The abiding inspiration of Eric Liddell

The Paris Peace Conference of 1919

An opportunity is approaching that our new PM would do well to take.

Next week Britain will have a new Prime Minister and the first question he should be asking is, “Is there any word from the Lord?” This was the question King Zedekiah put to the Prophet Jeremiah shortly before the Babylonians broke through the walls of Jerusalem and began its destruction. What is God saying to Britain in these incredible days as the Brexit saga races towards the final conflict or consummation?

Several things have come to my notice in the last few days that may be significant. I was looking through some old papers and came across my notes of visiting the elderly leader (Mother Barbara) of the Russian convent in the Garden of Gethsemane in Jerusalem back in the early 1980s. I heard how, as a young lady of 22 in Russia, she had met with Bishop Aristocoli who had given her the now-famous prophecy known as The 1911 Mother Barbara Prophecy (reprinted below).

I had not read it for many years but I remembered that some of its remarkable predictions have already come true, particularly the prophecy that Great Britain, whose empire covered one third of the world’s land space, would lose all her colonies and “come to almost total ruin”.

In last week’s editorial I spoke about the astonishing collapse of the British Empire, saying that it was largely due to the abandonment of our Judeo-Christian heritage. Then on Monday a friend telephoned from Italy. She lives in San Remo and reminded me that next April will be the centenary of the San Remo Resolution, which established in international law the legitimacy of the Arab states and Britain’s Balfour Declaration, heralding the re-establishment of a Jewish homeland in what is now the State of Israel. 

Britain’s Sacred Trust

San Remo delegates, 1920, including David Lloyd George.

The San Remo Conference of Allied leaders and international lawyers was an extension of the Paris Peace Conference of 1919. The purpose was to set up three Mandates, one over Syria and Lebanon, one over Mesopotamia (Iraq/Iran) and one over Palestine – both East and West of the River Jordon. The Mandate for Palestine was entrusted to Great Britain as a “sacred trust of civilisation”¹ in respect of “the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people”.²

This was a binding resolution with all the force of international law. It was affirmed the following year by Winston Churchill, who told an Arab delegation in Jerusalem:

It is manifestly right that the Jews who are scattered all over the world should have a national centre and a national home where some of them may be reunited. And where else could that be but in the land of Palestine, with which for more than 3000 years they have been intimately and profoundly associated?³

The San Remo resolution was a binding resolution with all the force of international law.

Churchill also issued the following statement in 1922, as British Secretary of State for the Colonies:

When it is asked what is meant by the development of the Jewish National Home in Palestine, it may be answered that it is not the imposition of a Jewish nationality upon the inhabitants of Palestine as a whole, but the further development of the existing Jewish community, with the assistance of Jews in other parts of the world, in order that it may become a centre in which the Jewish people as a whole may take, on grounds of religion and race, an interest and a pride. But in order that this community should have the best prospect of free development and provide a full opportunity for the Jewish people to display its capacities, it is essential that it should know that it is in Palestine as of right and not on sufferance. That is the reason why it is necessary that the existence of a Jewish National Home in Palestine should be internationally guaranteed and that it should be formally recognized to rest upon ancient historic connection.

Is it just a coincidence that the steep decline in the fortunes of Great Britain began in the 1920s (with the Great Depression and the General Strike) when Britain failed to meet its 'sacred trust' for a Jewish homeland by establishing the State of Israel?

Britain not only reneged on its promises in the 1920s and throughout the 1930s,⁴ but was still favouring the Arabs and resisting Jewish settlement in the early days after the Second World War – turning away leaking old ships loaded with Holocaust survivors seeking refuge in what had been promised as their new homeland – ships that sank in the Mediterranean with the loss of all those on board! Other Jewish would-be-immigrants were actually forcibly sent back to Germany, which was surely the height of inhumanity!

Having sold the Jewish people for barrels of oil, Britain under Prime Minister Clement Attlee (a Jew-hating atheist, like some in the modern Labour Party) actually refused to vote for the establishment of the State of Israel in the United Nations in 1947. We did not dare to vote against the resolution and offend the USA – but in order not to offend the Arabs and endanger our oil supplies, we abstained!!! From that day the British Empire rapidly disappeared from the map of the world.

