Woe to Those Who Call Evil Good

The title of today's sermon is, Woe to those who call evil good, and then woe to those who call good evil. To use words like good and evil in today's world may make you subject to persecution. The distinction between good and evil have become relics of the past, but they are very real and genuine concepts. These are concepts defined and determined by a power that is higher than any human being. Even to use the words male and female today can cause some to rise up in protests. For example, recently, U.S. House of Representative Emmanuel Cleaver, Democratic from Missouri, offered the opening prayer of the 117th Congress this past Sunday, January the 3rd. Cleaver is an ordained Methodist minister. He ended the prayer with, We ask these things in the name of the monotheistic God Brahma and God known by many names by many different faiths, Amen and A Woman. I would imagine that Cleaver thought he had covered all bases by endorsing a universal deity. He endorsed the idea that all religions lead to the same deity, which of course is false. Some of our leaders have said that we all worship the same deity, but there's only one deity, and we know that that deity is God and his family God and Christ and sons and daughters that are come as glorious spirit beings in the family of God. And by closing with Amen and A Woman, he thought he had covered the gender issue. He offered this prayer after Democrats proposed eliminating all gendered language, instead opting for gender inclusive language. Amen and A Woman. Cleaver was widely denounced for the prayer, not only because of his politically correct nature, but because his ending was not congruent with grammar. Ben Shapiro, an Orthodox Jew, explained Amen is a biblical Hebrew word. It means, may it be so. It has nothing to do with the word man or woman because it is from Hebrew, the common ending used to finish prayer. He further stated that this incident reveals the gross ignorance of those who make such objections. And so that's where we are today. In the U.S. Congress, a person who claims to be an ordained minister closes the prayer with a man and a woman after using a universal deism kind of closing, along with a gender inclusive closing.

Let's listen now to the words of Alexander Solzhenitsyn. You know that Solzhenitsyn was imprisoned in the Russian gulag for quite a long time, and he wrote against the Soviet regime and wrote several books. Here's a quote we're quoting, instead of getting involved in base petty short-sighted political calculations and games, we have to recognize that the concentration of world evil and the tremendous force of hatred is there, and it's flowing from there throughout the world. The there, of course, is from Satan and from his minions, from his agents, from his institutions, and we have this great concentration of hatred that is flowing throughout the world. And we have to stand up against it, he continues, and not hasten to give into it, and everything it wants to swallow. You know that 2 Corinthians 4 and verse 4 states that if the gospel be hidden, it is hidden to those who are being lost, whom the God of this world has blinded their minds. And, of course, Satan the devil is the God of this present evil age. Good and evil are two of the greatest contrasting words in any language. The prophet Isaiah, under the inspiration of the eternal God, cries out, Woe to those who call evil good and good evil! That's Isaiah 5 and verse 20. And Jesus states in Matthew 24 and verse 12, And because a nickel-de-shall abound, the love of many shall wax coal.

In the movie The Matrix, and I don't know how many of you have seen The Matrix, Wanda and I saw it about 10 years ago. Actually, it's longer than that, probably more like 20 years ago. In the movie The Matrix, the Morpheus character states, The Matrix is a system.

The Matrix is a system, Neo, and that system is our enemy. When you are inside, you look around, what do you see? Businessmen, teachers, lawyers, carpenters, the very minds of the people we are trying to save. But until we do, that is, save them, these people are part of that system, and that makes them our enemies. You have to understand, most of these people are not ready to be unplugged, and many are so hopelessly dependent on the system that they will fight to protect it. Basically, personal responsibility and individual initiative have been destroyed.

We're all dependent and addicted to the system to save us, and somewhere or other, even those of us in the church are dependent upon a system, the current economic system that is extant, which we will briefly talk a little more about in just a moment.

Basically, in the United States, nearly everyone is in some way plugged into The Matrix, that is, the system. This is the case even with church members. We get married.

