We are not home yet
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, dark was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. (Genesis 1:1-4 NIV)
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. (1 John 2:15-17 NIV)
Over and over in the beginning chapters of Genesis we read that God pronounced everything He created as “good”. The Earth was good. The Earth is still good, but not to the degree of its original perfection because it has been placed under a curse because of man’s rebellion (sin).
For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. (Romans 8:19-21 NIV)
When John says, “Do not love the world or anything in the world”, he is not talking about our planet and all the wonderful things God has created in it. The “world” John is referring to here is lost mankind’s godless world “system”. We read about this godless system all throughout the words of Scripture, and we live in it right now. This godless world system is the fallen Babylon of Revelations. It has existed from the day Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden and cast out of God’s presence. It is mankind’s failed attempt to rule his own life and world without God.
I have written much about this in other writings, so I am not going to rehash material you can read in some of my other writings, (dannysstump.com), but I would like to concentrate on one aspect of this we need to understand for our day and times as it concerns the world situation we find ourselves in.
When we read world history, both that which is contained in Scripture, and other accurate sources (not revisionist history), we see a repeating cycle of kingdoms, nations, empires, etc., rising to power, to ultimately collapse. In the Old Testament, the cycle of good kings who set things right, followed by bad kings who ruined things, repeats to absurdity.
Man’s governments always eventually fail, even those that start out on good, solid principles. Sinful, self-serving men always seem to worm their way to the top, and eventually the whole thing collapses. I wish this were not so, but history proves it out time and time again.
The United States of America was founded on a Constitution unlike any that had previously existed. I contend that it is a God inspired document. While all the framers could not be classified as specifically Christian, they were at the least Theists who held to a worldview of Creation, and man as accountable to God. Self-governance is the basis of the Constitution, and that cannot exist without a belief in God, to whom we are morally accountable. When belief in, and obedience to God are removed from our understanding of reality, anything goes, and government devolves to mere power. There have been more human beings murdered by their own government than all the world’s wars combined. This scenario of government devolving into raw power, rather than serving the citizens, is now playing itself out in the United States of America. Our nation has been on a trajectory away from God for a long time.
As citizens of the United States of America, we find ourselves in very dangerous and troubling times in 2021. We have enemies on every side who pine for our demise and have been actively working for a long time to bring that about. The threats are very real. The communist party of China has been slowly and methodically setting things up around the world to surround the USA like an octopus stretching its tentacles. Russia, Iran and North Korea are also very real threats. Attempted peace treaties with these nations are pointless and absurd. To think that nations that we have made peace deals with time and time again, only to be broken, will eventually work if we just keep trying, is the pinnacle of stupidity. You cannot bargain with your mortal enemies.
All the government agencies that are supposed to uphold law and order and protect the American people and serve justice, including the FBI, the CIA and the Department of Justice have been weaponized for political purposes, and are doing nothing to protect America. These institutions are all corrupt and rotten to the core. The Republican party, long championed as the bastion of conservativism, has been corrupted by self-serving politicians that only seek to hold onto their power while pretending to support their conservative base. We constantly hear about hearings and investigations. Nothing gets done. No one is ever convicted of anything or held accountable. It is all just meaningless talk that accomplishes nothing. The Democratic party has come unhinged in their quest for the implementation of Socialism (Communism light) and have gone completely insane. For a long time, Americans have been led to believe that the Republicans are the conservative, patriotic champions of law and order, and the Democrats are more oriented towards big government, socialist principles. It has become increasingly obvious that this is no longer true, if it ever was. They are both sides of the same coin. Corrupt, career politicians who become wealthy and use their political positions in their own self-interest. The swamp has no bottom.
Even the Supreme Court has become a pointless, do-nothing entity. With all the easily provable voter fraud that occurred during the 2020 presidential and Georgia Senate elections, the Supreme took absolutely no action to investigate or verify any of the information presented. It was simply dismissed. From 2016 until 2020, the Republicans held the majority in the Senate. They knew the likelihood of vote fraud would be extreme in the 2020 election, and because they did nothing about it while they had the majority, and as a result of that, they lost the Senate majority, and allowed a man with serious cognitive issues, and massive family financial corruption to be fraudulently elected as President of the United States of America. The corruption of Joe Biden and his family is a serious national security threat.
The mainstream media spews out a constant, nonstop barrage of lies. Most Americans who want the truth, and not the preconstructed narrative the media wants you to hear, must use alternate news sources, of which there are many. Many gullible and uninformed Americans who assume that the news they watch on major news outlets is true and accurate, are being led like sheep to the slaughter. The main target of their lies and misinformation is Donald J. Trump, the 45th President of the United States of America. Never at any point in our history as a nation has there been such an attack on a president. Whether you like Donald Trump or not, and whether you agree with his policies or not, this should not be tolerated in a free society that is supposed to be based on law and order. They constantly lie about what Donald Trump says, or has said. They take what he says out of context or misquote him. There is a mountain of evidence for anyone who wants to read or listen to prove what I am saying is true. We truly are living in dangerous times.
