Subject:
������ WE FACE THE FUTURE by Bertrand L. Comparet
�� Date:
������ Fri, 30 Mar 2001 22:30:49 ‑0800
� From:
������ "Bob Jones" <[email protected]>
��� To:
������ <Undisclosed‑Recipient:;>
��� CC:
������ "Pastor Bob Jones" <[email protected]>
�������� WE FACE THE FUTURE
�������������� by Bertrand L. Comparet
������������������ This is unquestionably a time of deep and growing
danger, all over the world.
������������������ Facing this, many people either close their minds and
refuse to believe the facts,
������������������� or else they become panicky with terror. Both reactions
are wrong. Truth must
������������������ always be faced ‑‑‑ and this is most imperative when
truth is unpleasant, for it is
� ������������������only unpleasant when there is something you should be
doing about it.
������������������ Christians should have no fear of the future, but should
act boldly for the right, and
������������������ more so in proportion to the danger. We have the
Bible's clear assurance that our
������������������ victory is predestined. For example Psalm 139‑16, "All
the days of my life were
������������������ foreseen by Thee, set down within Thy book; ere ever
they took shape, they were
������������ �������assigned to me, ere ever one of them was mine." Again,
Isaiah 44:8, "Fear nothing;
������������������ dread not in the days to come: have not I foretold it and
announced it long ago?"
������������������ Also, Proverbs 16,3‑4, "Trust your affairs to the Eternal,
and your plans will prosper,
������������������ The Eternal has made everything for an end of its own
‑‑‑ yes, even the wicked for
������������������ their day of doom." And Paul's comforting assurance in
Romans 8:28‑31, "And we
�������� �����������know that all things work together for good to them that
love God, to them who
������������������ are the called according to His purpose. For whom He
did foreknow, He also did
������������������ predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, *
* Moreover, whom He did
������������������ predestinate, them He also called: and whom He called,
He also Justified; and
������������������ whom He Justified, them He also glorified. What shall
we then say to these things?
������������������� IF GOD BE FOR US, WHO CAN BE AGAINST US?"
������������������ What then? Pray earnestly to God for instruction. Don't
look for it in the
������������������ left‑wing‑slanted newspapers, but in the pre‑written
news of the Bible. Psalm 25:14
�������������� �����tells us that "The secret of the Lord is with them that
fear Him; and He will show
������������������ them His covenant." In Psalm 32:8, He promises, "I will
instruct thee and teach thee
������������������� in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with
mine eye." And II Esdras
������������������ 16:75 reminds us, "Be ye not afraid, neither doubt; for
God is your Guide."
������������������ The first instruction will be in the warning signs to
watch for.
������������������ Jesus Christ Himself told us that "As the days of Noah
were, so shall also the coming
������������������� of the Son of man be." .(Matthew 24:37) How was it in
the days of Noah? Noah
������������������ received two different warnings: first, a long‑range
warning, of coming destruction,
������������������ with a command to start building the ark. (Genesis 5:32,
6:22); then a final "This is
������������������ It" warning, telling him the flood would come in 7 days.
We also have received our
������������������ long‑range warning, in the 24th. chapter of Matthew,
where Jesus Christ told us the
������������������ seven signs which would indicate that His second
coming is near. We have already
������������������ seen the first six of these: False Christs and false
prophets; great wars, unlike any
������������������ ever before; great famines, pestilences and
earthquakes; persecution of Christians
������������������ all through the Communist half of the world;
widespread lawlessness; and the fact
������������������� that this Gospel of the Kingdom is being preached.
There remains only one sign to
������������������ come: the abomination which produces desolation
standing in the holy place ‑‑‑ and
������������������ that could come in the short time it takes for Jewish
troops to fight their way just
������������������� a few hundred yards in a surprise attack in Jerusalem.
������������������ But if we are alert to see it, we will receive our
Immediate warning. Daniel 12:10
������������������ says, "Many shall be purified and made white and tried;
but the wicked shall do
������������������ wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand; but
the wise shall understand."
