THINK ABOUT IT

Following politics in the United States over the last few years has been very educational. If one studies the "War in Heaven"—the great controversy between Christ and Satan—many similarities become apparent. The U.S. political system is adversarial by nature, pitting one party against another: Democrats versus Republicans. While the idea is that different perspectives create a working democracy, a system that constantly pits citizens against each other for the sake of "unity" may work for a while, but it eventually leads to deep division. It has been said that democracy has a lifespan of about 200 years before it devolves into anarchy, followed by tyranny. Democracy is not inherently sustainable in the long term; it can only function if the people are moral and righteous. When a population becomes unrighteous, democracy can become oppressive—a "tyranny of the majority." Looking at the last few U.S. presidencies, one can see a transition: the nation is slow...

 Freedom! Who doesn’t want to be free? America is called the "land of the free and the home of the brave." The cry of this land has long been, "Give me liberty, or give me death!" According to the dictionary, freedom is the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action. To be free is to be independent. We all want to be independent from the power of others, but the problem is that such absolute independence simply does not exist in reality. The truth is there is only one absolutely independent being in the universe: God . He is the self-existent One who sustains Himself. All other beings are dependent upon Him and subject to His laws. Therefore, the idea of being completely independent and doing your own will without restraint is a fallacy. While God allows us the freedom to make choices contrary to His will, we are never free from the consequences. As the scripture says, "The wages of sin is death." God has a law, and He expects all i...

 God is consistent in His dealings with us! He can be trusted and relied upon. In this life, we face endless inconsistencies—our jobs change, our neighbors move, and our friendships fluctuate. We never know what tomorrow will bring, but the Lord is the same day in and day out. Consistency builds trust, and you can always trust in God because He never changes. God is consistent in how He handles rebellion. We see this through three major historical examples: Lucifer: God anointed Lucifer as the covering cherub, the highest created being in the universe. He blessed him with countless gifts and honored him above all creation. Yet, Lucifer became proud. He refused to serve and wanted to be God Himself. Because of his rebellion, the Lord cast him out of heaven. King Saul: God anointed Saul as the first king of Israel, providing the Holy Spirit as his counselor and the prophet Samuel as his guide. Saul began well, but pride led him to act independently of God. He rejected the Word of G...

 Jesus said in John 17:3 , "This is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent." Many people desire to go to heaven or to possess eternal life, but they often ignore one crucial truth: eternal life is a life of relationships—a life of love with God. Without love, eternity would be an "eternal hell." In fact, many of us experience a shadow of that hell on this planet simply because we lack loving connections. God is love, and heaven is built on relationships. Eternal life means having an everlasting, loving bond with God, Jesus Christ, the angels, and all of creation. We know that sin began in heaven—a place of perfect love. What, then, is sin? Sin is the opposite of love; it is selfishness. It is doing things that destroy our relationship with God for the sake of our own desires. Lucifer, the covering cherub, was created perfect, meaning he originally had a perfect relationship with the Lord. But he desired to be f...

 God is love! He is compassionate, merciful, gracious, and abounding in goodness and truth. God loves you, and God loves me. He loves me with an infinite love—a love that will take me eternity to even begin to understand. God loves me more than I can ever love myself, and more than anyone else ever could. He so loves you and me that He would rather die than lose us for eternity. God's love is truly incomprehensible. God loves you! But sin has created a breach of trust between us and God, so we now often see our loving Creator as someone seeking to destroy us. The moment Adam and Eve sinned, their perception of God changed. Whereas they used to come to God, they instead fled from His presence. They used to enjoy His presence; now, they hide for fear that He will destroy them. But God did not come after them to destroy them; He came to save them from ruin, to give them a promise of hope, and to lay down His life for them. Many of us are continuing on the same path as Adam and Eve. W...

 What is the real problem with us and with society? Is it mental health? Is it economics? Is it loneliness? Is it a lack of education or physical health? While all these things are problems, they are only symptoms of the real issue. The root of our struggle is not physical at all; it is spiritual and always has been. The real problem is our separation from God, the source of life! Immediately after Adam and Eve sinned, they realized something they had never felt before. They realized they were naked. Nature seemed to change, and they quickly sought to cover their nakedness with fig leaves. But what was the real issue? Was it a physical issue? Was it mental? Was it an environmental issue? No. Adam and Eve had a spiritual problem, yet they sought a physical solution: "fig leaves." The real issue was their separation from God. Adam and Eve had disobeyed Him and transgressed His law, resulting in an internal separation. The Spirit of God, who had previously dwelt within them, was...

 God is immutable , while we are mutable . Immutable means unchanging over time or unable to be changed. God is unchanging! Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. God doesn’t change; there is not even a shadow of turning with Him. It is impossible for God to change since He is eternal and infinite in wisdom. God knows all things. Change implies learning new things or gaining new information, but God doesn’t learn; He already knows all things, created all things, and rules over all things. God is immutable! All created beings are mutable. Every created being, from the highest angel to the lowest insect, changes—simply because all created beings are finite. It is impossible for a created being to know everything. We are constantly learning and changing as we grow. Because change is a reality for us, we face two simple choices: we are either changing for the better or for the worse. All around us, we see people moving in one of these two directions. How do we change? We chan...

This world is getting worse by the day. Temptations, like an overwhelming flood, are sweeping many people into the darkness of the world and toward everlasting destruction. Everywhere we look, we see misery and ruin. Many are looking to politicians to solve the problems of the world, but politicians cannot fix them. The problems of the world are beyond the capacity of human beings to repair. The struggles of our lives are spiritual in nature, and we need a spiritual solution. We must cling to Jesus when we face alluring temptations; He will keep us standing. We must cling to Jesus when life seems overwhelming; He will hide us under His wings. We must cling to Jesus when we face problems at home, at school, at work, or with family and friends. Cling to Jesus, and you will not be moved. Cling to Him, and He will keep you. Life is unbearable without Jesus as your anchor. Without Him, fear, anxiety, and depression will overwhelm you. But with Jesus as your anchor, you shall not be moved wh...