Jan 4, 2010

Peace - The Mantra for 2010

Terry JamesBy Terry James

Peace is more than the absence of war in which blood is shed while weapons destroy and death tallies their toll. Peace is contentment, with prospects for a future free of worry that conflict will disrupt tranquility. There is neither contentment nor tranquility upon this fallen sphere.

Conflict is everywhere one looks. Unsettling issues assault the eyes and ears - the senses - of the world community. Anxieties and perplexities inundate societies and cultures, nations, and continents. The voices of humanity cry "Peace! Peace!" when there is no peace. As much as I would like to bring tidings of great joy - having just celebrated the birth of Christ - I cannot do so from the perspective of what is going on here on earth. The year 2010 just ahead looks bleak for a world of inhabitants who, by and large, reject the only One who can bring peace. The rejection portends the ascent of evil that is prophetically scheduled to grow worse, according to the apostle Paul:

"But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived" (2 Timothy 3:13).
While seducers are on the scene in this generation at every level of human interaction, deadly conflict lurks just around the geopolitical corner in the region of planet earth foretold to be the host geographical area of man's most horrific war. The Prince of Persia foments rage against God's chosen nation, inciting the likes of Iran's Islamic leadership to create weapons that can destroy Israel, thus hoping to derail God's prophetic plan to install the King of all kings upon the throne of David. Alliances form that make the wary student of Bible prophecy know that the prophet Ezekiel's Gog-Magog coalition is coming together. One day the "evil thought" of Ezekiel 38:10 will come to a Russian leader's mind. All hell will break loose in the most volatile region on earth.

Politicians in America and in other nations lie to their publics, promising resolution to civil and economic strife and perplexities that have no chance of improvement, based upon those leaderships' self-serving motives and intentions. They seduce the publics they are supposed to serve, and instead rule with deluding words that flow from the mind of the great deceiver himself - the father of lies.

Religious leaders - even supposed Christian leaders - move their flocks in directions away from, not toward, the God of heaven and His prescription for living a peaceful life on this ever-darkening planet. Indeed, the seducers of religiosity grow worse and worse, and the gospel light dims for America as it has been dimming for so long in Europe, out of which the American republic burst under God's great providence.

Still, the self-delusion that man-made peace can prevail over this sin-blackened world persists. The cry for peace and safety is already ratcheting up in the region prophesied to host the worst and final war of the age - Armageddon. That cry for peace and safety predicted to characterize the times of the end of the age is front and center in today's headlines.
The United States is drafting two letters of guarantee for Israel and the Palestinians to serve as a basis for the relaunch of stalled Middle East peace talks, Arab and Western diplomats in Cairo said.

"US special envoy George Mitchell will present two draft letters of guarantee, one for Israel and one to the Palestinian Authority during his next visit to the region," one Arab diplomat told AFP

"The United States are hoping that the two letters will serve as a basis for the relaunch of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations but we don't know if they will satisfy the Palestinians who want a complete freeze of settlement activity before talks resume," the diplomat said. ("US seeks to relaunch Mideast peace talks" Rapture Ready News, 12/29/09).
But, the cry for peace isn't working - not yet, anyway. One day the "prince that shall come" (Daniel 9:27) will confirm such a covenant of peace that will temporarily induce euphoria for a fearful world. But the present Israeli prime minister isn't fooled into thinking such a covenant is at hand.
"'There's no more time for excuses. It's time for action,' [he said]. The prime minister expressed his hope that some progress would be made in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process in the coming weeks. The PA, he added, 'is running low on excuses.'

[Benjamin] Netanyahu also said that Israel's most important challenge is Iran's attempt to get nuclear weapons..." (Ibid.)
All of this gloom for this new year is depressing, you say. What a downer to begin 2010! The hope in all of this is glorious beyond imagination, however. It is the "blessed hope" of Titus 2:13 who remains in complete control. For the student of Bible prophecy, whose Lord is the King of kings, all of the foreboding for this world that is passing away means that Christ's return to make all things right on planet earth must be near indeed. The Prince of Peace is about to Intervene dramatically into the disastrous affairs of man.

Related Links

'Egypt and Palestinians still insist on settlement freeze' - Ha'aretz
Hamas official: We'll fight with Hizbullah in next war against Israel - Jerusalem Post
New US plan sees Palestinian state in 2012 but Israel wary - Christian Science Monitor
Abbas weighs summit to revive stalled peace talks - Reuters
Tehran Plans a Major Military Exercise - Wall Street Journal
The American Apocalypse: Is the United States in Bible Prophecy? - Terry James (Book)