No! I’m not making a case for colonialism! It was right that ex-colonial countries should have their independence and the freedom to develop in accordance with their own cultures, and I think we should applaud and do all we can to strengthen the ties between nations in the British Commonwealth. But I also think that the fortunes of the United Kingdom have been adversely affected by breaking our promises to Israel and the Jewish people, which were a ‘sacred trust’.

Is it just a coincidence that the steep decline in the fortunes of Great Britain began when we failed to meet our 'sacred trust' for a Jewish homeland by establishing the State of Israel?

Testing Times Ahead

I also believe that the next six or nine months are going to be times of incredible turmoil in the UK when we may indeed, as foretold in The Mother Barbara Prophecy, come perilously close to ‘total ruin’.

But the centenary of the San Remo Resolution in April 2020 will provide an opportunity for Britain to repent publicly of her broken promises and the anti-Semitism that has driven our Foreign Office since the 1920s (brilliantly portrayed in one of the 1990s TV episodes of Yes, Prime Minister⁵). Will our new Government, under a new Prime Minister, have the courage to confess the sins of the past? 

Theresa May, at her last Prime Minister’s Question Time this week, called upon Jeremy Corbyn to clear anti-Semitism out of the Labour Party – but will our new Prime Minister have the courage to risk the wrath of the Arab world and send a delegation to San Remo to clear the conscience of the nation? I believe the Lord may be saying that such repentance, though not enough to save Britain from the consequences of our unrighteous laws, would nevertheless be a vital step in the right direction.

Please join us in prayer as we seek the right way forward in this issue. Maybe someone will start a petition calling upon the Government to send an official British delegation to attend the 2020 San Remo Centenary to acknowledge publicly our historic wrongs.

The 1911 Mother Barbara Prophecy

This prophecy was given to Mother Barbara in 1911 by Bishop Aristocoli in Russia, shortly before his death and before she settled in Jerusalem:

“Tell the women they must belong absolutely to God. They must believe in the great things that are happening and that God is doing on the earth. They must prepare their souls, their children and their husbands. And they will have very much work to do for God. Oh, what a great work the women will have to do in the end times, and the men will follow them.

Not one country will be without trial – do not be frightened of anything you will hear. An evil will shortly take Russia and wherever this evil goes, rivers of blood will flow. This evil will take the whole world and where ever it goes, rivers of blood will flow because of it. It is not the Russian soul, but an imposition on the Russian soul. It is not an ideology, or philosophy, but a spirit from hell.

In the last days Germany will be divided in two. France will just be nothing. Italy will be judged by natural disasters. Britain will lose her empire and all her colonies and will come to almost total ruin, but will be saved by praying women. America will feed the world, but will finally collapse. Russia and China will destroy each other. Finally, Russia will be free and from her, believers will go forth and turn many from the nations to God.”

Cover of Eli Hertz's book on the legal aspects of the Jewish claim to the Land. Maps show the region before and after the division of British Mandate land to create Transjordan.

References

1 Article 22, Covenant of the League of Nations, signed in Paris, 1919.

2 San Remo Resolution, 1920. Read the full text here.

3 Taken from ‘Winston Churchill in Jerusalem, 1921’, Manchester Conservatives.

4 E.g. ceding 70% of the Mandate land to the Arabs (Transjordan, now Jordan). We recommend The Forsaken Promise (DVD) from Hatikvah Films for a fuller exploration of this issue.

5 ‘A Victory for Democracy’. Watch in full here.

Napoleon I, Emmanuel Macron and the spirit of European integration

The leaders of the French Revolution instituted a ‘Cult of Reason’ and set up an altar to the ‘Goddess of Reason’ in Notre Dame cathedral, where the provocatively-clad ‘Goddess’, hailed as Liberty, frolicked with her entourage of maidens.

This ‘Culte’ has subsequently played a significant role in the French political consciousness. The cathedral has become a monument not to the glory of God, but to the glory of France: a symbol of French nationalism.

Here, Napoleon Bonaparte was crowned emperor in 1804; throughout the ceremony he wore a golden laurel wreath representative of the Roman Empire, and he crowned his wife Josephine (later divorced) with a replica of Charlemagne's crown. Charlemagne, a largely beneficent monarch, was the main heir to the Roman Empire in France/Germany.

