Who Woulda Thought?

Please forgive the slang to make some points about the dizzying times in which we live.

Last week I mentioned the reality of constant change–especially from a personal angle.  This week I’d like to opine about change in the 21st century and ask you to share your thoughts.

Some amazing things are happening in our lifetime.

Who woulda thought?

I teach a class at Faith International University that begins with an historical perspective from Newt Gingrich–historian (before he became Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives).

Newt shares that from the time of Julius Caesar to George Washington–nearly two thousand years–life on earth changed little. Agriculture, military tactics, technology, etc. saw few changes during that two millennia period. People got used to the “norm” of life.

The 19th century–from Washington to Theodore Roosevelt–brought a major uptick in change, stimulated by the Industrial Revolution. Inventions, machines, and mass production of products changed the globe–with all its attendant headaches.

Then came the Information Revolution which catapulted our world into either the ability to annihilate ourselves or vastly improve life for billions of folks. In fact, one of the under-reported stories of 2018 is how over 100,000 people a day are leaving poverty behind.

We live in the greatest period of change in human history. Whereas it used to take  hundreds of years for knowledge to double, some scientists now predict the doubling of knowledge every twelve hours instead of the current twelve months.

Who woulda thought?

Probably God alone. He announced the idea some 2554 years ago through Daniel, a Jewish leader in the Chaldean Empire (Daniel 12:4).

As I ponder some of the changes in our world, I’m encouraged that the Last Days may be upon us. Or maybe not.

Following is a list of breath-taking changes to consider.

Open Borders?

It seemed inconceivable as a young person that I would see a time when “open borders” would be popular. No national boundaries? That’s crazy. Borders are necessary for any civil, lawful society.

Yet, many political leaders today, especially social Democrats, gobble up money from the George Soros Open Society Foundation to resist building a wall across the southern border and believe we’d be better off dissolving the barriers between nations.

Columnist Frank Turek recently analyzed this absurdity:

“Do you have locks on your doors? How about on your car? Got a fence so your kids can play safely? Do you have passwords on your computers? How about your bank accounts? Do you protect your credit card numbers? Your social security number? How about your medical records? Do you think curbs, guardrails, and traffic lines are a good idea, or should people be able to drive anywhere they want?”

“Everyone believes in secure borders. They’re necessary because human nature is bent toward evil, because of the fall of man—all have sinned. Our Founders understood that truth and so must we.”

Well, everyone does not believe that simple truth anymore.

Who woulda thought?

Re-defining Marriage?

For five thousand years–regardless of race, religion, or continent–people believed that marriage was between a man and woman. Wars, famine, kings and slavery sometimes created exceptions for polygamy, but nothing else. Talk about “established law.”Who could question, when looking at basic biology, that the union of a man and woman was designed for love, stability, children, and family nurture (Genesis 2:18-25)?

The sexual revolution of the 20th century destroyed this foundation of sexual and familial norms, and one generation later, on June 26, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a landmark 5-4  ruling that granted same-sex couples a constitutional right to marry. History, precedent, and biology be damned.

Who woulda thought?

Socialism as a Viable Economic System?

The man who might have won the 2016 Democratic Party nomination for president of the United States (if it wasn’t rigged)–Senator Bernie Sanders from Vermont–ran on a socialist platform of giving away free stuff to everybody.

Millennials loved him.  Millions of others voted for “The Bern.”

Recently, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez became the darling of the socialist movement by defeating Rep. Joe Crowley in New York’s 14th Congressional District. She earned an economics degree from Boston University, but seems to know nothing about economics. Socialism ruins nations and empires (USSR) and stands one away step from communism. Remember: communism is simply socialism with a gun.

Socialism in America? Europe?

Hitler was a socialist. We want to follow him?

Who Woulda Thought?

Gender Confusion?

Oh for the days when boys were made from “snips and snails and puppy dog tails” and girls were filled with “sugar and spice and everything nice!”

For thousands of years it was  obvious (if you have eyes) that God made human beings male and female. Sure, manly women exist alongside gentle men. That doesn’t change the plumbing.

Male and female, boy and girl, have been as normal in history in every society and in each generation for thousands of years as the rising and setting sun.

No more. Fourteen genders? Cis-gender. Fluid genders? And some people believe this nonsense.

Who woulda thought?

Deep State?

For hundreds of years, through many highs and lows, Americans believed that their “We the People” government symbolized a five thousand year leap from tyranny to a system of checks and balances where power was harnessed by virtuous character.  Overall, we trusted our leaders to do what was right from sea to shining sea.

We’ve always had bad eggs in every level of government. We’ve also made plenty of national mistakes (slavery comes to mind). But until the dawn of the 21st century, few Americans ever seriously contemplated a corrupt, deep state government that lurks in the shadows, tried to manipulate the 2016 presidential election, and has done everything possible to unfairly remove Donald Trump from office.

Banana republics contain corrupt leaders and sinister institutions. But the United States of America?

Who woulda thought?

Media Manipulation?

Aligned with the Deep State is a biased press that no longer reports the news but appears to have a deliberate agenda to make the news while puffing leftist policies, social instability and one world government leanings.

Whatever happened to trusting Walter Cronkite, Peter Jennings, Huntley & Brinkley and the New York Times (with “All News that’s Fit to Print”) to give you the truth about what’s happening? Those days are gone. I can hardly watch the news anymore due to mainstream media manipulation (Ex: 90% of Trump stories are spun as negative despite an economic renewal, growing American strength in the world, and record unemployment and tax receipts).

Who woulda thought?

No Free Speech on Campus?

Many of us became adults during the Vietnam era with student activists debating our government at Berkeley and elsewhere. We were told this was the America way–free speech for all–guaranteed in the Bill of Rights.

Yet, today, the University of California at Berkeley is against free speech as are many other liberal universities in the land. I guess it was never really about freedom–just the ability to dominate American society with secular-progressive ideas.

Who woulda thought?

Israel’s 70th Birthday

It took place this spring–yet seems like Israel has always been in Palestine. Not true for two thousand years when the Jews were persecuted and scattered from their God-given homeland.

Then in 1948 the miracle happened–obviously an act of God–that now sits at the bulls-eye of end-time events. The 70th celebration brought many tears to elderly Jews who remember their recent ignominy.

Who woulda thought?

The Bible in Every Language?

Just two generations ago it appeared that hundreds of years might be necessary to translate the Bible into all of the world’s 6000 languages. Wycliffe Bible Translators worked tirelessly, but translations took years and even decades to complete.

The computer changed all that and today, Wycliffe, working with many other groups–encouraged on by the End Bible Poverty Now movement–believes that task could be completed by 2020.

Hallelujah!

Who coulda thought?

Fulfilling the Great Commission?

Millions of Jesus’ followers are spreading the Good News of His love and grace to every person on the planet–for the first time in history. The Fourth Wave of Modern Missions could be the greatest love revolution of all-time–seeing billions of people come to saving faith in Christ. The majority nations lead the way.

Again, hallelujah! Who woulda thought?

God did.

So can you.

What are your “who woulda thought” items?

I’d love to hear.