After we marry, we rent for a while. We secure a 30-year mortgage. We must pay our taxes, or the state will take the home and put it up for auction. We have children. They want to go to college. Oftentimes, we have to take out a loan. We buy furniture, buy a car on credit, and we're totally dependent on our job to pay the bills. We're enveloped in the system. Of course, we have shifted from an agrarian society a long time ago into an urban society that is dependent upon going to work 40-hour a week and working 8 to 12. Of course, it was a long road to go from people working 12 to 18 hours a day to the current 40-hour work week. There's hardly any way out of the system. The rich get richer, and the poor get poorer. This is described in detail in James chapter 5. We will briefly read a few verses there if you will turn to James chapter 5.

Go to now you rich men. This is James 5.1. Go to now you rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted. Your garments are moth eaten. Your gold and silver is cankered, and the rest of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. You'll keep treasure together for the last days. Behold, the hire of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, cries, and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the eyes of the Lord of Soboeth. You have lived in pleasure on the earth, have been wanting. You've nourished your hearts as in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and killed the just, and he does not resist you. And then the instruction to be patient, because God eventually, of course, is going to intervene. You know the old saying that he who holds the goal makes the rules. And that is the way the world is in the world's Babylonian system. That system is described in Revelation 18. We're not turning there now, but that system, that Babylonian system of economics, which basically enslaves everyone but the slave masters. On the other hand, God's economic system is designed to break the generational poverty cycle. If you would now, we want to return to Leviticus 25 and verse 9. Leviticus 25 and verse 9. Counting Leviticus 9 and 10, there are 47 verses from Leviticus 9 to the end of this chapter.

There are 47 verses devoted to describing the details of how God's economic system will function. And we're going to read now two verses, Leviticus 9 and 10.

You shall then cause the trumpet you shall then shall you cause the trumpet of the jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, and the day of atonement shall you make the trumpet sound throughout all your land. Of course, in addition to the freeing in the economic sense, humankind will be freed on the day of atonement of the influence and the oppression of Satan the devil and his economic system. And verse 10. And you shall hallow the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof. It shall be a jubilee unto you and you shall return every man unto his possession, and you shall return every man unto his family. So you can read the rest of that chapter that gives you the details about that system. See, God is not the author of poverty. God is the author of prosperity, and he intends for all of his people to be free.

Satan, through his agents, uses the age-old strategy of divide and conquer. One side is continually pitted against the other side. For example, the relentless propaganda propagation of feminism divides or separates men from women. The relentless pitting of liberals versus conservatives. The Hegelian dialectic is ever in play. Remember, I gave a sermon, I don't know how long ago it was, on the Hegelian dialectic of thesis, antithesis, and synthesis. It's basically a history, and especially in modern times and in so-called postmodern times, have focused on, have been guided to a large degree by this dialectic. Of course, they believe it's almost like a mechanistic kind of operation. However, we know that God is still in control, and at times he does intervene in the course of human events.

But in the Hegelian dialectic, the thesis of the day is put forth, and then an antithesis develops. For example, marriage should be between man and woman. That is what God says. That has been the Judeo-Christian, as they call it, ethic for centuries. But then the antithesis has come along, and has now been made into what amounts to law by the Supreme Court that marriage between man and woman is okay.

I'm sorry, not marriage between man and woman, but homosexual marriage, man marrying man, woman marrying woman. So thesis, antithesis, and out of the merging of these two comes the new synthesis, which becomes a prevailing thesis. And the prevailing thesis now of those who are in control of our government and our educational system is that of the LGBTQ agenda and far more. That is just one. The gender sexual side of it is just one, but of course that has many, many implications for basically every activity on the face of the earth.

Regardless of which party is in power or has been in power, the moral values of the nation continue to slide toward a morality that is opposition to the word of God. To the word of God, Hosea cries out in Hosea 4-6, there's no knowledge of God in the land. And because we have forgotten God, that is the main reason where we are, where we are. The whole world has forgotten God. How can we have a so-called democratic system that ostensibly believes in God and yet the masses continue to fall to and pursue, they fall to and pursue the ways of Sodom and Gomorrah?

