"For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places." - Matthew 24:7

I don't leave my suburban home much these days. After a harrowing encounter with child traffickers a few years back, the world outside has become a dark, foreboding place. But every so often, I have no choice but to brave the "great outdoors" and witness the alarming changes overtaking our once vibrant communities.

The Dollar General Takeover

Just the other day, I had to make a quick trip to the local Dollar General. As soon as I stepped through those automatic doors, a sense of dread washed over me. The harsh, institutional lighting. The chemical stench of cheap plastics. This soulless corporate box is now the centerpiece of so many Main Streets across America.

Where once stood unique mom-and-pop shops, local bakeries, and family-owned hardware stores - now it's just row after row of identical, generic products. The very fabric of small-town America is being ripped apart and fed into the machine.

The Mark of the Beast

And that's not all. As I scanned the aisles, I couldn't help but notice the ubiquitous credit card scanners, the cameras monitoring our every move. The technology of the surveillance state is encroaching on even the most mundane aspects of our lives.

The Bible warned us about this in Revelation 13 - a time when "no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark." Digital currency. Brain chips. An all-seeing eye tracking our every transaction. The signs are all around us.

The Decline of Civilization

I returned home shaken, my mind racing with unsettling thoughts. The America I grew up in is dying before my eyes. Our small towns gutted. Our privacy invaded. Our very souls consumed by the corporate machine.

Unless we heed the warnings of Scripture and take action, I fear the prophecies of old will soon be fulfilled. The tribulation is coming, my friends. The end times are upon us. We must open our eyes and prepare.

"The truth doesn't hide. It waits for those brave enough to look."

The Wise Wolf