PARKS BROWN

Confidence and trust in people, places and things is in a free-fall. These are the facts, and they are indisputable. The ramifications are as well.

Trust and confidence in the U.S. dollar is falling at 10 times the speed of the past two decades as evidenced by global dollar reserves held by all nations. Confidence in the future is declining as evidenced by a drastically increasing suicide rate the past decade. Someone took their own life every 11 minutes in 2021. Trust in politicians, scientists, church leaders and government is at historic lows. Faith is under attack and in a free fall.

Faith is complete confidence and trust in someONE or someTHING. Faith is not an ephemeral feeling, thought or religious word. Faith is a muscle that if not built up and confirmed by successful use, will deteriorate and decline. The brother of Jesus put it bluntly, ‘…faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.’ In simple terms, your actions speak louder than your words.

Whatever metric you choose, the erosion of faith is evident across the planet. Democrats have lost faith in the President. Everyone has lost faith in the DOJ to represent justice and not a political agenda. Some beer drinkers have lost faith in Budweiser products to culturally represent them. Catholics and Protestants lose faith in Church leaders because their actions and words betray beliefs held for thousands of years. When the loss of faith is apparent in the obvious, look for faith to wane in the not so obvious as well.

Faith is not alone in it’s free fall. Hope is the kissing cousin of faith and represents your desires, expectations and wishes. When faith declines, hope plays follow the leader and takes a hit as well. WHY is this important? What are the implications for YOU when faith and hope becomes flabby, obese and out of shape?

When faith is attacked and weakened your love for others grows cold. You become apathetic and indifferent. You lose empathy for others. Your witness to those with a weaker faith becomes less. The fabric of our society declines and unity decays because we lose faith in the most basic truths. When a learned person can’t or won’t define the basic biology of men and women because of their politics, it’s impossible to put faith in their ability to tell the truth. After this, faith in public safety and freedom of speech join the free fall.

If you think the decline in faith and hope is a problem for others but not yourself, go deeper. Read 6 little verses in Luke 18:9-14. This short story is about people who use others as their standard of righteousness. In one man’s view, his words and actions surpassed others so he celebrated his own virtue. Thinking he was better than everyone, he assumed God was pleased with him. He had become apathetic and indifferent, arrogant and prideful towards others. Jesus said this man exalted himself above others therefore condemning himself. ‘ “… For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” ‘ Before you virtue signal others or flat out judge your faith to be intact, look in the mirror and acknowledge the decline in faith and hope is an epidemic effecting us all.

Faith, confidence and trust in ANYTHING is only as strong as the object in which you place and exercise that faith. Faith in a political party or person has ALWAYS failed us. Faith in money will soon fail you as digital currencies replace cash. Your bank accounts will no longer be your own. This will cause anger and a loss of faith. There is ONLY one place to go all-in with confidence and trust.

Jesus proved faith in Him was worth it. The Bible tells us faith in Christ healed the sick ( “your faith has healed you” ), restored sight to the blind (“According to your faith will it be done to you.”) and even secures eternal life ( ‘For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith’ ). The mic drops in Hebrews 11:6…’ And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him MUST BELIEVE that he exists AND that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.’ Do we want to please God?

Christians use the word ‘faith’ like a badge of honor. But, the number of ‘believers’ congregating to praise and worship is a canary in the coal mine of America. Read up on the ‘Nones’ to quantify what is happening. Church attendance is the first thing to go and HAS been in a free fall. Next, the sense of belonging declines. Finally, belief and faith dwindle. Look at your own Sunday morning schedule. Watch the cars in your neighbors driveway. If actions show your faith, where is it?

When Christ-followers lose faith and the PRACTICE of faith, the culture is quick to follow… OR it shows Christians have been led by the culture and not their faith. Christ followers are the last line of defense to protect society by exercising faith in the only One who CAN save our nation. Jesus’ life spoke directly to this dilemma of little faith and the current climate. ‘And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.’ Matthew 13:58.

We need to get back to the basics of where we place our trust and confidence. The Bible reminds us what we see in real time has been expected. ‘…in later times some will abandon the faith…’ by being deceived and placing their faith elsewhere. Many reading this blog have faith in God but…is it the kind of faith that confirms confidence when Christ said… ‘Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.’ Seen any miracles lately? Yes or no, it’s a faith issue.

