God is Fully In Control of the World's Confusion

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Promise of Conquest . . . Even Today

Exodus 23:27: “I will send My terror ahead of you, and throw into confusion all the people among whom you come, and I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you.”

Here is a verse that many say is clearly Old Testament and at first glance, it certainly appears to be so. I mean what exactly is “God’s terror”?  And what ‘enemies’ are actually fleeing from us?

Well, for starters, commentator David Guzik translates the ‘terror of God’ as the “fear” that God instills in us, probably of Himself. But for the most part, commentators are silent on the topic. What we do know is that God “throws people into confusion”.

I don’t know about you, but it seems to me that our world is more confused now than ever before. More confused about whom they can trust and who they cannot.  The Iran Nuclear deal just signed yesterday is just one example. The value of a life lost when killed by a police officer is a crime, but aborting babies and selling their various parts for profit by the thousands daily by an organization called Planned Parenthood is not talked about or investigated. Illegal immigration is wrong but we need the illegal immigrants to fill our menial jobs. The disagreements between members of a similar political party or coalition are rampant globally (see the U.S. Republican party; or the coalition of the Prime Minister of Israel; or the Greek government coalitions). Parents are confused about how much discipline they should give their children. They also do not know when to say ‘no’ and when to say ‘yes’.  The United States appears to be making sweet deals and coming to peace with all its enemies (even those that continue to pursue communism [Russia, Cuba, etc.], or disregard human rights [Syria], or want America abolished [Iran]) and seems to doing all it can to undermine its allies [Israel] and its own Christian citizens. We’ve stopped going to the moon and our long-term NASA projects, but we’re pursuing trips to Mars and Pluto. We spend billions in research to keep people alive on the one hand and we are trying to pass laws to end the lives of the elderly on the other. Greece, by all historical standards, should have been kicked out of the European Union and the Euro currency long ago, and especially now.  And yet, the creditors are afraid to kick her out and are handing over yet a third bailout – one they know cannot be paid back no matter what is promised.  Individuals do not know if they are male or female and some want to be both or the opposite of what they were. Confusion for sure. And I could go on. I’m sure you could as well. Some of us have witnessed that confusion in our own communities, perhaps in our churches, or even in our families.

But here’s the thing, God says “He throws people into confusion” and He does it for the purpose of working out His Plan for His people. All this that is going on around us today is being allowed or sometimes caused by God so that His Plan for us can be worked out. Yes, sometimes that is a very hard pill to swallow, no doubt – especially when it is your family or you that are suffering – economically, socially, physically, etc. But if we can just catch a glimpse of the bigger picture through a fuller knowledge of Scripture and somehow “believe on Him” we will indeed feel the conquest He has afforded to us in Him and through Him.

God says that people that come across our paths and are not His (and I dare say sometimes those that think they are His but for one reason or another do not have in them the ‘grace’ that He alone gives and the ‘hearts’ that He alone changes), these people who choose to oppose us not only in spiritual matters, but in practical ways, will be thrown into confusion by God. Have you seen that or experienced it in your life? If not, may I humbly suggest that you, like many of us at times, are not fully relying on Him and trusting Him to do that, or you are not obeying His instructions to you, or you just aren’t involved in serving Him to the extent that such service is actively opposed by the Enemy and such protection is required by God.

And then God says, He will make these people “turn their backs to you”. Other later portions of the story of Israel demonstrate to us exactly what this means – confusion, defeat by the Israelites, fleeing. God says He will do that to our spiritual enemies and to our physical enemies. I believe that as tough as things get (and they will get tougher), the true Christ-follower who depends fully on God, obeys Him totally, and serves Him unreservedly will be so protected – his/her enemies will be cast into confusion, they will be defeated by God with us (we will have a role to play) and on our behalf, and they will flee from us if not eliminated in battle.

Are you and I ready for the next stage of the working out of His Plan for mankind, for you, and for me? My hunch is that if we are not and we’re waiting for the last minute to make that preparation or decision to be on God’s side, we will, in the midst of the confusion or in the heat of the battle’s pressures, make the wrong decision; the challenge to those who are unaware of what is going on and unprepared when that climatic time hits (be it global or just our individual ‘time’s up’) will be too much to handle wisely.

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Part III: Yes, I'm still reading Ayn Rand's "The Fountainhead" and I have found some more "gems".

I've tried, several times mind you, to convince myself that I really should not waste my time reading "The Fountainhead".  But alas, being the disciplined person I am, I keep on trucking, having now read 239 pages already.  Once I start a job, I like to finish it.   Who knows, I may just find something she says that can help me think more clearly about what I believe.

Thus was the case with two of her statements in the portion of the novel I read since blogging Part II of the series on her book.

On page 231, one of her key characters, soon after being assaulted by someone, declares, "When one makes enemies one knows that one's dangerous where it's necessary to be dangerous." And then as if to justify his thoughts (or are they the author's thoughts?) she has him continuing, "There are things that must be destroyed -- or they'll destroy us."

Well, let's look at her first statement, "When one makes enemies one knows that one's dangerous where it's necessary to be dangerous."  A nice sentiment and possibly true in some cases, but not always, and I'd even hazard to say, not often.  Yet, I can't help but agree with her intention her.  In fact, that is the only time we should have enemies -- when we and they disagree on something of importance.  It must be in circumstances and on issues for which we must take a strong stance.  This is true of individuals, both Christians and unbelievers.  It is also true of organizations who stand up for something.  And, it is true of entire nations.  One's enemies should only be those that were attained because one stood up for what really mattered.  Alas, that is not the case, and thus we're in more messes than we really want or need.

