Recent data suggests a potential resurgence of Christian faith and engagement in the UK, particularly among young men, with increased church attendance and Bible study reported by organizations like the Bible Society and in various news outlets. This trend is marked by large public gatherings, where thousands of Christians have come together to pray and declare their faith. While scepticism about a full revival exists, these indicators point to a possible shift, with some observers noting a “remarkable spiritual shift” and a renewed desire for discipleship among Britons. Check out my recent post on Gen Z – The Revival Generation. It reports similar findings in the USA. The same goes for Australia so God is definitely reaching out to the youth across the world. He is a wonderful loving God.
One of the really interesting stats in the Bible Society report was when they asked non-churchgoers “would they go to church if they were invited by a friend or family member?” 31%, just under a third, said they would, which is pretty amazing. And that rose a little bit to 34% of 18 to 24 year olds who were non-churchgoers. So they saw this growth, but it’s not a ceiling. And when we think about the importance of friendships and relationships to people exploring faith, that’s a really interesting place to begin. So let’s start with family, friends and neighbours.
They saw that two thirds of the population said they’d be happy for a Christian friend to pray for them. And just over a quarter said they’d be interested in learning more about the Bible. And that’s just so much bigger than the number who are regularly in church, which even in this new data set is only 12%. So that interest is far greater than those who are currently practicing.
One of the big themes that comes through is just how important relationships and friendships are. They asked people to agree or disagree with a statement around whether they would read the Bible if a friend or family recommended it to them versus if a philosopher or thinker, or public figure recommended it to them. And in general the agreement rate is far higher if friends or family recommended it rather than public thinkers. So certainly people like Charlie Kirk and Jordan Peterson are important, I don’t think there’s any question on that, but really what makes people open to trying new things does seem to be at the much more personal and local level. So yes, we would encourage everyone to see openness as something for them to explore and think about. The video shows an event held by Daniel Chand, an evangelist, pastor, author and the founder of Walking Like Jesus Ministries. He has led hundreds of thousands of people to salvation through his campaigns, Tent Revivals and international open-air crusades. After graduating from Reinhard Bonnke’s school of evangelism in 2013, Daniel went on to launch Walking Like Jesus Ministries – a ministry which conducts some of the largest gospel campaigns in the UK annually, and hosts multiple weekly television programmes on TBN UK including, Let’s Talk Revival and Walking Like Jesus.
Fifty-three years back, in 1971, 87 percent of Australians identified as religious, and overwhelmingly as Christian. Now it’s just 54 percent. It is a similar decline as in the U.S.A.
And here’s the really striking feature: only five years ago, 52 percent of us identified as Christian. Now it’s just 44 percent. That’s an almost 20 percent decline in Christian belief in just five years. Some of that will be people who don’t worship regularly anymore and feel fraudulent in ticking the religion box even though their faith is still with them. For others, it represents a clear rejection of organised religion. Five years back, only 30 percent of Australians identified as having no religion. Now it’s 39 percent. That’s a 30 percent leap in just five years, making no religion the fastest-growing “creed” in the country. Why does that matter? It may not be fashionable to say so but in reality, our culture is built on a Christian foundation. Our democracy, for instance, rests on the notion that everyone is equal in rights and dignity, something that’s come down to us through the Christian gospels. Elsewhere in our culture, our justice system rests on the notion that we should treat others as we’d be treated; again that comes from Christian teaching. Our sense of community too rests on the notion that we should “love our neighbours as we love ourselves”. It’s a commandment at the heart of our volunteerism and philanthropy. Then there’s the significant matter of what religious organisations contribute to social uplift. Beyond a values-based education, they run many health and community services. To reference the largest Christian denomination, the Catholic Church, as an example, there are 80 Catholic hospitals across the country and 25,000-plus aged-care beds in Catholic nursing homes, as well as social welfare bodies and charities with a broader Christian inspiration – from the Salvation Army to the St Vincent de Paul Society, to Anglicare, to Lifeline, and Alcoholics Anonymous – all organisations that are generally thought to be serving Australians well, however, discredited the zeitgeist might find the faith which inspires their good works.
