As we are now seeing, our hopes for a peaceful transition of power seem to be interrupted. People who are protesting the outcome of last week’s election are staging protests, riots, “cry-ins”, and other forms of social absurdities, decrying the upset victory of Mr. Trump over Mrs. Clinton in the Presidential Election. With a media that went “all-in” for Mrs. Clinton, the biggest casualty of last Tuesday was, in my opinion, any credibility the mainstream media had left. However, we would be sorely mistaken in thinking that they would go “softly into that good night”. We would be naive to assume that the mainstream media and the left’s devotion to liberality and progressivism would stop with, what many are calling, a stunning “rebuke and repudiation” of their principles, practices, and policies.
So who and what is behind this ideology of division and destruction?
While on the Isle of Patmos, the apostle John was given a prophetic picture of the last days–the end of the age.
In Revelation 9, he introduces us to a frightening character, Apollyon: The Destroyer.
Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit, and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace. So the sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit. Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. And to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. And they were not given authority to kill them, but to torment them for five months. Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man. In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them.
The shape of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle. On their heads were crowns of something like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. They had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots with many horses running into battle. They had tails like scorpions, and there were stings in their tails. Their power was to hurt men five months. And they had as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, but in Greek he has the name Apollyon.
~ Revelation 9:1-11, NKJV
“Abaddon” in Hebrew and “Apollyon” in Greek both mean a demonic personality that destroys! Here are dark forces whose purpose is to confuse humanity so that mankind makes choices that undo their lives.
It is interesting that this verse reference is 9/11! This verse is a part of the first “woe” to come upon the earth. The vision is cryptic, with scorpions, locusts and other symbols of nature wreaking havoc on the earth.
A more in-depth look at these words seems to imply that these strange creatures coming out of the bottomless abyss are inflicting their pain by causing confusion and wrong choices.
The word “scorpion” comes from the root word “skeptomas” from which our English word “skeptic” is derived. It means to question and scrutinize the truth. These scorpions poison humanity with lies that create wrong decisions that bring pain.
The word “locust”, which is translated from the word “akrides” in Greek, comes from the root word “akmen” which means “to argue and make a point.” It means also to consume another with overwhelming arguments (similar to the way a swarm of locusts overwhelms).
The grass referred to in Revelation 9:11 represents human beings.
. . . but the rich in his humiliation, because as
a flower of the field he will pass away. ~ James 1:10
All flesh is as grass,
And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass.
The grass withers,
And its flower falls away . . . ~ 1 Peter 1:24
In the last days, humanity will be invaded by demons who will inflict pain through the scorpions of skepticism and locust of propaganda. This will consume men and cause them great harm.
I believe that the pit is open and the demons of deception are hard at work. This scene is a New Testament picture of Hosea’s warning.
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.
Because you have rejected knowledge,
I also will reject you from being priest for Me;
Because you have forgotten the law of your God,
I also will forget your children. ~ Hosea 4:6
Demonic attacks always begin with undermined truth. The attack on the truth is intense today and it is important that we be equipped to take down the lies that are destroying our homes, churches and nation.
As we pull back the curtain and reveal the truth throughout the pages of this book, you will discover some of the lethal effects of Apollyon, the demon controlling the direction of our nation.
For example:
• For the first time states are legalizing brain destroying drugs!
• There is continuing pressure to normalize homosexual activity, even calling it marriage. This goes on while the traditional American family is constantly undermined by the radical left.
• There is the immoral confiscation of the wealth of hard working people through unjust taxes and fees.
• There is the replacement of accurate, honest news with propaganda. Case in point, in 2012, our government stood by while our property in Benghazi experienced a premeditated attack by Islamic terrorists killing our ambassador and his brave defenders. Our fumbling leadership has lied about the attack and have not been held responsible. The murdering terrorists are yet to answer for this act of war.
• There is scandal, cover up, and abuse of power in the IRS.
• There is an attack on the Judeo-Christian heritage of America, signaling a godless takeover of government, education and the public square.
• Freedom of religion is now freedom from religion. The Bible has been abandoned, prayers are forbidden, Christian symbols are being insulted, and the Christian population is being ignored.
