Has the U.S. Become a Post-Christian Nation?

As we reflect back on the events this past week, there were several op-ed pieces along these lines. Has the United States become a post-Christian nation? Based on this week's election, one would think so. And I'm not necessarily talking about the presidential election because, as I stated earlier in the announcements, regardless as to whether Mr. Obama or Mr. Romney had been elected, these other events, I think, would have been the same because they didn't know who would be elected when they went into the voting booth. There is what is called the ruling establishment and its supporters, and there is the rest of us. The U.S. has become the most divided, fractionalized country on the face of the Earth. You might could point out some country somewhere in which maybe it's more divided. I would doubt it. The mantra of strength through diversity has been weighed in the balances and found one. And in diversity in this sense, I'm not talking about racial diversity. I'm not talking about ethnic diversity. I'm talking about those values that help to create a harmonious, functioning culture. Even though people might be holding a wide range of various views, they still have common values, values in common. But today we have a culture in which people hold a wide range of values that range from euthanasia, killing the old, or letting them die. They're not worthy. It costs too much to take care of them, and that's going to accelerate as time goes on. We have from euthanasia to killing the unborn, everything in between. Today I will deal with maybe four or so of the main issues, depending on how much time it goes by. Main issues in this past week's election. One, the legalization of marijuana. Two, the psychedelic effects of drugs and the connection of drugs to the occult, and two, same-sex marriage and abortion. Maine, state of Maine, Washington, voted for same-sex marriage. It was already legal in Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, and the District of Columbia. The president and the vice president had already endorsed same-sex marriage back several months ago. However, same-sex marriage is unconstitutional in 31 states. Colorado and Washington passed the proposal to legalize marijuana for recreational and medical use, going further than a number of states which already allowed for marijuana use for medicinal purposes. I want to talk now about some of the effects of marijuana. We say in Boulder, Colorado, Boulder, Colorado is the home of the University of Colorado, that smoking marijuana is as common as cigarette smoking. Of course, there are thousands of students on the campus. University of Colorado along with Berkeley, California, and some other schools led the way in the hippie movements in the 1960s. And of course, the campuses in California and other places were drug drenched beginning in the 60s. Got a little better to some degree, especially during the years of Reagan. But all of the various taboos have been lifted, it seems, and even now the, quote, legal ones. Marijuana comes from the hemp plant, cannabis, cannabis sativa. It's most frequently used the illegal drug. It is the most frequently used illegal drug in the United States. One in 300 Americans is addicted to marijuana. According to recent government studies, as many as 30 percent of today's teenagers are smoking marijuana. That's almost one out of three teenagers. What does this do? What does this port 10 for the future and the leadership of the country, the morals of the country, with one out of three teenagers smoking marijuana? Now, obviously, I don't know if that statistic is true, but this says, according to recent government studies, 30 percent of teenagers are smoking marijuana. Most people smoke the plant's dried leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds, but it can also be mixed with other things such as tea and various foods. Marijuana goes by several different street names. Perhaps the most common ones, probably pot. They're all kind of what they call cute little names for it. The active ingredient in marijuana is THC, that's short for Delta 9 Tetrahydrocannabinol.

THC is rapidly absorbed, goes directly to the brain within 15 minutes. Directly to the brain within 15 minutes. Signs of using marijuana include, this is what it does physiologically, rapid heart rate, increased blood pressure, increased rate of breathing, red eyes, dry mouth, increased appetite, or the munchies. In some people, and in other people's, especially after some prolonged use, it tends to kill the appetite.

And then there's slowed reaction time.

These effects are reduced usually after three or four hours. However, marijuana hangs around in your system as long as a month after smoking.

A month. The lingering effects mean you're impaired for several days to weeks after the high wears off. Marijuana actually has the potential of inflicting a long-lasting negative impact on young developing brains, especially brains that are in the developmental stage. Using marijuana at a young age can result in structural and functional deficits of the brain. This could cause you to develop weakened verbal and communication skills, lowered learning capabilities, and a shortened attention span. Of course, a shortened attention span that are, in addition to what marijuana might do, our youth have been conditioned and are being conditioned to have a very short attention span. And you see the commercials on television how they rush. They say that the average person's attention span is eight seconds. But now it is some of these blurbs are almost fractional seconds with regard to the commercials. In addition to the possible effects on your brain, smoking marijuana may also be hazardous to your developing lungs. Marijuana smoke contains 50 to 70 percent more carcinogenians than does tobacco smoking, carcinogenic hydrocarbons that can lead to cancer. In addition to the possible effects on your brain, smoking marijuana may also be hazardous to developing lungs, and it contains those carcinogenic materials, hydrocarbons. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the main effects of marijuana on mood vary and may include euphoria, calmness, anxiety, or paranoia. Getting higher stone is the reason most pot smokers use marijuana. Now, what about the psychological effects of smoking marijuana? A distorted sense of time.

