Who is the LORD that I should Obey
“Descendants from the ‘tune in’, ‘turn on’, and ‘drop out’ generation are ‘zoned out’ as the ‘god of this world’ has blinded the minds of many. The one question they are asking is ‘Who is the Lord that I should obey’.”

“Zoned out”
Spaced out, stoned, unaware, oblivious, unconscious, drugged, narcotized.

Derived from the 70′s phrase “lost in the ozone”, which led to the related terms “ozoned”, “zoned”, and “zoned out”. Urban dictionary
The Sixties had a name for it, ‘tune in, turn on, and drop out’. So kids did just that. Culture in the that era was changed by the ‘new age mantra’ of the Beatles, Stones, Doors, Janis Joplin and others. It was a time that young people ‘tuned in’ to what these guro’s of the guitar and song had to say. Along with these were the Acid guru ‘Timothy Leary’ called the Father of LSD. The Beatles wrote “Lucy in the Sky of Diamonds” or LSD, the metaphor song for getting high, that is tuning in, turning on, and dropping out of the mainstream. It was the ‘free love’ generation.

A time when young people grouped together in parties for beer, whiskey, Acid, grass, speed, and other hallucinogens. It was free love, and party time. A time that the generation of the ‘tune in, turn on, and drop out’ did not trust the government at all. It was a time of week long beach or lake parties. A place to drink, get high, have sex, and ‘rap’ on all kinds of subjects around the campfire. It was a different time! It is that generation that has produced the generations we see today! The fruits of the sixties are before us.

It was the turning point for lawlessness in this nation I believe. The Vietnam war was on, draft card burnings, and the ‘love child’ generation. The ‘flower children’ of Haight Ashbury in San Fran was a mecca to these homeless and starved for the new theme of their generation. Many seeking ‘true love’, acceptance, and companions who cared came from all over the nation. In this they found homelessness but companions who on the street as they were managed to survive. Some of these wanderers fell into communes, hippy lifestyles, and the rainbow people. It is hard to really get a grip of how this generation changed America’s landscape.

The theme then ‘tune in, turn on, and drop out’ was a name for what is commonly called ‘Zoning out’. That place where people can be lost in their own world, a place separate from all others, yet near enough to touch the world around them. The time of the sixties and even today is one of ‘Zoned out’, ‘spaced out’, and ‘unaware’ people.

Even today I run across people my age who are nearing sixty and still a hippy. There are others who are more business like and modern but still smoke weed, do occasional drugs, and see no problem with free sex. These are people who smoke weed to get high and then meditate. They seek the ‘new age’ spiritual enlightenment. One where the God they know does not condemn fornication or free sex. There is no hell in their world and no need for a savior. The talk of sin is anathema to them.

Most Americans today are products of the sixties in this country. That is unless you migrated to the US after that era. Today, though; sadly people are still ‘zoned out’. They are in their own worlds. They do not see what is coming nor understand the current climate in the world. In short they are ‘zoned out’, in darkness, whom the god of this had blinded their minds. Paul speaks of this to Corinth. Speaking plainly that those who ‘believe not’ have their minds blinded. The god of this world uses many means to do this. But I note here that in the midst of this battle for truth, Paul says “we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.  For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ but we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” It is that Power in us, which reflects Gods glory, message, love, and salvation to a lost generation.

2 Corinthians 4:3  But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
4  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
5  For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.
6  For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

Moreover, many churches and Christians today choose not to see what is happening in our nation. They think that all is well. Refusing to acknowledge the sin or the rebellion in society today in America, they are as ‘zoned out’ as many in the secular world. They say they know Christ, but refuse to see what is happening around them. They are in their own little doctrinal worlds surrounded by denominational treatises and professional religious figures who convince them to stay in their comfortable state of denial. This is ‘religious zoning out’. It is when Gods people read the Word of God but not really read it! The word of God is made non effect, because of the traditions of men that have effectively dulled the sharpened edge of the Word of God. This leads to a grievous error on the churches part. That is, not speaking up against sin, nor rebuking it!

