Sound The Midnight Cry

“The Three R’s”

Years ago, education was summed up using a phrase “The three R’s”. It was used to describe the foundations of a basic skills oriented education program within schools: reading, writing and arithmetic [reading, 'riting, and 'rithmetic]. The phrase was used because each word in the phrase has a strong “R” (sound) at the beginning. The term is ironic, since two of the words do not actually begin with an “R”.

The role of the “R’s” in elementary education used to be beyond question. An example: How effectively could one teach geography, history, and science to students who could not read?

In the 21st century, those basic “R’s” have been replaced. Washington State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Terry Bergeson, has identified the new three “R’s” as Relating, Representing and Reasoning. If so, it may explain some recent developments at the national level of government and legal system.

In a New Hampshire court this week, Judge Lucinda V. Sadler ordered a 10-year-old home-schooled girl described as "well liked, social and interactive with her peers, academically promising and intellectually at or superior to grade level" to attend a government school. The court sided with Marital Master Michael Garner who reasoned that the girl's "vigorous defense of her religious beliefs to [her] counselor suggests strongly that she has not had the opportunity to seriously consider any other point of view."

ADF-allied attorney John Anthony Simmons of Hampton stated, "The court is essentially saying that the evidence shows that, socially and academically, this girl is doing great, but her religious beliefs are a bit too sincerely held and must be sifted, tested by, and mixed among other worldviews. This is a step too far for any court to take." So much for reading, writing and arithmetic; they are no longer the focus of what is considered a proper and viable education.

Also in the news this week was a report of a government program targeting school children to help getting information for the U.S. census. “Census in Schools” is an all-out campaign opening across the nation this month and next. The message: The Census is coming and here's why everyone should care.

The Constitution mandates a complete population count every 10 years. Between January and March, the Census Bureau will help plan a week of Census education in schools where teachers will devote 15 minutes every day for five days to the topic.

However, the upcoming census questions have become very complex and very personal. Congresswoman Michele Bachmann from Minnesota (R) in an interview with The Washington Times, said that she will only fill out the number of people in her house during the 2010 Census. She is quoted as saying "I know for my family the only question we will be answering is how many people are in our home, we won't be answering any information beyond that, because the Constitution doesn't require any information beyond that." Then again, children armed and equipped by a government program could exert pressure on parents to go beyond the required answer. If you don’t believe that, ask yourself why McDonald’s targets their ads to children.

The bottom line is that the societal landscape is changing right before our eyes…and changing quickly. People “professing themselves to be wise, they became fools” (Romans 1:22).

The only “hope for change” that our nations seems to so desperately want is found in another “R”—repentance. God specifically wrote the prescription: "if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14.

I just wonder if we really know how to read?

"That's Not A Vacation!"

Summer is about to close and vacations are pretty much over for most people. Some folks are glad to settle back down into a more “normal” routine. A person that just returned from vacation told me the other day that they needed a vacation from their vacation!

It reminded of times when a vacation is not a vacation. By definition, vacation means, “a period of time devoted to rest, travel, or recreation.” We’ve all had those getaways that left us more exhausted than rested; usually when it involves visits to distant family members (I see you shaking your head “yes”)! We may complain when we get home how exhausted we are but we have no one to blame as it was of our own choice.

So when is a vacation not a vacation? When you are told you have to take the time off…and without pay! That’s not a vacation because such drastic measures indicate a problem brewing.

I thought of this as I read this past week that the city of Chicago had to shut down for a day due to budget shortfalls. The report stated that this will not be the last time as the city grapples with the budget problems. A number of other large cities have or are planning to do the same thing as their finances get squeezed with the continued fiscal constraints. The state of California has been issuing IOU’s for the past couple months because it ran out of money.

This week, the mayor of Philadelphia is threatening the state with shutting down its courts, laying off 3,000 workers including firefighters and police, if it won’t approve a sales tax increase and how it pays its pension plan. The mayor states that there is no money without the proposed changes.

As grim as these situations look, probably none as dire as the letter issued a few months ago by Bob Chapman’s influential International Forecaster. It reported on the possibility of a so-called “bank holiday” planned for late August or early September (latest prediction is this Wednesday, August 26th after the release of the FDIC’s 2nd quarter report on the 25th). The idea is that when word gets out that the FDIC is essentially broke (as of today, August 20th, 81 banks this year have closed including giant Colonial Bank last weekend), there will be another run on banks as we saw last year in California and other states.

Schultz believes the global elite are in the process of engineering an FDR-style “bank holiday” of undetermined length in order to “sort-out the bank mess” and impose new bank rules. According to Chapman’s sources, U.S. embassies around the world are selling dollars and stockpiling money from respective countries where they operate. (Note: a number of insiders in government & finances believe that at such a time a new “Amero” currency [U.S. Canada & Mexico] could be introduced.)

As I thought about this yesterday while driving in my car, I was reminded of the Israelites under the taskmaster of Pharaoh. When Moses arrived on the scene to declare a “vacation” (3 days to go and worship God in the desert) it turned into a nightmare. They ended up working harder as they now had to gather straw for the bricks they were already making. In other words, before it got better, it got worse!

