Renewing The Mind

Conforming to the ways of the world is what comes naturally. Without any effort, one's life will be molded into a perfect image of the lost souls of this realm. However, God calls men and women to be transformed. The result of this transformation will be a life acceptable to God.

The word of God says,

I appeal to you, therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your rational service. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12:1-2, ESV

Mind renewal, then, includes at least these two factors:

1. Testing (1 Thessalonians 5:21)
   
2. Discernment (Ephesians 5:10)

The polluted "version" of Christianity that encourages one to check his or her mind at the door has no power. Salvation comes by the grace of God when we will engage our minds in the pursuit of righteousness.

That's true renewal of the mind.

r2

Booze & Expensive Gas: A Dangerous Combination

Two Tennessee men are in jail today after a physical altercation. While walking to get gas for their empty car, the two acquaintances started fighting over who should pay for the gas. Police said both David A. Lundsford of Sweetwater, Tennessee and Roger Gifford of Athens, Tennessee remain in custody pending a court appearance today.

A police report shows Lundsford suffered a minor stab wound in the abdomen, apparently inflicted with Gifford's pocket knife early Wednesday. A witness told police that she saw Lundsford punching Gifford.

Lundsford told officers that he and Gifford were walking north on Congress Parkway after running out of gas and they started arguing about who should pay when they got to the pump.

Both men are charged with public intoxication, which pretty well explains this whole bizarre scenario. Just another example of the unmatched wisdom of God's word...

Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise. (Proverbs 20:1, ESV)

Has any man in the history of the world been made better by the consumption of alcoholic beverage? No, not one. How many have seen their lives ruined by strong drink? Far too many to count.

We all know drinking on a "social" level is the "norm" in our time, but following norms is just one way among many that strong drink leads one astray (see verse above). Alcohol use is alcohol abuse.

Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.
(1 Peter 2:11, ESV)

r2

Moses On Drugs?

Benny Shannon, a professor of cognitive psychology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, recently published a study wherein is claimed Moses was high on psychedelic drugs when he heard God deliver the ten commandments. Furthermore, according to Mr. Shannon, Moses must have been under the influence of the same substances when he thought he saw the burning bush.

In an interview with Israeli Public Radio, Mr. Shannon said he himself has dabbled with such substances -- an admission that pretty well gets to the bottom of Shannon's published "study."

Obviously, very few sober-minded, rationally thinking people will put any stock in Mr. Shannon's theories. They have no factual basis whatsoever. They serve merely as another talking point for those who simply cannot accept the Biblical record as it is...despite the overwhelming proof of its veracity.

The exploits of Mr. Shannon and those like-minded are most reminiscent of the philosophers of Athens to whom Paul preached. Of them it was said, "Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new" (Acts 17:21, ESV).

The minds of men and women like these are seemingly so wrapped up in the glory of academia and devising endless philosophies sometimes lose sight of common sense. They marvel at new theories and conjecture even when those new thoughts completely contradict other lines of reasoning which they hold to be true. One theory may have no more merit than another despite its overwhelming amount of credible evidence. "Open mindedness" is heralded as the order of the day; but it would seem their minds have been so "open" that they have fallen out and lost them altogether!

The science of logic has given way to the art of uncertainty and objectivity. Benny Shannon and his theories of Moses' use of hallucinogens are not the first illogical and unsustainable doctrine to come along, and neither will they be the last. They are just the latest; and the modern-day "Athenians" will have moved on to the latest "something new" in short order.

Let's have minds that are open to truth and perceptive enough to recognize error.

r2

Do Words Have Meaning?

I sometimes wonder if words have lost all meaning.

Today on my lunch hour, I went by the Comcast customer service center to return our cable and internet equipment. Without even intending to do so, I noticed a very large sign on the door that read, "NO SOLICITING."

As I walked up to the window to turn in the equipment, I overheard the customer at the adjacent window say, "I'm not soliciting, but..." In my experience, when someone begins a statement by saying, "I'm not __________, but...," that generally means they are about to do or say exactly that which they just said they are not doing or saying.

