Some Good News For You!

The headlines some days are overwhelming; corruption, incompetence, attacks on our moral and ethical heritage, loss of freedom, loss of rights, loss of liberty.  Debts and spending through the roof, government taking over private sectors, criminals in honored places of power, communist systems praised and emulated by elected officials, the dollar's weakness, and the under lying financial house of cards, violence in our streets and court rooms, murder, Middle East unrest and war.... it just goes on and on.
 
Folks, this is stuff straight out of a Frank Peretti novel. If you never read Frank Peretti I urge you to get "This Present Darkness" and "Piercing the Darkness", they will open your eyes to the Spiritual warfare that goes on all around us. To think that these things are happening on a purely physical plane is foolishness and it leaves the good folks at a disadvantage. Let me tell you, the bad guys know exactly what is going on here.

Ephesians 6:12 (New International Version)

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Take heart friend, because we know how it all ends.  These times are foretold, for in the last days there will be wars and rumors of wars, there will be an increase in knowledge, and men will travel to and fro.  There are increases in natural disasters and men will become mockers of the truth and hold a contempt for all that is good.

What better way for a gracious and merciful God to draw as many to Himself as possible?  Many people in their darkest hours turn to the saving grace of the Lord Jesus - so this may be His way of reaching the lost.  I can not say, I can say for certain that one day...

¹⁶ For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died^[h] will rise from their graves. ¹⁷ Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. ¹⁸ So encourage each other with these words.