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THE MOTHER OF ALL TRUTHS 

In this article I am going to reveal a very important Biblical Truth. Establishing this Truth is absolutely essential before we can understand God’s Word and the world in which we live. Knowing, believing, and abiding in this Truth will automatically lay to rest many myths and misconceptions about God’s Word. The main reason so many people do not understand the Scriptures when they read them is because they have not understood this one fundamental Truth. This was the main reason that for so many years I did not understand the Scriptures. So what is this Truth? Simply this: 

Scripture teaches that before we can establish a doctrinal Truth, we must have at least two or three testifying witnesses (Matthew 18:16, II Corinthians 13:1). Can we establish this Truth (that everything always goes according to God’s will) in the mouths of at least two or three witnesses? Absolutely! Here are six witnesses:  

There has never, ever been a time in the history of planet earth where something has happened apart from the divine will and foreknowledge of our heavenly Father. If an event has taken place, then you can bet it was part of His preordained plan. Once this seed of Truth has been planted within our hearts we will begin to see the Scriptures and this world in a brand new light. And this seed of Truth, once it has matured, can give us an assurance and a peace that passes all understanding. But to deny this Truth is to deny the sovereignty of Almighty God. Christian pastors and theologians will often speak of the sovereignty of God as if they believe it, but they will in reality deny it with their carnal doctrines and commandments of men. I do not say this in order to degrade fundamental Christian teachers. After all, most of them are fine individuals with nothing but the best of intentions. But the reality is that they have been misled into believing and teaching lies, because they received not (through no fault of their own) the love of the Truth. So who is responsible for sending this delusion, that they should believe and teach lies? See II Thessalonians 2:11.  

Let’s use the “fall of man” story as an example. Most of us were taught that it was not a part of God’s original plan for man to partake of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. Instead, we were taught that mankind was seduced into joining Lucifer in some sort of a satanic conspiracy against God. But this notion undermines the sovereignty of God; that everything is working according to the counsel of His own will. It also undermines the fundamental Truth that Jesus Christ was the Lamb slain “from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8). In other words, the offering up of the Father’s only begotten Son became a necessity after man had rebelled, and was not a part of His original plan. Nonsense! Suppose you left your child alone in a candy store, and you gave him specific instructions that he could eat anything in the store, except for that beautiful display in the middle aisle. How long do you think he could hold out before succumbing to temptation? And to complicate things, you allow an older brother in the store with him, knowing that he would encourage him by telling him that this was the best candy in the whole store. How long do you think he could hold out now? Do you really believe that it was never a part of God’s plan for man to fall into sin? In today’s society, parents are held responsible for the well being of their children, and when they fail in that capacity they are usually hauled off to jail and the kids are taken into protective custody. According to the laws of this land, God would be guilty of child neglect. And if the penalty for sin really is eternal torment in hell, like many Christians believe, then He is also guilty of child abuse. I hope that you can see what utter foolish nonsense this really is. Always remember that if something happened, you can bet it was a part of God’s preordained plan.    

But if this is the case, then why did God tell Adam and Eve not to eat of this tree? Good question. And here’s another good question: “Why did God tell the nation of Israel to obey all of His commandments if He knew beforehand that they were not going to obey them?” And here’s the answer: So that we will all be made aware of our sinful condition. In other words, the falling away must come first (according to plan), before the man of sin can be revealed (II Thessalonians 2). If man had never been made aware of his sinful nature, then the plan to send the Savior on our behalf would not have been necessary, contrary to God’s plan. 

Much of God’s Word is a parable, a riddle. We cannot always establish doctrine by taking things at face value. This is one reason why there is so much division in the church today, which is contrary to what the apostle Paul taught (I Corinthians 1:10). We must search the Scriptures and look for the deeper meaning, the Spirit behind the letter. Here’s another example of a text that is widely misunderstood:  

