Did you know that many United States presidents take their oath of office on a Bible opened to a specific scripture? President Ronald Reagan's Bible was opened to 2 Chronicles 7:14, a verse loaded with meaning: "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

This unbreakable promise from God represents a critical one for the United States and virtually every nation on the planet Earth. Many hard things are biblically prophesied to take place before the glorious return of Jesus Christ. When they read these prophecies in the Bible, some people may ask: "Why does God have to be so harsh? Does God somehow want to punish sinners?" Here are three important truths that can help you understand God's will and the purpose of The Good News:

1. Most of the prophecies of destruction recorded in the Bible simply reflect the collective consequences of the breaking of God's law (1 John 3:4). The apostle Paul recorded a great truth when he wrote: "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap" (Galatians 6:7).

2. It is never God's first choice that people suffer as a result of their sins. As the prophet Ezekiel declares: "Say to them, 'As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die?" (Ezekiel 33:11, New International Version).

3. There is always the possibility of repentance, whether by one of us or on a national scale. The prophet Jonah was sent by God to warn the people of ancient Nineveh of their impending destruction. Much to everyone's surprise, "the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them" (Jonah 3:5, emphasis added throughout). Even Nineveh's King declared: "let everyone turn from his evil way…Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish?" (Jonah 3:8-9). The result? "God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster…He did not do it" (Jonah 3:10).

So even though our magazine is titled The Good News, sometimes we must proclaim some hard biblical truths in the lasting hope that some will read, heed and turn! I want to thank you for your interest, for your prayers and for your support. Please let us know if we can be of service to you as we proclaim God's healing truth to a suffering world.