Yes, these are troubled times. Times when the enemy can’t be pointed out. In times past, at least when we went to war, we could tell by their uniforms…even by their helmets…who we were fighting. But now, even some of our own people are siding with those who want us dead, and so we can’t point out the person in robe and turban as the one to shun. And we even begin to doubt our own leaders, as to what they’re thinking, and whether they’re asking for guidance from our God, Jehovah.

But I have a consolation. As Christians, even though we are the main ones this new enemy wants to erase from the earth…as Christians, we have a consolation. I’ve found at least 24 times in our Holy Bible that God is in charge! And that includes in both Old and New testaments. For example, Daniel, when King Nebuchadnezzar was about to have he and the other wise men of Babylon (where Daniel had been taken when the Babylonians had conquered Israel)…when the King forgot what he had dreamed, and was about to have all his wise men beheaded because they couldn’t tell him the interpretation…Daniel told him that his God “removeth kings, and setteth up kings.” And in Acts, 26:26, Paul reminded us that God “decided beforehand when (nations) should rise and fall.”

And so here is that consolation for Christians: We can be concerned about what’s happening in the world, but we don’t have to wring our hands as to the outcome. Even as nations rise and fall, we are in God’s hands, and will ultimately be safe with Him. It’s up to each of us to choose whether to face the things of this world with no hope; we can choose to live for Christ, and at the close of this brief life, no matter how our life ends here, that we have The Promise. We can have human peace right now, by allowing Christ’s comfort, with everlasting peace in our next life.

And this is worth repeating from earlier Conquest articles: This world is the only heaven sinners will ever know, while this world is the only hell that Christians will ever know. Considering this wisp of smoke we call today, to the eternity in Heaven, there is no comparison. If you haven’t already, make your decision now to get on the winning side. Think about it.

37BT Bill Thornton August 6, 2007

A positive thing about knowing real need is that it's so much easier to be truly thankful later