This woman wanted to drop off coupons for her business. The sole purpose of her presence in that office was to direct increased traffic to her business...also known as SOLICITING. Despite the obvious flagrant disregard for the company's rule, the Comcast employee accepted the coupons.

So I ask, do words even have meaning anymore?

Much of our society has fallen into intellectual laziness -- the kind that bristles at the use of simple logic or proper use of terms. This has spilled over mightily into the spiritual realm.



For example, when the Bible says...

He who believes and is baptized shall be saved (Mark 16:16),

The world says, "Baptism isn't necessary to be saved."

When the Bible says...

There is one body (Ephesians 4:4), the church, which is His body (Ephesians 1:22-23),

The world says, "There are many churches, and one is as good as another."

When the Bible says...

God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth (John 4:24),

The world says, "There is no right way and wrong way to worship God."




My friends, there can be no doubt that when it comes to certain matters, for some, words have lost all meaning. Seeing that the method by which God has revealed His will to mankind is through the written and spoken word, this is a genuine tragedy.

The Holy Spirit guided inspired men to write "all the truth" (John 16:13). The truth has been conveyed by words, and it is these truths alone that have the ability to set the soul of every man free from the grips of sin and death (John 8:32).

It is time to renew our appreciation for words and their meaning -- especially when it comes to the words of the Almighty God.

r2

The "Prosperity Gospel": Reaping What They Have Sown

Hundreds of millions of dollars, millions of viewers, thousands of church members, and two divorces.


If you were to turn your television to channels such as the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), INSP (The Inspirational Network), or The Word Network, you would see men like Rod Parsley, Creflo Dollar, Kenneth Copeland, T.D. Jakes, Benny Hinn, and women such as Joyce Meyer, Paula White, Juanita Bynum just to name a few.


You would more than likely not see these individuals preaching about the tragedy of sin, the good news of salvation in Christ, the need to worship God in spirit and in truth, or any other Biblical doctrine. The odds are that you would hear a motivational speech on wealth and prosperity.


In what has become known as the "Prosperity Gospel," these and other neo-Pentecostal charlatans have convinced the world that God wants all believers to be exceedingly wealthy. The sentiment is that if you are not financially rich, you are doing something wrong. The sermons invariably consist of either no Scripture whatsoever, or a sprinkling of Scripture taken woefully out of its rightful Biblical context.


Recently, two very prominent married couples in the "health & wealth" movement announced they were filing for divorce. Kenneth Weeks and his wife, Juanita Bynum, are in the midst of a bitter divorce that has quickly become a public spectacle. These two "preachers" were married in what their church called "the wedding of the century," the tab for which exceeded $1-million in 2003. This couple was famous for their marriage and couples retreats wherein they supposedly bestowed the secret to marital bliss to those in attendance.......for a hefty fee, of course. Now, after less than four years of marriage, they are divorced.


Randy and Paula White of Without Walls International Church in Tampa announced their intention to divorce in August of this year. I have personally been very well acquainted with the Whites' dealings since I grew up in the Tampa Bay area of Florida. They have been fixtures in both the Tampa Tribune and the St. Petersburg Times for their shady financial dealings and dishonest ways.


The Whites' Tampa home on Bayshore Boulevard (one of the most exclusive parts of town) has an assessed value of more than $2.22-million. They also have substantially expensive homes in San Antonio, Texas, New York City, and Malibu, California. Now, really...how many mansions does a preacher need?


I recall an article in the Tampa paper several years ago wherein Mr. and Mrs. White flaunted their expensive homes, automobiles, and wardrobes, saying God was using them to show believers everywhere how He wants to bless their lives.


My friends, the preachers of and adherents to the "Prosperity Gospel" are finally beginning to reap what they have sown. These two cases come in the wake of Richard Roberts' (son of Oral Roberts) scandal, wherein it was shown he and his wife had been using millions of dollars of university funds for lavish homes and vacations. And yet, despite all the dishonesty and transparent greed, these figures are still as loved today by most of their followers as Jim and Tammy Faye Baker were in their own day.


