PARKS BROWN

The forces of wind, rain, heat and cold have shaped the face of our planet since the beginning of time. Migration has been the primary force shaping civilization on the planet. People move from one place to another and inhabit the land as strangers, foreigners and aliens. Today, these people are front and center news across the globe and in your local community.

Strangers are people you are not familiar with. Foreigners are from another land and aliens, well, they’re from another world. These names and monikers evoke pictures in our minds that are sometimes accurate and other times not. IF, you’ve bothered to tune in lately and see the migration happening in Ireland, Germany, France, Great Britain, Texas, Arizona, Michigan, New York…OK, if you’re paying attention at all you have seen voluminous crowds of strangers and foreigners migrating. This migration is resulting in chaos, destruction and unrest across the globe, but nothing like what’s to come.

The Bible tells the record of migration throughout history. The first migration was led by God and documented in the book of Genesis. God told the Jewish nation “‘I am the Lord who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to posses…Know for certain your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own…'” Genesis 15:7-15. God is no foreigner to migrants and He tells us HOW to live as such.

Jesus reminded His followers they would ALWAYS be strangers and foreigners and aliens. ‘Friends, this world is not your home so don’t make yourselves cozy in it…Live an exemplary life among the natives so that your actions will refute their prejudices.’ 1 Peter 2:11 (MSG).

Christ himself was a foreigner and stranger in this world so He told us how to live as foreigners in a new land. ‘..live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear.’ 1 Peter 1:17. If the mass of strangers you see in America and across the world are not peacefully integrating into foreign lands, they are not being led by God.

We ALL have been a stranger or foreigner when traveling to another country or relocating domestically for a job. A few years ago I moved 60 miles from my urban home of 35 years to begin a new life in a rural county. I felt like a stranger but was treated like a foreigner. It took me a minute to adjust but as a Christ follower I now welcome the reminder…I have ALWAYS been a foreigner even as I lived in the same place for more than half my life!

The book of Hebrews has a chapter chronicling the heroes of the faith I profess. These stalwarts, the legends of Christianity, our role models as Christ followers ‘…confessed that they were foreigners and temporary residents on the earth.’ If you are a Christ follower as well, look in the mirror and be reminded of your re-birth, heritage and new citizenship. This verse is a reminder our lives are temporary and death is our final migration as a spiritual being to another world…which brings us to the topic of aliens.

The headlines of the past few years have revealed strangers and foreigners migrating across nations and continents. The same headlines have also revealed a lot of talk about aliens and UFO’s which are now referred to as UAP’s (Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena). Credible individual and national sources confirm Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena…so does the Bible.

The Bible teaches us that God resembles what most of us would call an alien. The God of Creation is omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient. Despite revealing Himself to the world through his Son in a human form, God is a spiritual being. He doesn’t age, need sleep or rest. God never changes or grows weary and tired. He is not physically like us but more of what we would call a REAL alien. The book of Revelation describes Jesus and his return like a hard core Sci-Fi movie.

People from every secular walk of life, Christians, Jews and atheists are all engaging in conversation about the end of time…and aliens. Revelation describes Christ’s return with Him coming in the clouds. His arrival is accompanied with the new city of Jerusalem. This Jerusalem looks like a giant cube or pyramid descending like a space ship adorned with lights and color. And, it’s HUGE. Approximately 1,400 miles SQUARED or about half the distance from New York to Los Angeles.

The Word of God is replete with the history of strangers, foreigners and aliens. It instructs us how to live as strangers, foreigners and aliens. In addition, it tells what strangers, foreigners and aliens are yet to come. The Bible also tells about the climate change coming, you should read up.

The world is echoing what The Creator is doing. Unless you read the Bible, current events will only serve to confuse and confound because evil in the world is trying to mimic and counterfeit God. Before the headlines get any crazier, read and study the bestseller of all time, the Bible.

I’ve worn glasses since the second grade so I’m keenly aware of factors effecting sight. As time passes no one’s vision is improving. It’s obvious certain factors add to and take away from our ability to see clearly. Light is critical to sight. Dim lighting hampers our vision and brighter light brings clarity. If you’ve ever pulled out your phone to see a menu in a restaurant, you know what I’m talking about. Light is critical in seeing what is going on in our daily lives.

