"You're Being Recorded!"

"Beware of what you say, what you read, what you write, where you go, and with whom you communicate," advises John W. Whitehead, author of "Battlefield America: The War on the American People."

According to Whitehead, we now have an unofficial fourth branch of government: surveillance.

And you guessed it gang--everything we say, do (or even think) can, and will be used against us.

"Privacy, as we have known it, is dead," proclaims Whitehead.

And that ain't all folks. Apparently, domestic surveillance is a team sport.

"Just about every branch of government--from the Postal Service to the Treasury Department and every agency in-between--now has its own Surveillance Section, authorized to spy on the American people," says Whitehead.

Hyperbole? Or is everything we do, think, and say really being recorded?

The Bible says it is. But by Someone infinitely more important than the government. For example:

Daniel 7:9-14 gives us an amazing behind-the-scenes-sneak-peek of what's in store for the future.

Daniel's vision details a heavenly courtroom in which "...a river of fire was flowing, coming out from before Him. Thousands upon thousands attended Him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, and the books were opened."

What books? "The ones that record the names and deeds of those who will be judged," according to the footnote in our Nelson Study Bible.

Oh, and check out Revelation 20:20: "I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God's throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books."

Uh oh. What do the footnotes say?

"Books" refers to the record of all works done in this life. Since all have sinned and fall short of God's standard (see Romans 3:23), the opening of these books would certainly lead to eternal sentences in the lake of fire."

What then? Are we all going straight to you-know-where when we die?

Tragically--yes. Romans 3:9 says, "There is none righteous, not even one..."

And Hebrews 10:31 says: "It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God." So unless God offers us a full pardon, we are doomed. Amazingly, He does! He sent His only Son to die for us (in our place) to secure that pardon. It's our job to receive it and follow hard after Him.

Learn more @ "How to Go to Heaven"

A wise man once said: "Sin results in death, but God gives the gift of eternal life to all who repent and place their trust in Christ." --William W. Comfort, PhD.

News:

• Israel National News.com: Secret Document Reveals U.S. to Give Iran Nuclear Equipment in Return For "Toning Down" Program.
• The Washington Free Beacon: Russia Developing Ultra-High Speed Attack Vehicle Similar to China's.
• Associated Press: U.S. Supreme Court rules in favor of same-sex marriage nationwide in 5-4 ruling.

"Have You Lost Your Confidence?"

Americans seem to be in the middle of a confidence crisis...at least when it comes to major institutions.

Almost all institutions from the presidency to organized religion have poll numbers at all-time lows.

That's right, people, Americans have got their "worry" on.

According to the latest Gallup Poll:

"Americans' confidence in most major U.S. institutions remains below the historical average for each one." (Excluding the military).

Why are we feeling so insecure?

• a major recession/sluggish economic improvement

• partisan gridlock in Washington
• a skeptical view of the mainstream media
• distrust of government

And last, but most importantly:

• loss of our biblical worldview

"America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great."

Alexis de Tacqueville was on to something. As this nation drifts further and further away from its biblical mores, it ceases to be good...

At anything.

A wise man once said: "Self-centered indulgence, pride and a lack of shame over sin are now emblems of the American lifestyle." --Billy Graham

"Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need" --Matthew 6:33.

News:

• CBS-Sacramento: California Water Cuts Leave City Days Away From Running Out of Water; upscale community of Mountain House is one of 114 to receive curtailment notice from the state.
• Yahoo!News: 'Foreign Shocks' could harm U.S. financial stability, warns U.S. Treasury Secretary. Greek debt crisis cited.
• The Guardian: Bank of Greece Warns of 'Uncontrollable Crisis'; panicked Greeks stashing cash at home. 

"The Thought Police"

In her explosive new book, "The Silencing: How the Left is Killing Free Speech", Fox News Contributor Kirsten Powers hits the nail on the head:

"No longer champions of tolerance and free speech, the 'illiberal Left' now viciously attacks and silences anyone with alternative points of view."

