Surviving Perilous Times 

These are indeed perilous times, they may well be the days that Jesus forewarned His followers about. Matthew 24: 3-31

The century that began with so much hope 20 short years ago has been fraught with fear, war, famine, environmental catastrophes galore. Now a new disease is ravaging countries and economies alike.

Panic buying of commodities has stripped supermarkets bare, share-markets have plummeted, tourism and travel is in a tail-spin, airlines are grounded, cruise ships are banned from many ports, or being used a make-shift quarantine facilities.


For believers it's difficult enough not to become fearful, for non-believers, all this is truly the stuff of nightmares. It's becoming increasingly difficult to find a voice to trust, the news media spouts forth doom and gloom 24/7. Our leaders engage in petty party politics, governments have become distant and remote, untrustworthy.

We are called to be a beacon of light in such times..



“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.   Matthew 5:14-16 ESV

And he said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand? Mark 4:21 ESV



You might have heard the old joke about the fellow who was told, “Cheer up. Things could be worse.” So he said, “I did as I was told. I cheered up, and sure enough, things got worse.” 

The world has changed dramatically this century, my Father, who passed away in the closing years of the 20th century, would not recognize the world today. He grew up in a society that was "Christian" (at least nominally) a world that accepted that much was done for the "common good" and individuals were largely selfless, rather than selfie-takers.  We now live in a world that is euphemistically called "Post Christian". A more accurate term would be "pagan".

Christian  philosopher and theologian Carl Henry made a profound prediction in his 1988 book, "Twilight of a Great Civilization". He said that as America (and by extension), Western Civilization would progressively lose its Judeo-Christian heritage, paganism would grow bolder. What we saw in the last half of the 20th-century was a kind of benign humanism, but he predicted that by the start of the 21st-century, we would face a situation not unlike the first-century when the Christian faith confronted raw paganism—humanism with the pretty and beguiling face ripped off, revealing the angry monster underneath. His words have come true, and are becoming truer with every passing day.

The Apostle Paul wrote these words in his letter to Timothy...
2 Timothy 3:1-4 following.

Here is what I want you to know. There will be terrible times in the last days. People will love themselves. They will love money. They will brag and be proud. They will tear others down. They will not obey their parents. They won't be thankful or holy. They won't love others. They won't forgive others. They will tell lies about people. They will be out of control. They will be wild. They will hate what is good. They will turn against their friends. They will act without thinking. They will think they are better than others. They will love what pleases them instead of loving God. They will act as if they were serving God. But what they do will show that they have turned their backs on God's power. Have nothing to do with those people.  

How do we survive  in a perilous world? 

We survive by being bold, not giving into the fear that rules the day, by being a light unto the world, or at least to our family, neighbors, friends and colleagues.

A question to you... who are you in these perilous times?  

From God's Word.
When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, The moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him?
For thou hast made him but little lower than God, And crownest him with glory and honor. Thou makest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet: Psalm 8:3_6 ASV