Current events also expose the need to turn up the light. Light reveals while darkness hides. Last year a person in Nashville went on a killing spree in a Christian school murdering children and adults. This person wrote out their plans and reasoning to explain their actions so others would clearly see and understand. The powers that be in Nashville have kept this manifesto hidden from the light of day until portions leaked out a few weeks ago. A friend of mine is a television journalist and he questioned what good it served to shine the light into such a painful event for the family of the murderer. I remember a time when journalists believed in exposing truth. Light exposes truth and truth is what life is all about.

I worked on Wall Street for 30 years and I can tell you it’s a dark place. The Bible teaches that ‘everything exposed by the light becomes visible – and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.’ I can still remember the day I learned insider trading was legal for Congressmen and Senators but you and I would go to jail for the same behavior. This knowledge quickly illuminated why politicians would never pass term limits and they left office wealthy even when they were paid a meager salary.

More light into Wall Street reveals what started as a way to finance capitalism and grow wealth has become a systemic racket. When you buy a stock you spend money. When you sell a stock you receive money. On Wall Street, there are dark pools of money that can sell all day long without ever owning what they sell. This is widely known on the Street as naked short selling. Therefore, if you’re part of the machine that hides in this dimly lit activity money pours like water from a faucet. Journalists and regulators keep this practice dimly lit as well. Wonder why?

When we talk about shining the light of truth into an area where people live, work and profit, we might question what stops the light from exposing the truth? The answer is as plain as the restaurant menu when you shine your phone on it…evil people. “‘…men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear his deeds will be exposed.'” John 3:19-20.

Why are the deeds of some people in politics, Wall Street and even Main Street evil? The answer is simple but not popular. The LOVE of money causes some to hide their activities or stay in office until they’re unable or unfit to serve. I am NOT slamming money as evil but the ‘love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.’ 1 Timothy 6:10. This verse is a reminder that EVERYONE including Christians are susceptible to wandering from the light into the darkness.

Jesus emphatically claimed “‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'” Therefore, Christians have the light but are we shining our light? Part of the answer is found in the book of Ephesians. ‘Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.’ Christ reminds HIS people, we are called to shine the light of truth into darkness.

Do YOU speak up when you see evil? Is a Christian doctor called to expose the fallacy of masks in preventing C-19…should Bible believing journalists push for the release of the Nashville killer’s manifesto…are there believers on Wall Street to shine truth on and regulate illegal trading activities?

Do Christ-followers live out their faith each day or is our light being hidden? Jesus emphatically said “‘You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl….In the same way, let your light shine before others…and glorify your Father in heaven.'” Matthew 5:14-16. I’m not saying Christians are called to hold everyone accountable but we ARE called to speak truth into every situation.

As 2023 draws to a close it appears as though the light is fading and the world is becoming more dimly lit. More time won’t expose truth, only the light inside Christ followers can do this. Has our light exposed what happened in Ukraine this past year? Have we exposed the truth behind the conflict in the Middle East? Has there been any light into the trail of money and weapons GIVEN to Iran, the caliphate in Afghanistan, Ukraine, and numerous other countries?

Too many Christians are obsessed with current events foretelling the return of Christ instead of living out what Christ commanded. He said to simply tell and train others in His way. The writer of Romans added ‘And do this , understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber because our salvation is nearer now…The night is nearly over; the day is almost here.’

Whoever you are and wherever you work and live the message is as plain as a well lit menu. ‘Put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.’ In other words. WAKE UP AND TURN UP THE LIGHT!!

There is ALWAYS a crisis in leadership…but this timing is different.

Leadership is in crisis from Washington to Rome. People in positions of leadership are dropping like flies. Most are ageing, some are dying, many are being voted out of their positions. ALL leaders are under scrutiny because they are being revealed as posers. A poser is a person who pretends to be someone they’re not. Think politicians, school board members, District Attorneys, pastors, heads of Church and State.

