August 7, 2014 Member Letter

Dear Brethren,

“The world is in a mess!” I heard these words not from a preacher or the leader of a religious group, but from a popular news commentator. Of course, one can say that he was only stating the obvious. The world IS in a mess, and no one seems capable of rescuing it.

Christ warned that in the end time there would be wars and rumors of war, but these will only be the “beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:3-8). I remember growing up in rural Arkansas and hearing people comment about the bad news with the statement “It is just better reporting.” In other words, things aren’t getting worse—we simply have better communication tools and we hear about bad news sooner and more often. While there were no 24-hour news channels in the 1960s as there are today, is it reasonable to conclude that conditions around the world have not worsened since then?

I believe in my lifetime I have never seen world conditions as bad as they are today. Of course, I wasn’t alive during World War II or during some of the other horrific events that were part of the 20th century. Historians have stated that the 20th century saw more people killed in war than any century in human history (see Niall Ferguson’s book The War of the World: Twentieth-Century Conflict and the Descent of the West). Tragically, during World War II more civilians died than combatants.

These days we commonly hear the death toll of civilians reported along with the soldiers, but this hasn’t generally been true historically. The Syrian civil war and the fighting between Israel and the Palestinians are good examples of how reporting has changed; more civilians by far have been killed in these two conflicts, and we hear about it almost daily.

Wherever you look in the world you see war, disease and sadness. During the month of July this was especially noticeable. A civil war rages in the Ukraine with no end in sight. Russia is supporting the rebels, and most Western nations support Ukraine. But that support is tepid at best, since the current leaders in Ukraine overthrew an elected government a few months prior. Which side is right? It seems that as old conflicts reignite, the difference between the “good guys” and the “bad guys” becomes harder to identify.

In the shooting down of the Malaysian jetliner over Ukraine, it was clear who the “bad guys” were—the individuals who fired the rocket and sent almost 300 innocent people to their deaths. They showed no respect for human life. Once you cross that threshold, there is generally no turning back from even greater atrocities. The most precious thing God created was human life, and to justify destroying it is one of the greatest tragedies of human history. From the time Cain killed Abel to the modern practice of destroying millions of innocent lives through abortion and warfare, human beings have justified killing their fellow man. Everyone has a cause, and every cause is justified in the eyes of the perpetrators (Isaiah 5:20).  

The Israelis and the Palestinians are now in chapter who knows what (we have lost count) of their ongoing struggle. Each time it seems to worsen, and more lives are lost. What does this current crisis portend for the future? I don’t believe that Israel will stand idly by and allow the Palestinians to launch rocket after rocket into their major cities, and I don’t believe the radical Palestinians will give up their quest to destroy Israel. Therefore, you can rest assured that more chapters will follow. But it isn’t just the Palestinians. The truth is that the Middle East has more than its share of extremists who are committed to the destruction of Israel.

Prophetically, we see the stage being set for the events described in Daniel 11:40-45, which take place “at the time of the end” and involve the king of the South and the king of the North. The king of the South will come from an Arab country or group of countries who will attack a union of European nations. This attack will lead to an all-out counterattack by the Europeans. The Holy Land is the “Glorious Land” described in verse 41 that will be entered by the king of the North. By the time these events occur, the U.S. will no longer be an influence in the region.

(See our articles: lifehopeandtruth.com/prophecy/understanding-the-book-of-daniel/the-king-of-the-north and lifehopeandtruth.com/prophecy/understanding-the-book-of-daniel/the-king-of-the-south).

It is easy to see how events in the Middle East could spark another world war or, at the very least, a war between the Islamic jihadists and the Western nations. According to warsintheworld.com, 62 nations are currently waging warfare within their own countries. If history is any teacher, among these 62 nations, at least two areas are capable of sparking World War III—Eastern Europe/Western Asia (where World War I began 100 years ago this week) and the Middle East. It seems that one or possibly both will play a role in initiating another worldwide struggle. Throw into this mix the development of nuclear weapons in Iran, and one would have to be blind not to see the handwriting on the wall.

Hatred, sorrow and the devaluing of human life are the underpinnings of the very dark world we live in. But the real cause goes even deeper. An angry spirit called Satan the devil is loose in the world (Revelation 12:12). This spirit breathes hatred, anger and death. Things may get better for awhile but as long as this spirit is out there, it will only be temporary until another round of bad news will circle the globe and create an even darker world, one that is closer to extinction.

More than 150 years ago Abraham Lincoln wrote to the American people during a very dark period in American history. He used spiritual terms and suggested a spiritual solution. Those who believe guns, war or political parties can correct the world’s problems are sadly mistaken; our problems are spiritual and require spiritual solutions.

Here is what Lincoln wrote to the nation in 1863:

We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in number, wealth, and power as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand, which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God who made us!

It behooves us, then, to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness. Now, therefore in compliance with the request, and fully concurring in the views of the Senate, I do by this my proclamation designate and set apart Thursday, the 30th day of April, 1863, as a day of national humiliation, fasting and prayer.

When was the last time you heard a national leader from any country make reference to “national sins”? When have you heard a national leader speak of humility or a day of national humiliation? Yes, spiritual problems can only be addressed by spiritual solutions. As we prepare for the coming holy days, we should be assured that the return of Jesus Christ and the binding of Satan are the only real answers. The Day of Atonement will be here in less than eight weeks. Observed as a day of fasting and humility, it pictures the binding of Satan for 1,000 years and the beginning of humanity’s reconciliation to God.

Our prayers for this coming time must be fervent and consistent. John writes at the very end of the book of Revelation these words: “He who testifies of these things says, ‘Surely I am coming quickly.’ Amen.” Then he adds, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20).

The world is in a mess, so what should God’s people be doing? Should we become political activists, join the military or run for public office? None of these options address the spiritual issues that need resolving. True Christians should be drawing closer to God, praying more fervently for the return of Jesus Christ, obeying the commandments and fasting regularly to make sure we have God’s perspective and not man’s.

We must be praying for the gospel of the Kingdom of God to go into all the world. This “good news” is the only hope for mankind and the only real solution to the sadness and death we see today. Let’s pray for the coming of that Kingdom! And let’s not forget to pray for those who are suffering.

Sincerely, your brother in Christ,

Jim Franks