World News Through the Third Lens: The Nations Are Raging

British police face public anger as riots rage (The Associated Press, Tuesday, August 9, 2011). Britain began flooding London's streets with 16,000 police officers Tuesday, nearly tripling their presence as the nation feared its worst rioting in a generation would stretch into a fourth night. The violence has turned buildings into burnt out carcasses, triggered massive looting and spread to other U.K. cities.

US urges citizens to leave Syria immediately (Fox News, Monday, August 8, 2011). The United States urged US citizens Friday to depart from Syria "immediately," and noted the Damascus government had placed "severe" constraints on the travel of US diplomats in the country. The travel warning expressed growing concern over the violent crackdown by President Bashar Al Assad's security forces against pro-democracy protesters.

Arab League tells Syria to halt violence as more than 60 die in Assad's latest crackdown. (Ha'aretz, Monday August 8, 2011). Arab League Chief Nabil al-Arabi on Sunday called on Syrian authorities to "immediately halt" a violent crackdown on anti-government protests and expedite steps to preserve the country's unity.

US stocks sink after Fed predicts slower growth (New York AP, August 9, 2011). The Federal Reserve spoke - and the financial markets responded with a dive. Stocks dropped Tuesday afternoon after the Fed said that economic growth this year has been "considerably slower" than it expected and that it will keep interest rates at their record low of almost zero until at least the middle of 2013.

Through the Third Lens of Scripture: Why do the nations rage and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and His Anointed, saying, "Let us break their bonds in pieces and cast away their cords from us." He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall hold them in derision. Then He shall speak to them in His wrath. and distress them in His deep displeasure: "Yet I have set My King on my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, 'You are My Son, today I have begotten You. Ask of Me and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession. You will break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.'" Now therefore, be wise O kings; be instructed you judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him (Psalm 2:1-12).

Why do the nations rage? The question is left hanging without an answer. The inspired psalmist goes on to describe in broad strokes their raging and plotting, and the consequences of such actions, but he never answers the question, "Why?" Based on the whole counsel of Scripture, this seems to be the point to which human nature devolves, when left unchecked. In happened between the time of the first sin (Genesis 3) which quickly led to murder and polygamy (Genesis 4) which eventually led to this: The lord saw how great man's wickedness on earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time (Genesis 6:5).

A New testament view of this same regression in natural man and his societies is seen in Romans 1-3. There Paul declares The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness...(Romans 1:18). In chapter one Paul focuses on the sins of idolatry, the rejection of the truth of God's Word, and it being exchanged for the lie of Satan, and homosexuality. While all these sins are indicative of the practices of Gentiles (people without a relationship with God), in Chapter 2 Paul turns on the Jews (who had a covenant relationship with God). He says that they do the same things; that they are stubborn and unrepentant, and that they do not practice what they preach. By the time you reach Romans 3:9, Paul concludes, "...Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin."

Then, just in case somebody dares to think that they belong to some special, third class of people, Paul writes, "...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). This sin produces death. It will kill a nation, a society, a culture just as surely as it will kill an individual. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord"(Romans 6:23).

When speaking of national sin and impending judgment, I have often quoted "Righteousness exalts an nation: but sin is a reproach to any people." (Proverbs 14:34). That is as true today as it ever has been. Perhaps it will help to distinguish between the judgment of individuals and the judgment of nations. I especially hope this is helpful to friends who, like me, have donned the uniform of the USA and consider themselves patriots. The Bible makes it very clear concerning the judgment of individuals that some of their sins are judged in this lifetime while others are judged in the next. Sins judged in this lifetime include all those sins that a person has washed away when he acknowledges that Jesus Christ bore them in His body while hanging on Calvary's cross (Romans 10:9-10; 1 Peter 2:24). The person who judges himself a sinner in need of a savior, and then in repentance cries out to Jesus for salvation will not be judged along with others in the world (1 Corinthians 11:31-32).

