A world deceived

And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

Revelation 12:9

The Bible says, "the devil deceives the whole world." What does it mean by it? Is it figurative speech, or is this a reality that all of us are deceived?

I don't think the Bible is speaking figuratively when it says that. The truth is, all of us are deceived in profound ways; In ways so deep that only the Spirit of God can reveal to us our deception.

The devil deceived the whole world by his initial act of deceiving our first parents in the garden of Eden. At that time, there were only two human beings and both came under the dominion of Satan. Satan deceived Eve by telling her that satisfaction exists outside of God; That one can find true development in opposition to His will.

Life in the flesh 

Deception continues by the fact that we are born in the flesh. What does it mean to be born in the flesh? Life in the flesh is simply life with man at the center. With me and my needs as the highest priorities.  Before sin, God and His will were the priorities for Adam and Eve. But as we can see with the temptation, Eve's priority became food in the physical sense and a desire for self-exaltation in the spiritual sense. (Some women really love food and eating brings them great joy and helps them in dealing with depression, anxiety, etc..)  For Adam, he exchanged a God-centered life for a woman-centered life. His wife instead of God became the source of his joy and he chose to follow her. 

A downward look for satisfaction 

We can see that the mind of the flesh is a mind that seeks satisfaction in other things or people rather than in God. The angels of heaven who fell were deceived into exchanging satisfaction from Christ the source of infinite goodness, to finding satisfaction from Lucifer, a created being and themselves, even lower than Lucifer. The man was supposed to be the head of his wife, with Christ as his head. Meaning the man was supposed to look to Christ for satisfaction and strength, then bring satisfaction to his wife and uplift her. But in rejecting God for his wife, he rejected satisfaction from the source of all satisfaction to making his wife (the weaker vessel) the source of his satisfaction; Therein began a life of frustration for many men. We can also see that the seed of female objectification began; Using a woman's body as a means of satisfaction, which never truly lasts. 

The woman also looks towards other things for satisfaction. The woman, in rejecting Christ, became the focus of her own satisfaction. And she finds that satisfaction not necessarily in her husband, but in other created things, like food, money, jewelry, materialism, etc. While the man is seeking satisfaction in the woman, the woman is seeking satisfaction in other things, and frustration piles up for both genders. Men use women for their bodies and women use men for what they can provide, and so, genuine love is hard to find.

Satan has deceived the whole world by removing God from the center of our lives and placing anything else there. It can be money, marriage, a career, pleasures, religion, etc.. No one who is born in sin is born with God at the center. When we wake up in the morning we think of our wants, hopes and needs instead of God's wills, plans, or His glory. Here is the snare of Satan, here is the root of his deception.

A life with man at the center is death. It's a life centered solely on material and physical activity instead of the inner spiritual life. A life focused on man as the center will continue to degrade man, for man has no life in himself to give. As human beings, we like to take more than we give because we truly have nothing to give. As a result, we go through life looking for what we can take and from where. A life of constant taking is a life of emptiness. A life in the flesh is a life of emptiness. Satan himself is empty, and this is why he is a robber and a murderer; He seeks to take in order to fill up his own ego and emptiness. Love is far from his heart, for a taker cannot be a lover.

Life in the flesh turns everything into idolatry. Marriage has become an idol because many think it will satisfy their inner longings. They go into a marriage not to give, but to take. To use someone else as their means of fulfillment. Anything that the mind which has self as its object & man at its center touches, becomes a curse. If an angel from heaven, disconnected from God cannot bring true satisfaction, how much less can a man or woman born in sin bring satisfaction? And how much worse can material things such as money, cars, jewelry, or food bring true satisfaction? Can we see how great our folly is in exchanging God from the center and placing anyone or anything else there?  The most successful fleshly person is but a failure. 

The way of escape 

The way to escape Satan's deception is to go to God and ask Him for the renewal of our minds. We need a mind that puts God and His will alone at the center of our lives.

What does that look like practically?

It looks like seeking God day and night as if life depends on it. To accept the conditions and situations that God put us in. In John chapter 9:3, Jesus, in speaking about a man born blind explains how the man was born blind for the glory of God. God allowed this man to be born blind, to go through a difficult life so that He can reveal what true spiritual eyesight looks like and shed light on our condition as spiritually blind people. Putting God as the center will cause us to submit to God in whatever situation He puts (allows) us to be in because we know that it is working out for His glory. God will use my situation to teach eternal lessons to the universe and to bring others to Himself. The story of the blind man is still teaching us today; When God becomes the center of our lives, our stresses and anxieties start to fall away because we submit to our trials and difficulties which brings us ever closer to God as we remain in prayer.