From Napoleon to Macron

Napoleon emerged from the French Revolution. He most resembles Oliver Cromwell, but lacked Cromwell's deep Christian faith. Napoleon was a brilliant general, and the scourge of most of Europe for a decade. He ruled France in an enlightened secular regime, effectively as dictator, and crowned himself ‘emperor’ of France and Italy, seeing himself as a successor to Rome.

Notre Dame has become a monument not to the glory of God, but to the glory of France.

He attempted to overrun all of Europe; only Britain (who liberated Spain and Portugal from his grasp), Russia and Prussia had any success at all against him. At first, only the English Channel saved Britain; Napoleon began building (but never completed) a Channel tunnel. Hubris brought him many enemies outside France. In exile, the Mediterranean island of Elba couldn't contain him – he only succumbed when sent to the island of St. Helena in the remote south Atlantic. Consequently, many French people regard their emperor as a martyr.

President Macron is a fervent admirer of Napoleon and of French hegemony. After the fire, Macron described the restoration of Notre Dame as “notre destin profond” (‘our profound destiny’). He is anxious to have it restored before the Paris Olympic Games of 2024, which would (after the Paris Climate Conference, the Paris Peace Treaty regarding Iran, etc) seal France's and the EU's prestige as the leader of the international community. These games will celebrate, in Monsieur Macron's estimation, the re-establishment of Napoleon's empire - the EU.

I think we should pause to consider what spirit oversees Notre Dame – and the EU. I doubt it is God's spirit.

Asserting Control

The European Union is the construction, in the first place, of France (and Belgium, which is deeply under French influence). It was founded by the Treaty of Rome, and soon began to look like an embryonic ‘Roman Empire’ (actually embracing more of Europe now than the latter ever did).

Under President Macron, France is again asserting its dominance in continental Europe. His authoritarian, not to say aggressive,¹ attitude to the issue of Brexit, is noteworthy: President Macron is no Anglophile! History, especially French history, is very important to him.²

Under President Macron, France is again asserting its dominance in continental Europe.

Napoleon was very wary of democracy, and the EU is not democratic. The one thing that Brexit has so far demonstrated is that Britain is a true democracy – albeit in need of reform. But, like France, the EU is presidential: it is an oligarchy, only supported by a democratic assembly.

There is little doubt that this disaster and the outpouring of national sentiment accompanying it are in accord with President Macron's objectives for France in Europe, as would the Olympics in Paris in 2024 being seen as a glittering affirmation of the EU and its position in the world. If we value our freedom and integrity, it's another signal to Britain to leave as soon as possible.

Dr Chris Wright

Notes

1 It is worth noting that M. Macron's Masters thesis at Nanterre University, Paris, was on Machiavelli and Hegel.

2 Interestingly, Macron was born in Amiens. In 1803 Britain broke the Treaty of Amiens to form an alliance against Napoleon, and ultimately (together with Prussia) defeated him. I am sure this fact is not lost on Macron.

Will Theresa May’s judgment about what is best for Britain prove correct?

A call to prayer.

In two days' time, on Sunday 15 January, representatives from 70 nations will gather in Paris for a conference aimed at resurrecting the Israel/Palestine peace process.

Last week we commented on the passing of anti-Israel UNSC Resolution 2334 and John Kerry's speech setting out parameters for a 'two-state solution' (both December 2016). The next stage in Obama's swansong would appear to be a last-minute attempt to force through some kind of international agreement along these lines, using this Paris summit.

We do not yet know the form this agreement might take - whether further pressure on Israel to declare their West Bank settlements illegal, or even a global 'roadmap' for establishing a Palestinian state.¹ Its outcome may quickly be overturned when President-Elect Trump assumes office next Friday (20 January) – nevertheless, its clear follow-on from Resolution 2334 and its rushed placement just before Trump's inauguration are causing concern amongst Israelis and friends of Israel.

The Nations Gather

70 nations will be present at the summit (though some news outlets have reported that the eventual number might be 72 or 77), which has been instigated by the French and will be chaired by French President Francois Hollande.

This is prompting some biblical speculation. One Rabbinic commentator has noted that in Torah terms, '70 nations' signifies all nations – prompting connections to be made to Bible prophecies about all the nations of the world gathering against Israel during the end times.²

70 Nations Deciding the Fate of One

What is certain is that this is no gathering for the sake of peace – however it might be billed. We do not see similar conferences happening to solve the Syrian civil war, or to combat the spread of ISIS, for instance. Israel is being singled out in yet another international attempt to carve up her God-given land and further undermine support for her very existence – as Charles Gardner eloquently expounds in his article this week .

