Daily Devotional for Saturday July 30, 2016

ISIS is Taking Advantage of the Failure of the Breakdown of Families

(Isaiah 48:10; 1 Peter 1:7; 4:12)

***DAILY PERSONAL PRAYER FOR YOU: Dear Lord, this nation is under your judgment for our sin, wickedness, and rebellion. Help me to be courageous as I stand for you in these perilous times. Use me as a beacon of your light in the darkness of our world today. Though our enemies surround us, the world around me curses you, help me to stand for your Truth that will ultimately defeat the lies of satan. May the evil of this world become so apparent, people will begin to bow their knee to you in repentance knowing YOU are their only hope and only answer! In the name of Jesus…AMEN!!!

ISIS is taking advantage of the failure of the breakdown of families and churches to find converts to their "evil!" It is not a matter of if, only when, the next attack in the United States occurs. Based on the reports from our intelligence community and the high degree of hatred for the United States by very organized and well funded Islamic groups overseas, it is clear that there will be ongoing acts of terror on U.S. soil. They aren’t going to stop any time soon!

Since 9/11, there have been over 400 attempted acts of terror on our soil. Other than Ft. Hood, Boston, and a few very isolated cases, the rest of these attempts have been thwarted or unsuccessful in their completion. That has been due to God's protection as well as the incredible efforts by our intelligence and law enforcement communities who deserve our appreciation and prayers. However, there is a new threat to our homeland that will make it very difficult for many future attacks to be stopped.

That new threat is the "homegrown terrorist." Primarily, this new generation of terrorist is being recruited, radicalized, and inspired to commit acts of terror against innocent people over the internet. ISIS and other Islamic groups in the past 5 years have learned how to use the internet to raise up sympathizers and soldiers to their evil cause in nations around the world, including the United States.

This new breed of terrorist is the most dangerous because even though they will be limited in the size of the act they can commit, the fact they are looking to behead police officers, kill innocent people at public events (like the Boston Marathon) or in public places (like the thwarted car bomb in Times Square), the ability of law enforcement to keep track of so many individual actors simply isn't possible.

So far, virtually all of these "lone wolves" in the United States have either been Muslims or black men who have converted to Islam. For decades now, Islam has aggressively recruited in the state and federal prisons around this nation, targeting black inmates. Those efforts and the terror groups today have focused primarily on disenfranchised young black men who are looking for "family," "belonging," "and "purpose." Islam has used the same incentives that local street gangs have used for decades to find and inspire new recruits. Those efforts have become much easier in the past 30 years with the high percentage of breakdown of marriage and the family, especially in our impoverished communities.

This is why back in late April on my TV program I shared the one and only TRUE answer to the problems in the inner cities whether it be Ferguson, Baltimore, Chicago, or ANYWHERE! It is a rebuke and call to the pastors in those neighborhoods to quit auditioning to be the next "faux rev" Sharpton, that they are NOT to be community activists, but MEN OF GOD LEADING THEIR CHURCH AND NEIGHBORHOODS AS SPIRITUAL LEADERS! Please post this link on all of your social media and email it to every person you know! Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xfpCuzgHYQ

In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, people desperately turned to God for answers. Churches were overflowing and prayer was everywhere. There was a spiritual awakening as people realized just how fragile this life really is, and countless lives were committed to Christ. However, just five short months later, church attendance is back to where it was pre-9/11, prayer is not as important any longer, and people are focused once again on the things of this world without much concern for God and their spiritual lives.

It is sad how it takes a real crisis to get people to pay attention to God. But people have not changed. When we read the Old Testament, we read how the children of Israel would run to God when their enemies attacked. God would help them gain victory, which would be followed by a season of peace and prosperity. It was during that time of peace and prosperity that the children of Israel would start to forget God and fall into all types of sin. Soon, their enemies would attack again, and they would once again run to God. It was an often repeated cycle.

Sadly, we are the same as the children of Israel. When the trials and tribulations of life come upon us, we run to God. We find solace in Him during our time of trouble. But soon the trouble passes, and there is a time of peace in our lives. Sadly, during the times of peace, we slowly move away from God and often end up involved in sin of some kind. The storms of life come upon us, and once again we run to the Lord for help. And just like the children of Israel, the cycle is repeated over and over during the course of our life.

I love you and care about you so much. My word for you today is to run to God NOW! Even if you are in that season of peace, stay close to Him. Just because people are not blowing up buildings and killing innocent people this very moment does not mean that we can relax and put God on the back burner. Those days are coming sooner than most realize since while this current administration downplays the evil of Islam, it is on full display in many places around the world, and soon to be on full display here!!!

Only God knows the time of Christ's return. The Bible says it will be in the "twinkling of an eye." But the indicators Jesus gave us in Matthew chapter 24, and Paul gives us in 2 Timothy Chapter 3, and 2 Peter Chapter 3, all show us that we are living in the last days. The time is running out. That is why the people of God MUST NOT be passive at this time. We can't simply wait for the next incident to share Christ with this lost and hurting world.

If you had the knowledge right this moment, that the next attack on the United States would be at Disneyworld in Orlando, Florida one week from today, what would you do? No doubt you would call all of the proper authorities and when the date and time for the attack came, that entire area would be evacuated. Nobody would be killed because you cared enough to share the information you had.

Well, the fact is, the Bible clearly says that those who die without Christ will be destined to everlasting separation from God their creator. They will be lost for eternity. The people of God possess the information that can save people from everlasting darkness. Now if someone chooses to not listen, there is nothing you can do. But how can you not at least take the time to tell them? That is a responsibility EVERY child of God has and must take seriously.

I will pray today that you don't allow the peace that we are currently experiencing make you lazy, and forget those around you who are looking for answers in their life. I have no doubt that future attacks on our nation are imminent, but I pray that we don't wait until the next crisis to be serious about sharing the hope and love of Jesus Christ with everyone God brings into our life. After all, that is what God has asked us to do, and it is the only answer for each person, just like it is the only answer for this nation!!!

In His love and service,

Your friend and brother in Christ,

Bill Keller