The past Speaker of the House of Representatives is the poser poster boy. He changed votes and positions on issues from one day to the next. It was revealed he allowed the past opposition Leader to remain in her physical office 9 months AFTER she was removed. Every American is wondering where his loyalties were…and are. It makes the Old Testament new again… ‘Your rulers are rebels, partners with thieves; they all love bribes and chase after gifts.’ Isaiah 1:23.

The leadership crisis doesn’t respect borders. The Canadian Speaker was exposed as a Nazi sympathizer. Under the Speaker’s leadership the entire Canadian Parliament and Prime Minister gave a Nazi SS officer a standing ovation. Is Canadian Parliament posing as well? The Pope seems to speak as much to climate change as repentance and forgiveness. Parishioners question if their leaders are shepherds, or wolves.

Events of the last days and weeks reveal the greater struggle behind the crisis in leadership. Centuries ago Paul wrote about the posers in his time… ‘For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.’ Ephesians 6:12. The battle has never been against politicians and religious leaders. The struggle is against what and who is ruling the posers. It is against the evil ruling their hearts and minds.

The crisis in leadership accelerates when Americans disengage and become apathetic. The path of least resistance is to turn away, stay focused on your community and remain uninterested unless you’re directly effected. This mindset of complacency, me-first and no accountability is FAAAR more dangerous than getting involved and speaking up. The old-school label for this attitude is…lukewarm.

God himself directly addressed the apathy of being lukewarm. ‘ “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm-neither hot nor cold- I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” ‘. Rev 3:15. In other words, take a stand or sit down, but this posing makes me sick.

Americans have become lukewarm because of the crisis in leadership. Church attendance is down because leadership is singing about the climate changing our world more than Jesus. Voters are apathetic when a candidate is subpoenaed more than interviewed. People are lukewarm about everything except their money. But…when a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) replaces cash, will leadership at the Federal Reserve encourage following the science of Newton’s First Law of Motion…and go with the trend?

America was founded on Judeo-Christian principles and is the last bastion of leadership and freedom. When our leadership only POSES to represent these principles, God help us. Read the WHOLE Gospel to know how God deals with rulers and leaders who become posers. ‘…he will crush kings on the day of his wrath. He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead and crushing the rulers of the whole earth.’ Psalm 110:5-6.

Corporate, Church and State leadership has not been lukewarm amassing fortunes while posing as a public servant, spiritual father or shareholder rep. Christ taught ‘ “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other…You cannot serve both God and money.” ‘ Matthew 6:24. Behind many of the failures in leadership there’s a pallet of cash, a funding bill or a donation. Follow the money to find the next poser. Where do we find the next leader?

Leaders are born, they are not made. We focus on God-given rights but we have God-given responsibilities as well. Everyone is responsible for leading others. The question is whether you will lead well. Leading your children is the first responsibility parents are given. If you don’t have kids, leading your family, friends and neighbors is your responsibility. Christ called this discipleship and actually commanded His followers to lead and train others as He did.

GOOD leaders are made with training and discipling that starts with a mother AND a father, a man AND a woman. Parental leadership cannot be overstated and is a major cause behind our crisis in leadership. Divorce and the lack of a father in the home is one thing, but lukewarm parenting is bad parenting. One of the most wicked Kings in ancient Israel ‘did evil in the eyes of the Lord, because he walked in the ways of his father and mother..’1 Kings 22:52.

The leadership vacuum created across the globe will not last. The next stage will involve more divisiveness and choice between the God of Creation and the gods of this world. Leaders will choose to pose as serving others and tell others to serve them. The best leaders are ruled by a spirit to serve others, not themselves. Jesus said ‘ “..whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant….just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” ‘. Matthew 20:26-28.

New leadership is already on stage and more is coming soon…get ready to be WOWED at what is coming.

The Bible speaks to this in the last book written. The book of Revelation identifies a leader who will emerge from a crisis and ‘perform great and miraculous signs.’ This leader will be the supreme poser as ‘he deceive(s) the inhabitants of the earth.’ This leader will present economic and financial programs for ‘rich and poor, free and slave’. This leader will separate himself by providing access to markets for consumers to buy and sell only after accepting him and his leadership. There will be a mark to identify his followers. Don’t be lukewarm and accept this new leadership, it leads to ‘God’s fury’.