Though Israeli PM Netanyahu and Palestinian President Abbas have been invited to attend the conference's conclusion, Netanyahu has refused this invitation on principle, stating: "This conference is a fraud, a Palestinian scam under French auspices, whose goal is to lead to the adoption of additional anti-Israeli positions".³ Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman has called the summit "a modern-day Dreyfus trial".⁴

70 nations will be present at the summit, prompting some biblical speculation.

The present American embassy in Israel, Tel Aviv. See Photo Credits.American Betrayal

Earlier this week, Washington confirmed that John Kerry will be in attendance, as part of his last foreign trip as Secretary of State.⁵ Relations between Israel and the US have been at an all-time low since UNSC Resolution 2334 was passed last month. Obama's clear involvement in this surfaced soon after, in what many are calling a deep betrayal of the long-standing friendship between the US and Israel.

These diplomatic tensions are being worsened by the current outcry against Donald Trump both within and outside of the USA, as he has so far refused to rescind his promise to move the American embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Indeed, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas will meet with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Saturday, the day before the Paris conference, as part of a campaign to stop Trump's 'explosive' plan.⁶

Israel's Last Chance?

All this is coming at a particularly vulnerable time for Israelis, who are still recovering from the terror attack last week in Jerusalem, when a lorry was driven deliberately into a group of IDF soldiers.

Israeli officials have predicted that the chain of international events currently unfolding will undermine Netanyahu's leadership and incite further Palestinian violence, whilst removing all hope of a 'two-state solution'.

As if to confirm this, a top adviser to the Palestinian President has told The Jerusalem Post that the Paris conference is Israel's 'last chance' to accept such a 'solution'.⁷ In a veiled threat, he implied that if Israel does not bow to the pressure being loaded upon them by the world, they will be solely responsible for the breakdown of the peace process and any violence that might ensue.

This will be no gathering for the sake of peace - no matter how it might be billed.

Unfolding Rapidly

Events are moving quickly. The week ahead looks set to be momentous – with the Sunday summit feeding into a further convening of the UN on Israel/Palestine matters on Tuesday 17 January.

The World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland, where global leaders meet annually to discuss the world's future in both open and closed meetings, also begins on Tuesday, whilst Trump's inauguration is set for Friday 20 January.

There is certainly no time like the present for Christians to turn to the word of God for guidance, hope and encouragement in prayer! But what are we to expect – and how are we to pray?

Watch and Pray – But How?

We know that in general terms, those who seek to harm Israel do so at their peril – for they risk bringing Divine retribution upon themselves. This is an eternal principle set out in Scripture (e.g. Gen 12:3), the grim reality of which has been confirmed time and again through history.

The Bible is also very clear that at the end of days there will be a special, global revolt against Israel (e.g. Zech 12-14, Rev 16, Jer 25), with many nations assembling together to attack Jerusalem. This will be part of the Lord's judgment - and part of an inevitable chain of events foretold in Scripture that lead directly to the return of Jesus Messiah.

Joel 3:1-2 specifies that these nations will historically have had a hand in scattering Jews into exile and dividing up the Lord's land. However, the siege will be directed against Zion (Jerusalem), implying that the City at the centre of it all will remain under (or eventually be restored to) Israeli control: "On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves" (Zech 12:2-3).

The eternal principle set out in Scripture is that those who seek to harm Israel do so at their peril.

Though the nations conspire together, however, the timings of this final onslaught are completely in the hands of the Lord God. Psalm 2 is a wonderful psalm for regaining this heavenly perspective ("Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain?...The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them...").

As Christians watching keenly the events currently happening on the world stage, we must pray that the Lord will accomplish his purposes fully at this time, using the instability and the great evil abroad in the world to bring as many into the Kingdom as possible. We should pray blessing on the people of Israel – and seek to support them in more tangible ways. And we might pray that Britain will work for Israel's best interests in all our diplomatic endeavours, instead of paying lip service to her one day and betraying her the next.