When people believe there is no God then of course they make up their own rules. It is survival of the fittest and truth is what you make it. Your truth may not be my truth. Gay marriage, homosexuality, and transgenderism are just the start. The only true reality is built on the first sentence of the Bible: “In the beginning God created”. Our Creator has given us the truth about the origins of our Cosmos and humankind. If you want answers to the big questions: Who Am I? then there is only one place to go God’s Word. Can I also suggest Martyn Isles book Who Am I?
Evolution and billions of years is the God of this World, Satan’s, greatest strategy. He has convinced even our learned scholars, our educators that the Cosmos did not need a Creator. It is absurd as nothing comes from nothing. This highly complex universe with its laws and interconnectedness had to have an omnipotent designer but, our learned scholars cannot countenance the supernatural yet, it is the obvious, in fact, the only possible solution.
Jesus makes it plain that forgiveness is an essential requirement of all prayers. He also makes it abundantly clear that He will respond to all prayers of believers that are operating in obedience to God’s will, which will be the Holy Spirit’s leading.
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”Mark 11:24-25
First, go and be reconciled to them” (Matthew 5:23-24). They may not forgive you, of course; they may reject your attempt or react with renewed anger over what you did, but then it becomes their problem, not yours. You will have done everything you could to let them know you regret what happened, and that you want their forgiveness.
Paul makes it clear that God answers humble prayers given with thanksgiving. We can also then be confident that the peace of God will “guard our hearts and minds“.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
See what David has to say about prayer. He loves God because He knows God responds to his prayers. Note what David says about calling on God as long as he lives. Also, note David differentiates between his body and soul.
“I love the LORD because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.” Psalms 116:1-2
“The LORD preserves the simple; when I was brought low, He saved me. Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.” Psalms 116:6-7
“For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.” Psalms 56:13
“For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling; I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living.” Psalms 116:8-9
I love the following Scripture on prayer, it tells us so much 1. Rejoice always, 2. Pray without ceasing in allcircumstances, 3. When we do, rejoice, be thankful, and pray we are in the will of God, 4. Do not quench the Holt Spirit within you, 5. Do not despise prophecies (there are about 2000 prophecies of Jesus’ second coming), 6. Test everything, be Bereans, 7. Hold fast to what is good and reject the rest.
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good.”1 Thessalonians 5:16-21
What is the message of the Book of Job for us today?
First, our faith is sure to be tested. Pain may be inevitable, but misery is to an extent optional. We have no control over the weather that surrounds our lives, but we can do something about the climate of our inner life. What happens to us is less important than what happens in us.
Second, the book reminds us that human horizons are inadequate for a proper understanding of suffering and affliction. Job and his friends carried on their debate in total ignorance of the background exchange between Satan, the Accuser, and God. They were trying to fit the puzzle pieces together without having all of them. The book shows that any attempt to reduce the complex problem of suffering to some neat formula is misguided.
Third, the book gives guidance on how to comfort—and how not to comfort—those who suffer. Though well-intentioned, his friends’ advice was unhelpful. Job’s scathing rebuke of them is understandable:
“You whitewash with lies; worthless physicians are you all. Oh that you would keep silent, and it would be your wisdom!” Job 13:4–5
Job’s friends did more for him in their silent presence (Job 2:13) than in their speaking.
Finally, we should not be too quick to import New Testament ideas into our reading of the book. It yields its treasures most readily to those who let Job speak from his own perspective.
His hands reach out to grasp the more tangible forms of revelation that God would graciously offer in the future. Yet he is poignantly aware that they evade his grasp.