Now we want to read from Jeremiah 5 beginning in verse 26. Jeremiah chapter 5, we covered Jeremiah five two weeks ago. I mean, we covered Jeremiah 5 and 6 this past Wednesday night. In Jeremiah 5 and verse 26, For among my people are wicked men, they lay weight that says snares, they set a snare to catch men, as a cage is full of birds, or their houses full of deceit. Therefore, they become great and waxen rich. And we just read about the rich in James chapter 5. They're waxen fat, they shine, yes, they overpass the deeds of the wicked, they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, the cause and the right of the needy, do they not judge?

See, the gap between rich and poor continues to increase. Shall I not visit for these things, says the Lord, shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? The old King James says a wonderful, but it means a thing that is mind-boggling and horrible is committed in the land. The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means.

And my people, love to have its soul, and what will you do in the end thereof? What will you do in the end thereof when God does intervene? Yes, he's viewing things now from a distance. From a distance, it seems like everything's all right. From a distance, it seems like we're marching toward a common goal.

But in the reality, humankind is deeply divided as never before, and over the very essence of the right way to live and conduct our lives. Yet, if you were to conduct a survey of the majority of the population of the U.S. who have on their coinage in God we trust, I'm sure that over 70 percent, a lot of surveys say up to 90 percent of them would say that they believe in God. But their heart and mind and actions are far from God, just as the Apostle Paul writes in 2 Timothy 2 and verse 5. And these things are not just for talking about the things in the world.

These things are also for us to examine ourselves and to see where we stand. Are we hungering and thirsting after righteousness? Are we repenting? Are we turning to God? Obviously, God is chastening or allowing the whole world to be chastened at the present time, and this is only the beginning of sorrows. 2 Timothy 2.5, having a form of godliness, O go through the motions, but denying the power thereof from such, turn away. That's 2 Timothy, I think I said 2.5, it's 3.5. Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof from such, turn away.

2 Timothy 3.5, even in their apostasy, Israel and Judah continued to diligently go through the form of religion. At this time, now we want to look at Amos chapter 4. Hosea Joel Amos. Look at Amos chapter 4. Hosea Joel Amos. In Amos chapter 4, we see here that Amos has been called to go to the northern kingdom and to prophesy against them, even after they set up the false religious system under Jeroboam. They were faithful to offer sacrifice. So we're reading now from Amos chapter 4 and verse 4. Amos 4, come to Bethel. Now Bethel, Beth in Hebrew means house and El, is one of the primary names of God.

So come to God's house and transgress. At Gilgal, another place where they went to worship, multiply transgression, and bring your sacrifices every morning and your tithes every three years.

See, both Israel and Judah were faithful to continue to go through the form of religion, even after Israel, even after the kingdom was divided, and Israel set up a false religious system. And Judah continued in the way of Israel and what they were doing. That is, they were faithful to offer sacrifice, incense, and those superfluous things to true worship, as if that would please God. So come to Bethel, come to Gilgal, offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leban. See, when we offer our sacrifice, see the sacrifice of the wicked, as we read in our verse of the day, the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to God.

And proclaim and publish the free offerings for this likes you. This is what you like to do, O you children of Israel, says the Lord God. And I have given you cleanness of teeth. So he says, here's what I've done. I've tried to chasten you to get your attention and to bring you back. I have given you cleanness of teeth, which is famine in all your cities, one of bread in all your places. And yet you have not returned unto me, says the Lord. And also I have withheld the rain from you when there were yet three months to the harvest. And I cause it to rain upon one city, and another city had no rain. One piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained, not withered. So he continues with this admonition to them that what God wants, he wants mercy, not sacrifice. See, if you extend mercy, you have also judged yourself before God, and you cry out for his mercy. And there's only one way to receive forgiveness and mercy, that is to judge yourself, repent, and cry out for God's forgiveness.

God says the same thing about Judah through the prophet Jeremiah many years later. And at this time we're going to Jeremiah chapter 6. Jeremiah chapter 6.

And Jeremiah chapter 6 and verse 18.

