Ready for 2014

I trust you all had a wonderfully blessed Christmas Season and are now ready for the adventures of a new year.  As we look ahead toward 2014 one wonders what lies ahead.  Will the weather patterns in 2014 be as crazy as they were in 2013: snow storms in May, drought in July, frigid temperatures in December?  Will our government continue to be as dysfunctional as it is now?  What will be the impact of the mid-term elections next November?  What will the economy do in 2014: will the stock market continue to rise, or will there be a great collapse?  And, on the international scene, will the war in Syria continue almost unabated?  Will John Kerry realize the goal of a peaceful settlement of the decades-long conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Authority?  What is going to happen in Iran, in Egypt, in Afghanistan, and in Pakistan?  These are just a few of the many questions that may or may not be answered in the coming year. 

Now for some disturbing news that really is a reflection upon our times.  In an article, published on the WND website on December 18 (www.wnd.com/2013/12/democrat-investigate-every-homeschool-parent) Bob Unruh reports that a "Democratic state senator in Ohio has proposed a law that would require every homeschooling parent to be investigated and approved by social service agencies before they would be allowed to teach their own children."  The bill, known as SB248, would require social workers to interview parents and children separately, conduct background checks and determine whether or not homeschooling is recommended.  The article continued, "If homeschooling is not recommended, parents would have to submit to an 'intervention' before further consideration of their request to homeschool."  This plan would replace parents with "unqualified social workers to make educational decisions for children."  Friends, this is just another step in the government taking over the responsibilities God has assigned to parents.  Will the government next come into private Christian schools and close them down as well because something is not taught the way the government believes it should be taught?  Just another slippery slope we are sliding down.

Another instance where the meaning of Christmas was compromised.  (www.foxnews.com/us/2013/12/19/school-removes-christ-savior-from-silent-night).  "A New York school district is in hot water with moms and dads after educators removed all religious references in 'Silent Night', a religious Christmas carol about the birth of Christ.  'It's kind of insulting,' parent Robert Dowd told television station WCBS.  His child attends Ralph J. Osgood Intermediate School in Kings Park, Long Island.  Many parents and concert goers were stunned last week when boys and girls sang the familiar Christmas carol - sans the references to Jesus.  The words 'Holy Infant,' 'Round yon virgin,' and 'Christ the Savior' were taken out.  Instead, the phrase 'sleep in heavenly peace' was used.  School Superintendent Susan Agruson told the Kings Park Patch that the words were removed to prevent non-Christians from being offended.  'The chorale director thought it was an appropriate way to represent the song without offending those of other faiths,' Agruso told the newspaper.  Outraged parents sounded off at a school board meeting on December 17.  The Board of Education has since posted an apology on its website and noted, they too, were offended."  Why is it no one seems concerned about offending Christians?  When are we going to say, "Enough is enough?"  Christmas is part of who we are as a nation.  It is an integral part of the religious foundations upon which this nation was built.  And the music of Christmas is an integral part of the celebration of Christmas.  If we remove from our schools every vestige of religious music, there will not be much left for our kids to either sing or play. 

This next news article comes from the ContraCostaTimes.com website.  It is titled, "Computerizing people may be next step in tech," and was written by Steve Johnson with the San Jose Mercury News.  The article states, "The move to outfit people with electronic devices that can be swallowed, implanted in their bodies or attached to their skin via 'smart tattoos' could revolutionize health care and change the way people interact with devices and one another.  Critics call the trend intrusive, even sacrilegious.  But others say it ultimately will make life better for everybody.  Some researchers and executives envision a day when devices placed in people will enable them to control computers, prosthetic devices and many other things solely with their thoughts."  Amal Graafstra, who has programmed locks to open with the mere wave of his hands or whose computers start with a similar wave of his hands, has had those hands implanted with radio frequency identification tags.  The article continues, "In a patent application made public in November - Google's Motorola Mobility branch proposed an 'electronic skin tattoo' for the throat - with a built-in microphone, battery and wireless transceiver - that would let someone operate other devices via voice commands. ... Last year, Proteus Digital Health of Redwood City won approval to sell a pill that relays information about a person's vital signs via a mobile phone to their doctor.  And officials at Santa Clara-based Intel envision their microchips one day in devices ingested or implanted for medical and other uses."  Here is a scary thought: perhaps these same microchips will be used by a government to keep tabs on where people are and what they are doing.  Perhaps such microchips might be the means by which a government controls the buying and spending habits of its people.  All of a sudden, the words of Revelation 13 take on a new meaning and one can begin to envision just how the Antichrist and his government will be able to control people.  Perhaps the Lord's coming is not that far away. 

On a related note, Jerome Corsi writes in an article at www.wnd.com/2013/12/national-id-headed-for-your-wallet-purse, about the National Identity Card that will be required of all individuals by May 2017.  This is part of the REAL ID Act of 2005, enacted after the 9/11 Commission discovered that several of the terrorists had state-issued driver's licenses and were able to freely board airplanes even though they were terrorists who had entered the United States illegally.  Corsi writes about the REAL ID Act "that was set for a phase implementation beginning in January 2014 and full-scale enforcement planned no later than May 2017, at which time the federal government will no longer accept state-issued driver's licenses and ID cards that do not meet the minimum security standards set by DHS."  In other words, without one of these National Identity Cards, you will no be able to get through security at an airport or train station.  As of December 20, 2013, thirteen states had taken no steps to be REAL ID compliant (Minnesota is one of those states).  I am wondering where in the Constitution there is room for a National ID Card.  I think our Founding Fathers would roll over in their graves if they could look in upon us now. 

Friends, I am excited as I anticipate 2014.  I will certainly keep focused upon Israel and the Middle East.  I will certainly keep focused upon the moral decline in our nation.  And I will certainly keep focused upon the world's teetering economic situation.  And, yes, I will keep you posted as to what is happening. 

Yesterday I had the delightful opportunity of meeting for lunch with a group of sophomore girls.  We had a great time interacting about what is happening in our world.  Such a sharp group of girls.  One of them asked me, "Is there any way that the decline in our nation could be stopped?"  What an insightful question.  My response was that I can see no way to stop our nation's moral decline unless there is a great spiritual awakening, but, I further added, I did not think our nation was interested in such a spiritual awakening.  Am I being a pessimist?  I rather think I am a realist and a Biblicist.  But we know we are preparing for the Lord's return.  Perhaps 2014 will be the year!