A distorted sense of time. Time may speed up, slow down. A distorted sense of time. Paranoia. Paranoia means you come to think that everybody is against you or everybody is out to get you. Magical or random thinking.

Short-term memory loss, anxiety, and depression. The psychological signs of using marijuana also generally ease after a few hours, but residual effects can last for days. Other risks of marijuana use include with men, it lowers their testosterone levels and their sperm count and quality. It decreases libido and fertility. And contrary to what many pot smokers may tell you, marijuana is addictive, at least psychologically. People who try to come off of it have withdrawal symptoms and they yearn for the high to to get back.

Symptoms of withdrawal from pot include aggression, anxiety, depressed mood, and decreased appetite.

And then it's often said that marijuana is a gateway drug, that it leads to the use of hard drugs, cocaine, heroin, ecstasy, and so on.

So how do you think God views the use of any drug that has all of these negative effects on the mind and body? How do you think God views a people, a nation, a state, who would make it legal and make it accessible for youth to use this drug?

Americans were introduced to the effects of drugs on youth in the 1960s, and one of the words that described the main elements of the drug drenched, the demonic hippie world of the 60s, was psychedelic. The greatest gift that we have is life. Of course, life is a gift from God, and the greatest asset of life is our minds.

And even if so many other things go, and that's why some of the worst diseases, of course, and things that families deal with, have to do with the loss of mind.

Your mind is so precious.

The mind is second to life itself.

The term psychedelic is derived from the ancient Greek words psyche, meaning mind, and delose, which means manifest. So it translates to mind manifesting, and it's been shortened to psychedelic mind bending. And it tends to bend the mind. It tends to distort reality. The term psychedelic was first coined in 1957 by psychiatrist Humphrey Hosman as an alternative descriptor for hallucinogenic drugs.

And he used it in the context of psychedelic psychotherapy. Of course, that involves, in some cases, hypnotism and being outside of one's self, as it were, and giving your mind over. So the common definition to psychedelic is mind bending. In other words, the distortion of reality. And psychedelic and psychedelia, as a noun, is a name given to the subculture of people who use psychedelic drugs in a style of psychedelic artwork and psychedelic music derived from the experience of altered consciousness that uses highly distorted and surreal visuals. Sound effects and reverberation and bright colors and full spectrums, animation, including cartoons, to evoke and convey to viewer or listener the artist's experience while using such drugs. So you take ecstasy or cocaine or to smoke marijuana and get into a hallucinogenic kind of trance state. And some people experience all kind of various visions which some draw, they paint, or it inspires them to compose various forms of music and various other arts that has to do with reflecting what they might experience when they are under the influence of hallucinogenic drugs. Hallucinogenic drugs, by sheer definition, means that you're not in your right mind. You're not in your normal state of mind. Remember the Bible says, Paul writing to Timothy, that God has not given us the spirit of fear but the spirit of a sound mind. How could the Manson gang perpetrate some of the murders they committed if they were in their, quote, right mind? And so many other people, not just the Manson gang. Look at Luke chapter 8 verse 23. Luke chapter 8 verse 23. In Luke 8, 23, we begin here an encounter that Jesus has with a man possessed.

See, not only do these drugs have the physical effects that we listed, the psychological effects, but it has spiritual connotations. Because when you are not in your right mind, and when your view of reality is distorted, then you open yourself up for spiritual influence, demonic influence.

In Luke chapter 8 and verse 23, But as they sailed, he fell asleep. There came down a storm, a wind on the lake, and they were filled with water and were in jeopardy. They came to him, awoke him, saying, Master, Master, we perish. Then he arose, rebuked the wind, and the raging of the water.

And they ceased, and there was a calm. And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they, being afraid, wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this for his commandments, even the winds and the water, and they obey him. And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee. And when he went forth to the land, they met him out of the cities of certain men, which had devils, long time, and wore no clothes, neither a boat in any house, but in the tombs, out in the graveyard, with the dead. And, of course, graveyards, the dead, and so on, has been associated with evil spirits and demons from time immemorial. Of course, there are specifically scriptures in the Pentateuch that warn us against necromancy, having anything to do with the dead, with regard to trying to call them up, because evil spirits can come in at that time.

