Losing Christ in America: Prophetic Insights – November 2002

"The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is
Rapidly fadin’.
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin’."

Bob Dylan, the unpolished counterculture prophet of neo-pagan America, who himself had a brief sojourn with Christianity years after this was written, succinctly penned these words. They are a part of a song that was released in 1964, and which became the mantra for unprecedented moral decadence. The timing was not coincidental ? less than a year before this, the august justices of the Supreme Court had attacked the Supreme Being who had kept this country prosperous and safe for over two hundred years, by making His truth illegal in the public schools. They not only outlawed the Lord?s Prayer, but also made illegal a Pennsylvania law which stated:

This is why recent decisions like the legalization of "virtual" child pornography by the U.S. Supreme Court have come about. Individual states are also lost in folly ? in the state of Washington the courts have ruled that it is legal to put a camera under a woman?s dress and take a picture. Everyone knows this is wrong ? but how did we get to this point? We have reached it by ushering out the truth of God, in which we also find wisdom and common sense. We have become like the ostrich, of which we read in Job:

Women and children are no longer protected, but are instead exploited in our pathetic society. Children are taught that immorality is a mark of maturity, and women have been "liberated" into behaving no better than prostitutes, but without compensation. Manhood has been equated with promiscuity instead of fidelity ? the man who uses women but shuns commitment is admired. The popular spy movies that began in the sixties modeled this disgusting behavior, and it continues to rule in the hearts of many men. Sports and entertainment figures are idolized, but those who espouse morality and spiritual truth are generally ignored or mocked.

"You will never know how much it cost my generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you use it wisely." ? John Adams

True freedom is held in low esteem, and most do not consider the price our forefathers paid for it; consequently, our country is becoming increasingly socialistic. In some ways, however, this must occur because we have lost our ethical moorings. When people can no longer be trusted to act honestly and responsibly, we find that government steps in to force what should be done without coercion. It is heartbreaking to see children taken from homes because they are being abused ? but the fact is that many are, and consequently the government gets involved. However, the ramifications are horrendous ? excellent parents that simply spank their children as the Bible prescribes, find themselves in danger from these same agencies. And government agencies continue to grow and proliferate. As more people try to find ways to breech their obligations and more individuals attempt to cheat people, more regulation occurs. Furthermore, regulations spawn more regulations, and so with every one that is necessary a myriad of unnecessary and provoking restrictions and rules are also imposed. We read in Proverbs:

"Because of the transgression of a land, many are its princes?" Proverbs 28:2 (NKJV)

"Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom" ? Benjamin Franklin

Many have even bought the lie that "you cannot legislate morality" when the truth is that every law ever written is based on someone?s view of morality. We have confused the fact that society cannot force people to be moral, with the fact that legislation inherently deals with moral issues. A law against bank robbers is moral legislation ? it is the enforcement that is problematic. However, this little phrase regarding morality and legislation is promoted with the agenda of seeking to make us think that religion (what we believe) and politics (through which laws are legislated) are not related. Rather, they are inextricably related, and when governments say they will not get involved in moral issues, what they are really doing is allowing immoral behavior to flourish without punishment. A law that allows a baby to be murdered partially out of the womb, is not a morally neutral law ? it is an immoral law.

"America is great because she is good. If America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great." ? Alexis de Tocqueville

As we have discarded the writings of the Bible, which is the foundation of the laws our country was founded upon, that which was once rock is quickly becoming sinking sand. It is solemn indeed to realize we are following Hitler?s path ? for he was quick to murder the helpless and those he considered useless ? beginning with the retarded, mentally ill, and those suffering with infirmities, before he came against the Jews and others. We are already destroying the helpless ? and since we have devalued the human life of infants, others will soon follow. Suicide will be legal everywhere eventually, and then it will be non-voluntary. The old and sick, feeble and mentally impaired, will be quietly disposed of. As in the time of the Third Reich, few will care, and most will choose not to notice. A time of barbarism is coming and our society is being trained for it. The murder, torture, and mayhem on television not only desensitizes but also creates a perverted lust for violence and sadism.

Political organizations continue to lobby to allow children the "freedom" to have sexual relations with adults. If we continue on this path, that too will be legal, and the sad victims of it and other perversions will be quicker recruits for ungodly acts than Hitler?s brownshirts (Nazi youth) were. The thin veneer of civility we now enjoy will eventually evaporate, which will unleash a torrent of anger and rebellion. The sixties children rebelled for little reason ? the children of 2000 and beyond will have reason enough. We should make this a priority in prayer.

BDB Thayers definition:

"pharmakeia {far-mak-i’-ah} sorcery, witchcraft
1) the use or the administering of drugs
2) poisoning
3) sorcery, magical arts, often found in connection with idolatry and fostered by it
4) metaph. the deceptions and seductions of idolatry"

Marijuana will eventually be legalized ? this has already begun under the guise of "medicinal purposes," opening the door for what the flower children of the sixties have wanted for forty years. However, it becomes more inconsequential everyday, because drugs more dangerous than pot are already legal. It is simply a matter of "asking your doctor" as the advertisements proffering the latest narcotics exclaim. Yes, the word narcotic is appropriate here and is not an exaggeration. In Greek the word is narkotikos, and it means "to benumb or to snare, or to soothe or lull". Not too long ago, an average middle-aged man told his doctor that he felt a little depressed from time to time, and the doctor said this should not be. A prescription was given for one of the newest "medications" and now he feels good all day.