A man with God as the center no longer looks for a woman as the source of his satisfaction, for God is. But if it is God's will for him to be married, he will look for a woman he can bless and work in harmony with to bring more glory to God. Such a man will be in no rush to find a wife because he is already satisfied in God. Such a man will not seek crooked ways to make money or do other evil things, because he is satisfied in God. Such a man will be a blessing to others because he is not seeking to take from them out of his deficiency, but give to them out of his fullness.

A woman with God at the center will no longer be selfish, seeking out her own satisfaction and using men as the means to attain it. Such a woman will have less drama in her life because she is satisfied in God. She will not use manipulation as a way of controlling those around her. She will not be an attention seeker because God has already given her all the satisfaction she needs. Such a woman will no longer see marriage as some status symbol to uplift herself above other women while neglecting caring for her husband, but she will see marriage as a way to fulfill God's mission for her. She will seek to bring satisfaction to her husband and not expect him to be her slave. A life with God as the center is a life free from deception and full of blessings. Things and people become satisfying when they are no longer the source of our joy, but the benefits of our joy from God.

We all need deliverance from deception because all of us, whether we want to admit it or not, deeply believe that we can find satisfaction from things other than God. Most of our prayers are centered on God helping us to fulfill the desires of our flesh,  which is the reason why most of them are not answered. The reason for so much suffering in our lives is our refusal to let go of the plans of the flesh in exchange for the plans of God. This why Satan is lost; He put his plans, his will, above God's and being a finite being, all he has found is misery. The transition from a self-centered mind to a God-centered one is a difficult one and is only possible through persevering prayers and a constant abiding in Christ. It is foreign to us - we who have been idol and creature worshippers from birth.

Satan sought to take from God, to use God for the fulfillment of his own plans. All those whose thought processes are centered around taking from others to fulfill their own desires are deceived by Satan. Such are and were all of us.

We need deliverance, and true deliverance will only be found when we begin to pray the prayer Jesus prayed in Gethsemane: "yet not my will, but yours be done."

When God calls you. The fiery way to God

 "Why is my life so hard? Why are these things happening to me? I pray to God for healing, but there is no healing. I pray for better finances, but no money is forthcoming. I am so tired of these struggles; I am on the verge of giving up. I might as well live life the way I want to and hope to die soon.

Have these thoughts ever come to your mind? These are thoughts many will encounter as they ascend the mountain of God.

For many of us, life began well. We had a great time in our youth; we believed in love, we believed the future was bright, and we felt whole as a person. But somewhere along the way, hardship showed up. An illness, a broken heart, the death of a loved one, or broken aspirations sent us into despair and grief. Suddenly, life became dark and hopeless.

But then, we heard the voice of God. We heard someone preach, 'Come to Jesus and all will be well; come to Jesus and He will give you the desires of your heart.' So we came to Jesus, hoping that we were back on the right track and would finally achieve our desires. In the beginning, we felt rejuvenated, excited, and happy. We saw the Lord working in our lives, giving us victories and helping us in different areas. We got 'on fire' for God, sharing His Word, and we could see heaven right ahead.

But then, hardships returned: health problems, relationship issues, or financial struggles. We began to experience despair and think, 'Maybe God is not with me anymore.' As the problems grew, many of us started losing hope, neglecting prayer as depression began to dominate us.

What is happening?

The Lord has begun the process of purification in earnest. The problem is that we are filled with pride. Even when we come to Jesus, pride still reigns in our hearts, and deep down, we think we know the best way for God to lead us. It was pride that caused Satan to be kicked out of heaven; therefore, for us to enter heaven, pride must be removed from our lives.

In His mercy, God allows severe trials to show us that unless we depend entirely on Him, we cannot overcome. These trials are meant to turn our eyes away from ourselves and toward Jesus. They are designed to lead us to our prayer closets. The closer we draw to God, the more you will feel you are losing control of your life and your plans. This is exactly the Lord's work, for unless we lose control, God cannot be in control.

For God to be God in my life, I must stop being a god in it. Like the plagues of Egypt, God will allow hardship until we bow down and acknowledge Him. In order for us to be whole in Christ, our wholeness in sin must be broken. It is only as His guidance increases that we experience true joy.