Verse 28, When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with you, Jesus, you son of God, most high? I beseech you, torment me not. So even by that, the demons know their fate.

For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man, for oftentimes it had caught him, and he was kept bound with chains and fetters. He broke the bands. This is supernatural strength. He broke the bands, was driven of the devil into the wilderness. And Jesus asked him, saying, What is your name? And he said, Legion, because many devils were entered into him, and they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep.

And there was there a herd of hogs feeding on the mountain, and they besought him that he would suffer them, permit them, that is the demons, to enter into the swine. And he permitted them. Then went the devils out of the man, entered into the swine, and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake and were choked.

And when they fed them, and when they that fed them saw what was done, they fled, and when told it in the city and in the country. Then they went out to see what was done and came to Jesus and found the man out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus clothed and in his right mind. Why would anybody want to be in a mind other than his right mind?

He was in his right mind, and they were afraid. They also, which so it told them by what means he would possess the devils, was healed. Then the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes round about besought him to depart from them, for they were taken with great fear, and he went into his ship and returned back again. Now the man out of whom the devils were departed besought him that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away saying, return to your own house and show how great things God had done unto you. And he went his way and published throughout the land, proclaimed it the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him.

So it is through the spirit and the power of God that we can have a sound mind. Why would any, quote, right-thinking person do anything that would cause him not to be in his right mind? Now we go to Proverbs 4 and verse 23. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for heart is leb. It is spelled in English leb, and the Hebrew has an a kind of sound, so leb is pronounced leb, l-a-b-e, phonetically.

So Proverbs chapter 4 and verse 23. Another thing about the Old Testament and the use of the word heart and also mind. To some degree, these two words are used interchangeably. Twelve times, I believe it is, in the Old Testament you'll find leb translated mind and it's translated hundreds of times as heart in the Old Testament. In Proverbs 4 and verse 23, keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it flow the issues of life.

Out of the heart, out of the mind, flow the issues of life. Proverbs 23.7 says, as a man thinks in his heart, so is he. So why would anybody want to be in an altered state of consciousness? To be in a hallucinogenic kind of state and lose touch with reality it was, and reality be distorted?

I don't know. Could you answer that? Why would you? Well, some of the reasons given is, of course, the peer pressure is so great among the youth when it comes to drugs, when it comes to sexual activity, when it comes to a number of things that you could list, the peer pressure is great. Of course, some people want to escape reality and be in a different world, to be in a trance-like state.

Some people just want to rebel. You could go on and on with the various reasons why. Look at Deuteronomy 6.5. Deuteronomy 6.5, and this is the basis Christ in essence quoted this, and Matthew will turn to both of these. In Deuteronomy chapter 6 in verse 5, with regard to the mind and also the heart. When I get here, I want to read. Here's what Strong says about the heart.

Strong's definitions for L-E-B, pronounced L-A-B-E, inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding, inner part, the midst of things, the heart of man, the soul, the heart of man, mind, knowledge, thinking, reflection, memory, inclination, resolution, determination, conscience, a heart of moral character. Deuteronomy 6.5, and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart. Everything you got. Can you love the Lord your God with all your heart if your mind is distorted, if reality is distorted, if you're in an altered state of consciousness, if you're under the influence of hallucinogenic drugs, if you're having hallucinations?

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, all your nafish, your life essence, your being.

And with all your might. Now you go to Matthew 22.37. When Jesus Christ was asked, Master, what be the two greatest commandments in the law, we'll note what Jesus Christ said. Matthew 22 and verse 37. Matthew 22 and verse 37.

Jesus said unto them, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your might. This is the first and great commandment, and the second is likely unto it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and all the prophets. This is the heart and core. This is the center.

Now there are several different Hebrew words that are translated as mind in the Old Testament. Let's look at Jeremiah 15.1. Jeremiah 15.1. Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, the prophet who was accused of being a traitor because God had told him to tell the people of Judah, the southern kingdom, that he was going to send the Babylonians and that they were not to resist. And all kinds of things happened to Jeremiah. But Jeremiah, to a large degree, is a reflection of where this country is at the present time.