A Final Warning – and a Hope

Finally, we can all take heed of the warning in Zephaniah 2, given to those nations that would come against Israel. This is the very same chapter that prophesies the emptying of Gaza and the final destruction of Canaan, the land of the Philistines (from whence we get our modern terms 'Palestine' and 'Palestinian'). The warning is this:

Gather yourselves together...Before the decree is issued, before the day passes like chaff, before the Lord's fierce anger comes upon you, before the day of the Lord's anger comes upon you! Seek the Lord, all you meek of the Earth who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, Seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of the Lord's anger.

References

1 A draft closing statement for the conference was leaked by Haaretz earlier this week. Full text available here.

2 Berkowitz, Biblical Origins of the 70-Nation Anti-Israel Paris Conference. Breaking Israel News, 5 January 2017.

3 Ravid, B. Netanyahu: Paris Peace Conference Is Rigged by Palestinians Under French Auspices. Haaretz, 12 January 2017.

4 Ynet News, Associated Press. Abbas hopes Paris summit ends settlements. 27 December 2016.

5 AFP, Kerry to attend Mideast peace conference in Paris. Times of Israel, 11 January 2017.

6 Lazaroff, T. Abbas to meet Pope Francis in advance of Paris parley. The Jerusalem Post, 11 January 2017.

7 Rasgon, A. Palestinians put hope in Paris conference as possible 'last chance' for two-states. The Jerusalem Post, 3 January 2017.

No peace in Paris: Middle East conference more likely to be a powder keg.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not a problem that is going to disappear with a wave of a magic wand from the world's politicians. It's an age-old dilemma that has spiritual roots and a spiritual solution.

Representatives of 70 nations will descend on Paris on Sunday for a global conference to promote a "two-state solution" as the way to lasting peace in the Middle East. It's a 'peace' they plan to impose on Israel, who will not even be there!

And the fear among Jews is that whatever is agreed in France will be used as the basis for a UN Security Council resolution that would permanently divide Israel and create an Islamic Palestinian state.

Denying Reality

But the nations are merely engaging in another distraction – a denial of reality – that does not begin to address the issue. Just three weeks ago the UN passed a resolution declaring that Israel is illegally 'occupying' much of the land to which it is historically, and biblically, entitled – including the Temple Mount, Western Wall and the Old City itself (every inch of east Jerusalem, in fact), which have been part of Judaism for thousands of years. And Britain, to its shame, voted for this!

In re-writing history and making a mockery of justice and fairness, the United Nations has become a sick joke as it brazenly continues to back the Palestinian narrative that would drive Israel into the sea. Their spokesmen have been quoted over and over again saying that they only want such a state as a launch pad for ridding the region of Jews altogether.¹

The nations are merely engaging in another distraction - a denial of reality.

Roots in Anti-Semitism

The response to the truck-ramming attack in Jerusalem which killed four Israeli Defence Force soldiers² says it all. Arab Palestinians took to the streets and social media to celebrate and, in Gaza, the ruling Hamas terrorist group praised the attack as a "natural response to the Israeli occupier's crimes". People in Gaza and the Palestinian Authority-controlled 'West Bank' were seen festively handing out sweets to mark the occasion.

According to the PA, the murder of Israeli youths is sanctioned by Islam! The official PA daily said the killer "died as a Shahid" (that is, a martyr for Allah). And the Authority will now reward the terrorist's wife with a lifetime monthly allowance of £627 ($760 or 2,900 shekels). And this in a territory led by Mahmoud Abbas – a so-called 'moderate'.

No, the problem is not the settlements, or Jewish communities, built on disputed land claimed by the Palestinians. The root of this enduring conflict is anti-Semitism, currently in the shape of Islamic fundamentalism. Actually, Israel is entitled under international law to Judea and Samaria (currently known as the West Bank), courtesy of the San Remo Conference of 1922 in the aftermath of World War I.

In fact, it was around this time that a 'two-state solution' was first tried when, with the stroke of a pen, the British Government handed over a major portion of the territory originally earmarked for Israel to the Arabs – the country now known as Jordan. So why is there a need for further division?

The root of this enduring conflict is anti-Semitism, currently in the shape of Islamic fundamentalism.

The Trump Card...

The Paris Conference, like the recent UN resolution, could well make things worse for Israel and render peace even less likely by encouraging terror groups to believe they have the backing of world powers.

This would be a profound tragedy, however, especially for the nations involved. There will undoubtedly be further battles for Israel, but in the end they hold the 'trump' card – and I am not referring to the incoming US President.

