Sound The Midnight Cry

“Can You See The Big Picture”

A Coloradoan moved to Texas and built a house with a large picture window from which he could view hundreds of miles of rangeland. “The only problem is,” he said, “there’s nothing to see.” About the same time, a Texan moved to Colorado and built a house with a large picture window overlooking the Rockies. “The only problem is I can’t see anything,” he said. “The mountains are in the way.” 

That’s the way it is many times when it comes to Bible prophecy. There is so much taking place on a daily basis that it is sometimes necessary to take a step back in order to see the “big picture.”

All of these promises were fulfilled in the context of the greater promises of the “big picture”—the return of Christ for His Church and the national redemption of the Jews.

The Bible contains hundreds of prophecies. Some were fulfilled more than 3000 years ago. Others have been fulfilled since then. The most unlikely prophecy of Scripture was fulfilled on May 14, 1948, when Israel resumed its seat at the table of nations after a 2,700 year absence, as prophesied by Daniel, Ezekiel, Hosea, Isaiah and Jesus.

Isaiah 43:4-5 declares, “Fear not: for I am with you: I will bring your seed from the east, and gather you from the west; I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring My sons from far, and My daughters from the ends of the earth.”

The daily events taking place before our eyes conform exactly to God’s promises regarding Israel in the last days. They are just a portion of the “big picture.” When you add the rest of the details prophesied hundreds of years ago that have now taken place, they are astounding. But when you step back and see how each detail is so co-dependent on so many other details, there aren’t enough words in the English language to adequately describe it.

So what’s the point? The attention to exacting detail confirms for us that no matter how crazy world events seem to be, everything is going according to Divine Plan. God remains in control of events and He told us how it all turns out in the end. And since He hasn’t been wrong yet, we can trust Him on it. And with that, our message never changes…Jesus is coming soon!

“What If?”

How many times in our lives have we said, “What if I do this, then what?” or “What if this happens if I choose this direction?” or “What if I’m wrong…then what?” If you are like most people, you have uttered these words more than once in a lifetime.

When I look at the political positions being staked out by countries such as the U.S., Britain and others to create a two-state solution between Israel and the Arabs, you have to wonder if they have asked themselves, “What if this is the wrong direction?”

Some might ask, “So what if they make a wrong decision…what’s the worst that could happen?” As I was always told in my days of youth, all decisions come with a consequence…good or bad. Consider the following:

• What if the creation of Palestine does not bring peace to the Middle East?
• What if with “Palestine” securely in their hands, millions of Arabs utilize their new state to destroy Israel? [that is their stated goal]
• What if international terrorism rages on unchecked and undiminished after Palestine is born?
• What if after they have swallowed up the “Little Satan” [Israel] – terrorists are encouraged by their success in the Middle East, to carry out another mega terror attack on the Great Satan [United States]?
• What if the creation of Palestine does nothing to stabilize the oil market, but instead emboldens the Arab states to wield their weapon of blackmail?

The world leaders are convinced that creating a state called Palestine on the historic Jewish lands of Gaza, Samaria and Judea will go a long way towards helping to win the worldwide war on terror. Their plan amounts to an effort to bully Israel into giving up the most highly-prized and militarily-strategic parts of the only land that is rightfully hers. This plan will not succeed because they fail to recognize that this cannot be achieved through a political process as the driving force is religion and Israel’s right [or not] to exist.

The problem stems from mankind’s ignorance of what God’s Word says about the land called Israel and professing ourselves to be wiser than God. That my friend, is foolishness and the player that holds to that position is a fool.

My question would be to the framers of this “Middle East Peace Plan”: “What right do you have to offer land that is not yours to give?” In the end, all of this plays right into the scenario leading to the Battle of Armageddon when the nations of the world gather against Israel. Until then, let us pray that our national leaders stand with Israel and not force her to stand alone. To fail to do so would cause me to wonder, “What if God is displeased with our actions?” Let us pray we will never have to find out!

“Different Paths To Heaven?”