Nations are not eternal, as is man. Nations have been and will be judged in this life. People are all the time being saved from God's judgment by faith in Christ, even though they live in a nation which is under God's judgment. The nations are raging now - trying desperately to throw off the reign of God, and doing nothing positive to prepare for the arrival of His Kingdom. In all their raging, God is laughing, knowing that there is nothing they can do to thwart the purposes of God. The nations are raging and the Middle East is in turmoil. What will happen if next month, the UN declares Palestine a separate nation? I don't know, but I do know that there is nothing the UN can do to keep the Lord Jesus Christ from sitting upon His throne on the holy hill of Zion (which is Jerusalem)! The turmoil of this world will increase before that Day happens, and the Lord shall receive His inheritance of the nations out of the ashes of the outpouring of His wrath.

Why do the nations rage? It's their nature to. Don't get distraught by all the raging; don't get caught up in all the raging. "Kiss the Son" or pay Him the homage He is due. Prepare your heart as a throne for Him, before He assumes His rightful throne in Zion. "Blessed are ALL who put their trust in Him (Psalm 2:12).

World News Through the Third Lens: Rejoicing & Weeping

Said Mussa Released: According to a report from the Religious Freedom Coalition today, Afghan Christian convert, Said Mussa, was released and escaped to a European nation. Even with our huge military presence in Afghanistan, the US media had little to say about this incident. Just a few days ago, Encouragement for End-Times Endurance posted a link on facebook by which people could pressure our US State Department to intervene in Mussa's behalf. This also pointed out the need for prayer for our Christian brother. Praise God for his release and escape to safety.

Through the Third Lens of Scripture: "Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering." (Hebrews 13:3, NIV).

The Obama Administration Will No Longer Defend DOMA according to several news sources this past week. This makes official what the Justice Department has (not) been doing for the past two years - the only difference being that they will no longer have to fake it. DOMA, the Defense of Marriage Act was signed into law in 1996 by President Clinton, and defined (for federal purposes) marriage as between one man and one woman. Once the LGBT agenda became a civil rights issue rather than a moral issue, the battle was lost. Now we have reached the point where one man (President Obama) has elevated himself above the Congress and the Judiciary, declaring a law to be unconstitutional. This is a quantum leap from a democratic republic into the realms of dictatorship.

Through the Third Lens of Scripture: "Are they ashamed of their loathsome conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush" (Jeremiah 8:12, NIV). Conduct that was hardly spoken of in secret 50 years ago is now being paraded around as normal, as a civil right, and as legal. That's a far cry from blushing. God's proclamation on such behavior: "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter" (Isaiah 5:20, NIV). The people of God must be counted as those who "...grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done..." (Ezekiel 9:4a, NIV) and NOT as those who "...know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve deserve death (yet) they not only continue in such things but also approve of those who practice them" (Romans 1:32, NIV).

World News Through the Third Lens: A Stench Rising to Heaven

The Book of Revelation describes an angel offering the smoke of much incense mixed with the prayers of the saints on the altar before God's throne. (Rev. 8:3:4). Immediately after this beautiful picture is described, the wrath of God is unleashed on the earth, as a censer, filled with fire from the altar is hurled to the earth, unleashing the seven trumpet judgments which contain also the seven bowl judgments. (v.5-6). While the prayers of the saints are described as a sweet incense before God, I can only imagine what a stench to His holy nostrils the wickedness of mankind must be.

Three items in particular which were in the news over the past few days caught my attention. The first was one in which I was caught right in the middle, so to say. Last week I had the privilege of attending the Watchmen on the Wall Briefing in Washington, D.C., sponsored by the Family Research Council. They are a class organization, led by some classy people who love the Lord and who love this country. During the 3-day briefing, those who had made arrangements, were given an opportunity to visit with our congressmen on Capital Hill. Since both Senator Lieberman (D-CT) and Rep. Courtney (D-CT) were busy with legislative matters, I had arranged to meet with their legislative aid and chief of staff, respectively. I was received with courtesy and was allowed to read Isaiah 59 in each office, pray for the congressmen and their staffs, and to make a plea for the nation to be returned to a foundation of righteousness. In short, I did everything that God laid on my heart to do.

To my dismay, Friday's news revealed that the House of Representatives had voted to repeal the Military's mandate of "Don't ask; Don't tell." This policy, implemented during the Clinton administration, while a far cry from the moral virtue of years gone by, it still allowed the military to function with a modicum of moral decency. So that's stench #1.