Jeremiah 15.1. Then said the eternal unto me, though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind could not be toward this people, cast them out of my sight and let them go forth. So there are periods of time in which God has hands off, and there are periods of time in which God intervenes and he sets up people. You know what it talks about in Daniel 4, where he sets up kings and he brings them down. But in Hosea 8.4 it says, they have set up kings by me and I knew it not. In the last few verses of Hosea 5, he talks about him. Let's turn there. Hosea 5, where God says, I'm going to turn and go my way and have hands off and we'll see what happens. This is Hosea 5.

Verse 15, I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offense and seek my face. In their affliction they will seek me early. There should be no chapter break. And they will be saying, come and let us return unto the Eternal, for he hath torn and he will heal us. He hath smitten and he will bind us up. Then after two days will he revive us. Now some of the commentators have looked at this and said, well, this is perhaps referring to the Great Tribulation and the principle of a day for a year kind of thing. The Tribulation lasts three and a half years. So you have this tremendous Tribulation for two years and then in the third year they begin to turn around. Of course, that's speculation to some degree. But once again, Hosea 6, 2, after two days will he revive us. And the third day he will raise up up and we shall live in his sight. Then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord, his going is prepared as the morning, and he shall come unto us as the rain and the latter rain and the former rain unto the earth.

Now the Hebrew word for mind, if you look back there in Jeremiah 15.1 again, is nafesh. The word nafesh, and we're familiar with this, it's been a part of the theology of the Church of God for years and years, the understanding that man does not have an immortal soul, that God breathed into the nostrils of Adam and Adam became a living soul, which means that Adam became a living being.

In the Old Testament, the word nafesh is translated soul 475 times, life 117 times, person 29 times, mind 15 times, heart 15 times, and there are other words, several others, it's translated a few times. Jeremiah 51, 15, then said, eternal to me, though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my nafesh, my soul, could not be toward this people.

Nafesh, the use of it especially in this verse, shows that soul has to do with being, my life essence, my being. Here are the definitions that Strong gives to nafesh. Soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion, living being, the man himself, seat of the appetite, seat of emotions and passions, activity of mind, activity of the will, activity of the character. It means my being. Man became a living being. And as we have so often said, soul is not something you possess that is external to the body or a separate entity. It's what you are. You are a living being. And here God is saying, with all my being, I'm going to set these people apart. I'm going to let them go until they learn their lesson. But there are times where God raises up people, and so you don't know for sure whether or not God's hand is directly in every election in the sense of who sits in the chief seat.

But I believe at times that the prophetic timeline may be speeded up by the election of a certain person or slowed down by a certain person. And I believe at critical times in history that God has raised up people for specific purposes.

So these definitions point clearly to the fact that Nathan refers to the life essence state of being. Note the clear instructions that God gives us in Philippians 2.5 with regard to mine. Now, once a person reads this, if they believe in God at all, and they read this, why would they ever smoke a joint? Why would they ever smoke pot? Why would they ever smoke hashish or any of the other names you can give it? In Philippians 2 and verse 5. In Philippians 2 verse 5, let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.

Do you think that Christ ever did anything that would cause him to hallucinate, that would cause reality to be distorted, that would do anything that would cause him not to have a sound mind? Well, of course not.

Physical actions that are sin, such as smoking, harmful substances, alcoholism, a variety of other harmful actions, defile the temple of God. Look back at 1 Corinthians. 1 Corinthians 3 and verse 16.

1 Corinthians 3, 16. Know, you know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you. If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy, for the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

And then when it comes to the licentious promiscuity that we see rampant in our nation today, you turn forward to 1 Corinthians chapter 6 and see what is written here. 1 Corinthians 6, 16.

1 Corinthians 6, 16. What, know you not, that he which is joined to an harlot is one body, for two says he shall be one flesh, but he that is joined unto the eternal is one Spirit. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man does is without the body, but he that commits fornication sins against his own body. It's amazing how many leaders have fallen, not by the bullet on the battlefield, but by this very thing right here and the latest one this week, General Petraeus. A man who had his sterling reputation, a brilliant mind, a brilliant military strategist, even some thought that he would be a great candidate for President of the United States. He resigned yesterday because he had an extramarital affair. He had been married 37 years, and on and on he goes.

Flee fornication. Verse 19. What, know you not, that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, which is in you, which you have of God, and you are not your own.

