“And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.” Matthew 24:6-7 (ESV)
“What is going on in the world? Everything seems to be breaking down.”
Have you had a conversation like this lately? If so, you are not alone. The Middle East and North Africa are in flux as jihadis expand throughout the region. Radical Islam is gorging on blood and has taken control of parts of the most strategic real estate of the world — the oil fields. Gaining that real estate rewards them with massive wealth, which they can spend on spreading their cancer to new areas and digging in with more and better weapons.
These jihadis are setting up shop and creating an “Islamic State.” As they do, Christians face the choice of “convert or be killed.” The existing states, as bad as they were for Christians, seem to be giving way to something even worse that leaves no place for Christians.
The United States’ leadership role in the world is weakening by the year. Financially, the kingdoms of the world are staving off deflation and seem to be sitting on a debt powder keg. Jesus spoke about the end days, saying people’s hearts would melt with fear as the world came unglued (Luke 21:26). Whether we are seeing the arrival of those days or we are experiencing some temporary chaos as one world empire relinquishes its leadership role to another, remains to be seen.
Whatever the case, in times like these, it is easy to be consumed with fear and anxiety. If you find yourself in this place, I have a word for you.
In God’s temple, everything says, “Glory!” The LORD sat as King at the flood (Psalm 29:10).
In other words, while the flood destroyed the world (the ultimate chaotic event), the true King sat on His throne in peace and order while everything around Him cried, “Glory to the King!”
Everywhere you look, there is chaos and a continuing unraveling of the existing order, but none of this is a surprise to the Lord. His plan unfolds, and the existing world order must break, so we need not be surprised at the chaos engulfing the world.
This unraveling is having a massive impact on the Christians of the Middle East and North Africa. As states are failing, many of them have fled, and those who’ve stayed are in enormous danger. Please join with us as we serve them and build and bandage the persecuted Church.
To read monthly letters from ICC’s President on Christian persecution, download ICC’s free newsletter: http://ow.ly/Om3Rr
