IN HIS TIME

   "He hath made all things beautiful in his time:  also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

   "I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever:  nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it; and God doeth it, that man should fear before him.

   "That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past."  (Ecclesiastes 3: 11, 14, 15)

   God is time. 

   God is the clock of heaven and earth.  No man can change the hands on the clock, neither add to it, nor take away.

   Even the universe itself is made of God in the time of God.

   Time, therefore, belongs to God, for He is time.

   With God, time stands still. 

   As humans, all we are doing is moving through the time of God.  Though we look at our past, our history is in God's time; and while we look to the future, the future also is in God's time.

   As the planets move through the universe, their orbits are always on time.

   As the earth revolves on its axis as it spins around the sun from year to year, the orbit of the earth around the sun is always on time.

   The monthly cycles of the moon are also always on time.
   You and I were born at an appointed time in God's time; and the lives we are living now, we are also living in God's time.  Time, therefore, does not belong to us.  We are simply guests of God in His time.
   How then, are we using this gift of God that we call time?
   Knowing, then, that God is time, how will people give account for their use of God's time in the worship of idols, false gods, and images of people that they also worship?
      "And it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:  so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation."  (Hebrews 9: 27-28)
   Therefore, since we know our births come at an appointed time in God's time, then we also know that our deaths will come at an appointed time in God's time.
   How, then, will we use time in the time of God that we have remaining upon the earth?
      "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:  Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.  For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil."  (Ecclesiastes 12:  13-14)
                                                              

GOD BREATHED

   Our history books have been edited by people who want us to believe history in the way that they want us to believe.  They are playing with our minds, my friends, playing with our minds! 
   But, unless we are willing to conduct our own investigations for truth, we will continue to believe in these history books---and still be wrong.
   It must be said, however, that many people are simply too lazy to do their own research, or, they have no interest in knowing truth.  They are happy with the lives they are living now, they are satisfied and content, and they prefer to go on living because history does not bother them---while believing that history has no impact in their current way of living and believing. 
   The Bible, therefore, is the only book we have on earth that is 100% historically accurate---so accurate, in fact, that if you trace your family roots through genealogical records, you will arrive in the genealogical records in the Bible, and you will arrive at Adam and Eve, the first humans on earth, created by God:  for there is no other way  for your family tree to go than back to God.  People can deny this fact, however, but they will never be able to change it.
      "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."  (Genesis 2: 7)
   And you, my friend, are a living soul today all because God breathed.
   Now then, what are you going to do about your soul?  What will happen to you if you should suddenly start gasping for air?  Will you cry out to God to save you, or will you dial 911 with the hope that medics will arrive in time to give you oxygen to spare your life?
      "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."  (2nd Peter 2: 9)
   Pontius Pilate said, "What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?"  (Matthew 27: 22)
   In your own mind and as you breathe, what then shall you do with Jesus which is called Christ?
   What, then, will you do with God's mercy, God's grace, and God's love?

GOD'S MERCY:  "For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee."  (Psalm 86: 5)

GOD'S GRACE:   "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves:  it is the gift of God:"  (Ephesians 2: 8)

GOD'S LOVE:      "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."  (John 3: 16)

   So you see, my friend, you are important to God.
   God breathed, and you became a living soul.
   God breathed, and the breath that is in you is breath from God.
   Please consider this today with every breath you take as you also consider:
      "What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?"

WHILE YOU WERE LIVING

   The life we are living on earth is a prelude, or a preparation, for life after death.  If this is how people think, what are they doing to prepare themselves for life after the grave?
   In all honesty, when was the last time you thought about a place called heaven, or a place called hell?  Or, when was the last time you heard people discussing these two places?  Moreover, when was the last time you heard heaven or hell mentioned from a church pulpit, or from a house of religion?
   Many people live their lives with the hope that they will be rewarded after death for the simple reason that they lived on earth.  If this is true, then what do they believe they will be rewarded for doing while their feet were above ground?
   While you were living, what contributions did you make to the world you left behind?
   Did you write a book that was helpful to many people?
   Did you write a song that brought tears or laughter to others?
   Or, did you merely help an old woman across the tracks so she wouldn't get run over by a freight train?
   One of my most precious memories happened never sixty years ago---when, in the heat of summer, my father would take a chair from the house, walk out under the shade of the maple trees, open his Bible across his lap, and read the word of the Lord.  I have never forgotten that after all of these years.
   While you were living, did your children ever see you do that?  Or did your children see you getting drunk and puking off the side of the porch?
   Children watch.  Children learn.  Children remember.  And children, by nature, want to be like mommy and daddy, or grandma and grandpa.
   While you were living, what did you say when people asked you where will go after dying?
   Did you say, "Don't worry about me.  I will be fine."
   Or did you say, "If I go to hell, at least I will be there with all of my friends."   Then laugh about it as if hell is something to joke about.
   Is that it?  Is that what hell is all about:  a place to go for another party with friends and to play that rock 'n roll music loud and dance forever?
   Now look at your children.  While you are dead and in the ground, they are over at your house, getting drunk and puking off the side of the porch because this is how they remember you, and they are simply doing as you did by your own example while you were living.
   "There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and linen, and fared sumptuously every day:  and there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table:   moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
   "And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom:  the rich man also died, and was buried;
   "And in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.  And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
   "But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things:  but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.  And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed:  so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that should come from hence.
   "Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house:  for I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
   "Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
   "And he said, Nay, father Abraham:  but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.
   "And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead."     (Luke 16: 19-31)
  