The global crisis in leadership has created a vacuum at the highest levels. Nature abhors a vacuum. Be a part of leading others while there is time. Lead them to protection from the leadership right around the corner. Lead, train and disciple others to Christ.

College Football on Saturday in the Fall reveals more than winners and losers. Behind the noise of a winning celebration or a frustrating loss there are truths that shape our lives. Pearls of wisdom can be found IF you can ignore the noise of the day.

In a game most football fans didn’t see, unranked Missouri defeated 12th ranked Kansas State on a last second 61 yard field goal for an improbable win. In the adrenaline rush of the moment in an on-the-field interview after the game, the Missouri Head Coach was asked his message to the team before the game. The coach said, “I told our guys to ignore the noise and stay focused.” In another interview, the player who made the winning kick to set an SEC record repeated the coach’s words with emphasis, “Coach said, ‘ignore the noise’ and that’s what we did”.

If you’ve been to an SEC football game between rivals where there is bad blood, you know the noise level is deafening. In fact, bad blood makes the noise more difficult to ignore. In a late night game between Colorado and Colorado State, the Colorado State coach reiterated the fact that between those rivals “there’s bad blood, that’s just the way it is.” Everyone breathing on this planet knows we live in a pool of bad blood these days. That’s just the way it is.

Before time began on Earth, Lucifer was cast out and down like Georgia Tech on a Saturday in November. OK, I digress because bad blood creates noise. Bad blood and the resulting noise was introduced between mankind and Satan in the Garden of Eden. Noise distracts and causes you to lose focus. Recognizing and ignoring noise is imperative. So it begs the question, what is the noise in your life that distracts you? What noise do you need to ignore?

Although we are not all college athletes, we know this pearl of wisdom coaches teach their players is essential. Long after the contests end the games continue. Ignoring the everyday noise is critical to winning in life. So what is noise? Noise can be whatever distracts you and causes you to tune out some one or some thing.

These days race and political opinions can be a noise. Much of what circulates on social media is noise generated by algorithms and AI. Noises are lies that cause dissension and disunity and CAN be ignored. Learning to discern the truth from a lie is the first step to ignore the noise in YOUR life.

A problem in our culture is there are soooo many lies being told. This noise is designed to separate people, cause our love to grow cold for each other and more pointedly, separate us from God and the Truth. We have been conditioned to ignore the truth along with the lies. If we ignore the truth we will lose our very lives. There IS absolute truth in this world but it isn’t found in your truth and my truth. The Word of God is truth. Jesus is truth. Anything contrary to Him IS noise, a lie and endangers your very soul.

Jesus reminded us of the need to discern truth from lies because lies come from the enemy and will kill and destroy. “‘Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.'” Matthew 10:28.

If you believe and help spread lies you have bought into the noise of the father of lies, the devil. “‘…He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.'” John 8:44. When you can’t discern the truth from a lie, it can take time for the truth to be to revealed. Many lies sound good but are really noise designed to divide. Popular lies like systemic racism, political accusations, Ukraine is about democracy and they are winning the war.

We know noise not only keeps us from living well with others and enjoying a victorious life on Earth, it kills and destroys our very soul. The best antidote to this noise is silence. How much time have you spent in silence the past week opposed to surfing the web or alternative news services? Silence isn’t empty, it’s full of answers. Silence speaks volumes without you ever saying a word. Silence increases the quality of your life while noise will reduce that quality.

I encourage you to spend time in silence BEFORE you spend time on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and the other distributors of noise on social media. But, I warn you the less time you have spent in silence the more deafening it will be. “WHY?” you might ask. Because truth is found in silence. God can be heard in silence…and remember…there is bad blood between noise and silence.

Just like the college football players from this past weekend can testify, you have to practice and be disciplined to ignore the noise. You play the way you practice and odds favor you’re out of the practice of silence and prone to the comfort and distraction of noise. LEARN to ignore the noise. Practice silence this week and set yourself up for a win.