My friend, whether it be in this life or that which is to come...

Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
Galatians 6:7-8, ESV

And this is precisely the problem: The preachers and peddlers of the "prosperity gospel" are sowing to their own flesh. They are corrupt, and will in turn reap corruption. May we reach all we can with the TRUE gospel...the one that contains the power of God to salvation (Romans 1:16)!

r2

Zip Those Lips!

We need more silence in the world.

Oh, there is a time to speak -- even times when the truth simply must be told.

To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.....a time to keep silence, and a time to speak.
Ecclesiastes 3:1, 7, NKJV

By practical observation, however, it would seem that the vast majority of mankind seems to be under the distinct impression that silence only has a proper place when it comes to others. Sadly, the wisdom of maintaining one's peace appears to be a skill that is passing away.

According to an old Irish proverb, "The silent mouth is sweet to hear."

In what I personally regard to be one of the most insightful and desperately needed Proverbs of the Bible, the wise man said...

Whoever restrains his words has knowledge; and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.
Proverbs 17:27-28, ESV

You may have heard this similar thought: 'Tis better to keep your mouth shut and have them think you a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.

Truly, we are a world in desperate need of a better appreciation for the power of silence!

r2

"Black Friday": Be Wise This Year

Black Friday is just around the corner. Just in case you are not familiar with the term, it is also known as the day after Thanksgiving.

The origin of Black Friday comes from the shift to profitability during the holiday season. Black Friday was when retailers went from being unprofitable, or "in the red," to being profitable, or "in the black", at a time when accounting records were kept by hand and red indicated loss and black profit.

For many though, the term has come to mean something quite different: Black Friday is the day when already holiday-weary shoppers brave the throngs of shoppers in an effort to find the best deals of the season. More than 100-million shoppers will bite, gouge, and claw their ways (figuratively speaking, of course!) through masses of humanity and merchandise to get an early jump on their holiday gift list.....and this is just the way many of these folks would have it!

If you are not an avid shopper, this may come as a surprise. Yes, I've known and have been related to quite a few men and women who thrive in such environments. But no matter where we are this Black Friday and throughout the entire holiday season, there is something we ought to think about: Exercising financial wisdom.

In her book "Debt Proof Living," consumer financial expert and personal finance coach, Mary Hunt, gives a list of debt trap warning signs:

1. You are living on credit
2. You pay your bills late
3. You are not a giver
4. You are not a saver
5. You dream of getting rich quickly and living an extravagant lifestyle
6. You worry about money
7. You overspend your checking account

Where is the wisdom in loading up our credit cards in December and paying finance charges we cannot afford until the next holiday season rolls around? Overextending oneself financially takes a toll mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Financial crisis is always near the top of the list in causes of divorce.

Why not take care of the problem before it can even arise? Be wise this holiday season. Do not overextend yourself. Do not talk yourself into believing what many retailers want you to believe...namely that your family and friends will be disappointed if you do not lavish upon them expensive gifts.

There is much more that could be said about this. The Bible has much to say in regard to God's people exercising wisdom in finances. I will leave it at this:

"The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender." (Proverbs 22:7, ESV).

r2

A Fourfold Folly

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.
Galatians 6:7-8, NKJV

The fourfold folly here is...

1. The folly of trying to deceive God
2. The folly of expecting something different from what we sow
3. The folly of sowing to the flesh and and expecting to reap of the Spirit
4. The folly of expecting more or less than we sow

God is not deceived, but I truly believe many of us are! Our actions have consequences. If we live spiritually grounded lives, the consequence is spiritual reward. If my life is dominated by fleshly pursuits, my inner man follows the same course as the outer.......it passes away (2 Corinthians 4:16).

r2

Gambling With Eternity

The "gaming" industry in the had gross revenues of almost $85-billion in 2005 in the United States alone. Of course, one's imagination can run wild as to what that figure would look like if every segment of the gambling world reported all income. The "bookie" who is taking wagers on this week's ballgames does not report the money he takes from his clients who call in looking to make an easy "buck."