SUNDAY MORNING

    "Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD'S house which was toward the north; and, behold, there were women weeping for Tammuz.
    "And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD'S house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east."  (Ezekiel 8: 14, 16)

   Sunday morning is the time when sun worshippers worldwide gather in their respective places to gaze at the sun arising from the east in worship and adoration of the sun god, or the god of the sun.
   Dies Solis  is Latin for Day of the Sun, and which, according to Rome, is Sunday.
   This idea was transported to Rome by pagan priests from Egyptian astrology, and Sunday became the official day of worship in Rome.
    But the Romans did more than make Sunday the official day of worship.  They also gave names to all of the planets as Rome became the leader in the worship of gods of the universe and thereby spreading paganism worldwide from behind the walls of Christianity, which became the State Religion of the Roman Empire under Constantine the Great, Emperor of Rome.

MERCURY:   Roman goddess winged messenger.
VENUS:         Roman god of love.
JUPITER:      Chief Roman god.
SATURN:       Roman god of agriculture.
URANUS:       Roman god of the sky.
NEPTUNE:     Roman lord of the sea.
PLUTO:          Roman lord of the underworld.
MARS:            Roman god of war.

   Sol Invictus is Latin for The Unconquered Sun, the sun god, Sol.
   "Constantine celebrated Sol as the grantor of imperial power to the emperor."  (Encyclopedia.com)

ASTROLOGY:  "The divination of the supposed influences of the stars and planets on human affairs and terrestrial events by their positions and aspects."  (Merriam-Webster)

DIVINATION:  "The art or practice that seeks to foresee or foretell future events or desires hidden knowledge usually by the interpretation of omens or by the aid of supernatural powers."  (Merriam-Webster)

   "For the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth."              (Genesis 8: 21)

   Sun worship and Roman gods are a work of man's imagination.  They are not real, yet they are believed to be real by people, in their own imaginations, because of the same evil power that abides in man's heart, leading them to turn their faces against God, Creator of the universe.

   "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:  Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:  But made himself of no reputation, and was made in the likeness of men:  And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
   "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above all names:
   "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
   "And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."  (Philippians 2: 5-11)

FALLING IN LOVE

  Have you ever fallen in love with God?
  Have you ever wept for Jesus, who gave his life for you and me?
  Have you ever wept for the disciples and apostles of Christ, who gave their lives for the Gospel's sake?

   "Come, see a man, which told me all things that I ever did:  is not this the Christ?"  (John 4: 29)

   "And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.  And Jesus said unto him, To-day shalt thou be with me in paradise."  (Luke 23: 42-43)

                       To know Him is to love Him
                            and to love Him
                               is to think of Him
                                  all the day long:
                         from the rising of the sun
                         to the going down thereof.

                       Love letters belong to Him
                          and songs of praise:
                             for He did for me
                          all that I could never do
                             for myself alone.

                       As the Shepherd of the sheep
                           He led me also
                              beside the still waters;
                              He restored my soul;
                              my cup runneth over.

                       Love letters belong to Him
                           and songs of praise:
                           from the rising of the sun
                           to the going down thereof.

                  "Come, see a man:  is not this the Christ?"
                  "Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom."

  "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."     (Romans 8: 38-39)

                      In His Majesty's service,
                         to the King of kings
                            and Lord of lords!

                     

NEW JERUSALEM

   "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall never pass away."  (Matthew 24: 35)

   "In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple." (Isaiah 6: 1)

   "For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind."  (Isaiah 65: 17)

   "Now it came to pass, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God."  (Ezekiel 1: 1)

   "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear."  (Hebrews 11: 3)

   "Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh:  is there any thing too hard for me?"  (Jeremiah 31: 27)

   So then, if we believe by faith that "God created the heaven and the earth"  (Genesis 1: 1), we should also be able to believe by faith that God:  can do it again!
  

   "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth:  for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 
    And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 
   And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and they shall be his people, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 
   And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain:  for the former things shall pass away.
   And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it:  for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
   And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
   And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof:  for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests:  and we shall reign on the earth."  (Revelation 21: 1-4, 23; 5: 9)

  

"Worthy is the Lamb" by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir.