If we take the above text at face value, then we would have to assume that something had gone terribly wrong apart from God’s will. In other words, He changed His mind. But this belief contradicts the foundational Truth that EVERYTHING goes according to God’s will. So what’s really going on in this passage? Why does God say all of these things if in fact He doesn’t really mean them? Because this is the HEART of God that is speaking here, and has nothing to do with His will. God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 18:32; 33:11), but knows that these things must occur in order to accomplish His purposes. Why it was in God’s plan to wipe out the entire human race and start over with eight souls, well, your guess is as good as mine. I will not speculate further than to say that maybe God wanted to paint for us a picture of the final judgment, where the sinful man is consumed and the spiritual man is saved (I Corinthians 3:11-15). Why eight souls? Because the number eight is symbolic of a new beginning (Genesis 17:12; Exodus 22:30; Matthew 28:1; etc). So why would God go to such extreme measures just to provide an analogy? Once again, your guess is as good as mine. But His ways are not our ways, neither are His thoughts our thoughts.  

Perhaps you have heard your own father tell you “This is going to hurt me more than it is going to hurt you” right before you take a disciplinary ass-whipping. As children, it’s difficult for us to see things this way, from our father’s perspective, especially when our rear ends sting for a few moments. Likewise, it’s often hard to see things from our Heavenly Father’s perspective as well, because we have our sights set on earthly things. We see all of the injustice taking place all around us and wonder why God allows these things to go on. Well, God had the perfect opportunity to correct everything way back there in Genesis following the flood of Noah. After all, this was apparently the reason God sent the flood in the first place – to destroy wickedness. Question: Has wickedness been extinguished from the face of the earth? No. So why didn’t God follow through and do what He apparently set out to do? Is God a liar? Of course not! So why does He allow evil to prevail? Because God is still instructing us in the ways of good vs. evil, right vs. wrong. Adam and Eve partook of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, according to God’s plan. But we also partake of this tree of the knowledge of good and evil on a daily basis, according to God’s plan.  

God is Spirit. Man is flesh and blood, created from the dust of the earth. If it had been God’s intention to create perfect beings from the beginning, then He would have done so. But this is not the case. 

Flesh and blood will not inherit the kingdom of God, neither will corruption inherit incorruption (I Corinthians 15:50). Our heavenly Father has a long-term plan for us. He is not trying to preserve these natural bodies of ours, for in the flesh dwelleth no good thing (Romans 7:18). From the very moment we are born into this world, we begin to die. These natural bodies are being used as vessels through which we receive instruction in the ways of good and evil. And one Day, when evil is finally consumed, all flesh will be consumed with it (please read I Corinthians 15:20-57).

HARD SAYINGS 

If everything goes according to God’s will, then does this mean that the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attack on this nation was a part of God’s plan? Yes. Does this mean that the slaughter of millions of innocent people in the Holocaust was a part of God’s plan? Yes. Does this mean that the abortion of millions of unborn babies each year is a part of God’s plan? Yes. Does this even mean that unspeakable acts like child molestation and rape are a part of God’s plan? Yes. Even The Jerry Springer Show? Yes! Am I insane? How can I possibly believe this?  

How? Because I believe the Scriptures over the carnal doctrines of men, that’s how. And according to those six passages we covered on page one, everything has been predetermined. God knows the end from the beginning. How can it be any other way? If all of these things are not a part of God’s preordained plan, then it is not possible for Him to declare that He knows the end from the beginning, for He would first have to wait to see how man is going to mess things up before intervening. And this belief system undermines the sovereignty of Almighty God. That’s just the way it is.  

I know how difficult it will be for most to accept these truths, for they are no doubt hard sayings. Especially when we have been taught our entire lives that God only wants good things for us, while His evil adversary Satan is the author of bad things.  We are not taught the Truth regarding these things; that Satan is working in complete accordance with God’s will (II Chronicles 18:19-22; Job 1:6-12; 2:1-6; etc.). Satan is NOT the adversary of God, he is the adversary of MAN. 

It is true that God wants the best for us, but nobody will attain His best during the course of this present wicked age. Let’s face it. No matter how much God blesses us with good things during this life, this life is still a vapor, ending in death.   

