Looking at Europe, we can easily see such spiritual darkness. We see the effects of sin on culture and society. We see the product of wasted lives and hopeless dreams. We see what happens when no direction or purpose is given. However, it was not always that way in Europe. Europe was once the home of great spiritual revival. Europe was once home to great Biblical study. Churches all over Europe once preached the Gospel of Christ. The truth was proclaimed! The Message was told! Yet all we see now is that spiritual darkness has captured a continent and affected the world.
In examining the condition of Europe, we see a great emphasis on culture reaching to the younger generation. There are many different age groups in that continent, but we see a major push for the minds and hearts of teenagers. In studying that push, it becomes very clear why Europe has become the hopeless continent that it is—the younger generation was not trained to carry on the message of truth that once led so many to a saving knowledge of Christ. We see that Europe became apathetic towards the Bible and things of God and in turn allowed other influences to determine the direction of countries and people. We saw the things of this world reach out more to teenagers than people with Bible truth. As a result, the message of hope that was once delivered has been replaced with an atmosphere of hopelessness that is now dominant. The Bible says in Psalm 33:12, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD…”. The opposite then could be true—the nation that does not have the Lord as their God will not be blessed. We see that clearly in Europe.
Europe is not without hope. While it is dark, the light of the Gospel is a powerful message!
The concern about the status of Europe is magnified by the concern that we have for America. As we watch our society and citizens reject God and the truths of Scripture, it could only be a matter of time before we too are hopeless. However, there is hope! If we are to keep the Christian heritage alive and remain a land where spiritual hope lives, we MUST train the next generation to carry on the truth of the Gospel of Christ. There is no reason why we must live in a land of hopelessness. There is no reason to watch future generations wallow in darkness and sin. We must invest time and energy in teaching our young people the truth. We must pass on the Bible and, most importantly, the God of the Bible. We must provide them the hopefilled message that only exists in the Scriptures. We must make disciples out of our young people so that they will one day take the lead and turn back the tide of hopelessness and proclaim the message of hope! This is what will keep the light of truth going—one generation recognizing the need and accepting the responsibility to train the next generation to “fight the good fight of faith.” Parents, church members, teachers, and so many others must be active in the fight against hopelessness.
Europe is not without hope. While it is dark, the light of the Gospel is a powerful message! Europe can have a spiritual revival. While there is still time, let us keep the hope alive in America so that we can be a part of spreading the hope in Europe. Let us not neglect our young people, but rather train and equip them to live a life for God and spread His message of hope around the world!