In a world filled with lies, the truth is a precious commodity. So imagine my surprise when I read in a recent article in Newsweek magazine when a “pillar” of the Church said there were many ways to heaven.

The article titled “Pilgrim’s Progress” was an article about the twilight of Billy Graham’s career. In the article, Billy said the following about the Bible, “I am not a literalist in the sense that every single jot and tittle is from the Lord. This is a difference in my thinking through the years.” When asked whether he believes heaven will be closed to good Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, or secular people Graham says, “Those are decisions only the Lord will make. It would be foolish for me to speculate on who will be there and who won’t...I don’t want to speculate about all that. I believe the love of God is absolute. He said He gave His son for the whole world, and I think He loves everybody regardless of what label they have.” [Sounds like a page taken from Joel Osteen’s statement on Larry King’s show earlier this year].

A man that worked for Mr. Graham’s ministry when asked about Billy’s comments said, “Billy just doesn’t want to offend anyone. Billy has made friends with many people of different faiths and didn’t want to burn those bridges.”

I think that this is where the Church has missed the boat. The truth [that precious commodity] is that the gospel is offensive. Truth offends…period. When Jesus told the people that He was the Bread of Life and you can have no part in Him unless you eat this bread, the people murmured and complained. Jesus knew his disciples were complaining about this latest "truth" so He asked them, “Does this offend you?” [John 6:61] In other words, “If this offends you what are you going to do with the other truths I’m about to tell you?”

I guess this kind of thing shouldn’t surprise any of us. 2 Timothy 4:3-4 reveals the signs of the last days when it says, “For there is going to come a time when people won’t listen to the truth …They won’t listen to what the Bible says but will blithely follow their own misguided ideas.” [LB]

I still have to wonder though: In one’s effort to not offend with the truth of the Gospel, what better friend can a person be to someone than to tell them the truth about eternity? What kind of friend would we be if we had friends dying and going to hell, and we didn’t warn them about the eternal judgment that awaits them?

I guess I’ll just have to take my chances and stick with the truth: That God so loves the world that He gave His only Son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. Sounds like only one way to heaven to me! [No offense intended].

“Inclusive or SIN-clusive?”

The Philadelphia School District has launched a new advance in the battle to indoctrinate school children into the “gay” agenda with its announcement that October is “Gay and Lesbian History Month.” Approximately 200,000 calendars were printed and sent to parents and others who have ties to the district. All of the calendars have October as being “Gay and Lesbian History Month.” School officials say they added the recognition this year “to be more inclusive” and follow a district policy requiring equity for all races and minority groups, according to Cecilia Cummings, a school community relations executive.

The school district has received hundreds of complaints, including one from a parent who said she was pulling her child out of school for the entire month of October. Parents were told that if they pull their children out of school that month and home school them “they would have to deal with the truancy regulations.”

One e-mail about the situation gave rise to a new perspective on the issue. “Whatever happened to the separation of church and the state that liberals keep harping about? Everyone knows, or should know that homosexuality is one of the tenets of the church of the devil. So, why is it that the devil's tenets can be espoused in school, but not the Word of God? Besides, is there a month for heterosexuality?”

Peter LaBarbera, president of the conservative group Americans for Truth, said “If you promote so-called homosexual rights, by definition you have to undermine people's religious rights and religious beliefs.”

When the school system begins teaching our young children that this is acceptable and that they should tolerate it, they have crossed over the line of parental rights. The problem is that parents want the right to teach truth based on their values while society wants to teach tolerance and that is where the problem begins. Our young children are very impressionable and it behooves every parent to instill those values they want to be passed along to their children…not the state.

Second Timothy 3:1-2 tells us, “You should also know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times…They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents…They will consider nothing sacred.”

In an attempt to be inclusive of all groups, they in essence exclude others. Whenever we attempt to be inclusive of some at the expense of others and justify it in our own minds despite what the Bible says, we are bound to cross the line into sin. I guess that’s what I would call “sin-clusive.”