Snickers

Today is the day of prayer in Muslim countries, including Egypt. The 18^th day of the benign coup d'etat. The country which has been the cornerstone in keeping middle east peace (Israel-Egypt peace accords), suddenly achieved world headlines. The dictator, for 30 years, Mubarak, has played the citizens of his country, Mr. Obama, world leaders, like a violin. Unemployed people, who have nothing else to do, very much like those who demonstrate in this country, did not change anything.

There has not been enough bloodshed for a real revolution. When a man has been in total control for 30 years, has socked away $70-$80 billion, which the US has presented him for keeping the peace, you know he has his military and everyone else on the job under his thumb. Egypt gets $315 million a day from tourism, like England and Japan, whose natural resources are zero, there is nothing else in Egypt from which the millions can make a living. The tourists have disappeared, one shop owner said he had sold nothing for two weeks. So, those in tourism, shop-owners, like their fellow Egyptians on the streets, are all facing starvation, things might have been bad before, but they can get worse, especially if the Suez canal is brought into the picture, 1/6 of the world's commerce going through that one vital waterway.

At the end of WWI, Lawrence of Arabia brought some of his Arab leader-friends to Paris to participate in the peace talks. There, Arabs nomads had never seen bathrooms, faucets, from places where water is so precious, they were amazed that you could turn a handle and water would come out. On returning, they all removed the faucets from their bathrooms, thinking that they would have an endless supply of water. Nothing has changed in the history of the world, men still forget that there must be a power source for everything.

The news in this morning's newspaper all started with one baby, in one pitched ark, floating in a river many years ago. Jochebed, the mother of Moses, just as Jonah, saving his sons from the water, left a long history of the salvation of the people of the world. It all took place in the middle east, then and now. Mr. Harold Campen, 85 year old radio talk host, for 59 years answering questions on family radio, states that Christ will return April 21^st, 2011. A Russian scientist has just announced that world will end in 2036. I don't believe either of them know but everything in God's Word tell us that the time “is drawing near”.

John, the beloved disciple, youngest, but the one who lived the longest, the only one not martyred, on the island of Patmos, wrote the book of Revelation, the last book in the Bible. Chapters 4-19, tell of the end times, chapter 3 tells the history of the church, the seven churches describe the history of the church age, there can be no doubt that were are living in the Laodicean church age.

And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. (Revelation 3:14-22)

God, like us, nauseated by lukewarmness in any drink, we want our drinks either cold or hot. Rich, having need for nothing, sounds like today's “prosperity gospel” preachers, wealthy denominations (SBC, Episcopal, Catholic, etc.). Dignified, sophisticated, beautifully attired, groomed, perfumed; what pulpiteer will tell these folks that they will go to hell unless they repent of their sins? Most, self-satisfied, really have no need for God.

I was reared in the Great Depression, country church, cotton was selling for 3 cents a pound (USDA Market News, January 2001: $1.78 a pound). At that country church, the new pastor, James Evans, wore such a ragged suit that the equally ragged women of the church sold butter and eggs from their farm homes to buy him a new suit. His Christianity was real, their Christianity was real.

A wonderful baptist son, married an equally wonderful Presbyterian daughter, they could not agree on going to one church or the other. He finally said to her, “if Jesus were to return to earth and say that he was a Baptist, would you change denominations then?” She said, “no because I'd know he was a fake, our Blessed Lord is a Presbyterian.”

We are in the final hours of the church age, there can be no doubt about it. The world snickers when the world speaks about Jesus Christ, and if the so-called Christian is going to be popular with the world, you must snicker along with them. The good ol' boys who control everything, do not believe in redemption.

100 people in Japan commit suicide every day, 9 out of 10 Japanese will not buy a house where there has been a suicide. You always deduct at least $30,000 from the selling price of a house where such has occurred. Christians love life, non-Christians do not believe in life (and this 16% of the American population), even in giving life to the most innocent, babies. This is the abortion crowd, and yet there are so-called Christians in both white and black churches who will support the Democrat party who promote the atrocities of abortion, euthanasia, same-sex marriage. Today, in South Africa, unemployment is 25%, it has been that way since the communist, Nelson Mandela, took over. Unemployment in America is edging toward 25% since the communist Obama took over. Unemployment in Egypt is almost 25%, Cairo, 18 million population, people sleeping on the street, prisons known for torture, Coptic Christians persecuted.

Most things go in opposite directions, the needle does not hurt as much if you look at it entering the body. The brain modifies pain. When will the world learn that the only way to escape the pain of unemployment, political corruption, is to face it head on, and start with the best psychiatrist, the one looking back at you in the mirror. We are living in a time of the apostate church, corrupt government everywhere. Faith is 90% courage, cling to your Christian faith.