When faced with a trial, we should ask: 'Lord, help me to see the issue in my life within this trial, and help me to endure as You purify me.' Each trial is a blessing in disguise, designed to remove specific things holding us captive. Anything that brings us closer to Christ is a blessing.

The call of God is a call to purity. God is a consuming fire, and you will feel the burn as you ascend to Him. Do not give up. Allow the dross to be burned away and your pride to be laid in the dust. Draw near to God, and He will consume our filth with His fiery trials. Stay faithful, for 'without holiness no man will see the Lord' (Hebrews 12:14). Being holy means being in God, and God being in you."

Economy is tough: buy Gold !

"Recent economic turmoil in the stock market, caused by the tariffs introduced by U.S. President Donald Trump, has led investors to flee volatile stocks in favor of purchasing gold. Gold is considered a safer investment, and its price has increased significantly. If you know anything about economics or finance, you’ll understand that gold is a precious asset—and those who possess it in abundance are truly wealthy. If you want to grow your wealth, invest in gold.

How is gold processed? There are a few key steps:

1. Extraction from ore.

2. Refining to remove impurities.

3. Melting and casting for various applications.

We are living in a time of spiritual poverty, and Jesus is telling us to buy gold from Him—'gold tried in the fire' (Revelation 3:18). Jesus said if you want to be rich, you must invest in this gold.

How do I know if I am spiritually poor? According to 2 Timothy 3:1–5, I am poor if I am:

• A lover of self.

• Covetous, boastful, or proud.

• Disobedient to parents.

• Unthankful or unholy.

• A truce-breaker, false accuser, or traitor.

• Without love, a lover of money, or brutal.

• Lacking self-control or rash.

• A lover of pleasure rather than a lover of God.

In Revelation 3:17, Jesus says that we are 'wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.' He counsels us: 'I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire.'

What is 'gold tried in the fire'? 1 Peter 1:7 says: 'That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.'

'Gold tried in the fire' represents the problems and difficulties God allows into our lives to test our faith. If you want to be rich in the eyes of God, you must embrace these trials. Instead of trying to pray the problems away, we should pray for the strength to endure them.

The Refiner’s Tool: Relationships One of God’s favorite tools to refine us is relationships. Marriage is a great tool used by God to bring us from spiritual poverty to wealth. Relationships are difficult for us because the Bible says we are naturally 'lovers of ourselves,' yet love requires us to be patient, kind, and not self-seeking (1 Corinthians 13:4–7).

Marriage is designed to show us our spiritual poverty, our lack of love, and our self-absorption. A young person might enter marriage seeking companionship and intimacy, but they are often shocked by the 'fiery trials' of living with someone who is just as self-centered as they are!

Refining in the Fire of Marriage

1. Husbands: 'Love your wife as Christ loved the church.' This is no easy task. How can I love a wife who makes me unhappy, who is not submissive, or who is disrespectful? Then I remember: 'Love is patient; love suffers long.' I must pray, 'Lord, help me to be patient and kind with my wife.' That is gold tried in the fire.

2. Wives: 'Submit to your husband.' This, too, is no easy task. How can I submit to a husband who is bitter, who says mean things, or who doesn't show me affection? Then I remember: 'Love keeps no record of wrongs and always perseveres.' I say, 'Lord, give me gold tried in the fire; help me to submit despite the 'fire' he puts me through, so that I may be rich in faith.'

The trials of life—sickness, financial lack, or relational strife—are simply tools in the hands of God. A difficult marriage is a refining tool for our character. Jesus wants to make us like Him: loving, patient, tender, and forgiving.

If we want to be rich in character, we must embrace the trials. When they come, let us not despair. Let us grab the hand of Jesus and say, 'Lord, sell me gold tried in the fire; use this trial to purify my character and develop in me all Your beauty.' Spiritual poverty is to be selfish; spiritual riches is to be a loving, Christ-like person. Buy, buy, buy of Jesus!"

The pursuit of love

 Love.

Love is something we all desire. The airwaves are filled with love songs; we find love in movies and literature, and these stories appear so beautiful to us. The idea of love makes us feel good; just thinking about it awakens beautiful emotions in our hearts, leading us to wonder, "Why isn’t this my reality?" or "Why can't I find that kind of love?"