Jesus, the Jewish Messiah, will return to his beloved Land – and the nations who scattered his people and divided up his Land will be put on trial. But the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem will be restored (see Joel 3:1f).

Jesus will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and will be king over the whole earth (Zech 14:1-9).

Come, Lord Jesus!

Notes

1 For this and other information in this article, I am indebted to David Soakell's 12 January 2017 newsletter, Watching Over Zion, produced weekly for Christian Friends of Israel (CFI), as well as to official PA TV, 8 January 2017.

2 This included three young women aged 20-22, one of whom, Yael Yekutiel, was a Facebook friend of my CFI colleague David Soakell, who described the 20-year-old officer as "full of light and life" who "seemed to love everyone and everyone loved her." David himself narrowly missed being a victim of a suicide bomb back in 2002.

Charles Gardner looks for security in a world of turmoil.

At a time of great turbulence, when all around is sinking sand, there is a rock of perfect security on which to stand. His name is Jesus. And those who fail to honour Him will stumble (Isa 8:14; Rom 9:33). In the world of politics, too, there is an "immovable rock" that will injure those nations wishing to move it (Zech 12:3). Could this mean that all who attack Jerusalem – "the city of the Great King" (Matt 5:35) – will themselves be terrorised?

Islamic Attacks

Best-selling novelist Jack Engelhard seems to think so, saying that the dreadful terror attacks enacted by Islamic fanatics in Paris, Brussels, Istanbul and Nice¹ all began in Israel. He said the nations kept telling Israel not to answer with force, but to make peace with them. Yet every such gesture was met with more demands and more terror; and the world refused to figure it out – that it had nothing to do with Israel.

The Jewish state was merely a laboratory for radical Islam who have murdered thousands of Israeli civilians with guns, knives, suicide belts, and now the automobile – reminding us that cars have been used to ram innocent pedestrians to death in Israel on a regular basis since last autumn. And referring to the summit called by French President Hollande to impose peace in Israel, Engelhard asks: "Is he calling for a peace summit with whoever came to Nice to mow down hundreds of celebrants?"²

The grim spectre of violence stalks the earth like a big black cloud

Also asking questions is evangelist Franklin Graham, son of Billy, who says terrorists continue to attack because the U.S.Government refuses to recognize the danger of Islam.³

Even in England, Muslim converts to Christianity require special protection in the face of threats and persecution from their own families.

Yes, the grim spectre of violence stalks the earth like a big black cloud. All this is surely a sign of the imminent return of our Messiah, Yeshua (Luke 17:26f, Matt 24:29f). But it's a time to fasten our seatbelts...I believe the Lord was speaking of these days when he said: "In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory" (Hag 2:6f).

And this theme is repeated in the New Testament when, in warning against godlessness and sexual immorality (Heb 12:16) – an apt summary of today's Britain – the writer to the Hebrews reminds us of what happened at the giving of the Law on Mt Sinai when the mountain shook in a terrifying spectacle accompanied by fire. This would happen again, though on a bigger scale, at the end of the age so that what cannot be shaken would remain.

Staying Strong

Hold on tight, for we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Let's not buckle under the pressure of worldly wisdom, but press on as we look to Jesus, "the author and perfecter of our faith". (Heb 12:2) May I encourage you to "strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees" (Heb 12:12), a verse I have taken literally, as a result of which it has become a constant source of testimony to the power of God. If I had listened to worldly wisdom, I would have given up running when my knees got painful but instead, inspired by this scripture, I trusted God to heal them. It's interesting that the very next verse says: "Make level paths for your feet, so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed."

Let's not buckle under pressure

Now I am able to continue running with perseverance the race marked out for me (Heb 12:1), both physically as well as spiritually.

Jesus said: "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away" (Matt 2435). He also said that "everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock" (Matt 7:24).

Notes

1 At the risk of being accused of bad taste, it is worth mentioning that the Nice massacre took place on Bastille Day when the French celebrate 'freedom' wrought through a revolution in which their royal family were mercilessly executed by guillotine. I am not suggesting that divine vengeance was being visited on the victims in Nice. But there is a sense in which the ruthless, merciless spirit that brought 'freedom' to France is still present in the land. I'm not so sure that celebrations are apt for the storming of the Bastille (prison); perhaps France needs to repent for taking the law into their own hands.

