Many woke up this morning with something that shocked them on their TV screen or Twitter feed: Both GOP Senate candidates/incumbents were supposedly defeated by two of the most radically Left-wing Senate candidates in Georgia history. This was most shocking to them because they went to bed with both GOP candidates with fairly comfortable leads in the vote counting and some statistical figuring that said a flip was not likely.

Yet in a near-copy of the November election, over-night ballots were delivered and counted that conveniently swung the totals into the DNC column. Yet this shouldn’t be a surprise. This was predicted weeks ago when Georgia refused to fix the very problems that led to the November debacle.

One might also rightly ask: How did this nation flip after experiencing 3+ years of some of the greatest economic growth, shrinking wage gap, record low unemployment for all demographics, the first significant reduction in foreign war entanglement in decades, increased American manufacturing, and the most campaign promises kept in US history?

COVID? What some refer to as the CCP Virus – which has caused more division through the weaponizing of it through FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt). Regardless of one’s views regarding this virus – and no doubt, many have died from or WITH the virus (we won’t get into the way deaths are being counted- but remember FUD). This virus conveniently undid a significant portion of the economic advances of the previous 3+ years via shutdowns, restrictions mandates, and quarantine of the healthy. Small businesses, unable to meet stringent and over-reaching regulations to open, died. COVID didn’t bring this about – but the response and division it was used to create did add to the destruction.

4 years of never-ending attacks on the President, that began literally hours after his called victory in 2016, were all part of a very literal coup engineered by the very people in BOTH political parties who were in his “drain the swamp” crosshairs. Look – President Trump is no saint. He is no savior or messiah. He is a man with faults just like the rest of us – with past baggage and a quickfire and unfiltered Twitter-finger. Yet he has tried to do what was best for this nation – even trying to put a positive spin on the all doom-and-gloom of Dr. Fauci and the “experts” who predicted millions of Americans would die from COVID. President Trump made mistakes (and I called him out on them). He endured attacks as no US President has ever faced. And as each collusion & corruption case died, despite near unlimited investigation resources and budgets… and even as the US Congress tried to remove him from office – even as the “Pandemic” began spreading – he kept fighting for this nation. His negotiations and efforts brought Muslim nations – long the sworn enemies of Israel, to the table, resulting in several historic treaties that many said were impossible. President Trump was even nominated multiple times for the Nobel Peace Prize (something his predecessor was actually awarded for doing nothing – who actually expanded US warmaking).

But here is the real deal, from my biblical perspective: God is still in control, and NONE of this has caught the LORD by surprise. None of the rapid expansion of wickedness, none of the electoral shenanigans and blatant corruption have taken anything away from God and His plans. In fact, I believe we are seeing the hand of God working mightily among us! All the nastiness, the divisions, the loss, the heartbreak, and so much more has been allowed, indeed I say was brought by God for a purpose.

You see – God punishes wickedness – in HIS time. When we look at Scripture, we see God’s people and nation Israel judged by God. But we also see pagan nations also judged. And how does God often bring judgement? It isn’t always with hellfire and brimstone raining down, with mighty earthquakes, or by a massive worldwide flood. In fact, God’s judgement is often brought in ways that look amazingly like what we are seeing today.

Attacks from Outside: The US has long had a twisted relationship with the world. Just the last massive spending bill reminds us – the world LOVES our Tax Dollars, but hates our historic values of freedom, self-determination, and yes – our reputation (deserved or not) as a “Christian nation”. From international pressures to the likely election interference, we have been under attack from outside since the Soviet Union began – in fact, Nikita Khrushchev many times said that they wouldn’t beat America with might, but from within…

From Within – Our own worst enemy: What exactly did Khrushchev mean by destroying us from within? You see, Satan is better at playing the “long game” than we who are believers in Christ. Likewise, Marxism plays a waiting game, planting seeds, working behind the scenes. In this case, from the entertainment industry, education, and finally in the open of the past few years, actual, real Marxists have been working tirelessly to undermine this nation from within.