  

WHEN I WAS YOUNG

   When I was young,
             We said grace at home, and prayers were said at church.
             We said grace at home, and prayers were said at church.
             We said grace at home, and prayers were said at church.
   When I was young, that is all I knew about prayer.
   Obviously, I never prayed about my studies in school, I never prayed about how to be a better baseball player, and I never prayed about seeking a job, a career, or going to college.  I never prayed about these things because:  I never knew I could.
   Even after entering the Army, I never prayed.  I never prayed during basic training, nor in the year that followed when I was still stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and, of all places, I never prayed when I was in Vietnam.  I never prayed because:  I never knew I could.
   After returning from Vietnam, I never prayed.  I never prayed about a job, or a career, or about using my G. I. Bill and going to college.  I never prayed about these things because:  I never knew I could.
   In those years that followed my return from Vietnam, I lived some years of misery. 
   Something happened in 1983 that changed my life when my years of misery became years of hope.
   For it was in that year, 1983, when my family and I were led of the Lord to Glen Haven Baptist Church in Decatur, Georgia, and that was the beginning of my education in the knowledge of prayer.  This was something new to me, something refreshing, and something I had never heard before.  It was then that I learned that I could pray to God about anything and everything in my life.  Still, I made mistakes and foolish decisions, for learning to lean on God was also new to me.
   For the brevity of time, let me offer two illustrations about prayer.

ILLUSTRATION NUMBER ONE:
   After retiring in 2009 and from setting my sight on golf, I stopped and did the one thing I had learned to do:  I prayed about it. 
   But the beginning of my golf experience, however, was nothing to brag about, for I was chopping and hacking, digging holes on the fairways, and hitting golf balls all over the world.  This was not fun.  I had prayed about it, but had God forgotten about me?  No, for I was trying to play out of my own knowledge and not the knowledge of golf.  In time, the Lord led me to a certain man, who taught me the fundaments of golf, and after that my game began to improve and improve because I was willing to listen to my golf coach as well as willing to devote hours and hours to practice.  Therefore in time I was able to par the golf course three times, hit four eagles, as well as sink a hole-in-one.  But those were my good  days on the course and I still had some bad  days when I wanted to hide my scorecard! 

ILLUSTRATION NUMBER TWO:
   A young man called me in the summer of 2011 and asked me to promise him that I would write something about God.  I was stunned by such a request, for nobody had never asked me to write something about God before. 
   After considering the matter, however, I agreed with him and made the promise, but with one stipulation:  that I did not how and I did not know when that an undertaking such as this would begin, for writing about God, to me, is a big deal.  Thus I did as I had done before:  I prayed about.
   But it would not be until the end of November of 2011 before the Lord finalized my desire to write about Him, and that was when I launched a blog that I named the 7th Highway:  a blog that would be about God, about Christ, and about the Bible---and not about me.
   Let me tell you, too, that these five and a half years of writing the 7th Highway have produced the greatest years of my life!  Not only that, but because of God and the power of prayer, I have also received the greatest education a person can receive in the knowledge of God.  This was far more than I had expected.  As of today, these stories I have written and published on the internet have reached nearly 50,000 people in the United States as well as people in 105 foreign nations on six continents. 
   Who would have ever thought that this country boy from North Carolina would ever write about God that would be read by so many people worldwide?  I never did.  Even now, I stand amazing at God's amazing desire to do a work through a wretch like me:  a sinner saved by grace.
   But I am reminded, however, that Jesus said, "without me ye can do nothing".  (John 15: 5)
      "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."  (Hebrews 11: 1)
   Without Him, my golf game would still be in the rough, and, without Him, the 7th Highway would have never become visible.
    When I was young, I never knew about the power of prayer. 
   All I can say now is this:
               never leave home without it.

  

  

"Believest thou this?"

   When people make up their minds to believe, they will believe.
   When people make up their minds to believe in sports, they will believe in sports.
   When people make up their minds to believe in politics, they will believe in politics.
   When people make up their minds to believe in religion, they will believe in religion.
    If people, therefore, will make up their minds to believe in God, they will believe in God.
    If people will make up their minds to believe in the Bible, they will believe in the Bible.
    If people will make up their minds to believe in the Christ, they will believe in Christ.
         "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."  (Romans 10: 9)
    Jesus said,
        "And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.  Believest thou this?"  (John 11: 26)

JERUSALEM, JERUSALEM

Ezekiel 5: 5 "Thus saith the Lord God,

This is Jerusalem:  I have set it in
the midst of the nations
and countries that are round about her."

   The word "Jerusalem" is used 806 times in the Bible, for there is no city under heaven that is more important to God than Jerusalem.
   According to the Jewish Midrash, Jerusalem has 70 names, including City of Peace.
   But Jerusalem has not always been a city of peace. Throughout her history, Jerusalem has been destroyed at least two times, besieged 23 times, attacked 52 times, and captured and recaptured 44 times.
   The temple of God in Jerusalem has been destroyed two times, and, ever since 70 A.D., Jerusalem has been without a temple of God.
   Jerusalem could also be called the City of Kings, for she has had 44 kings.

Genesis 14: 18 "And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine:  and he was the priest of the most high God."

