The ‘War on Terror’ that followed the 9/11 attacks was launched due to an ongoing threat to America. But the irony is that the ‘America-first’ policy which influenced the pulling out of troops from Afghanistan has left a greater than ever threat in its wake.

Turning from God

It hasn’t solved the problem, but made it worse. That’s because the threat to America, and to Britain and the West in general, is essentially spiritual. Forsaking God’s ways will lead to disaster, just as it did with Israel of old. All other ideologies are nothing but sand. We must return to the Rock of Ages, who is Christ the Lord.

King David wrote: “The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug…all the nations that forget God” (Ps 9:15-17). The prophet Habakkuk was shocked when the Lord explained how he was going to raise up a ruthless enemy to judge Israel for their waywardness. “I am raising up the Babylonians, that ruthless and impetuous people,” he said, to execute judgment on a rebellious nation (Hab 1:6 & 12).

Covid, and worldwide terror, are not our real enemies. But we have made enemies of God our Creator. Woe betide us! We are living in terrible times, and they will get worse. But lift up your heads. The Lord is near; he is coming soon.

Intriguing signs!

Stopping at a service station on the way back from my father-in-law’s funeral, I was somewhat brought up short by the sight of newspaper headlines about the Second Coming. But they were referring to Cristiano Ronaldo returning to Manchester United for an exorbitant fee!'

Covid, and worldwide terror, are not our real enemies. But we have made enemies of God our Creator. Woe betide us!

However, with all the shaking taking place in a world where even football faces an uncertain future, alluding to Christ’s return is very appropriate. For the record, Ronaldo has a Catholic background and believes his gift is God-given. And Manchester United, for its part, has a history of facilitating Christian witness, through chaplains and the like. In addition, football has strong links with gospel work, as I have explained on this site in the past. But Ronaldo should not be treated as a god.

And, yes, Jesus really is coming back. So be prepared! I have just watched a YouTube clip claiming that God has written his name (in Hebrew characters) on the eastern wall of the Temple Mount right beside the very place where the Messiah is expected to return triumphantly to Jerusalem after placing his feet on the Mount of Olives, just as the Bible has indicated (Zech 14:4, Acts 1:11). The shape of foliage growing through cracks in the wall certainly gives the impression of Hebraic writing, which I am told spells out the name of God (without vowels, as Jews consider it too holy to pronounce) variously described as El Shaddai, Adonai, Elohim and I Am – and usually translated into English as LORD (using capital letters). Judge for yourself: see this video clip.

The mark

Among the many signs of Christ’s imminent return are a preponderance of fake news and deception. Social media in particular bombards us with claims and counter-claims and various prophetic pronouncements of what lies ahead. The Bible warns us, quite rightly, not to take the ‘Mark of the Beast’ (see Rev 13:16), which some have suggested could be linked to the mass vaccinations against Covid. It could certainly prove a template for the introduction of microchip implants, without which no-one will be able to buy or sell. But let’s not get too distracted by this phenomenon, real as it will be when the time comes, and I am sure true believers will be in no doubt about the choice being faced then.

However, we do need to keep watch and ensure that we (and our leaders) are well informed on biblical end-time prophecy, which is recorded for our benefit to equip us with weapons of discernment with which to engage in the fierce spiritual conflict surrounding us.

It’s worth noting that Ezekiel writes of a man with a writing kit who put a mark on the forehead of those who were faithful to his word, who grieved at what they could see happening around them (Ezek 9:3f). As it happens, that is part of my calling as an evangelist, for when my wife Linda sought confirmation about marrying me back in the year 2000, the Lord spoke to her through this very passage, saying that she should support ‘the man with the writing kit’. In Ezekiel’s case, it was the people without the mark who were condemned, not those with the mark.

Ichabod

Our main duty as Christians is to proclaim the gospel, and warn of the dire consequences of forsaking the Lord of creation. The prophet Samuel listened to God at a time when the priests did not. The latter treated the Ark of God (signifying God’s presence among them) as a superstitious substitute for true worship, which was denied by their behaviour. They believed the ark could save them when the Philistines attacked, so they took it out to battle. But their hearts were far from God, whom they dishonoured in their priestly service, while also indulging in sexual immorality. The result was Ichabod – the glory of the Lord had departed (1 Sam 4:21f), an expression equally applicable to the West today.

God help us! And I mean that, for only he can rescue us from the ravages of destruction we are rapidly bringing upon ourselves.

We have squandered our freedom, won at great cost in World War II when the nation responded to the King’s call to prayer and 338,000 men were rescued from the beaches of Dunkirk, allowing them to fight another day. Sir Barnes Wallis was the inventor of the bouncing bomb, which helped turn the tide of the war by destroying Ruhr Valley dams vital for Germany’s armaments production. He is reputed to have said, in referring to the famous 617 Dambusters’ Squadron: “I gave them the tool, but God gave them the courage and the skill.”¹ And at what a cost! More than half the allied airmen never returned.

The King is coming!

But the war effort sparked an exponential growth in technological development, producing a series of amazing jet fighters capable of speeds of up to 1,500 mph, which served mainly as a deterrent to warmongering aspirations during the Cold War.

Now some of our best weapons are in the hands of our enemies. God help us! And I mean that, for only he can rescue us from the ravages of destruction we are rapidly bringing upon ourselves. I repeat King David’s words: “The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug… The wicked go down to the realm of the dead, all the nations that forget God” (Psalm 9:15-17). But resurrection follows death for all who put their hope in Jesus, who was raised from the dead as the first-fruits of all who believe. Lift up your heads, for the King is coming!

1. Yorkshire Air Museum, Elvington, York