At long last I'm back before the cameras this week. I've been experiencing some health challenges of late. Many of you have experienced the same in your own lives, but at my age, it sometimes takes a little longer to fully recover. But thanks to God's mercy and favor and a great team of doctors, I'm on the road to recovery again.
Thank you so much for standing with me through these times and continuing to uphold my ministry with your prayers and generous support. I pray often that God will bless you richly for your faithfulness.
While I've been gone, the P5+1 nations released what they called the "framework" upon which they expect to build a nuclear accord with Iran. It defies logical explanation, but it seems a kind of euphoria has set in among some members of the Obama administration.
In fact, they've begun to see Iran as America's potential "partner" in fighting ISIS and stabilizing the Middle East! They see Iran as the new sheriff in town, able to fill the void left by a retreating America.
Folks, they're not seeing the world through rose-colored glasses, they're hallucinating!
The complexities of the Middle East seem to completely elude the current administration. Unbelievably, under the President's foreign policy leadership, Iran is our ally in some of the regional conflicts and our enemy in others. It reminds me of the old country music standard, "I'm My Own Grandpa!"
And it's obvious that both Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and its president, Hassan Rouhani, are playing us for suckers. In fact, they both publicly declare that nothing the U.S. says it has achieved in the negotiations with Iran is true. And they gloat that they've beaten the United States at its own game.
Yet our leaders continue to blithely declare that everything is under control. They are now desperately trying to convince other Arab states in the Persian Gulf region that everything will be okay if they just trust us. But events of late, such as this week's Camp David pow-wow, indicate that many of those leaders are simply not buying the administration's line.
How do I know? This might be a clue. Wednesday, Mojtaba Zolnour, a top advisor to Ayatollah Khamenei, said: "The government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has divine permission to destroy Israel. The noble Koran permits the Islamic Republic of Iran to destroy Israel."
That doesn't sound like the talk of a nation that needs nuclear power only for "peaceful purposes," does it? Apparently, this administration thinks it is.
For many years, people have referred to the Middle East as a "tinderbox." Now, the United States is allowing that tinderbox to go nuclear.
Recent events in Baltimore have shown once again the tenuous nature of a civilization that exchanges "the truth of God for a lie." (Romans 1:25) It's just one of the latest examples of the tremendous shaking our nation is experiencing as our old values are beginning to crumble.
After relentless, usually false, allegations of racially motivated murder by our police, citizens are growing uneasy and afraid. That makes them vulnerable to some radical "solutions," such as the "federalization" of our police forces.
We're learning that some of the mob violence that has been winked at, even excused, by federal and local authorities, probably was instigated and orchestrated by outside forces. I hope that's not true, because if it is, it means that the sacred halls of justice are being manipulated by a violent rabble. It would mean that we are becoming a nation where the rule of law is being trampled under foot by the rule of the frenzied mob.
A few months ago, I addressed this very issue. I want to revisit that discussion this week.
There are certain foundational pillars upon which all successful societies are built. And they're not simply man's inventions. These pillars are designed by God.
I call them "Divine Institutions" and they are all under tremendous attack by Satan and his followers.
A 'Divine Institution' is a fundamental principle God ordained for the preservation of the human race. It may be a custom, a practice, a relationship, or a behavioral pattern of importance in the life of a community or society.
I believe God designed these 'institutions' to benefit all human societies, to produce the best chance of happiness, and to insure their survival. These 'institutions' were not given just for the benefit of those who know the true God, but for all mankind. History confirms that to the extent any human society practices and preserves them, it is strengthened and preserved.
This week, we'll revisit my discussion of the vital role one of those 'institutions' plays in the stability and survival of our country. It is the institution of Human Government. I believe this pillar of society is quickly eroding and, in some cases, being forcibly destroyed by the spirit of anti-Christ in America.
I am concerned that in recent months we've witnessed an alarming rise of animosity and aggression toward those who serve and protect us: our policemen and policewomen. I believe this is a dangerous trend. It's one that can bring catastrophic results if left unchecked.
These men and women place their lives in danger to protect the rest of us. They are all that stand between a peaceful, ordered society and deadly chaos. They are, literally, the thin line of safety. And they have been placed there by a benevolent God.
In his letter to Timothy, the Apostle Paul tells us to pray for "...all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence." (I Timothy 2:2 NKJV)
A few months ago, New York City mayor Bill de Blasio -- who rightly has been criticized for his encouragement of anti-police attitudes in New York City -- made a statement with which thinking people on both sides of the issue can agree. He said, "When police officers are murdered, it tears at the foundation of our society."
This week, I'll discuss the Divine Institution of Human Government to show that there is only a narrow wall between relative stability and the chaos of the "law of the jungle." When we start despising, then attacking our policemen, we are finished. And, I'm sad to say, members of our government at the highest levels (and their friends like Al Sharpton) have been encouraging just that.
Please tune in for my discussion of "The Thin Blue Line."