Psalm 122: 3-4  "Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together:  whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the LORD."

Psalm 125: 2  "As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth and even for ever."

Isaiah 62: 1  "For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness thereof, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth."

Jeremiah 3: 17  "At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem:  neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart."

Zechariah 12: 9-10  "And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.  And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications:  and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn."

Matthew 23: 37  Jesus said, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gatherest her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!" 

Luke 23: 28  "But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children."

Psalm 48: 2  "Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, in the sides of the north, the city of the great King."

THE LOST BOOK

   The Bible has become the lost book in churches across America today.
   We know this is true because many Christians in many churches never take their Bibles to church with them.
   We also know that Bible verses are printed on church programs, and therefore people have been conditioned to know that ministers will add nothing new, nor take away, from the church program because the program must go on as programmed. 
   Consequently, the people become participants in the program:  they sit on time, stand on time, sing some songs, say some prayers, drop some money in the plate, have the benediction, then leave the building. 
   As such, everything was accomplished in a set amount of time, according to the program, and everybody is happy.  Now they are free to return to the other arenas of their lives on time as if church was just another arena in their way of life.
   This also explains why many Christians never desire to talk about the Bible outside of church buildings:  they are never instructed in the Bible as well as because they are never encouraged to read or study the Bible after leaving the buildings.  To them, church is the same as a religion, and going to church is the religious thing to do:  or a tradition  that was handed to them from a previous generation. 
   Obviously, they are doing no more or no less than the previous generation, and they will contribute nothing different to the generation they are leading to be like them.

      "Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD."  (Jeremiah 23: 1)
     
      "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge:  because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me:  seeing that thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.  As they were increased, so they sinned against me:  therefore will I change their glory into shame."         (Hosea 4: 6-7)

  But God, who is rich in mercy and grace, offers His solution:

  

      "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

      "Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer in this place.

      "For now have I chosen this house, that my name may be there for ever:  and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually."     (2nd Chronicles 7: 14-16)

   And let not the Bible become the lost book in your life, but rather:

      "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."        (2nd Timothy 2: 15)

INTERNET EVANGELISM

   "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you:  and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. "  (Acts 1: 8)

   Internet Evangelism is a term the Lord gave me to describe the mission of Christian bloggers on the internet, and there are thousands of Christian bloggers online every day, or every week, or every month:        
taking the Gospel of Christ to
"the uttermost parts of the earth".
   Today, the internet enables the Gospel of Christ to reach more people in more places than perhaps any other vehicle under the sun, which also enables people worldwide to read stories about God, about Christ, and about the Bible on their computer monitors in front of their eyes.
   Today, we do not know how many decisions for Christ have been made by people because of this tool that has been provided to us by God.
      "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."  (Hebrews 11: 1)
   Perhaps none of the Christian bloggers online today were looking to become bloggers for Christ.  But when God shows up things change for the better in the lives of people:  as that which was invisible became visible in the form of blogs about God, about Christ, and about the Bible on the internet.
      "And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written."  (John 21: 25)
   Please pray for us.

JERUSALEM

   "Thus saith the Lord GOD; This is Jerusalem:  I have set it in the midst of the nations and countries that are round about her."  (Ezekiel 5: 5)     

KING SOLOMON'S DREAM

  "In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night:  and God said, Ask what I shall give thee." 

   "And Solomon said, Thou has shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.  And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father, and I am but a little child  I know not how to go out or come in.  And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.  Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad:  for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?
   "And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.  And God said, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the of thine enemies; but has asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment; Behold, I have done according to thy words:  lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.  And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches and honour:  so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.  And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.
   "And Solomon awoke; and, behold, it was a dream.  And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants."  (1st Kings 3: 5-15)

KING SOLOMON'S WISDOM:
   Three of the books of wisdom of the Bible were written by King Solomon:
                Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and The Song of Solomon.
     "I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.  And I gave my heart to seek and search all things that are done under the heaven:  this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith."  (Ecclesiastes 1: 12-13)
   In these three books, God fulfilled His promise in the life of King Solomon:
      "...I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart;" 
   These three books are more than worthy to be read and studied many times.  Not only do they reveal the mindset of King Solomon, but they can also become part of our individual mindsets if we will glean from them the wisdom of God.

KING SOLOMON'S WEALTH:
      "Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred threescore and six talents of gold; beside that which chapmen and merchants brought.  And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon. 
      "And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.  And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, that God had put in his heart.  And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and raiment, harness, and spices, horses and mules, a rate by year."  (2nd Chronicles 9: 13-14; 22-24)
   In gold alone, King Solomon received 25 tons per year for the 40 years that he reigned as King of Israel for a net total of $65 million per year; and his financial portfolio at the end of his days was $2.1 trillion in today's calculations, making him the wealthiest man to ever live on planet earth.
   Not only did the kings of the earth come to Jerusalem "to hear his wisdom that God had put in his heart," but they also brought their treasures and laid them at Solomon's feet.
      "For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol:  and his fame was in all nations round about.  And he spake three thousand proverbs:  and his songs were a thousand and five.  And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall:  he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of  creeping things, and of fishes.  And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom."  (1st Kings 4: 30-34)
   King Solomon's dream was more than a dream.  All he asked God for was this:
      "Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad:"  (1st Kings 3: 9)
   King Solomon's life is a testimony of the faith he had in God:
      "But without faith it is impossible to please him:  for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."  (Hebrews 11: 6)
   God certainly rewarded King Solomon.
     
