Sound The Midnight Cry

“What History Could Teach Us”

On November 20th, US Treasury Secretary Paulsen called the financial crisis now plaguing the world economy a "once or twice" in a 100 years event. The idea was to try and calm the people by letting them know this is not going to be the new “norm”.

My objection is the idea of telling us it’s a once in a hundred year event. Considering that an article this past week showed that most Americans can’t even answer a simple history test, how can we expect that anyone will learn from past history?

I noted a couple weeks ago that warnings were being sounded by several different sources of the steps the U.S. was taking down a dark and slippery path towards shadows of past history. A Republican congressman from Georgia expressed concern that President-elect Obama will use his call for a "civilian national security force that is just as strong and well-funded as the US military" to impose a Marxist or fascist dictatorship.

Now before anyone cries “foul” let me point out that history tells us that this was the same tactic employed by Adolf Hitler early in his career, first with his Storm Troopers and then, after his election to Chancellor in 1933, with the Gestapo.

The Gestapo had the authority to investigate treason, espionage and sabotage cases, and cases of criminal attacks on the Nazi Party and Germany. A law passed by the government in 1936 gave the Gestapo carte blanche to operate without judicial oversight.

To those that would ask, “Do we need a civilian national security force" as the President-elect is calling for, they need to understand that the Posse Comitatus Act and the Insurrection Act substantially limit the powers of the federal government to use the military for law enforcement. Hence the "need" for a civilian national security force.

Now history does have a way of repeating itself as time has shown. In the 1933 elections, Adolf Hitler's Nazi Party had made major gains in the German parliament, campaigning on a promise to repudiate Germany's foreign debt. As the Nazis grew in power, foreign investors began to withdraw their money from Germany, causing the German banking system to collapse. By late 1929, the effects of the Stock Market Crash in New York were beginning to show up worldwide, and especially in Germany.

The population wanted change, and Hitler's charisma convinced the powers that be that he, and only he, could bring the political change necessary to restore Germany's greatness. It all has a familiar ring, doesn't it?

Change has come and is coming—there’s no doubt about it. However, the greatest change the world has known will take place the moment the trumpet of God sounds and Jesus Christ comes back to planet earth.

The Bible told us that His coming was going to happen the first time and history confirms that He did. The same Bible is once again pointing to His Second Coming and when He does—history will never be the same again!

“Mirror, Mirror On The Wall…”

“Mirror, mirror on the wall, what’s the next thing that will fall?” This has become my thought each morning when I wake up wondering what events transpired overnight while I was sleeping. With all the news reports coming each day, I wait with a sense of waiting for another shoe to drop.

This week was no exception as we saw…

• Financial markets plunge to new lows
• The G20 leaders calling for a single global currency
• OPEC calling for the slashing output to stop the plummet in oil global oil prices
• The threat of the Big 3 automakers failing and the cascading effect it would have on our economy
• Warnings being sounded of the U.S. domination in world influence falling
• Bloggers and even congressmen sounding an alarm of the U.S. slipping towards socialistic tendencies

Meanwhile, President-elect Obama’s team has noted that a priority will be to force Israel to give up the Golan Heights, divide Jerusalem and give the eastern half to the Arabs and return to the pre-1967 borders. In return Israel will receive “recognition”—no one seems to know what that really means. Let me explain why I say so.

Middle East scholar Daniel Pipes has stated, “The Israeli side makes painful concessions…even as terrorism and other forms of violence continue. Jerusalem responds with several more rounds of ever-more painful concessions until finally the Arab side grudgingly accepts them, offering airy promises of "peace" that promptly turn into just the opposite – greater levels of hostility and violence.”

Add to this process that on a visit to the Middle East last July, the president-elect said privately “it would be 'crazy' for Israel to refuse a deal that could 'give them peace with the Muslim world.'"

However, Robert Spencer, author of "Stealth Jihad: How Radical Islam Is Subverting America Without Guns Or Bombs" reminds us: "Amid all the enthusiasm for this plan…no one seems to have considered anything about the Islamic legal doctrine regarding treaties, which allows Muslims to conclude only temporary truces with the infidels, in order to allow the Muslims time to gather their strength and fight again more effectively sometime in the future."

If that doesn’t convince you, consider a declaration made by the Saudi Grand Mufti (the highest official in Sunni religious law) in 1995: "Peace with Israel is permissible only on condition that it is a temporary peace, until the Muslims build up the [military] strength needed to expel the Jews."

Of course, those that follow these events in the light of bible prophecy are not surprised by any of this. They know that Israel is the focal point of all the events transpiring in the last days much like the pieces to a large puzzle. They also know that this is pointing to the greatest event on earth—the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

Second Peter 3:10 says, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.”

So the next time you hear of something else falling, failing, collapsing (and whatever term they may apply to it) remember; God is in control and these things must come to pass. He’ll provide for His own but get ready—because He’s coming soon!