“US” vs. “THEM” 

The 9/11 tragedy was terrible indeed, but it really pales in comparison to many other recorded events throughout history. For example, you may recall the story of how the LORD sent forth an angel of death and killed 185,000 Assyrian troops in one evening (II Kings 19:35). How many widows and fatherless children were made overnight as a result of this tragedy? Imagine their grief and sorrow when they came to understand that their loved ones were never coming home. Do you think God took any pleasure in doing this? Absolutely not! He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. But because of the erroneous teachings within the church, these stories and tragedies are explained away as “us vs. them,” the righteous vs. the unrighteous. Of course, this way of thinking is nothing new, for this distinction between “us” and “them” occurs within our earliest historical records, on ancient Sumerian and Akkadian tablets, as well as in the language and culture of people all over the world. In his 1953 book The Primitive World and its Transformations (Cornell University Press), anthropologist Robert Redfield says that the worldview of many peoples consists essentially of two pairs of binary opposites: human/nonhuman and we/they. And this often translates as we = human, and they = nonhuman. Huxley put it like this:  

Hitler and Goebbels may have laid the groundwork for modern propaganda, but the United States, with the aid of today’s technology, is perfecting it. A very effective conduit for this type of propaganda is exemplified in Hollywood entertainment, such as Fox Broadcasting’s popular series 24, where Middle-Eastern men are portrayed as ruthless, hateful, bloodthirsty animals. Most Americans who watch ‘entertainment’ like this do not realize what a powerful influence these types of shows have on their minds. What is its purpose? Naturally, to make money for the networks. But also, to encourage hate, and to keep people in fear [more on this later].   

The Christian television networks are also doing their part in influencing the minds of average conservative American Christians. After all, the Biblical accounts are stories of God’s people vs. the children of the devil (or so we are taught), idolatrous pagans who are opposed to God, and who deserve nothing more than to burn in hell forever. Popular TV evangelists like John Hagee, for instance, are actively fomenting this hate. After all, we are God’s people, the United States of America, involved in an endless struggle against the evil “Islamo-fascists” (Hagee’s words) for truth, justice, and the American way. Oh really? I will assure you that the leadership of our own nation is neither any better, nor any more righteous, than other nation’s leaders.  

For example, in June 2003 the popular news show 60 Minutes aired a story of how the US government paid our British allies to relocate the inhabitants of Diego Garcia, a tiny island in the Indian Ocean. Why? Simply because our government wanted to establish a military base on the island, and did not want any indigenous people there. So our government just came in and took the land for its own purposes, and shipped the natives away to other parts of the world, where they would live the rest of their lives in poverty. The story concluded with this quote from one of the former islanders: 

This is only one small example of how the rights of ordinary human beings have often been trampled upon by US government and corporate interests. And these types of things continuously take place all over the world, unbeknownst to most Americans.  

Saddam Hussein was a brutal, evil dictator, to be sure. But at least he was open about it. This is sharply in contrast to George H. W. Bush (our current president’s father), who was quoted in Sarah McClendon’s June 1992 newsletter as saying: 

I don’t know what he was referring to, but it doesn’t sound like he was raising money for charity or planning a surprise birthday party for his granddaughters. We have many in this nation who honor God with their lips, but their hearts are far from Him.  

As the god of this age, Satan has been granted the authority to deceive the multitudes, in complete accordance with God’s plan (Matthew 24:24; Revelation 12:9). So how does the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2) largely keep truth suppressed? By controlling those who are in authority, those who decide what information the public should and should not know.  

MEDIA BIAS 

Edward Bernays, author of the book Propaganda, is widely considered to be the father of modern day advertising/public relations. He was the nephew of famed psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud and an assistant to the Zionist William Paley, the media kingpin who founded CBS and served as its chairman for close to 50 years. In his own words, Bernay’s reveals how America is really run:

Of course this is nothing new, for even St. Augustine mentioned these things in his celebrated book The City of God. Concerning the opinions of Marcus Terentius Varro (116 BC - 27 BC), who was a Roman scholar and writer, and was considered by some to be the greatest of all the Roman scholars, Augustine writes:

There is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9-11). History always repeats itself. And governments have been lying to their citizens for years, as evidenced in Plato’s renowned work The Republic: 

Most Americans have been led to believe that we have “freedom of the press” here in America. Not according to John Swinton, the former Chief of Staff at the New York Times. When asked to give a toast before the prestigious New York Press Club, Swinton made this amazing confession. It is worth noting that other newsmen, who admired him greatly, called Swinton "The Dean of His Profession."  

