not pleased in the least. Today, the largest industry in the United States is the entertainment industry, which includes every form of media, music, arts, and sports. Did you know that the fastest growing segment within that industry is pornography? I recently read that seventy percent of American men age 18–34 view Internet pornography once a month.

The wickedness of man was great…every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually

Has the world today truly reached the point that Genesis 6:5 speaks of? I would venture to say ‘not yet’, but we are unquestionably very, very close. The verse is not necessarily implying that every deed of man was wicked, but rather that the imagination contained within his heart was. When we scrutinize the imagery we are subjected to on a daily basis, there is certain inevitability that the worst of what we see will be etched upon our hearts. It is this very images that are conjured up before, during, and after any sinful behavior.

The earth also was corrupt (and) filled with violence

Genesis 6:11 speaks of world corruption and violence. Who reading this blog can deny that we live in corrupt and violent times. In our country alone, only 2.4 percent of a thousand criminals see jail time. By the time our children finish elementary school they have witnessed an average of eight thousand murders on television. By age 18 they have seen almost a quarter-million violent acts on TV. A whooping 79 percent of Americans ‘do believe’ that violence on television helps to precipitate real-life hostility.

Why Am I Telling You This

For the active Christian much of this information is not news; with the Lord as our guide, we do what we are called to do and we carry-on with our earthly missions. Therefore I suppose today’s message is for the non-believer, the man or woman who judge that their behavior is not repulsive to God and scoffs at the idea Jesus Christ is coming again. It is my hope and prayer that this person would identify with being a partial realization of Christ’s prophecy and seek not to be chronicled as prophecy fulfilled. Christ has died, and Christ has risen, and Christ will come again.

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Is Babylon the United States?

Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and shall not be found anymore. The sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, and trumpeters shall not be heard in you anymore. No craftsman of any craft shall be found in you anymore, and the sound of a millstone shall not be heard in you anymore. The light of a lamp shall not shine in you anymore, and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in you anymore. For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived. And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth.” Revelation 18:21-24Is Babylon New York City

Reading the passage above a person could certainly make a case that New York City will be the Babylon that is ultimately destroyed at the end of the Tribulation period. I will not be dogmatic about the assertion; I just am fascinated by the notion that Babylon could be in the United States. The truth is that Babylon might be anywhere. While others have made a case for it being the Babylon of Iraq, Rome, or even China–I just happen to see New York City as the best fit.

Why NYC?

New York is currently the financial epicenter of the world (ground-zero as it were) and arguably the wealthiest site on the planet. Sorcery in this case, as defined in the original Greek, really pertains to illicit drug use and needless to say, New York City surely holds it own in that arena. As for New York being the literal martyring-capitol of the world, that is yet to be seen, but one could make a pretty good figurative case for it being so. What do the prophets says?

Isaiah 18:1-2

Woe to the land shadowing with wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia: That sendeth ambassadors by the sea, even in vessels of bulrushes upon the waters, saying, Go, ye swift messengers, to a nation scattered and peeled, to a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden down, whose land the rivers have spoiled!

The United States can relate to wings (as long as they are eagle’s wings), we are west of Ethiopia, nations do send their ambassadors to the United Nations, we are a nation that has conquered it’s rightful inhabitants, and oh yes, our rivers are fairly tainted.

Jeremiah 50:12 + 37

Your mother shall be sore confounded; she that bare you shall be ashamed: behold, the hindermost of the nations shall be a wilderness, a dry land, and a desert… A sword is upon their horses, and upon their chariots, and upon all the mingled people…
I believe that England (our mother) is baffled by our behavior to the point of being ashamed. As for being a mingled people, no one could argue. Who though would say that Iraq or China are mingled?

Jeremiah 51:12a-13, 49, 53

…The LORD hath both devised and done that which he spake against the inhabitants of Babylon. O thou that dwellest upon many waters, abundant in treasures, thine end is come, and the measure of thy covetousness…As Babylon hath caused the slain of Israel to fall, so at Babylon shall fall the slain of all the earth…Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify the height of her strength, yet from me shall spoilers come unto her, saith the LORD.

The United States is the only modern-day kingdom that possess all these distinctives ~and~ ‘dwellest upon many waters.’ Whether or not the United States will stand with Israel to the bitter end is yet to be seen. Finally, and as far as you and I know, we are the only nation with the short-term capacity to mount an attack from the heavens with our moth-balled ‘Star Wars’ technology.

Who Cares

I suppose if the church is going to be plucked-off the planet before any of this takes place, it really does not matter much (to us) who, what, and where Babylon ends up. However God knows and He has established some road signs, and although seemingly vague, they serve to direct each sojourner to a place inside themselves; a place in need of some radical house cleaning—the Babylon of our very own hearts. James warns of this Babylon within.

Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days. Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter. You have condemned, you have murdered the just; he does not resist you. Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. James 5:1-8

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You’re Not Lost Until You Know You Are Lost

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (and) the wages of sin is death…But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord…God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us (so) whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved…If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. Romans 3:23, 6:23a, 6:23b, 5:8, 10:13, 10:9-10 Satan’s Job

The job of satan (at least in part) is to keep us so in-the-dark that we do not know we are lost and frankly, as we look around the world today, he is doing a pretty good job of it. Currently in these United States practically ‘anything’ goes; a person can essentially find an accepting coalition for any behavior or action he or she can dream up and what was once rightfully considered sinful fifty years ago is now conventional and very often encouraged. Somewhere, somehow, we have falsely established an authority over God determining [for ourselves] a characterization of sin suitable to our lifestyle and the fact that we witness similar conduct in our churches today is the abominational icing on the cake.

You Are a Sinner

You are a sinner, I am a sinner, your sweet old granny is a sinner, and yes, even Mother Teresa was a sinner. There is no need to get all bent out of shape about it; it’s just the way it is. The problem with sin is that God hates it, so much so that if you lived to be one hundred years old and only committed one stinking little sin, that minor imperfection would keep you forever separated from God.

God Demands Perfection

God demands perfection, and odd as it may seem, so do we. We might not think we are perfectionists, but isn’t it true that we demand excellence from the folks we deal with? Would any of us fly an airline that advertised, “We Get You There…Most of the Time, ” or a doctor who asks, “I am not big on cleanliness; is that a problem for you?” Why then do we get all flustered when we learn that the God who created us also demands excellence, after all, we are made in His image.

There is Only One Solution

By that I mean there is only one solution for our separation-problem; i.e., our sin, which separates us from God and denies us entrance into Heaven. And honestly, if God provided two ways, we would ask for three; if He provided ten ways, we would ask for eleven, one thousand ways, one thousand and one. Let’s be forever grateful that God kept it extremely simple and gave us one way only: Jesus Christ. If you are involved in a religion that has laid all sorts of required ritual burdens on you, then you are doing a whole bunch of extra stuff that the Lord never asked you to do. The Lord’s deal is a done deal; all you need do is accept it as the gift it was always meant to be. Jesus said…

For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. Matthew 11:30

We Receive With Open Hands

Like I said, your salvation (once received) is a done deal; there is nothing else you ever have to do accept take procession of it—that is in fact the Good News. If you choose to keep this Good News to yourself, it is your prerogative and your salvation will not be in jeopardy, but it’s GOOD NEWS MAN, how can you keep it to yourself? Tell someone! You are saved; you have discovered the cure for death—go give it away!

 

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