The story in Mark 9:14-29 is a must read for everyone who has any kind of faith left in 2023. This man had enough trust and belief to take his deaf, mute, possessed epileptic son to Jesus for healing. This guy is a poster child for too many of us. His prayer, his words to Jesus revealed the depth of his faith when he said… ‘…”But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us. ” ‘

I love it when Jesus speaks so adamantly and pointedly about faith. Christ addressed his disciples faith by calling them an ‘unbelieving generation’ and asking ‘How long should I put up with you?’ When he spoke to the dad he drilled the point, ‘Everything is possible for one who believes.’ Let that sink in a minute…EVERYTHING for one who believes.

The dad’s response is similar to what you and I might be thinking. “I do believe: help me with my unbelief”. Read the rest of the story. Jesus rewarded this man’s faith and honesty by healing the son. If you ask God for more faith, He’s ready and willing to provide it. Are you willing to ask?

‘When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.’ Good men and women have lost faith in people AND God because their faith has been shaken across the board. A weakened and immature faith has led to childish and perverted ways becoming the modern day mindset. Is this decline in faith really an issue? Absolutely yes.

Jesus warned about the decline in faith we are living through. When He spoke about returning to His creation, Christ asked a piercing rhetorical question. ‘” However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?'” ….How will He find yours?

No matter how little, weak or waning your faith is, be encouraged.
2 Timothy 2:11-13…

‘Here is a trustworthy saying:
If we died with him, we will also live with him;
if we endure, we will also reign with him.
If we disown him, he will also disown us;
if we are faithless he remains faithful,
for he cannot disown himself.’

Exercise more faith in God and watch what happens. HE remains faithful to us no matter what. Will we have faith in Him?

Monday morning and it’s time to hit it and get it. Work, kids ball games this week, a round of golf with your buddies, yard work to make the neighbors and your spouse happy, dinner out with friends, maybe a date night with the wife, car needs to go the shop, small group from church wants you to be a part, the boss and customers need you to give a little more…and this is all before Thursday morning. How do you balance work, home life and personal time?

The answer is simple. You don’t. Balance is a concept that connotates your heart, mind and time can be neatly divided like quarts in a gallon of milk. Balancing all the demands in your life is more like dividing those quarts in a gallon of ice cream after it’s been sitting on the countertop all night. It’s not going to happen so throw it out.

The chief culprit adding to anxiety, frustration, luke warm marriages and kids being raised by TV, daycare or the internet is the lie of juggling competing demands. The solution is simple and as old as time itself, but it begs a question not many want to ask. Do you want what God has promised and gives generously or can you have MORE? It’s the same seed Satan planted with Eve in the Garden. Is God holding out on you by telling you not to eat from that one tree? Can’t you have it all, don’t you deserve it all? By the look of your schedule this week the answer is, “I’m trying!!”

Everyone is in this battle regardless of your season in life. Everyone feels it, too. The demands on your time and attention are because ‘our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against..authorities..powers..and spiritual forces of evil..’ It’s similar to the gallon of ice cream. You didn’t see it melt but you know what happened. You don’t see all the forces at work but you know there is more than meets the eye, you can feel it. EVERYONE knows it but they’re too busy to do anything about it.

Like every question you have, the answer is found in the Bible. Too many parents have trained their children more in the ways of the world than the ways of God. Therefore, Occam’s razor and the KISS principle come to mind quicker than Matthew 6:33. ‘But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.’ There it is…the way to balance is to pursue Him BEFORE anything else.

The world tells us to keep things simple and balance the demands of life. God tells us to seek Him first and HE will balance what you need. This is where the rubber meets the road and life starts skidding all over the place. The Premier League match, Formula 1 or a Gran Prix race is on TV Sunday morning so you skip church. Can’t start the day in prayer because there’s an early meeting at the office. The travel team AND the rec league have games on Sunday so no small group in the afternoon much less a service in the morning.

The traditional ways we learn about what’s happening in the world have been sacrificed in the name of propaganda so we find alternative sources to get the news. The traditional ways prior generations sought to learn about God have been crowded out so we must also adapt. Biblical wisdom is simple and makes promises where the world can only suggest. If you want to know how to balance this next week, ask God. ‘If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives GENEROUSLY to ALL without finding fault, and IT WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU.’ James 1: 5.

You want to keep it simple? You want the truth about balancing life? I’m not sure you can handle the truth about balancing life. So now, we’re back to the rub of balancing what YOU think versus what God promises. You want to know how to balance it all, ASK Him. ‘But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. THAT PERSON should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.’ James 1: 6-8. Sound like anyone you know or see in the mirror?

What about MY plans, MY needs, MY desires….me, me, me. I get it. Nobody wants to submit their free will to God. Yes, I’ll submit my will of being vaccinated to government mandates or peer pressure, but God? The crux sounds ugly, blasphemous but practical. Do you see a need for God? When’s the last time you needed help with something a friend, co-worker, parent or your bank account couldn’t do for you? Think about that and what you’ll come up with are health issues, emergencies, financial catastrophies…real calamities. Maybe you can balance things until that happens and then you’ll seek God. Maybe not.