It is only through this ability to stand up, that one has a chance of being perceived as both credible and an equal, worthy to be heeded and to cause one's enemies to rethink their own position of animosity towards us.  Not standing up in times like this cause our enemies to see us as weaklings who deserve both to be taken advantage of as well as of being ridiculed and relegated to the insignificant category of individuals, organizations, or nations.

It is these two options that America and the West currently have when it comes to Iran's flexing of her military muscles and her defiance of all global requests to stop pursuing nuclear arms.  (In fact today, after presenting her first nuclear fuel rod to the world proving she can do what she says, offered to sit down to talks about her nuclear programs.)  Will the West go along with Iran's suggestion or will it take a stronger stance and let Iran know we mean business?  Regrettably, Iran knows they need to make hay while the Obama administration, which is known for backing down when it comes to terrorist Muslim countries, is still in power.  So don't expect anything startling from the U.S. on this at this time.

Let me turn now to the second part of Rand's quotation, namely, "There are things that must be destroyed -- or they'll destroy us."  Once again, I think she's got that right.  Diseases must be found and eliminated or they'll kill us.  Serial killers must be pursued and either killed or incarcerated or they'll continue to destroy.  I would add poverty to that group of things that should be destroyed, although I know that it will not be.  And so on.  But to that list, we must add the slow but sure movement across the world of radical terrorist Islamists as a political ideology, and/or non-tolerant extremist faction of its religious movement, which openly declares its hatred for and its desire to eliminate, both Israel and the United States off the face of the earth.  This movement (radical terrorist jihadism) cannot and must not be allowed to exist.  We must co-exist with moderate, peace-loving Muslims, who tolerate the rest of us.  We cannot co-exist with those that want to destroy us.  Ayn Rand is right.

(Let us not confuse the above with the love and acceptance that we must show to the majority of Muslims who are not terrorists, or radical Islamists, or jihadists.  However, as long as they too remain silent and do not denounce publicly and openly, and even at great personal costs, their Muslim brothers who are terrorists, radicals, or jihadists, then we cannot expect the ordinary man and woman to embrace them and their religion as a peaceful one.  It does not compute.  Right now there is a huge disconnect between "Islam as a peaceful religion" and everything we see done in the name of Islam against Christians, Jews, and even moderate Muslims.  Somebody must clarify for the world just what exactly Islam stands for.)

On page 237 of "The Fountainhead", Rand has one character named Keating asking another, named Ellsworth Toohey, about a third character.  Keating asks: "Ellsworth . . .  what do you think of Roark?"  And the reply came back, "Roark?  Roark?  Who is Roark?"

Rand's next paragraph is quit amazing in demonstrating her ability to judge human characters and reactions.  Rand writes (emphasis is mine), "The too innocent, too trifling manner in which he (Toohey) repeated the name, with the faint, contemptuous question mark quite audible at the end, made Keating certain that Toohey knew the name well.  One did not stress total ignorance of a subject if one were in total ignorance of it."

Have you ever noticed that?  I have.  Rand is bang on again.  This observation is in line with the one we all have heard which says, "me thinks you do protest too much".  Our words and staged surprise often give us away to the discerning observer.  It seems that lying is just not a totally natural human behavior.  We weren't created to lie, but we find it so convenient.  The problem is we are not good at it.

I'll keep on plowing through "The Fountainhead" and when I find some more 'gems' worthy of discussion, I'll share them with you.  So, stay tuned.


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Keeping You Posted on the Israel vs. Iran Situation and the Possibility of Attack

Once again an Arab news source provides us with some good insight into what is going on between Iran and Israel right now. And the most criticial document to wait for this week seems to be, by far, the latest report of the Atomic Energy Association's report on Iran. Take a look at this clip.

Tensions run high between Israel and Iran - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

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Wait. Is Israel Attacking Iran? Or is the UK and the US?

This story or rumor or whatever it is -- is growing. Even in the liberal mainline media. Here's the latest account from one of Israel's media sources.

As I stop to think about it, I can possibly believe the U.S. is behind this. Obama may be a friend of Islam, but he's no friend of the political entity Iran and the clown that represents it. He has been ridiculed by Iran. He owes them a punch about the potential assassination that did not take place. And so much more.

And lest we forget, he needs to emerge as a leader again before people really start thinking about the GOP alternative as the next President. This may be exactly what he needs -- a strike on Iran because of their nuclear progress (lots of votes here) and partly in support of Israel (more votes here).

And if he can get Cameron of the UK to support him in the little adventure, more votes for not doing it alone.   And of course, there's the economy.  This should get things moving one way or another, but only for those that build and sell arms.  Man, this guy has got it all figured out.

Now, lest you think this all excites me, let me tell you something. It may be the beginning of the end for all of us. And then eternity. I'm okay with that. But it can also turn out to be hell on earth for millions.  And that really bothers and scares me. 

Please stay abreast of the developments and for those of you who pray, pray hard, remembering that it's not Obama or Netanyahu or Ahmidinejad that gets the last word. That comes from God who still remembers we're talking about His People.

'UK speeding up planning for pote... JPost - Diplomacy & Politics


[Are you looking for a speaker at your church, your club, school, or organization? Ken is available to preach, teach, challenge, and/or motivate. Please contact us.]

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