Our World is in a Moral Freefall

Each day now
I take a deep breath
Before I read, listen to, or watch the news
 
What news of unimaginable evil awaits us today
 
Will it be a news of a veteran
A man who served this Nation
Who once protected and defended our Country
 
Now the object of a manhunt
After taking the lives of innocent people
Leaving a trail of wounded whose lives will never be the same
 
Or will it be news of unimaginable evil
The chosen Nation Israel
Once again under attack by her enemies
 
Only this time, it was not a “lone wolf”
Instead, it was a coordinated, well planned, secret mission
Launched by hundreds, no thousands of terrorists
 
Not an attack on the Israel’s Defense Forces
No!  Against the innocent and vulnerable
Civilians, innocent, unarmed men, women, and children
 
Brutally, cut down
Murdered, raped, tortured, taken captive
By their twisted, morally depraved terrorist neighbors
 
What was their crime
Why was this hellish attack unleashed upon innocents
Religion and ethnicity, descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
 
Most evil doers try hide their evil deeds
Not so on October 7, 2023
With the morally depraved hell bound terrorists
 
They proudly recorded it for all
For the world to see
Expecting great rewards now and in eternity
 
Even with their own video evidence
Plain for all to see
The evildoer’s defenders and supporters make excuses
 
World leaders with broken moral compasses
Those who call evil good, and good evil
Encourage restraint and proportionality
 
Proportionality?  What?
Do they sanction murdering the innocent
Raping innocent women and children
 
Do they think it acceptable
To torture and kidnap innocent civilians
Subject them to unimaginable horrors
 
Decent, God-fearing people and nations
Do not intentionally do evil to innocents
Instead, they fight the terrorists and evil doers
 
Terrorists who hide behind women and children
Who hide their weapons, rockets, and launchers
In school, hospitals, and places of worship
 
Let us not forget
The terrorist’s greatest allies
The main stream media
 
They choose to believe the lies of a terrorists
Who just days before brutally took the lives of innocents
Who recorded the rape, torture, and kidnapping of civilians
 
Lest we think this insanity and brutality is confined to Israel
Let us look around us
See the protesters and supporters of terrorists
 
Marching in the street
Chanting “From the River to the Sea”
“Palestine Will Be Free”
 
In colleges and universities
Places of “higher learning”
Jewish students are in fear for their lives
 
Jewish people around the world are waking up
Recognizing the hatred of their enemies
Enemies supported by those whose consciences have been seared
 
Let us learn from history
Take terrorists and evil doers at their word
They desire the destruction of Israel and her people
 
Will we let that happen again
Or will we stand with Israel
“I will bless those who bless you.”
 
Will we stand idly by and do nothing
Or worse, align ourselves with those who hate Israel
“I will curse those who curse you.”
 
Lord, we are a people lost in our sin
Unmoored from a biblical foundation
Driven by feelings over rational, logical thoughts
 
Deceived and deceivers
Believing fiction over truth
Defending lawlessness and evil
 
You warned us in the Bible, these days would come
Our world is in a moral freefall
Getting worse day by day
 
We are sinners through and through
Apart from Christ Jesus the Lord we can do nothing
All our deeds are as filthy rags
 
Apart from His sacrificial death on the cross
To pay the penalty and sin debt for all who repent and believe
We are lost and without hope
 
Lord, use what is happening in the world today
To bring us to an end of ourselves
Bring us to repentance and faith in Christ
 
LORD, we take comfort in Your sovereignty
In the knowledge that all will give an account to You
The LORD God Almighty who sees and knows all things 
 
The One who is Holy, Holy, Holy
The One who is perfectly Just and Righteous
The One who gave His Only Begotten Son so that we might be saved
 
 
By Susan Bunts Wachtel
October 26, 2023
 
 

Showdown with Iran by Mark Hitchcock – Sobering, Fascinating, Informative and Well Grounded in Bible Prophecy

When you read the headline news and there are developments in Israel and the Middle East do you wonder how that fits into end-times Bible prophecy?  If you do, then you may want to read Mark Hitchcock’s most recent book Showdown with Iran.  This year began with the news that Iranian General Soleimani was killed in the US ordered drone strike.  Just this week, Iran issued an arrest warrant for President Trump in connection with the drone strike.  So how does all this fit into Bible prophecies about Iran?  What about the nations that surround Israel that are hostile towards her? 

In Showdown with Iran, Mark starts by reviewing the current state of Iran and recent hostile acts that seem to lead us ever closer to war.  One of the more sobering facts is that Iran is drawing closer to having a fully functional nuclear weapon in seven to eleven months.  Will Israel be forced to take a preemptive strike to stop that from happening?  If so, how will Iran respond?

I was interested to learn that there is a conflict between Islamic nations in the Middle East, like Saudi Arabia and Iran.  But there are many nations that are in league with Iran and Israel is surrounded by hostile nations.  Today, we are seeing ties between Syria and Iran and interestingly Russia is one of their allies.  How does that line up with Bible prophecy?

Also covered is the history of an important area, the Strait of Hormuz, where oil tankers from surrounding Persian Gulf nations must pass.  They do so under the watchful eyes of Iran.  An important element in the relationship between Israel and Iran is religion.  Bible prophesies about Iran and other Middle East nations are covered as well as the Islamic faith, prophecies, and the differences between Sunni and Shia faith and how those differences impact international relationships. 

Something I found very helpful is information about the ancient Biblical names of nations and their current modern-day names.  When Mark disagrees with what other Bible prophecy teachers believe, he explains their conclusions, his conclusions, and why he differs.  Bible end-time prophecies are covered from the books of Ezekiel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Revelation and what has already been fulfilled and what is to come. 

This most interesting chapter to me was Will America Survive?  When you read Bible prophecy there’s no clear reference to the United States.  Mark does an excellent job of explaining why that is.  The scenarios he puts forth are very sobering and timely especially in light of Covid-19 and recent civil unrest in our Country.

While end-time Bible prophecies could be fulfilled at any time, Mark is cautious and reminds the reader that Scripture forbids date setting.  He brings the reader back putting our hope in the Lord God Almighty, truth found in the Bible and the assurance of salvation found in Jesus Christ alone. 

I highly recommend Showdown with Iran by Mark Hitchcock and encourage you to get a copy and read now it before the next eruption of conflict with Iran.  Another great resource is the Marking the Times weekly videos on YouTube where Mark covers various Bible prophecies and current events and to date, he has 119 episodes. 

I would like to thank Thomas Nelson Publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read Showdown with Iran by Mark Hitchcock.  I was provided a complimentary copy of this book and was under no obligation to give a favorable review. 

Rise Up?

Will God’s chosen people
Once again rise up and stand strong
Defend themselves against their foe

Will they blow out the match
Which is poised and ready to light the fuse
On a weapon certain to bring great destruction

Will they turn a deaf ear
To criticism from a nation
Once considered a friend

Will they believe their enemy
Take them at their word
That if they have their way…Israel is doomed

A mad man does as he pleases
And the world just stands by and watches
What will it take for them to rise up and stand

Susan Bunts Wachtel
August 18, 2010



"I will make you into a great nation
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.

I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you."

Genesis 12:2-4