Our ideas of government might involve democratic elections and a free-speaking parliament. But history reveals repeating cycles of major world powers becoming increasingly autocratic and hostile to weaker countries. Ukraine reminds us that this is now happening closer to home, and too close for comfort.
So when the Bible says, ".. the government shall be upon His shoulders" in Isaiah 9:6, what does that mean?
This Christmas, performances of Handel's Messiah will still fill concert halls. His musical setting of Bible verses, selected by his friend Rev. Charles Jennens, is a brilliantly undiluted gospel narrative. Around halfway through, is a chorus from Psalm 68:11 - "The Lord gave the Word: great was the company of the preachers". Although translations vary, the meaning is clear: God gives His message to be distributed by many believers, so that others can respond to it in faith.
We have become familiar with TV footage from Jerusalem. It is the same location where Jesus looked over the ancient city and wept; because although His people had every opportunity to welcome Him, they rejected their Saviour (Luke 19:41).
He said, "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing." (Matthew 23:37-39).
Enough food is produced in the world to feed all of its 8 billion people, yet 1 in 11 go hungry every day and 300,000,000 people in 53 countries risk starving to death immediately (2025 Global Report of Food Crises).
Although climate change affects regional food production, war (currently involving 38 countries) has a far greater effect by disrupting infrastructure, displacing populations and destabilising economies ... preventing so many people receiving enough food. Christians are rightly concerned.
In 1995, BeaconLight Trust became a new registered charity and a limited liability company. We give God thanks for the privilege of being involved in this ministry, and for the way in which He has enabled it to continue and grow over 30 years.
It all started when the senior pastor of an independent church, just south of London, found that Christians from many churches around were looking for training in 'how to do what the Bible says'; they wanted to be equipped for ministry in their churches and communities.
Never before, in the last 80 years of record-keeping, have there been so many armed conflicts across the globe.
In 2023, there were 59 conflicts involving states, the highest number ever since the Uppsala Conflict Data collection was started in 1946.
Dreadful as that is, the numbers killed are far fewer than in World War II where over 70 million lost their lives. However, if there should be a nuclear war, that figure would be dwarfed.
Is it right to pray for ourselves? Some teach the children to pray using the acronym JOY - Jesus, Others, You; or STOP - Sorry, Thanks, Others, Please. The order seems helpful ... to prevent the incessant demand of personal needs getting in the way of our focus on the Lord and other people.
But John 17 gives us a different perspective. Jesus starts by praying to Father God about their relationship (John 17:1-5). It is a critical prayer because 'God's hour' had come - the pivot point of history is Christ's death on the cross.
Some phrases stay in our vocabulary because they are repeatedly demonstrated as true.
Lord Acton wrote in 1887, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” This saying retains its authenticity to this day - being validated by succeeding generations of people whose authority exceeds their wisdom.
The newspaper columnist Dominic Lawson, who says he is not religious, recently wrote about 'How the loss of belief in Hell has had a profoundly destructive effect on civil order' (Daily Mail 17 March 2025).
Although he understands why today's preachers prefer to emphasise only the God of forgiveness, rather than of vengeance, he stated that: "... without the prospect of Hell for the wicked ... the idea of an all-forgiving God is actually more likely to make people commit crimes".
Who is qualified to tell other people about Jesus? Acts 8:4 (NIVUK) says that persecuted Christians 'preached' the Word wherever they went. Their faith in Jesus, and the witness of their transformed lives qualified them to 'preach'.
But, say some, surely 'preaching' can only be done by those who are trained, ordained, missionaries, or evangelists. Perhaps that is a relief to many who fall into none of those categories!
But is it right? Has there been a professionalisation of evangelism that is not Biblical?