Study – Grow – Know

Current Societal Hysteria is Due to What Exactly?

August 21, 2017 at 11:19 AM Leave a comment

Anti-fascism began in the 1930s under Communism to supposedly smash Nazism. AntiFa of today uses similar logo signifying their connection with Communism.

It truly seems that much of society has come completely unhinged. They are using violence, not to bring about “peace” as CNN incorrectly stated recently, but to shut down opposing views. These people have no shame and for that to happen, they would have to have consciences that were useful, not useless. This is what the apostle Paul tells his protegé, Timothy.

Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron – 1 Timothy 4:2 KJV

What Paul is saying is that the people who tell lies while ignoring their own hypocrisy are people whose consciences have been seared. We might also call this the effect of “cauterizing.” We’ve all heard the term and it generally means when heat is used to cleanse and seal a wound. It’s often done in emergency situation. Cauterizing a wound creates a scar by sealing off blood vessels and closing the wound itself. It’s been used to close amputations and to stop severe blood loss. The term “cauterize” comes from Latin and literally means to “burn or brand with a hot iron.”

But let’s take a look at the entire context of the apostle Paul’s words to get a broader understanding of what he was explaining to Timothy.

1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2 through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, 3 who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. – 1 Timothy 4:1-3

We’ve talked a great deal on this blog about the “later times” (aka latter days, last days, and end times), and rightly so because it seems clear enough to students of the Bible that we are actually living in these last days that Jesus, Paul, Peter, and others spoke about. Here, Paul reflects on the fact that during these latter days, people will stop giving lip service to their religious faith and drop the pretense altogether. They will become more honest with themselves, lining their words and living with their aberrant beliefs. Certainly, Paul is talking about those within Christendom or the visible Church. The invisible Church remains intact, but throughout society, there are always those who profess to be Christians but their doctrine and belief system are so far removed from biblical doctrine that one wonders how they thought themselves to be authentic Christians in the first place. Many of these folks deny the divinity of Jesus or that salvation is only available through Him, etc.

When I think of people on the political far Left (as well as some on the far right), it’s easy to see that their beliefs are inspired by deceitful spirits and demons (v. 1b). They don’t speak the truth. They’re not acquainted with the truth and truth itself is anathema to them. They hate truth, seek to distort it, and if possible, destroy it, replacing it with their lies. People like that do not like how truth makes them feel. They are just like Satan (Isaiah 14), Lucifer before his fall through pride. He’s become a master deceiver (father of lies; John 8:44).

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. – (1 John 1:5 ESV)

Because God is truth (Psalm 86:11; John 14:6), truth cannot be destroyed.

Scott Adams – creator of Dilbert – recently wrote an article entitled, “How To Know You’re In a Mass Hysteria Bubble.” Scott has some good things to say and he’s fairly non-emotional about it, which I appreciate (if you’ve ever watched one of his live videos with viewer comments rolling across bottom, you’ll see it). We need more level-headed discussion, but it is few and far between given the fact that today’s AntiFa and average Fascist Leftist is not really interested in discussion. They are wound tightly via their emotion and that is what guides them. As we’ve stated time and time again, emotions should never be used as guides for people because they are extremely deceptive. What might seem like “truth” from your emotions can lead you very easily down the wrong road. The Bible is filled with examples of what happened to people who made decisions based on how they felt about something rather than on the truth of God’s Word.

Jeremiah 26 is a sad example of what happens when people ignore truth because of feelings. There, we see the prophet doing exactly what God told him to do, which was to go the court of the Lord’s house and speak to those who come to worship there (Jeremiah 26:2). Jeremiah obeyed and after he finished speaking, here’s what happened.

8 And when Jeremiah had finished speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people, then the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold of him, saying, “You shall die! 9 Why have you prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate, without inhabitant’?” And all the people gathered around Jeremiah in the house of the Lord. (Jeremiah 26:8-9 ESV)

Why were even the religious leaders angry with Jeremiah? Because they had no capacity to recognize the truth! They heard Jeremiah speak and decided he was a lying “fascist” who needed to be killed because he spoke against Jerusalem. They weren’t even following the dictates of Mosaic Law here, but had distorted it for their own ends.