Revelation 2:13  I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.
14  But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.
15  So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.
16  Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

Furthermore, lest we think that ‘zoning out’ is a prefabrication of some ones minds, it is the result of it. A recent study has made rounds on this . I call this ‘zoning out’ with help – the stimulus factor! I speak of a recent study from the University of Pittsburgh that used the reading of Tolstoy’s “War and Peace” from a computer screen. This showed that participants in the study, half of whom consumed alcohol and the other half did not, revealed startling results. ‘Zoning out’ or ‘mind wandering’ during reading showed that those who consumed alcohol do so about 25% of the time. This figure is more than double of those who did not consume alcohol.[facts from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090505174545.htm]

In addition to the above study, I also found an article on the subject of ‘zoning out’. This one was from a Law school. Take note here of the study done in an University above and the article below from a Law school. Do you think maybe that in school, there is trouble with this as well? Yes, according to the article which gave ten techniques on how to prevent this in college. This would indicate that ‘apparently even our Institutions of higher learning’ have trouble with their students ‘zoning out’ in class. The Assistant Dean for Academic Success Programs at Texas Tech University Law school wrote an short article on the ‘Law School Academic Support Blog’ on this giving ten techniques to keep from ‘zoning out’.
[facts from http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/academic_support/2009/10/ways-to-prevent-zoning-out-in-class.html]

I would also add that our congress, government, and President are also ‘zoned out’. In the current administration they are ‘zoned out’ in their own world. The world they seek is an America of socialist and communist stripes. A government with the ability to control all aspects of your lives and create a new constitutional form of American lifestyle. The ability of this President to ‘formulate’ and ‘convince’ those who listen to him through the use of images of the beast was proven by his election and rise from nowhere with little or no experience. It seems, though, that the public awoke from their stupor of ‘zoning out’ long enough to fall for the ‘mind control’ methods of the modern technology. A technology that the ‘son of perdition’ will use quite effectively. Along with many governments that will also do this, the current digital age is one which brings people to a new level of ‘mind control’ and ‘zoning out’. The term ‘zoning out’ is also used in ‘chakra’, ‘meditation’, and ‘new age spiritual awareness’ techniques.

‘Zoning out’ and Technology

I found a recent article by Michael Parsons, now editor of CNET in the UK. Parsons admits in an article he wrote “The Social cost of Zoning out” which reflected his ‘zoning out’ with technology. His trouble in this, although he uses spare commute time to ‘zone out’ and catch up on his work, is that he leaves off his surroundings being total wrapped up in is moment, so to speak. Michael admits “I carry a huge amount of electronic toys with me wherever I go. I commute an hour each way every day, and I use those hours to read, and listen to music, and watch films, and delete e-mails, and manage tasks, and play games, because it’s precious time and I want to squeeze some value out of it. However, by cutting myself off from my fellow commuters I withdraw my energy and awareness from them, and I suspect I become a little less pleasant to be around.”[http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/personal_tech/article3252734.ece]

There is need sometimes to use all spare time to catch up on work. There is also need to have private time. For yourself, with the Lord, with family, and with your friends. But what I speak about today is the massive ‘mind control’ through digital media and other techniques the enemy uses to bring people into a ‘zoned out’ state of mind. The public has fallen for the movies with many such modern techniques, as have many children and teens who along with adults spend endless hours in the modern digital gaming arena. We get our news from television, which is digital. We get our news from the Internet, again digital. We watch, listen, and get entertained this way.

To read a good book, to go outside and enjoy life, people, pets, the outdoors is more and more replaced by the things we watch and get entertained by. Many of the digital and related technologies also have no values in them, nor do they produce substance with standards to them. That is, unless, one truly knows the LORD God and his Son Jesus Christ. Then that person can indeed reflect Godly standards digitally. For example on a web site, online radio show, or online newspaper article. That is God’s Standards or calling people to repentance.

