It is vital that those in Britain who know the Lord declare the Gospel with their words and lives.

In last week's editorial, I wrote about the signs of God's blessing upon Britain in the aftermath of the vote to leave the European Union. All the forecasts of doom from those who wished Britain to remain within the EU have not been fulfilled.

The economy has not suffered dire consequences, the housing market has not collapsed, unemployment is down and retail sales are up, giving a general feeling of buoyancy and hope for the future. But will it last? That is the big question.

One of our readers posted a comment last week pointing out that God's blessings are conditional. He is absolutely right in this and if God's blessings upon the nation are to continue, there is a huge responsibility upon those who know the Bible and have some understanding of the nature and purposes of God.

Passing on the Message

Last week we reminded readers that only 44% of the nation now claim to be Christians and 48% say that they have no religion at all. In many churches in Britain today the congregation consists mainly of elderly worshippers which means that they have a huge responsibility for evangelism if these churches are to survive beyond the present generation.

If older Christians are to be successful in passing on the faith to the next generations, they not only need to know the Gospel but also need to understand what's going on in the world today. This was the great strength of the prophets of Israel, who were able to declare the word of the Lord with conviction and authority because they were keen observers of the contemporary world as well is being in communication with God.

If God's blessings upon the nation are to continue, there is a huge responsibility upon those who know the Bible and the purposes of God.

Jeremiah's great frustration was that nobody was aware of the great dangers facing the nation. He said:

I thought, these are only the poor; they are foolish, for they do not know the way of the Lord, the requirements of their God. So I will go to the leaders and speak to them; surely they know the way of the Lord, the requirements of their God. But with one accord they too had broken off the yoke and torn off the bonds. (Jer 5:4-5)

Jeremiah continued, "A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land: the prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?" (Jer 5:31). The whole nation was living with a false sense of security when there was a tremendous storm brewing on the international scene and the moral and spiritual life of the nation was in a mess (see also the article on Jeremiah by Tony Pearce which we are publishing today).

Seismic map showing the impact of North Korea's recent nuclear test. See Photo Credits.

Very Present Dangers

There are many similarities with today. On the international scene the threats to world peace are growing daily, with North Korea now claiming the ability to launch a nuclear warhead on international ballistic missiles. Tensions between Russia and the USA are increasing in the highly unstable situation in the Middle East. The unspeakable horrors of the civil war in Syria show no signs of ending and Turkey's intervention has added further complication.

Poverty and deprivation in Africa are combining with the tragedy of the Middle East to force vast numbers of migrants to seek refuge in Europe. They are not only changing the face of our continent but also bringing with them militant Muslims who pose a threat to the communities where they settle. Their presence is having an unsettling effect throughout the European Union, where right-wing protest parties are gaining support and popular demand is rising to follow Britain's lead and leave the EU. All these things are increasing uncertainty for the future.

If ever there were a time for steady and firm international leadership it is surely today; but America is paralysed in the run-up to their November presidential election, the outcome of which could be even more disastrous. The choice facing the American electorate between the corrupt Clinton and the loudmouth bully Trump is unenviable. Voters will have to decide between the lesser of two evils: but either way the future for world peace looks ominous.

Jeremiah's day was like our own - the whole nation was living with a false sense of security while there was a tremendous storm brewing.

Times of Turmoil: How to Respond

So what does the Bible have to say that helps us to understand the world situation today and what Christians should be doing? Jesus warned that days of great turmoil would happen when nation would rise against nation and there would be famines and earthquakes and persecution of those who believe in God (Matt 24). The Apostle Paul warned of what he called "the man of lawlessness" being released into the world in a time of great rebellion among the nations (2 Thess 2).

None of us knows whether we are in those days. But we should all be aware of what is prophesied in the Bible so that we can communicate the Gospel effectively to our friends and neighbours, who are bewildered by what is happening and who do not know the word of the Lord, or his love and promises to those who are faithful to him.

We especially need to be praying young people into the Kingdom. The powers of darkness that they face have never been greater, especially with all the pressures of the internet and social media shaping their lives ever-more invasively. Young people are also vulnerable to the deliberate attempts of secular humanists and satanists to rob them of their innocence and thirst for the truth. Parents and grandparents should be aware of the intention of satanists to establish after-school clubs to counteract Christian teaching – it's already happening in the USA.¹

We especially need to be praying young people into the Kingdom at this time.

Faith in Word and Deed

We should all be rejoicing in the sense of hope that there is in the nation today while also being on the alert to the enemies of God and their evil intentions. God is clearly giving us a window of opportunity to communicate his love and his purposes to more than half of the population who have no faith at all and who are at risk.

We need to remember that we communicate our faith as much through our daily lives as through our words. The Apostle John reminds us of the power of love. He says, "We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death" (1 John 3:14).

References

1 Horton, H. Satanic Temple tries to open after-school clubs in 9 US districts. The Telegraph, 5 August 2016.