I do not believe that the vast majority of our news people are knowingly misleading us. They are just doing their jobs. They are given the daily news to read to the public, and pass that information along in good faith. I imagine that most journalists assume that there is some sort of an unwritten ethical code here in America that would discourage lying to the public. And most morally minded, law-abiding citizens would undoubtedly like to think so. But the following article tells a different story:

God hates a lying tongue, to be sure. But the most effective tool that has been used by those in our government, mass media, business, and education establishment has been the deliberate withholding of information. As Aldous Huxley pointed out so cogently in the Foreword to the 1946 edition of Brave New World:  

Proverbs 18:17 tells us that the first one to plead his cause seems right, until his neighbor comes and examines him. But because of the one-sidedness of the news media, people seldom get a fair chance to hear another side of the story. And let’s face it. Most people are gullible, and will unquestioningly accept as true most everything they hear on TV. Are our news media really “fair and balanced,” as Fox News claims? I could provide a multitude of examples showing the bias of the news media, but one should suffice. Go through your Christian TV guide sometime, and make a list of every ministry that teaches Universal Reconciliation. How many do you think you will find? Don’t waste your time. I’ll tell you how many – NONE. And why aren’t there any? Because Christian ministry is big business, and the powers that be don’t want us to know about God’s unconditional love and plan to save all humanity. They want to keep us in fear, for the threat of eternal torment is needed to make new proselytes. And more proselytes bring the potential for more money. Jesus scolded the religious leaders of His day for these very same things (Matthew 23:15; John 2:13-16). And the apostles warned us as well (I Timothy 6:3-10; II Peter 2:15; Jude 11). But people never do learn the lessons from history, do they?  

THE POLITICS OF FEAR 

I firmly believe that Satan’s primary function during the course of this present wicked age is to keep people in fear. Why? Because as long as people are kept in a state of fear, they are unable to be perfected in God’s Love (II Timothy 1:7; I John 4:18). But isn’t this contrary to the will of God? Doesn’t God want everyone to be perfected in His Love? Yes He does. But not everyone will experience this transformation now. God’s plan involves calling many, but choosing only a few. Most will have to wait until the consummation (I Corinthians 15:22-28), when all are made alive in Christ.  

The world of Christendom is not the only place where fear is being promoted. In this global age of information the secular world is constantly inundated with reports of diverse threats as well. A short list would include terrorism, overpopulation, global warming, identity theft, mad cow disease, and avian (bird) flu, to name but a few. Although there probably are legitimate concerns that need to be addressed, in many cases these problems are gross exaggerations, and even outright fabrications. In this section I will document some instances of how the powers that be are spreading fear far and wide, often for the purpose of furthering their wealth and power.  

Avian Flu: When asked about avian (bird) flu, health minister Charles Snyder, who studied a course in nutritional science from the natural hygiene point of view, says:   

And holistic health care practitioner Dr. Thomas Hohn adds: 

God’s Word tells us that the love of money, or avarice (an excessive or insatiable desire for wealth or gain), is the root of all evil (I Timothy 6:10). But vaccines (as well as drugs) are about more than just money. They are also about control. It is now a legal requirement that all children within the public school system be vaccinated. And if your child has been diagnosed with attention deficit disorder (ADD) or some other “ailment,” then you had better make sure that he (or she) takes his (or her) prescribed medication. Parents who refuse can now be charged with child neglect, and run the risk of having their children taken away from them. Whatever happened to the liberty we once enjoyed?  

Global Warming: As a child growing up in the 60’s, I can remember being taught in elementary school that planet earth was headed toward another ice age. But now, one can hardly turn on the TV without hearing something about global warming. My, how time changes things. Former presidential hopeful (winner?) Al Gore has led a very energetic campaign to convince us that if we don’t take steps to change our behavior, we are doomed. And one of the main points he outlined in his movie An Inconvenient Truth is that we need to learn how to be more conservative when it comes to energy consumption. But just recently, it was reported that Gore’s own Tennessee home uses 20 times the energy of the average American home! If what Mr. Gore is saying is true, then he should lead by example, and put into practice the things he preaches.  