People today tend to vote on various specific issues that affect them directly. They are not concerned that much with the spiritual and moral health of the nation. How does it affect me? Does it help me get what I want? And can I fit in with this? Or will I be the oddball, the odd man out? People are always susceptible to the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. In an interview with Alison Kellogg, a 50-year-old loan officer from Henrico County, Virginia, said these issues, the so-called social issues such as abortion, same-sex marriage, played a crucial role in her decision to vote for Mr. Obama. Well, these things would still have been there, even if Mr. Romney was elected. Who can stem the tide? Of course, it makes it easier, in one sense, if the leader of the land makes it more acceptable, because that's where the public opinion and power, and especially that of the media, is. She stated, quote, that was the main reason. Romney's position on women's rights as far as abortion and birth control, she said, game over. You can have your own opinions on those, but they're not topics for legislation. And I would feel the same way if Barack Obama started spewing the same foolishness that I feel the Republicans do. The key issue is that the sheer number of women who agree with Allison Kellogg has reached such a high watermark in our society that when they vote as a block, they can and do swing elections.

President Obama's margin over Romney amongst women was 53 to 44, a nine-point advantage.

Since a great many of these women voters lived in the most populous states, they swung the election, the electoral college, to Mr. Obama. So in that sense, see, the social issues, depending on the stance, can swing the election one way or the other. Then you have the 18 to 29-year-old group, and it's becoming more prevalent among the 30 to 40-year-old groups who overwhelmingly voted for President Obama because of these same issues. Now, let's note Revelation 18, verse 22.

Revelation 18, verse 22. This whole chapter of Revelation 18 talks about coming out of Babylon that you be not partake of or plagues describes what this commercial Babylon is like.

Revelation 18, verse 22, in the voice of harpers, this is talking about after Babylon is destroyed, the voice of harpers and musicians and of pipers and trumpeters shall be heard no more at all in you, and no craftsman of whatever craft he be shall be found any more in you. The sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in you. In other words, commercial activity is going to come to a grinding halt. The light of a candle shall shine no more at all in you, and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in you. No more fun and frivolous activity for your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorceries were all nations deceived. Your sorceries, your pharma kia, and the great word pharma kia, the word is translated sorceries here, has a wide range of meanings. It can mean sorcery and the use of drugs. It can mean witchcraft. It has to do with the use of administering of drugs. It also has some connotation about poisoning. It has connotation of magical arts found in conduction with idolatry. And it also metaphorically depicts deception and seduction leading to idolatry. The sorceries of our day are using movies and music to pervert the mind of youth. And as I mentioned earlier, when you are on drugs or misuse of alcohol or any kind of addictive control substance, and it doesn't necessarily have to be a controlled substance to be addictive. You've heard about some of the famous names in Radio Hollywood and so on being addicted to painkillers. And some of the over-the-counter things are being used to produce meth. But once you open up your mind and your mind loses touch with reality, as we've already mentioned, you become more susceptible to the influence of the wrong kind of spirit.

And today, we see all kinds of things. Movies, music, literature, perverting the minds of youth, and not only youth, but a lot of the older people now in their 70s and 80s. You know, just I'm amazed I go to town and hear these grandmas walking across the street. They have these tattoos on their ankles, and maybe some kind of ankle bracelet and tattoos on their arms. They just say, I don't know. Now let's take the Harry Potter thing. A.K. Rowling's books are laden with symbols from the occult world. In fact, our first book is titled The Sorcerer's Stone. The Sorcerer's Stone by their sorceries, where all the peoples of the earth deceived. For example, Harry is well known for his thunderbolt scar on his forehead. The scar is described as a curiously shaped cut like a bolt of lightning. That's what it says in Philosopher's Stone, page 17. As Harry grows older, he eventually learns that the scar on his forehead came as a result of a powerful evil curse from the evil dark wizard, Voldemort. The thunderbolt is often used in occultic language and imagery, especially in Satanism, Anton Sandor-Lavi, or at Lavi, L-A-V-E-Y. The founder of the Church of Satan often wore a medallion of an inverted pentagram with a thunderbolt through the center of it. Thunderbolts, or the swastika, also appeared as the symbol, the Nazi symbol, of Hitler's special forces. The thunderbolt symbol is also used in heavy metal and death metal bands.