Simply stated, the gambling universe is HUGE business. Savvy and often seedy businessmen and women are all too eager to break into an industry that capitalizes on the greed and materialistic outlook of a warped nation. Anyone who thinks gambling is a viable source of income is woefully deceived, and sadly mistaken. Simply put, the "house" ALWAYS wins. How else can we account for the palatial casinos and hotels in the aptly dubbed "Sin City?"

Countless families and individuals have been ruined by the deceptive world of gaming. Gambling addiction has been on the rise since gaming has expanded from the casino floor. Among other methods, you can now play poker online, play the lottery by holding a slip of paper, and wager thousands on a football game with a single phone call.

Personally speaking, the most disturbing and outright annoying development over the past five years is gambling's transition from shady and risky to national past time. As a regular viewer of ESPN, I have been amazed at the amount of airtime their national poker tournaments have been receiving. These out-of-shape, middle-aged men have garnered a following larger than most athletes and rock stars! Teenagers know these guys by name and model their own poker-playing "skills" thereafter. Yes, poker has become sport.

Let's be frank here -- gambling is like diving into an empty swimming pool. The chances that you will hit bottom are about the same. We are a nation deceived. Las Vegas' official slogan may be, "What Happens Here Stays Here," but I submit to you there is only one way in which that is true -- that is, in regard to your money. If you go to Vegas, 'tis true......your money will stay behind when you leave. Everything else (regret, shame, anger, compulsion, lies) you most certainly take with you!

People who can afford to gamble do not need money, and those who need money cannot afford to gamble. Listen to the word of God...

Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty. A faithful man will abound with blessings, but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished
Proverbs 28:19-20, ESV

My friend, gambling is most certainly a "worthless pursuit." To the extent that we engage therein, we will be impoverished. If you are involved with gambling on any level, may I exhort you to cease from this un-Godly practice at once. I realize there can be a certain level of compulsion with some people, but I wholly reject the notion that gambling is a "disease." After all, if gambling is a disease, as some contend, can you deduct your losses as a medical expense? Renounce this sinful activity and seek the forgiveness of a loving God who is anxious to forgive, as well as the forgiveness of anyone else who may have been affected.

For those who have never tried gambling, may I encourage you to stay as far away from the practice as you possibly can.

r2

Remember Lot's Wife

In Luke 17:32, Jesus made this very simple statement: "Remember Lot's wife."

When we go back and look at the example of Lot's wife in the divine record (Genesis 19:1-26), here is what Jesus is telling us to remember:

Remember Her Privileges

• She was faithfully instructed
• She was a relative to one of God's chosen -- Abraham
• She was warned of danger

Remember Her Fate

• It was merited
• It was sudden
• It was final

Practical Reflections

• Beware of earthly entanglements
• Beware of questioning God's commands
• Beware of disobedience

May our memory of this woman's fate, recorded for time immemorial, be an admonition to trust and obey the word of our God.

r2

Be Sure Your Sin Will Find You Out

Here's an interesting story out of South Charleston, West Virginia:

A man who thought he was asking a friend about a drug deal instead sent a text message to the state police and was arrested, authorities said.

Joshua Wayne Cadle, 19, allegedly sent the message this past Wednesday to a phone number that used to belong to an unidentified friend. The number is now held by the State Police.

"He text messaged that and asked his friend if he wanted to buy some reefer," Moore said.

Another trooper who received the message responded and set up a meeting. Moore arrested Cadle on Wednesday night in the parking lot of a shopping center in South Charleston.

Cadle was charged with delivery of a controlled substance and possession with intent to deliver.

Not all sin involves that which is illegal. One can gossip, lie, harbor hate, be negligent in serving God, and the like without fear of prosecution. Some sins, however, are also against the laws of civil government. The story above is a classic example of a man's sin costing him freedom both spiritually and physically.

