I remember hearing a sermon by Ernie Gruen in the mid 1980s that judgment always begins with deception. He used Romans 1:18-32 to justify his argument. Now, some four decades later, he appears to have been frighteningly correct. 2 Thessalonians 2:11 declares that God sends a powerful delusion to those who refuse the truth, leading them to believe lies. We now live amidst a culture that blatantly confuses moral right and wrong. It is delusional about sexuality rejecting that it exists only as male and female. We often punish the innocent and reward the guilty. Marriage is mocked. Pornography is now freely available to children via their ever-present cell phones. Gambling which used to exist only in Las Vegas and Atlantic City is now pervasive across the nation and even available online everywhere. Drug addiction is commonplace with multiple cities rewarding the addicted with free drug paraphernalia. Abortion is violently defended as a “right” by its advocates. Corruption and greed are rampant at the federal level. Violence is the accepted norm is many cities. Shoplifting is prevalant as many believe they are “entitled” to take what is not theirs. Women are increasingly assaulted. Pedophilia is progressively a problem, ruining the innocent. The deception of “free sex” has destroyed countless lives.

Gruen, who is now dead, was prophetic. Judgment has already begun in our country with duplicitous deception . . . far too few can even recognize it. But this is only the beginning of God’s judgment. It portends a fearsome, dark and destructive storm on the horizon. I pray for a Josiah-like figure to delay the inevitable coming tempest.