But I am convinced that what Mr. Gore is saying it not true, that this is nothing more than government propaganda, whose objective, once again, is to keep us all in fear. So what’s behind this push to convince everyone that the sky is falling? In a recent issue of his DeWeese Report, Tom DeWeese of the American Policy Center says:  

Once again, it’s all about money and control (or power). But will people believe it? No. The average American citizen wants to believe that he (or she) is always being told the truth. We want to believe that our government is really run “by the people, and for the people,” and that it always has our best interests at heart. When we are constantly told over and over again about the threat of global warming (just like we were told over and over about the huge threat posed by Saddam Hussein), most will eventually be convinced that it is true. A late philosopher said it best:  

Some Christian prophecy teachers have also found the threat of global warming useful in making new proselytes, pointing to obscure passages in the Bible which speak of men being scorched by the heat of the sun (see Revelation 16:8), apparently from ozone depletion. In other words, the signs of the times point to the soon return of Christ, so you’d better get right with Jesus or face the possibility of burning in hell forever. Christianity does not teach God’s gospel of unconditional love. Instead, they promote a different gospel – a gospel of FEAR! 

If you are interested in hearing the other side of the global warming story, one that you will probably never hear on Fox News, here are some relevant links:

Terrorism: I have heard John Hagee tell his international television audience several times how Iran is in the process of developing some new, super-secret electromagnetic pulse weapon, which if detonated over the United States, could knock out our entire electric grid and send us back to the 19th century. And I have also heard similar statements from Hal Lindsey and Jack van Impe as well. Now I am not accusing any of these men of knowingly lying. Maybe they are relaying this information in good faith, out of a genuine concern for their viewers (though I have my doubts). But come on now, how STUPID do they think we really are? VERY stupid! You should have seen the looks of horror on people’s faces as the TV camera combed Hagee’s audience. This is nothing more than government propaganda, doled out by a false prophet within the church, to an unsuspecting, naïve crowd of American sheeple, who have no reason to doubt what their trusted Christian leader is saying.  

So what’s the implied message? I don’t think I really need to spell it out for you. This is just one more way our government is spreading fear, using Christian pastors and teachers within the conservative Christian community, to gain support for its overseas agenda. Should we always trust our government, that they always have our best interests at heart? Or do we have reason to question their motives? Allow me to cite one man’s confession from the Nuremberg war crimes trials following WWII:  

Sound familiar? God’s Word once again proves itself to be more reliable than the daily news: that there really is nothing new under the sun.  

Before 9/11, our leaders were unanimous in their opinion that any threat posed from Saddam Hussein had been neutralized. But after 9/11 that all changed. Now all of a sudden, Saddam is pictured with this massive arsenal of WMD, and this huge threat to humanity that must be eliminated. And why were we told this?  

Now the American public would be willing to support its government’s decision to go to war, because vivid images of mushroom clouds were now dancing in our heads. And where do you suppose we got that idea? Would our own leaders really lie to us to secure public support for its overseas agenda?  

Proverbs 5:17 says that God hates a lying tongue. Here are a few quotes from our leaders in Washington, both before and after the invasion of Iraq. 

BEFORE: “I have no doubt we're going to find big stores of weapons of mass destruction.” – Defense Policy Board member Kenneth Adelman; March 23, 2003  

AFTER: “U.S. officials never expected that we were going to open garages and find weapons of mass destruction.” – Condoleeza Rice; May 12, 2003 

BEFORE: “We know where they are. They're in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad and east, west, south and north somewhat.” – Donald Rumsfeld; March 30, 2003  

AFTER: “We never believed that we'd just tumble over weapons of mass destruction in that country.” – Donald Rumsfeld; May 4, 2003  

BEFORE: “Obviously the administration intends to publicize all the weapons of mass destruction U.S. forces find – and there will be plenty.” Neocon scholar Robert Kagan; April 9, 2003 

AFTER: “It was a surprise to me then — it remains a surprise to me now — that we have not uncovered weapons, as you say, in some of the forward dispersal sites. Believe me, it's not for lack of trying. We've been to virtually every ammunition supply point between the Kuwaiti border and Baghdad, but they're simply not there.” – Lt. Gen. James Conway, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force May 30, 2003 

On page 211 of his 1997 book The Grand Chessboard (written a full 4 years BEFORE 9/11), which outlines America’s geopolitical strategies for the 21st century, former National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski makes a rather indicting statement:  

When the multitudes are convinced that there is a direct threat to their livelihood, they will often support drastic measures to ensure their security, including increased surveillance and loss of liberty.  