������������������ What to do? Don't try to dodge it by hiding under the
bed. With Gods protection,
������������������ what have you to be afraid of? Isaiah 43:1‑2 tells us,
"But now, thus saith the Lord
������������������ that created thee, 0 Jacob, and He that formed thee, 0
Israel: fear not, for I have
������������������ redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art
Mine. When thou passest
������������������ through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the
rivers, they shall not
������������������ overflow thee; when thou walkest through the fire, thou
shalt not be burned,
������������������ neither shall the flame kindle upon thee." And Psalm
37:39‑40 "But the salvation of
������������������ the righteous is of the Lord: He is their strength In the
time of trouble. And the
������������������ Lord shall help them and deliver them, because they
trust In Him. The victory was
������������������ that of His almighty power, incomparably greater than
that of our enemies; but on
������������������ our part, we have had to show our confidence by
coming boldly to do our part. It
������������������ was always so. We were told, "Set yourselves, stand ye
still, and see the salvation
������������������� of the Lord with you, * * * * fear not, nor be dismayed;
tomorrow go out against
������������������ them: for the Lord will be with you." (II Chronicles
20:17)
������������������� Yes, God fights for us: but we must take our places in
the ranks of His armies. And
������������������ the Lord said unto Moses, 'Wherefore criest thou unto
Me? Speak unto the Children
���������������� ���of Israel, that they go forward." (Exodus 14:15) So that
they would know that It was
������������������ God who gave the victory, God made Gideon send back
all of his army but 300
������������������ men; but Gideon and the 300 had to move boldly into
battle.
������������������ This is still an eternal truth. Jesus Christ said, "For
whomsoever would save his life
������������������ shall lose it; and whosoever will lose his life for My
sake shall find it. For what is a
������������������ man profited if he shall gain the whole world, and lose
his own soul? Or what shall a
������������������ man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matthew 16:25‑26)
Psalm 118: 6‑7 tells us "The
������������������ Lord is on my side: I will not fear: what can man do to
me? The Lord taketh my part
������������������ with them that help me: therefore shall I see my desire
upon them that hate me."
������������������ One of our Pilgrim ancestors was walking to church, on
Sunday morning, Bible in
������������������ one hand, rifle in the other, when a friend said to him,
"John don't you believe
������������������ that until your time comes, nothing can kill you; but
when your time does come,
������������������ nothing can save Thou?
������������������ John said "Yes". "Then, John, why are you carrying that
gun. John said, "I might
������������������ meet an Jew whose time has come." Therefore, be like
John. The victory is
������������������ absolutely certain, for God has promised it to us. True, it
will be His victory, the
������������������ work of His limitless power. But what will you be doing
while He is bringing
������������������ victory? When it Is all over, will He find us a people of
whom He need not be
������������������ ashamed. Hebrews 10:38 tells us, "Now the Just shall
live by faith: but if any man
������������������ draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him." In
the 21st chapter of
������������������ Revelation, God tells how He will set up His eternal holy
city upon the earth, and
������ �������������"He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I w1ll
be his God, and he shall be
������������������� My son." But He goes on to list those who will not be
able to enter into that City of
������������������ God; and the first on the list of those who are kept out
we find "the fearful and
������������������ unbelieving."
������������������ You know what future you face, today. The enemies of
all civilization are the
������������������ enemies of Christ. They are mobilizing all the forces of
evil against us, in Asia, in
������������������ Africa, in captive Eastern Europe, even those among us
on our own continent. They
������������������ boast of the weapons they have prepared, the number
of slave troops they will
������������������� unleash against I us, the war for our destruction they
have planned. But we have
������������������ God s promise that "No weapon that is formed against
thee shall prosper." The war
������������������ they plan will be their own suicide. it will come. Don't
pray to avoid it; for God has
������������������ already prophesied that it will come, and that right soon.
Pray rather for God's
������������������ early intervention for our victory. Be like John I told you
about: Prepare yourself
������������������ �for battle, wherever It may come. Then walk without
fear, for it is your enemy
������������������ whose time has come.