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Any believer who is even somewhat biblically literate and is aware of what is happening in the world today will know perfectly well that the Christian life is not a bed of roses, but a struggle. It is in fact a life of battle and warfare, with good and evil being fought out every single day.

If you spend time on social media, you will come across some of the many videos posted of animals being rescued, especially dogs, and even puppies. And that, of course, is a picture of what God does for us lost sinners – He rescues us and loves us, and makes us a part of His family.

God is near to us and close to us. Unlike the teaching of deism, which states that God made the world but has basically left it to run on its own with no involvement from Him, the Bible teaches us that God is wholly present with and ever active in all that He has created.

Since God is God, how can He in any way become better or better off or enriched? How can He increase in any way as a result of us blessing Him?

A major issue Paul had to deal with was the “super-apostles”. These were leaders and teachers (often false teachers) who tended to put their personalities, their prestige, and their power forward as their credentials. Today, things are no different, with celebrity preachers.

When criminals, murderers and rapists – be they migrants or home-grown – are treated much more favourably than their victims, then you know we are on a fast road to oblivion. Several high-profile cases in recent days show how far down the tubes the West has gone.

We must be careful that we do not end up being an empire builder, a kingdom builder. We must be very careful, in other words, that in our effort to serve the Lord, we do not get proud, and do not think we are going to be the next best Christian thing since the apostle Paul.

Here I want to look, not at the battle of the bands, but at the battle of the signs. The sign wars are heating up, and we need to engage at that level as well. Anyone can spout out mushy words and sentimental platitudes. But without something solid to base them on, they offer us nothing of lasting value.

If you are an older person raised in the West – as I am – you will have lived through three different periods: Christian, post-Christian, and anti-Christian. We can no longer count on institutions to back us up.

What has happened to Dr Jereth Kok is an appalling example of diabolical cancel culture at its worst. What we have are noisy minority groups wielding incredible power over innocent and conscientious professionals. This is so very wrong on so many levels.

The good news is that God will always raise up prophets, especially in dark times. The bad news is that these prophets usually are rejected, and their warnings go unheeded. One such prophetic voice to the West last century was the noted Soviet dissident and writer Alexander Solzhenitsyn.

Most of you know the story: God allowed him to go through some really hardcore adversity and suffering, yet Job did not curse God nor give up. He may not have had all the answers, but he had a deep faith in the God he served.

Those seeking God and pressing in on Him will sometimes go through a period where it seems like God is silent, or has turned on them, or no longer cares about them. But God is faithfully looking after His own, and this dark spell is temporary, used to draw us even closer to Himself.

We may not have our names recorded in the Bible or in a newspaper today, but if we are faithful to our Lord, HE at least knows all about us. And our names ARE written in the Lamb’s book of life (Revelation 21:27).

My huge worry is that all those many young lives that were lost those decades ago may have died in vain. If America, Australia and England are no longer worth defending, then the freedoms those brave men fought for last century may soon come to an end.

God works in mysterious ways. How He draws people to Himself can vary greatly. He uses all sorts of means in which He can reveal Himself to people and draw them into relationship with Him.

No matter how many times we fail God, no matter how many times we think we have no more reason to keep going, God continues to pour out His mercy and grace upon us. Meditating on these amazing words of Scripture gives us hope and helps us keep going on.

We know that the suffocating agenda of the radical left is encroaching on every aspect and feature of life. It certainly has impacted politics, education, law, and media. But it is also doing its best to undermine our armed forces and reduce our ability to defend ourselves almost to zero.

When people realise that they are not strong enough or good enough or talented enough or moral enough, and they simply cry out to God in despair, that is a very good place to be in. It is a deep biblical truth and a vitally important principle that God works through our weaknesses.

The West has witnessed a flood of anti-Israel, anti-Jewish and pro-Hamas protests. That is why I and many thousands of other concerned and committed Melbournians rallied outside of the Victorian Parliament in Melbourne on Sunday, to speak up against anti-Semitism.