Today I received a video of vicious beatings suffered by innocent Christians in Asam, India. This was followed shortly thereafter by a very disturbing article concerning child trafficking and prostitution - also from India. The radical Hindus apparently are allowed to go on rampages with little or no intervention on the part of the police. The video showed unarmed people being beaten to death by club-wielding fanatics, while the police just stood on the fringes. Later, the police came in and supervised the removal of the corpses! If that isn't bad enough, www.Examiner.com of Hartford reported "hundreds of children are trafficked to Amur, Rajasthan region from Delhi and other regions in India. According to the report, girls as young as six months old are trafficked into the villages, where they were given sexual hormone shots, oxytocin, to accelerate their sexual maturity to enter prostitution. ......The Rajasthan police denied the allegation." These are stench #2 and #3.

Through the third lens of Scripture: How can you possibly extract anything biblical from such nasty news, and then publish it on a site entitled "End-Times Encouragement News?" My answer to that, in the vernacular, is that God is not a "sandbagger." Webster defines the slang use of this term as "to deceive (an opponent) by deliberately playing poorly. Some of you may remember Paul Newman, in the movie "Cool Hand Luke" getting his knuckles busted because he "sandbagged" by playing pool poorly when the stakes were low, suckering people in to bet the big bucks, only to clear the table. God does not do that. He does not sucker us into "summer time and the living is easy" life styles, only to hammer us when we are ill-prepared. That's the ploy of the devil, and I hate to say it, but too many sermons feed into his game plan. Godly encouragement comes from looking with open eyes at the things God has said concerning the end-times and preparing accordingly.

The majority of congress is acting with abject stupidity. How else can you describe educated, experienced people who defy nature and nature's God, by imposing their own warped thinking on our nation's military. There are a lot of commandments in the Old Testament which involve ceremonial law - those very detailed matters of worship which all pointed to the Messiah. Jesus was/is that Messiah and He fulfilled the entire Law. Consequently, Christians do not embrace any form of sacrificial worship. Many of the other commandments were in the category of "good advice" from the all-wise Creator. Obey them and you will reap natural benefits; disobey them and you will reap natural detriments. These include such matters as diet, sanitation, crop rotation and sewing patches on garments. Other commandments are what we would describe as God's moral law. As Christians we do not always live up to the high standards of God's moral law, but we should always aspire to do so. And we must never call God's moral law as evil and man's substitute as good (Isaiah 5:20). God calls "man lying with a man as one lies with a woman" (homosexuality) a detestable thing. (Leviticus 20:13)

Now, here's a passage of Scripture which describes those who thing that repeal of "Don't ask; don't tell" is something noble. "For though they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.... Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.... Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men.... Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them." (Romans 1:21-32). This sounds awfully harsh, perhaps making the one who quotes it appear over the top in piety. So please let me remind you that in this same letter to the Romans we read: "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption which came by Christ Jesus." (Romans 3:23-24). The problem is not that homosexuality is so much greater than the sin of some straight person; it's that the sin of homosexuality has been normalized and even placed in a category of special rights and privileges, and now is being forced on our military. This is just plain wrong! I urge you to let your congressmen know so.

The beatings of innocent, defenseless people is nothing but demonic. There is no logical explanation of such behavior. Jesus gives an apt description of the spirit behind such horrific activities and the people who commit them. "You are of your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." (John 8:44) For us who have not yet faced such persecution, let us "Remember those in prison, as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as you yourselves were suffering." (Hebrews 13:3) Keep in mind Jesus' promise: "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven..." (Matthew 5:10-12)

And what can we say regarding the poor little ones being used to satisfy the lusts and greed of men? Pray for them as Hebrews 13:3 exhorts, and remember that those who harm such little ones will reap their due reward (Matthew 18:6). The entire godless economic system, which the Bible calls "Babylon the Great" will suddenly come crashing down under the wrath of God (Revelation 18:2, 17). At the end of the list of all the merchants who suffer loss are those who "traffick in the bodies and souls of men." (Revelation 18:13) Divine justice will be satisfied, and the innocent little one, beginning with those conceived in their mother's wombs will be recompensed, for "...in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 18:10)

Be encouraged by Christ, that you might encourage one another. Rev. Les Young is the founder and director of Encouragement for End-Times Ministries, www.endtimesencouragement.com His teachings concerning the end-times and how we must live can be accessed from the website or directly at www.endtimesencouragement.blogspot.com