How should we respond when the shameless ways, dress and speech of our culture's “teenage idols” are being emulated by countless millions of impressionable young girls and boys throughout the nation and world?

And the young boys of our society are now being heavily influenced by what could best be termed an in-your-face “rude boy” culture which glorifies obnoxiousness and all things crude, disgusting and despicable.

And the disheartening news that due to the increasing portrayal of nudity in mainstream media, we are now beginning to experience the newest scourge in America—that of “burgeoning nudist colonies.”

The theme of this society-gone-mad could well be summed up in the use of the popular expression “Whatever!” Is it possible that we as a nation will soon be accepting of anything and everything wicked so as not to appear “intolerant”? Our culture is self-destructing before our very eyes and our only hope is to return to the Lord and His word.

With the recent election of Ariel Sharon as Prime Minister of Israel, there have been renewed threats from the Palestinians of “war and rivers of blood.” Indeed, Sharon has refused (and rightly so) to consider giving all or part of Jerusalem to the Palestinian Arabs for their capital and further stated that his purpose is to keep Jerusalem the undivided capital of the Israeli state. Security experts are already warning that conditions are ripe for an “all-out war” that could very well “unleash destructive forces that would imperil Israel's existence.”

On a positive note, our newly elected president, in an act of great courage and internal fortitude, has thrown down the gauntlet to the pro-abortion, pro-death culture crowd with the reinstatement of the Mexico City policy. If you recall, during the Reagan years this so-called “Mexico City policy” was one that restricted “U.S. funding of international family planning agencies.”

We should thank God for him and lift up fervent prayer daily for him and his administration.

Even the International Space Station has an appointment with Destiny. With a crew of 5, the space shuttle Atlantis recently blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center carrying a 1.4 billion dollar space laboratory with the name of—would you believe—“Destiny”and bound for the International Space Station high above the earth. We want to take a moment to consider the amazing capability that God has given mankind. We should pause to remember our final destination as children of the Heavenly Father—a home far beyond the starry skies.

Will there be more turmoil in the Middle East? I think we can count on it! Should we be concerned to the point where it cripples our testimony and drives us to despair? Absolutely not! We are to look forward with joy to what the Lord yet has in store for us as believers. We are to labor with the stubborn ounces of our lives as long as life and breath remain. That's what we must always be careful to do.

In our outreaches, we continue to hold forth the light of salvation to a world that hungers for the truth about the future. People yearn to hear good news, and we have the best news anyone could ever hear—Jesus saves and is coming back again!

The world is hungry for the Gospel message as never before, and we must take advantage of that open door to take them the news that could save their souls.

STORM CLOUDS ON THE HORIZON—Bible Prophecy and the Current Middle East Crisis is the title of a fascinating book of essays dealing with the vital subject of Israel and the Middle East and how current events fit in with Bible Prophecy. This book is edited by Charles H. Dyer and includes essays written by several imminently qualified Moody Bible Institute scholars. For your contribution of $12 to the ministry of Christian Destiny, we will see that you receive your copy of this very informative and highly provocative 90-page book.