Hear ye nations, and know, O congregation, what is among you. Hear, O earth! This is for everybody, nations, congregation, earth, behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but they have rejected me. To what purpose comes there to me? Incense from Sheba. O, you can burn the incense. You can have all the trappings of what looks like ceremony and pompous religious rituals and the sweet cane from afar country. Your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices sweet unto me. Therefore says the Lord, Behold, I will lay stumbling blocks before the people, and the fathers and the sons together shall fall upon them. The neighbor and his friend shall perish.

Then it talks about the Babylonians were coming from the north.

So we know that God, what God says about the sacrifices of a person of an unrepentant heart. Let's look at that verse there that says that in Proverbs chapter 15. Proverbs chapter 15, and verse 8. Proverbs 15 verse 8, The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is his delight. And similar to that in Proverbs 21, in Proverbs 21 and verse 27, the sacrifice of the wicked is abomination to how much more when he brings it with a wicked mind. So God does not accept sacrifice from an unrepentant heart. What has been called the Judeo-Christian culture of America has been axiomatically shifted into a secular, godless culture that parades under the banner of progressive liberalism.

They wave the flag and cry liberty, but their agenda is that of forcing everyone to embrace their value system and worldview or be cast out. This reminds me of the Pharisees of Christ's day, in which they said, believe as we do, or you'll become an outcast. You'll be a pariah. No one will even touch you. They have uncircumcised ears. They will not hear the Word of God. In Jeremiah 6 and verse 10, he talks about uncircumcised ears. Uncircumcised ears are those ears which will not hear the Word of God. In fact, those kind of ears disdain the Word of God. I'm reading now Jeremiah 6 and verse 10. To whom shall I speak and give warning that they may hear, behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot listen or harken. Behold, the Word of the Lord is unto them a reproach. They have no delight in it. Oh, you want to talk about the Bible, huh? As I've said many times, their only absolute is, you shall not be intolerant. The shift in our culture to a large degree has been led by music, especially rock music, drugs, the sexual revolution, which has led to lasciviousness, licentiousness, all of which was glorified by the media in all its forms, especially Hollywood. It began in the 50s and really took off in the 60s with a hippie movement. The principal target is the youth. Separate them from their parents. Turn their minds toward self-gratifying indulgence, the lust of the flesh, the pride of life, and the lust of the eyes. There has been a dramatic power shift in the demographics of the nation. The old guard is out, and the new guard is in. The new guard is mainly composed of Generation X, the Millennials, and the Z Generation, and some from past generations. Generation Z is colloquially known as Zoomers, and today we are using technology called Zoom. So Generation Z is colloquially known as Zoomers. They are the demographic group succeeding Millennials and preceding Generation Alpha. The next generation would be called Alpha.

Researchers in popular media used the mid to late 90s, 1990s, as the starting period for Generation Z and the early 2010s as ending the period. Most members of Generation Z are the children of Generation X and sometimes Millennials. So here is the demographic breakdown since World War II and the population of each group. You can see how the swing exists there in the demographics, especially among those that bear children and those that are politically active. Baby Boomers were born between 40 1946 and 1964. They are currently 56 to 17 to 74 years old. They make up 71.6 million of the U.S. population. Then Generation X. Generation X was born between 1965 and 1979 and 1980. They are currently between 40 and 55 years old. There are 65 million people in the U.S. in the Generation X category. Then Generation Y. Generation Y or the Millennials were born between 1981 and 1994 and they are currently between 24 and 39 years old and have 72.1 million in the U.S. Now, Generation Y is divided into two groups. Generation Y1, 25 to 29 years old, 31 million people and Generation Y2, 29 to 39, around 42 million people in the U.S. Now, Generation Z. The ones that are coming on now, the newest generation, they were born between the mid-90s, 1996, 1997, and 2010, 2012. They are currently between 8 and 23 years old, about 68 million people. The Generation Y, usually labeled as Millennials and Generation Z, are the generations that are in the main childbearing age. Now listen to this. Now, what does all of this mean with regard to these age groupings? Millennials and the Z generation are technologically savvy, with many having a smartphone in their hands since age two.

