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Recently there has been an escalation of television reports about the potential problems of the coming of the year 2000. Now I realize that there is a huge amount of poorly written and antiquated software out there that will believe that on January 1, 2000 that the world has gone back one hundred years to January 1, 1900. But for the most part enterprise level programs and systems have a four digit year code on them. But some companies have kept their old legacy programs that were written for the vacuum tube computers from the 1950's and 1960's. Needless to say, these companies have a problem and many are either updating their antiquated system programs or are in the process of installing new hardware and software that is year 2000 compliant.
But to hear the media hype about the coming new year, the banks will be broken, the electricity will fail, the gas service will quit, and the world is on the verge of a second dark ages. There are even evangelists who are using this hype to scare people into believing that world economic system will collapse and fail. There will be no food, no gas in the gas stations, no electricity, no anything. All of these fears are totally bazaar, for they are not founded. There are many that are using the hype and the fears of the audience to line their pockets with filthy lucre. For instance, the ones selling electric power generators. These generators require lots of gas to run continuously. Some require five gallons of gas a day to supply a consistent power supply. How many five gallons of gas can you store to last a month. Also they are predicting that the gas supply will deplete to a level that will make the gas lines of the early 1970's look atrocious. Also they are generating the fear that you won't be able to get your money out of the bank.
As you can see, if the electricity and gas supply fail, no electric power generator will work, no computer or any electric powered device will work. As you can see the fear mungers are in the business of causing you to either buy or purchase something that will fail. Needless to say, I believe that there is more hype than truth concerning the coming new year. But if all of the evil comes that is predicted, then the world truly will be plunged into a dark age.
But there is one hope for the Christian, the saved of the Lord. There is a way for the Christian not to have any concern about the future, whether good or bad. That is to trust in the Lord with all of your soul, heart, and might. Even with all of the media claiming how horrible the year 2000 will be, those who trust in the Lord will have nothing to worry about.
Proverbs 3:5
5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
Those who trust in the Lord with all of their heart and lean not to their own understanding will have a strength from the Lord that the world does not have. They have an inner strength that lifts them up that the world cannot see.
Isaiah 12:2
2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.
Exodus 15:2
2 The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him.
Psalms 18:2
2 The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
Psalms 27:1
1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalms 28:7
7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.
Psalms 118:14
14 The LORD is my strength and song, and is become my salvation.
Jeremiah 16:19
19 O LORD, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit.
Habakkuk 3:19
19 The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.
There are many who are sowing fear and doom about the coming new year. There are many who want to make huge sums of money on the fear of what is coming. The worst thing that could happen is that all of the lights go out, and the nuclear arsenals around the world go off. If you look at the worst case scenario and think what is the worst that can happen, it doesn't seem that bad. But the ones who are preaching doom and gloom don't want you to think about the worst that can happen. They just want you to think about the possibilities and how bad it can be. If they can get you to worry about the future they have you as a captive. This is what is being harped continuously about almost everything.
Think about when they are announcing a bad storm. The weather people keep telling you how this coming storm is and they keep pumping to keep you listening for all of the updates. Look at the politicians and how they use the Social Security and Medi Care to scare the senior citizens into voting for them. They keep harping the the system is going broke and everything and we have to do something to ``save'' it. Also note that they keep talking about a Social Security trust fund when in actuality there is no trust fund except on paper. Also keep in mind that all of the Social Security money is in the general fund and there is no separate fund to do anything about!
These people are experts on how to create an atmosphere where you will listen to all their doom and gloom and believe their lies. But those who trust in the Lord don't need to worry, for they have their faith in what is above and not a creation of man. Jesus is the Christian's only hope. The Christian doesn't need to worry about what is coming or what is in the near future, for our home is not in this world.
This World is not my Home This world is not my home, I'm just a passing thru, My treasures all laid up, Somewhere beyond the blue, The Angels beckon me, From heaven's open door, And I can't feel at home, In this World any more. Oh Lord you know, I have no friend like you, If Heaven's not my home, Then Lord what will I do? The Angels beckon me, From heaven's open door, And I can't feel at home, In this World any more.
Though the Bible speaks about dreadful times in the last days, it also talks about those who rest upon the Lord with all of their heart and strength.
Isaiah 40:31
31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Matthew 10
22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
Matthew 24:13
13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Mark 13:13
13 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Those who endure to the end shall be with the Lord for all eternity. There are many who will fail in these last days, but the Lord will honor those who continue with Him to the end. Those who hold fast to Jesus will have nothing to fear for they will rise to meet the Lord in the air.
3014 E Street Philadelphia, PA 19134 Church Office Phone: (215) 634-3637 Published by: Rev. LeRoy D. Cressy (215) 535-4037
Services:
Sunday School . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10:30 AM
Sunday Morning Worship . . . . . . . . . . 12 NOON
Sunday Evening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:30 PM
Wednesday Evening . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:30 PM