The booklet, Crossing Over, written by Sarah Winbow and myself, and published by Issachar Ministries, is an attempt to make sense of the times in which we’re living and to describe how we believe the body of Christ needs to prepare for what will be very difficult and challenging days ahead.

Crossing over

A short section towards the end of the booklet reads:

“A new phase of history has begun and we see the titanic struggle between good and evil unfolding before our eyes with alarming speed. The book of Daniel and his experiences of the awesome power of God in a pagan nation should give us the confidence that even when all seems lost and the consequences of sin seem overwhelming, God reigns supreme. He will be with His people and His purposes will be fulfilled.

The battle we face is not for the faint of heart and will require a level of courage and commitment to our faith that many of us have not experienced and never imagined before. We face an uncertain future in a rapidly changing world and there is much work to do. As we respond to this call, beginning with repentance and in prayer, we will be challenged about how we will use our time, our finances, the resources we have seen as our own.

This chapter began with the story of Joshua crossing over the Jordan River and a description of Britain’s falling away from its godly heritage in the latter part of the 20th century – a rapid decline from any semblance of being a God-fearing Christian nation. It is fitting to end with a scripture from Joshua 24:14-15 where the Covenant was renewed at Shechem:

“Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

The last sentence serves as a reminder of the covenant we have made as the Lord urges us now to take our place in his great end-time army. (Read also Psalm 63: 1-11).

Learning from life’s experiences

Just over thirty years ago, I qualified as a private pilot. Over the years I’ve flown several different kinds of aircraft; and it became a dream of mine that one day I might have one of my own. That dream became a reality in the summer of 2021, when I was able to buy an aircraft known as a Piper Tri-Pacer. I had a lot of fun and adventure in the aircraft, but had a landing accident almost exactly a year ago.

I had flown a number of different aircraft over the years and experienced lots of different wind conditions. What happened at Beverley in August 2021 was an encounter with a wind farm. I was affected by wake turbulence – a vortex that took my aeroplane just in the moment of landing, and flipped up the wing. You’ll see from the photograph what was the result of that.

My being rescued from that aircraft – walking away from it with just a little cut on my knee – was nothing short of miraculous; and I give the Lord all the glory for that. I quite literally walked out of the aeroplane, made the necessary phonecalls to deal with the CAA and the insurers, and then sat down and had a sausage, egg and tomato sandwich and a cup of tea! Afterwards, I reflected on it, and I thought, ‘If I had landed just a few feet nearer the airfield, in that 12-foot ditch, I wouldn’t be here anymore’.

I was affected by wake turbulence – a vortex that took my aeroplane just in the moment of landing, and flipped up the wing.

As you can imagine, when you have an encounter like that, which could so easily have ended tragically for my family, it makes you think. You ask questions. And I don’t think the Lord always answers questions that start with ‘Why?’. I think we get answers for questions that ask, ‘What are you trying to show me through this?’ I was taken by the fact that I remained completely calm; I wasn’t fazed by the circumstances; that I wasn’t in shock; that I knew what to do; that I was able to deal with that emergency and move on from it. Praise God that I was able to do that.

Fast-changing times

I’m using that as an analogy for what I believe lies ahead for most of us, as believers. It’s hard to imagine that our circumstances could be as different now as they are from 2019 and before. The whole nature of everything that we’ve come to be used to has changed.

This isn’t where it stops. It’s going to change much more. And we need to be ready for that. Just as, with the recent drought across Europe, the dry and thirsty land looks totally different to how it did last year; so will our circumstances change to that degree in the coming months and perhaps years.

There are some who believe, as I do, that there is a very sinister and malign intent in what is happening, not only to us but in much of the civilised world.

Many people confess to feeling quite powerless to change things. They see evil abounding. They see laws being passed that would have seemed unimaginable to their parents and grandparents. There are some who believe, as I do, that there is a very sinister and malign intent in what is happening, not only to us but in much of the civilised world.

Confidence in our God

As Christians, quite logically, we might think, ‘Isn’t God going to intervene?’ Well, there is absolute certainty that none of what is happening now is occurring outside of God’s control; God moves in ways that we can’t always understand, but He is ultimately in control.

It is my contention that, in time, as people move into a period of greater austerity and greater difficulty, and as many people hit the point of despair, it’s absolutely vital for us as believers to be prepared for it, and not be fazed by it. I’m not saying that we’ll have the kinds of shocks that I experienced when my aeroplane crashed, but that we need to be that voice of calm, of confidence, of assurance in our communities when people are faced with circumstances they simply can’t cope with.

We need to be the people who are confident, we need to be the people that they can look to can turn to, in whom they can see an unshakeable confidence in God.

I come from the world of business, and for the last 46 years my daily activities have been business-related. But since I came to Corner Farm in 1998, I really have seen the most extraordinary and miraculous working power of God. I have seen things that I could fill the entire day with. This gives me a confidence that the God of Israel is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, and that the exploits and extraordinary events that we read about of those who walked the Galilee 2,000 years ago are possible for us today.

The way in which things are moving for our society are going to put people back in that position of fear and despair. At that time, we, as believers, need to be the people who carry the life of Christ in us, we need to be the people who are confident, we need to be the people that they can look to can turn to, in whom they can see an unshakeable confidence in God. There is something incredibly attractive about confident people at a time when folk are frightened.

Being living water

I’m sure you are familiar with the story of the Samaritan woman at the well, in John 4. We, too, live in a dry and thirsty land, but it’s that living water welling up to eternal life that our people need – that’s the well they need to drink from.

We, too, live in a dry and thirsty land, but it’s that living water welling up to eternal life that our people need.

I had a visitor recently, a professional man who comes about four times a year to do some work for me. We had a chat as we often do – he was quite concerned about what was going on in the country, especially regarding inflation, and what that might mean for people’s job prospects. Then he opened up about some personal problems – a bereavement, and a very bad headache. Although he knows of my faith, he doesn’t yet share it. I asked if he would like me to pray for him. He paused a moment, and then he said ‘Yes, it can’t do any harm’. So I laid my hands on him and began to pray. Afterwards he was very reflective. I don’t know whether that man will come to Christ, but he has heard the gospel from me (and probably more than once).

I’m reminded of Romans 10:14-15:

‘How, then, shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!”'

We’re going to have lots of opportunities to bring the gospel to the lost and defeated and despairing and frightened. That’s what we need to prepare for, for they will only hear it from people like us.

A video of Nick's message can be viewed here. 

Nick Szkiler is the Chair of the Board of Trustees of Issachar Ministries