The EEA exists to foster unity and evangelical identity and provide a voice and platform to evangelical Christians. Seeking empowerment by the Holy Spirit, it extends the Kingdom of God by proclamation of the Gospel to all nations and by Christ-centred transformation within society.

We aim to think globally and act locally, nationally and regionally. Our goal is to help one another to be contemporary Christian communities which both transform and redeem our wider communities. The EEA encourages national Alliances to serve one another and seeks to develop national Evangelical Alliances where they do not yet exist.

I also like to think we are like the prophets of old who boldly proclaimed: “Thus sayeth the Lord”. That might be overreaching, but hopefully we get it right, at least sometimes!  So at the beginning of the year, let’s think about what “Thus” do we think God “sayeth”?

We didn’t get very far into 2026 before I asked: What is going on!? It was an echo from the questions I/we had been asking from last year. If 2025 was chaotic, well, 2026 has begun like the Wild West! Every day there seems to be more geopolitical drama, more unsettling chatter of wars and rumours of war. Meanwhile, there still is a war in Ukraine that hasn’t received the attention it deserves. We’ve heard of scandals, including in the evangelical church, and the day I’m writing this… is still in January! What will the rest of year bring?

Judah was facing the same uncertainties that we are facing. Their government was falling apart, religion was a mess, their enemies were pressing in from all directions and there were rumours of a dark, powerful, unstoppable force heading their way. For those who were faithful to God, they could see it coming. The slow (or not so slow) slide away from God, the powerful gaining more power while the weak suffered, the hungry starved, and the foreigners abused. Josiah had brought the nation back from the brink of destruction. He turned his heart and his nation back to God and things got better. There was peace, and the prophets were quiet!

But then Josiah died and his sons took over. The people waited and watched, and it didn’t take long to know that his sons were nothing like their father. They began to plunge the nation back into paganism. They were given many chances, but it was just failure. It was like the people didn’t even try! Josiah’s sons undid everything that he had done. As quickly as the people turned to God with Josiah is as quickly as they turned away from God under Jehoahaz and Jehoiakim. No nation is a godly nation… faith cannot be forced or legislated. It’s chosen, it’s lived out in community, and it’s protected by each person.

The prophets came back. Jeremiah, Zephaniah, Huldah, Nahum and Habakkuk warned the people repeatedly to turn back to God, protect the vulnerable, and live more truthfully. It mostly fell on deaf ears (but there is always a remnant). God had spent generations warning His people, sending signs, using kings and kingdoms to shake them up, but nothing worked. And now Judah is about to face what Israel had faced – attack, defeat and exile!

Now, I am not a doom and gloom type of person. I do my best to read the times but because I know the end of the story, I don’t tend to panic with what I’m seeing. I know that there is always a remnant. I know that Jesus wins and has indeed won. I know that amid the worst of times, good things will still happen because God loves people. And I believe that we have been given the same opportunity that God gave his people during total chaos, violence, and rebellion. He gave direction, made and offer and gave a choice.

In Jeremiah 6:16 God gives his people some directions. Stand at the crossroads and look. A crossroad is an intersection of two or more roads. Wouldn’t it be nice if there were only two roads! Often, there are more. God asks us to stand at the crossroads and look. Not run ahead or turn back, not to be impatient; stand and look (pay attention, observe, and consider).

Ask for the ancient paths. What are these ancient paths? Let’s go to the basics. I suggest a good place to start is the first of the ten commandments and its partner verses in Matthew 22:37 – Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind”… “love you neighbour as yourself”. The only way to successfully manoeuvre our lives is by taking the ancient path to love God and love people (all people).

Ask where the good way is. God has the answers, are we asking and then waiting to hear. Let’s be honest, there are good ways that we aready know. It’s written throughout the gospels. Do what Jesus did. Speak like Jesus spoke. Act like Jesus acted. The Sermon on the Mount is the good way. It is the only way to live in the Kingdom of God.

Walk in it. Committed, daily, with others, being accountable to one another and walking with determination and with stamina.

Then God gives the Offer. You will find rest for your souls. If you think that sounds lot like Matthew 11:18-20, you’re right! It’s not living with God that brings anxiety, disorder, confusion, uncertainty and strife. That happens exactly when we try and live without Him.

And now the hard part of verse 16! The choice. But you said, “We will not walk in it”. We all say this at least once in our life (our day). We say it every time:

• We get angry because we didn’t get our way.

• We hurt other people with our words, attitudes or actions.

• When we choose to sin because we’re tired of fighting temptation

• When we justify our behaviours

We need to put ourselves as the protagonists of this verse. God is talking to us: Go stand at the crossroads and look? Ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. “Thus sayeth the Lord”. How will we answer?

As we begin this 2026 together:

1. Let’s stand at the crossroads and determine what are the various choices that people can make today. Geo-politically, religiously, etc.

2. Let’s pray for God’s ancient paths, the ones He has marked out.

3. Let’s ask and search for the good way, the best way, the perfect way and then let’s walk in it with integrity.

4. Let’s rest in Jesus, trading our burdens for his yoke.

5. And let’s walk together, with Him.

By Connie Main Duarte, EEA General Secretary