Who Will Be Exalted!

The eyes of the arrogant will be humbled and human pride brought low; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day. The LORD Almighty has a day in store for all the proud and lofty, for all that is exalted (and they will be humbled), for all the cedars of Lebanon, tall and lofty, and all the oaks of Bashan, for all the towering mountains and all the high hills, for every lofty tower and every fortified wall, for every trading ship and every stately vessel. The arrogance of man will be brought low and human pride humbled; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day, and the idols will totally disappear. Isaiah 2:11-18 NIV

What is an idol? An image or material object representing a deity to which religious worship is addressed or any person or thing regarded with blind admiration, adoration or devotion, or a false conception or notion, according to the dictionary.

Given the definition of an idol and rightly interpreting the use in The Word, what idols do we have that we exalt above God?

Notice the last part of the definition--a false conception--that which is not true. The carved images to which some have given "power and authority" are false. The manufactured things given power and authority are false. The people for whom some have blind admiration and devotion to are not real--they are false and should never be exalted above God. But that's what we do--we exalt celebrities and their opinions above God's Word.

We exalt sin above righteousness and don't even recognize that the words we use have underscore where we our hearts really are when we "idolize" celebrities and other well-known people or ideologies that are opposed to God's Word.

We celebrate confusion and chaos that reign in the lives of all who believe God doesn't know what He's doing or did when they were born--idolizing that confusion and exalting it above God's Word and intent for mankind.

We idolize foolishness and ignorance as long it supports and promotes emotionalized views of bigotry and hatred against others.

In all of this idolatry and idolizing of things and people--we must understand the spirit behind our behavior. If we are not influenced by the Spirit of Righteousness, we are influenced by the spirit of evil by the arch enemy of God--Satan. It is Satan's influence that moved upon people to exalt their carved images above the obedience of God. The idols they created were given power and authority they did not have. But because the masses were blinded to truth, they worshiped the idols--out of ignorance.

We are yet doing the same thing today--worshiping idols, worshiping things and people--out of ignorance--giving them exalted status--false power and authority that doesn't really exist--above understanding God's Truth and intent for mankind.

But the day is coming--and it will be soon--when all the false gods will be exposed and fear will be embedded in the hearts of all who held the idols in greater esteem than God alone. When they see the consequences of their actions rising to crush them, they will attempt to run and hide, but there is no hiding place from God. He alone has created all that was ever created and He knows every nook and cranny of every mountain, every divide in all the bodies of water and He knows our hearts--whether they are good or evil.

Those who love The Lord and obey His Word know they have no need to fear the calamity that will fall upon all who have ignored God. They know a place has been established for them for all eternity to live in the presence of the Most High God. And in the day the calamity occurs--utter destruction--of all idols--whether people or things--then they will know that The Lord alone will be exalted!

Let's Stick To The Issues!

This man was seized by the Jews and they were about to kill him, but I came with my troops and rescued him, for I had learned that he is a Roman citizen. I wanted to know why they were accusing him, so I brought him to their Sanhedrin. I found that the accusation had to do with questions about their law, but there was no charge against him that deserved death or imprisonment. When I was informed of a plot to be carried out against the man, I sent him to you at once. I also ordered his accusers to present to you their case against him. Acts 23:27-30 NIV

Whenever people have nothing of substance to add to a discussion, they inevitably turn to talking points that have nothing to do with the issues at hand. We know--those who Believe and accept God's Word as true--that Jesus was arrested, illegally tried, and crucified as part of a plot by those who were envious of the attention He received. And now, some years later in this passage of scripture, we see a repeat of the motive--envy and jealously over things the religious leaders did not understand. And since they did not understand it--it couldn't be true or right--according to their logic.

Throughout history, if we examined and analyzed every event microscopically, we'd see this scenario playing out over and over again and it hasn't stopped yet. When people "blow things out of proportion" because they do not understand them, it is a sign that they will do anything to accomplish their own self-centered goals to destroy another. When people are "outside the loop" of knowing--they tend to see conspiracy in all that others do, yet they are so blinded by their envy and agenda, they do not see truth about themselves. Why? Because they have nothing of substance to say about "real issues" that affect the lives of others.

There are serious flaws in our political system that allow a person who knows nothing to run for President of the United States. There should be some sort of vetting by a committee--not necessarily government officials, but people in the know--who determine the competency of anyone running for President. And this is beyond the criteria already established regarding citizenship and age.

What do we need to know about political candidates?

• Do they know and understand our nation's history--from beginning to present--and all of the changes that had to take place in order for this country to be "united" as one?
• Do they understand how government works? Were they paying attention in civics classes?
• Do they understand how global economy works and that a nation's economy can not be compromised by "bankruptcy" when debts are owed?
• Do they understand the importance of "relationships to develop partnerships" with other countries?
• Do they understand that conflicts with other countries cannot be solved by endangering civilians with "just bombing entire regions" to root out evil?
• Do they understand the potential fall-out from other countries who have been disrespected and maligned simply because no knowledge about how things are done "right" is known?
• Do they understand the potential for civil unrest and violence when promoting hate-mongering and fear-mongering when those tactics are only used by those who are insecure and love to intimidate others?
• Do they understand the importance of keeping Americans safe from the angst of other countries when we speak without thinking?
• Are they willing to set aside their personal interests when it conflicts with "what's best" for the country?

These are the issues that should be addressed before anyone is allowed to become "a great pretender" and think they have what it takes to sit in the White House. For if the answer to the above questions is "yes" then political campaigns can stick to the issues in setting methods to solve problems, not create them or waste their time with personal attacks which have no relevance in the greater scheme of things.

Though I may seem to be beating a dead horse on this issue of politicism, I have to say that comments regarding Bill Clinton have nothing to do with Hilary Clinton's ability to serve this country in the White House. It is merely a distraction and opportunity for those who keep bringing up his past because they have nothing of substance to present in making a case for bumbling ignorance we see in the other candidate. 

When it comes to the criticism of Hilary being untrustworthy and a liar--how does someone who has filed bankruptcy four times, leading to others losing their businesses, think they are trustworthy? And perhaps, he doesn't understand that constantly back-pedaling on issues he should have kept quiet about from the beginning--is lying. He apparently doesn't understand the principle behind "the pot calling the kettle black."

I simply pray that Hilary will not stoop to this level of personal attack that have no relevance in the greater scheme of things and that she'll stick to the issues and present a case to the American public that ensures the continued greatness of this country--in spite of what others say.

And for the rest of us--the voters in America--I hope we can make a decision that sticks to the issues and not personal biases about who is the best qualified for the job--whether we agree with a party platform or not.