I’ll close with a request…
What noise distracts you the most today? What noise is causing you to withdraw from friends, family and fellowship with others? I’d genuinely like you to respond. Your responses might encourage and reveal lies to me and others that we don’t see.

IGNORE THE NOISE to win the race…and save your soul.

Numbers are the universal language spoken across the globe and the cosmos. Numbers count days and dollars, space and time. Numbers measure your weight and mark your age. Numbers differentiate winners and losers into first and as far away as last place. Numbers separate and unite people by declaring minorities and majorities. Numbers are powerful and even emotional. Think 45, 666, your address, infinity….WW III.

Behind the numbers are people, places and things. God said “‘I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.'” The Bible teaches us that numbers are important but understanding the who, what and why behind the numbers is more important. Numbers help us see and understand but they don’t drive our lives. Are they driving your life?

We live in a world obsessed and possessed with numbers. In the story that is your life, do numbers play a lead or supporting role? Is your family dictated by how many children you can afford or is there something else behind those numbers? Do you judge happiness and success by how much money you make, the number of hours you work or how many weeks vacation you take? Do these numbers lead your life or support the decisions you make regardless of the numbers? Is your faith in numbers or elsewhere?

Numbers are often front and center but they don’t speak for themselves. Numbers reveal what is behind them. Numbers tell a story, reveal the narrative, show the character, perspective and people behind them. Numbers expose us. They expose our faith, our hearts and our fears. IF we learn to discern the wisdom behind the numbers they can change your life.

Numbers are so ubiquitous in our everyday lives it is imperative we understand what is behind them. Numbers can reveal what is hidden and give us wisdom when they are understood. This has always been true. More than 3000 years ago the writer of Psalm 90:12 put it this way…’Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.’

The wisdom to discern and understand what is behind the numbers is found in and through a relationship with God and reading His Word. The writer of Job declared God controls EVERYTHING behind the numbers when he wrote ‘..a person’s days are determined and the number of his months depends on you..’ God uses numbers to communicate and share His wisdom…but HE doesn’t need them.

The Bible has numerous stories to show us how numbers can expose our faith. Most often we believe there is strength and power in numbers. The Bible tells us strength and power come from God. God used 300 men under the obedience of Gideon to defeat 135,000 soldiers. David slew Goliath who was much older and larger in size. Twenty thousand people were fed with 5 loaves of bread and two fish. Elijah was one prophet of God against 850 prophets representing the world. The one man of God survived while the 850 perished. These examples emphasize the point…God doesn’t need numbers to accomplish His will. Today, the world is trying to accomplish the same feat.

A friend recently told me she felt outnumbered when Clarke County flew a flag other than the American flag. While ‘feelings’ are real, they don’t connotate the truth behind the numbers. Even after doubling the last 10 years, the numbers reveal that only 7% of individuals ‘identify’ as something other than heterosexual. Those numbers reveal a narrative by a very vocal minority. I reminded my friend she is FAR from outnumbered because God doesn’t need numbers…He needs apostles and disciples.

Numbers can change things. Numbers have changed the game of baseball (Moneyball) into a statistics class. Numbers can be altered to change elections. A $6.2 billion accounting error might change the face of the war in Ukraine. Numbers can make a church lose their first love and focus on programs. In the Garden of Eden, Eve chose to focus on ONE tree as opposed to thousands of others and it altered the course of humanity. It is critical to understand the who, what and why behind the numbers.

Jesus reminded us of the need to understand what numbers reveal but not to make them the driving force in your life. He said “‘Even the very hairs of your head are numbered. So don’t be afraid…'” In other words, I KNOW the numbers…put your faith in me!

Numbers can make some heads spin and give others clarity. So…do YOU ‘trust the numbers’ or ignore them? Do you focus solely on the numbers or do you look to understand what is behind them?

I’ll close with the encouragement to ALWAYS look at what the numbers say, but look behind them as well. I believe you will see good and evil, God and the world behind numbers. I believe it is imperative to see how the numbers are being used and what story they tell…and WHO they reveal.