Along with millions of others we watched the final match of the European Football Championships – England v Italy. After extra-time had failed to separate the two teams on the pitch, the match was finally decided by a penalty shoot-out. If you were an English supporter it was a terrible day, but if you were an Italian supporter it was a great day. But for both it was the same day!
As we face ever-increasing distress among the nations, caused by societal disruption through the pandemic, relational confusion, racial tensions, climate change, rebellious insurrection, financial turmoil and many other factors, it feels as though the whole world is teetering on the edge of a massive upheaval that no politician could tame. The spiritual anchor points of the nations have gone and man has become his own authority, having separated from Creator God.
The tectonic plates that have underpinned government and society for generations are shifting, and a spiritual and social earthquake will be the inevitable result. Faith is no longer respected by the unbelieving world and the plumb line of truth which is at the heart of God’s Word is now such an offence to world influencers, that a new era of persecution of believers is inevitable. Isaiah warns about those who call evil good and good evil and replace light with darkness (Isaiah 5:20).
Scripture tells us that these things must happen, but Scripture also tells us that there will come a day when the sand run’s out of God’s measuring clock and the eternal referee blows the whistle on the game of Life. And as with the Euros final, that will be both a great and a terrible day, according to which side you are on. But it’s not just an ephemeral football trophy that’s at stake, but our eternal personal destiny when the King of Kings returns in power and great glory.
One of the hymns I was brought up on began by asking the question, “Who is on the Lord’s side?” This was, perhaps, Frances Ridley Havergal’s most powerful hymn, declaring as it does in verse 4 that His truth unchanging makes the triumph sure. Verse 5 uncompromisingly sets out the battle lines of eternity:
Chosen, called, and faithful, for our Captain’s band;
In the service royal, let us not grow cold,
Let us be right loyal, noble, true and bold.
Master, wilt thou keep us, by Thy grace divine,
Always on the Lord’s side – Saviour, always Thine.
As the darkness falls, so the stars shine brighter. And as darkness falls upon a world that has largely written Jesus out of the script, so the day will come when the light of God’s glory brings the whole world into crystal clear focus. And while all Heaven waits that time, the days are becoming yet more urgent for those whose hearts are still seeking the Lord of eternity in these remaining years of time.
In these desperate days, while the healing needs of the current generations escalate, the Gospel message that King Jesus is both Saviour and Healer becomes ever more relevant and important. And, as Frances Havergal urges us, “In this service royal, let us not grow cold.” And never cease to be messengers of hope in a broken world.
Everything in the world is changing and the split between believers and non believers grows wider.
The times is for us to stand firm and hold tight to what we know.
The world seems to be on a destructive path and the pandemic is showing how bad it is and families have systematically been divided
by the government.
God has told us what we should do and its up to us to follow his instruction. God says Satan came to destroy but Jesus came so we have life in all its fullness.
Time for us to rise as the army of the Lord and not stand in the shadows.
thank you Peter and God bless you all at Ellel
Thank for your analogy about football, we know we are victoriuos in Jesús name, our king, and master!
Peter thank you for this powerful word early in the morning! You express what is on my heart. Praying revival in America and throuout the world. You are right that is the only hope. We have children living in England. I will send this to them too. May the Holy Spirit set your heart on fire and bless you and your ministry in these last days.
Thank you Peter,
Early this morning the roar of the Lion of Judah was sounding in my heart and on my daily prayer walk around my town I prayed that the Lion would roar over my town, gathering the remnant of his pride, establishing his rule and authority on this part of His earth, and warning His enemies of that great and terrible day coming. When I later joined my wife for breakfast and daily reading we read from Amos 3 & 4 – “The Lion has roared, who will not fear? The Lord has spoken, who can but prophesy? (Amos 3 v 8 amp)
Such clarity in your message. Thank you for the reminder in which “Isaiah warns about those who call evil good and good evil and replace light with darkness” (Isaiah 5:20)
It would seem to be that we happen to live in the epicenter of this in Los Angeles California. So here we stand and are trying to “be right loyal, noble, true and bold”
Thank you Peter for this insightful perspective on the current state of the world! And how long before the unabridged bible is banned as ‘hate speech’?
Today I was blessed, once again, by a phrase from one of your teachings: ‘Stress, anxiety and failure’ … that was instrumental in the Lord delivering me from years of debilitating depression.
“Freedom comes by pushing through stress” … this saved me years of medication and psychiatric care by unseating a big, fat juicy lie that had been ‘resident’ since my late teens. Hallelujah!
Bless you for your courageous faithfulness!
My heart is for the lost and in the last 12 weeks I have been on the streets in Stratford upon Avon and led over 800 souls to Jesus !
“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few “ Math 9-38
This is the season to snatch souls out of the fire !
The church’s may still be closed but the streets are open !
I love you, Peter Horrobin. I recently had the privilege of visiting Ellel in Lithia, FL. Life changing!
I discovered you in my classes through Global Awakening. Thank you.
thank you for clearly teaching the gospel and message of God’s healing for our souls throughout the years. The football analogy was a great way of simplifying a huge truth, and making us realise we are accountable and must make our choices. ‘who is on the Lord’s side?” Bryan’s comment was encouraging.
Thank you Peter. Your article has encouraged me at a time of need.
Amen. Lord make us instruments to be used in your hands, show us the people we need to see with your eyes, give us the wisdom to speak your words of truth into the darkness in the lives of those you love.
Amen Peter.
Thank you for this highly accurate commentary on these “perilous times” we are living through, and what an excellent analogy you began with (the Final of the “Euros” competition.)
Surely now we are seeing the “Spread of evil” in the world, that Christ warned about? Yet that’s not the WHOLE story, for He also gave us the Parable of the “Wheat and tares,” in order to explain how the Kingdom of God would grow alongside the kingdom of darkness, at exactly the SAME rate.
However, the kingdom of darkness gets almost all the coverage on news broadcasts, whilst God’s Kingdom grows much more quietly, so it SEEMS that the former might be winning.
As you rightly say, we His followers/modern-day disciples, should be shining that much more brightly, particularly on such a dark background, the “THICK darkness” that will “cover the whole earth” until Messiah returns “on the clouds,” then ultimately as the “Rider on the White Horse” of Revelation 19, in order to judge the nations and “Trample out the winepress of the furious Wrath of God” against His enemies.
Meanwhile He “Sits in the Heavens and laughs” at them.
Hallelujah to the Lamb of God!
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU PETER!! For saying all I have been longing to say to those I love – and those who need to know- since Covid first struck.
We can use this now powerfully spoken with the authority you have been given. Bless you! xx
Indeed the sand on Gods clock on life
Is coming to an end
I only thought yesterday how terrible it would be if he just left us to shrivel up in the terrible mess that we have made
If only they could humble themselves
And realise hes their to redeem us and save us To imagine a life without jesus would be no life at all
Thank you Peter for your observation of this world’s stark reality.
Thank God we’re in the winning team.
Paul Penman from ‘Down Under’.
Took a course many years ago at Gateway Christian Fellowship in West Haven Ct.on deliverance.I still have your two books,1 and 2 Healing Through Deliverance.There has never been a time greater than now were these truths need to be taught.I was born and raised in England and have been living in USA for some 50 odd years.Our world is truly in turmoil.As an intercessor I pray daily for the lost.I and many faithful Christian’s with me.Thank you for your,”Word in Season.”Please continue to send me your blogs.Most informative and encouraging.God Bless you.