Dear Brethren and Friends,
Recently, an emergency alarm went out notifying Hawaii of an inbound missile threat. The alarm was false and a simple human error, but for almost 40 minutes panic ensued as people waited for an attack. Subsequently, measures were put into place with the declared goal to stop this kind of error from happening again. But that didn’t stop an outcry in the media, including Hawaii Democratic Representative Tulsi Gabbard. In one interview she stated, “We’ve got to get to the underlying issue here of why are the people of Hawaii and this country facing a nuclear threat coming from North Korea today, and what is this President doing urgently to eliminate that threat?”
While the sabre rattling has grown to new heights between our current administration and North Korea, the world is oblivious to the real threat that is looming. Satan has been methodically steering mankind away from God since he deceived Eve to eat from that ominous fruit. And like our forefathers, man has been grabbing hold of every bit of produce offered to them by the great deceiver.
Because of God’s compassion, He sent prophets to His people to try and guide them towards a righteous path and not fall prey to Satan’s deceit. But these warnings often fell on rebellious hearts, “I have also sent to you all My servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, ‘Turn now everyone from his evil way, amend your doings, and do not go after other gods to serve them; then you will dwell in the land which I have given you and your fathers.’ But you have not inclined your ear, nor obeyed Me” (Jeremiah 35:15).
Man is no more inclined to take hold of the Truth today than in times past. Deceit is so deeply ingrained into the hearts of mankind that even the Truth appears to be a lie. This attitude of rejecting God in God’s name isn’t new. Jeremiah dealt with this same defiance, “And the LORD said to me, ‘The prophets prophesy lies in My name. I have not sent them, commanded them, nor spoken to them; they prophesy to you a false vision, divination, a worthless thing, and the deceit of their heart’” (Jeremiah 14:14).
Such a rejection of the Truth is hard to comprehend, once our eyes have been opened. God is plainly seen by those of us who walk in the light. And it has always been the responsibility of God’s chosen people to shine with this understanding. Jeremiah didn’t walk away from his duties when faced with rejection. Likewise, when Samuel was rejected by Israel, God pointed to the cause, “And the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them’” (1 Samuel 8:7).
We live in a world that can annihilate itself with the push of a button. But this cannot dissuade us from doing the job that has been set before each of us. God’s compassion does not grow dim because the world is in its darkest place. A warning must go out! Joel wrote of these days and this necessity to warn the world.
Blow the trumpet in Zion,
And sound an alarm in My holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble;
For the day of the LORD is coming,
For it is at hand:
A day of darkness and gloominess,
A day of clouds and thick darkness… (Joel 2:1-2).
As a church we stand before this darkness and proclaim a message of hope. Hope that there is a God sending His Son back soon to judge and redeem this world. NOW is the time to draw closer to God and be part of His great plan.
With Christian Love,
Robb Harris