Luke 10, 18 says, Jesus states, I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning or like a thunderbolt. Some may argue that it is far stretched to say that books, videos, and movies that portray the practice of black magic can be linked to Satan's great deception at the end of this age. But stop and think for a moment. Such books, videos, and movies do not point children to God, the God of the Bible and Jesus Christ. In fact, such productions point to the forces that are associated with the fallen spirits, that is, witchcraft and black magic. The pagan federation, which represents druids and witches, says it has been swamped with calls following teenage programs featuring, quote, good witches. And Disney has been doing their part, rampant with good witches. Speaking to BBC News Online, the pagan federation Steve Payne, the highest priest of a coven, said the hit US drama Buffy, and of course you're having all this stuff, Buffy the vampire slayer and all kind of vampires are coming out of the woodworks and then on the screens today. How could people be... what's fascinating about that? What is attractive about that? By having two incisors that come down to your chin that you can suck blood out of people.

The highly successful Harry Potter books were popular amongst practicing witches. Quote, they are taken as fantasy entertainment, but they do encourage people to think about different forms of spirituality. The pagan federation deals with about 100 inquiries a month from youngsters who want to become witches, but they do not allow anyone under the age of 18 to become a member because they know. So we see that even some of those in the occult community are honest enough to say that such productions can cause children to become interested in the occult. Witchcraft author Maxine Sanders was asked, why were you concerned that your children were free not to adopt the craft? To which he replies, because I don't think the craft is for children. I really don't think it is. I've had too many experiences now where even adults can be disturbed by dabbling in witchcraft. The false prophet causes people to the world to receive a mark in their right hand or foreheads. Would it be the thunderbolt? Well, it's number 666, because I don't think the craft is for children, she says. I've had too many experiences, and the false prophet causes the mark to be in the right hand or the forehead.

Let's turn there back a few pages, Revelation 13, verse 15. Let's read Revelation 13. He does great wonders, and these are not from the Spirit of God. He does great wonders so that he makes fire come down from heaven on the earth and the sight of men, and deceives them to dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast, saying to them to dwell on the earth. They should make an image to the beast which had wound by his sword and to live. He had power to give life under the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. For he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond to receive a mark in their right hand or in their foreheads. To put any mark there, especially a satanic mark, is a mockery of God. The forehead is meant to be a place reserved for the name that God will put on those who are in his family. Now you look across the page there, look at Revelation 14.1. And I looked and lo, a lamb stood on the Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 having his father's name written in their foreheads. So where, see, that would be one of the great tests. The great test is who will you worship. If you don't worship, you don't have the mark of the beast, then you can't buy or sell. But if you have the mark of the beast, you're in Satan's camp.

Now you note in Revelation 22, verse 4, let's go there, Revelation 22 and verse 4, And they shall see his face, and his name shall be in their foreheads.

It seems that there can be no doubt that Harry's thunderbolt mark on the forehead has deep symbolic meaning in the world of the occult. And the occult mirrors are commonly used for divination. This particular technique is called scrying. In the A-C-A-Z of Wicca, scrying is defined as the art and practice of interpreting the future past or present from images seen while gazing into a crystal ball, a candle, a flame, a pool of water, a gazing at a mirror. So you go into some kind of like altered state, once again, hallucinogenic state. That's what fortune-telling and that kind of thing is about.

In the Philosopher's Stone, Harry Potter becomes fascinated by images of his dead parents in the mirror of E. Rees, E-R-I-S-E-D, chapter 12. Or maybe it's arrested. Arrested is the word desire rearranged.

And those who look in the mirror are meant to see their uttermost desires. So you can go on and on with the Harry Potter series and all of the various occult symbols that are involved in it. The prophet Isaiah says that we are not to come in contact or try to contact the dead, and those who do are. They receive messages from deceiving spirits who are familiar with the departed. Look at Isaiah 29 verse 4. There are several warnings in the Old Testament about this to have nothing to do with trying to contact the dead. In Isaiah 29, And you shall be brought down and shall speak out of the ground, and your speech shall be low out of the dust, and the voice shall be as one that has a familiar spirit out of the ground, and your speech shall whisper out of the dust. Of course, that can be used metaphorically as well. So there's a great gulf between the living and the dead, and the only way that one can transcend this temporary chemo-physical existence is through the Spirit of God. The use of drugs, perverted music, perverted sex, promiscuity, are all a part of Satan's plan to destroy the very fabric of society, create chaos and confusion. Let's notice Genesis 19. So what about same-sex marriage? What about homosexuality? Genesis 19 will see that Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed because of homosexuality, the evil of the day. And to this day, sodomy is equated with homosexuality, and virtually every state in the Union had a law against homosexuality until more recent times. In Genesis 19, the story of Lot, Lot being rescued from Sodom and Gomorrah, you remember how Abraham had bargained with God? If there be so many righteous people, then it would not destroy the city.