In wishing fervently for an intermediary, Job “drew attention to the vacuum that existed, the need that every troubled heart recognizes. In this respect, he anticipated the incarnate Saviour.” Through his undeserved suffering, Job gave an ‘advance echo’ of Jesus Christ, who would live a perfect life, yet endure pain and death in order to win a great victory for all who repent and put their lives in His hands – totally trusting in Him.
Abstract from article WHEN FAITH IS TESTED – THE BOOK OF JOB by Peter Howe in the latest Creation Magazine Volume 45, Issue 3, 2023
“And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he had prayed for his friends. And the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. Then came to him all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before, and ate bread with him in his house. And they showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him. And each of them gave him a piece of money and a ring of gold. And the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning.” Job 42: 10-12
Who am I? Why am I here? What is the meaning of life? Professor John Lennox, Oxford mathematician, bioethicist, and Christian apologist says that we have lost our sense of real meaning and our moral compass. He also says the media is totally committed to secularism, materialism, and relativism. God is no longer relevant. He is no longer permitted at the table in discussions of how this world will be managed and controlled.
How foolish the world has become. Has this taken God by surprise? Of course not, His Word, the Bible tells us that the world will be like it was in the days of Noah (godless and lawless just as we see unfolding today) just before Jesus returns first to take His Saints to heaven to protect them from the wrath of God that is poured out on this earth. After which, Jesus returns with the Saints to rescue Israel and destroy the Antichrist’s army at the Battle of Armageddon. Jesus then begins His Millennial reign on this earth with the judgment of nations.
“For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” Matthew 24:37-39
Evidence-based faith is essential says John Lennox. The universe is rationally intelligent. Just look at DNA, it is complex intelligent information that controls the machines in every cell so that we can function as intelligent beings. Creation by an omniscient Creator is the only option. Evolution by random chance is nonsense.
John Anderson (former MP Australia and deputy leader of the Liberal Party) is joined by Professor John Lennox for a profound conversation centered on the current and future impacts of artificial intelligence technology. They discuss the shortcomings of science in the search for universal truth, the factors behind rising secularism in the West, China’s rapid AI implementation, our growing desire for immortality through biomedicine, and the true meaning of ‘faith’.
In 2020, Lennox published 2084 – Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity, which covers key developments in technological enhancement, bioengineering, and AI. In the book, he discusses the current state of AI – its benefits, dangers, and future implications. Over the past 15 years, Lennox has been part of numerous public debates defending the Christian faith, including debates with Christopher Hitchens, Michael Shermer, and Richard Dawkins.
You will love this video for what you will learn and hear from such a gentle, humble but eminently wise man. You will come to love John Lennox.
Randy Alcorn lost his wife Nanci recently due to cancer. Obviously Nanci and Randy prayed for healing when they first learned the bad news. Fortunately, both learned a great deal about God through the experience and as a result, their trust and faith in God increased. Moreover, we are benefiting now from Randy sharing their story with us
Nanci Alcorn, wife to best-selling author Randy Alcorn has passed away on March 28th after a long batter with colon cancer.
On November 14, 2019, Nanci wrote the following in her journal:
Today I am thinking about “faith.” I have learned so much about faith.
What faith is not:
Trying to gather as much hope and “possibilities” in my own mind to reach a certain level.
Believing in that level of possibilities as hard as I can.
Presenting that package of my own hopes and dreams to God as my personal qualification to receive my hopes and dreams
God weighing the level of that package in order to determine the level of His answer to my prayers If I work up enough hope on my own, God will answer my prayers according to my wishes
What faith is:
A deep and continued study of the character and work of God Almighty
A deep and continued discipline of prayer—listening to the Holy Spirit—praying Scripture—seeking forgiveness—asking for enlightenment—praising Him for His character and works
Then, based upon the above, submit your requests to God Almighty—placing your well-grounded knowledge of His character and works into each request, always asking His will be done
Faith is being assured that God Almighty always acts according to His character and works. He never waivers. You can trust in God Almighty to always do the right thing. Nothing slips through His grid. God has everything planned, and all His plans will succeed.