Love begins to feel difficult to find the moment we start believing, "I deserve love."

Do I deserve love? It sounds crazy for me to ask that, right? You might ask, "What do you mean?" or "Of course you deserve love." But let me ask you: Why do you believe you deserve it? What is it about you that makes you worthy of being loved? You see, many times we say things without fully understanding their meaning—and as a result, we end up suffering.

According to the dictionary, the word deserve means:

To do something, or have or show qualities, worthy of a reward or punishment.

In other words, to "deserve" something means you have performed actions that result in a specific outcome as a consequence. So, let me ask you again: Do you still believe you "deserve" love? Have you done things that make you worthy of being loved?

Before you answer, let’s define love. Modern dictionaries often define love as "an intense feeling of deep affection." Affection, in turn, is described as "a gentle feeling of fondness."

Here lies the root of our struggle: Most of us view love as a feeling. Because of this, love becomes as unstable as our emotions. We fall in and out of love the way Florida weather changes—suddenly and unpredictably. This kind of love is mere emotionalism; it is the love of children. It is the love portrayed in pop songs and movies. It is the love most people seek, yet it is unsustainable because it isn't real.

A Better Source Let’s ask a better source. "Bible, what is love?" The Bible answers, "I am glad you asked."

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." — 1 Corinthians 13:4–7

Thank you, Bible. This is a much better definition. Now, back to the question: Do you think you deserve this kind of love? Why do you believe you are worth it?

The Concept of Pursuit Does God "deserve" love? You might say, "Yes, Ric, 1 John 4:19 says we love Him because He first loved us." What an amazing truth! God "deserves" our love because He first pursued us. He worked for it; He demonstrated it.

While a child deserves the love of their parents because they did not ask to be born, love in adult relationships is trickier. It is hard to claim we deserve something we haven't worked for. You may say, "I deserve God’s love," and I would agree. But do you deserve Heaven? Heaven is reserved for those who pursue it.

Likewise, in human relationships, love is truly enjoyed only by those who pursue it, not those who wait for it to come to them. Whoever wants to be loved must be active in loving others. If I want to be loved, I must pursue love.

How do I pursue love?

1. Go to the Source: Connect with God.

2. Pursue the Attributes: * If I want patience, I must practice patience.

   • If I want kindness, I must be kind.

   • If I want others to keep no record of my wrongs, I must stop keeping a record of theirs.

   • If I want trust, I must build trust.

Our society is full of "lazy lovers"—dreamers who want to be swept off their feet without doing anything to "deserve" that love. But love is an action verb. It requires persevering effort.

A husband shouldn't wait for his wife to love him first; he should actively pursue her. A wife shouldn't wait for her husband to cherish her first; she should actively pursue him. As both parties actively pursue the other, love blossoms. Pursue love from God, shower those around you with it, and you will eventually receive a harvest of love.

True Riches

"If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?" (Luke 16:11, KJV)

The New International Version puts it this way: "So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?"

Would you want to be rich? You likely already know the answer, but the truth is that the majority of humankind would prefer to be rich rather than poor. And yet, only a few people are truly wealthy, while the rest remain in the middle class or in poverty.

Which would you rather be:

1. A farmer?

2. A beggar?

I know the answer already. You would choose to be a farmer. Who in their right mind would want to be a beggar? A farmer provides for society; he is a person with resources. A beggar, on the other hand, simply begs and consumes. A farmer works hard to produce and provide, while a beggar waits for resources to be given to him. One of the reasons the wealthy are few is that it requires significant effort to become rich.

The Supply Chain of Wealth While the beggar waits for someone to feed him, the person who desires to be rich is working. He is looking for something he can provide to others. He is seeking out a manufacturer who can sell him raw materials at a low cost. To be rich, one must work hard: seek a product, find a manufacturer, bring that product to the store, and advertise it to consumers at a fair price. The rich man becomes a pillar of his community because he seeks to provide. The beggar is often rejected because he only seeks to get.

As it is in the material world, so it is in the spiritual. Our world is full of spiritual beggars. In the physical realm, we feel safe walking through an affluent neighborhood but remain on guard in a destitute one. Everyone wants to marry into riches; no one chooses poverty. Our world is dangerous today because it is destitute of "true riches"—spiritual riches.