Think about ancient Israel and Judah – while God did often use external forces to bring judgment, the vast majority of kings were wicked men. Even those who had good intentions and actually made progress had “issues”, which often times undermined their efforts (sound familiar?). Add in the many false prophets, whether fake prophets of God, or the avowed prophets of Baal, Moloch, and others – were allowed to deceive the public and kings. Look today at some of the biggest names and organizations in “Evangelical Christianity” – the likes of Tim Keller, Dr. Russell Moore (@ERLC), Beth Moore, Karen Swallow Prior, Charlie Dates (Progressive Baptist Church and Gospel Coalition writer, SBC Executive Committee), Jackie Hill Perry, Thabiti Anyabwile (formerly known as Ron Burns), JD Greear (Pastor of Summit Church, and current President of the Southern Baptist Convention) and yes, even historically-conservative Albert Mohler (Southern Baptist Seminary, heir-apparent to be President of the SBC) who have systematically adopted various forms and productions of the false gospel of the “Social Justice Movement” and more recently are endorsing Critical Race Theory (CRT), supplanting the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the poison of this Marxist tool (oh – who saw that coming?). Add in the birth, spread, and massive export of the heretical prosperity gospel/liberation theology – which again is about the here-and-now, fleshly satisfaction with no spiritual meat or foundation – which actually is a development of the official religion of Marxism: Secular Humanism, and you have yet another attack on any remaining biblical foundations.

And let us zoom in for a moment on the Georgia US Senate run-off and one of the two Democrat candidates: the “Reverend” Raphael Warnock, the senior pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, GA. Who has a history of preaching abortion as a biblical right! Again – a blatantly false prophet (in his case, maybe profit is a better word?). With men like Warnock (and those men and women mentioned previously) preaching from pulpits and being published as “Christian leaders”, is it any wonder so many are deceived and why biblical Christianity has so little influence any longer? And as more than one of America’s founders said – the system of government they left us requires a moral foundation, and particularly one like principals of Christianity, to survive. Satan couldn’t defeat Christ’s church, so he joined to destroy from within. Likewise, the greatest damage being done and what will likely be the final downfall of the USA – is for the remaining “good men” to sit idle by and let it happen. A bleak reminder – there are none righteous…(Romans 3:10).

Today, we see the clear fulfilment of Isaiah 5:20 “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!” We see before us the unfolding of the warning Paul wrote to Timothy (2 Timothy 4:3-4) “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.”

And this brings us to the entire point of this post. Yes, be aware of what is REALLY going on. There is a coordinated effort to systematically destroy this nation, which WILL not only take away our God-given, Constitutional rights, which likely will result in more measurable persecution against those who cling to their “Bibles, Guns, and God” (the #1 terrorist threat to this nation, according to President Obama and his administration!). We are very likely to see a marked reduction in income, due in part to massive tax increases that will be absolutely necessary to pay for the unprecedented spending proposals by the political Left. And yes, the voice of biblical morality will become public enemy #1.

BUT…

GOD IS STILL IN CONTROL! God is still on His throne. And Jesus’ blood is STILL sufficient to cover not only my sins, but the sins of ALL who would believe in Him! And this is why Paul could follow his warning to Timothy (see above in 2 Timothy 4), with verse 5: “But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.“

You see – for genuine, born-again, regenerated Christians – we are not deceived. We are not led to follow false gospels – and our duty, our responsibility, our mission remains absolutely unchanged! Remain sober in all things (this is less about being literally intoxicated, but instead – means not to be led astray or influenced by the distractions of the world- or in short, be CLEAR MINDED), prepare to endure hardship (yes, God’s Word yet again warns that being sober and continuing to do what God has commanded WILL result in hardships), do the work of an evangelist (while not all have this as a spiritual gift, it is the calling of all the redeemed to be a messenger of the Gospel to all we encounter in life – both in word and in our actions). And finally – fulfill your ministry! All who have received the heart-transplant of Christ, the redemption bought by His precious blood – have a ministry, a ministry summed up (regardless of the actual specific ministry avenues) is to MAKE DISCIPLES, and more importantly – GLORIFY GOD and ENJOY HIM FOREVER! If we allow ourselves to be so utterly consumed with the wickedness of the day – we take our eyes off of “things above” and begin to stumble and fall in our ministry. No, I do not suggest we ignore wicked and evil – quite the contrary: we must know what is going on – so that we can address it with Scripture and our actions! And never stop speaking the truth into ALL circumstances. Never stop being a light of truth. This nation’s future depends on it – your neighbor’s soul needs it – and YOU need it!

Do not be afraid, nor discouraged. God is on our side! We may yet witness more heartache and pain. We may even see our nation literally destroyed. But that doesn’t change our mission or purpose.

But if it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served, which were beyond the Euphrates River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

Joshua 24:15