Anyone who has been watching news programmes will be aware that the UK has been going through massive challenges with the weather in the last few years. Tidal surges have caused very many problems with homes, businesses and farms being flooded. These have been increasing with intensity and 2014 has continued to have its share of difficulties.
Interestingly, in February this year, the Daily Mail reported that “a UKIP (United Kingdom Independence Party) councillor who said the floods plaguing Britain were caused by the homosexual marriage law, had been expelled from the party after saying gays should repent. He made national headlines two weeks earlier when he wrote a letter to his local newspaper saying that the deluge of floods was caused because of David Cameron’s successful move to change the law about same-sex marriage.
“At a meeting of the town council he outspokenly called for gay people to seek repentance from God, adding that he stood by his earlier comments in the Henley Standard. He was suspended and subsequently expelled from UKIP over his letter to the newspaper in which he warned David Cameron that ‘natural disasters’ would follow the passing of the same sex marriage Bill.
“He added that his aim had in fact been to criticise the Government for passing the Bill and ignoring ‘the national textbook, the Holy Bible.’ ‘I have read that I am barmy to connect this to the weather – if that is the case then I am in good company,’ he said, citing senior bishops blaming floods on ‘abandonment’ of bible teachings. In 2007, The Right Reverend Graham Dow, Bishop of Carlisle, argued that the floods that year were a judgment on society’s moral decadence and the fact that ‘every type of lifestyle is now regarded as legitimate.’”
A few days later, the weekly BBC “Question Time” programme had a UKIP member on the panel which comprised three politicians, one scientist and a journalist. The chairman of the panel asked the UKIP member whether she agreed with the councillor who made these remarks and she distanced herself and there was much derision and amusement from other members of the panel and some in the audience. Such derision will be wiped off the face of detractors when the time of great trouble starts. The Guardian newspaper reported that UKIP leader, Nigel Farage, launched “a clear out of ‘extremist, nasty or barmy’ views from his party ahead of the polls in May.”
In an ever increasingly secular society, the Bible is seen as outdated, irrelevant and of no value, which is hardly surprising when we understand who is the “god of this world” (see 2 Corinthians 4:4) and how he (Satan) influences society and its leaders. Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 clearly outline blessings and cursings for obedience and disobedience. The law of sowing and reaping (compare Galatians 6:7) is not taken seriously and man, in general, relies on his own abilities to introduce laws and govern countries in what their carnal mind thinks best. However, it seems that believing what the Bible says is seen by many as “extremist, nasty or barmy”.
Jesus upbraided the Pharisees when He said: “Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch” (Matthew 15:14). Jesus also called the scribes and Pharisees “blind guides” (Matthew 23:24). Our political leaders today, without using the teachings of the Bible and without the power of the Holy Spirit, are blind leaders (or guides) with almost all of the population just following blindly. Mainstream Christianity, in general, remains fairly quiet on such issues.
Apart from the Church of God, there are only very occasional lone voices in society which sound a warning noise but, generally, society accepts change in whatever shape it comes in altogether too easily.
God only allows disobedience to go on for so long. We read in the Old Testament many cases of Israel and Judah pledging obedience to God and then going back on those pledges and then, later, repenting with this cycle of behaviour repeating itself many times. They never seemed to learn from history but neither do we today!
We know the story of Sodom and Gomorrah when it was destroyed for its sexual depravity (compare Genesis 19 and Jude verse 7) together with other sins as we read in Ezekiel 16:49-50: “Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty and committed abomination before Me; therefore I took them away as I saw fit.”
When the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord are in full swing, will everyone appreciate what is happening and repent? Sadly, just like today, most will not. In Revelation 16 verses 9-11 we read: “And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory. Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues because of the pain. They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds.”
Just like today, so many will ignore God or blame Him for all their woes and problems, never thinking that they might be self-inflicted.
One day, they will come to realise that just doing their own thing was not sensible or healthy and neither did it bring real happiness and fulfilment. They will know that the pages of the Bible were the words of life and some might even remember what this beleagured councillor said when he connected the dots and stated that immoral behaviour was bringing about the inevitable punishment of those who ignored God’s way. They will have help as it states in Isaiah 30:21: “Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it. Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left.’”
And that will be the time when Jesus Christ returns and sets up the Kingdom of God on earth and blind guides will be no more!
