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Revelation - Armageddon? - Eventually, But Also So Much MoreReader comment on item: Back to the Shores of Tripoli? Submitted by M. Tovey (United States), Apr 20, 2011 at 19:20 Hardly qualifying myself as a scholar, I do acknowledge that I am a student and disciple of Jesus Christ, and that in my years of study (with times of uncertain understanding), I have been able to arrive at a place of being able to discern and understand in a way that has taken more than 35 years to achieve. All of that serves to preface the answer to your question about the circumstances at Har Megiddo; which is yes. But, and a large moment of reflection here, that is not to say that I am all apocalyptic (in the contemporary use of the term-though truly inappropriate) in my world view. Apocalypsis is Greek for revealing, and that is what the Holy Bible is doing, revealing to whomsoever will seek the truth and provide the answers. What I am further is harder to explain, not that I would necessarily categorize myself as an evangelist, but I am evangelistic in my world view for a variety of reasons that I never would have thought about in a hundred years, let alone in my lifetime. Being brought up in a composite Catholic/Protestant environment, going through the motions and being self (delusionally) confident of my being nominally Christian, I argued at times most vehemently that I knew enough about biblical things that I did not need some evangelically charged individual telling me it was not enough. I was wrong. The perspective I was developing about such things occurred as I was given a pass in being drafted for Viet Nam, and did not have to go. But I knew people who did, and I had a non-conformist's appreciation for those who did answer the call. Nixon next had to leave office for his staffers indiscretions, the war wound down in a way that the progressives could use to begin the next wave of dissing(sp) America's right. There was so much more than what time I have here to elaborate: let is sufficient to say that back then, stuff that had been smoldering in the back ground of American society like a peat fire started coming out in blatant disregard for the honor of righteous things. This would start a thought process that is still being challenged today, and the only place I could go to get a sense of what really was going on was found in the Scriptures. So the evangelists' arguments of the necessity of Jesus Christ fully in my life won the day; and gave me my new life. Now in that new-found perspective, all the things you have correctly observed happening to America and Americans, I've lived through. Further, I have been able to review all these very things with a Biblical perspective and have determined why certain things did happen, and in some cases, why. Here is a central postulate, exceeding all known human attempts of reasoning: we do not struggle with mere flesh and bones, but with powers and principalities beyond the human realm of understanding. You make an observation, as many do, that some form of extraterrestrial beings (my mind went immediately to Klaatu-from the movie 'The Day the Earth Stood Still') would be horrified at the proceedings of the world's hell-bent race for its own destruction. While I am not a subscriber to the supposition that there are beings from another planet, there are beings of the supernatural realm to which I am convinced we can assume there are influences beyond the normal human capacity to deal with. The Scriptures explain that quite explicitly. Your expression of anger is well placed, not of an anger of irrationality, but more like righteous indignation of the seemingly disrespectful attitude of so many entrusted with responsibilities of rule over others. But in that the Holy Bible (and the certain higher inspired wisdom of the founding agent of this country over two hundred years ago) describes just exactly what we are seeing today, it cannot be helped but to observe that the verification of Biblical truths in what we see going on is fully established. For me, I have been able to reconsider the history lessons I received in my youth, and in returning to those former lessons, find that more than 80 percent could be explained from a Biblical perspective in a way the schools were not allowed to present. A quick reference for me can trace the issues that started the Civil War, in which my great-grandfather fought at Gettysburg, from which time I now have a more discerning notion of why the country had more to fear from the unspecified losses of that war that what was admitted to. Next, fast forwarding to my contemporary times, I have the Biblical perspective of just how and why America took its hard left turn, and by a progressively inspired judicial decree, stripped America of every ounce of Biblical inspiration that caused the founding agents in the late seventh century to form America. With the loss of that kind of national spiritual power, it has been only the influence of Almighty God in the individual lives of believers that have kept America from being swept away like a really bad day in New Orleans 2005 history. History tells us just how quickly national powers rise and fall; and one of my more modern examples occurred in the life time of a near relative-he was born in 1915 and lived to see the collapse of the Soviet Union. Even more dramatic is that more notable meteoric national calamity of Nationalist Socialist Germany. So with those two most astounding examples, how is it that progressive/socialists are still able to foment enough of a following and make yet another attempt on the liberties here in America? The Holy Bible has that answer. Now I could go on and on (and some have already made note of that), but I would like to move to your closing comment, of the admiration of Reagan (a believing Christian-for which I think his beliefs gave the power to advance history past the Soviet Union), and of the supposed dictate of Almighty God – "Help yourself, and I will help you?" In actuality, by acknowledging the insufficiency of humankind to do anything to help itself, trusting in Almighty God and allowing His will to be foremost in the thoughts and actions of every human being is the only Biblical way to 'move mountains.' Short of that, your closing comment line would be exquisitely applicable; except that is not the expressed will of Almighty God. Any who seek out that will of Almighty God in any individual's life are but a prayer thought away from keeping any sense, let alone common sense, from interfering with a relationship with Jesus Christ. And that relationship with Jesus Christ is what I am counting on. All else fails. Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments". << Previous Comment Next Comment >> Reader comments (106) on this item
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