Today we are living in a time akin to those of the Old Testament prophets when society had turned from God to idol worship and people stood in their own fleshly power rather than in the Power of the Lord.  Society in those times had sunk to the depths of sin (turning from God and out of God's grace) where crime, violence, greed, lusts and immorality were the unstable foundation upon which society was standing, much as society in the Twenty-First Century.  And judgment followed:

And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them, And say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD; Thus saith the Lord GOD to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys; Behold, I, even I, will bring a sword upon you, and I will destroy your high places. And your altars shall be desolate, and your images shall be broken: and I will cast down your slain men before your idols. And I will lay the dead carcases of the children of Israel before their idols; and l will scatter your bones round about your altars. In all your dwelling places the cities shall be laid waste, and the high places shall be desolate; that your altars may be laid waste and made desolate, and your idols may be broken and cease, and your images may be cut down, and your works may be abolished. And the slain shall fall in the midst of you, and ye shall know that I am the LORD."                       

Ezekiel 6:1-7

People then as now, experienced the consequences of disobedience to god and suffering followed as a result of placing their own will or reason above the Will of God.  E.g. they created a society which was corrupt, unjust, where lies prevail over truth, the righteous are persecuted for their steadfast faithfulness, and their refusal to be conformed to that society's corrupt norms; e.g. today Christians are persecuted by secular powers for their refusal to betray their faith and conform to political correctness, or other man made ideologies.

In the old testament the solution exercised by God when dealing with Israel or Judah's disobedience was to destroy that society, (which had sunk to such a state of moral collapse that few knew the difference between right or wrong, good and evil and few stood in right relationship with the Lord), so that it could be reborn anew using a faithful remnant of that people who had held fast to the Lord and were spared the destruction.

"Yet will l leave a remnant, that ye may have some that shall escape the sword among the nations, when ye shall be scattered through the countries."

Ezekiel 6:8

This raises some important questions for us today. What does this mean for society today? Is society so far from God's grace and in such a state of rejection of God that it faces a similar fate to Israel or Judah before it can be restored to god once again?

If so, who are the faithful remnant today?  Is this what Conservative Friends may be called to by the Lord at some point in the future?

 Restoration to God begins within ourselves; we have as individuals to turn to Christ for forgiveness and redemption.  But how can the many people so far from God manage this when they deny his existence and the Truth of what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross?  Although they are far from Him, he is always near to them, waiting for them to call on Him.  But he has limits to his patience regarding constant disobedience, as is seen in His response to Judah and Israel.  If society refuses to return to Him there will be consequences sometime.

 Such a faithful remnant, as mentioned above, could act as "beacons on the path" for others encouraging and exhorting them to turn to Christ.  For it is only when individuals turn to Christ that society can then turn to Christ again and be restored once more into the Lord's care in true Gospel order.

But like the times of the Old Testament prophets, idolatry and individualism which Satan thrives has breached the covenant with the Lord for many.  Into this breach Satan has poured his legions: selfishness both individual and national, division and falsehood, hatred and avarice, war and famine. The state of the world today is testament to the extent of this breach.

 The times we live in now are the same as those prophesied in Revelation where false prophets and false churches spread their lies,

 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image.

Revelation 19:20

Where this world – the Lord's Creation, is poisoned and ravaged by dark spiritual forces - the four horsemen.  Destruction and waste are global, the seas, the forests, the air, all decaying, whilst the faithful wait for a sign from the Lord, an indication as to what he would have them do in the Lamb's War.  (And it is important to emphasize here that we should wait on the Lord's Will, not upon our own.)

As this decline continues does society today draw nearer to the great judgment in Revelation, the final battle of the spiritual forces of good and evil?

What does the Lord want of Conservative Friends in these dark times?

Perhaps all we can do just now is remain steadfast and true to Jesus Christ and be a "city set on a hill" for all to see, to witness each day in our workplace, homes, neighborhoods and pray that people return to the Lord as the bedrock and foundation of their lives.

Though few in number and scattered afar, our faith in the Lord will shield us against the onslaughts Christians face today.  The Old Testament prophets stood alone against their world, as did our Lord in His time, so must we also be steadfast today, standing in the Lord's strength and awaiting his guidance in faith.