2 Engelhard J, Nice Terror: First they came for the Jews, Arutz Sheva, 15 July 2016.

3 Justice, J. Franklin Graham: This Is Why Terrorists Continue to Attack. Charisma News, 5 July 2016.

Is there a connection to France's Israel policy?

Although news of the devastation caused by flooding in France and Germany has rightly elicited both shock and sympathy, I couldn't help connecting it with the new 'peace' efforts Europe is trying to foist on Israel.¹

And it now looks like President Obama will be supporting the French plan to impose Palestinian demands upon Israel.

As I've outlined in my book Peace in Jerusalem² in a chapter headed 'God's political storms' – sparked off by controversy over the floods that beset Britain two years ago – natural disasters have accompanied virtually every attempt by the US Government to impose a 'two-state solution' on the Jewish state which would divide the land in direct contravention of God's word.

For God has made clear that he will judge those who scatter his people among the nations and divide up his land (Joel 3:2). And Psalm 83 paints an accurate picture of the policy and intentions of Israel's enemies, such as Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran, who say, "Come, let us destroy them as a nation, that the name of Israel be remembered no more" (Ps 83:4). And the same psalm calls on the God of Israel to pursue the plotters "with your tempest and terrify them with your storm" (Ps 83:15).

Psalm 83 in Action

George Bush Snr's 'land for peace' Oslo Accord of 31 October 1991 was followed the very next day by 'The Perfect Storm', as it was dubbed, which ended up demolishing his own home. A year later, on the very day he presided over further moves to push this agreement, Hurricane Andrew – the worst natural disaster ever to hit America at that time – destroyed over 180,000 homes in Florida, causing over $30 billion in damage.

There have been a string of similar such incidents including, perhaps most notably, the terrible floods that struck New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, just as Jews were being evicted from their homes in Gaza as part of a 'peace' plan Israel was pressured into accepting by America and the international community.³ But Gaza subsequently became the launch-pad for constant rocket fire aimed at the destruction of Israel, which is the ultimate aim of the Palestinian Authority and its allies.

The politicians may mock, but the Almighty is watching over his own special piece of property, and Western leaders are invoking disasters on their people, costing many lives and billions of dollars. Yet few apparently see the link with their foolish stubbornness in defying the God of Israel.

Call to Repentance

What is God saying in all this? We have various biblical parallels. When the Tower of Siloam fell (Luke 13:1-5), it was not a punishment for the 18 who died but a general warning sign and call to repentance to the nation and, in particular, its leaders. The prophet Amos (see Amos 4) interpreted signs in Israel, progressive in intensity and affecting both the natural world and the lives of the Israelites, as signs that God was sending as a call to repentance.

In a similar way, the signs today are a call to repentance. The painful experiences of floods, and whatever else may befall a nation at the hand of God, can be understood as both the anger and love of God, calling the nations to repent (in this case specifically concerning their treatment of Israel).

Oh that we too – and our leaders – would seek more than anything to obey the Lord of the universe!

References

1 Others have also made this connection, including the Jerusalem News Network and Breaking Israel News.

2 2013, available from www.olivepresspublisher.com.

3 Ibid.

Following on from his article last week, Clifford Hill continues his response to the recent attacks in France.

The huge press coverage of the Paris atrocities and the vast chatter on social media does little more than demonstrate the confusion that has arisen. Neither journalists nor politicians know what to do and the church stays silent.

President Hollande declared to an assembly of French mayors that he is proud of the secularism of France which they will continue to defend by increasing their bombing of the Islamic State.¹ David Cameron wants to join in the bombing and Nicola Sturgeon is reconsidering her position.

Meanwhile leaders of the Islamic State posted their views saying: "In a blessed battle whose causes of success were enabled by Allah, a group of believers from the soldiers of the Caliphate set out targeting the capital of prostitution and vice, the lead carrier of the cross in Europe – Paris...And Allah granted victory upon their hands and cast terror into the hearts of the Crusaders in their very own homeland."²

By contrast the Muslim Council of Great Britain took out full-page advertisements in national newspapers on 19 November stating: "The barbaric acts of Daesh (or ISIS as they are sometimes known) have no sanction in the religion of Islam, which forbids terrorism and the targeting of innocents."