What are Spiritual Riches? I can have all the money in the world, but if I lack spiritual riches, I am nothing but a beggar. According to the Word, spiritual riches are:

• Meekness and Gentleness

• Joy and Peace

• Longsuffering (Patience)

• Self-control

• Faith and Goodness

• Love

The majority of human beings are "broke" when it comes to these riches. Why? Because we either don’t know where to get them, or we prefer to beg for them from other people. A life lived as a beggar is miserable; a person devoid of spiritual riches will always have a miserable existence.

The Love of a Beggar When it comes to love, a beggar is one who is always seeking love to consume. A "farmer" (a spiritually rich person) is one who seeks love from the Manufacturer (God) in order to provide it to others.

Our society has become a consuming one. Our "manufacturers" have moved out of the country; as a result, we produce nothing and only consume. In a relationship, a consumer mindset expects others to love us while we produce no love in return.

God: The Great Manufacturer If you want to be rich, you must seek the greatest Manufacturer in the universe. God is the source of all true riches, and He is willing to "sell" them to us "without money and without price" (Isaiah 55:1). Christ has already paid the invoice for all the goods we need. All we have to do is become entrepreneurs in the sharing of these spiritual goods.

It takes work to be a loving person. It takes effort to be patient and to persevere. God is calling us to be "spiritual entrepreneurs." He is calling us to be loving, kind, and peaceful—but you won't find those goods by begging from the other beggars of this world. You must go to the Source yourself.

A beggar believes it is better to receive than to give, but a rich man knows it is better to give than to receive. It is as we give that our wealth increases. A businessman is happiest when his store is sold out and empty, because then he can return to the Manufacturer to buy more. A poor man hoards what he receives; a rich man distributes.

The Call to Wealth The true child of God is a billionaire when it comes to true wealth. He receives from God and "sells" to humanity. He seeks love from the Source to bring it to others, encouraging them to go to God so they, too, may become rich in mercy and goodness.

Instead of waiting for someone to come and love us (the beggar mindset), let us become entrepreneurs of love. Let us empty the "store" of our hearts by giving love away, so that we have more space to receive from God. Your wealth will increase the more you give. Seek true riches, and let God be the source of your wealth.

The healing virtue of love

 "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." (Matthew 24:12, KJV)

The New Living Translation says: "Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold."

Sin Destroys the Heart Sin destroys the heart and, by extension, destroys love. The Bible defines sin as the transgression of the law—specifically, the law of God, which is the law of love. No matter how minute, sin destroys something within us. As sin increases in our lives and the world around us, suffering of all types follows in its wake.

Sin is essentially selfishness at work. It is the desire to exalt the self and prioritize one’s own feelings, even at the cost of someone else. "Me, myself, and I" is the ultimate goal of sin.

Why do people commit sin? We often do so because we want to feel good, to be loved, or to gain something for ourselves. While it seems insane because sin leads to death, it is a human reality. No one commits sin because they want evil to come to them; people sin because, in our twisted and deceitful minds, we think it will bring about some form of good.

Take the sin of fornication, for example. A person may seek the pleasure of the moment without considering the long-term impact. Once the act is done, depression, sadness, emptiness, and guilt often follow, and the heart becomes hardened. Bitter arguments and blame arise where people were initially seeking pleasure. Sin is self-seeking, and it eventually leads to a "living death." It is no wonder that mental health issues are at an all-time high; selfishness is killing our souls.

Love Heals the Soul The aim of life is to love and be loved. God is love, and out of His abundance, He created us to enjoy His affection and share it with others.

What is love? Love is putting the well-being of another first. It is self-sacrifice. When I love someone, I seek to pay attention to them and understand how to best meet their needs. Love is not concerned with having its own needs met first; rather, it is in showing care to others that we awaken love in their hearts.

Love is not emotionalism. While emotions are a part of the experience, love itself is a deep principle of doing what is right and good, even when it is temporarily painful. It was painful for Christ to lay down His life on the cross, but He did it anyway because He loves us. Love is intentional. It is waking up in the morning and asking, "How can I best serve God and humanity today?"

Seeking only to be loved will eventually make us selfish and dissatisfied. Selfishness is the great enemy of love. Because love is not our natural default, it must be a daily choice—a choice to understand, focus on, and cherish the other person.

Love is spiritual. It is the lack of love that causes us to be restless in our pursuit of materialistic aims. Love brings rest, calmness, and peace. In our society of "spoiled princesses" and selfish pursuits, true love has become rare. Many see marriage as an idol, expecting it to bring them love even if they themselves are unloving. But marriage will not change a selfish person overnight. A husband who truly loves his wife will value her more than his own life, and a wife who loves her husband will support his leadership.

