Dr. Jim Denison: North Korea Crisis is Escalating and State of Emergency in Florida in Preparation for Hurricane Irma

A royal birth and an escalating hurricane Dr. Jim Denison | September 5, 2017 “Their royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Cambridge is expecting their third child.” Thus, an unborn baby in Great Britain dominated Labor Day headlines even in America. Carl Sandburg was right: “A baby is God’s opinion that life should go on.” In other headlines, the North Korean crisis seems to be escalatingwhile Florida has declared a state of emergency in preparation for Hurricane Irma. As the news reminds us each day, life is both precious and tenuous. Over the holiday weekend, I witnessed two strange sights that reinforced this balance. I was driving in the country and came upon a field covered with healthy trees. In their midst stood a tree just like the others except that its leaves were turning brown and falling from their branches. Clearly it was dying while its neighbors were thriving. Meanwhile, Dallas has been in the throes of an unusual gasoline shortage. Word got out late last week that Hurricane Harvey could cause massive gas shortages. As a result, thousands of people in our area rushed to gas pumps. My wife and I witnessed one such line stretching for hours. They exhausted the local supplies and created a self-fulfilling prophecy. Consider my experiences as parables. Like the tree in the field, we are dying. Every day brings us one day closer to the end of our earthly lives. In fact, we have been dying from the moment we were born. Said differently, we began our life journey with a “full tank.” Some of us have larger tanks than others, and some get better gas mileage than others. As a result, some will travel farther and longer than others. But we will all run out eventually. Here’s my point: remembering that we are dying is the best way to live. Our secular culture fears death so much it euphemizes it (people merely “pass on” or “depart this life”) or ignores this inevitability. But Christians know that the destination is better than the journey. We know that helping others choose the right destination is the highest purpose of the journey. And we know that our Lord will care for us until he leads us home. Disasters like Hurricane Harvey remind us that the future is known only to God. When we trust our suffering to our Father, we learn that his presence is even more powerful in the midst of pain. And we find joy in the journey that is available only to those who walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). In today’s First15, Craig Denison writes, “To live for heaven is to throw off whatever weight would entangle us to the depravity of this world and seek sustaining joy that comes down from heaven to fill our hearts.” Will you live for heaven today? Share Tweet Forward

Jim Denison’s Daily Article Jim Denison, Ph.D., speaks and writes on cultural and contemporary issues. He produces a daily column which is distributed to more than 113,000 subscribers in 203 countries. He also writes for The Dallas Morning News, The Christian Post, Common Call, and other publications. Subscribe to Jim Denison’s Daily Article >> Nick Pitts’ Daily Briefing Check out Nick Pitts’ Daily Briefing >> Three reasons to work: A Labor Day reflection by Dr. Jim Denison Please join Denison Forum in helping storm victims by Dr. Jim Denison High School Paper Takes Down Principal by Stephen Boyd MORE ARTICLES FROM DENISON FORUM >>

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From Pastor Jerry McCullah of FGGAM………….

An evil darkness settled over the land of North Korea many, many years ago. This demonic darkness has become blacker than black; the evilest of evils.  Yet, there’s a light, a certain kind of Light which can utterly eliminate the blackness; the Light of Christ Jesus our LORD.

Within this rogue nation of feared evil there is a cautiously small flickering light of God’s Church huddled in secret places.  We would call these groups, underground churches.  I have been in many such gatherings in places as Russia, China, Vietnam, and yes, Mexico .  These hidden groups are not afraid as many would want us to believe; they are boldly praying and encouraging one another.  These covert Christians pray with boldness and relevancy that most of our churches lack.  They are sold-out to Christ Jesus.

And yet, these believers, when they are able, sneak messages to the outside world of Christianity requesting prayer.  What kind of prayer do they want?  I cannot speak with personal knowledge of the North Korean believers, but when in the underground churches of China, I asked how we American believer could pray for them.   Their answer surprised me.  “Do not pray that persecution would end, but that we would be bold in it.  The church grows mightily in persecution!”

The North Korean leader threatens the USA, and the world, with nuclear weapons.  Quite likely, America, even alone, has the wherewithal to destroy that nation using the same, and better, weapons.   However, the death of a nation, any nation, because of a crazed leadership is never the better answer.  I pray America is not forced to take such an action.

However, I see another course of action needed immediately.  Christians, too, have the capability to launch supernatural guided long-range missiles.  These missiles are prayers of the saints.  With our prayers we can strengthen the Light of Christ which is already there among believers.  We can give supernatural protection for them and other common citizens of that land.  We can defeat the power of darkness which drives the rogue government.  We can cause them to be divided and confused.  We can cause them to make mistakes that lead to a weakening of control and leadership.  We can call for our leaders to receive wisdom from above which will lead to more peaceful solutions.

But, these supernatural missiles are ineffectual if the American, and world-wide church of Jesus Christ, does not aim and fire.   O Beloved, O Church, Awaken thou that sleepeth, and Pray On!