Sound The Midnight Cry

“Facing the Challenges of a New Year”

As we stand on the threshold of a New Year, none of us know what lies ahead. Many of the predictions for 2006 never came to pass. Yet, many people are fearful of the future because of the “unknown” factor. That fear paralyzes them from ever fulfilling the purpose of their life. So the question that needs to be answered is, “How can one face the future without fear and with a sense of purpose?”

In John 14:1, Jesus told his disciples, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me." Jesus is trying to let them know that He is about to go away and that things are going to be different than they had been for the last 3 years. As He reveals some of the plan for the disciples, Thomas asked the question that many people today would ask; “How can we not be fearful about the future? You say you are leaving and we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” [John 14:5] The fear of the unknown has struck the hearts of his closest friends.

Change is difficult for most people. We like the conveniences that technology and science bring our way but we don’t like what we don’t know. The disciples were not any different so Jesus reveals this truth: “… The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work." John 14:10

All that was happening in the life of Jesus was the work of his Father in heaven: His birth, his flight into Egypt, his growing up as the son of a carpenter, his encounters with the religious leaders of the day, and the miracles done by his hands. All this was the working of the Father. 

And what lay ahead of him was also the working of the Father: The betrayal by a friend, the trial by his peers, the beatings by the soldiers, the mocking of the crowd, and the laying down of his life. All this too was part of the working of the Father. But let's not leave it there: the resurrection, victory over death, hell, and the grave were also a working of the Father.

The point is this: With God as our source, we can face the challenges of each day with the understanding that He is working His work in us. [Romans 8:28]. What God has started, He is able to complete. So face 2007 with a sense of purpose, a sense of destiny and a sense of adventure!

“Hang On or Let Go?”

With Christmas upon us, our hearts and minds turn to the proclamation of “peace on earth, goodwill toward all men.” With all the efforts of governments to bring about a peace plan between the warring factions of the world, the religious community is working on their version of finding “peace among the major religions.”

Last month, an unusual gathering of several dozen clergy and lay people devoted to resolving global religious conflict met in Nashville. The major point that came from that conference was that "Christians must let go of some of their beliefs for the sake of peace.”

A spokesman for the group said, "The most basic Christian commitment ... is that we say we believe in the Lordship of Jesus. But, if we claim that, how can a Muslim or Jew trust us, if we say Jesus is the Lord of all Lords?” They went on to say that instead of focusing on differences, people needed to “focus on commonalities." [I wrote about this need for finding “common ground” last week]. It was also pointed out that Christians “must shed the idea that they need to promulgate [circulate, spread, broadcast] a worldwide Christianity.”

That brings me to my point this Christmas Eve: If the message that God felt was so important that He put a star in the heavens and had angels tell shepherds of the birth of His Son, why wouldn’t you want to “promulgate” the message of Jesus Christ? If the message of Christmas is “peace on earth, goodwill towards all men” why wouldn’t Christians want to spread the Good News?

It seems obvious to me that God wanted people to know about His Son coming to planet earth. The peace that God sent His Son to bring is not of the variety that the world calls peace [John 14:27]. The Christmas message is “peace for the soul” through forgiveness by God’s grace. That is something that I choose not to let go! Nor will I choose to stop telling others about this magnificent gift.

Let governments and religious groups work out their compromises. That is the spirit of Anti-Christ at work and setting the stage for the revelation of that great time of deception. But that too is setting the point in time for the coming of Jesus Christ to earth again. This time not as a baby, but as King of kings and Lord of lords!

Merry Christmas!

“Common Ground?”

An 18th-century statesman Edmund Burke said, "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” That statement describes the attitude of the majority of the human race. The leaders of the free world lack the moral resolve to stand against an attack of dangerous social, military and health challenges perpetuated by the U.N. Instead of confrontation with evil and moral corruptness, they opt instead to embrace common ground.

The byword that is at the forefront of this subtle movement is globalism. The word is found each day in our headlines, news media and financial markets. The heart of globalism is the advancement toward a one-world government providing a one-world order with a one-world religion. The leaders, [including religious leaders] are members of subgroups such as the Council on Foreign Relations, the World Council of Churches, the Trilateral Commission, the Communitarian Network and many more such organizations.

Their agenda is to find common ground for the common good — a.k.a. “compromise.” Out of each compromise, the world ticks closer to a new, one-world order.

Examples of these compromises are found as world leaders pass resolutions without resolve to “diplomatically” solve problems with terrorists and terrorist-sponsoring nations, whose goal is to kill whoever opposes them. Instead of opposing same-sex marriage, leaders find common ground in civil unions, which only inches the world closer to legitimizing homosexuality.

Instead of maintaining schools as institutions of learning reading, writing and arithmetic, leaders find common ground with organizations such as UNESCO — which has a worldwide educational agenda that includes handing out condoms, teaching homosexuality as normal, promoting abortion as birth control, and diminishing faith by saying that all religions are equally valid.

2 Corinthians 6:14 says: “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?” We must understand that as the world progresses towards its appointment with the return of Jesus Christ, the true follower of Christ will be continually tempted to find “common ground” with darkness. We must know to whom we belong; and if it is to Christ, compromise with the world by dilution, conciliation or attrition is not an option. We are commanded to shine the light of God’s Word through our lives and not be ashamed to live out our convictions so that when Christ does return, He will find “faithfulness in the earth” [Luke 18:8]

“All I Want For Christmas Is A Benelux”

When you ask most people what their one Christmas wish would be, the most popular answer is, “world peace.” Nice thought but doesn’t seem realistic considering the present day hostilities in the world. But then along came the “Benelux.”

A Benelux is a type of entity similar to a confederation. The latest idea to be resurrected to address the Middle East problems is a confederation made up of the Independent State of Israel, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and the Independent State of Palestine. That entity would be known as The Confederated States of the Near East, or The Confederated States of Palestine.

Those that are the proponents of this idea point out that the majority of issues to be negotiated between Israel and the Palestinian Authority have already been agreed to. The remaining issues are:

• The “Right of Return” of Palestinian refugees to their homes in pre-1948 Israel
• The status of Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine
• The Temple Mount and who retains sovereignty over it

The proponents of a confederation say that all these issues can be solved by the creation of a Benelux. The proposals in addressing these three major areas of conflict are very workable and appealing to all parties involved.

This brings me to my point: We know that bible prophecy clearly states that there will be one that comes with a plan of peace. Already the president of Iran is pouring millions of dollars into preparation for the coming “Mahdi” – the Islamic Messiah. We know that the Anti-Christ will come from the area of Iran/Iraq/Syria. He will sign a treaty with Israel giving what seems to be a lasting peace with its neighbors. We also know that 3 ½ years later he breaks that Israeli peace accord, moves his throne to Jerusalem where he defiles the Temple and declare that everyone worship him.

The bottom line is that whenever I read of another proposal of peace in the Middle East, of another conference to reconcile differences, of another commission to mediate the conflict, I realize that we are one day closer to the fulfillment of bible prophecy. It also means we are one day closer to the return of Jesus Christ to planet earth.

His first coming was as a baby in a manger; His second coming will be in all His glory and power is as King and Judge of all mankind. At that time, He will setup His kingdom with His throne in Jerusalem. No Benelux, no Confederated States of Palestine and no more conflict. For every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord!