Steven Collins
August 13, 2007
In II Timothy 3:1, the apostle Paul prophesied: “This know also, that in the last days, perilous times shall come.” In our age of global and random terrorism, this prophecy is being increasingly fulfilled in our time. I believe most readers of the blogs at this website already know and believe that we are living in what the Bible calls the “latter days” or “last days” of this age. Many Christians in many denominations see this reality. For those in doubt concerning whether biblical prophecies about “the latter days” apply to our time, I urge you to read my research paper entitled “Are We Living in the Biblical Latter Days?” available elsewhere at this website. You can prove empirically that we are living in the biblical “latter days.”
A reader from California today sent me this videoclip of a speech by Newt Gingrich, the former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. In contrast to the orchestrated,”feel good” sound bites that one hears in the joint appearances and “debates” among the current crop of GOP and Democrat presidential candidates, Newt Gingrich really “laid it on the line.” He warned that the threat of terrorism with weapons of mass destruction (WMD) has brought our modern societies to a “precipice.” He further warned that if terrorists do attack an American city with a WMD device, the draconian security measures that would follow such an event could quickly result in the loss of many liberties we Americans take for granted. The link to Mr. Gingrich’s very timely and candid warning is provided below, and his comments indicate how quickly “perilous times” could engulf us. I urge you to watch this short videoclip.
In an article available at this website on “Christian Rights and Citizenship Responsibilities,” I wrote that Christians need to contribute to the well-being of their nation by being alert to any possible dangers and threats, and to transmit to the authorities any information about such threats. This is simply an application of the biblical principle of “being your brother’s keeper” and “loving your neighbor as yourself.” Neighborhood Watch programs in many cities implement these biblical concepts, and I urge you to be involved in such a program if you have the chance. I practice what I preach, by the way. I’ve been involved in the Neighborhood Watch program in my city for several years.
Admittedly, the chances of you or I becoming aware of a terrorist threat are slim, indeed. However, the Bible records an instance where a simple act of civic responsibility about a terrorist plot had massive (and good) unforeseen ramifications. In ancient Persia, God arranged to have Mordechai overhear a plot to assassinate the Persian king. Mordechai told the responsible authorities and the plot was stopped (Esther 2:21-23). God later used that deed of responsible citizenship by Mordechai to help save all the Jews living in the Persian Empire (Esther 6:1-10:3).
I urge you to watch the short videoclip of Newt’ Gingrich’s message. His kind of candor is sorely needed in our nation’s political discussions. Realize we are living in dangerous times. Keep your eyes open, and if you do see something which looks life a real threat, don’t ignore it. Remember what Mordechai did, and report it to the responsible authorities.
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/08/08/gingrich/index.html#cnnSTCVideo