On the contrary, for the most part, much of what we see, read, and get entertained by is lust, lasciviousness, fornication, and rebellion. It spreads a message that foments ‘delusion’ by its endless repertoire of killing, maiming, murder, rape, theft, and it lifts fornication to a level of acceptance. We have brainwashed our generation with this stuff, it is destroying us. It is bringing those who are drugged with this neurotoxin of eye pleasing and brain washed numbness to that place where what they see on the digital screen, they will believe. The truth they accept is what they hear, see, and get entertained by on the digital compass before them. It is this, where the enemy comes as ‘light’ to deceive and deception with mastery to the world!

2 Corinthians 11:14  And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light

2 Thessalonians 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
9  Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

Americans and the world as we know are in that state of ‘zoning out’. They will not recognize the ‘son of perdition’, the ‘anti-Christ’, the ‘beast’ when he comes. The deception is strong, the minds of the people blinded by the god of this world and the last of the end times are upon the world.

Now I do a lot of ministry online. It is and has been an effective digital way to get the gospel to the ends of the earth. This is a tool, though, to spread the Word and warning of the LORD. It is a place of prayer, comfort, and the Word of God preached. But it does not, nor is meant too, replace family life, personal life, prayer life, or your bible reading. It is a tool, for the LORD, and with all things in this life, it will pass away!

The trouble with this ‘techno zoning out’ is that I am reminded of the Pharaoh in Egypt who said “Who is the LORD, that I should obey?”.

Exodus 5:2  And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.

Pharaoh admitted that “I do not know the LORD”. He also would not obey the LORD. Why should he? He did know the LORD! What would make it important to obey this God? He was the ‘God’ of his day as Pharaoh. Egypt had sciences, power, wealth, slaves, and many Gods. I see in America today a generation who is saying the same thing: “Who is the LORD that I should obey”? Further this generation is saying to us “I know not the LORD neither will I listen.”

2 Timothy 3:1  ¶This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3  Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4  Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

This is a generation that is not and has not been raised listening to the ‘powerful Word of God’ from the Pulpits of Preachers who were full of the Spirit of God and of Power! But there is a generation even today who is saying and acknowledging this True God and LORD to all who listens! They are as with this excerpt below from the ‘song of Moses’, which the Redeemed also sing in Revelation, “Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods”.

Exodus 15:11  Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?

This is truly the generation that Paul warned us about, and one who seeks that which is of the eyes, of the flesh, and of the pride of man. It seeks a spiritual side of the flesh which connects their carnal human spirit to demons and darkness appearing as light in the ‘new age’ and related religions. This connection of the ‘carnal spirit nature’ of man is that unredeemed and unregenerate. This connection will seem to bring enlightenment to the soul, but it is a false light that does not redeem men from their sins nor enable them to live about the ‘lusts of the flesh and the desires of the mind.” It simply brings a ‘supernatural tool’ that the devil uses to bring his brand of enlightened power without change. Thus they continue to be corrupt, howbeit, they declare themselves spiritually enlightened.

John 1:11  He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13  Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

These are not enlightened, nor saved, nor do they have the truth of our God. They are plainly, and most assuredly deceived. The result is corruption, unless the Spiritual rebirth occurs through Jesus Christ. It is here that the “power” of God becomes evident in that person. It is through belief in the only one true God and one true son, the redeemer of all men, Christ [Yeshua] Jesus our LORD that a person can find the only true light of God, following the only true way of God, through the only truth of God, His Son.

1 John 5:20  And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life

It is time, my friends, to seek HIM with all your heart, mind, and soul!

Zephaniah 2:3  Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD’S anger

Acts 15:15  And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written,
16  After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up:
17  That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.
Jeremiah 29:11  For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
12  Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
13  And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.