Update June 29, 2012:

Re. Supreme Court's Recent Word Games:

The President and Congress say "Obamacare" is a mandate, but the Supreme Court says no it's a "tax."

Who knew that taxes didn't have to have an assessed rate, just a nominal penalty will do?

And since the word "tax" is worth so many Scrabble points, it's "game over."

And lawlessness wins.

A FEW SIGNS OF LAWLESSNESS (8.30.11)

"FOR THE MYSTERY OF LAWLESSNESS IS ALREADY AT WORK..." 2THESSALONIANS2,7

1. POROUS NATIONAL BORDERS AND NO WORK VISAS FOR 13 MILLION (WE LOVE ALL GOD'S PEOPLE);

2. SACRED COW DEFENSE SPENDING OF ONE TRILLION PER YEAR, THREE WARS, THE WORLDWIDE MILITARIZATION OF DIPLOMACY, AND UNTRACKED "FOREIGN AID" MONEY THAT IS BETTER SPENT AT HOME;

3. SOCIALISM AND FREE MONEY FOR WALL STREET AND FOREIGN BANKS GUARANTEEING THEM BIG PROFITS WHILE MILLIONS OF FOLKS AT HOME FACE LACK OF WORK AND FORECLOSURE;

4. WASHINGTON ALSO GUARANTEES  MOST OF OUR MORTGAGES, GM AND CHRYSLER, AFGHANISTAN'S POLITICS, IRAQ'S FUTURE, AND LIBYA'S NEXT LEADER;

5. WAR POWERS ACT REQUIRING CONGRESS APPROVAL FOR LIBYA WAR INGNORED- AS IF FRENCH PRESIDENT SARKOZY AND NATO OK IS GOOD ENOUGH;

6. WASHINGTON PASSES MASSIVE INSURANCE BASED FEDERAL HEALTH CARE LEGISLATION THAT REQUIRES INDIVIDUALS TO PARTICIPATE, WHICH SUPPOSEDLY TRUMPS ALL STATES' RIGHTS AND INNOVATIONS, WITHOUT HAVING READ IT OR FULLY ASSESSED COSTS, AND WITHOUT LETTING PUBLIC READ IT AND ASSESS IT;

7. NO CHILD LEFT WITH MATH, SCIENCE, ENGLISH, HISTORY, AND YET STATES STILL SUBJECT TO FEDERAL MANDATES;

8. ONLY FORTY-SIX PERCENT OF KIDS LIVE WITH THEIR BIOLOGICAL DADS AND DIVORCE IS OPENLY PROMOTED;

9. NO AUDITS FOR THE FED AS IT PRINTS AND REVALUES OUR MONEY, AND AS IT SEEKS TO INCREASE ITS ROLE IN POLITICS;

10. GOVERNMENT REGULATORS AT SEC AND RATINGS AGENCIES RELUCTANT TO REIGN IN EVER CHANGING FINANCING SCHEMES.

Genesis 1,2 teaches that it was the Spirit of God moving over the waters [of chaos, of lawlessness] that God used to give form and order to physical creation.

If we live according to the law of sin and death- an eye for an eye- greed- hatreds- envies- might makes right- selfishness- in disorder, then we will never fully know that the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set us free from lawlessness. Romans 8,2.

We "Christians" should not be overly surprised by lawlessness outside our ranks. Yet we are called to live acording to a better law, a law inside us.  

If not, we will never fully experience the beauty and bounty of God's Spiritual law in us as individuals, and over us as nations and peoples. 

Perhaps God is removing his Spirit over creation in this day of increasing lawlessness (2Thessalonians 2,6) because so few of us humans have lived God's covenant with all creation that came through Noah (Genesis 9,1-17), let alone the faith covenant that came through the blood of Jesus, whereby if we act on the promises of God, again and again, we will receive the new law of the Spirit, and God will live in us (cf Acts 2,39).

And then we will have the power to live and act according to this new law.

The only real antidote to all manner of lawlessness, is the new law of the Spirit, Jesus in us, the hope of glory. Jesus in us, saying "Fear Not, I am with you, even unto the end of the age."

Shalom, Br. Tobin