The more I understand God’s character and works, the stronger my faith will be, and the more I want His will to be done knowing God does all things well.
The more I understand God’s: – Omniscience, Omnipotence, Grace, Mercy, Justice/Worth, Immanence, Immutability, Faithfulness, Love, Unity, Trinity, Holiness. The more my faith in Him will calm my soul.
Randy adds the following:
Some people hold tenaciously to a faith that their child will not die, that their cancer will disappear, and that their spouse will recover from a stroke. Do they have faith in God or is their faith in what they desperately want God to do?
If we base our faith on lack of affliction, our faith lives on the brink of extinction and will fall apart at any moment because of a frightening diagnosis or a shattering phone call. Token faith will not survive suffering, nor should it. Only when we jettison ungrounded and untrue faith can we replace it with valid faith in the true God—faith that can pass, and even find strength in, the most formidable of life’s tests.
God tells us that trials in which evil and suffering come upon us “have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Peter 1:7). Paul Tournier wrote, “If healing through faith is striking, how much more so are spiritual victories without healing.”
Several years ago, before Nanci was diagnosed with cancer, I wrote this in a blog titled “If I Have Enough Faith, Will God Heal Me?”:
We should pray for ourselves and our suffering loved ones, not simply try to pray away suffering. ‘God, please heal this cancer‘ is appropriate. ‘God, please use for your glory this cancer, so long as I have it’ is equally appropriate.
Let me be clear: God can and sometimes does heal presently, and whenever He does we should celebrate His mercy! I have often prayed for healing and sometimes I have witnessed it, and it’s a wonderful thing to behold and celebrate. But ultimately, all healing in this world is temporary, since people’s bodies inevitably deteriorate and die (after Lazarus died and was risen in his mortal body, eventually he had to die again) Resurrection healing will be permanent. For that our hearts should overflow with praise to our gracious God.
Nanci and I have long known that prosperity theology, or the health and wealth gospel, is a deception, not the true gospel. So we did not even once cling to the “certainty” that God would heal her in this world under the Curse.
Nanci’s journals overflow with the promises of God, and many quotes from Spurgeon and the Puritans, people who died long ago (some of whom she probably already met—if there is a line for those waiting to meet Spurgeon, she’s probably in it having delightful conversations). Nanci never quoted from aging and dying prosperity preachers, who will all die of something and daily get closer to death even as they promise “It’s always God’s will to heal you,” typically adding “send us your prayer requests for healing, along with a love offering [money].”
Though we prayed for it every night for four years, we understood that healing was never a certainty, and also knowing full well that sometimes He chooses to heal and sometimes He doesn’t, and even when He does the healing is temporary, and death always comes. “For death is the destiny of every person, and the living should take this to heart” (Ecclesiastes 7:2). When doctors told us Nanci was going to die, she told me, “We always knew that, we just didn’t know when, and we still don’t.”
But of course, God promises the death of death. He will not let it die a natural death, He will decisively “swallow up death forever” (Isaiah 25:8). Death will not have the last word. God will.
Jesus said to Martha, mourning the death of her brother Lazarus, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26).
Answering the question Jesus asked Martha, Nanci and I both said yes—we DO believe you, Jesus. We believe that even when we die, we will live, and in the sense of final death, we will never die at all. We will depart a cursed earth to live with Him in the present Heaven, from which He will one day bring our spirits down to join our bodies in resurrection, and we will then live forever on God’s New Earth.
Randy, God does not bring our spirits down to join our bodies in the resurrection. God raises the dead first and then raptures the living Saints and they meet Jesus in the air in their new bodies (changed in an instant). Later, they come down from heaven in their resurrected bodies to rule and reign with Jesus during His Millennial reign on this earth.
“For the Lord, himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God.And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14
“For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.” 1 Corinthians 15:52-53
LIVING ETERNAL NOW 