    

CAESAR'S CHURCH

Constantine's Church at Constantinople

"Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."  (James 1: 27)

   In churches across America, has church become no more than an arena in the arenas of our lives?
   Has church become a place where we gather to watch a program, a show, then clap our hands and stomp our feet when we like what we see with our eyes?  Do we not do the same at football games?
   Surely this is not true in all churches, but, to some degree, can we agree that this must be true in some churches?
   Is Christ the center of our worship, or have the music and light shows been moved the top of the program?
   COME AS YOU ARE:
   There was a time when people wore church clothes to church, but today some churches have a come-as-you-are attitude where shorts, t-shirts, and flip flops is the accepted form of dress in the worship of God. 
   What happens, moreover, when people leave church?  Do they take Christ with them, or do they leave Christ at church behind the altar, or behind the curtain, and there Christ remains for another week, or until another holiday season?
   Over the past five years, I have looked and I have prayed, and, while I am not to judge others, I have arrived at one question:  Whom am I?  Whom do people see when they see me outside a church building and in my private world.  Do they see me as a Christian, or do they see me as just "one of the guys"?
   To tell you the truth, I fail Christ daily,  for I am not always whom I believe that I am?  For I, too, am reluctant to speak of Christ when I know that I should:  for which I seek God's forgiveness.
   WHEN IN ROME DO AS THE ROMANS DO:
   Today, I invite you to do something different:  do your own research.  Go online and look up Constantine the Great, the Emperor of the Roman Empire, and see how a dictator became the head of the church in Rome and see how this one man changed the face of Christianity that has existed until this very day.
   Have we, therefore, fallen victim to Caesar's church across America and in Protestantism?  Have we accepted elements of Roman paganism that the early Christians preached against?  Have we accepted holidays as holy days throughout Christendom?
   In so doing, perhaps all of us will ask the same question:  Who are we?
      "When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, Whom do men say that I am?  And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist; some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, as one of the prophets.  He saith unto them, But whom do ye say that I am?  And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."  (Matthew 16:  13-16)

Constantine's Baptism Shortly Before His Death

THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF GOD

   In my life, I have lived and I have learned, and what I have learned the most from living is found in the belief that what matters most is God's love and the love He has for us all the days of our lives:  for everything else is not that important; for everything else is temporary and will pass away.
   For you see, my friends, "God is love."  (1st John 4: 8)  And because God is eternal, His love is also eternal; neither will there be a time when God does not love us.
   Therefore, contrary to both public and private opinion, God is not out to get us, He is not out to beat us over the heads, nor to punish us or send us to the pit.  But God is out to love us all the days of our lives and even beyond the grave.
   As it is written,
      "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."  (1st Corinthians 2: 9)
     "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."  (Romans 10: 17)
   Once people place their faith in Christ, and trust in Him to forgive their sin, then and only then will they begin to see the wonderful world of God.
   As Jesus said,
      "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."  (John 3: 3)
   And again,
      "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." 
 (John 3: 5)
   So then, knowing Christ is only the beginning of a journey into the mind and knowledge of God, which we can receive by believing and reading the Bible, which is the word of the Lord, which enables us to be part of the wonderful world of God:  both now, and tomorrow, and forevermore.
   What, then, is God's plan for you and your life?  That is between you and God; therefore, ask God and He will answer you.
    "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."  (James 1: 8)
   Or, as Jesus said,
    "But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut the door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly."  (Matthew 6: 6)
     

WHY I BLOG

   On my blog, I could write about a thousand topics under the sun, but I have chosen one:  Christ the Lord.
   Without Him, I would not have anything to write about that would be worth reading about.
   People can read all about the world and things that pass away:  things such as news, weather, sports, politics, people, places, religion.  They can get up-to-date reports and opinions, twenty four hours a day, on television and radio, in newspapers and magazines, and across the internet; for people in the world are interested in these topics, these reports, and these opinions.  These topics can also change from day to day, or even from moment to moment.
   But Christ?  He will never pass away.  Neither will His words pass away.
   The world, however, and the things that pass away, have never done anything for me.  I never watch or listen to the news and get peace in my heart.  I never hear about what I should do about tomorrow.  For the news of the world is all about this present time, this present day, the here and the now. 
   The future of the world, moreover, is all about religion and politics, which constantly change from day to day and from hour to hour, which has been their DNA for thousands of years, which keeps people living and believing in things past, which are also the things that pass away.
   The world is also all about yesterday's news and yesterday's views.
   But Christ?
      "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever."  (Hebrews 13:8)
   Jesus never changes.  He is the past, He is the present, He is the future---all three in one.  Therefore, He is the only person who can say:
      "Let not your heart be troubled:  ye believe in God, believe also in me.  In my Father's house are many mansions:  if it were not so, I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself:  that where I am, there you may be also."  (John 14: 1-3)
   Finally, I believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  If I did not believe in that, I would have no reason to believe in Him, nor to write of Him.  But because He lives forever, I know that I, too, will live forever.
   Now that is something to write about!