Are individual rights now willingly being relinquished in the name of security? Perhaps you have seen the Dateline NBC series To Catch a Predator, where Internet sting operations are set up to catch child molesters. Now I am not defending child molesters by any means, but there used to be a law in place, called entrapment, which prohibited these types of sting operations. But as long as people are convinced that these new laws are there to protect them, and are there for their own good, then they will gladly go along with them. Today it is child molesters, tomorrow, God only knows. People are gradually being conditioned to accept more and more restrictions upon their liberties. If history is any indication, then this great nation, like all others before it, is also headed down the slippery slope to tyranny. 

Has anyone ever heard of the Patriot Act? The majority of Americans have probably heard of the Patriot Act. But if I were to ask how many Americans have taken the time to read the Patriot Act, I bet few could answer “yes.” The PATRIOT Act – I just love the way they word these new bills. The implication, of course, is that you are not a patriotic American citizen unless you are in favor of this Fascist piece of legislation. Those who have taken the time to read this bill realize that the US Constitution is no longer the law of the land, the Patriot Act is. Although I do not agree with much of what Rosie O’Donnell has to say, she is absolutely correct in this one observation: That the very people who take sworn oaths to defend the US Constitution, against enemies both foreign and domestic, are the very ones who are now undermining it. When discussing a new government for Iraq, Tonight Show host Jay Leno quipped that we should just give the Iraqi people our constitution. It’s a good one, and besides, we’re no longer using it.  

It is noteworthy to make mention here that shortly after the September 11th attacks, President Bush made the following declaration: 

But exactly six months later, when the subject of Iraq and Saddam Hussein was the focus of media attention, the President appeared to be singing a much different tune: 

Whenever I hear contradictory statements like these, it makes me wonder whether or not our leaders have ever purposed to find Bin-Laden. On the contrary, he appears to be doing the powers that be a much greater service as an at-large boogie man.   

These things have not gone completely unnoticed, and some have their suspicions about whether or not the truth is being told concerning the current “war against terrorism,” including at least one former member of British Parliament, who wrote:  

If we wish to learn the lessons from history, then we need to observe a pattern at work. And that pattern has always been the fact that the more powerful nations and empires have always invaded the weaker nations for one main reason: to take a spoil (Exodus 15:9; Numbers 31:53; Ezekiel 38:12; etc.). And they will often lie to their citizens to gain public support for their agendas. Our brave military men and women will gladly go to war for what they believe to be a righteous cause, such as defending the country they love. But how many would risk their lives if they knew the main objective was to gain control of the world’s oil fields? Very few. Therefore, they must be convinced that there is a threat to their livelihood. Although most Americans will stubbornly adhere to the illusion that this nation is different, I assure you that it is not. War is big business, and translates into billions of dollars for huge corporations, such as vice president Dick Cheney’s Halliburton, who always seems to get awarded the big government contracts. It’s always about the money, the root of ALL evil.  

I know that most patriotic American citizens will refuse to believe any of this, in spite of the evidence, which is there for everyone to see. According to a September 2000 document entitled Rebuilding America’s Defenses, the war in Iraq was planned even before George W. Bush took office, before 9/11. This means that we were planning to invade Iraq BEFORE we apparently had any justifiable reason (a.k.a. ‘the war on terror’) for doing so. Why? According to Section III, page 14 of this document, for the primary purpose of establishing a substantial military presence in the Persian Gulf region. All I can say to those who look forward to the time when our troops pull out of Iraq is, well, don’t hold your breath. I will believe it when I see it. We probably made similar types of promises to the German and Japanese people following WWII. It has now been more than 60 years, and we still have military bases there! We have now established a huge military complex in the middle of the Iraqi desert, and I will guarantee to you that, apart from an act of God, we are there to stay.  

