The articles that make up the material from which Sudden Death Overtime was com piled were first published in the Midnight Cry Messenger in 2001 and 2002. The reader should bear this in mind as some references --such as the events of September 11- will seem "dated." The following quote is from the introduction: "More and more I hear people express be- wilderment at the things taking place in the world. People just cannot understand things like the Columbine High School massacre, or how a woman could suddenly drown her five young children in a bathtub. What's wrong with people? They cannot understand why churches are in the condition they are in. They cannot understand the persistence of wars and other violent conflicts. In general they just cannot quite comprehend why things in this world are the way they are. We should do something! - but what? And now, since I wrote the above, we have seen the devastating terrorist attack of Sept. 11. Multitudes who felt reasonably safe and complacent have been shocked into a state of fear and uncertain- ty. Jesus spoke of a time when men's hearts would be "failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth." Luke 21:26. Does God want His children to be confused, bewildered, fearful? Of course not! He desires that we have light, that we understand the world around us. We may not be able to fully expound God's purposes for every particular event but the bottom line is that nothing should surprise us or cause us to be dismayed. If you are one of His, He wants you to have light on your pathway in spite of the prevailing darkness round about. He wants you to have a rest in your soul knowing that He is able to finish what He has started. He wants you to know at all times that He has everything under control and that all is proceeding according to His wise plan. He wants you to find in Him a true hiding place from the dark tempest that is engulfing our world."
