ITS TIME TO WAKE UP

The Alarm clock is sounding

It seems to me that we are inundated around the clock with a non-stop supply of stories relating to hatred, vulgar speeches, nasty and violent demonstrations, be-headings, and the most vile language that I have ever heard or read.

My latest screen saver for my laptop shows a photo of a Bible with the statement afixed “ ..believe it or not; this book is being played out right before our eyes and the world doesn't even see it”...

In Luke, chapter 21, the apostles are asking Jesus about the signs of Christ's coming:

(Luk 21:12) "….... they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for My name's sake.

Europe looks as though they are now at the tipping point and Satan's mouth has started to drool with anticipation. Consider the following stories ripped from the headlines:

CBN News filed the following story this week about preaching being a criminal hate crime;

In what their lawyer calls a "modern-day heresy trial," a British court has convicted two street preachers of a public order offense for preaching the Bible in public.

The public prosecutor in the case claimed that publicly quoting parts of the King James Bible in modern Britain should "be considered to be abusive and is a criminal matter."

Michael Overd of Creech St Michael, United Kingdom and Michael Stockwell of Seldon, New York were found guilty under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 at Bristol Magistrates' Court.

Prosecutor Ian Jackson also told the court, "To say to someone that Jesus is the only God is not a matter of truth. To the extent that they are saying that the only way to God is through Jesus, that cannot be a truth."

Last month in another publication, Nick Hallett reported this incident;

A passage from the Koran that denies one of the central tenets of the Christian faith was sung aloud at a cathedral service in Scotland.

The passage from Surah 19, which specifically denies that Jesus was the Son of God and says He should not be worshipped, was sung during a Eucharist service at St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral in Glasgow to mark the feast of the Epiphany.
A video was posted on YouTube showing a girl singing the passage in a typical Islamic style. It narrates the Islamic account of the birth of Jesus, which includes the claim that Mary was “ashamed” after giving birth, and the infant Christ miraculously spoke from the cradle – something not found in Christian scripture.
She then concludes by singing verse 35, which states: “It befitteth not the Majesty of Allah that He should take unto Himself a son,” and then verse 36, which has the infant Jesus saying: “And lo! Allah is my Lord and your Lord. So worship Him. That is the right path.”
The cathedral praised the reading in a Facebook post, calling it a “wonderful event”.

A WONDERFUL EVENT? From the pulpit of a church claiming to be representative of the Church of Christ? ARE YOU SERIOUS?

These are real events, real people. The stories are not made up and are just two of many that are beginning to become main-stream parts of where we are today. This is not a pretty picture, but as my Bible reflects, this is just the beginning.

Lord God, creator of all that is and all that will ever be, we are seeing with our eyes the start of the events laid out in the words of Holy Scripture. We know that Jesus is standing at the door. We are witness to His knocking, His invitation to come in and sup with all those who will open the door. We pray, Father, that the hardened hearts of the many might be softened allowing the wonderful light of salvation to enter. The time is now, Oh Lord, to say YES to your loving gift of forgiveness. Please let it be O' God, in Jesus name, Amen.

HAVE YOU READ YOUR BIBLE TODAY?

The Alarm clock is sounding