Crisis on the World Scene
We live in an age of constant crisis! The Middle East threatens to explode at almost any time.
Russia possesses thousands of nuclear weapons and has issued threats about using them. China, another nuclear power, seeks to extend its dominion.
The deadly spread of weapons of mass destruction is an overarching problem. Terrorist groups—generally armed to the teeth with modern weapons and living as a law unto themselves—threaten the stability of many nations.
Population growth in some areas of the world continues to strain resources, as corrupt governments mismanage the problems. At the same time, many nations are experiencing a marked decline in native population while immigration swells, leading to further global instability.
Pollution and other environmental problems threaten to strangle Earth’s life-sustaining ecosystems. Some fear new pandemics, while others fear rights abuses they could lead to. Constant surveillance through new technologies and concerns over artificial intelligence leave many on edge. Agitators stoke further unrest.
It is in just such a threatened, confused and crisis-charged age that a centuries-old organism—the Church—is called upon to do its work. Deeply sensitive to its duties and responsibilities in spreading and teaching the true gospel message (Matthew 24:14; 28:18-20), the United Church of God, an International Association, offers this Bible study course—filling a most important need in today’s troubled world.
For many millions, God’s Word is unexplored and uncharted territory. Yet the Bible is not only designed to help human beings cope in a world caught up in all kinds of crises. It contains the good news of the coming Kingdom of God—showing that God will solve the many problems of a world edging ever closer to catastrophe.
