This week on 'The Hal Lindsey Report'

This week on 'The Hal Lindsey Report'

On June 26th, the Supreme Court struck down a key portion of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). The ruling did not redefine marriage, but it did muddy the water. That's something this Court has proven itself to be particularly adept at doing. 

Justice Anthony Kennedy authored the majority (5 to 4) opinion and once again demonstrated why he is considered the "swing vote" in each decision the court reaches. He has that reputation because we never know which way he's going to swing. This time, he swung both directions! 

In his opinion, he contradicted himself by saying that the court was overturning DOMA because it should be the right of the states -- not the federal government -- to decide marriage laws. Then, in virtually the same breath, he said that the federal government must give gay couples equal protection under the law, so the court was striking down the DOMA provision that prohibited gay couples from receiving federal benefits because their "marriages" were not considered legal by many states in the union. 

So, the majority of the court felt that it was not the business of the federal government to define marriage, but it was the federal government's business to insist that couples be given federal benefits according to the federal government's definition of marriage -- which it had just said it had no business defining! 

Then, not one to pass up a chance to score some political points, the President hastily called the plaintiffs to gleefully congratulate them on their victory and thank them for helping him fundamentally transform America. That was before he then got up at a news conference in Senegal and assured the losers (that would be most Americans) that he was not going to require churches to perform same-sex marriage ceremonies. 

Of course, this is the same man who, as a candidate, insisted that he was opposed to same-sex marriage. There's no doubt in my mind that his thinking will continue to "evolve" and in the future he'll insist that churches perform same-sex marriage ceremonies or face the consequences. Or, like the Christian photographer in New Mexico who politely declined to photograph a lesbian "commitment ceremony" and was cited for discrimination by the New Mexico Human Rights Commission, churches and pastors could face actual criminal charges! 

That's where we're headed, folks. Remember what I've been telling you: elections have consequences. 

But in his brilliant dissent, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia seemed to signal that he believes this court and this government may be headed toward an even more sinister destination. Scalia blasted the liberal majority for their judicial arrogance. He wrote, "It is one thing for a society to elect change; it is another for a court of law to impose change by adjudging those who oppose it hostes humani generis, 'enemies of the human race.'" 

Those are chilling words. The Roman historian Tacitus tells us that "enemies of the human race" was the charge used by Nero to justify the execution of Christians in the Colosseum after he accused them of complicity in the burning of Rome. 

Was Justice Scalia issuing a subtle warning about where he believes our society is headed? Shaming, harming, even killing Christians may someday be seen as "good" if the public is motivated to believe that Christians are "enemies of the human race." 

I've said before that there is no doubt that persecution will come to those who name the name of Jesus Christ -- even here in the United States of America. And that persecution may come sooner than we wish to think. I also believe that the persecution of the Church will come first because of its Bible-based opposition to homosexuality and abortion. Sad to say, those days may not be very far away. 

Don't wait until they are upon us to prepare yourself and your family for difficult times. Now is the time to seek God for His help in preparing ourselves to stand strong in the face of opposition and persecution. 

Now is the time to strengthen what I call our "combat faith." That is, the ability to trust the specific promises of God in every situation. It's the ability to view the problems we face from the perspective of God's ability to handle them, not our human capacity to do so. 

Isaiah 26:3 promises that if our minds are "stayed" upon God, then He will keep us in "perfect peace." Later in the Book of Isaiah, God says, "Fear not for I am with you... I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. I will uphold you with the right hand (Jesus) of My righteousness." 

It's a simple process of learning WHAT God has promised His children, then believing that He WILL DO what He has promised. 

On this week's show I will also be discussing the crisis that is engulfing Egypt. It's ironic to hear the declarations of dismay being offered by our government officials. How else did they believe this would end when we tossed our lot with the Muslim Brotherhood -- the fount of most of the world's terrorism during the past eight decades? 

It's also perplexing to realize that those who are trying to unseat the current, duly elected government of Egypt (which is the Muslim Brotherhood) may not be any more a savory lot than the Brotherhood itself. But then, any thinking person must acknowledge that Islam and democracy mix about as well as oil and water. 

This is an unfolding drama that promises more twists and turns in the coming days, weeks, months, and years. And probably another coup or revolution or two. 

Further, it will never be resolved by diplomacy or election. Some media pundits have ridiculed Christians and conservatives for insisting that "the real problem in the Middle East is the Koran itself." In my book, The Everlasting Hatred, I describe this problem that dates back some 4,000 years. And Islam is not the cause of it, Islam is the result of that "everlasting enmity." 

Don't miss this week's Report on TBN, Daystar, CPM Network, The Word Network, various local stations, www.hallindsey.com or www.hischannel.com. Please check your local listings.


God Bless,

Hal Lindsey