There’s plenty of bad news to go around these days. Halfway through the year 2020 many nations have been affected by a pandemic in which millions have been infected with a novel virus and many thousands have died, especially elderly and people with underlying health issues, although the number of deaths actually caused by the Covid-19 virus have been grossly exaggerated by health authorities and the media (cf. “How the World Can Quickly Change”).

Triggered in part by the death in Minneapolis of a black man named George Floyd, who died while handcuffed and lying prostrate with a police officer’s knee on his neck, the United States has also experienced weeks of senseless rioting, property destruction, mayhem and murder by mobs, being encouraged by gutless and lying politicians, news media, celebrities, and many other segments of society. The rioting has left a number of people dead and injured, and resulted in property damage amounting to many millions of dollars. Dark forces are using the unrest to promote a radical political agenda.

So, are you ready for some good news? Keep reading.

The Police Are Not Out to Kill You

First, for readers in the United States, be assured the police do not routinely seek to hunt you down and kill you in this country. That’s not to say that police are perfect, by any means. They’re human. They make mistakes. And some few may indeed be sociopaths. However, the narrative that police are routinely out to hunt down and kill people, especially black people, is a lie.

A number of studies have been done in recent years to investigate the persistent claims of certain leftist political groups that there is “systemic racism” in the United States in general, and especially within police departments in this country. It was reported in 2016 that Harvard University did a study of shootings by police over the period 2000 – 2015. The study concluded that blacks are less likely to be shot at by police given the same circumstances, than are whites (Statistics That Show That ‘Systemic Racism’ Doesn’t Exist In Policing,” Aaron Bandler, DailyWire.com, July 11, 2016).

Another study by Peter Moskos of John Jay College of Criminal Justice found that, “whites are 1.7 times more likely than blacks [to] die at the hands of police. Adjusted for the racial disparity at which police are feloniously killed, whites are 1.3 times more likely than blacks to die at the hands of police” (ibid.).

Another study by Washington State University found that “officers were three times less likely to fire at unarmed black men than unarmed white men” (ibid.).

Heather Mac Donald has studied this issue for years, and has written articles and a book on the subject. She wrote in a recent article, “However sickening the video of [George] Floyd’s arrest, it isn’t representative of the 375 million annual contacts that police officers have with civilians. A solid body of evidence finds no structural bias in the criminal-justice system with regard to arrests, prosecution or sentencing. Crime and suspect behavior, not race, determine most police actions” (“Myth of Systemic Police Racism – Point of View,” cited from Wall Street Journal, pointofview.net, June 2, 2020).

An article published November 24, 2019, titled “The Myth Of An Epidemic Of Racist Police Shootings Is Wrong, And Dangerous,” states:

“A dangerous myth has been propagated by the media: that there is an epidemic of racially biased shootings of black people (primarily black men) in America, by the police. The false narrative claims that individual police officers, motivated by overt racism or implicit racial bias, are rampantly targeting black Americans. Some go further to allege these shootings are proof of ‘systemic racism’ within American law enforcement. Nonstop broadcast of the anti-police message by radical activists, Hollywood celebrities, professional athletes, politicians, academics, and most mainstream media outlets have made this myth pervasive. The myth, and the powerful voices who perpetuate it, are rarely challenged — even by law enforcement leaders. The result has been fear, distrust, hatred of the police, and a breakdown of the rule of law. However, this destructive delusion has been completely demolished by a recent study that demonstrates there is no epidemic of racially biased police shootings of black people, that black citizens are not more likely to be shot by white officers, and that the shooting of unarmed people of any race is extraordinarily rare. In fact, an individual American citizen is substantially more likely to be struck by lightning than he is to be shot by the police while unarmed. In the article, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Joseph Cesario of Michigan State University and David Johnson of the University of Maryland assess hundreds of fatal police shootings since 2015. Their groundbreaking study exposes what is, at least for the anti-police mythmakers, an inconvenient truth indeed — that police shootings of citizens are not motivated by race or racism” (dailycaller.com, November 24, 2019).

In an article titled “The Myth of Institutional Racism,” author Merion West states, “First off, it is important to clearly define what people mean when they say ‘institutional racism’ or ‘systemic racism.’ Institutional racism is best defined as racism perpetrated by government entities. However, since most people, including people on the left, acknowledge that there is no law or government entity explicitly discriminating [against] minorities in modern America, the definition of ‘institutional’ or ‘systemic’ racism has shifted over time. When the left cries out about ‘institutional racism’, they are referring to people of power and influence who have an unconscious bias against minority groups, elongating the pathway to success for all minorities. This argument essentially shifts the focus away from personal choice and responsibility by spreading the idea that non-whites have a limited control over their lives and that the ‘system’ is cheating them. It also accuses people of being racist without evidence, by calling people out on unconscious bias, which is an unprovable and unidentifiable concept” (merionwest.com, August 19, 2017).

There’s no doubt racists exist in the United States, and other nations, as there are people exhibiting every other kind of sin. But the institutional racism of the past in this country has, if anything, swung in the opposite direction. It’s now white people who are demonized because of their race. And statistics show that white people are far more likely to be victims of violent crimes by blacks than blacks are to be victimized by violent white criminals.