THE LIGHT OF GOD'S WORD

   "What! know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?  For ye are bought with a price:  therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." 
                                 (1st Corinthians 6: 19-20)
   When the light of God's word dwells in our minds, our minds become a lighthouse, at which time God's word serves as head lamps in our minds and guides us in our thinking:  out of which comes our choices and our behaviors.
   
   "In him was life; and the life was the light of men."  (John 1: 4)
     "Ye are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.  Neither do men light a candle, and put in under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light upon all that are in darkness.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."  (Matthew 5: 14-16)
    "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet,
          and a light unto my path."  (Psalm 119: 105)
    "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly and in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."  (Colossians 3: 16)
    "Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."  (John 8: 31-32)
   Because of the resurrection of Christ, He is living today.  Not only is He alive, but His words are also alive.  And when we engraft the word of the Lord in our minds, these words are living words dwelling within us.  Not only are they living words, but they are also words of light because Christ is light.  We, therefore, have the light of the world dwelling within us, and our bodies are "the temple of the Holy Ghost," (1st Corinthians 6: 19)
   Knowing, then, that Christ is the Captain of our salvation, we can believe that we are the children of God.
      "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:  which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God:  which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy."  (1st Peter 4: 9-10)
   Therefore,
                    "Let the words of my mouth,
                          and the meditation of my heart,
                       be acceptable in thy sight,
                           O, LORD, my strength,
                        and my redeemer." 
                                   (Psalm 19: 14)

CHRISTMAS IN PICTURES

   I was about eight years old when my brother broke the news:  "Santa Claus is not real, Franky.  Santa Claus is not real.  Our parents play Santa Claus.  It's not real."

   At my age at that time, I had difficulty wrapping my mind around the words that I had heard.  Of course Santa Claus is real.  He comes out of the North Pole every year bringing gifts to children all of the world in a single night. I never understood how Santa could do that, but because people told me he could do that, I believed them.

   In ancient Babylon, however, December 25th was the day of Sun-God Worship, and Nimrod was the first human sun-god on the earth.

   "And Cush begat Nimrod:  he began to be a mighty one on the earth.  He was a mighty hunter before the LORD.  And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar."  (Genesis 10: 8-10)

   Nimrod was the great-grandson of Noah, and Nimrod married his mother, Semiramis.  After Nimrod died, Semiramis gave birth to a baby, Tammuz, and because Semiramis was the queen of heaven and mother of god, Tammuz became the pagan son of god---or the son of the mother goddess.
   "And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD'S house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east:  and they worshipped the sun toward the east."  (Ezekiel 8: 16)
   Therefore, in order to believe that the birthday of Christ has been mixed with pagan Babylon, as well as with Christ's Mass of Rome, then we should know that we are living under a spell that has been cast on the earth from Babylonian witchcraft.
   Obviously, Santa Claus is an invention from the imaginations of evil men and sent forth as Satan in disguise to rob the world of the truth of Christ Jesus our Lord.
   To know truth is to seek truth, and the only written truth we have on the earth is the Bible; therefore,
   "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."  (2nd Timothy 2: 15)

 

HOMESICK

   The days of my youth were peaceful years.  We had food, we had shelter, we had clothing.  Our parents provided the labor for all that we had, and all we had to do was dig in.
   There came a day, however, when the days of my youth came to an end.  Now I had to get out of bed every morning to go to a job, to work, to earn my way for all that I had before I could dig in.  If I chose not to get out of bed, there would be no digging in.
   Things were different now.  My whole world was changed.  The days of summer were different.  Baseball was different.  Where were the boys of summer I had known so well?  They had moved away to their own places, to work their jobs and earn their ways for all that they had before they could dig in.  For they, too, had experienced this great change that comes to all people.
   The days of my youth passed so quickly.  They were here, then they were gone.  And all of it now seems like a dream of living in another land, another country, as all I of us were suddenly swept away from everything that seemed to be so natural and normal, to living a life that seemed far from natural and far from normal.  For now the food, the shelter, and the clothing were no longer provided for us as it had been before.  No more fishing whenever we wanted to go fishing.  No more hunting when we wanted to go hunting.  No more watching cartoons on Saturday morning television.  No more sleeping in on school days with just enough time left to catch the bus down by the road.  No more coming home with food spread on the table.
   Suddenly, we were out of the womb and on our own.  Going to a job and working with adults was strange and they had some strange ways.  They drank coffee on the job.  They brought sandwiches in brown paper bags.  One kept crackers in his pocket and he wasn't sharing!
   They talked about their neighbors.  They talked about each other when the other wasn't present.  They talked about the big war in the days of their youth when they had less, when some had nothing, and how they counted pennies each day just to break even.  They talked about how far they had come from having nothing.  They talked about yesterday, few talked about today, and less talked about tomorrow.
   How quickly the years have passed away when the days of my youth seem but like a dream of living in a foreign land.  For here we are in the twenty-first century and not much has changed in the conversations of people.  They talk about yesterday, few talk about today, and less talk about tomorrow.  As long as people have some money in their pockets, a car in the driveway, and an iPhone in their hands that's all they need to get by:  with photographs to friends of their yesterday.
   Neither do people weep today about their yesterdays, their today, or even for their tomorrow.
   But that's not the way it was a long, long time ago when the children of Israel were suddenly swept away and taken captive to a foreign land with strange customs and strange gods, and their hearts changed when they remembered the days of their youth:  when all that they had from God was better than they had thought:
      "By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.  We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.  For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.  How shall we sing the LORD's song in a strange land?"  (Psalm 137: 1-4)

