THE PLOT

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

 

John 10:10 (V) - The thief approaches with malicious intent, looking to steal, slaughter, and destroy…

 

This passage is “for real” my friends.

Don’t believe me?

 

It was never more apparent than yesterday when author Sam Quinones who wrote the book DREAMLAND… (http://www.amazon.com/Dreamland-True-Americas-Opiate-Epidemic)

…spelled out a 30-40+ year plot so nefarious and sinister that you would think it came from a Hollywood script writer.

 

He spoke of America ’s growing greed for personal satisfaction and its self-centeredness.

He spoke of our advancing cultural “entitlement”.

He spoke of our growing isolation from one another and the decay of communities.

He spoke of the lie that clearly the enemy has been peddling to generations in the form of opiate pleasure and addiction.

 

He even made the statement that “opiate addiction not only promotes isolation but makes it preferable”.  He is right.  And why would the enemy promote isolation? 

Makes it easier for him to achieve that steal, slaughter and destroy objective.

 

When I was in my addiction I never felt more alone and the only “friends” I really had were named “Stoli and Chardonnay”.  The same is sadly true for my friends locked into relationship with heroin and other damaging opiates.

 

Sam spoke of the lies and greed of large pharmaceutical organizations peddling a quick and “seemingly” harmless fix to all that ails us. 

 

There was more, but that is enough.

 

Over these past years the enemy has identified our weaknesses and selfishness as intensely vulnerable targets and he has lobbed lie after lie and one deadly alternative after another at them. 

And some of the stats to his plan’s effectiveness shared yesterday will stagger you.

 

200000 addicted in our country.

One will die from overdose every 12 minutes today.

No real way to quantify the long range costs for the cultural and generational ripples.

 

Now I know that the OFH is usually a place to get a little encouragement each day and I know this is a little on the dark side this morning. But I felt strongly to share just a few snippets of what was shared the last couple of days in Columbus . 

 

Why?

 

To call us all to prayer.

 

Pray for TRUTH to prevail.

Pray for more to join the charge to turning our hearts and nations back to the Lord.

Pray for healing to our land.

 

And while we think “we couldn’t have seen this coming”, Paul saw it coming years ago.

2 Timothy 3 (MSG)

Difficult Times Ahead

Don’t be naive. There are difficult times ahead. As the end approaches, people are going to be self-absorbed, money-hungry, self-promoting, stuck-up, profane, contemptuous of parents, crude, coarse, dog-eat-dog, unbending, slanderers, impulsively wild, savage, cynical, treacherous, ruthless, bloated windbags, addicted to lust, and allergic to God.

 

Sound like 2016?

These are perilous times my friends.  The ripple effects of this epidemic are everywhere.  There are widows, hurting families, addicted infants, broken brothers and saddened sisters not to mention all of the other destruction being levied on our economy and infrastructure.

 

So today is just a little wake up call to the truth that is John 10:10 and 2 Timothy 3. 

The enemy is alive and well and while it sometimes seems that he is winning, I ALSO remind you today of one INVALUABLE and FREEING TRUTH. 

Regardless of “what he tries to do”…

 

You, dear children, are from God and … the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. – 1 John 4:4 (NIV)

 

Let’s PRAY like it today!

I love you all!

Opportunities for Hope (Champions Charge)