And you might see them at a restaurant in which the parents try to rest the phone from them and they throw a tantrum, especially three and four years old. And by the time they are four and five, they are really savvy on the smartphone. By the time they are six years old, they've been exposed to more knowledge than many older people are exposed to in a lifetime. So much more than most older people have never even heard of in the technological sense. And yet they were without wisdom, without the training that they should have. By the time they are six years old, their mindset toward learning and toward life, some researchers say it is set 80% of their mental outlook toward learning and their worldview is set by age six. The Millennials in Generation Z are politically active, having swallowed the liberal progressive line hook, they call it hook, line, and sinker. Their parents were wishy-washy and the educational system has been corrupted for decades. They don't understand any other way. Yes, their ears are uncircumcised.

How did the Millennials in Generation Z come to embrace a set of values that are so antithetical to what scripture teaches us regarding all of the great institutions of society? The church, family, home, the various educational institutions. We can lay the blame on the head of Satan in the broadest sense, the God of this present evil age. We've already quoted 2 Corinthians 4 verse 4. Satan is the God of this evil age. In the human realm, we can lay the blame on the head of parents, teachers, the educational system, religious leaders, the economic system, the political system, and the media. In the broader sense, we can lay the blame on the head of humankind as a whole, as a whole the world has rejected the true God. And as the Apostle Paul writes in Romans chapter 1, because they have rejected God, he has given them over to a reprobate mind. And then Paul labels various behaviors that a reprobate mind leads to, including homosexuality and many other evils that he talks about. Of course, in today's world, that is not called evil. It is called good.

God, how many times do we have to say God loves the sinner regardless? Murderers, adulterers, anything you want to name, God loves sinners, but he hates the sin. And the wages of sin is death. To shift a culture, you have to have a plan and means of delivering the plan. The plan begins almost invariably with the notion that implementation of the plan will solve a host of problems and make life freer and easier for all of humanity. And it reminds us of 2 Peter, if you'll turn to 2 Peter 2 and verse 14. 2 Peter 2 and verse 14.

In 2 Peter 2 and verse 14, 2 Peter 3 and verse 14. Having eyes full of an adulteress, correct translation, that cannot cease from sin, beguiling unstable souls, a heart they have exercised, that word exercise really means trained. Trained in the Pavlovian sense, you remember Pavlov and his dog is called classical conditioning, where you pair the thing wanted with something else. So when the dog was hungry, you give him food and ring a bell, give him food and ring a bell. Pretty soon you remove the food, ring the bell, and the dog behaves as if it were being fed. The same thing is true throughout the animal kingdom with whatever examples that you want to use. And with human beings, classical and operant conditioning works in the advertising world, and the advertisers know it quite well. So they pair youth and beauty, romance, adventure with being young and being beautiful and the various things that go with it. Verse 15, which have forsaken the right way and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam, the son of Bozar, who loved the wages of unrighteousness, but was rebuked for his iniquity as lawlessness, the dumb donkey speaking with man's voice forbade the madness of the prophet. So when Balaam would try to speak, God would speak through the donkey, and the prophecy of Balaam was short-circuited, we shall see. These are wells without water clouds that are carried with a tempest to whom the mist of darkness is reserved forever. For when they speak great, sweating words of vanity, they allure through the lust of the flesh, through much wantedness, those that were clean escape from them that live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption, for of whom a man is overcome, of the same as he brought into bondage. So yes, most of the programs are preppiced with all this will solve our problems. This will make life freer and easier. With almost every problem that humanity has faced through the ages, the universal solution has been to educate them, enlighten them, and they will change. Of course, we know that in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve had the perfect teacher. We know through the decades that on the packages of cigarettes, they put the label that cigarette smoking can cause cancer. But people continue to smoke, and finally the government has stepped in in this particular situation. For the most part, smoking in public places is outlawed. So education in and of itself, without a change of heart, really doesn't solve the problem.