 Genuine love heals. It begins when "my needs" stop being the priority. A kind word calms wrath; a good deed makes another feel appreciated. Love is intentional, and it requires us to slow down. When we are in a constant rush, we cannot notice the "fine print" of another person’s life.

This world may make you feel like just another number, but God sees you as if you are the only one who exists. Pursue genuine love from God and be a vessel of that love to others. As wickedness increases and hearts grow cold, let us ask God to keep our hearts warm, that we may be loving and lovable Christians, bringing healing to a broken world.

In God's presence

This life is full of trouble, sorrow, and misery. From the moment we are born until the day we die, we will experience trials and tribulations. It doesn't matter who you are—rich or poor, famous or unknown, wise or ignorant, man or woman—trouble will find you wherever you are. Our lives are short and full of struggle.

 Some people try to escape life's troubles through escapism, numbing the soul with a constant search for pleasure, seeking to make life a "grand carnival." Sadly, a life of pleasure-seeking leads only to deeper misery and emptiness, followed by depression and mental grief. Pleasure and escapism are not the ways to engage life's problems.

Others try to stand and fight life's problems face-to-face, but this often leads to anger and bitterness. Still others seek peace by burying themselves in constant activity, working incessantly and moving from one thing to the next so they have no time to reflect on the painful reality of suffering. Ignoring life's problems doesn't make them go away; in fact, they are often magnified until they burst upon us like an overwhelming flood.

 So, how does one deal with life’s relentless trials? We deal with them by entering into the presence of God.

"The presence of God?" you ask. Yes. You may wonder how a sinner can enter into His glorious presence. We enter through faith in Christ Jesus. This isn't a cliché; it is a reality.

In the Scriptures, we see this reality:

• "And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God..." (Luke 1:19)

• "And Elijah said, As the Lord of hosts liveth, before whom I stand..." (1 Kings 18:15)

Gabriel stood there physically, while the prophet Elijah stood there through faith.

What is Found in His Presence?

• Joy: "Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." (Psalm 16:11)

• Rest: "And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest." (Exodus 33:14)

Friends, if we want to find true joy and rest, we must enter into the presence of God through faith. You will not find peace by running from your problems or facing them in your own strength. We find peace only when we enter His presence through constant prayer, bringing Him all our problems, big or small.

 What happens to the person who enters God's presence by faith and keeps their mind on Him all day long?

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." (Isaiah 26:3)

Therefore, let us bring all our issues to God. Let us keep His Word and His promises in our minds always, turning our gaze away from our problems. God is able to give us peace and joy in the midst of the storm if we make Him our trust.

America's " golden age."

 

U.S. President Donald Trump has promised a new "Golden Age" for America—a time of prosperity and pride, and a greatness such as we have never seen before. It sounds appealing, for who wouldn't want prosperity, especially after the inflation and high cost of living we have experienced over the last four years?

The Refining Process The first question we must ask ourselves is: How is a golden object made? The two primary gold refining methods are the Miller process and the Wohlwill process. The Miller process uses gaseous chlorine to extract impurities while the gold is at its melting point; the impurities then separate into a layer on the surface of the molten gold.

According to President Trump, illegal immigrants are among the "impurities" that must be purged to "Make America Great Again." He once remarked that immigrants are "poisoning the blood of our country." While America is a melting pot of ethnicities, cultures, and religions, he suggests a purification process is required for this restoration.

A Time of Trouble For many, this promised "Golden Age" has begun with fear and anxiety. The prospect of mass deportations is creating distress in the hearts of many who fled their countries of origin due to various hardships. To many undocumented immigrants, the acronym ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) has become synonymous with the Gestapo—the secret police of Nazi Germany.

Blaming immigrants for a country's economic woes is nothing new, but it historically leads to the persecution of marginalized groups. While nations must protect their borders and citizens from criminal elements, that desire can lead to harmful consequences for those simply seeking a better life. We must remember that America was largely founded by those who arrived without "legal authorization" from the indigenous people, who initially helped them thrive. The Scriptures call us to be merciful toward the stranger, for we were once strangers ourselves.