Even some Christians are advocating the legalization of drugs. The pull of the culture, greatly magnified and empowered by the sway of the media, is wielding unprecedented power. However, for those tempted by the logic of the world, let us consider what the Bible has to say about drugs. The word used for witchcraft in the following Scripture is pharmakeia:

Some might ask, just what is wrong with a little pot now and then? In the sixties people were fond of pointing out that it must be better than alcohol, because it made people "mellow." That debate is not the subject of this article; however, suffice to say that all mind-altering substances do much more damage than is readily apparent. Drugs, in fact, open a door to the spiritual world, and allow spiritual entities to manipulate the mind. When a person enters an altered state of consciousness, he essentially gives up control of his brain. Imagine a leader that no longer wants to lead. There will be opportunistic people who will take his place quickly. A king who abdicates his throne because he is weary of ruling will find many to fill the authority void. They will even vie for the position. And so it is in the spiritual world. Demonic spirits are seeking people whom they can work through. Opportunities open up when people attempt to relieve the "pain" of their lives by numbing their minds through some process or another.

Maturing in life requires experiences which we do not always find pleasant. The current culture, however, considers it their right to find some mind altering drug that will take the pain away. Relief is just a minute away with the bottle, pill, white powder or smoke. That which we depend upon becomes our master. The desire to escape all unpleasantness results in a personality that is weak and faltering and dependent on something other than Christ for assistance. If we say we love God but depend on drugs for our emotional well-being, we are hypocritical. Whether a drug is deemed legal or illegal is irrelevant. Taking a drug to alter one?s consciousness is a form of sorcery. However, let us distinguish drugs that cause euphoria and diminish a person?s capacity to think realistically, from drugs that are used for legitimate medicinal purposes. There are many medicines that are a blessing to our world. For instance, heart medicines have prolonged the lives of many.

Drugs that are the equivalent to sorcery are drugs that are taken with the desire to be free of the burden of living ? to find "relief" from the cares and pressures of the day. Relief should instead be found through prayer and praise and the study of the Word of God. This will move the Christian closer to God, rather than causing dependence on an herb or chemical. We are living a culture that in inculcated with drugs. America is a "drug" culture, even as it is a "sex" culture. The commonness of these things tends to diminish their sinfulness because of familiarity. Nevertheless, the extent of iniquity is never lessened by familiarity, and the world?s vote on the seriousness of sin does not count one iota in the heavenly realms. The example of Jesus refusing gall (a drug mixture) stands as a statement of His willingness to endure life and difficulty without artificial masking.

When Adam and Eve sinned, mankind lost control over all creation ? not just the higher forms of creation. The ramifications of the Fall include the fact that fermented vegetables and fruits and various herbs and chemicals synthesized from them, now seem to take control of Man.

One musical group of the sixties got their wish in this regard. Using the Pied Piper?s methods, millions were introduced to various drugs. However, the point is that there is a mind behind the system ? even the prince of the power of the air. These musicians were not working alone ? they were influenced by spiritual forces they probably did not understand. Satan is seeking to control the world ? to make it conform to his image and worship his image. Through drugs, many perverse things can be introduced to the psyche that would otherwise be rejected. In preparation for the advent of the anti-christ, drugs are being used to infiltrate human mental processes. The media is being manipulated simultaneously, with ghastly images and ungodly behavior acted out to "entertain" those who are already morally weakened by mind-altering substances. The media mixes the very powerful forces of visual stimuli and musical impressions which have the potential to put people in an altered state of consciousness. The passive act of watching and listening is an absorption process that requires little effort, and is the perfect medium for brainwashing and social molding.

Vladimir Lenin, one of the fathers of communism, realized this and used it. He said, "Of all arts the cinema is the most important to us". Why was it important? Lenin went on to express that it was the perfect medium to "show new ways to the illiterate people?because it could touch the heart without words." This would help the revolution, he concluded.

Everything is planned for the debut of the man of sin, who will demand worship or death. Even as praise, worship, and prayer are the point of contact with the true God for the Christian, drugs are the conduit through which Satan?s influence is enhanced and magnified in the world. Witchcraft and sorcery are all about control and manipulation; that is why they are synonymous with the drug use.

Manipulation through the use of cinema is reaching new heights. Presently, through utilizing digital photographic manipulation, billboards that do not exist in reality have been inserted into stadiums so that to those watching sporting events via television they appear to be part of the actual scene. This is a way of adding advertising that does not exist in the stadium, and it may also allow regional advertising that is tailored for a certain area. However, it also opens up many possibilities for insidious deceptions.