I believe the US decided to oust Saddam Hussein, not for the reason that he posed any threat to this nation, but because (according to various news reports) he was discovered running an illegal oil pipeline to Syria, in violation of UN sanctions, and was pocketing the profits. This did not bode well with the big oil companies, in whom this nation has a substantial vested interest. Should this surprise anyone? Again, if you believe the Scriptures, it always comes back to the lust for wealth or gain, which is the root of all evil. The big oil companies, backed by the US government, could not continue to allow Saddam to saturate the market with ‘illegal oil,’ which would cut into their profits. He got greedy, and paid the ultimate price. This explanation makes much more sense to me, especially from a Biblical point of view. Our national motto still reads: In God We Trust. And many good Americans still trust in the living God. But to our current leaders, G.O.D. apparently stands for GOLD, OIL, and DRUGS!  

So why aren’t most Americans aware of these things? At a 1958 banquet in his honor, the late famed newsman Edward R. Murrow said it best:  

So why do I mention these things? Am I some America-hating, left wing radical that wants to overthrow the government? Of course not! The Bible tells us that those who rebel against the established authorities will face God’s judgment (Romans 13:1-7). I love this nation the same as any other American citizen. And I am grateful that I have the freedom to openly express my opinions, which is one aspect that truly does make this nation great. How long this freedom lasts, God only knows. No, I make mention of these things because most conservative American Christians suffer from the delusion that this nation has gained favor in the eyes of God simply because it is saturated with Christian churches, or because it supports the secular, Christ-rejecting state of Israel. Nothing could be further from the truth. God is no respecter of persons, not even Jews, because of their national identity (Romans 2:28,29; Galatians 3:29). So why do Christians believe that supporting Israel is the key to prosperity? Dare I say that the real reason is because their thinking has been influenced by Zionist propaganda in the churches? There, I said it. This should bring a few letters of condemnation. Do I care? 

Revelation 21:8 tells us that the cowardly (this includes believers) will not escape God’s judgment. Those who are afraid to stand up and proclaim the gospel (the REAL gospel), for fear of what others might think, will (according to Jesus) be denied before His Father in heaven (Matthew 10:32,33). The ones who love their lives will lose it, but the ones who lose their lives for the kingdom’s sake will save it (Luke 17:33). But before we can even know the Truth, and begin to overcome this lie-laden world, like Christ Himself also overcame this world, then we have to rethink virtually everything we have ever learned. Albert Einstein put it like this: 

And Christ put it like this: 

Ecclesiastes tells us that there is a time for war (as well as a time for peace). But there is no Biblical justification whatsoever for a Christ-honoring Christian to support any national war effort. Jesus taught us to LOVE our enemies, and turn the other cheek. The overcoming Christian must learn to subdue these beastly tendencies to exact vengeance upon our enemies, for God alone reserves that activity for Himself (Deuteronomy 32:25). Before we can truly learn to love one another, just as Christ loved us, then we must relegate this “us vs. them” way of thinking to the dungheap. There is NONE righteous, no, not one (Psalm 53:1-3; Romans 3:10-18). I will assure you that God loves Judas Iscariot, Adolph Hitler, Osama bin Laden, and Jeffrey Dahmer every bit as much as He loves Billy Graham, Mother Theresa, King David, or George W. Bush. After all, He created each and every one of us, whether Jew or Arab, Catholic or Protestant, Christian or Muslim, black or white.  

GOD IS IN CONTROL 

I do not intend to win any popularity contests with this article. But as disturbing as all of this may be to many, we must never lose sight of the fact that God is in the Driver’s seat. Remember the Exodus story? Every time Pharaoh relented in letting God’s people go, the end result was more death and destruction across the land of Egypt. But what many people miss is the fact that it was God Himself who hardened Pharaoh’s heart, over and over again. Therefore, it was God who was responsible for the many calamities that befell the nation of Egypt. It was God who slew all the first-born throughout the land (Exodus 13:15). Pharaoh, unbeknownst to him, had no control over his thoughts or his actions. And neither do our current leaders have any control over their actions. The mystery of iniquity (the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life) has total command of all flesh. 

Most of us are also familiar with the story in the Book of Daniel, where the finger of God’s writes upon the wall and proclaims His divine judgment against Belshazzar. Read carefully the words spoken by Daniel as he offered the interpretation of the writing to the mighty king: 

Wow! Did you catch that? According to Daniel, the God of heaven OWNS ALL OF THE KING’S WAYS! Can it be any clearer? 

