From the January-April 2010 Issue
A Ray of Sunshine in a cloudy season
Daniel and Maria Calado
“Crisis” is certainly one of the most prominent words in the world today. In many countries factories are closing one after the other and unemployment is growing more and more. Fewer and fewer births in many countries are causing a degree of anxiety, because of future retirements, medical assistance, etc. Assaults, assassinations, famine, financial corruption, rapes, paedophilia, prostitution, divorces, the holocaust of abortions, and every sort of crime and sin are happening everywhere. There are false prophets, superstition, fundamentalist religious haters and laws being passed in parliaments against the Word of God. Even many so-called evangelical churches are going astray in the attempt to adapt their doctrines to the predominant philosophies characteristic of this post-modernistic era. Many pray for revival. The problem in many of these cases is the understanding of it. For those who are heretics everything is all right. The only thing that needs to be changed, according to them, is in terms of scale (more influence, more visibility, more efficiency, and more acceptability of their doctrines). It is like the H1NU virus pandemonium infection! The fact is that today we also greatly need the empowering of the Holy Spirit to produce a new reformation, bringing back clearly to the pulpits the doctrines of grace. Only then can one claim to be walking in real faith, in an attitude of entire dependency on Him.
Any true believer will agree with this diagnosis of the actual situation in the world, and will know that we are not only dealing with a financial and economic crisis, but also, and above all, with a moral and spiritual crisis. This is the real cause of the situation. Earthquakes, floods, typhoons, global warming and ozone holes are only the elements of the other side of the same coin.
Idolatry abounds
Each country seems to have its own items to be proud of. Here in Portugal, for example, we can easily make a list of them. Amongst these I can perhaps mention the Portuguese nautical discoveries, Cristiano Ronaldo, or the fact that our doctors are world leaders in liver and kidney transplantations. Portugal is known as “Santa Maria’s Land” and where Jesus is the national Hero – the highest motive for pride? Idolatry is everywhere: Fatima, Mohammed, Buddha, Krishna, and Mammon are equally idols enthroned in the hearts of men and women.