August 14, 2008

Dear World News and Prophecy Subscriber,

August marks the 10th anniversary of World News and Prophecy. It is hard to believe that we have published 100 issues and that a decade has swept by.

Each issue of WNP is assembled from contributions of writers and editors scattered around the world. I am amazed at the manner in which we can do editorial work in the Internet age. The entire publication is put together by people who are separated by thousands of miles. WNP is a product of the age of the Internet.

I was curious about the topics we covered in that first issue. Would our analysis hold up 10 years later? Were our topics dated, that is, so narrow in focus as to be without lasting value? It has been years since I looked at the first issue, so I went to our online archives at www.wnponline.org. Here is what I found.

Our lead article asked, "Why World News and Prophecy?" A critical point was made. "We will do our level best to rightly divide the word of truth... The material is presented to help stimulate your thinking and motivate you to watch and pray.

"In times like these, it is easy to fall into the attitude of, 'My master is delaying his coming' and 'begin to beat [our] fellow servants' (Matthew 24:48, 49). The person who falls into this frame of mind, and action, will not be prepared for the return of Christ (Matthew 24:51)…

"Contrast the attitude of 'my master is delaying His coming' with, 'Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing' (Matthew 24:42, 44-46).

"'So doing' refers to watching and praying so you will be ready. Obviously, so doing can refer to doing the work of God in general, but in this context, it refers to watching and praying for the purpose of being ready for the return of Christ."

Another article covered the Asian financial crisis, making a point that pertains to today's economic problems. America's central role in the world economy could eventually lead to "enormous resentment from the rest of the world community. Perhaps a new player will have to enter the economic world scene to avoid such damaging speculation, much of it fueled by greed" ("The Achilles' Heel of Global Banking").

It goes on to quote an economist's speculation that a new economic leader, possibly Europe, would emerge "in 10 to 15 years." Europe has indeed emerged as a leading market since then, and the euro is currently stronger than the dollar.

Times are changing. Today we have a global economic crisis, and American financial methods are at the center of the cause. Subprime loans and hedge funds are just two of the culprits. At stake is the credibility of the American financial industry and the confidence in the economic policies of the U.S. government. It is not likely that America will slip into a depression, but it is evident from comments and concerns expressed in foreign capitals that America's time as the economic leader of the world could be coming to an end.

The key factor in this equation is the guiding hand of God, not the head of the Federal Reserve Bank. God has blessed America with its wealth. When He sees it is time to withhold that blessing, the tables will turn and the world will suddenly be different.

That's why you need to keep reading WNP and this newsletter to help stay current with news and trends analyzed in the light of Bible prophecy.

Keep watching,