• America’s religious heritage is being attacked while death dealing Islam is given a pass! Foreign policy is the policy of apology and appeasement. Our enemies no longer fear us and our friends no longer trust us. America is waffling over its support of our only ally in the Middle East – Israel.
• The steady slaughter of the unborn continues in hospitals and abortion clinics across the nation.
• News and entertainment media promote occult, immoral, and anti-American values.
BUT THERE IS HOPE FOR AMERICA!
Yes, we have been invaded, but not by an army of men with modern weapons. We have been invaded by spiritual forces that are at work at this very hour, chipping away – bit by bit – at the very underpinnings of this nation that was founded on the Judeo-Christian
heritage.
King David said in Psalm 11:3, “If the foundations are destroyed,
what can the righteous do?”
Never in our nation’s history have David’s words been more true than they are today! Where are God’s people in all of this? I am afraid the church is losing its prophetic voice. Many in the church are substituting popular culture for true faith, comfort zones for battle
strategies, moral relativism for decent standards, self-improvement for the cross, and dead works for the Holy Spirit’s power!
My prayer is that this book will offer hope to America. I am not writing from a Democratic or Republican point of view. On the contrary, I am writing from the only viewpoint that makes sense to me: a scriptural point of view. Yes, God has written about all of these things in His Word. It is up to us to search out and separate fact from fiction, and truth from lies.
Adapted from my most recent book,
The Unraveling of America
by Dr. Ron M. Phillips
with Dr. J. Tod Zeiger
© 2016 Abba’s House Media
1. Forgive all who have hurt you and ask forgiveness of those you may have hurt.
2. Commit yourself to the Church. Be a faithful attender and attend both Sunday and mid-week services.
3. Pay any back tithes and offerings before this year ends. If you are able, sow a seed toward a harvest in the New Year.
4. Focus on someone or some family you could reach in the New Year.
5. Get active in a Sunday school class, LifeGroup, choir, as a nursery volunteer…. get involved sowing into the lives of others with your time and talent.
6. Set a plan to read Scripture and pray daily.
7. Be open to the Holy Spirit and His leading in your daily life.
8. Try to be proactive about health, diet and exercise. YOUR body is HIS temple.
9. Take joy where you find it and live thankfully each day… life is precious.
10. Live focused on God’s vision and do not let the small stuff bug you.
11. View life on earth as an exciting journey, not as a finish line.
12. Take the risk of loving others unconditionally.
So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” 
Every morning (weather permitting), the old artist would walk down the hill from his house to the small dock he had built years before on the lake. He would take his easel and a small box of drawing and painting utensils, and spend hours sitting on the dock, painting and sketching. Often, he would paint his beautiful surroundings — trees, water, the mountains, the woodland creatures — but every once in a while, he would paint images from his mind, and what the serenity of that place inspired in his imagination. He started off just hanging the pictures in his small home but over time, the lack of wall space and the encouragement of a friend inspired him to sell his paintings at a local store. Every once in a while, his art would inspire him to accompany the painting with a poem from his own experience, and although he rarely wrote such poems, they were always filled with beautiful imagery, witty humor, and profound wisdom.
For the first six months, his work was incredible. The publisher was overwhelmed by the beauty of the old artist’s eloquent and witty poems and stories. Furthermore, he was overjoyed by the public reception of the old artist — letters and correspondence praising the writings as masterful and insightful. Readership was up for the first time in a decade, with a corresponding rise in revenue. Everyone at the publishing company was happy.
That place I call home. That place I knew since I was a young boy. That place I shared with the love of my life — my other inspiration — until her time on this earth was done. That place where the wind sings to my spirit, that holds my memories, my laughter, my tears, my joys, and my sorrows. That place that inspired adventure in a young man, and soothed the broken heart of a grieving and lonely old man.
How many times do we see someone for what they are, but we miss who they are? How many times have we — as friends, acquaintances, leaders, and employers — looked to someone to fill a role in our lives without considering what it is that makes them qualified or even necessary to fill that role? How many times have employers, for the sake of gaining an employee, forsaken an artist? We see how having the abilities of a person can benefit us, but what is that thing that inspires them, that makes them who they are, that makes them of benefit to everyone around them? While we may choose what a person’s assignment is, do we understand what their anointing is?