So two angels come to Sodom and Gomorrah to visit Lot before he is delivered. Verse 1, there came two angels to Sodom in evening. Lot sat at the gate of Sodom, and Lot, seeing them, rose up to meet him, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground.

He said, Behold now, my lords, turn in. I pray you into your servant's house and tarry all night and wash your feet. Rise up early and go your way. And they said, No, we will abide in the street all night. And he pressed upon them greatly. And they turned in unto him and entered into the house, and he made them a feast and did take unleavened bread, and they did eat. But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round about, young and old, all the people from every quarter. And they called unto Lot and said unto him, Where are the men which came into you tonight? Bring them out unto us that we may know them, which meant bring them out that we can know them sexually. And the thing got so bad that the angels had to supernaturally intervene by blinding the people, and they could not find the door. And you know the rest of the story that Lot was delivered, Lot and three daughters, but Lot's wife looked back, and she was destroyed. Turned to a pillar of salt. God gives clear instructions on homosexuality in the book of Leviticus. Paul in the book of Romans describes a moral state of the U.S. very aptly, given over to a reprobate mind. The women left that thing, which was natural, and their lust burned toward women and men with men. You notice this. Turn to Romans chapter one. Romans chapter one. You know, it's a shame, really, that these kind of things exist in any nation. But this kind of thing has existed almost since the creation of man. As we'll read in just a moment, one of the main reasons that the flood came, and that world was destroyed, was because having to do with marriage and family, Sodom and Gomorrah destroyed for what they were doing. And so on and so on it goes. In Romans chapter one, verse 28, which was fitting. And you could read the rest of the chapter there about what happens with regard to this. Yes, God loves the sinner, but he hates sins. And to tolerate evil is acquainted with no fear of God. Or to say it conversely, the hating of evil is acquainted with the fear of God in Proverbs 8 13.

Notice now in Luke 17, back in Luke 17, describing the conditions that will exist at the end of this age when Jesus Christ comes again. In Luke 17 and verse 26, Luke 17 26, there's the scripture says in Psalm 7 11 as you're turning there, that God is angry with the wicked every day.

He's angry with them, but yet he still loves them. You can be angry with someone and yet love them because you have the John 3 16, for God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son that whosoever should believe in him should not perish would have everlasting life. You have the 2 Peter 3 verses 8 and 9, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. So there is a way out. And Jesus Christ is the only name given under heaven whereby men must be saved. There is no other way. There is no other way. Men cannot save us. In Luke 17 and verse 26, And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the days of the Son of Man. This is what they were doing. They did eat, they drank, they married, they married wives, they were given in marriage until the day that Noah entered into the ark. And the flood came and destroyed them all. The first few verses there in Genesis 6 talks about that men, there were giants in those days, and they took of whomsoever they would. There was something about marriage and family going on that God was very displeased with. Likewise also, it was in the days of Lot. They did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built. But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed. They're going to be doing those things that it was in the day of Noah, as it was in the day of Lot. The story of how the controversy over birth control ended up with abortion being legalized is a fascinating story. I don't have the time to really go into all the story in the history, but all you have to do is put the name Margaret Sanger into your search engine, Margaret Sanger, S-A-N-G-E-R, and you will get the history. Or you can just put history of abortion.

As early as somewhere around 1800, the state of Connecticut passed the law against abortion, and by 1900, every state in the Union had a law against abortion. But the irony of this is that it was illegal to disseminate information about contraception. You could be arrested and put in jail. In fact, Margaret Sanger was arrested because she was disseminating information about birth control. Now, the birth control also had an appendage to it of abortion in some cases.

Margaret Sanger became one of the reasons it was given for her becoming such a pioneer in this area was that her parents were Catholics. They practiced no birth control. Her mother was pregnant 18 times in 21 years. She gave 11 live births, and she saw what happened there.

Margaret Sanger was arrested at one time because there were what's called law's indecency laws in the U.S., and information about contraception was linked to these laws about indecency. In other words, you should not talk about those kind of things. And she continued to fight the battle. Now, see, I'm not justifying anything. I'm just telling you the history. It is a fascinating history. And even though there were laws against disseminating information about birth control, birth control, and people knowing what to do, goes all the way back to... you can go back to Genesis, where Onan, one of the sons of Judah, Judah's oldest son, I think his name was Herb or something like that, he was an evil man, and he was died at an early age. And Judah told his next son, Onan, you go into his wife Tamar, and you have a child with Tamar. And Onan, when he went there, instead of going ahead with the total act, he spilled his seat on the ground. And God was very displeased of that and took Onan's life. See, God shut up the womb of several women, Sarah, Rachel, Hannah.

