From My Perspective - - -
There were celebrations around the world to welcome in another New Year. There is always the hope that the New Year will offer hopes and possibilities that will be an improvement over the previous year. When I was a child, churches would gather for Watch Night Services. At the Midnight hour, there would be a time for prayer and a recommitment of life. Sometimes there would be a Communion Service. The idea was to seek the Lord and His direction and blessing for the New Year. Now, the occasions are more festive and oriented to a party that includes fireworks displays, etc.
There are those who remind the nation and world that Festiveness must give way to the reality of Focus for the New Year. A Foreign Policy Paper for the year 2011 begins with this headline summary: “Next Year's Wars - The 16 brewing conflicts to watch for in 2011.” The list contains the names of countries that are familiar and some that are not. The following is their summary: (1) Côte d'Ivoire - Côte d'Ivoire is on the brink of what may be a very bad 2011. After a five-year delay, Côte d'Ivoire held presidential elections on Oct. 31. A peaceful first round of voting was commended by the international community, but the runoff between incumbent Laurent Gbagbo and former Prime Minister Alassane Ouattara was marred by clashes and allegations of fraud on both sides. (2) Colombia - Despite a series of strategic losses in recent years -- from territory to key leadership -- the country's leftist guerrillas, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), still maintain about 8,000 armed troops and perhaps twice that number of supporters. The rebels killed some 30 police in the weeks after Santos's inauguration, clearly to make a point. Meanwhile, new illegal armed groups have sprung up to capture the drug trafficking market, their ranks filled with former paramilitary fighters. These gangs are largely responsible for the rising incidence of urban violence; homicide rates have gone up by over 100 percent in Colombia's second city, Medellín, last year. (3) Zimbabwe - Keep an eye on Zimbabwe in 2011 as the country's "unity" government -- joining longtime President Robert Mugabe with opposition leader Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai -- will warrant its conciliatory name less and less by the day. The flashpoint next year? Elections. Both men want to hold them -- but they don't agree about what Zimbabweans should be voting on. (4) Iraq - The new government, formed in December after nine months of wrangling, is weak and lacks the institutions to rule effectively. Iraq's bureaucracies are nascent and fragile, and its security forces remain heavily dependent on U.S. training as well as logistics and intelligence support. Meanwhile, grievances abound -- from minority groups to repatriated refugees -- and it is unlikely that the state will be able to appease these many political demands. Sectarian violence resurfaces in fits and spurts, and is far from quashed entirely; approximately 300 Iraqis died in violence in November. The other countries mentioned and listed are: Venezuela, Sudan, Mexico, Guatemala, Haiti, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Somalia, Lebanon, Nigeria, Guinea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, All of them have internal frictions and issues that cause them to be considered as being volatile. The United States is no longer in a position where it can send troops, military arms and finances to try and quell the unrest and potential political upheaval.
If Jesus was physically present and ministering in the world today, we might hear Him say – by way of reminder – Matthew 24:3-10 – “…Jesus answered them, See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, I amthe Christ, and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for thismust take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will befamines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, andyou will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. And then many will fall away andbetray one another and hate one another…” If one takes an intelligent look at our world today, it will reveal we are very close to this description now. The Foreign Policy Report and Paper makes it sound like it could be more immediate than not. Don’t let Festiveness blind your eyes to the needed Focus. The time is short. The need is to be ready! Consider these things with me!
There were celebrations around the world to welcome in another New Year. There is always the hope that the New Year will offer hopes and possibilities that will be an improvement over the previous year. When I was a child, churches would gather for Watch Night Services. At the Midnight hour, there would be a time for prayer and a recommitment of life. Sometimes there would be a Communion Service. The idea was to seek the Lord and His direction and blessing for the New Year. Now, the occasions are more festive and oriented to a party that includes fireworks displays, etc.
There are those who remind the nation and world that Festiveness must give way to the reality of Focus for the New Year. A Foreign Policy Paper for the year 2011 begins with this headline summary: “Next Year's Wars - The 16 brewing conflicts to watch for in 2011.” The list contains the names of countries that are familiar and some that are not. The following is their summary: (1) Côte d'Ivoire - Côte d'Ivoire is on the brink of what may be a very bad 2011. After a five-year delay, Côte d'Ivoire held presidential elections on Oct. 31. A peaceful first round of voting was commended by the international community, but the runoff between incumbent Laurent Gbagbo and former Prime Minister Alassane Ouattara was marred by clashes and allegations of fraud on both sides. (2) Colombia - Despite a series of strategic losses in recent years -- from territory to key leadership -- the country's leftist guerrillas, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), still maintain about 8,000 armed troops and perhaps twice that number of supporters. The rebels killed some 30 police in the weeks after Santos's inauguration, clearly to make a point. Meanwhile, new illegal armed groups have sprung up to capture the drug trafficking market, their ranks filled with former paramilitary fighters. These gangs are largely responsible for the rising incidence of urban violence; homicide rates have gone up by over 100 percent in Colombia's second city, Medellín, last year. (3) Zimbabwe - Keep an eye on Zimbabwe in 2011 as the country's "unity" government -- joining longtime President Robert Mugabe with opposition leader Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai -- will warrant its conciliatory name less and less by the day. The flashpoint next year? Elections. Both men want to hold them -- but they don't agree about what Zimbabweans should be voting on. (4) Iraq - The new government, formed in December after nine months of wrangling, is weak and lacks the institutions to rule effectively. Iraq's bureaucracies are nascent and fragile, and its security forces remain heavily dependent on U.S. training as well as logistics and intelligence support. Meanwhile, grievances abound -- from minority groups to repatriated refugees -- and it is unlikely that the state will be able to appease these many political demands. Sectarian violence resurfaces in fits and spurts, and is far from quashed entirely; approximately 300 Iraqis died in violence in November. The other countries mentioned and listed are: Venezuela, Sudan, Mexico, Guatemala, Haiti, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Somalia, Lebanon, Nigeria, Guinea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, All of them have internal frictions and issues that cause them to be considered as being volatile. The United States is no longer in a position where it can send troops, military arms and finances to try and quell the unrest and potential political upheaval.
If Jesus was physically present and ministering in the world today, we might hear Him say – by way of reminder – Matthew 24:3-10 – “…Jesus answered them, See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, I amthe Christ, and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for thismust take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will befamines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, andyou will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. And then many will fall away andbetray one another and hate one another…” If one takes an intelligent look at our world today, it will reveal we are very close to this description now. The Foreign Policy Report and Paper makes it sound like it could be more immediate than not. Don’t let Festiveness blind your eyes to the needed Focus. The time is short. The need is to be ready! Consider these things with me!
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