Last week, North Korea’s 19-year supreme leader, Kim Jong Il, died of an apparent heart attack.  This militarized nation, unable to sufficiently feed its people, will now be ruled by Kim Jong Il’s appointed successor, his third son Kim Jong Un (age 27).

North Korea is known for its extended mourning rituals, so it is not yet known when Kim Jong Un will officially take power.  Many expect Kim Jung Un’s uncle and aunt to act as regents for a couple of years as he prepares to take control (Associated Press, December 21, 2011; Reuters, December 21, 2011).  

For 450 years, the Vatican has fought to regain control over holy sites in Jerusalem—ever since they were taken from Franciscan monks by the Ottomans about 1551 AD.

Well, a milestone of sorts has been reached. From now on, the so-called “Mayan Doomsday” date of December 21, 2012 (or December 23, 2012, depending on whom you ask) is less than a year away. Does mankind have anything to fear from that much-discussed date? How should Christians react?

Looking back over the years, it has become evident to me that the gap between what the Bible says to do, and what its alleged followers actually do, has reached near absurd proportions.

As an example, God carefully instructed ancient Israel to not seek after the ways of the pagan people they were replacing in the Promised Land, especially in the matter of worshiping their gods. He was painfully explicit about not adapting their perverse ways in terms of worshipping Him.

“America smashed the record for billion-dollar weather disasters this year with a deadly dozen, and counting.  With an almost biblical onslaught of twisters, floods, snow, drought, heat and wildfire, the U.S. in 2011 has seen more weather catastrophes that caused at least $1 billion in damage than it did in all of the 1980s, even after the dollar figures from back then are adjusted for inflation...  Extreme weather in America this year has killed more than 1,000 people, according to National Weather Service Director Jack Hayes.