Jun 2015 - An Age Of Growing Chaos

AN AGE OF GROWING CHAOS

Seventy years ago World War Two was entering its last stages. Nazi Germany would be defeated within days, followed by Japan a few months later. That war ended with the United States and Russia dominating the world stage. They would jockey for position and domination over the next few decades.

In 1991 the Soviet Union collapsed under its own weight, leaving the United States as the world's only superpower. For a time it appeared that the world would see a new era of global peace and cooperation. But it was not to be.

The horrifying suicide airliner attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, brought the shocking reality that jihad had awakened from its long slumber and was on the march again, resuming its mortal battle with the West. America responded with invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq only to learn, like the British and Russians earlier, why Afghanistan had rightly come to be known as “the graveyard of empires.”

Bruised by two long wars, America began to retreat. The world's policeman, worn and exhausted, hung up its badge and guns and chose to “lead from behind” - an euphemism for relinquishing its world leadership role and turning inward. Not surprisingly, others rushed into the vacuum. Now we see chaos almost everywhere we look.

China, recognizing American weakness, is aggressively up-grading its military capabilities and throwing its weight around, pressing territorial claims at the expense of weaker neighbours such as the Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, South Korea and Japan. Russia is likewise updating its military forces, including testing new nuclear missile systems.

Just over a year ago, in March 2014, Russia wrested control of Crimea from Ukraine and absorbed it into the Russian Federation. Overlapping the Crimean takeover, pro-Russian factions carved out significant portions of eastern and southern Ukraine in what has been described as a “stealth invasion” to reclaim Ukraine as part of the former Soviet Union. Now the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are very nervous about a similar fate overtaking them.

In the Middle East, the so-called “Arab Spring” was hailed as a pro-freedom movement - but turned out to be anything but. Today, much of the Middle East is aflame in a way not seen in centuries.

The Islamic State (ISIS) erases national borders in its push to expand its caliphate. Entire nations such as Iraq, Syria and Lebanon no longer exist as we've known them. In Yemen - a chokepoint for control of much of the world's oil supply - the Sunni and Shiite branches of Islam are engaged in a full shooting war. Across North Africa, nations descend into chaos and blood-shed.

Jesus Christ foretold that “nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom” (Matthew 24:7) as part of initial troubles that would grow in frequency and intensity until culminating in an unprecedented period that would lead to human extinction apart from the direct intervention of God sending His Son to establish a worldwide Kingdom and enforce peace (verses 21-22).

The terrible state of the world is why you need to join us in continually praying to God, “Let Your Kingdom come!”

[Scott Ashley, Managing Editor of The Good News, May - June 2015].
Let us read and ponder Matthew 24:7-15; 21-22; 30-31:
“For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in place after place;

All this is but the beginning [the early pains] of the birth pangs [of the intolerable anguish].

Then they will hand you over to suffer affliction and tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for My Name's sake.

And then many will be offended and repelled and will begin to distrust and desert [Him Whom they ought to trust and obey] and will stumble and fall away and betray one another and pursue one another with hatred.

And many false prophets will rise up and deceive and lead many into error and the love of the great body of people will grow cold because of the multiplied lawless-ness and iniquity, but he who endures to the end will be saved.

And this good news of the kingdom (the Gospel) will be preached throughout the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then will come the end.
So when you see the appalling sacrilege [the abomination that astonishes and makes desolate], spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the Holy Place - let the reader take notice and ponder and consider and heed [this] - [Dan. 9:27; 11:31; 12:11].

For then there will be great tribulation (affliction, distress, and oppression) such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now - no, and never will be [again]. [Dan. 12:1; Joel 2:2.]

And if those days had not been shortened, no human being would endure and survive, but for the sake of the elect (God's chosen ones) those days will be shortened.

Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn and beat their breasts and lament in anguish, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory [in brilliancy and splen-dour; Dan. 7:13; Rev. 1:7].

And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect (His chosen ones) from the four winds, [even] from one end of the universe to the other [Isa. 27:13; Zech. 9:14.] .