“Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away” (Mark 13:31).

We all understand and have been witness to all the natural disasters going on around us, through- out the world, yet there is one thing few are making note of. These things taking place are under the authority of the Holy Spirit! That alone makes every one of those situations unique and very different.

How is that? As I have said before, you need to stop and think, think about what is happening all around us, good, bad or indifferent. With all the destruction, wounded, missing, the lost, the agony, one would think this is way too bad. And yet, since this is not happening to us, or someone we know, we are easily seen as distant and virtually unaffected by it all, in other words “desensitized.”

We all like a good action flick, with all the destruction, death and maiming, but the question is, how is that effecting us? Could it be that we are being “desensitized” on purpose and if so by whom?

We all remember the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York in 2001, but I would be willing to accept, that those that got out alive KNOW how it feels, better than you or me. It would be worse to have a loved one that died there! For the rest of us, it was a horrible time and yet we were still distant to it, sheltered from the real feelings of loss. So it is with virtually every other calamity that has taken place since and the more we are sheltered from it, the more desensitized we become. That is, until something happens to us.

We don’t want to think on these things and yet hundreds of young students died from drowning on that South Korean Ferry. We take a moment, we think for a moment and then we wash the entire idea from our minds. Then off we trot to the movies and watch another fictitious  destruction. Then we think to ourselves, “Well, that was just a story, told by Hollywood, it’s not real!” So we then are able to scream, jump and then giggle at every turn, knowing in our hearts there was no REAL death or destruction.

Movies are like fairy tales; there is some truth in it all. Then a day comes along and a totally surprised situation occurs to you. Now this is where the tire meets the road, so to speak. It is your loss, it is your time to grieve the loss, to feel the pain and agony, now…your wide awake! Stuff just got real.

The majority of the world will not be able to empathize with you, they are still in that sheltered realm. You look around and the world has not stopped turning, the people still go about their daily lives, as if nothing has happened. It just doesn’t make any sense, right? Why do you think people make such silly statements, when your heart is broken and you’re so far down on your knees. They…are not in your situation and they have no idea of how to respond to your needs.

Mark 13:1-2: “And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples saith unto him, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here! And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

Mark 13:6-11: “For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.

But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them. And the gospel must first be published among all nations. But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Spirit.”

2 Thessalonians 2:6-7: “And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.”

Back the boat up again! What was that? “HE that letteth…until HE be taken out of the way?” What is or rather WHO is that? The Holy Spirit, my friends! HE is the one that is holding the full tide of occurrences back, which are brought to bear against us humans by Satan and his ilk! Yuppers! You read that correctly. The Holy Spirit is holding the majority of evil back. Otherwise the entire species of humans would be wiped out. Now that is something to think about.

Of all the things that CAN take place, but don’t, you can thank the Lord for protecting you from. Now the day is coming, when all of those who are born-again believers and followers of Jesus Christ will be whisked away to heaven. That will be the day, the Holy Spirit will be taken away as well. For lack of a better way to say it…”Stuff will really get real then!”

So now you’re sitting there, you’re not saved to Jesus Christ and you are thinking to yourself, “Well now I know what is going to happen ahead of time. That’s when I will take the plunge and follow Jesus Christ. Until then, it’s party time!” Really! Wrong, my friend! Have you heard of the “strong delusion” of God ? No?? Whoa. You, my friend have the wrong idea all together.

2 Thessalonians 2:11-12: “And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

You my friend, cannot defy God and get away with it. God destroyed the world in Noah’s time and HE destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah in Lot’s time, HE will do as HE has said in His Word and bring this present world down, and that includes anyone still alive. If you forget, there are two ways off this little planet: God takes you out of this world in the Rapture…or you DIE! That’s it my friends!

Now would be a good time to remind everyone, there is a highway to eternal destruction in the lake of fire and a very narrow little path to the Lord and heaven for eternity. Either way my friends, YOU are going to leave this earth! It is up to you which way you go, it is your decision and always has been.

Until that time takes place, things will never get any better, they will indeed get much worse. The day that the Holy Spirit is removed, everything evil will get exponentially worse all across this wicked world. God tells us HE has a plan and it’s in the Bible. It will take place, probably sooner than you think! Until the Holy Spirit is removed, God is telling everyone: “You ain’t seen nothing…yet!”

In this article, I have decided to slow down a moment and simply talk with you (and myself). For better or worse, one thing must take place; we are going to need to start thinking. I did not say, to have a thought and then move on—that is what the world does all the time and then everyone wonders why everything is going to hell in a hand basket. Stop having thoughts and start thinking, really thinking!

I receive emails or I see threads on some sites and it would appear the majority of people want this or that from the Lord. They say, “I have been praying and begging the Lord” for this or that (whatever the case may be) and yet,” Nothing ever happens!” “What is going on? Does the Lord not hear my prayer? Am I speaking some sort of language that HE does not speak…what?” And so the answers never come or so they say. Let’s take a look at some passages of Scripture and find out what the problem is:

“From whence come wars and fightings among you? Come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, the spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” (James 4:1-10).

