Last week, I posted an article entry on Ecclesiastes 9:11-12, and today, I want to revisit that passage for one simple reason, which is that it pertains all the more to what we see in the hurricane Helen aftermath. Let me establish what I am NOT saying. I am NOT SAYING that God caused this hurricane to punish bad people or anyone for that matter. A lot of good, God fearing, Christian folk have been affected in a very negative and devistating way for no reason of their own. What we have seen is "Natural Evil" which occurs the the earth's natural processes.  

WHAT I AM SAYING
What I am saying is simply that God has ALLOWED natural evil to come upon a portion of the Western mountains of NC, SC, GA and TN. Why would God do this? I can’t answer for God, but I trust Him, and I would like to share with you some of what I have seen in my limited view of the aftermath. 

FIRST, I have seen many GOOD people whose lives have been devastated. These are good, God fearing Christians who did nothing but out live out their faith in their communities. I have no clue as to WHY God would allow so many to be devastated and many more folks are stranded and in need of life-saving support and supplies. The encouraging news is that there are more civilians than government relief personnel on the ground.

SECOND, what spurred me to write today’s entry was a television/YouTube interview showing a nicely shaven gentleman with a well trimmed black beard. He seemed like a great guy who one might mistake as a Christian. His shirt, if he knowingly understood what it represented, had quite a bit of graphics going on. The shirt was very creative and colorful and inviting. But, in the center, was a big “PENTAGRAM” or SATANIC star, which pointed DOWN. The WICCA star points up, but his (representing Satanism) pointed down. If you met this guy at the store or while helping with relief, you might think he was Johnny from aunt Elma’s house next door. The important thing is for us to see him as one created in God's image, not Satan's image. He is a nice guy who is lost. Instead of fearing or hating on him and others like him, we can take the opportunity to see the current devastation (situation) as an opportunity to share the Christian faith with folks like this gentleman.

THIRD, it's important to understand that the mountains of NC are filled with Christians and non-christians. Boone in truth is really split into two parts: The Christian areas and the secular. Many in the secular areas are full of secular artists which can as well include Christian ones. In secular area, sex, drugs and the occult, including WICCA and Satanism are accepted as valid and acceptable. In the conservative/Christian areas of Boone, Christians understand Satan to be the enemy and the author of WICCA as well (which are two different things). They are correct. This was a mission field before Helen and it is an even better mission field in the present. Below is one group I found on the internet to illustrate the openness of WICCA and Satanism in Boone and the surrounding area.

FIND COVENS, GROUPS & ORGANIZATIONS
A Networking Resource for Finding Covens, Pagans, Spiritual Groups or Like Minded Individuals In North Carolina (is BOONE, NC BASED)
https://www.mandragoramagika.com/north-carolina

WHAT IS MY POINT?
The simple point I want to make is that God is, and will continue to do a work in Boone and all other areas affected by Hurricane Helen. In Charlotte, the lives of many have stopped while they seek ways in which they can help these poor folks in the mountains sustain life first and help them rebuild second. Helping folks with the essentials of life and aid in rebuilding their communities are built on the foundation of Jesus Christ for many if not most relief efforts. And that is the great news.

FOURTH: THE GREAT NEWS
North Carolina is blessed with both Samaritan’s Purse and Coca-Cola, both which have Christian, faith based “Rapid Response” units. Last week I posted our Trail Life boys and dads were going to Boone to partner with and help Samaritan’s Purse distribute food, water, and supplies to folks in need in Boone. The great news is that EVERYONE was coming to Samaritan’s Purse as the PREMIERE RELIEF ORGANIZATION in the mountains. In many cases, Samaritan’s Purse is going to them and doing so despite whether they are Christians, Wiccan, Satanists, atheists, Muslim, Hindu or otherwise to bring LOVE, the Truth of God, and physical aid to them. 

MY TAKE is that by meeting the physical needs of those not saved by the blood of Jesus Christ-the truth about the True God of the universe through Jesus Christ is proclaimed LOUDLY. That is an opportunity that would be lost otherwise. What a BLESSING that Samaritan's Purse has two distribution centers in the mountains! In the end though, I want to go back to Ecclesiastes 9:11-12 and focus on verse 12 which says, "For man does not know his time. Like fish that are taken in an evil net, and like birds that are caught in a snare, so the children of man are snared at an evil time, when it suddenly falls upon them.” 

In reality, non of us know the hour we will be called home. Non of us know when evil or calamity will befall us. Non of us know when good things will happen to us either in most cases. The main point is that in all of this, we are to come together, help one another in the NAME of JESUS CHRIST, and see the current devastation as a rare opportunity to share the Christian faith. Many Christians have lost all they have, but so have many Wiccan and Satanists. When all is lost, God becomes REAL. Very REAL. And this is what I wanted to share with you today. I want to encourage you to contact Samaritan’s Purse to see how you can help. Perhaps work with your church to see how you can help with immediate needs and how you might help rebuild the broken lives of so many in need. That is my prayer for you and I. Finally, let's be in DEEP PRAYER for all those affected, and then watch God do a BIG WORK in Boone, NC and all areas affected by Hurricane Helen.

Ecclesiastes 9:11–12
“ Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all. For man does not know his time. Like fish that are taken in an evil net, and like birds that are caught in a snare, so the children of man are snared at an evil time, when it suddenly falls upon them.” 

Throughout history we find nations and leaders distorting the reigns of power in order to gain and or maintain power. Today, I am going to show you through God's Word that secular puppet leaders fail for once simple reason in that they trust in man's power instead of God's. Let's get started.

