My View of the World 2024

I like to focus the first article of the year on what I see coming in our world. As 2024 begins, I have begun my eighth decade and released my life story in One Small Life: Revival Adventures from My Fifty Year Journal. 

Thus, I’m looking at history from an older man’s vantage point. Yes, our “world view” is influenced by how much time we have left on earth.

Here’s what I see in 2024.

My View of the World 2024

Loren Cunningham, the founder of Youth With A Mission, went to heaven on October 6, 2023. He shared the Good News of Jesus in every nation on earth (200+).

As an apostolic evangelist, Loren always focused on fulfilling the Great Commission and Christ’s eternal kingdom. I want to do the same, but also through the prophetic eyes of one committed to seeing “God’s will done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).

When I was younger and in the prime of life, I busied myself with trying to obey God and contribute to spiritual awakening in our world. I believe like George Verwer (who died six months before Loren Cunningham) that the greatest need on earth in every generation is spiritual revival in the Church.

Why? Because God’s people are the stewards of the “light” of culture and civilization. If the people of God are preaching and living the truths of Jesus, then “darkness” (sin and evil) recedes culturally. Darkness cannot spread in the presence of light.

Andrew Breitbart once said that “politics is downstream from culture” (the Breitbart Doctrine) and that to change politics one must first change culture. I would add that “culture is downstream from the Church.” As the Church goes, so goes the culture.

Thus, the Church, and the culture it creates, determines which type of government we get.

I will share all my thoughts through this prism.

The World

Israel and Ukraine are the most visible hotspots in the world, though there are others such as the civil war in Nigeria (in the last 14 years, 62,000 Christians have been killed, and over 5 millions displaced by Islamists).

Israel must be supported to destroy Hamas. Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East and historically, the people of God. Current global anti-Semitism is simply the devil’s temper tantrum against God’s sovereign purposes. Both logically and theologically, we must support Israel against unprovoked terror.

In Ukraine, the present stalemate needs to be won by the Western nations to deter Vladimir Putin just like the Allies did against Nazi Germany. (I’m currently reading some books on World War II and the devastation Hitler caused.)

I especially believe European nations need to rise up to confront evil in their own backyard. The United States has a major supportive role to play. Though our moral stature and liberty is sadly in decline, we are still “the last best hope” on earth (Jefferson and Lincoln) for advancing freedom.

On the other hand, a weak and incompetent U.S. Administration has encouraged this global aggression, and I wouldn’t be surprised in 2024 if China invades Taiwan (before November) and North Korea flexes its military muscles.

The 2024 U.S. presidential election will greatly affect the stability of world polity. I hope we vote wisely.

The other global trend we must pray for is global migration. J.D. Payne points out in Strangers Next Door: Immigration, Migration and Mission, that God has always used migration to greatly advance the sharing of the Gospel. Immigration-migration takes place under many circumstances (some good, some evil), but God uses the displacement to open people’s hearts to his truth and introduce them to Jesus outside their native lands.

With eight billion people now on earth, and aided by air travel and global communications, more mass migration is taking place now than ever before in history. God wants to use this vast spiderweb of cross pollination to reach billions for Christ.

Make that one of your global prayers in 2024.

The United States

America continues in the throes of a vast cultural civil war pitting our Judeo-Christian heritage against the secular forces of atheism. It’s a battle of faith versus unbelief–unparalleled in our history.

A New Year’s message from the “Atheist Revolution” declares that atheists and other non-Christians should have “the highest voter turnout of all in 2024” because they have the most to lose “when Christian extremists gain power.” They warn that Christians are trying to exterminate them.

That’s nonsense. The biblical worldview respects other beliefs more than any other. Exhibit A: The United States of America and its Judeo-Christian moorings and freedoms.

It’s true that the decline of the Church has allowed the “darkness” of atheism to take over much of the nation. Marriage has been redefined and is out of favor. We no longer know the difference between men and women. Drugs and suicides are at all time highs. We effectively have no southern border and we’re drowning in debt.

Depending on the stats that you choose, the USA is now a post-Christian nation through the Church’s default.

The two American political parties mirror the competing worldviews. A recent Wall Street Journal/NORC polling on national values shows the picture clearly.

Of those who say religion is personally “very important,” 27% of Democrats say yes and 53% of Republicans say yes. Of those who say patriotism is “very important,” 23% of Democrats and 59% of Republicans say yes. Of those who agree that schools and universities have gone “too far … taking steps to promote racial and ethnic diversity,” 6% of Democrats agree and 55% of Republicans agree. And of those who agree that “Businesses taking steps to promote racial and ethnic diversity” have gone “too far,” 7% of Democrats agree and 52% of Republicans agree.

I believe that economic disaster is the greatest national and global threat that we face this year. The USA has a record deficit of 34 trillion dollars and the world as a whole languishes under more than 300 trillion dollars of irresponsible spending.

Be prepared for a a great economic reset to become the next “Covid crisis.” In coming articles I will share what you can do to survive and thrive that possible scenario.

The 2024 presidential election will be critical and brutal due to our cultural civil war. If you vote for Democrats you’re voting for atheism, racial Marxism, and destruction of America as we’ve known it. That’s the truth. It didn’t used to be that way.

If you vote Republican (despite the party’s gaping flaws), and the Church is awakened, we could see the fourth great awakening of our history.

As an older American, that is my consuming prayer.

My friend and national prayer leader David Bryant believes we are entering a kairos year (an important moment for decision or action) in world history.  He says:

We have come to God’s crossroads hour for the destiny of the American Church. It is my strong conviction that in relation to the reign of Christ, 2024 will be decisive in the long term for God’s kingdom work in our nation—whether through awakening or by judgment.

It will probably be both–revival and judgment (wheat and tares growing together).

Dick Halverson, the Senate Chaplain in the ’70s and ’80s, told me in 1986 that he had never heard a sermon on Christ’s Return on Capitol Hill. That was his ultimate and final hope.

Me too.

In 2024 let’s pray, do our assignments on earth, and ultimately:

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in his wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.”