In an interview with Christianity Today, Powers said, "...we are in a new McCarthyist era" where the left is policing what it "deems acceptable in ways that stifle freedom of expression, thought, and religious belief." A liberal herself, Powers says, "truth matters little to the illiberal Left, for whom ideology is everything."

And the problem has leaked into the American church. According to Bible teacher John MacArthur, cultural Christianity is sometimes at odds with biblical Christianity.

"There is no collective Christian consensus wielding any significant power in this country today.

"The more that true Christians endeavor to speak and live biblically, the more we are being labeled as extremists, homophobic, and intolerant. Truly, we are aliens. We foresee a day when being a faithful Christian will cost us or our children dearly, and in ways we couldn't have imagined just a few years ago."

In light of recent headlines, court cases, and current events, "our culture is spinning out of control," says MacArthur. "I can't believe how fast the moral slide is happening."

"Cultural Christianity has blurred the clear lines between the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of this world.

"Pragmatists in evangelical pulpits have softened the hard demands of the gospel, making discipleship sound easy and grace sound cheap.

"As a result, churches have been filled with religious, superficially moral, self-righteous people who don't understand the gospel and are self-deceived about their true spiritual state."

So is there any good news?

"Certainly," says MacArthur. "We know that God will use even the current hostilities and the climate of impending persecution for good" (see Romans 8:28).

A wise man once said: "Scripture teaches and church history confirms that the Body of Christ is most potent and most effective when it simply speaks and lives the gospel without equivocation or apology." --John MacArthur, Grace to You Ministries

"Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is  good and pleasing and perfect"--(Romans 12:).

News:

• Fox News Channel: U.S. Defense Official: ISIS Forces in Libya Kidnap 88 Christians; Libya's ongoing instability increasing risk for Christians.
• NBC News: Comedian Jerry Seinfeld rants against "creepy" politically correct culture; refuses to work on college campuses.
• Reuters: Florida high school principal loses job after commenting online in support of Texas police officer for "perceived insensitivity".
• Daily Mail: Nobel scientist forced to resign after joking 'women in labs a distraction'; Feminists outraged.

"Summoning Demons?"

For some teens, a long, hot, boring summer = trouble.

According to The Telegraph: "A strange new game is taking over Twitter, fueled by speculation that its players can connect with a dead Mexican spirit known as 'Charlie'."

Commonly referred to as the Charlie Charlie Challenge, the "game" is sweeping the internet and chances are your kid has heard of it.

This week (according to E! online) it seems the whole thing "might have been a horror movie marketing campaign.

"A new teaser for Warner Bros. upcoming horror film The Gallows was released right in the thick of the Charlie Charlie brouhaha, and it featured a much creepier version of the game with a much more upsetting outcome than just students shrieking and running from the room."

Oh. So all the hoopla is just Warner Bros. promoting a new flick. No worries. Not!

The problem?

Most kids didn't get the memo.

CBN News warns: This "new occultic social media trend has gone viral, challenging kids to attempt to summon a demon. Participants report they are summoning an ancient Mexican demon, seeing items move, and hearing voices."

It appears the genie is out of the bottle.

A wise woman once said: "Marketing tactic or not, it is still opening doors that young kids do NOT know how to close!" -- Liz Gutierrez, post commenter

"A final word: Be strong with the Lord's mighty power. Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all the strategies and tricks of the Devil. For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms."  Ephesians 6:10-12

News:

• Associated Press: FBI behind mysterious surveillance aircraft over U.S. cities; aircraft equipped with hi-tech cameras and tracking devices aimed at cellphones.
• WNEW Channel 5 (Flint, MI): Military Exercises Leave Residents Rattled. "Explosions you'd expect in a war zone" shook homes and nerves.
• KFI Radio: Parts of California mandated to cut water use by 80%; Residents cry "foul".