There’s plenty of scripture I could site in landing this plane but I’ll skip referencing verses that sound familiar. If you haven’t shown your wife OR husband any love in a while, tell me how that works out. If you haven’t talked to your dad in months or years tell me his tone and words when you finally call. I’ll keep it in a vernacular we all understand. Whether you’re talking about athletics, knowledge of a subject, using a foreign language or whatever….if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it.

Bottom line is you can’t balance God. God demands to be first. If you have a relationship with a God who CAN be balanced, you serve a weak and small god…not the one true God.

REAL balance in life is a relationship with God that comes before everything else….don’t lose it.

The wisdom of Hollywood is an oxymoron, but they tell great stories. In every story, whether it is documentary, fiction, fantasy, comedy or sci-fi there is a grain of truth to take away. The Godfather, produced in 1972 contains many of those pearls. ‘I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse’…’Never tell anyone outside the family what you’re thinking’…and for the purpose of this discussion, ‘You’re not a wartime consigliere, Tom.’

Since the spring of 2020 there has been greater than a 50% increase in the demand for counselors and therapists leading to an all-time high. The need for advice and guidance is as old as time itself. President’s have a cabinet of advisors ranging from domestic and foreign affairs to economic and environmental issues. Doctors give advice ranging from your skin and eyes to internal organs, bones and mental health. Advice comes in many forms and from various sources because ‘Fools are headstrong and do what they like; wise people take advice.’ Proverbs 12:15.

Where we seek and accept counsel is what the Godfather was talking about. We seek specific counsel depending on the immediate need and the need changed for the Godfather. Michael Corleone told a proven and trusted counselor he needed NEW counsel because ‘things may get rough with the move we’re trying.’ When things move, shift and change it’s critical to make sure the counsel you’ve received in the past is appropriate for what you’re dealing with now. Specifically, things get rough when you’re at war, in a battle.

Three years ago not many people recognized the frontal assault against truth, freedom and mankind. Today many of the initial C-19 conspiracy theories are proven fact and in your face. Now the headlines read, World War III…Spy Balloons Cross the United States…Toxic Mushroom Clouds Over Ohio…Chemical Fallout Kills Animals and Fish By The Thousands. The changes being made include many countries around the world re-instituting a military draft AND increasing the draft age. If you can’t see the changes and what they will bring, evaluate where you get counsel and plan accordingly.

‘Plans are established by seeking advice; so if you wage war, obtain guidance.’ Proverbs 20:18. Although China has increased the draft age to 60 most folks above 35 don’t see themselves as ever actively waging war. Boomers and Gen X have historically sought advice and formed opinions on world issues from the mainstream media, their circle of friends and their church. Gen Y and Z recognize the failure and incompetence of the media and they don’t attend church that often. The younger generations tend be more myopic leading them to neglect counsel that isn’t confirmation biased to their immediate opinions, circumstances and needs. The climate is ripe for misinformation and bad counsel.

Historically the church has been the leading advocate for counsel and advice as revealed in the Bible. The Bible is the counsel of God that includes advice for every changing situation since the beginning of time. ALL scripture from Genesis to Revelation is God’s full counsel that ‘is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.’ 2 Timothy 3:16. In other words, we need to know and live by ALL scripture and not ignore the parts that target our lifestyles and choices in 2023.

The modern church often chooses to focus on Christ’s gospel of love and not the FULL gospel of God. This was apparent when RVW brought abortion front and center. Many preached free will not repentance. The full counsel of God says our bodies are not our own and that HE knits a person together while they are still ‘unborn’. Some pastors think these verses are too offensive and limit the inclusion of everyone.

The battle has always been against God and his Word. In the beginning, Satan wanted Adam and Eve to ignore one or two words. God said mankind would ‘certainly die’ and we know what happened next. In the 70’s the front line against God’s word was abortion. Many focused on ‘free will’ while ignoring ‘whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ Sixty million abortions later…

Today, the battlefront is a lifestyle choice. The full gospel/counsel includes what some popular preachers want to ignore and call the ‘clobber’ scriptures like 1 Corinthians 6…’Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolators nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.’ If these folks don’t inherit the Kingdom of God you might ask, who else is there?

If this counsel offends and excludes you or someone you know remember, Jesus is a savior AND a wartime consigliere. He knows the war for your soul is through the mind and His mental health counseling is measured with truth and not opinion. It’s not popular counsel to say that you must submit to God and ‘anyone who takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share of the tree of life and the holy city…’ Truth is not always inclusive. When you choose anyone other than Him, Jesus said, “‘Anyone who loves their father and mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”‘ Matthew 10:37.