Satan deceived Eve with two simple lies. One was in the form of a question, the other was in the form of an accusation. In summary, we could say that both were accusations. Satan was causing or was calling God a liar. Satan refuted Eve and called God a liar by saying, you shall not surely die. See, Eve had said, we can eat of every tree in the garden except the tree of life. And God has said that in the day you eat of it, you'll begin to die. But Satan refuted that and said, you shall not surely die. Introducing the great lie, the immortal soul lie, Satan further in essence asserts that God is deceiving them, for he knows that in the day you eat thereof, you shall be as God's knowing good and evil. So the strategy of offering something for nothing continues to have a great appeal to humankind. And so Satan lied twice to Eve, you shall not surely die, and you shall be as God's. Now, the discernment of good and evil is the prerogative of God only. And God reveals that which is good and that which is evil through his word.

And his word, as we read in John 1717, is true. Set them apart, sanctify them through your word. Your word is truth.

In past generations, it was difficult to deceive an entire nation, much less the entire world. Now, we read in Revelation 12.9, where it says, that old serpent, Satan the devil, who is deceiving the whole world. Today, the delivery of Satan's lies can be instantly transmitted through various channels of mass media. The think tanks and foundations of today can transmit their ideas continually through the educational system, coupled with the power of the peer group and mass media. Now, I want to read an extensive quote from Dennis Prager. Dennis Prager is a religious, observant Jew whose work is similar to Rush Limbaugh, but in a different way, he's not as politically involved as Limbaugh. But he has some insights into American society and quite an extensive education. So I want to read what he writes. I think it's very insightful. So now I am quoting, half of America, the non-left half, is afraid to speak their minds at virtually every university, movie studio, and large corporation. You know, I remember what I read up front about what Sotr Neeson said, the quote from Sotr Neeson, that he talked about what we need to do, that we need to speak up and not be silent. Virtually, indeed, in virtually every place of work, that is the case. Half the people, especially those who hold to more of what we call the traditional values, are afraid to speak. Now I'm continuing with the quote from Prager. Professors who say anything that offend the left fear being ostracized if they have tenure and being fired if they do not. People are socially ostracized, publicly shamed, and are fired for differing with Black Lives Matter as America-hating and white-hating group as has ever existed. Shamed or fired for differing with Black Lives Matter.

And few Americans speak up. On the contrary, when Black Lives Matter protesters demanded that diners outside of restaurants raise their fists to show their support of Black Lives Matter, nearly every diner has had that experience. There was silence. I've come to understand the average German living under Nazism and average Russian living under communism for another reason. The power of the media to brainwash. As a student of totalitarianism since my graduate studies at the Russian Institute of Columbia University's School of International Affairs, as it was known then, I've always believed that only in a dictatorship could a society be brainwashed. I was wrong. I now understand that mass brainwashing can take place in a nominally free society. My comment, we have witnessed that. We have seen it. Continuing the quote, the incessant left-wing drumbeat of New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, and almost every other major newspaper, plus the Atlantic. The Atlantic Monthly is one of the oldest magazine publications in the nation. The New Yorker, CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, NPR, all of Hollywood, and almost every school from kindergarten through graduate school, has brainwashed at least half of America every bit as effectively as the German, Soviet, and Chinese Communist press did, and in the latter case still do. Thousands of schools will teach the lie over and over again, from evolution to whatever it might be. In the military, in the 1960s, one of my assignments was to prepare and give lectures on communism, which opened my eyes to the threats and evils of atheistic communism. Many millions had died under oppressive communist rule. Learning details of their plans and activities for defeating America and their brutal successes in conquering many other countries in the world was a stunning revelation to me. You remember that certain Soviet leaders said, we will destroy you without firing a shot. And basically, our culture has been subverted and overturned without a shot being fired from a foreign power. We fire shots at each other.

