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Go with me to the plain of Dura near Babylon, where King Nebuchadnezzar had summoned every leader - governors, princes and sheriffs - from his far-flung empire. Imagine the sight - multitudes of people dressed in their various native garb, speaking many languages. And they all had gathered for one purpose - to honor the gods of the king!

Nebuchadnezzar had erected a huge, golden image ninety feet tall. And now these leaders, having made their way to the great plain of Dura, were to bow in worship as soon as the royal orchestra began playing. It was that or death!

A young pastor called me some time ago, ready to quit the ministry. The Lord had been using this young man in a wonderful way. But now he was discouraged - feeling worthless, useless, no good to God at all.

You see, he and his wife had been having a lot of marital troubles. They'd had terrible arguments, and it kept getting worse. He said he had prayed for months that God would heal their relationship, but it had only gotten worse. He told me he'd spent more time praying about that than anything else in his life and ministry.

The 45th Psalm provides us with a beautiful picture of Christ and His bride. A great marriage is about to take place, and the writer is "boiling over" with ecstasy and excitement: "My heart is inditing [boiling over] a good matter..." (Psalm 45:1).

The psalmist can hardly contain himself. He is trying to describe something he sees in his mind's eye — an incredible ceremony, with a grand and glorious Bridegroom and a beautiful bride dressed in gold!

I believe that most people who call themselves by Gods name have learned to go to Him in their time of need. Indeed, most Christians believe in the necessity of prayer. Many seek the Lord diligently, coming to Him with tears, godly sorrow and repentance. They pour out their hearts to Him with weeping and heartrending supplications, convinced, as David was, of Gods Word: When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek (Psalm 27:8).

The BIBLE says that in the last days scoffers will appear, mocking the message that Jesus Christ is going to return to set up a new kingdom. Even today mockers are saying, "Where is He? I don't see any evidence that Jesus is coming. Everything continues as it has from the beginning. There's no sign of a new world coming, with Christ as king!"

Recently, the Lord opened my eyes to an incredible truth about patience — something I'd never seen before. It appears in Jesus' explanation of the parable of the sower:

"Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.

"They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.

"Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful" (Colossians 3:15).

This one verse contains an incredible command: The entire body of Jesus Christ has been called by God to let His peace rule and govern our hearts, minds and bodies!

The peace of God is to be the arbitrator of our lives, sitting as ruler over everything. If ever there was a time this call needed to be sounded, it is today in this hour of turmoil and confusion! Revelation 6:4 speaks of a red horse riding over the whole earth, with this mandate:

"And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth" (1 John 5:6).

Several years ago I was invited to attend a revival meeting in a suburban church just outside of New York City. People had been raving about a "successful crusade" being held there by two young male evangelists. Finally, I went to one of their services, and I was seated up front with the ministry team. Little did I know, I was about to endure a terrible experience!

When Jesus walked on the earth, He was all God - and all man! The man the disciples saw ascending into the clouds was the same Jesus they had walked with, eaten with, learned from - the same man who had washed their feet. And He ascended in the same body that had laid hands on the sick and held young children.

For over a century and a half, America has not had a foreign troop on its soil. We haven't been invaded, attacked or bombed. We have sent our soldiers to fight in many wars, but always in other nations' land. Indeed, we have been spared — we have enjoyed peace and prosperity.

Even now, America breathes a sigh of relief because there no longer seems to be a nuclear threat. We believe Communism is dead, that Russia will never again rise as a world power.