No man is an island and the climate change is towards more counseling not less. More counsel can present a real paradox of choice and lead to not accepting any advice. The faith and survival of the next generation hinges on the full counsel of Truth, God’s truth. The full counsel of God says EVERYONE is loved and welcomed in His Kingdom. This counsel also reminds us “‘small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.'” Biblical counsel recommends repentance and is radically different from a lifestyle of self indulgence.

The counsel of God doesn’t always build a mega practice, or congregation. But, the full counsel of God includes the Old Testament where God looks for one righteous person, a remnant to follow Him. Multitudes can see ‘..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.’….but will multitudes heed this counsel?

Michael Corleone knew it, so should you. Things are getting rough with the moves being tried in the world. NOW is the time to make sure your counsel is the FULL Biblical counsel from a wartime consigliere. ‘Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors’ Psalm 119:24.

5G is the way of the world. Out with the old, in with the new. 5G is everywhere you turn whether you know it or not. 5G is the next gen, the 5th generation. 5G represents a move forward, the next step in everything from technology to warfare. 5G is newer, better, faster and improved. 5G warfare represents social engineering, misinformation, cyber attacks, along with emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and fully autonomous systems.

Cell providers and military forces around the world are dropping the old and focusing on the new. This evolution and change reaches institutions, church and state. How does the new gen manifest? Did you watch the social engineering at the Grammies? Did you hear the change this week from the Bishop of London and the Protestant Church of England? Have you read what Pope Benedict wrote before his death and contrast that with the ‘new’ Pope, Francis? Out with the old, in with the new.

5G is evident in the next generation of money and finance. Yesterday, the Bank of England discussed their proposed roll out of the new digital currency to replace the pound. Under current guidelines, Britons would only be allowed 10-20,000 pounds in their digital wallets. To posses money above this limit, the BOE would be in charge of approving and allowing you to sweep from other accounts to make additional purchases. When CBDC’s roll out, your cash will be outdated 3G technology left behind.

5G represents the NEW way of the world. While you decide whether to participate in the changes it brings, 5G demands you get on board or get left behind. Verizon has moved on so your 3G phone and services won’t work anymore. ChatGPT has changed the way your kids write their next essay whether you participate or not. This week’s SOTU address was 5G misinformation regardless of the economy participating or not. The world is moving on whether the truth participates or not.

Coming soon to a theater near you, Christians will be labeled as either participating in the new 5G world or their archaic first generation faith. It’s incumbent Christ followers remember the world may offer new and improved but the Bible says…’You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.’ James 4:4. Yes, the choice IS between the two and the contrast is stark. The time is NOW to have wisdom and discernment regarding the ways of the world versus the ways of God.

Jesus knew the choice between Him and the world would be the same in the 1G or the 5G so, He prayed to the Father…’ ” I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world anymore than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.’ ‘ John 17:14-15. In the world, if your faith dictates not baking a cake to commemorate a particular ceremony, the choice and the consequences are real. It begs the question, do we really believe ‘…the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world’?

The heat is getting turnt up each day and we have battles to either fight or ignore. Before turning away from a battle or engaging with a comment on social media remember, ‘For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.’ 2 Cor 10:4-5. Prayer should be the 5G weapon of choice for a Christ follower.

Christians are called to be holy. Holy is not silence, self righteous, pompous, angry or meek. Holy means to be set apart, separate. We are to live in this world but not be of it. We are called to be salt and light, to stick out and be different. The time is here and now to decide where you stand on ALL the issues of the world that are in conflict with your faith and what Jesus commanded. The Christian faith is in direct conflict with many headlines and events. Biblical faith means ‘Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.’

With CBDC’s around the corner, many believers don’t want to think the convenience of utilizing an ATM card might be replaced with a chip somewhere on your body. 5G monetary technology might dictate you adapt or get left behind like an old phone. ‘We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one’ so live prepared to make the hard choice.

Things are moving fast and Christ followers must stay in touch with the Holy Spirit and a body of believers more than the next technology. Go to church. Socialize with other believers. 5G is sweeping the world. A 1G faith is the remnant that will never become obsolete or leave you behind. “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

Have faith, wisdom and discernment in God, not the world. Live in community with like minded. The letter Paul wrote to Timothy reminds us about those who chose the new ways over their faith, ‘have nothing to do with them.’