It is really rather humbling to discover that none of us are in control of our own destiny. God is. Even the famous physicist Albert Einstein recognized this: 

Einstein believed that what is commonly called “God’s will” is identical with the laws of nature. People do not act freely in the sense of having alternatives to their actions; their belief in freedom arises only from their ignorance of the causes of the desires that motivate their actions. In other words, Physics 101: Cause and Effect. God is the initial Cause that effects everything. Even Christ said that no man comes to the Father (effect) unless the Spirit draws him (cause). God is in control, and we are not. We are built into a system with a purpose and a goal in mind (Ephesians 1:10; Colossians 1:19,20; I Corinthians 15:28), where everything goes according to the counsel of God’s own will. Once we grasp this Truth, then we can know God’s will for us: 

You will note the specifics of this last verse: 

The Scriptures declare that if we confess with our mouths and believe in our hearts that Jesus Christ is Lord, then we will be saved (Romans 10:9,10). The world of Christendom teaches that this confession of faith must be made before the point of physical death. If this is true, then you must be able to show me at least two witnesses from God’s Word testifying of this fact. Can you? I bet you won’t even be able to find one verse that supports this heretical teaching. But what does God’s Word really say? Exactly who will (one day) confess with their mouths and believe in their hearts? 

When God’s Word says every knee, it means EVERY knee. When it says every tongue, it means EVERY tongue. Do we have any additional witnesses testifying of this? You bet: Psalm 86:9, Isaiah 45:23.  

God declares that ALL souls belong to Him (Ezekiel 18:4). Our God is a jealous God (Exodus 20:5). Our God is a loving God (I John 4:8). Our God is a God who will never fail to accomplish His purposes (I Corinthians 13:8). Therefore, we can all rest in the assurance that not one of us will be eternally lost. We are all fearfully and wonderfully made, and we are all precious in His sight. Understanding these truths can give us all a peace that truly passes all understanding. May His peace rest upon you today.  

A CLOSING THOUGHT 

I have lived in central Indiana all of my life. And there are two things you learn to love as a child growing up in Indiana, auto racing and basketball. I have always been a huge fan of Indiana University basketball. As many of you know, legendary Hall of Fame basketball coach Bob Knight led the Indiana University basketball program for many years. Knight has always been known as a strict disciplinarian, and for years his mental-toughness molding methods have been questioned by many. But regardless, the man usually gets results, and gets the most out of his players. And if you were to ask, many of his former players are very thankful because they were taught some discipline, a character trait many of our young people today lack.  

In 1986, I read author John Feinstein’s best-selling book about Coach Knight and the I.U. basketball program called A Season on the Brink. In gathering information for his book, Feinstein was allowed full access to team practice sessions and meetings for a full season, so his was a first-hand eyewitness account. Knight’s star player during those years was a young man by the name of Steve Alford, who now (at the time of this writing) coaches the basketball program at the University of Iowa. Alford, who was raised in a Christian family and was (and probably still is) an active member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, probably heard more swearing and cursing during his four years under Coach Knight than he had heard his entire lifetime. And Knight was very tough on Alford. He was benched, he was cursed at, and even his manhood was questioned. But he was a tough kid, and would always bounce back. And I will never forget his statement right after winning the National Championship Game against Syracuse in 1987: 

“It was all worth it!” 

Most who had watched the game on TV that evening probably did not pay much attention to Alford’s comment, nor did they realize the gravity of it. But for a brief moment, everything I had read in that book suddenly flashed before the eyes of my mind. I remembered reading about all of the hell that this young man suffered at the hands of one who many consider a bully disguised as a basketball coach, and to Alford, it was all worth it! And this is how many people view our Heavenly Father, as a Tyrant and a Bully; one who allows death, destruction and injustice to prevail for no good apparent reason. But I have faith that in that Great Day, when God wipes tears away from all faces and recreates all things (Isaiah 25:6-9; Revelation 21:4), that we will look back on it all and echo those same sentiments: 

“IT WAS ALL WORTH IT!” 

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