Christians that have the idea that they will never suffer or have to deal with extreme difficulties may have a rude awakening very soon. Their faith is one that is followed as long as things go along without too much struggle. They may soon wake-up to find out what many Believers in other countries already know—following Jesus Christ comes with a price.

I take assurance from that thought that these events are pointing to the return of Jesus Christ. And when He returns, He is taking His Church out of this world—what a vacation that will be!

So the question you need to ask yourself is, “Are you ready—for them and Him?”

“And That’s The Way It Is”

For those that grew up in the 1960s and '70s, Walter Cronkite was the voice of history. Every evening at the end of his news report on CBS, he would sign off with, “And that’s the way it is…” usually naming the date and end with a friendly “good night”. It was almost as if to say, “That’s the truth and you can’t get around it.”

In today’s world of information at the touch of key stroke, the idea of an absolute truth is become a foreign concept. It would seem that truth is what you choose to believe; events, circumstances, facts (another idea that has become perverted) are what a person chooses to accept as true. Examples of this concept can be found every day in the news especially in the midst of political upheaval seen around the world.

In Iran, hardliners are putting on trial those that were prominent in the opposition party during their recent presidential elections. The “truth” being that outside western influences tainted the population with “lies” and tried to bring the government down.

In Somalia, Pakistan, Iran and other Muslim nations, Christians are being brutally beaten, tortured, put on trial and houses burned after being falsely accused of speaking against the Quran and/or refusing to renounce their faith in Jesus Christ. The charge of “apostasy” is leveled by someone and without any evidence (and sometimes in spite of evidence to the contrary) punishment is carried out by local “authorities”.

In the U.S. the populace appears to be on the verge of a government uprising or “second revolution” in response to the massive changes being sought by the current administration and Congress in regards to health-care and fiscal programs. Though the media tries to spin “the truth” with ideas of “unpatriotic right-wing rebels”, the truth is being seen as everyday people are filling the halls of their towns and voicing their dismay and anger towards elected officials.

Interestingly (at least to me) during the uprising in Iran, reports leaked around the world through social networking sites of what was really going on in the country. The U.S. among other nations was quick to acknowledge how the miracle of technology like Twitter, Facebook, and others were great tools for getting the truth out. Now, in the U.S. we are being told how “evil” these same tools are and being asked to report or forward emails, text messages or other electronic communication to the White House if they say anything other than official party communiqués (just a thought)!

Of course, all of this is part of bible prophecy for Jesus stated that “nation would rise against nation”. Most scholars will agree that this has more to do with internal struggles than external nations (though it also includes that scenario). The signs were foretold and they point to the return of Jesus Christ. This time Christ comes not as a baby in a manger, but King of kings and judge of the earth.

And that’s the way it is!

"Get Out Of Here!"

“There you go” is a southern phrase used when someone says something to you and you’re not quite sure how to respond. They may ask you your opinion about something that has never even entered your mind (and wonder why it ever would or should) so you simply say, “There you go.”

Another interesting phrase is “Get out of here.” Now other than the obvious meaning (if you’re not sure what that is, ask the person sitting near you) it is used when someone tells us something so incredibly hard to believe, we respond “get out of here.” The idea is that they must be “pulling our leg” or just plain lying to us about something so out of the ordinary.

About three weeks ago, I came across a posting on the Jewish Sanhedrin website of a meeting they had with a man from Turkey named Adnan Oktar, that many Muslims speculate could be the Mahdi (the Muslim messiah). Since then I have had correspondence with an associate of Mr. Oktar and have opened dialogue with him concerning the bible and prophetic events. I look forward to continued discourse in the future weeks.

Mr. Oktar, who goes by the pen name Harun Yahya, is a controversial but highly influential Muslim intellectual and author with over 65 million of his books in circulation worldwide. He recently met with three representatives from the re-established Jewish Sanhedrin, a group of 71 Orthodox rabbis and scholars from Israel, to discuss how religious Muslims, Jews and Christians can work together.

The focus of that meeting was to discuss a way of joining in an intellectual and spiritual battle against the worldwide growing tide of irreligiousness, unbelief and immorality. But even more unusual is their agreement with regard to the need to rebuild the Jewish Temple, a structure Oktar refers to as the “Masjid (Mosque)” or the “Palace of Solomon.”

An official statement about the meeting has been published on the Sanhedrin's website. Concluding the statement is the following call: “Out of a sense of collective responsibility for world peace and for all humanity, we have found it timely to call to the world and exclaim that there is a way out for all peoples. It is etched in a call to all humanity: We are all the sons of one father, the descendants of Adam, and all humanity is but a single family…we shall work towards the building of the House of Prayer for All Nations on the Temple Mount in peace and mutual understanding.”

Mr. Oktar has also stated that the Temple of Solomon “will be rebuilt and all believers will worship there in tranquility.” Oktar expressed his belief that the Temple could be rebuilt in one year.

The naysayer’s for years have scoffed at those that spoke of bible prophecy especially when it comes to issues of the Jewish Temple. Now it is happening and I would remind those same scoffers that along with the Temple being rebuilt, another promise is about to also happen—the rapture of the Church. When that happens and you hear the news, you won’t have to say “get out of here”—we’ll be gone!