You know, I’m a simple man. I have learned to appreciate the simple pleasures in life. I enjoy a hot cup of coffee, a warm fire, and the fruits of my labor. I enjoy the love of one good, Godly woman, the adoration of my children, and the laughter of my grandchildren. I grew up on a country farm in Northeast Louisiana. We were poor, devastatingly poor. But I can’t ever remember hearing anyone talk about how poor we were or how bad our plight was. We worked hard and did the best we could with what we had to do with. We led quiet, simple lives. But the struggle was real.
I was taught to love God Almighty, to love family, and to be loyal to our nation. None of which seem to be of any great importance in our current society. Those things have been swept aside in this day and age when the primary questions seem to be, “How does this work for my agenda?” and “What’s in it for me?” Over the last sixty years I’ve watched life move from slow and steady progress to fast paced insanity spiraling downward into stupidity. Why?
I’m pretty sure that I know why. Most of you will not like the answer. When I was young, I worried a lot about what people said to me or what people thought about me. When I was twelve years old, I worried myself into the hospital with stomach ulcers. But I’m sixty years old now. It’s safe to say that I have fewer years ahead of me than I have behind me. I don’t concern myself with what people think or what they say. I have nothing to gain by lying to you. So, I’ll tell you the truth, even if it’s not what you want to hear. So, ready or not, here I come.
People today are afraid. Every news source is biased, either to the left or the right. Gone are the days of Walter Cronkite who merely read the news and let people make their own decisions. That’s what he did. He just told what happened that day. There was no bias. There was no commentary. He just read the news. In these days, there has to be a commentary to tell people how to think. They have to have this expert and that expert to tell people what is really going on. Those experts are just as biased as the news media that they work for whether they be for the right or left. That’s the kind of job I want. I want a job where I get paid to talk about what I think about what someone else did or said.
The political left seems determined to promote a “woke culture” which is undermining the foundation of the nuclear family, and pretty much everything the Bible has to say regarding aberrant sexual practices. Worse yet, it seems that it is expected that everyone validate this culture and its practices. I am a white, Christian, conservative, heterosexual, male. I do not need anyone to validate any of those things for me to feel good about myself. Because I am what I am, I am labeled with every name that, in fact, I am not. “Shout him down and he’ll shut up!” is the mantra I receive. That ain’t happening.
The political right seems to have a little better grip on reality, but they don’t seem to have the whole picture yet. Their mantra is, “Elect US and we’ll fix this mess we’re all in.” Perhaps they can. Perhaps they can’t. To me, it seems arrogant on their part that they, in themselves, can fix anything. Oh, things might run a little smoother for a while, but without God in the mix of things nothing is going to get fixed with any lasting results. I haven’t seen or heard from anyone on the right or the left asking God to be a part of the equation as yet. To not do so puts them in the same position of the king of Assyria who thought, by his own might, that he had conquered Israel.
Perhaps, if either side, or both sides, could stop with the name calling, conspiracy theories, and horse trading long enough to crack a Bible they might gain a little wisdom.
Here’s what I do KNOW!
Isaiah said in 8:11–16 (NASB95)
For thus the Lord spoke to me with mighty power and instructed me not to walk in the way of this people, saying, 12 “You are not to say, ‘It is a conspiracy!’ In regard to all that this people call a conspiracy, And you are not to fear what they fear or be in dread of it. 13 “It is the Lord of hosts whom you should regard as holy. And He shall be your fear, And He shall be your dread. 14 “Then He shall become a sanctuary; But to both the houses of Israel, a stone to strike and a rock to stumble over, And a snare and a trap for the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15 “Many will stumble over them, Then they will fall and be broken; They will even be snared and caught.” 16 Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.
Let’s look at this for a moment. Isaiah said, that he received instruction to not walk in fear and Say, “This is a conspiracy”. Now, I have no doubt that there are conspiracies unraveling in the world around us that are not in the best interests of the people. I have no doubt that there are fabricated conspiracies to distract people from the very real conspiracies that are in play. I do not deny that. However, GOD SAID to not fear what the people fear or to be in dread of it.
Instead, Make God holy, sanctify Him that He is who we fear and who we dread. In doing so we show a reverence towards God instead of the evil that we see so prevalent around us.
THEN, for those who do as instructed, God will become a sanctuary, a safe place.
BUT to both houses of Israel, the kingdom of Israel and the kingdom of Judah, He will become a stone to strike and trip over. He will be a snare and a trap for the inhabitants who have not understood or paid heed to the instruction. For those who heed His instructions, the testimony is bound and the law is sealed among the disciples.
The two houses of Israel, the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah were about to take a plunge. They were about to be tripped up and caught in a snare or a trap of their own making. Question: “How many houses do we have in Washington D.C.? Two. The House of Representatives and the The Senate. And before you start screaming that I’m talking replacement theology be assured that I am not. I’m talking about cycles of events that occurred in ancient times that are repeating in modern times. As Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 1:9-11.
“That which has been is that which will be, and that which has been done is that which will be
Done. So there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which one might say, “Se this,
it is new?” Already it has existed for ages which were before us. There is no remembrance of
earlier things; and also of the later things which will occur, There will be for them no
remembrance among those who will come later still.”
Solomon tells us that events in history reoccur. Could it be that the events of the Bible are unfolding before our eyes? I believe that it is entirely possible. However, it requires an understanding of God’s time and how events on God’s timeline reoccur and manifest in history. I believe that we are seeing history repeating.
Now I issue a warning for the current law makers of the land.
Isaiah 10:1–4 (NASB95)
1 Woe to those who enact evil statutes And to those who constantly record unjust decisions, 2 So as to deprive the needy of justice And rob the poor of My people of their rights, So that widows may be their spoil And that they may plunder the orphans. 3 Now what will you do in the day of punishment, And in the devastation which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? And where will you leave your wealth? 4 Nothing remains but to crouch among the captives Or fall among the slain. In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away And His hand is still stretched out.
America has turned away from God. They have placed their faith, hope, and money upon a political party and/or representatives of those parties. There is no faith in God anymore.
Does the political arena have my attention? Yes, to some degree. Am I frightened by what I see and hear? No. I see prophecies being fulfilled. That which must come to pass is coming to pass. That which has been done is that which is being done, again.
I am The Old Watchman, Ezekiel. You have been warned!