A year ago I wrote, “the world is becoming a more dangerous place in which to live than we have experienced before”. Nothing in the intervening twelve months has changed that - only confirmed it. We've watched as a modern-day exodus has unfolded before our eyes, with hundreds of thousands (even millions) of people trekking across Europe fleeing persecution, war, terror, and economic deprivation in countries of the Middle East and North and East Africa. We've been horrified – even alarmed - as multiple terrorism-inspired violent acts have been inflicted in many countries. The various terrorist groups have made their cause global. Nowhere is safe. Every nation is at risk. Islam is at war within. Most of the killings taking place are because of Moslems fighting Moslems.

But it is also true that every day Christians are being martyred or imprisoned for their faith. The spread of secularism in the so-called Western nations is also increasing the marginalisation of Christian belief and practice.   We are being portrayed as a an insignificant minority.  

Should we be in fear about the future? No! “God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” There was a lot of fear around when Jesus was on earth. Yet throughout His life, God’s plan continued to unfold. A plan to demonstrate His love, to show His power (even over death itself), and to keep our minds clear.

The apostle Peter, who was no stranger to fear, wrote “be self-controlled and alert” Why? Because the devil was prowling around like a roaring lion.                        

Behind much of what is going on in today’s world is the unfolding schemes of the evil powers. We are in a spiritual battle, but God’s spirit of power, of divine love and of a clear/sound/alert mind is sufficient to combat the evil around. The devil wants to take over the world and gain worship for himself. He’s already influential in the global places of power. And he wants to take over the minds of the upcoming generation. But he won’t win.                            

Eternally, Christ has already won!

The Archbishop of Canterbury, in his new year message declared "Love is the most powerful force available to us".

That’s why the coming of Christ, who existed before the world began, was so important - He was God’s expression of holy love. God’s love, demonstrated ultimately through His willingness to die, was sufficient to overcome the power of sin and of the evil one. And God’s “incomparably great power for us who believe”, demonstrated through the resurrection, was sufficient for all of time! And only God’s presence with us, demonstrated through “Emmanuel” - God with us by His Spirit - enables us to live a fear-free life.

There is another story that is developing amidst the carnage and crisis being faced in so many nations.    

There are acts of kindness and deeds of love being carried out in Christ's name among the refugees on the borders of Europe.   Christians are at the forefront of reaching out to the refugees in all the countries where they end up. There are tent churches being established in the refugee camps of the Middle East. There are thousands turning to Christ at this time.

As Christians we are called to love not to hate; to pray for our persecutors, not to fight them; to be filled with faith in God, not governed by fear from circumstances; and to take our stand against the devil’s schemes. Martyrdom means dying for your faith, not killing for it.

Many are sensing that God is preparing us for an unprecedented outpouring of His Spirit in many nations. What we each see and know is only a microcosm of what is going on. Just as our newspapers and television channels only give us a perspective - not the total picture - of what is going on in the world, so it is in the Christian world. We only know in part and see in part. In reality God is doing far more than we have heard. In some parts of the world large numbers are already turning to the Lord.

In whatever country we live, do we have faith in a God of love, of power and immense mercy and forgiveness to do more than we have ever seen? Are we ready to pray with such faith? Can we see Him do what may seem as impossible to us, knowing, as we do, that "with God all things are possible".  

“Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not yet seen” (Hebrews 11.1). God has done it before - many times.   He can do it again!

Brian Mills, IPC Senior Advisor