The Bible says:

But if you will not do so [obey], behold, you have sinned against the LORD, and be sure your sin will find you out.
Numbers 23:32, ESV

You may go through life and never break a single law, and therefore, never have the fear of losing your freedom. Then again, men have led lives of crime without ever being detected. They were so adept at "getting away with it" that they went to their graves innocent in the eyes of the law. But not in the eyes of the all powerful God who sees and knows all -- even that which nobody else does.

Whether or not our sin "finds us out" in this life, there will be no way to cover it up as we stand before the Judge of all creation.

Friend, deal wisely with your sin now, for you can do nothing about it then!

r2

Suing The Judge

(Cue The People's Court theme song)

Announcer, Jack Harrell: Now entering the courtroom, Nebraska State Senator, Ernie Chambers of Nebraska's 11th District. He has filed suit against the defendant for making terroristic threats against the senator and his constituents, inspiring fear, and causing "widespread death, destruction and terrorization of millions upon millions of the Earth's inhabitants."

(typewriter sound effect summarizing the charges)

Announcer, Jack Harrell: Meet the defendant.......God???

You heard right, ladies and gentlemen. An elected public official has filed a lawsuit against the Almighty. You can read more about this amazing story here.

Mr. Chambers claims he took action against the Creator of the universe to show how frivolous lawsuits can be filed against anyone at any time. It is probably safe to say that most Americans would agree that there are too many silly lawsuits being filed in our day and time. But is this really the most effective and wise way to demonstrate that point?

Ernie Chambers is an outspoken adversary of religion. It appears this was a way to "kill two birds with one stone." On the one hand, he has addressed the frivolity of many lawsuits; on the other, he is poking fun at the God he refuses to acknowledge.

The fool says in his heart, "There is no God."
Psalm 53:1, ESV

r2

Here's A Message For You: You're Fired!!

A Polish bus driver has been fired for sending 38,000 text messages on his company cell phone in a losing effort to win a contest jackpot.

Leszek Wojcik, a bus driver in the northwestern Polish city of Slupsk, ran up a tab of some 94,000 zlotys ($34,000) with his text messages while trying to win a 100,000-zloty ($36,000) SMS contest that ended June 30.

A city bus drivers' monthly company phone bill is supposed to be limited to 15 zlotys ($5).

Wojcik sent an average of 1,200 SMS text messages a day, each costing 2.40 zlotys ($0.86), on his work cell phone.

Wojcik told TVN24 television he wanted to buy a second car with his possible winnings. "Now I'm without work," he said.

There is a Biblical principle to be learned by the unwise decisions of Mr. Wojcik. The Bible says...

Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty. A faithful man will abound with blessings, but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.
Proverbs 28:19-20, ESV

God will bless the man who earns his wage. Activities that rob us of our time and resources (such as gambling) generally lead to some level of poverty, and often to a certain measure of compulsion.

Work hard and enjoy the fruit of your honest labor. To count on "easy money" is a fool's way of thinking.

r2

Pigs Must Be Careful

The following is a poem I recently ran across (the author being unknown) that exposes the folly of drinking alcohol:



One night in late October,
When I was far from being sober;
I was returning home with my load in manly pride.
When my feet began to stutter,
So I laid down in a gutter,
And a pig came near and laid down by my side.

A lady passing by was heard to say:
"You can tell who boozes,
By the company he chooses,"
And the pig got up and slowly walked away!



The Bible says, "Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise" (Proverbs 20:1, ESV).

r2

Jesus Lives In Houston???

He has been called, "Jesus of Suburbia." Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda is a 60-year-old man living in Houston, Texas who claims to be the second coming of Christ. He has a growing group of disciples in a number of countries.

In March of 2007, ABC's Primetime featured a story about Jose that included interviews with some of his followers, and the man himself. In case you missed the program, here are some interesting facts about Jose:

• He grew up in poverty in Puerto Rico.


• During his time in Puerto Rico, he served stints in prison for petty theft convictions.


• He was forced to enter a long-term chemical dependency program in New York city after a heroin conviction.


