It has been a constant theme in
many of my newsletters and other writings over several years now that most
Americans just do not focus on what is happening in the world and the “bigger
picture,” preferring to keep their attention on their jobs, their families,
their homes, the annual vacation, their favorite college and pro sports teams,
and more such. Over and over I have been
shocked at how little people know about what is happening in the world. And when I talk about important spiritual
things – in particular the imminent return of Jesus and the fact that so many
Biblical prophecies of events to happen just before his return have now in
recent years been fulfilled – I find the same thing. Little interest by most. A clouding over of the eyes and mind.
It’s a “don’t bother me” approach
to life. It’s an “I’m just not
interested.”
Well, that all is about to
stop. We are marching down the path to
the return of Jesus. The signs are
unmistakable. And we are watching key
elements in the world of Americans fall apart, and gigantic threats arise. Eventually even they will have to realize
something is happening….at least let’s hope so.
Consider the list:
· The prophecies regarding Jesus’ return are so
rapidly fulfilled or being fulfilled. In
Luke 21, Matthew 24, Mark 13 you can read his own words. And then read words of others elsewhere in
the Bible. I’m not going to repeat all I
have written on this in numerous documents.
Suffice it to say we are way past the beginning of birth pains, to use
his words of the signs of his return. We
are deep into the wars and rumors of wars, the rising of nation against nation
and kingdom against kingdom. We see the
outbreak of horrible diseases that threaten the world again and again, like
Ebola as the current version of that. We
have reported on the shocking increase of great deadly earthquakes and
hurricanes and such in the last century and in recent decades. We see the oppression of Christians in many
lands. The generally accepted estimate
is that about 100,000 Christians are killed each year for their faith. Events in the Middle East are pushing that
total up rapidly. And with modern
technology we have seen the preaching of the gospel taken throughout the
world. The Bible has been translated
into virtually every language, so much so that now translators focus on small
ethnic groups that do not have a written language (they create a written
language for them and then translate the Bible into that). Jesus’ words that the gospel will be preached
to all the world and then the end shall come is surely near fulfillment.
·
The world currently is witnessing a horrible
group of killers in the Middle East like it has not seen for a long time,
certainly in the lives of younger Americans.
There was a murderous epidemic back in Cambodia in the 70’s under Pol
Pot, when intellectuals were killed (e.g., included anyone who wore glasses)
and certainly the number killed passed the million mark. The US and the West did nothing then to stop
that---but remember, there was no Internet, not much live reporting, and the
people in the West just did not see the details. Now they see the butchering in the Middle
East, the lopping off of heads and putting out of eyes, the killing of men,
women, and children. This cannot be
allowed to continue because it is a threat to all civilization and because of just
plain basic human decency.
In fact, the
Middle East is nothing but a collection of wars – major wars. Syria, Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel –
Gaza, and rumors of wars, a la Iran. It
will take nothing for the entire region to go up into a massive war. In our recent newsletter for September I
described the coming wars prophesied in the Bible.
· The people of the US are ever so slowly waking
up to the realization that its current government seems not to know how to deal
with the events of the Middle East. The
national government seems to approach everything from a political standpoint,
as if it is all a game. And its media
supporters have done that also, almost as if they cannot tell the difference
between the computer games played by everyone under forty and the reality of
real, living, breathing horror of today.
The approach to the Middle East of clearly not having a plan and step by
step talking about a strategy and cautiously pondering is not reassuring. More and more, I see now media not just from
the conservative side growing frustrated at a lack of knowledge and strategy
and commitment and, most importantly, leadership in the national government in
Washington. And just yesterday, various
leaders clearly spoke out with opinions far afield from that of the elected
leadership in Washington as concerns the war against the highly evil terrorists
in the Middle East. Who is in charge
here, or really, is anyone? Good
questions.
·
Turning to other fronts, in case you have not
noticed, food prices are shooting up and the economy is not improving despite
the announcements of Washington and some television networks (notice how so
many you know who lost jobs have taken none or are working at greatly reduced
income levels). And the national political
scene seems to focus over and over again on some societal issue of a tiny
minority group, making that the focus of the entire gigantic American
government and society. In case you all
have forgotten, a democratic system of government is one run by the majority,
not the minority. The US government has
been stood on its head in recent years.
Related to this
the society seems to deal with almost inane issues, such as political
correctness, while the giant issues of the Middle East wars and terrorism and
the open border with Mexico and all the
inherent risk there to the country and the general collapse of the economy gets
lesser attention.
· I am reminded in thinking about this of my time
on a school board many years ago. There
were people of all types of backgrounds on the board. Good people.
But some had had no training or experience in being administrators, in
running a large organization, in establishing priorities. One in particular I recall liked all the possible
projects up for consideration as part of the proposed annual budget. I pointed out there was not enough money to
do them all, that we had to prioritize and pick what we could do in the
budget. But, he said, we have to do them
all! He could not make the necessary
decisions. He could not recognize it was
impossible to do them all. He had no
executive or administrative skills. We
apparently have that in Washington today.
·
Even in the pop culture of our society we see
dramatic change. The NFL is treated by
millions with absolute reverence – from the deep speaking announcers to the
millions of men and some women who just seem to focus overwhelmingly on this
money cow. That is what it is, a money
machine for the 32 owners, most of whom are invisible. Now some players in the NFL are being
arrested for bad behavior, and this hard-nosed NFL apparently does not know how
to operate and deal with it all. Now,
perhaps the top sponsor of the NFL has indicated its dissatisfaction with the
league. Wow! I wonder how so many of the true sports nuts
of this society will be able to handle all this. So many escape into sports and avoid the real
world in which they live. They won’t be
able to much longer.
Well, that is enough. Change of a monumental type is underway, and
the King of all creation is soon to arrive.
Governments and structures are breaking down. And Americans as a group are slowly waking up
to it all. Most have lived oblivious to
the world most of their lives. It is an
extraordinary time, a terrifying time for some.
For those who know Jesus, the joy of his soon arrival far surpasses all
that is happening here now. Their focus
is on being ready, being alert as Jesus’ warned…and on doing whatever they can
to help in others being alert and ready too.
Keep Your Eyes on Jesus!
(September 2014)
Copyright © 2014 by John
Newlin
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