From their own documents, the USSR knew that they couldn't defeat America economically or militarily. They recognized, even quoting the Bible, that a foundation of our strength was in Judeo-Christian moral values and work ethics, so their plans were directed at perverting those values through brainwashing from within. They knew how the prophet Balaam had taught King Balak of Moab how to defeat the Israelites. You remember what he taught them? He taught the Moabites for the Moabite women to seduce the Israeli men, the men of Israel, and thereby gain the advantage over them. Continuing the quote, Communists have been very successful in infiltrating Hollywood to pervert our moral values through the schools and colleges, the media, and in government agencies to subvert our history and promote the propaganda of Marxist lies of socialism, and thereby perverting American values and ethics at every level of American society. Getting the Bible thrown out of schools and the hippie movement in the 60s, where their drugs and free sex were examples of communism's successes. You know, we have already read Matthew 24 12. That was, I've just ended the quote by Prager. Now, back to the Bible, as they say. We have read Matthew 24 12 already. Now we want to look at the two preceding verses. Matthew 24, the two preceding verses of 9, 10, and 11. So Matthew 24, and I think we'll start in verse 9. In Matthew 24 and verse 9, then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, shall kill you, shall be hated of all nations, for my name's sake, and then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall arise, and shall deceive many. And once again, verse 12, and because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall grow cold.

Now let's read from Luke 21. Luke 21 is Luke's account of the Olivet prophecy. So Luke has some details that are not included in Matthew's account of the Olivet prophecy. So let's go to Luke 21 and verse 12. In Luke 21 and verse 12, but before all these. Now this word that is translated before can mean time order, but it can mean above, that which is above, epi, that which is above, in many cases translated as such. Now most commentators will lean toward before all these things, they shall lay their hands on you. I tend to think, and of course I can't prove that this is my opinion, that this verse is saying, that this verse is saying, but above all of these, because this will be the most difficult for nearly all people. But either way, but before all these or above all these things, they shall lay their hands on you, persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons being brought before kings and rulers, for my name's sake. Of course, this applies to those who are alive at that time during the time of the beast's reign, which many of us will not live to see. Some of you might, and it shall turn to you for a witness. Matoria is the Greek word, witness, record, testimony. Settle it therefore in your hearts not to meditate before what you shall answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries should not be able to gain, say, nor resist. Now, I want you to remember these verses when I read the closing verse of the sermon, which is nearing.

And you shall be betrayed both by parents and brethren and kinsmen and friends, and some of you shall the cause be put to death. You shall be hated of all men for my name's sake. And of course, that hatred that Solzhenitsyn spoke of, and the hatred that we could see manifested this past week, is unbelievable. Never would you take into your hands to do what the mob did, regardless of who perpetrated it. You just don't do that.

You shall be hated of all men for my name's sake, but there shall not a hair of your head perish. And some have speculated here that whether or not you are protected from that which is to come the wrath of God upon the nations depends on your testimony here.

Of course, once again, I don't know that to be the case, but as we shall see in the last verse of the sermon, it seems to indicate that in your patience, in other words, you have to patiently bear it and wait for the coming of the Lord, as it says in James 5, 10, 11, 12.

But in your patience, possess you your souls. In other words, your life is in your hands through your patience, and it will look like in almost every turn that you are going to be killed, you're going to die.

So those who are alive at that time will not have a choice as to whether they will take a stand and worship God, believe God, and love their life, not love their life all the way to death. So regardless of what position one takes or what one believes today, the events of this week will make it more difficult for Christians on any front you can name. The secular progressives, aided by media and big tech, various social platforms especially, have gained the moral high ground in the eyes of the generations x, y, and z. Of course, they're exceptions. We have many x, y, z-ers who are exceptions. With Generation Alpha, with their smartphones waiting in the wings. Once again, with Generation Alpha, those eight years old and under, waiting with their smartphones. And as Jeremiah, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, writes, my people love to have it that way. They take pleasure in unrighteousness. But we have chosen a different moral high ground. There's really only one moral high ground. We are committed to follow the Word of God because we love the truth of God unto death.

And now, Revelation 12, 11, in closing, and they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, by the word of their testimony, remember Luke 21, and they love not their lives unto death.