Alright, are we THINKING yet? Please re-read the passages of Scripture above again and again, until you begin to see your problem in the words. Let’s begin with your approach to the problems that bothers you the most.

It is always obvious how the problems begin: You were surprised at first, you were going about your usual routine and all of a sudden, “IT” jumped up and bit you. Right? Wrong! Did you miss the word “routine?” Yuppers, it is something everyone does every day, all day long and yet, you must ask yourself, is my routine at fault here? What truly IS your routine? It is always dealing with something or someone and it is obviously not to your liking in some way or the other.

As an example, let’s say you awaken in the morning, shower, get dressed, eat a piece of toast and slurp a little coffee and off you go. Next thing you know, there’s an altercation in traffic, you’re sitting in this highway parking lot and now you’re going to be late. There are important people or situations that are going to be waiting on little ole you. Is that your routine? Let’s say for most of the days… Did you miss something, forget a step there after rising from the bed? More than likely, the answer would be, “Yes!” So what is it you should have done?

Did you forget to start your day with the Lord? Did you read His Word to you, and I, like you, promised to? Did you begin and end it with prayer? Oh I know, there are so many other things you want in the mornings, a little more sleep, a longer shower, more coffee, whatever! And so now, you’re wondering why your morning…what? Stinks?

Okay, let’s say you started off with the Lord… “Rub-a-dub-dub, thanks for the grub…Amen! Oh yeah…in Jesus’ name!” And so now you think everything is going to be hunky-dory, right? Wrong! “Ahh, why does everything have to be such a pain? Like everything has to be just so, so!”

I would bet you don’t say that about your job, do ya? “Oh no siree! That job pays the bills and provides the food! Really?!And where did all that food and the home and cars come from? Sorry, you did not provide the metals or the seed or the lumber…did you? Come on now, let’s be honest here!

(Ye ask and receive not, because ye ask amiss.) “Oops! I forgot that! Yuppers, Bucky…you sure did,” says the little voice in your head. And so now, your Mercedes is getting a tickle warm inside isn’t it and besides that, gas is not cheap! The board meetings is going to be late! And as you inch further along, you see the cause for the delay is an accident with a body covered in a yellow tarp. Suddenly you realize, that could be YOU lying there!

And IF it were you lying there, you already know that you’ll be looking at the Lord with your pretty little eyes, peering into His eyes and what are you going to say? Will you feel bad about the “Rub-a-dub-dub thingy,” or maybe wonder how important your job really is…what?

Somewhere along the way, you might begin to wonder which is more important, sleeping a little longer or time with the Lord? It really makes no difference what your situation is, IF everything starts without the Lord, you’re already in trouble. Or is it that you have never figured out what this life we all are living is truly about?

Matthew 11:28-30: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Let’s use an old saying here and see how it applies, “Fool me once, shame on you! Fool me twice, shame on me!” How many times does that apply to you, how many times have you been fooled by this world and what they tell you?

John 16:33: “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

The world, which we know are the people, is a society of a fallen species! That includes you and me! IF that is the fact and we already know it is, then why would you listen to the world in the first place? IF you belong to the Lord…HE should be your first INSTINCT!

The usual problem is this: You and I must learn PATIENCE! Yuppers, that’s about right. And believe me, we are not a species that likes to wait on anything. We want that yesteryear, right? That is our insane proclivity! Every day and every hour we want what we want and we want it yesterday!

Yet if that is the truth, then why are we so unhappy with what we receive today, because it is a never ending cycle, a vicious cycle at that! You already know what you want for the future and yet if you did receive that future event today, you would then want something else! (SO…why can I not have that future thingy today too?)

“God…where are you? Why do you always make me wait? I need that right now!” And then I look back across my life and notice that everything that became a profound memory to me, took time. That first girlfriend, that first kiss, that first love, the heartbreaking, tear-filled end to it. It all took time, but we forget that. When we do remember, we find that we had things to learn. That the Lord’s chosen love of your life would be years down the line, right?

I am going to say it again and again. “When you do the exact same things, in the exact same way and then expect a different outcome…you are insane!” That my friends is how the world does things in every situation. In that case, why do you continue to do these things, in the exact same way and when it doesn’t work out, YOU blame God? YOU are insane, because you listen to the world, instead of God!

Do you understand, why I have asked you to stop and think? To think is to begin the path of understanding and that most assuredly comes from the Lord alone. Now go back in your mind for a moment, look at your problem and then STOP and think for a moment. If this world is as failed as the Bible says it is, then you need to begin thinking, by looking at your problem, through the same lens that God sees it through. That only comes by using the Word of God!