“A Shadow of 1929”

The 19th century philosopher George Wilhelm Hegel said, “What experience and history teach is this—that people and governments never have learned anything from history.” As I survey the geopolitical landscape of the world, I am beginning to believe this statement.

This past week, warnings were being sounded by several different sources of the steps the U.S. was taking down a dark and slippery path towards shadows of past history.

Republican congressman from Georgia said Monday he fears that President-elect Obama will establish a Gestapo-like security force to impose a Marxist or fascist rule.

“It may sound a bit crazy and off base, but the thing is, he’s the one who proposed this national security force,” Rep. Paul Broun said of Obama in an interview Monday with The Associated Press.

In July, 2008, Barack Obama declared, "We cannot continue to rely only on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives that we've set. We've got to have a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded." The civilian national security force proposed by the incoming president will have an annual budget of about $439 billion.

That was the same tactic employed by Adolf Hitler early in his career, first with his Sturmabteilung (Storm Troopers) and then, after his election to Chancellor in 1933, with the Geheime Staatspolizei, or Gestapo.

The Gestapo had the authority to investigate treason, espionage and sabotage cases, and cases of criminal attacks on the Nazi Party and Germany. A law passed by the government in 1936 gave the Gestapo carte blanche to operate without judicial oversight.

President-elect Obama’s Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel, is quoted in a 2006 videotape in which he describes plans for a mandatory draft of all young adults into this civilian service. When asked if these civilian inductees will be billeted in military barracks he replied, "Somewhere between the ages of 18 to 25 you will do three months of training…"There can be nothing wrong with all Americans having a joint, similar experience of what we call civil defense training or civil service. It will give people a sense of what it means to be American."

“That's almost how Hitler and his minions described membership in the Sturmabteilung and Geheime Staatspolizei – and especially the Hitler Youth” writes Hilmar von Campe. A former German member of the Hitler Youth, now a U.S. citizen, and author of "Defeating the Totalitarian Lie: A Former Hitler Youth Warns America", he warns, "Every day brings this nation closer to a Nazi-style totalitarian abyss."

"I lived the Nazi nightmare, and, as the old saying goes, 'A man with an experience is never at the mercy of a man with an argument,'" writes von Campe. "There is nothing theoretical about my description of what happens when a nation throws God out of government and society, and Christians become religious bystanders…The role of God in human society is the decisive issue for this generation.”

Proverbs 14:12 says, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." It remains to be seen whether we learn anything from history.

It has been said, “Every time history repeats itself the price goes up.” Though the author is unknown, it sounds as if he is speaking from experience! Whether we turn to God or rely on our own intellect, will surely be important in the days ahead!

“So Where’s The Good News?”

I received a phone call from a friend in Nevada this past week. We had lost touch with each other for a couple years but got reacquainted with about a 3 hour phone call. Sure was great to hear how God has been moving in his family and business. Good friends are something you value more and more as we get older.

In the course of our conversation, it eventually turned to the political and financial events taking place in our nation. My friend jokingly remarked, “You say it’s not the end of the world. But I’ve been reading your website and maybe it is!” To which we both laughed and continued to share our thoughts and insights with each other.

I’ve thought about that statement several times this past week. It’s true that without the proper perspective, watching the events unfold each day around the world in the light of bible prophecy could seem all doom and gloom. However, we must keep these events in proper perspective.

The domestic news included among other things, an election of a new President, the continued bad news of the stock market, job lay-offs, business closings, retail sales predicting worst Christmas in years, mortgage defaults climbing [I could go on but won’t].

The foreign news included much of the same but with a few other wrinkles.

• Israel has guarded optimism but is considering what a new US administration means to them and how to handle Iran before the presidency takes place.
  
• Libya has made an agreement with Russia for a naval port in exchange for high tech weapons.
  
• Russia declared it will put missiles near the border of Poland.
  
• Oh, I almost forgot that it was reported that Vladimir Putin is planning to come back as Russia’s President in 2009.
  
• Syria has moved troops to surround Lebanon and moved to northern Israel. All of this in the past few days!

So someone might be asking at this point, “Bob, so where’s the good news?” To which I would respond, “All these things are pointing to a real change coming—the return of Jesus Christ to planet earth!” To those that have a relationship with Him, that’s incredibly good news. To those that don’t have a relationship with Him, the ‘good news’ is the Gospel message – that those that would believe in Him can have eternal life. From that point on, the good news is that He lives within you and He’s coming back for you.

So let me close with this note that I had before this past Tuesday’s election. You can change the phrase “the election” to fit your situation.

I predict that regardless of who wins the election, after November 4th:

• God will still be on the Throne
• Prayer will still work
• The Bible will still have all the answers
• God will still inhabit the praises of His people
• There will still be God-anointed men and women proclaiming the truth
• There will still be singing of praise to God
• God will still pour out His Spirit upon His people
• There will still be room at the cross
• Jesus will still love you
• Jesus will continue to save the lost when they come to Him
• I will still believe and declare Jesus Christ as Lord of my life
• Jesus is coming soon!
  

And God says: “I approve this message”