Then the priests and the prophets said to the officials and to all the people, “This man deserves the sentence of death, because he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears.” (v. 11)

The “priests and prophets.” Did you catch that? These blind leaders of the blind could not hear Jeremiah’s truth (words he spoke exactly as the Lord told him to speak), and wrongly assumed he was telling lies. The Law of Moses required false prophets to be put to death (Deuteronomy 13:5; 18:20), but there’s a problem. The false prophet was only supposed to be killed when it was actually confirmed that he had prophesied falsely; when what he predicted did not come to pass at the appointed time. Jeremiah had simply said what God told him to say and that had to do with what God was planning on doing against Judah, Jerusalem and other areas where the idolatrous Israelites lived. He was going to judge them harshly, but would not completely destroy them all.

Jeremiah 28 provides an excellent example of a true false prophet named Hananiah. He basically said what people wanted to hear but it was most certainly not from God’s mouth. What God had declared was going to happen was printed in Jeremiah 27 and He’s very plain there, stating that Babylon (led by God’s “servant” Nebuchadnezzar), was going to gain control of the nations (Jeremiah 27:6-7). God then detailed that it would go fairly well for those Israelites who willingly placed themselves under Nebuchadnezzar’s “yoke,” but for those who resisted him, terrible things would happen. What Israel needed to be aware of was that she was being disciplined (though not destroyed completely), for her rebellion and idolatry.

False prophet Hananiah spoke falsehoods and gained the people’s ear. They felt better after listening to him because they didn’t want to hear the doom and gloom of Jeremiah even if it was the truth. Of course, they couldn’t hear the truth because they had rejected it so often.

Jeremiah 42 is another example of people who say they want to hear only the truth, but then angrily reject it. In that chapter, people came to Jeremiah and wanted him to ask of the Lord what He had for them. Jeremiah agrees to pray for them and ask the Lord His will. He promises the people that he will tell them whatever the Lord tells him. Their response?

5 May the Lord be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act according to all the word with which the Lord your God sends you to us. 6 Whether it is good or bad, we will obey the voice of the Lord our God to whom we are sending you, that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the Lord our God. – Jeremiah 42:5-6 ESV

So Jeremiah prays, God responds, and then Jeremiah tells the people what God said (Jeremiah 42:7-22). Their response?

You are telling a lie. The Lord our God did not send you to say, ‘Do not go to Egypt to live there,’ 3 but Baruch the son of Neriah has set you against us, to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they may kill us or take us into exile in Babylon.” (Jeremiah 43:2b-3 ESV)

Surprise, surprise! Though they initially promised to obey what the Lord said whether “good or bad,” after hearing what Jeremiah had to tell them, with no proof, they decided Jeremiah was lying.

This is the type of thing we are seeing in society today. Groups of people who first, believe that Russia hacked our election to keep Hillary from winning. There’s no proof at all to support the claim though the Left tells us “it’s coming!” The narrative is being changed to label President Trump a racist and Nazi. Of course, anyone who voted for and supports Trump is also a Nazi. Who knew there were millions of Nazis in America?! That’s the reasoning, but it is extremely flawed and born of raw emotion and hate, not reasonable thinking.

But again, why does this exist? What is the catalyst? Do you recall several years ago when the Democrats at their national convention booed God? Commentators disagree on exactly what attendees were booing, but it seems clear that prior to the convention, efforts were made to remove God from the DNC platform.

In drafting the original platform, Democratic leaders had removed references to God (and to Jerusalem as the capital of Israel). They didn’t merely forget to mention God; in updating previous party platforms, they made a conscious decision to remove Him. When that decision was brought to the attention of ordinary American voters, outside the orbit of the Democratic Party apparatchiks, it was unpopular. It didn’t play in Peoria. Belatedly, the Democratic leaders realized that they should put God back in the picture. So an amendment to the platform was place on the convention’s agenda.

