I’m an information freak. There is very little in this world that doesn’t interest me. Before the Internet and cable television, I used to go to the library to get my information “fix”.

I can remember, as a young boy, our family had an old black and white television set and we got one channel out of Amarillo, Texas even though we lived in southwestern Oklahoma. Now my wife and I have Direct TV with literally scores of television stations. I love informational shows, shows about science, history, and the military.

This morning, I turned over to the Military Channel and there was a show called, “Battleship” which, as it sounds, is about naval battleships. I am amazed at mankind’s ingenuity. The Japanese battleships Yamato and its sister ship Musashi were the biggest battleships ever constructed, displacing 72,800 tons each. That just means they were BIG! Just one of their main guns weighed more than most of the world’s other battleships. Other countries built battleships that embodied their warring spirit. The English built the HMS Hood and the Germans built the Bismarck. These battleships, as well as all other battleships, were designed for one reason and that is to kill. Remarkably, not one of these ships survived World War II.

In the Bible, we have the account of Jesus’ disciples asking what the signs of Christ’s return would be at the end of this age. Jesus responded in part,

Matthew 24:6 (Also Mark 13:20)

You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.

Every generation has had its wars, including our generation. Each and every generation since Christ ascended to Heaven has had believers that thought their generation would be the last. We all know that our world changed forever after the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City on September 11, 2001. I, like many others, believe we could be the last generation but Jesus tells us that these things will happen.

War is a horrible thing, evil to its very core yet there are times that war is required for people to live free. Even in the Bible, we see examples of God commanding His people to go to war against their oppressors.

Unfortunately, mankind has gotten good at waging war and at inventing war machines. With the invention of the atomic weapon in the 1940’s, modern warfare has taken on frightening new dimensions. Never before had mankind had the ability to completely destroy life on earth but that changed with Einstein’s theory of relativity which led to the design of the nuclear weapon. When the first atomic bomb, much larger in its dimensions yet much less powerful than modern nuclear weapons, was scheduled to be detonated near Los Alamos, New Mexico, some of the scientists were afraid that when the atoms began to split, they would not stop and the earth’s entire atmosphere would be incinerated. I am astonished that even with their concerns, the U.S. government continued with the experiment and detonated the bomb!

Things are bad in the world now but they will get worse, as far as the world is concerned. Jesus, speaking of the future said that if He doesn’t come back, all of mankind will be destroyed.

Matthew 24:22

In fact, unless that time of calamity is shortened, not a single person will survive. But it will be shortened for the sake of God's chosen ones.

Nuclear weapons are very simple in design. So much so that recently a group of college students were given an assignment to draw up plans for their own nuclear weapon. Out of twelve or thirteen students, only one was not able to make plans for, what appeared to be, a working design.

Until 9/11, the United States has been shielded from attack primarily because we are surrounded by oceans. With modern jet aircraft, satellites and intercontinental ballistic missiles, the world has become a much smaller place and the United States has fallen within the crosshairs of many unfriendly nations.

Jesus said that even when we see these things that we should not fear! It would be very easy to let fear dictate our lives day in and day out but Jesus told us to not let ourselves be alarmed or, as it says in the King James Version of the Bible, “Fear Not!” It is only through living a life “in the Spirit” that we can live a life without fear. Paul said in Romans 5:20, where sin abounds, grace abounds even more! As Christians, we cannot lose!

2 Corinthians 5:8

Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord.

Matthew 10:28
  
 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

If we are killed, we go home to be with Jesus! If we live, we have more opportunities to live for Christ and share His love with others! As you see the world’s situation continue to deteriorate, FEAR NOT! God’s grace will continue to grow and fill the earth and I truly believe we will see more people come to know the Lord as their own savior and I also believe we will see the power of God manifested more and more through great and mighty works! Keep your eyes on Jesus and stay on your knees in prayer. We are getting ready to see a great move of God!