FAST FORWARD TO THE YEAR 2024

In the United States of America in the fall of 2024 (when I am writing this article), the United States is experiencing something internally that we used to fight against externally. That thing is "a puppet king", In our case, it's called a "puppet president". Nobody voted for the current president in power as I write this article on October 1, 2024. Puppet kings and puppet presidents never serve it's citizens well because they represent their own selfish interests and that of a very small group of individuals in power at the expense of the general population. The fact is that God does NOT approve of such a thing as made clear in the Book of Isaiah, chapter seven. Here we find this exact thing happening and get the benefit of reading God's direct response as to why a puppet king or president is wrong and why it will fail. Let's lay the groundwork before we read God's respond. This is what Isaiah 7:1-2 says for context.

Isaiah Sent to King Ahaz

"In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah the king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not yet mount an attack against it. When the house of David was told, “Syria is in league with Ephraim,” the heart of Ahaz and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind" (Isaiah 7:1-2 ESV)

BETTER CONTEXT

In order to fully understand what is going on in this passage, we must look at 2 Kings as well as 2 Chronicles. Kings 16:5-18 and 2 Chronicles 28:5-21 record the historical background of this very chapter of Isaiah 7.

WHAT IS HAPPENING 

What is happening is that Syria and Ephraim (the 10 northern tribes of Israel) rebelled against their overlord, Assyria, and were attempting to force Judah into their alliance, even if it meant deposing Ahaz and substituting a PUPPET KING, the son of Tabeel (v.6). Isaiah 7:6 says: "Let us go up against Judah and terrify it and let us conquer it for ourselves and SET UP THE SON OF TABEEL AS KING in the midst of it..." (v.6)

GOD'S RESPONSE TO THE PUPPET KING

God responds to the evil plan of deposing the king and substituting a puppet king-leader is very, very clear. This is what says through His prophet Isaiah: "It shall not stand, and it shall not come to pass, and it shall not come to pass. For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin. And within sixty0five years Ephraim will be SHATTERED from being a people" (Isaiah 7:7-8)

CONCLUSION

The bottom line as to why puppet kings and presidents fail is simple in that they and those in power trust in their own power and reject, ignore and rebel against God's authority and will. This is made evident in Isaiah Chapter 7 with Syria and Ephraim (the 10 northern tribes of Israel) who rebelled against their overlord, Assyria and were attempting to force Judah into their alliance, even if it meant deposing Ahaz and substituting a puppet king, the son of Tabeel (v.6).

Thousands of years ago Isaiah saw a political crisis in the attempt to install a "puppet king-leader". As the election nears with the United States election in November of 2024, we find the same exact crises between man's will and that of God's. WHY is this wrong in God's eyes besides being full of selfish ambition, evil, sinful and against God's people? The reason is was loudly wrong in God's eyes is because (in Isaiah 7) Ahaz was TRUSTING MAN'S POWER rather than God's. The same is true for the USA and the world in large part in 2024.

Hang on because we have some a bit of a bumpy road ahead of us in the United States, Europe and much of the West. That being said, we can rest assured that God is in control and doing one simple thing, which is drawing His people back to Him. As a nation, we once trusted in God's power, but in our affluence, influence, military might and attitude, we have departed from God and His ways. We now trust in our own (man's) power rather than God's, but as we read in God's Word, that is always temperal. You can be assured of one thing in that we are on a journey back to God. And it will get worst before it gets better. As such, lets seek God's wisdom and direction as to how we as individual Christians are to serve God and be part of the New Christian world God is raising; out of the remnant and ashes of a man-centered Christian religion into a people of authentic Christ centered faith.

I was reading in Ecclesiastes 9 today and wanted to share a bit of God’s wisdom through Solomon. God's Word and wisdom never seems to amaze me. This is what Solomon wrote:

Ecclesiastes 9:1 "But all this I laid to heart, examining it all, how the righteous and the wise and their deeds are in the hand of God. Whether it is love or hate, man does not know; both are before him."

WHAT IS SOLOMON SAYING?
Solomon is saying that many events are beyond human control. Every possible circumstance that is possible can befall man, meaning something bad that can happen to any of us as a tragedy at any time. But, whether faced with LOVE (happy circumstances) or HATE (unhappy circumstances), God has arranged what will take place in one’s life and throughout the world.

IN THE HAND OF GOD means “In God’s control and possession.” 

LOVE NOR HATRED: What does this mean? 
Sometimes in Hebrew two opposites together are a way of saying “EVERYTHING”. Love and hate are best viewed as words for God’s favor and disfavor.

“THIS IS AN EVIL IN THAT ALL IS DONE UNDER THE SUN, THAT THE SAME EVENT HAPPENS TO ALL” (v2-3) I quoted only verse two here, but the point I want to make is that some versions translate the word “EVENT” as “FATE” (2:14). However, there is no hint here of the power of “fate” as some people in antiquity believed (the same is true for us today). The word simply refers to an outcome determined by God as stated above.

IN SUMMARY
If you go back and read the entire prior section, Qohelet contended that the “righteous” and “wise” are ultimately under God’s control (remember-“in the hand of God”), and His plan is not predictable. This led Qohelet to another thought in that no one knows what future events or circumstances “AWAITS” him or her in this life, whether “love or hatred” (I.e. favorable or unfavorable circumstances). 

IN SHORT righteousness and wisdom cannot guarantee good times in life and God will not be manipulated. As we look at the impending political events, prospects of war and economonic calamity, lets remember one thing: GOD IS IN CONTROL and will use all things for His good and His plan. We are called to be courageous and accept all that is coming at us and be available to serve Him as He calls us according to his plan. While this sounds scary, it is also exciting. I ask that you pray over these Scriptures and ask God to show you His will and role for you in the present world and the changing world yet to come. For it's all in God's hands.