Who is a True American? The questions being asked today are evolving. Is a person born in the U.S. to undocumented parents truly American? Soon, the question may shift toward religious groups or those who oppose popular government measures. It would not be surprising if, in the future, dissenters are classified as "enemies of the people"—impurities to be purged from society, stripped of legal rights, and jailed. Today the "internal enemy" may be the immigrant, but tomorrow it may be you or me.

Prophetic Parallels Bible prophecy suggests the United States may become a power that unites church and state in persecution. This "Golden Age" could be a revelation of the dragon-like power of the second beast described in Revelation 13. It resembles the golden image built by King Nebuchadnezzar, which led to the persecution of the three Hebrew boys in the time of Daniel. This era may also involve a "financial purification" that leads to economic hardship, where many lose their purchasing power and are unable to buy or sell (Revelation 13:17).

A Golden Faith Creating gold requires intense heat. Navigating this promised "Golden Age" will require us to have a "golden faith"—gold tried in the fire (Revelation 3:18). We are entering an era unlike any we have seen before. Let us be prayerful and watchful. Let us remain merciful toward the marginalized and ask God to refine our characters. May He give us a faith tried in the fire to prepare us for the true Golden Age: the New Jerusalem with its streets of gold.

Source : how is pure gold made and refined ?

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The Divorce Pandemic

"For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be." — Matthew 24:38–39

Jesus said that in the last days, marriage would consume the minds of many. To many, marriage has become a sort of idol. Many believe that marriage will solve all of life's problems, yet as this idolatry has increased, so have divorces. Many are getting married only to end up divorced.

Divorce is on the rise because people do not understand what marriage truly is. In order to understand something, we must understand the mind of its Author. God created marriage, and marriage is about God. Because God is love, marriage is designed for the development of the love of God within our hearts.

True love is other-centered; it is the desire to please someone else. Marriage is about pleasing another as they please you. However, many rush into marriage hoping the other person will make them the center of their universe while they sit back and "enjoy" being loved.

Marriage is a graveyard; it is where selfishness goes to die. Divorces are increasing because many enter a marriage and refuse to allow the "self" to die. They insist on "my way or the highway," and they soon find themselves on the highway of divorce. Selfishness destroys marriage.

What is another cause for divorce? A hardened heart. A hardened heart is a heart without the love or the Spirit of God. Divorce becomes an option only when our hearts are hardened by coldness, selfishness, and an unforgiving spirit.

When the Pharisees asked Jesus if a man could divorce his wife for any reason, Jesus answered, "No." They then asked why Moses commanded a writing of divorcement. Jesus replied in Matthew 19:8: "Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so." Because Moses knew the capacity for human evil, he permitted divorce so that spouses would not end up destroying one another in the home.

How does God feel about divorce? Malachi 2:16 says: "'For I hate divorce,' says the Lord, the God of Israel. 'He who divorces his wife covers his garment with violence,' says the Lord of hosts. 'So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not break faith.'" In short, God hates divorce. It is viewed as an act of violence. To make a public vow—"until death do us part"—and then break it is a grave matter in the eyes of the Lord.

What about remarriage? In Matthew 19:9, Jesus says: "And I say unto you, whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery." Jesus allows only one exception: sexual immorality. Even then, the Bible requires solid proof—two or three witnesses—not mere assumptions.

Adultery is rampant today, both in the world and in the church. People marry today and divorce tomorrow, blaming each other and justifying their causes. But the Bible shows us that divorce is the result of a hardened heart. The widespread nature of divorce in the church reveals that many hearts have grown cold and are deprived of the Spirit of God. We rush into these unions without understanding, counsel, or the guidance of God.

The Solution to the Divorce Pandemic:

1. Understand that marriage is about God’s glory, not just our happiness.

2. Do not make marriage an idol.

3. Choose a spouse wisely and through much prayer.

4. Allow the "self" to die daily.

5. Ask God to transform your hardened heart.

6. Pray for a heart of love, compassion, and forbearance.

7. Commit to doing whatever it takes to stay married.

8. Pray together and seek godly counseling.

9. Remove the word "divorce" from your vocabulary entirely.

Divorce is violence. Pray that the Lord transforms our hearts, removing the heart of stone and giving us a heart of love. Pray that the character of Christ is revealed in your home. Let the husband crucify his "self" for his wife, and the wife crucify her "self" for her husband. As we see the coming of the Son of Man approaching, let our only "divorce" be a divorce from selfishness.