This Christmas season, I encourage you — actually, I invite you — as we celebrate the story of the Christ Child, to find out someone else’s story. Find out what makes them tick. Look beyond the temporal and temporary exterior and find out about their experiences, dreams, and aspirations.
The United States was at peace with that Nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its Government and its Emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific. Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in the American Island of Oahu, the Japanese Ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to our Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. And while this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or of armed attack… (
But there is another lesson to be learned… a spiritual lesson that comes from one of the little known, little remembered facts about that fateful day. Typically, when we think of the attack on Pearl Harbor, it conjures images of massive aircraft carriers, hundreds of airplanes, bombs falling from the skies, and the fire and smoke rising from the wreckages of the U.S.S. Arizona, the U.S.S. West Virginia, the U.S.S. California, the U.S.S. Oklahoma, and many, many other ships. But what we miss is something that was discovered much later; something that lies beneath the surface of the chaos and destruction of that day.
According to the NOVA 
The story, posted in 
Political correctness has indeed reached a tipping point, and for the left-wing crowd that wants to be able to say, express, and champion every progressive, “enlightened”, offensive, and ungodly idea under the auspices of “free speech”, well… here’s your First Amendment at work.
With these words, written on October 3, 1863, Abraham Lincoln began his Thanksgiving Day Proclamation that set aside the last Thursday* of November as a national “day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father Who dwelleth in the Heavens“.
When President Lincoln penned these words, our nation was engulfed in the heart of the violence, bloodshed, and tragedy of the American Civil War. Yet, President Lincoln chose to find goodness. He chose to look forward with hope to a future of peace, prosperity, and promise. In spite of the hopelessness, despair, death, and destruction that consumed the nation between 1861 – 1865, President Lincoln looked back to better times, and had faith that such times would return.
So this Thanksgiving, if your life is joyous, be thankful for that, and for all of God’s many blessings.
Yesterday (as a “Throwback Thursday” post on social media), one of my staff posted an old picture of me in the recording studio where we used to record our CenterPoint radio broadcast. CenterPoint was our daily, 13 minute daily devotional program that aired around the world for 14 years, but which we (reluctantly) decided to discontinue at the end of 2012.
America has spoken. We have elected our next President and Vice-President. While some across our nation are rejoicing, others of our neighbors mourn. In a political campaign that was as vicious and divisive as any in my lifetime, I think it is important for all of us to remember that the Republic will endure. We have weathered far worse than this — wars, the Great Depression, more wars, scandal, etc. — and we still remain.
I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodious harbors and her ample rivers—and it was not there. . . . in her fertile fields and boundless forests—and it was not there. . . . in her rich mines and her vast world commerce—and it was not there. . . . in her democratic Congress and her matchless Constitution—and it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great.
Could it be that we have finally become weary of being a nation with a broken moral compass, evidenced by rampant police assaults, out-of-control violence in our streets, rabid support for the abomination of abortion-on-demand, acceptance of deviant sexual behavior, and open hostility to the things of God?
It will take understanding. As believers who trust in the inerrancy of the Bible, sometimes we are less than patient with those who are not believers. It is up to us lead in love, and show the love of Christ by example. Charles H. Spurgeon once said…
The nation’s leader was married to an un-elected, unselected ambitious woman who was the enemy of people of faith. This man of mystery spoke words that threatened the establishment, so they attacked this interloper, and put him on the run, for trying to overturn the corrupt and ungodly orders of an equally corrupt leader… corruption that, among other things, unjustly sent many to their deaths, seized the property and wealth of a law-abiding family by executive order, and after first framing the owner by accusations brought forward by false witnesses, had him murdered by an angry mob.
Today we need some folks with the anointing of Elijah to bring down the corruption in America. We need people of faith to stand on their God-given rights and boldly speak the Word of truth to a people that have lost their way. We need leaders who will rise up, and declare the words of Proverbs 14:34 from the rooftops…
It is time for the petty bickering to end.
The Heart of Abba - Ron Phillips 