So birth control has been practiced through the ages.

But at the same time, it was illegal in the U.S. to disseminate information about birth control. In fact, it became... basically all the laws against that were wiped off the books somewhere around 1965. And then, beginning around 1970, the Roe vs. Wade case came up to the Supreme Court, and they debated it for like 18 months. Finally, in January, January 23, 1973, they made that famous decision that legalized abortion in the nation.

Birth control before a life exists in a woman's womb is one thing, whereas killing a living being within a woman's body is quite a different matter. Where there is no life, there is no mind, no feelings before life begins. Margaret Sanger, as we have mentioned, was a pioneer and founder. The American Birth Control League later became the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Here's one of Sanger's perhaps her greatest, most memorable quote.

No woman can call herself free who does not own and control her body. No woman can call herself free until she can choose consciously whether she will or will not be a mother. And of course, you can look at birth control and contraception on the one hand, but then to say after life is conceived, who protects the right of that baby that feed us? Now, I would counter with this quote. My quote is, no people can claim to be civilized and free if they refuse to protect the rights of the hapless unborn and or the hapless innocent infant.

So one of the most misguided and abused rights is labeled as woman's reproductive rights. Abortion is legal at the federal level, but if a person kills a woman with child, he can be charged with double murder.

Ancient Israel came to the point that they sacrificed their children to pagan gods.

There have been millions of abortions in this nation since 1973. Millions and millions. Sacrifice to what?

Sacrifice to what? Look at Jeremiah 19 verse 5. Jeremiah 19 verse 5. If you want to read today's headlines, read Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 19 verse 5. There are other places in Jeremiah that also talk about this. They have built also the high places of Baal to burn their sentence with fire, for burn offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spoke it. Neither came into my mind. I never think of such a thing, God says, to require your firstborn to be sacrificed. There are plenty of warnings in the Old Testament against not doing that kind of thing.

Now let's go to Micah 6 verse 8, which also mentions this, and then we'll conclude with a few things as to why we have what we have.

In Micah 6 verse 6. Micah 6 verse 6.

Wherewith shall I come before the eternal and bow myself before the high God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings? With calves of a year old? Will the eternal be pleased with thousands of rams or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn from my transgression the fruit of my body, for the sin of my soul? You see, it says in Scripture that children, this is Psalm 127 verses 3 through 5, they are a blessing. They're a gift from God. Blessed is a man whose quivers are full. And women in the Old Testament times were so desperate to have children. You remember the story of Hannah, that she went to the temple and she prayed. Of course, it wasn't the temple. It was a tabernacle. The temple hadn't been built. She went to the tabernacle and prayed. Her husband had two wives. The other wife already had children. Hannah was so looked down on. She pleaded to God to open her womb and give her a child. She said, if you do, I'll give this child to you.

And finally, God answered the prayer and Samuel was born.

Samuel really means the name of God. Samuel is one of the most influential men in the Old Testament, one of the most influential spiritual giants of all time. He had Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Samuel, David, Solomon for a period of time, and one of the great men of the Old Testament.

So you could say, we're the Hannahs of the land. Continuing in Micah, verse 8, He has showed you, O man, what is good and what does the eternal require of you, but to do justly and love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

So we're in a period of time that is so uncertain. Yet most of us, even with our trials and ups and downs, are able to live regionally stable lives. And one of the main reasons for this is that you have anchors of the soul, anchors of your being, and that you do indeed in God you trust. And you have built upon the rock, that rock being Jesus Christ. Paul writes, For what other foundation can any man lay than that which is laid, and that is Jesus Christ. The church is built upon the foundation of the prophets, the apostles, and Jesus Christ being the chief cornerstone. And so we are living stones in that temple, built up in holy temple under God. We are the household of God. We are His temple.

And we are in a time in which it is right to sign cry for all the abominations that are being committed in our land. And it is a time to make sure that our names are never blotted out of the book of life. Because those people whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life will not be deceived by all the various machinations that Satan can throw at people. And so we have now basically over 50% of our people, the people of our land who have embraced an alien culture, sort of a post-Christian culture, that is alien to God. So, brethren, let's keep our noses to the grindstone and keep our noses in the Bible.