Some are calling it “the number one problem in the Church today” and it has become a virtual tidal wave of destruction, misery, and addiction sweeping across our nation and world. What is it, you may ask? It is pornography and its corrupting influences are already being felt in a neighborhood near you. Surveys reveal that over “half of all activity on the web right now involves pornography!”

When you consider that the internet is only one of the many mediums through which someone might gain access to ever-increasing volumes of smut, this statistic becomes disheartening—even frightening. It must be said that many people are being caused great, even irreparable, harm, many hearts and homes are being broken, and many lives are being brought to ruin by this plague. And church members are by no means immune. For further examination of this subject, write for our position paper entitled, “Pornography.”

Considering the unfortunate fact of ongoing school shootings, a quote from Newsweek gives valuable insight: “The . . . murders run deeper than a failure of gun control or trigger locks. We are slapping bandaids on deep gaping wounds when we simply look at the weapons that were used instead of the reason why the boys were motivated to kill.” Why are we reaping this whirlwind of violence in our society? The problem can be traced to the crumbling institutions of marriage and family. These violent acts are being carried out by those who feel “alone, abandoned, and alienated from society in general and their parents specifically. Most live in homes where there are not loving, caring bonds or an intimate connection among family members—particularly fathers.” The cure for our society’s sickness will only be found when we return to the authority of the Word of God upon which all legitimate human institutions are founded. Let’s join in earnest prayer for those institutions and trust the Lord to raise up a generation of Christian believers and their families who will stand fearlessly for Christ and His Word and thereby function, once again, as salt and light in this darkening culture.

We find it interesting to note that the 140-year-old Mormon splinter group—the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has officially changed its name to “Community of Christ” to “more adequately reflect its theology and mission” according to church officials. With this latest bid for mainstream acceptance, the underlying question is, really, whether or not a change of name is necessarily synonymous with a change in essence.

Iraq’s ABC’s. Among the perils that face Jerusalem today, is the modern-day country of Iraq. Located at the heart of the ancient Babylonian Empire, Iraq has been prophesied to play a telling role in the end-time attack upon Jerusalem.

Earlier this year, the Rueters News Service reported: “Saddam Hussein may be able to menace Iraq’s neighbors with nuclear weapons in three years and fire a missile as far as Europe by 2005, according to a German intelligence assessment.”

“Iraq barred U.N. weapons inspectors in 1998, making it extremely difficult to keep track of what the West believes are Baghdad’s efforts to menace the Middle East and beyond with ABC—atomic, biological and chemical—weapons.”

“Based on information it has gathered, the German BND has drawn the following conclusions...”

“There is evidence that Iraq has resumed its nuclear program and may be capable of producing an atomic bomb in three years. Work has been observed at the El Qaim site, believed to be the center of Baghdad’s nuclear program.”

Add to that an unconfirmed report by military intelligence resources that has crossed our desk, which states the belief of some of our highest military officials that Iraq already has in its possession one working nuclear bomb. Combined with Saddam’s training of a “Jerusalem Army” to “liberate” Jerusalem from Jewish hands, it all adds up to a growing threat to Israel from ancient Babylon. Watch closely, as Iraq continues to work on its ABC’s!