Shootings of unarmed victims by the police have actually been declining in recent years in the United States, and many more police are murdered each year than are individuals killed in police shootings involving “unarmed” citizens. In many cases, though by no means all, the “unarmed” victims of police shootings were the aggressors.

If you are a law abiding citizen, whatever your race, you have little to fear in the way of being killed by a policeman in the United States. Studies show that the majority of people in the United States, including black citizens, have a favorable view of police. In fact, far more favorable than the news media or Congress. But you wouldn’t know that from watching most media commentary over the past weeks, months, or years.

The ongoing civil discord and breakdown of law and order is far more ominous than the unlikely event of being murdered by a policeman, not to say that does not happen on rare occasions. Of course it should never happen, but good policing often prevents murders, and helps bring those guilty of murder to justice.

Heather Mac Donald writes: “This pandemic of civil violence is more widespread than anything seen during the Black Lives Matter movement of the Obama years, and it will likely have an even deadlier toll on law enforcement officers than the targeted assassinations we saw from 2014 onward. It’s worse this time because the country has absorbed another five years of academically inspired racial victimology. From Ta-Nehisi Coates to the New York Times’s 1619 project, the constant narrative about America’s endemic white supremacy and its deliberate destruction of the ‘black body’ has been thoroughly injected into the political bloodstream” (“Darkness Falls,” Heather Mac Donald, city-journal.org, May 31, 2020).

Fulfilling Prophecy

What we are witnessing in the unprecedented events unfolding before us is the fulfillment of prophecy. It’s not pleasant to see these particular prophecies coming to pass. But we need to take note.

God told Israel, as part of the law of the covenant, “…if a stranger dwells with you in your land, you shall not mistreat him. The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 19:33-34).

And also, ”You shall have the same law for the stranger and for one from your own country; for I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 24:22).

Nations descended largely from Israelite peoples – the United States, Britain and others – have not always obeyed those laws in their history as nation states. Moreover, there are many other laws of God our peoples have disobeyed, and these nations are becoming increasingly defiant and lawless.

God told us, if we did not keep the laws of his covenant, we would, as punishment, be deprived of the blessings he has given us. “Also every sickness and every plague, which is not written in this Book of the Law, will the Lord bring upon you until you are destroyed” (Deuteronomy 28:61).

“The alien who is among you shall rise higher and higher above you, and you shall come down lower and lower. He shall lend to you, but you shall not lend to him; he shall be the head, and you shall be the tail” (Deuteronomy 28:43-44).

Also, Isaiah prophesied, “As for My people, children are their oppressors, And women rule over them. O My people! Those who lead you cause you to err, And destroy the way of your paths” (Isaiah 3:12).

So how is this good news, you might ask? In the clouds surrounding us, there is a silver lining. If these prophecies are coming to pass, exactly as foretold and forewarned about in Scripture, we can have confidence that God’s word is certain, and other prophecies of a more hopeful nature will also come to pass in due time.

God Offers Salvation to All

Part of the good news is that all the hatred among various ethnic groups, races, and nations, also gangs, political groups, and individuals, expressed in violence and injustice for countless generations, is soon coming to an end. The fact is, we are all God’s children, and God loves us all.

God offers salvation to all, and he is working out a plan to save as many as possible, consistent with concern for the welfare of any and all concerned.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:16-17).

When God’s kingdom is established, the word of truth and salvation will go out to all the world. All nations will be drawn to the Eternal God, to learn his ways, and the world will learn to live in peace and harmony.

“All the ends of the world Shall remember and turn to the Lord, And all the families of the nations Shall worship before You. For the kingdom is the Lord’s, And He rules over the nations” (Psalms 22:27-28).

“Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him; All nations shall serve Him. For He will deliver the needy when he cries, The poor also, and who has no helper. He will spare the poor and needy, And will save the souls of the needy. He will redeem their life from oppression and violence; And precious shall be their blood in His sight” (Psalms 72:11-14).

“Tell and bring forth your case; Yes, let them take counsel together. Who has declared this from ancient time? Who has told it from that time? Have not I, the Lord? And there is no other God besides Me, A just God and a Savior; There is none besides Me. Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other” (Isaiah 45:21-22).

“For He looked down from the height of His sanctuary; From heaven the Lord viewed the earth, To hear the groaning of the prisoner, To release those appointed to death, To declare the name of the Lord in Zion, And His praise in Jerusalem, When the peoples are gathered together, And the kingdoms, to serve the Lord” (Psalms 102:19-22). This will happen after Jesus Christ returns to the earth in Divine glory to reign over the nations.

“Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints! Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You…” (Revelation 15:3-4).

God is good, and all good things ultimately come from him. “The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, Slow to anger and great in mercy. The Lord is good to all, And His tender mercies are over all His works” (Psalms 145:8-9).

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning” (James 1:17).

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (I John 4:7-11).

We need to imitate God, in striving to be good, and love others, even our enemies in the midst of evil. “But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful” (Luke 6:35-36).

God is just, and hates oppression.

“Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, But establish the just; For the righteous God tests the hearts and minds. My defense is of God, Who saves the upright in heart. God is a just judge, And God is angry with the wicked every day” (Psalms 7:9-11).

“For the Lord is a God of justice; Blessed are all those who wait for Him” (Isaiah 30:18).

The consequences of God’s just judgment when he takes control is expressed in Isaiah: “…the extortioner is at an end, Devastation ceases, The oppressors are consumed out of the land. In mercy the throne will be established; And One will sit on it in truth, in the tabernacle of David, Judging and seeking justice and hastening righteousness” (Isaiah 16:4-5).

Far too many today have openly renounced God, and seek to destroy from our minds the consciousness of God. But their plans will ultimately fail. “Why do the wicked renounce God? He has said in his heart, ‘You will not require an account.’ But You have seen, for You observe trouble and grief, To repay it by Your hand. The helpless commits himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless. Break the arm of the wicked and the evil man; Seek out his wickedness until You find none. The Lord is King forever and ever; The nations have perished out of His land. Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will prepare their heart; You will cause Your ear to hear, To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, That the man of the earth may oppress no more” (Psalms 10:13-18).

God is merciful to those who turn from evil.

“’The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself. But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; because of the righteousness which he has done, he shall live. Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?’ says the Lord God, ‘and not that he should turn from his ways and live?’” (Ezekiel 18:20-23).

God hates lawlessness. God requires all who will be in his kingdom to yield to his laws and learn to obey them.

Now think what that will mean when God’s kingdom is established. Instead of oppression, violence, injustice, rioting, looting, stealing and killing, men will love one another.

“Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, ‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?’ Jesus said to him, ‘”You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets’” (Matthew 22:35-40).

No longer will there be cause to have a fear of criminals lurking in streets and byways, or home invasion, threats, and the like. “Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, And princes will rule with justice. A man will be as a hiding place from the wind, And a cover from the tempest, As rivers of water in a dry place, As the shadow of a great rock in a weary land” (Isaiah 32:1-2).

Though many wicked are presently going unpunished for their crimes, their day of reckoning is coming. “Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret — it only causes harm. For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the Lord, They shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; Indeed, you will look carefully for his place, But it shall be no more. But the meek shall inherit the earth, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. The wicked plots against the just, And gnashes at him with his teeth. The Lord laughs at him, For He sees that his day is coming. The wicked have drawn the sword And have bent their bow, To cast down the poor and needy, To slay those who are of upright conduct. Their sword shall enter their own heart, And their bows shall be broken. A little that a righteous man has Is better than the riches of many wicked. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, But the Lord upholds the righteous. The Lord knows the days of the upright, And their inheritance shall be forever. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time, And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. But the wicked shall perish; And the enemies of the Lord, Like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish. Into smoke they shall vanish away. The wicked borrows and does not repay, But the righteous shows mercy and gives. For those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth, But those cursed by Him shall be cut off. The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, And He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the Lord upholds him with His hand. I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread. He is ever merciful, and lends; And his descendants are blessed. Depart from evil, and do good; And dwell forevermore. For the Lord loves justice, And does not forsake His saints; They are preserved forever, But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land, And dwell in it forever. The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, And his tongue talks of justice. The law of his God is in his heart; None of his steps shall slide. The wicked watches the righteous, And seeks to slay him. The Lord will not leave him in his hand, Nor condemn him when he is judged. Wait on the Lord, And keep His way, And He shall exalt you to inherit the land; When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it. I have seen the wicked in great power, And spreading himself like a native green tree. Yet he passed away, and behold, he was no more; Indeed I sought him, but he could not be found. Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright; For the future of that man is peace. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together; The future of the wicked shall be cut off. But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked, And save them, Because they trust in Him” (Psalms 37:1-40).

“Do not be envious of evil men, Nor desire to be with them; For their heart devises violence, And their lips talk of troublemaking. Through wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is established; By knowledge the rooms are filled With all precious and pleasant riches. A wise man is strong, Yes, a man of knowledge increases strength” (Proverbs 24:1-3).

While God is merciful, those who persist in evil he holds to account:

“Say to the righteous that it shall be well with them, For they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him, For the reward of his hands shall be given him” (Isaiah 3:10-11).

“I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings” (Jeremiah 17:10).

Jesus Christ is coming soon to establish a new, just, world where everyone will be able to prosper and flourish.

“Say among the nations, ‘The Lord reigns; The world also is firmly established, It shall not be moved; He shall judge the peoples righteously.’ Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; Let the sea roar, and all its fullness; Let the field be joyful, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the woods will rejoice before the Lord. For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth. He shall judge the world with righteousness, And the peoples with His truth” (Psalms 96:10-13).

“And in this mountain The Lord of hosts will make for all people A feast of choice pieces, A feast of wines on the lees, Of fat things full of marrow, Of well-refined wines on the lees. And He will destroy on this mountain The surface of the covering cast over all people, And the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death forever, And the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces; The rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth; For the Lord has spoken. And it will be said in that day: ‘Behold, this is our God; We have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the Lord; We have waited for Him; We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation’” (Isaiah 25:6-9).

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Copyright © 2020 by Rod Reynolds

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