I just went out in service today, handing invitations to our Convention. I met a guy who was apparently totally turned off to the bible, and probably anything related to it. His reaction was something like "God's plans for the future?? I'll show you God's plans for the future. I've been to Iraq four times! You guys have no idea what you're talking about. Get out of here." He did take the invitation, which I thought was kinda odd.

His reaction was unfortunate. The mess happening out there is really proof that better times will be coming, but people take it to mean that God simply doesn't care, doesn't exist, or other things much worse. People don't seem to realize that the Bible foretold that this stuff would be happening. Matthew chapter 24 describes lots of bad things that are to happen, but they are to happen before "the conclusion of the system of things". After the end, things are finally supposed to start looking better. Right now, unfortunately, lots of terrible things are happening, but it doesn't mean that it's time to throw out the Bible. To the contrary, it's time to start reading into it much more deeply.