The Final Conflict

by Michael G. Mickey

(9-21-06)

We see it in the headlines of our newspapers every day. The battle lines of the final conflict between good and evil are being drawn and soon, potentially very soon, the opening volleys of hostility will be completed, giving way to all-out battle.

How can we doubt this when:

• evil men like Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez call the US President "the devil", as seen in a Yahoo News story, drawing giggles of approval from the gallery of what is supposed to be an organization dedicated to calming scorching, hate-filled rhetoric such as that?
• the enemies of Israel openly plot its destruction, drawing little to no condemnation from the international community? This, as seen in a ynetnews.com article has prompted Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz to state, "Clearly the Iran-Syria axis is a strategic threat to Israel. We don’t plan to fall asleep on guard duty, and we won’t look in their direction forgivingly, as we did in south Lebanon. This is not a crisis that can be overcome with closed eyes, but a crisis that raises questions about the existence of the State of Israel."
• aborted babies that are miraculously born alive are left shivering and alone to die in a aptly-called "dirty room" and no one cares enough to so much as prosecute even one party responsible for this inhuman disregard for human life, as seen in a WorldNetDaily commentary?
• NBC plans to allow Madonna to mock the crucifixion of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, wearing a fake crown of thorns as she sings while strapped to a cross, as seen in an American Family Association petition?
• Former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger, one of the most brilliant minds of our time, is warning Europe and the United States that we must unite to head off a "war of civilizations" arising from a nuclear-armed Middle East, as seen in a spacewar.com article? Yes, members of the free world, believe it or not, radical Islam is going to pose a threat that will make the tensions of the Cold War seem mild once it is capable of wielding a nuclear sword! The cries of Kissinger and many others are going unheeded, however. The United States as a whole and especially Europe has yet to see the danger posed by radical Islam. At a time when the free world needs to be united more than ever before, the EU is off doing its own thing, negotiating with Iran as Ahmadinejad's centrifuges spin the fuel that may potentially mark the end of millions of lives somewhere, potentially in the not-too-distant future.
• a new and alarming trend that researchers say threatens the ocean's delicate ecosystem is seeing Arctic sea ice in winter melting far faster than ever before, as reported in a Fox News story? Romans 6:23 tells us that the wages of sin is death. It is sin that corrupts mankind and it is raging out of control like a global wildfire, corrupting every inch of our planet! To put it in proper perspective, think of how many people were alive to sin during Noah's time as compared to ours. Over 6.6 billion sinners presently occupy this planet and the boldness with which they disregard the Word of God is absolutely unprecedented. Our environment is showing signs of being one of the very first victims of the final conflict between good and evil!
• 2006 continues to be, eight full months of it now in the record books, the hottest year ever recorded in the continental United States since record-keeping began in 1895, as seen in a LiveScience report?
• when one of the top scientists in the world, as seen in a BBC report, is telling us the world has already entered a state of dangerous climate change and we're going to see more? His predictions include more wildfires, heatwaves, floods and, potentially, a catastrophic sea level change of as much as 13 feet by century's end! The godlessness of mankind as a whole is running its course under the direction of the god of this world, Satan, and we've almost reached the breaking point! A recent Guardian report echoes the findings of the scientist in the BBC report, opening by stating the following: Scientists fear that global warming will bring climatic turbulence, with changes coming in big jumps rather than gradually.
• virtually untreatable pestilences, like a new strain of tuberculosis recently reported by the World Health Organization (WHO), are beginning to emerge, seemingly more and more frequently, as seen in a BBC report?

Brothers and sisters in Christ and nonbelievers alike, how much more evidence do we need to see to realize that this world is about to explode in a manner reminiscent of the Bible's numerous descriptions of the Tribulation Period when war, famine, disease, environmental chaos and disaster will be commonplace, not to mention evil beyond all imagination?

Jesus said, concerning times like these, "And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh." If you're a Christian and your spiritual radar isn't fully engaged as to what's going on around you that indicates your Lord may soon be coming, it's time to get a spiritual tune-up! If you're reading this having never accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you need to visit my Salvation Issues page to find out how you can set things right with your Father in heaven through acceptance of the FREE gift of salvation made available to you because of what Jesus Christ, Savior of the world, did on your behalf long before you ever drew your first breath!

Many today are quick to point out that people have been saying Jesus Christ is coming soon for decades. While those who spoke of Christ's soon-coming return were wise to preach and witness that Christ's return could come at any moment and undoubtedly saw evidence indicative that the world was rapidly decaying in the past, there has never been a time when Bible prophecy has so closely matched the news of our world today as it presently does! That should encourage the believer to look up for the return of Jesus Christ, as well as stir the souls of those who haven't come to know Christ as Lord and Savior to do so as soon as possible, lest the Rapture of the Church come and find them unprepared and, ultimately, left behind to endure a period of time that will make all I've mentioned above seem like mere child's play.

ROAD TRIP!

With all that's going on in our world today, I recently was presented an opportunity to partner up with a godly man who shares my passion for the end times, Dr. R. Scott Sykes, author of the recent book “Signs of the Coming Christ. A Scriptural Reference Guide for End Times Prophecy”, to add a new dimension to the ministry of RaptureAlert.com - a road show of sorts which my brother in Christ is hoping to get busy with as soon as he begins getting invited to visit your churches wherever they may be, as the Lord allows.

Scott, like me, wants to see people understand the end times as described in the Bible and to realize the joy that comes from knowing that the present troubles of this time are ultimately going to give way to victory and a brighter tomorrow - one wherein Jesus Christ Himself will rule and reign upon the earth for 1,000 years! And the good news is that's just the start of what is to be an eternity of happiness, joy, vibrant health, fellowship, and love! The ultimate happy ending!

Once the born-again Christian comes to understand Bible prophecy and his or her role in it, the Bible explodes to life and thrills the heart as an unimaginably happy future is well on its way to becoming a way of life for all those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ. Simply coming to understand that God has a plan concerning the future of the world and we can clearly see it coming into view through events unfolding in the world around us is faith-instilling and comforting, one of the many reasons I wholly hope that those of you who have followed RaptureAlert.com from its inception until now will get in touch with Scott, either by e-mail or telephone, and schedule him to drop by your church for a visit. I also hope that everyone who reads this will pray that Scott and I get the support needed to make this new outreach a sustainable part of this ministry in these end times when so many need to be reached for the cause of Christ.

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