You may remember several times the individual running the convention at the time – Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa – tried to get a voice vote on whether or not to put God back in. After numerous tries, it “passed” but clearly, that is questionable and so the boos rang out throughout the auditorium. Were the people booing God or Villaraigosa? Likely, both. They did not want God (or a reference to Jerusalem being the capital of Israel) in the platform and so booed the Mayor for making that happen, but ultimately, they were booing God because they did not want Him to be part of their platform either.

What are the results of people who do their darnedest to throw off God? We go to the Bible for the answer and it tells us very clearly. Paul unwraps the truth for us quite nicely in Romans 1. He’s very pragmatic and straight forward.

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. – (Romans 1:18-23 ESV)

Notice the downward spiral. It starts when people suppress (deny/ignore/replace) truth. This has been happening for some time in society. Because Donald Trump is not part of the “insider’s club” in Washington DC, he’s hated with a palpable hatred. He’s an outsider, not beholden to special interest groups like many in Congress. His was an unexpected victory. Most in Congress stand against Trump.

It was recently revealed that Paul Ryan (Speaker of the House) fully expected Hillary Clinton to be elected president.

Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) has revealed that during the 2016 presidential campaign, House Speaker Paul Ryan told him and his fellow Republicans to give up on Donald Trump’s campaign and just focus their energy on keeping ‘President Hillary Clinton accountable.’ According to Ryan, the Republicans had no chance at the White House, so at the very least they should try to retain their House majority.

Other reports indicate that Ryan (along with several other well-known Republicans), had received money from Hillary Clinton into their Super PACS via John Podesta. Why would a Democrat give money to people like Ryan, Graham, McCain and others?

This all happens because people reject God and His truth. There is no truth apart from God but people of every generation have done everything they can to replace God and His truth with something they prefer to be truth. It never works. Verse 21 above tells us that all people “know” or have a sense that something far greater than themselves created life, yet due to their arrogance, they absolutely refuse to acknowledge that truth, preferring lies (evolution) instead. It is because of this deliberate action and way of thinking that “they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hears were darkened.” Think about that. When people push God out, their thinking becomes futile (purposeless, unreasonable). They’re on an endless cycle of defeated thinking. Their minds “darken.” Constable states, that “When people reject truth, it becomes increasingly difficult for them to recognize and receive truth.” [1] It’s a vicious cycle they create for themselves but they have only themselves to blame.

This is what elements of society have become due to their abject refusal to honor or even acknowledge God. The last portion of Romans 1 is a perfect description of today’s AntiFa (so-called anti-Fascists).

28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them. – (Romans 1:28-32 ESV)

When facing people like this, no amount of talk or discussion will help them see truth. They’ve already rejected it and become like brutish beasts. They have no capacity to reason and live for violence. They can stand face to face with military veterans who fought against all sorts of “isms” throughout the world and call them “Nazi scum!” as members of AntiFa recently did to an Afghanistan war vet because that’s what they really think in their disturbed, twisted, darkened mind.

While it’s a bit shocking to see, we shouldn’t be shocked because Paul tells us the true, end result of people who reject God and His truth. It is happening in society now. Don’t be near people like this because their answer is violence. It’s what they know and what they do. Leave them alone. Don’t play their game or get caught up in their schemes.

[1] Constable’s Notes on Romans, p. 26

Entry filed under: Atheism and religion, christianity, Communism, Cultural Marxism, Demonic, devil worship, Emotional virtue, eternity, Life in America, Political Correctness, Politically Correct, Politics, Racism, Religious - Christian - End Times, Religious - Christian - Prophecy, Religious - Christian - Theology, salvation, Satanism, second coming. Tags: AntiFa, evil times, latter days, scott adams, seared conscience.