I was caught off guard by my visceral response to the results of last week's election. I woke up Wednesday morning, saw the headline on multiple news sites and, within an hour, couldn't stop the tears from flowing . . . and flowing . . . and flowing. Here I thought I was prepared for either eventuality. I know that, regardless, we are on a definitive course headed straight for the fulfillment of prophecy with signs of the imminent tribulation becoming more prolific by the day.  

But what absolutely hit me like a punch in the gut was that approximately 300,000 more of my fellow Americans were reported as voting for corrupt leadership than voted for an attempted return to a measure of morality within our leadership and an effort at national economic recovery -- uh, just for starters.  

The next slug I took was to learn that my vote here in Minnesota to amend our state constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman failed. Our state was the first state to turn down such an amendment.  

I was perturbed with myself for my extreme and unexpected emotional response. On Facebook Wednesday morning I wrote, in part, "I'm frustrated with myself for waking up to this astounding news and having to fight off tears. I don't think it's about who won or lost, per se, but about what the popular vote says about our country. The truth about Benghazi really hit me hard a couple weeks ago and I find it beyond understanding that the moral and ethical judgment of our nation has fallen so much that a travesty of that magnitude would be ignored."  

Then on Thursday, Joel Rosenberg reported that 6.4 million of those Americans who voted for the present administration on election day self-identify themselves as born-again, evangelical Christians. These professing "Christians" voted for a presidential candidate and national party that -- among many horrific things -- advocates  the murder of unborn babies, supports homosexual marriage, is sympathetic to and has proven ties with the terrorist arms of Islam, and in the last four years has exemplified a hatred of God's people, Israel.  

One of the significant and spot-on points Joel made in his blog was, "This is what happens when the church is weak and fails to disciple believers to turn biblical faith into action." That one sentence very nicely sums up the results of  all the spiritual deception within the church that this ministry has warned about for years coming to fruition.

In our Understanding the Times radio program this past Saturday, Jan conversed with economist John Terry, Christian commentator Jack Kinsella and our own production engineer, Larry Kutzler, about the ramifications of this election. Within the discussion, Jack read a portion of Scripture that sounds like Paul was living in our society today:  

"But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power," (II Tim. 2:1-5).

Does that not describe our society to a "T"?

While I was processing the election, my emotions, and God's sovereignty on Wednesday morning, I wrote this to another group of friends:

"If things didn't become increasingly worse, how could this happen: 'The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.  And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie.' (II Thess. 2:9-11)?

"I think of Benghazi, I think of our elderly, I think of the moral collapse of our nation and, in spite of all I'm saying to you guys, I'm getting teary.  But these things I've posted are true.  Jesus Christ is the beginning and the end, the Lord of EVERYTHING."   

John Terry reminded us on Saturday's broadcast of the words of the psalmist David, who wrote, "I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread" (Ps. 37:25).

No matter what the policies of man may be, our God is above all of this. He is orchestrating events to fulfill His Word and bring us through the storm and Home.  

A few days ago, God, in His grace and mercy ( which are new every morning), reminded me of some amazing things that are as true today as they were a week ago Tuesday morning:

• In Jesus Christ we have redemption, through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace (Eph. 1:7)
• In Him also we have obtained an inheritance (Eph. 1:11)
• In Him also we were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance, until we are fully redeemed (body as well as soul) -- (Eph. 1:14)
• We are citizens of the kingdom of Heaven (Phil. 3:20)
• One day our bodies will be transformed to be like Jesus' (Phil. 3:21)
• They'll be incorruptible (I Cor. 15:42)
• And powerful (I Cor. 15:43)
• There'll be no more tears, death, sorrow, or pain (Rev. 21:4)
  God will dwell with us (Rev. 21:3)
• We'll actually see His face (Rev. 22:4)
• And we'll reign with Him FOREVER (Rev. 22:5)

 Now THAT is good news!

Let us heed Paul's words to the Colossian believers and, "set our mind on things above not on things on the earth," so that we can reach out to this world that is perishing with the good news of the gospel while we still have time!

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Radio this weekend: We play Dr. Erwin Lutzer's message on eternity given at "Understanding the Times 2012." Find the program posted here or here on Saturday morning.