How can this mess be fixed? I do not profess to have the answers to that question. Can this mess be fixed? Only God knows. To the average human, it appears that we have passed the point of no return. It is hard for me personally to have much optimism about all of this. None of us know the future, so we do not know how all of this will play out over time. We wade through the changes, which seem to get worse every day.
But I am not without hope, because my hope is not based on this world’s system of things. My hope is not based on the United States recovering, although I would love to see that happen. We may have passed the point of no return. My hope is in the Lord of Heaven and Earth. The Lord who created us and holds the world in the palm of His hand. His kingdom reigns over all, for all eternity. I know that I am a citizen of the United States of America in the temporary sense, but first and foremost I am a citizen of heaven.
By faith he (Abraham) made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. (Hebrews 11:9-10 NIV)
I am not abandoning the United States of America. I love my country and feel blessed to have been born and live here. That is why I am so grieved by what I see happening in our country in the past year, and now. But there is a reason why this is happening. It is not because God has put a curse on the USA, we have cursed ourselves because we have not properly stewarded the wonderful gift of a free society that God gave us. We have abused our freedom to live in self-indulgence and complacency rather than using our prosperity and freedom to champion God’s cause of redemption on the earth. Because of this, God has removed His hand of protection that has been over us. We have been on a trajectory away from God for a long time as a nation. Abortion is not a matter of a woman’s choice over her own body. It is the murder of the unborn. Gender confusion is part of man’s lost condition. We do not need to normalize it. We need to lovingly help those facing these issues. These are just part of the problem. The list can go on and on.
Washington cannot solve our problems. Our government is pathetic. Donald Trump, a non-politician saw the problem for what it is and went to work to fix things. Basically, if I can use this term, they crucified him. He came against the corrupt establishment and worked to fix America’s problems, and Washington came against him like a tidal wave. There are a LOT of people in this country that are angry and sick of all this. Many of the people in positions of political power are OLD! Being as close to death as many of them are, they should fear God, because they will soon meet Him. Everyone meets Him. Either as merciful redeemer and Lord, or as Judge. There are no other options. But many of them have no fear of God. Many of them speak that they are people of faith. So what? Every living person is a person of “faith”. Everyone has faith (belief) in something. Simply saying you have “faith” doesn’t mean anything. I have faith that my dog is going to beg every time I eat a hamburger in his presence.
So, if you are thinking that everything that I have said sounds bleak, you are right. But I have some good news for the Church of the Living God. The fields are ripe for harvest. As things grow bleak, and people feel as if they have no hope, WE have hope to give them. When people are in crisis, they are more prone to listen. This could very well be the catalyst for a mighty revival to sweep across our land. This needs to be our hope, and what we are working for. This starts with us as individuals. Peter said:
But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, but do this with gentleness and respect,keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. (1 Peter 3:15-16 NIV)
Then this extends to the churches. Let us come together corporately and rise up to this challenge and opportunity. But remember, the Church will be persecuted. It always has been, and it always will be, until Jesus returns as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords to set up His eternal kingdom.
In saying this, I am not making light of what is happening in our nation. I hate it. It angers and saddens me. Do I want things to be made right in the political realm? Do I want our government to be set right, returned to “we the people”? ABSOLUTELY! But realistically, we all know that it will all one day collapse, not meaning the United States only, but ALL of man’s godless world. Man’s kingdom will fail. The United States of America is only part of that kingdom:
After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. With a mighty voice he shouted:
“‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!’ She has become a dwelling for demons and a haunt for every impure spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal. For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries.The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.”
Then I heard another voice from heaven say:
“‘Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes. Give back to her as she has given; pay her back double for what she has done. Pour her a double portion from her own cup. Give her as much torment and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself. In her heart she boasts,
‘I sit enthroned as queen. I am not a widow; I will never mourn.’
Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her: death, mourning and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.
“When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry:
“‘Woe! Woe to you, great city, you mighty city of Babylon! In one hour your doom has come!’
“The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes anymore— cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble; cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and human beings sold as slaves.
“They will say, ‘The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your luxury and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered.’ 15 The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her will stand far off, terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn 16 and cry out:
“‘Woe! Woe to you, great city, dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet,
and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls! In one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin!’
“Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea, will stand far off. When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, ‘Was there ever a city like this great city?’ They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out:
“‘Woe! Woe to you, great city, where all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth! In one hour she has been brought to ruin!’ “Rejoice over her, you heavens!
Rejoice, you people of God! Rejoice, apostles and prophets! For God has judged her with the judgment she imposed on you.”
Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said:
“With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again. The music of harpists and musicians, pipers and trumpeters, will never be heard in you again. No worker of any trade will ever be found in you again. The sound of a millstone will never be heard in you again. The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again. Your merchants were the world’s important people. By your magic spell all the nations were led astray. In her was found the blood of prophets and of God’s holy people, of all who have been slaughtered on the earth.” (Revelation, chapter 18 NIV)
We know how all this ends. GET READY!
Danny's Stump 