Book Report, The Harbinger Pt 1.

A few weeks ago read a book called The Harbinger. The book is written in a narrative form. It is a work of fiction but based on historical and biblical fact. I was blown away by many of the facts woven through the book. I began taking notes and researching the information that was presented as facts, totally astonished by what I was finding out. Eventually, I began to compile my notes into a 'book report'. I shared my 'book report' with a few of my close friends to see what they thought about what I had learned. I was trying to decide whether or not to 'blog' about it. Most everyone thought that the information presented definitely deserved to shared. I also looked into some of the opinions of the critics of the author and his message. I found that many that thought the ideas in the book were a complete work of fiction based their opinions largely on believing that God doesn't move in the same way today as He did in biblical times. Also, because the company that published this book has also published books by men and women that have fallen from 'grace', they wrote off this book as well. (Baby-bath water syndrome.)

I have decided to go ahead and post my "book report" in a series as it is actually quite long. Maybe you also, will write it off. Maybe it will peak your interest as well , and you will read the actual book and do your own research. If you decide to follow along with the series, please keep in mind, that all we see with our eyes, is not all that goes on around us. We live in a physical and spiritual world. God never changes. He never fails.

This first part is simply my take on where we are as a society today. I mean not to judge anyone in particular, it is simply my opinion and how I see things.

Introduction

What Comes Next?

The last few years I had been thinking and saying out loud to those who would listen, "When Israel fell out of line with God, He used judgements, (or allowed things to happen) in order to bring them to their knees and back into worship with Him. Much like we as parents have to bring consequences to our disobedient children. He is our Father , and I believe that He has, and will do the same. About 15 years ago, I had noticed that many times when things start to heat up in the Middle East, (Israel) it would often take place in September and on or around Jewish Holidays. Many of the Holy Days for the Jews are in the fall.

Also, I've noticed that whenever someone suggests that when a tragedy takes place that God was trying to get our attention, that person will be ostracized. And that because God has sent Jesus, we live in a state of Grace , and they believe He is not a punishing God. And that because the righteous also were involved in the occurrence and would therefore have to go through the same things as the unrighteous, they will surmise that God would have had nothing to do with it. I call that whole scenario collateral damage. Let's be honest, even us Christians have skewed our walk. We have let our lives get full of unimportant distractions. Time wasters that take our attention and focus off the life that God had planned for us. Be it TV, video games, the internet, shopping, our church, or our phones. Many conveniences have become mini-idols in our lives. It's not just that things have taken our focus from God and his plan for us-in this modern age, we can choose or and make our own idols. Even working can be an idol, working to provide a living but having no life. At least not one that God had planned for us.

In our busyness and distractions in obtaining the American Dream, we have allowed evil and unGodliness to overtake our country. Apathy, indifference, and compromise. Compromise, is suppose to be good, and fair. But when you have good and bad, and you compromise, you have let bad in. A little bad is still bad. "We the, 'God's' People", allowed a law to pass in 1973 that legalized human sacrifice. I'm not trying to cut down anyone that felt as though they had to make that 'choice', but that being said, when you take a life in order to make yours better, rather than trusting God to work out all the details, it is human sacrifice. Infanticide. 4 out of 10 babies are sacrificed every day for what boils down to 'a lifestyle choice'. Get rid of that 'speed bump' now, so that you can make your life easier later. No thought of trusting God to make all things work together for good. We take control and end a life out of fear that it will ruin our own. Not even considering that we might be killing a gift that God has given us. We have allowed society to indoctrinate us to believe that we are all powerful, that we can accomplish anything we set our mind to, but we have no power, unless we stop what grows within us; if it's not on our time table. Generations ago, on continents where we would consider people to be savages, people would sacrifice their kids for good crops, health, and long life. Fast forward to the present time, and we sacrifice our kids for a college education, a better job, an easier life. I see no difference between the two society's.

A decade before then, We "God's people" began to allow God to be removed from the public square. The minority still rules on this 50 years later. Prayer, if said in a public arena has to be so generic, and pardon the expression but 'God forbid' we mention Jesus the Son of God. We don't want to offend that one loud mouth in the crowd. When God is mentioned in most public arena's and even in many church's he is not Revered and referred to the One Living God. The Almighty, Holy, Ever present. To be Honored, and Respected. Instead, we honor our planet earth. The creation gets more respect than the Creator.

Malachi 3:1-6, “See, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. Then the Lord you seek will suddenly come to His temple, the Messenger of the covenant you desire—see, He is coming,” says the Lord of Hosts.  But who can endure the day of His coming? And who will be able to stand when He appears? For He will be like a refiner’s fire and like cleansing lye.  He will be like a refiner and purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver. Then they will present offerings to the Lord in righteousness.  And the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will please the Lord as in days of old and years gone by. “I will come to you in judgment, and I will be ready to witness against sorcerers and adulterers; against those who swear falsely; against those who oppress the widow and the fatherless, and cheat the wage earner; and against those who deny justice to the foreigner. They do not fear Me,” says the Lord of Hosts. “Because I, Yahweh, have not changed, you descendants of Jacob have not been destroyed."