Two events in the United States overshadowed all others in 2008 and still loom large as we enter 2010. One was the financial crisis that, spreading from America’s subprime mortgage mess, has stricken the global economy. The other was the election of Barack Obama to the United States presidency.

Before we continue our Kingdom, Power and Glory series on the “Security of our Salvation,” Chuck and I would like to share with you some incredible responses we have received from pastors, students and brothers and sisters in the Lord who have read the book.

A look at the coming year has to start with the question: Whatever happened to the much-discussed Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP) with its plan for North American integration in 2010?

In Part 2 of this series, we will continue to examine a 63-year-old military intelligence review from the War Department (now the Department of Defense) archives entitled “Islam: A Threat to World Stability.”

First of all, I want to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful holiday season, blessed by God’s presence. What an appropriate time to remember the real reason we have been called and to remind ourselves of the importance of sanctification—letting our actions show forth Christ.

Our Lord repeatedly instructed us: “Be not deceived.” That is an imperative: a command, not simply a suggestion. But how? What are the tools to prevent our being deceived or misled?

Environmental movements cause us to ask ourselves the question, “Has God gone Green?” The answer would depend upon your definition of “green.” The short answer is “no.” He hasn’t gone green, because He was green from the beginning. Scripture tells us, “God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.”

Previously, we’ve discussed the cycles of history that promise to converge to create the anticipated apocalypse of 2012—a time when life as we know it ends and a new “spiritually enlightened” world emerges.

As was mentioned at the beginning of this series, after being Christians for more than 50 years, what Chuck and I have learned in our research for this material has totally revolutionized our personal walk with the Lord.

Over the past couple of months, we have been exploring the real reason for our salvation, which is ruling and reigning with the King of Kings in the future Millennial Kingdom and, after that, for eternity. Our life here and now is simply the training ground, the proving ground and the testing ground for that next life.

As we discussed in Part 1 of this series, wading through the mystique surrounding the popular focus of the year 2012 is actually a study in cycle theory. Without regard for the Mayan Long calendar, scholars and analysts, extrapolating from the cycles of human history, have reasoned that the coming years will be extraordinary.

From the War Department (now the Department of Defense) archives comes a 63-year-old military intelligence review, entitled “Islam: a Threat to World Stability,” that inadvertently provides incredible insight into the challenges faced by Christians in today’s world.

Jesus declares in John 17:17, “Thy Word is Truth.” Mature believers use objective reasoning skills to compare unfamiliar or new teachings and practices with the Truth of God’s Word to prove all things.

It is disturbing to discover how much we are all victims of our own presuppositions.

In many respects Ruth is the ultimate love story. It’s a love story because Ruth falls in love with Boaz—that’s the main plot line. But overlaying that is the ultimate love story, a love story written in blood on a wooden cross, erected in Judea two thousand years ago.

In 1979, the Ayatollah Khomeini seized power in Iran, unleashed the Islamic Revolution, and changed the world forever.

As 2009 is rapidly passing, I have been approached by many friends asking, “What do you think of all of this 2012 nonsense?” I had to admit I hadn’t given it much thought except for the attention to the Mayan Long Calendar I had studied years ago (many years ago) in college.

During the 1980s, Bible-believing pastors, teachers, and watchmen for “The Faith” stood up and began to prevail against the New Age Movement.

Thank you for the hundreds of calls, letters and e-mails that we have received about our new book. It has been so exciting to see so many “receive the Word with openness of mind,” but then “search the Scriptures to be sure these things are so.” (Acts 17:11)

The final installment of this series focuses on the most controversial member of the treacherous trio of Ezekiel 38—Russia. Parts 1 and 2 of this series discussed the rise of Turkey and Iran, respectively. Historically, each of these three countries enjoyed grand imperial pasts. All are ambitious. All are making a move to achieve a measure of their previous success.