Imagine the influence that the media will have as editing of this sort becomes easier to do. A recent poll asked journalists if they considered it immoral for a reporter to lie about a story if it were for a good cause. Over fifty percent said that was acceptable. With this kind of mentality, and with the new technical ability to change a news story, will anyone be able to believe anything that he sees? Perhaps a government wants to discredit a person ? what would stop them from showing that individual in a bad part of town with a prostitute, or robbing a bank, or even showing them speaking something that they never actually said? If we think it cannot happen, then we quickly forget that the media already edits interviews with people so that they sometimes appear to say something they did not. The potential for mischief with this new technology is astounding.

When God brought judgment on Egypt and delivered the Hebrews out of the land, we read here that it was "against all the gods of Egypt." In other words, the Egyptians were worshipping the elements and living creatures, and God was going to show them that they were not actually gods at all. For instance, when God turned the Nile River into blood, it was against the worship of the river, which the Egyptians reverenced as the god "Hapi" who was said to be "alone and self-created," and "the father of all gods." The Nile was considered to be the "great life giver" since the water which flowed from it allowed them to grow their food, and water their livestock, etc. Remember also that in Exodus 1:22 Pharaoh had commanded that the Hebrew sons be cast into the river. Changing the water into blood was a just judgment for the innocent blood that was shed.

Likewise, when God brought darkness over the land, it was "judgment" against the sun god, Ra, whom the Egyptians worshipped. And when the frogs multiplied, it was judgment against the Egyptian god Heka, a frog-headed goddess that was a sacred emblem of creative power that they idolized.

With the coming deception utilizing electronic photographic technology, God will judge the gods of our modern age. Today many claim that there is no spiritual world whatsoever, and they say they will believe only what they see. The reality of what is apparent in this plane of existence, the reality of what the flesh can discover from seeing, hearing, touching and smelling, constitute everything that is real to these people. They believe that science has disproved God, and that only insecure and foolish people believe in any type of afterlife or spiritual existence.

However, God will judge their dependence on human senses by allowing deceptions that are so convincing that the definition of reality itself will be confused. In fact, without guidance by the Holy Spirit, it will be very difficult to determine truth at all in the future. Moreover, as the technology for three dimensional projection (holographic imaging) becomes more refined, it may be that false scenes will be enacted before our very eyes, and people will no longer be able to tell what is actually happening and what is illusory. The god of technology and human sensory perception will be judged in this manner, and no longer will people say, "I will believe it when I see it." However, although many will understand at that time that technology can betray reality, the experience of "seeing" a technically conjured scene will have tremendous power over humans who have rejected God.

It is interesting to note that forty-year time periods often have significance in the Bible. Moses was in the desert forty years before he delivered the Israelites, and the Israelites were in the desert forty years before they entered the Promised Land. The European Common Market began in 1957 and forty years later, in 1997, after several false starts, a final agreement was made to coin the euro, which is becoming the common currency of Europe. This monetary oneness is an obvious precursor to political unity in Europe and eventually the fulfillment of the biblical prophecy of a one-world government. The year 1963 marks the time that God was expelled from our schools, and the beginning of social changes that exalted hedonism, illicit sex, drug use, hellish music, and anarchist rebellion. As we approach 2003, we find that America now has enemies who are not only serious about destroying her, but who are also so fanatical they are willing to give their own lives to see her demise.

These are unprecedented times, and they are surely the beginning and not the end of trouble, since the distresses thus far have not elicited widespread repentance. Israel was warned by smaller skirmishes with only a few of its tribes, before judgment fell on the whole country. Problems began when Solomon, the most blessed king of Israel, turned away from God to serve idols. We read in 1Kings 11:14: "Now the Lord raised up an adversary against Solomon, Hadad the Edomite; he was a descendant of the king in Edom." And further in that same chapter we read in 11:23: "And God raised up another adversary against him, Rezon the son of Eliadah, who had fled from his lord, Hadadezer king of Zobah."

These two were nobodies in their day. Solomon was so strong that he might swat them as a fly. Nevertheless, Israel would soon find out that a nobody with God becomes formidable. For a fly is a feeble creature, but let God send it forth as a plague and Egypt is in agony. America now faces enemies that appear primitive and relatively weak, but let us realize that their intense resolve against us is a sign from heaven that judgment is at our doorstep. This should drive us to our knees if we have the discernment to see it looming. It should get us out of the malls, and into the church; it should stop us from playing with fashion and begin praying with passion. It should take us from the foolishness of great sporting events and into the arena of prayer for great spiritual events. It should guide us to seek the joy Christ promises rather than seeking the joy material things give us. It should cause us to give less heed to the voices of the media and listen for another voice, so that we might say:

For Israel, the ultimate captivity came not forty years later, but four hundred years after Solomon set a wrong course. We do not know how much time America has, but if we keep our head in the sand and act as if nothing is changing, we lack discernment and are not facing reality. The non-believers may miss the wake-up calls, but the church must not. It can be the church?s finest hour ? we can pray and separate from worldly nonsense and become a lighthouse in this dark society, or we can continue to assimilate and merge into the immoral fog that envelopes our babylonish country.