What on earth is happening, for heaven's sake?!

In the early part of the year, I was preaching in a Lanarkshire Fellowship.  The turmoil that was to spread across northern Africa, and through parts of the Middle east, was not long underway.  During the course of the message, I asked if, three months earlier, anyone would have predicted such momentous events.  The unspoken answer was that, of course, no-one would. Three months ago, if anyone had asked me if I could foresee similar events taking place in the UK, I would have laughed, and said "No, of course not!"

Even longer ago, I wrote a piece (probably a post on this blog!) in which I suggested that, although I personally am totally opposed to it, the E.U. could be a part of God's judgement on a people who have, largely, turned their backs to Him.  As I sit in the sunshine in Picardie, in Northern France, preparing to return to the U.K. tomorrow, I am wondering if that judgement is now being directed particularly towards the U.K.

A site to which I subscribe has also made that suggestion.  The facts are clear.  The traditional churches are in disarray - torn over issues of sexuality in one form or another; in dispute over the proper content of praise and worship; "holding the form of religion but denying the power of it." (II Tim 3:5; RSV).  There is no prophetic voice to the nation, and the occasional "voice crying in the wilderness" (John 1:23, et al) is drowned out by the clamour of consumerism and the might of materialism.

Since the end of the Great War (1914-18) there has been an increasingly-rapid breakdown of society: sexual perversion and marital infidelity have become increasingly acceptable - even approved; there is a lack of respect for any authority-figure - from parents to police-officers; so-called single mothers are no longer shamed, but provided with state (i.e.taxpayer!) support; people find their relief in drugs - whether legal or illegal; the family unit - that bedrock of society - is marginalised; atheistic humanism is becoming increasingly aggressive.

Paul, writing to his young "son in the faith", close to 2,000 years ago, foresaw such a situation.  Prior to those words that I quoted above, he writes: "But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of stress. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, inhuman, implacable, slanderers, profligates, fierce, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God," (II Tim 3:1-4; RSV).

Could it be that we are indeed seeing, if not the end at least the beginning of the end?  Of one thing I am absolutely certain - that however unexpected both current and recent events have been to our political and economic 'leaders', they have not caught Almighty God by surprise!  He is the One Who sees the end from the beginning; all of time is spread out before Him, and he sees all of history simultaneously.  He is also, as I shared at the Christian Police Association Annual Conference, the only One who can be our Certainty in such uncertain times. 

As the songwriter put it: "I may not know what lies ahead; the way I may not see.  But One stands near to be my Guide; He'll show the way to me.  I know Who holds the future, and He guides me with His hand. With God, things don't just happen - everything by Him is planned.  So as I face tomorrow with its problems large and small; I'll trust the God of miracles; give to Him my all."  In such a tumultuous time, I commend Him to you - and you to Him.