No matter what direction we turn today there is no evidence of peace and tranquillity in our land, or the world for that matter. But what we do see are clouds and storms of trouble arising and about to engulf all peoples. In the words of the Prophet Jeremiah in chapter 8:15:

15 We looked for peace, but no good came; and for a time of health, and behold trouble!
16 The snorting of his horses was heard from Dan: the whole land trembled at the sound of the neighing of his strong ones; for they are come, and have devoured the land, and all that is in it; the city, and those that dwell therein."

In the days of Jeremiah, they were also looking for peace and prosperity, but, like today, there was no such good news. They looked for a time of good health but instead they beheld, as verse 16 tells us, a time of trouble and war

I think it is important to observe here that when peace and health are looked for, it is time to be even more alert for, we see that trouble comes during those times, a time when it is little expected. And as we look around today at world events, we hear all kinds of reports saying peace and prosperity, and now President Clinton wants to enslave us all through his health program, which is nothing more than another tax-and-spend program.

Evil has many weapons to use against God's people, among them war and false doctrines. Of the two, war is actually the easiest to dealich have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. James 5:4

So these laws even prohibited the retention of the wages overnight as wages were to be paid promptly. In those days payment for wage earners was by the day; this m

eant that payment had to be made at the end of the working day, not the next morning, not at the end of the week, not every two weeks -- but daily, and failure to pay at the required time was thus a criminal act: it was theft even though it may have been paid on the day following.

That God resented this defrauding of the hireling we see very plainly in Malachi 3:5:

"And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against ... those that oppress the hireling in his wages..."

Back in Leviticus 19:11 it said: "Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely;" and we have already seen that verse 13 said that we are not taught is that almost every plank of the Communist Manifesto is in effect in our very own country. But when and if you tell people that, they will scoff at you.

But Communism destroys individual worth and freedom, and undertakes to institute a godless and classless society which is deprived of justice and equity. Its offer of a communal paradise on earth is a "strong delusion," enticing only those who will believe a lie. Of course they do not openly sell Communism, for they only sell us one principle at a time.

Take for example the 10th plank of the Communist manifesto which advocates a free public education for all. We were sold that plank back in the early 1900's by John Dewey. Dewey's idea was that man should use his intelligence to fashion the world more to his own liking. Of course, he fails to tell us whose intelligence is going to fashion the world. Will it be your intelligence or will it be mine? I, for one, certainly do not want anyone using their intelligence to fashion me. How about you?

Dewey also taught that reflective thought, when used as an instrument of control, can render existence more stable. In other words, if we can control the minds of children we can mold their thoughts and actions to conform to what we want. Of course this makes everyone a slave of the state.

And of course, the instrument of this social change was to create and control a public education system. While Dewey's ideas sound grandiose, it still amounts to control of the masses through a socialistic scheme of free public education for all.

These and other problems we have faced have been surprisingly effective in destroying the knowledge of the truth. For example, today the doctrine of evolution dominates our free educational system; it motivates the thinking of scholars and scientists and colors dictionary definitions, while distorting much of the information published in encyclopedias.

The problem of Modernism has succeeded in causing all Christendom to run the whole gamut of disbelief, even to the denial of the existence of God Himself.

Communism has laid a foundation of deception and strife that looks to the ultimate destruction of all righteousness. Its aim is world domination by an elite echelon of despotic tyrants who will oppress the people under their heel and make them the slaves of the state.

However, no matter what kind of plans man has, we need to remember that the Lord God has by no means abrogated His authority over all mankind. The Psalmist substantiates this in Psalm 2:4-5 saying:

4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.
5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.

In the verses that precede verses 4 and 5, the nations reject the rulership of God and proceed with their own governments for we, that is, the raging nations, think they know what is best for mankind. In these words we see the rebelliousness of mankind and mankind's refusal to submit to the ways or laws of God which do not satisfy the power, desires, and greed of man.

When mankind sets Himself up in his own government, mankind rejects the sovereignty, authority, and rulership of God and in effect, sets himself up as a god. And this is rebellion against God.

But fear not, God will not be deterred from His plan. He will not be disturbed by the foolish actions of man to thwart His rule. God goes on with His plan and continues to execute it, and according to verse 4, God sits back and laughs at man's feeble attempts to rule as a god. And the time will come, according to verse 5, that God will "speak unto them." That is He will not always stand by and watch the feeble efforts of man.

In verse 5, God also says that He will "vex them." Remember now, God vexed the Egyptians before the children of Israel departed Egypt. God vexed the nation of Babylon. God vexed the nation of Assyria. God vexed the nation of Medo-Persia. God vexed the nation of Greece. God vexed the nation of Rome.

And most certainly, God vexed the people of Jerusalem who rejected the Messiah and denied His rule, for in 70 A.D. God used the Roman legions to completely destroy the city of Jerusalem and the people therein.

And in like manner God will vex all nations who refuse His authority and rulership. Unfortunately, this means that God will eventually have to vex the United States of America because it, as a nation, has refused to submit itself to the sovereignty of God.

As I have stated before, when mankind sets up his own government and his own laws, in doing so, mankind rejects the sovereignty, authority, and rulership of God and in effect, sets himself up as a god.

Mankind is saying, I know what is right for the people. I know what laws are good for the people. I know how to rule the people. And, I know how to judge the people. But what these people fail to understand is that when they say these things, they are saying in effect, I am as god. Folks, the only word I can think of to describe this foolishness is blasphemy, but God shall prevail over all nations.

In Jeremiah 10:10, the Prophet describes the results of God's power saying:

"At his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation"

None of us really know the power of the Lord's anger but I think it probably goes without saying that we should do all that we can do not to provoke His anger. Nations should take heed for no matter how strong the nation, it cannot resist His will; for even the earth is His to control and all storms, tornados, and earthquakes are all the effects of His power. So at His pleasure kings and nations are uprooted and the earth is made to quake.

Remember now, God says that He will vex the nations in his sore displeasure. I have also pointed out that God has already vexed the Egyptians with His mighty power. God vexed the Babylonians with His mighty power. God vexed the Assyrians with His mighty power, and God vexed the Persians with His mighty power.

And so, I say again that the nations of this world need to take heed, for the nations who mock God by accepting the theories of evolution, modernism, and Communism could be gone in one night or even at the hour of midnight. Because, when the Lord brings forth His weapons of righteous warfare they will sweep away all opposition to His will.

Yes, when this great day of Divine revelation arrives, those who oppose Him to His face, and all the enemies of His Kingdom, will be vanquished.

If we stop and contemplate the coming majesty and power of our Almighty God, we might join in the affirmation of Isaiah, the prophet who stated for us in Isaiah 30:18:

"... The Lord is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him!"