Last night we watched a movie titled, Finding Neverland. Starring two of Hollywood's biggies, Johnny Depp and Dustin Hoffman, the movie is about what its title suggests -- finding Peter Pan's Neverland.

How do we find Neverland? According to the movie, we find Neverland through the exercise of our faith. In other words, if we believe in Neverland, we can go there. If we don't believe in it, we can't. We're stuck down here in this world of pain and death.

Friends, that's the way some understand the Christian faith. They see our belief in a spiritual war between the forces of good and evil as a Christian Neverland. They think heaven and hell only exist in our minds. And, of course, this is the way they see God's coming judgment. 

Unfortunately, something continues to prove them wrong. It's called Bible prophecy. You see, the spiritual conflict that they think only exists in our Christian Neverland may now be revealing itself in the real world. And, in real time. 

The angel told the Apostle John:

Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six (Revelation 13:18 New American Standard Bible). 

What did the angel say to John? I think he said that those who properly understand prophecy and world affairs will be able to calculate -- or logically construct -- the series of events that will identify the end-times. In other words, when the prophecies are fulfilled, faith will have little to do with it. The fulfillments will be in our face, whether we like it or not. 

Please don't get me wrong. I'm not saying faith isn't necessary. It takes faith in God, His Word, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to learn the difficult subject of Bible prophecy in the first place. What I'm saying is, once the prophecies are understood, it will take logic, not faith, to recognize their fulfillments. 

Here's the reason I say this. The word, "calculate," in the passage above from Revelation chapter 13, carries the meaning of calculation, as in using stones. In the Apostle John's day, small, smooth stones were used to calculate in much the same manor in which we use our modern computers. If the stones were lined up, placed in their proper order and counted, one would always come to the same answer.

Our first stone of Bible prophecy was the rebirth of the nation Israel. The next stone was the revival of the Roman Empire. Next came the 10-nation military alliance and Office of High Representative. Then came the astounding revelation that the holder of this Office, in two places, is historically identified with the number 666.

Need more stones? How about the EU's coming seven-year budget period? Not enough? Take a look at the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership for Peace. It's a covenant with many nations -- including Israel -- that the High Representative negotiated back in 1995. His objective is to breathe new life into this covenant through the use of his new European Neighborhood Policy. In other words, the High Representative wants to confirm his covenant with many over a coming seven-year period.

Still need more stones? How about China -- the waking dragon? According to these reports Read about it here  I  And here, China is desperate for oil and is becoming a serious threat. In fact, the Pentagon even thinks China may attack Taiwan in 2007 or 2008. Friends, that's the beginning of the seven-year period that some may interpret as the tribulation period.

Speaking of the seven-year period, this report says the EU "big three, " Germany's Schroeder, France's Chirac and Britain's Blair, are "dead men walking." Not only that, it says that Europe is in a leadership void, awaiting a strong leader Read about it here. 

No, the spiritual conflict between good and evil doesn't only exist in some far-away Christian Neverland. As the prophecies of the Bible continue to be fulfilled, this battle is revealing itself right here, in our real world, in real time. And, once you understand the prophecies, it doesn't even take faith to see it.

All it takes is logic.