Wolves are widely known to be among the most deadly predators in the world. They dominate in all climates right at the top of the food chain because they are predominately ruthless pack animals. Wolves work together to devour every part of their weaker prey preferring psychological warfare to physical confrontation. Wolves thin out the weaker elements and control the population where they live.

Wolves aren’t considered an everyday threat because they live in the wild, but wolves are cold blooded killers. Think Liam Neeson’s movie, ‘The Grey’. Jeremy Renner in ‘The Bourne Legacy’. Most people only encounter wolves in the movies, or do they?

What would happen if wolves disguised their appearance and breached the borders in your city? Think back to Jack Nicholson in ‘Wolf’. What if wolves were a metaphor for intruders and evil like in the slasher film ‘Wolves At The Door’ depicting the Manson family massacre in 1969? Think the words in red, “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.” Matthew 7:15. Wolves come in many shapes.

Wolves are easy to recognize until they start masquerading and identify as humans. Today we are told everyone can be androgynous and identify however they feel, is it so far fetched to believe wolves are doing the same? Old testament prophets remind us this has been happening for centuries. Zephaniah identified a rebellious city full of oppressors and it’s ruling class. ‘Her officials within her are roaring lions: her rulers are evening wolves, who leave nothing for the morning’ Zeph. 3:3.

When the prophet Ezekiel told of the coming wrath of God, he identified one reason as the political leaders. ‘Her officials within her are like wolves tearing their prey: they shed blood and kill people to make unjust gain.’ Ezekiel 22:27. He didn’t say anything about a man made virus to thin the population and make billions of dollars but if the shoe fits.

In the time period he was writing, Ezekiel said the church failed as well. ‘Your priests violated my law and desecrated my holy things. They can’t tell the difference between sacred and secular. They tell people there’s no difference between right and wrong.’ Ezekiel 3:26. I’m thinking this is when you can’t tell the difference between making a choice of free will that God gives us and killing a live baby in the womb. The church is failing us today when it condones marriage between the same sex and promotes lust to be the same as love. Truth is, wolves are identifying as politicians, corporate leaders, pastors and priests.

When truth is said to be so wishy washy it can be whatever you identify as ‘your truth’, wolves have breached the border because there are no walls to keep them out. Wolves are crossing the border into our hearts and minds. We need discernment to see and identify the wolves around us because what comes next is wolves entering your house without a valid search warrant…or is that already happening? Each of us need to know God’s truth about what is good and what is evil…and speak it loudly. Or else what? ‘Doom to those who call evil good and good evil.’ Isaiah 5:20. It doesn’t sound rewarding for anyone not speaking up against the abominations and evil parading and demanding to be accepted.

We know wolves prefer psychological warfare in order to confuse and separate, making their prey become more vulnerable and lose hope. Are there signs this is happening today? Suicide rates through the roof. Church attendance not recovering after the virus lock-downs. Friendships dividing because of who you vote for. The rate of sudden deaths, myocarditis and abnormal blood clots in cadavers beyond anything morticians have ever seen. Athletes dropping like flies. Wolves are definitely in the house and we need good shepherds to point them out more than ever.

Jeremiah 50:6 reminds us we need good shepherds like in the days when Iraq was still called Babylon. Why? Because, just like then…’My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray.’ The profession of being a shepherd has been overrun by wolves and the number of sheep without a shepherd is increasing. Like the police force is dwindling, no one is stepping up to join the ranks of shepherd at a time they are most needed.

In Biblical terms, wolves are the same genus as false prophets. If wolves are running rampant, odds favor false prophets are as well. Jesus told us this recognition was very important because it signified the second advent; His return. We remember ‘wars and rumors of wars…famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.’ These have also been such ubiquitous headlines for the past two years that many are desensitized and forget the importance they signify.

Don’t be lulled into complacency just because the wolves parading in the open seem like just another drag show. Christ did say He would return ‘like a thief in the night’, and the Message version of the Bible makes His words speak in the modern vernacular about the end. ‘”And then going from bad to worse, it will be dog-eat-dog, everyone at each other’s throat, everyone hating each other. In the confusion, lying preachers will come forward and deceive a lot of people. For many others, the overwhelming spread of evil will do them in-nothing left of their love but a mound of ashes…and then the end will come.” ‘ Matthew 24:10-14.

I know with God a ‘thousand years are like a day and a day is like a thousand years’ and no-one knows when He returns. I have heard the rumors of wars, watched the increase in earthquakes and bizarre weather from Cali to the Philippines. I also know the love between people grows cold… good is called evil in the name of unity and inclusion… and wolves kill.

The wolves we encounter today aren’t racking up the body count but they are killing none the less. ‘”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. Beware the Wolves.