We live in troublesome times–I bet you’ve heard that before! In times like these, balance is very important. While we must not succumb to despair, neither should we shut our eyes and pretend that all is well. We need to face the cold hard facts. Unfortunately, with most people all the focus is on fun rather than the future–and they don’t like it one little bit when you call their attention to the impending danger ahead.   Charles Swindoll speaks to this issue in the excellent article below:

Have you noticed? Some people have the uncanny ability to see so far into tomorrow, you feel like you’re operating in the shadows of yesterday. While you and I are evaluating where we’ve been, those forward-thinking people are forever exploring where we’re going. Instead of reacting, they’re on the offense . . . probing, innovating, analyzing, and warning—always warning. While we search for ways to settle in and find comfort on our sofa-like surroundings, they are confronting the consequences of reality, facing the music before we even realize the prelude has begun.

Prophets, I suppose we could call them . . . seers who frown while others yawn . . . restless, troubled, contemplative souls. They’re not unlike the characters in a thought-jabbing cartoon published years ago. The whole message is contained in a single frame as the figures of a man and a woman are falling upside down through space.

“Gertrude,” says the man, “we can’t go on living like this!”

Those who slumber in the sleepy, warm twilight of sundown, finding a great deal of security in the mediocrity and predictability of sameness, cannot bring themselves to see either potential danger or possible tragedy. But those who see their world adrift, moving all too rapidly toward a bleak and disastrous dawn, shout across the chasm of complacency, “We can’t go on living like this!”

Perhaps they are not upside down after all. They just seem that way. Thinking ahead keeps them topsy-turvy in their heads. While chatty, laughing tourists are taking snapshots of the lowlands with rose-colored filters, those lean, tough-minded climbers have scaled the rugged peaks. It gives them a stark view of what’s ahead. Tomorrow’s storm keeps them from enjoying today’s lull. They’re hard to live with, sometimes impossible to understand.

Robert Greenleaf, in his classic book Servant Leadership, recalls a story which grew out of Beethoven’s composition, the C# Minor Quartet, Opus 131. When first played in the composer’s lifetime, it appeared to be unlike anything the master had ever written before. “Ludwig,” a friend asked, “what has happened? We don’t understand you anymore.” It is reported that Beethoven, with a sigh, replied, “I have said all that I have to say to my contemporaries; now I am speaking to the future.”

If you are one of those seers, a tomorrow-thinker in a world of yesterday-dwellers, take heart. Realize that you must be true to yourself. While you may not be applauded for your warnings, you will be rewarded for your efforts. Just be patient with those who lack your zest and zeal. Say your piece, make your contribution, shout, if you must . . . but keep in mind that prophets were seldom heeded, rarely thanked, and never popular

I just read an article entitled,” Is Krakatoa Volcanco Preparing to Rock The World”. A picture of the bright orange lava-spewing volcano really brought the article to life. Here’s part of the article:

“Towering 1,200 ft. above the tropical stillness of the Sunda Strait in Indonesia, one of the most terrifying volcanoes the world has ever known has begun to stir once more—-With the explosive force 13,000 times the power of the atomic bomb that annihilated Hiroshima, the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa killed more than 36,000 people and radically altered global weather and temperatures for years afterwards. The eruption was so violent and catastrophic that no active volcano in modern times has come close to rivaling it—-are we about to experience the horrors of Krakatoa once again?”

As I read that article, I began thinking about an explosion of a different sort. The Bible warns us about it and the news media enables us to see it coming. Storm clouds are gathering. Tensions, fueled by hate and ignorance, are on the rise around the world. Nations are plotting the downfall of nations and there is little concern about collateral damage. For years we here in America have been shielded from the dangers others have had to face and, living in the lap of luxury, we’ve grown accustom to getting what we want. But that is about to change. It appears that the long period of peace we’ve enjoyed is about to be broken. We see evidence of this in many ways.

One of the ominous clouds hanging over us is the rapid rise of militia groups across the U.S. Bart McEntire, a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said this is the most growth he has seen in more than a decade. In his report he said, “All it’s lacking is a spark.”

Dear friends, that “spark” could happen at any moment. Coach Dave Daubenmire recently wrote an article called, “I Fear For President Obama.” In the article he speaks about the building up of pressure until it reaches the breaking point. By way of warning, he said, “can you rewind your memory to Rodney King and the chaos played out on the streets of LA?—what if the pressure builds so powerfully that the geyser must blow—.”

I’m convinced that the average person doesn’t realize that we are sitting on a powder keg and that one little spark could ignite a national conflict and problems the likes of which we have never imagined. People simply do not understand how bad things can get and how quickly it can happen.

Steven Emerson recently wrote an article called “The Creeping Homegrown Threat.” In it he mentions several major cases involving “the problem of homegrown Islamic terrorism” during the last year. He then refers to the large number of radical organizations “that teach and imbue their followers with a hatred of the United States and Israel.” He says, “These groups front as civil-rights groups, but in fact are radical Islamic groups whose constant message disseminated to the millions of Muslim followers is that the U.S. is an evil country engaged in a war against Islam.” He then adds, “The U.S. is becoming more like Europe — We have a major problem on our hands that no one is addressing.” He is exactly right. The truth is that most people do not even know who the real enemy is.

Now, maybe you’re wondering, “Why all the negativity? Why spend so much time talking about things that are so depressing?” The answer is simple – because nothing ever changes for the better until we recognize the problem. Warnings aren’t pleasant, but they are necessary. Just sitting back singing “Happy Days are here again” won’t solve our problems and prevent disaster. Our nation, our churches, and our families are in peril and folks need to know that. A faithful dog will bark when his master’s home is invaded, shall we do any less when the things we hold dear are in jeopardy? Whether people listen or not every Christian has an obligation to warn others of impending danger.

Even as I was writing this article, someone sent me an audio clip of James Manning, a black preacher, on You-tube. It’s called “James Manning Warns Obama That People Are Going to Rise Up!” We need to be warned-danger is ahead and not dealing with it will be fatal. Remember folks, “All it’s lacking is a spark.” THINK ABOUT IT!