So, Where Does the Truth Lie?

I have lived and worked among Muslims for most of my working life in London and I know that most Muslims are ordinary, decent, peace-loving people - but also that most of them know nothing of the history of Islam and have very little knowledge of the Koran. The young men of the Islamic State are following Muhammad as their example.

Muhammad advocated violence in the 'Second Pledge at Al-Aqabah' through which he unleashed violence against those who refused to accept his new religion. He also used Koran 9.5 which demands conversion on pain of death.

Muhammad himself carried out horrendous acts of cruelty especially against Jews, as in the slaughter of Banu Qurayza in April 627 AD. The whole town had already surrendered to him but Muhammad decided to slaughter all the adult males. Some 800 to 900 captives were beheaded, with Muhammad himself cutting off the heads of two of the Jewish elders. This was justified from the Koran "Some ye slew and ye made captive some. And he (Allah) caused you to inherit their land and their houses and their wealth, and land you have not trodden. Allah is ever able to do all things" (Koran 33.26–27).³

Whilst the proper interpretation of such quotations as the above remains hotly debated amongst scholars, the fact is that they are still being used today to justify killing. We have to leave it to the Muslim scholars to sort out the truth. Clearly they have a problem. The Koran defines me, a Christian, as an 'infidel' so I cannot help them; I can only urge them to study their history and the writings attributed to Muhammad and to define what is valid for today in the 21^st century. There will be no peace in the world until they do this.

Why Has God Allowed This to Happen?

The Western nations and especially Europe have despised their Christian birthright and have deliberately embraced secular humanism and all forms of depraved hedonism. The Queen, at her Coronation in 1953, received a Bible and promised to "maintain the laws of God and the true profession of the gospel". At this time, our nation agreed before God to be, corporately, a Christian nation.

Since then, Britain has forced the Queen to sign laws that break these promises. We are now reaping what we have sown so we no longer have the protection of God over the nation. We have sown the wind and we are reaping the whirlwind. Only repentance and turning to God can make any difference.

In 1953, Britain agreed before God to be a Christian nation. Since then we have broken those promises – and we are now reaping what we have sown.

It may be that God is allowing thousands of Muslims to come into Europe as part of his judgement upon us. But God is able to turn judgement into blessing and already there are reports of hundreds of Muslim refugees accepting Jesus as Lord and Saviour. Europeans are being given the opportunity of witnessing to the truth by showing love and compassion to refugees from war.

In Britain we have made no attempt to teach immigrants the history of our nation and our great Judaeo-Christian heritage. We have not even insisted that they all speak English. This is sheer madness! It drives migrants into cultural ghettos like the suburbs of Paris. Immigration without integration spells disaster!

We have despised our godly heritage while at the same time allowing secular humanists to spread their teachings in our schools and universities and to change the laws of the land to accommodate their perversions of the truth. We have dropped the teaching of the Bible; and our churches have lost their prophetic mission to declare the truth fearlessly.

What Should We Do?

I am grateful to all those who put comments on my article published last Friday. It is so good to have open discussion on these issues that affect the whole nation. Everyone I speak to thinks what happened in Paris will happen in Britain and none of us really knows how to deal with the threat of terrorism - because it's nothing like conventional war. We are dealing with spiritual evil.

The threat to the nation is very real and Christians should be mobilising prayer. A good biblical example is in 2 Chronicles 20 when Jerusalem was threatened by a vast enemy army and the King called the whole nation to prayer which he led, calling upon God for help, "For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you."

The threat to this nation is very real and Christians should be mobilising prayer. God always answers a true prayer of faith, especially when it is accompanied by repentance.

This prayer was wonderfully answered when the enemy army destroyed themselves through internal dissension. God always answers a true prayer of faith: especially when it is accompanied by repentance for our waywardness.

References

1 Paris Attacks: president Hollande addresses French mayors' congress. Youtube video (running time 27:45), France 24.

2 Fisher, M. Here is ISIS' statement claiming responsibility for the Paris attacks. Vox, 24 November 2015.

3 MA Khan, 2011. Islamic Jihad: A Legacy of Forced Conversion, Imperialism and Slavery. iUniverse, p35. Full text available here for free (PDF download).

4 Basilan, M. Muslim refugees converting to Christianity in Berlin church. Christian Post, 8 September 2015.