20/20 Insight into This Present Darkness

Over the years I've marveled how often Hollywood comes out with a movie that has a title and a theme that speaks to the season that we are in.  It's happened again with Star Trek's Into the Darkness. 

Currently our nation is the weakest we've been in this modern era.  We have the most debt we've ever had, we have scandal after scandal being exposed.  We have an administration who is undermining the constitution with practices that seem more fit for a socialist or even communist form of government.  Life, family, marriage, etc. is all under attack and.... the list goes on.  We've entered into one of the darkest chapters of our nations history.  How did we get here?  Proverbs 20:20 provides perfect insight. 

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Whoever curses his father or his mother, His lamp will be put out in deep darkness. 

One of the first steps taken towards this present darkness were taken in the 60s during the sexual revolution.  It began with dishonoring the parents.  Rebellion was in the wind and we are now experiencing the maturation of those decisions in this generation. 

We are in deep, deep darkness.  Good is called evil and evil good.  On one hand I hate this situation and on the other hand I am truly excited.  The stage is set for a great awakening.

I'm excited because I serve a great God.  I serve Jesus Christ who loved us so much He gave His life and died for me.  He paid the price for my sins which, unrepented of, would have left me in hell for eternity.  Hell was not made for people.  It was made for Satan and the angels who rebelled.  God made a way for us to have eternal relationship with Him rather than to be separated. 

Satan is a deceiver.  He works to deceive people such that they think they are free when the truth is they've fallen into habits and choices that enslave them.  God hates sin because it hurts people.  God loves truth because it blesses.  I really like what Rabbi Daniel Lapin says.  He says "If you understand the Bible, you will understand how the world works."  I could not agree more.

God says that we ought to honor our mother and father (Exodus 20:12) that our days might be long upon our land.  Proverbs 20:20 says that when you curse dad and mom you will be put into deep darkness.  Why?

It is because God established four major forms of government; self government, the family, church government and civil government. 

The family unit is the key to any society.  If a person is not going to respect the government, the structure and the order in the family, neither will they respect the rule of order in the civil government.  Rebellion is the root issue and once that choice is made the road to all sorts of chaos and degradation is opened.  Guess who is there to take advantage of that decision?  Our adversary the Devil.  He is a liar and the father of lies.  He has launched an all out attack for decades on multiple fronts.  The goal is to destroy the family and kill people.  He wants people to suffer both now and in eternity.  

The fruit of the decisions made by the generation from the 60s and 70s is upon us. Deep darkness has set the stage for....

Isaiah 60:1-5  
Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,
And deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light,
And kings to the brightness of your rising. "Lift up your eyes all around, and see: They all gather together, they come to you; Your sons shall come from afar, And your daughters shall be nursed at your side.  Then you shall see and become radiant, And your heart shall swell with joy; Because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you,

Where sin did about, grace did much more abound (Romans 5:20-6:1).  God made these days with you and I in mind (Psalm 139:16).  There is provision, wisdom and power to understand what to do.  It begins by turning to our heavenly Father and to His ways.  This leads us back to the place where we once again honor our fathers and mothers according to the standard set in God's word.