• He claims to be un-killable despite his entourage of NINE bodyguards.


• He originally declared himself to be just a preacher, but in 1998 he claimed to be the apostle Paul.


• In 1999 he claimed to be "the Other" who would pave the way for the second coming of Christ.


• In 2004 he changed his story yet again by declaring himself to be the reincarnation of Jesus Christ.

Jose explains the claim that he is Jesus Christ by telling of an epiphany he supposedly experienced in 1973, during which, as he puts it, "a resurrected Christ integrated himself within me." He says, however, that he does not know why he was chosen.

Jose is a walking contradiction if ever there was one. For example, in the early part of 2007, he declared himself not only to be Christ, but also "The Anti-Christ" (someone please email me if you can make sense of that one). He is now requesting that his followers have the number "666" tattooed on their bodies (which, by the way, is a portion of Revelation that has become needlessly and ignorantly entangled in superstition). Jose's request is being granted by many of his followers.

Jose's main point of teaching is that sin no longer exists. He affirms that when Jesus (I guess he's referring to himself in third person??) die on the cross, sin was completely eliminated -- not in the Biblical sense, mind you (i.e. atonement), but in a universally sinless sense. In other words, there is nothing -- absolutely NOTHING anyone can do to put his or her soul in jeopardy; and since sin does not exist, neither does hell. Perhaps this explains why Jose proudly smokes cigars and cigarettes, and flaunts the fact that he hangs out at bars while kicking back a few beers and tequilas. He does say that one should not get "drunk" (how he defines such we may never know). Strangely enough, he was arrested a few years back for D.U.I.

Although Jose rejects most of the Bible, he does say that the apostle Paul did "have it right" (I'm thinking that admission may have something to do with his one-year stint as the second coming of Paul in 1998). So this tells me Jose knows little to nothing about the New Testament (just in case the other 37,000 lies were not enough to convince me of that). If Pail did indeed have it right, I wonder what he could have meant by...

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel -- not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

Galatians 1:6-9, ESV

The arrogance of Mr. Miranda appears to know no bounds. When asked about his critics, he said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." To which I say, forgive us for what?? If there is no sin, Jose, how could we possibly be in need of forgiveness?

The fact of the matter is that Jose isn't all that bright. There have been scores of false Christs over the past 2,000 years, but I would venture to say that most of them possessed reasonably impressive intellectual capacities or a very persuasive personality. I can confidently say that watching this charlatan for 25 minutes had me convinced of one thing -- he has neither. And yet, here are thousands of men, women, and children who swear up and down that he is Jesus Christ!

If it were not so sad, it would be hilarious.

If you would like to learn more, you may want to visit ABCnews.com to see more on this story.

r2

Shades Of Jehoiakim In Chattanooga

Richard McCoy may not even know it, but he was virtually reenacting a scene from the book of Jeremiah.

Chattanooga fire officials say McCoy used pages from a copy of the Bible in his Best Western motel room to kindle several small fires. He even disconnected his room's smoke alarm to delay detection, thereby greatly endangering other guests.

Thankfully, no one was injured as a result of the "Biblical blazes," but McCoy was arrested and charged with counts of aggravated arson and vandalism.

When I first came across this strange story, the first thought that came to mind was the account of King Jehoiakim. In the 36th chapter of Jeremiah's prophecy to Judah, the childishly stubborn acts of this king are recorded for all to read; and, although Mr. McCoy may or may not have shared this king's motivation, his strange antics help us recall the actions of a foolish leader.

-- Click here to read the text --

Jehoiakim's hard heart compelled him to reject the very word of the Lord that was intended to mercifully warn Judah of impending disaster. His worldly wisdom deceived him into believing the burning of one scroll could prevent God's will from coming to pass. From observing the teaching and behavior of many in our own time (including many religious types), Satan still has the masses duped and deceived into believing that human effort can somehow thwart or alter the plans of the Almighty.

May we always hold God's word in utmost reverence.

"So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it."
Jeremiah 55:11, ESV

R2