                                                 

THE BIBLE: TRUTH OR MYTH?

   According to Quora, there are 37 million churches in the world today, and, according to World Christian Encyclopedia, there are 33 thousand Christian denominations worldwide.
   If the story of Jesus of Nazareth is a myth, this must be the greatest conspiracy ever invented and there will never be one greater! 
   For it would be total insanity for people to name buildings for a person who never existed over a period of two thousand years.
   Even for people who have never read the Bible, as well as for those who do not believe the Bible, they have heard about the Bible's stories, such as from the Old Testament:
   Adam & Eve; the Garden of Eden; Noah's Flood; Sodom & Gomorrah; the Tower of Babel; Abraham, the first Hebrew; Moses and the Ten Commandments; the Ark of the Covenant; David & Goliath; Samson & Delilah; Ahab & Jezebel; King David; King Solomon; Babylon & King Nebuchadnezzar; and Daniel in the lion's den.
   In the New Testament, the stories continue:
   the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus; wise men from the east; King Herod; John the Baptist; Judas Iscariot; Pontius Pilate; Mary & Joseph; Mary Magdalene; Lazarus; Nicodemus; the empty tomb.
   Perhaps it is safe to say that Hollywood and television have produced more movies from Bible stories than from any other single source under the sun; and these scripts have been provided for them free of charge.
   Additionally, more people and institutions have become millionaires and billionaires by using the name of Jesus than from using any other name under heaven.
   If the Bible is a myth and a conspiracy to persuade people to believe in the lie of Christ, then perhaps the greatest myth within a myth is to convince members of churches to believe that the Bible is a myth.
   In my mind, it is difficult for me to understand how members of churches can say they believe in the birth, death, and resurrection of Christ, and, while they say they believe in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, they will also say they believe the Bible is a myth even though the story of Christ is from the same book.
   Nevertheless, the greatest event as told in the Bible is yet to come, which will be the return of Christ the Lord. 
     

NO TIME FOR YOU

   When people come for a visit and do all of the talking, they have no interest in you.  They came to have an audience:  and when they are through talking, it's time to go---no matter if the coffee is cold or not.
   How does it feel to be ignored by some of the people you know the best?
   How does it feel to be ignored by some of the people who want you to believe that you are their friend?
   You had so much you wanted to tell them; you had so much you wanted to share.
   But they have no time for you, do they?
   They never ask about you, do they? 
   They come for a visit and say,
      "Oh, we can only stay for a minute." 
      "Oh, we just happened to be in the neighborhood and thought we'd stop by and let you see us."
   How long have you known these people? 
   How many times have they just stopped by "for a minute"? 
   How many times have they just happened "to be in the neighborhood"?
   "We really can't stay long,"  they say.  Of course.  For these are busy people---always on their way to somewhere else.  And you just happen to be on the side of the road, very convenient, and not out of their way. 
   For busy people such as these, you can be sure they have no interest in you because they have no time for your.  Their interest is in their interests, and they want you and everybody along their trail to know about them. 
   You can also be sure that they are coming back.  As soon as they have another story to tell, and as soon as they need an audience, they will be back.
   Your time is important to you.  But your time is not important to them.
   What, then, shall we do about people when they have no time for other people?
   For these are needy people.  They need an audience.  They need attention. 
   Perhaps all of us deal with needy people, and perhaps all of us must deal with them in our individual ways.   But God has us in certain places and at certain times, and perhaps the best we can do is to be patient and allow God time to do that which we are unable to do while continuing to believe,
      "He hath made all things beautiful in his time:"  (Ecclesiastes 3: 11)
   As I also remember:  there was a time in my life when I had no time for God.  But God was patient with me.

ANOTHER TIME, ANOTHER PLACE

   A few years ago, I thought about throwing some items in a bucket and calling it my bucket list, for this seems to be the popular thing for us to do in order to achieve some goals before we kick the bucket.
   In consideration of this matter, I discovered the only item in my bucket list worth talking about is time:  because time all we have in this world and time does not belong to us.  For we are simply passing through time, after which we die and then arrive in another place, and in another time.
   Jesus came from another time and from another place.  And from the moment the Lord was born in Bethlehem, men have reset clocks and calendars according to the time of His birth, and not the birth of any other person.
   The life of Jesus Christ on earth changed human history forever.  This change cannot be reversed, and future changes from heaven cannot be stopped.
    If a place called heaven is really all that important to people, why is the only time many people desire to talk about heaven is when they gather at the feet of dead people, such as at funerals or memorial services?  And after hearing some sweet and tender words spoken about the dearly departed, they trot along their ways to whatever they were doing before death interrupted their time.
   Could it be that the only thing many people know about heaven comes from words they hear from people?  Add this to the power that abides in imagination and many people will believe that heaven will be a place according to their own minds and that everything there will be there just for them and just the way they want things to be. 
   In other words, heaven is a place that can be manufactured in the minds of people:  as well as an imaginary way to get there.
   Therefore, it should be easy to see that many people believe time belongs to them on earth as well as the time that abides in another place after death.
   The name of Jesus, however, is known more in heaven and in earth than any person that is named.
       "He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.  He came unto his own, and his own received him not.  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:"  (John 1: 10-12)
   Jesus is the author of all things visible and invisible, and the authority of His kingdom has no borders, no boundaries, no limitations, and no end.
   Jesus is also the author of another time, another place.
      "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."  (Philippians 2: 10-11)
                                                                   

"Greater love hath no man, that a man lay down his life for his friends."  (John 15: 13)

DECEIVERS AMONG BELIEVERS

    If a person desires to be a minister, preacher, pastor, or priest, that is not necessarily a difficult decision for people to make; nor is it a goal that is necessarily difficult for people to attain.
   We have established many institutions that can train and educate people in the way they want to go.
   We can teach people how to study the Bible, how to memorize scriptural verses, and how to write sermons.
   We can teach people how to wear fancy suits or priestly garments, how to brush their teeth, comb their hair, and polish their shoes.
   CAREER OPPORTUNITIES:  APPLY WITHIN
   To many people, they see churches and religions as attractive arenas for employment, for careers:  places that feature financial benefits and retirement pensions.  Perhaps it is safe to say that they see churches and religions in the same way as Adam and Eve saw a certain tree in the Garden of Eden, and their eyes are dazzled by all that they see.  Once they get in, educated and certified, they can use their personalities to dazzle others:  and people, being deceived, will believe that they are messengers of God!
   Judas Iscariot went to church with Jesus for more than three years, but the other disciples did not know that Judas was a deceiver and a traitor. 
  What are we to learn from the example of Judas Iscariot?
  As believers, if we think we are not going to be deceived by people, we have deceived ourselves.
  Yes, the devil will, at times, operate through strangers to agitate us, but, more than likely, the devil will operate through the people we know the best to deceive us:  people we work with, people we go to school with, and even the people within our extended families. 
   For you see, not all of the people you know the best will be exactly thrilled to hear that you have decided to follow Jesus.  They will not be thrilled to know that you have been born again by the power of God.  Nor will they be thrilled to know that you are now a student of the Bible.
   For you were once like them.  Perhaps you and them go to different churches.  But now you are different.  And now, outside the church buildings, they have no interest in talking with you about the Bible.  They have no interest in talking with you about the things that matter to God.  They have no interest in talking with you about the resurrection of Christ.  Before, going to church was going to church, and perhaps you thought that they believed as you believe now.  Perhaps you thought that they would understand you now.  But now their talking points focus on television, on sports, or even on all the wonderful things they are doing in their lives and in their families. 
   Would the devil's servant drive a golf cart?
   You had better believe it!
   The devil's servants will appear as a friend, a good neighbor who delights in doing good deeds, or as someone always willing to help in a time of need.  They are always smiling as if nothing never goes wrong in their lives! 
   The devil wants us to look at people, to listen to their words and their voices, and be attracted to them.  For the devil wants us to be like them.  The devil wants us to believe that all of this life we have entered with Christ is just a passing fancy:  and after that, in a matter of time, we will return to our old friends and the old ways.
   These things have I written today are clues about deceivers among believers, which I have experienced and which I am continuing to experience even now.
   For we are engaged in a great war, a war between the devil and God.
   We are surrounded by the devil's people.
   They are not going away.
   Yes, we can be nice and kind to people, but we must also know that we are in the battle. 
   As soldiers for the Lord, we must be strong; for our adversary, the devil, would like nothing better than to see you and me fall on our faces and surrender:  to go back to the old ways.
   And this war will continue until the Lord returns and puts His foot down.
      "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 
       Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."  (Ephesians 6: 12-13)