Discerning the signs of our times amidst massive structural shifts

How to do ‘church’ at home

Our picks and yours…

August can be an ideal month to catch up on some reading, as we enjoy a break from other commitments and the pace of life slows slightly (at least for some!). If you are looking for some reading material that beats the poolside novels currently swamping Britain’s bookshops, below you’ll find our pick of the books we have reviewed on Prophecy Today so far this year – as well as the top three most popular with our readers.

Our Picks

Walk the Emmaus Road with Lois Tverberg as she shows how a Hebraic perspective can transform our understanding of the Bible in Reading the Bible with Rabbi Jesus, the third in a worthy series on the Jewishness of our Saviour.

Whether or not you have already embarked on this journey of discovery, we recommend David Hoffbrand’s book The Jewish Jesus, which not only provides this transformative perspective on the Messiah, but also asks how it ought to affect us practically, as members of the ‘One New Man’ community of faithful Jews and Gentiles.

For those seeking just such a practical challenge, we commend Dan Lucarini’s It’s Not About the Music, which will shake up your attitude to worship (both personal and corporate) with a resolute call for reform and a return to scriptural ideals.

Or, why not take the plunge and allow God to examine your attitude to that most basic of issues – money? In his accessible and comprehensive book Money: The Great Deception, Gottfried Hetzer brings Kingdom principles to bear on the global financial system, including plenty of practical, personal advice for Christians seeking to handle their money more biblically. In a similar vein, Randy Alcorn’s compact challenge to our giving habits in The Treasure Principle has been described by our Resources Editor as “worth its weight in gold, and more”.

For those hoping to use the summer holidays to better equip themselves on hot-button cultural issues, look no further than the sterling work being published by Wilberforce Publications, CARE and Sovereign World. Zooming out to the global level, David Cross’s What’s Wrong with Human Rights? exposes the false ideology which has helped produce our individualistic, entitled culture.

Closer to home, Walter R. Schumm takes on the gender ideology juggernaut with his scholarly review of literature on same-sex parenting and its impacts on children, Same-Sex Parenting Research, a thoroughly worthwhile investment for those wanting to arm themselves with specific details on this subject.

Finally, are you aware of the extent to which science fiction is rapidly becoming science fact? On the increasingly important subject of artificial intelligence, Professor Nigel Cameron is a leading thinker seeking to help Christians get ‘smart’ when it comes to technology. The Robots Are Coming is a ‘must read’ on today’s technological developments and what they mean for humanity and our relationship with God, while God and My Mobile presents a more personal challenge about how Christians should handle the digital revolution – ideal to read with the family in mind, as well as oneself. Both (at the time of writing) are currently being offered by CARE at a discount price.

Most Loved by You

Two of our 2019 book reviews that have been most popular with Prophecy Today readers have been secular offerings. Take former BBC journalist and executive Robin Aitken on holiday with you for a cathartic read on BBC bias in The Noble Liar, an insider’s exposé of our national broadcaster’s ingrained ideological slant.

Or enjoy a hard-hitting, in-depth modern political history of Britain and an uncompromising review of Labour’s radically Marxist leader in investigative journalist Tom Bower’s biography of Jeremy Corbyn, Dangerous Hero.

Finally, in case you somehow missed our review of ‘the most important book you’ve never heard of’, here’s your second chance to discover the Didache, the ancient instruction manual which illuminates how the early Church did discipleship.

Have a blessed and fruitful summer!

Brief reviews of treasures both new and old.

Paul Luckraft sets us up for summer with a selection of mini-reviews.

A Fresh Understanding of Israel (Ed. Adam Raffell and Jacob Vince, 2017)

This slim volume, commissioned by Love Never Fails, contains seven short chapters by different writers, including David Noakes, Stephen Briggs and Alex Jacobs. Each chapter has a key question as its title and the words ‘fresh understanding’ in the overall title indicates that the approach is to counter the prevailing negative assessment of Israel within most Christian circles.

The chapters include what made the people of Israel significant in the first place, what role the Promised Land plays, and a consideration of 'Is Israel still ‘Israel’?' All the chapters are excellent summaries of the topics covered, perhaps the best being 'Did the disciples stop being ‘Jews’?'

The book ends with a full reading list both on a chapter by chapter basis and of other specific perspectives not covered in the chapters. This is an easy read and ideal to pass on to someone not yet aware of the importance of Israel.

‘A Fresh Understanding of Israel’ (70 pages) is available from CFI for £5.

The Mighty and the Almighty: How Political Leaders Do God (Ed. Nick Spencer, biteback publishing, 2017)

This is an intriguing book which explores why in a secular age so many politicians and world leaders profess a Christian faith. It also asks key questions: how sincere is this faith? Does (or did) their faith shape their politics, or does (did) their politics shape their faith? And if so, how?

The book covers 24 political figures of the past forty years, from Thatcher and Reagan, through Mandela and Clinton, to May and Trump, bringing it right up to date. Others featured include Tony Blair, George W Bush, Angela Merkel, Barack Obama and David Cameron. But there are also several surprises (Vaclav Havel, Vladimir Putin) and even some relative unknowns, which creates an intriguing mix overall. Inevitably such a book can never include more than a small sample of world leaders over such a period but it is still a worthwhile project.

There are 13 contributors rather than a single author, but each chapter follows a similar structure: introduction, some biographical and background details, analysis of their faith and politics, conclusion. The book closes with a final conclusion by the editor.

Tim Farron is not one of those featured, but his recent resignation as leader of the Liberal Democrats makes this a timely book. His resignation would have been too late to be included anyway, but he does get a mention at the very start of the introduction. The editor recalls a fringe meeting of the Labour Party conference at which a well-known Labour MP reacted to Farron’s election as party leader in 2015 by attacking not his policies but his fundamental religious beliefs as “an evangelical Christian who believes in the literal truth of the Bible” - the implication being that Farron would have to hide this in order to avoid embarrassment. Now read on…!

‘The Mighty and the Almighty’ (348 pages, hardback) is available from the publisher for £18.99. Also available as an e-book.

The Strange Death of Europe (Douglas Murray, Bloomsbury, 2017)

The title sums it up! Europe is dying and this strange phenomenon needs an explanation. The author contends that the whole continent is engaging in an act of collective suicide due to two simultaneous factors, namely that the mass movement of peoples into Europe is being allowed at the same time as Europe is losing faith in its beliefs, traditional values and cultural heritage. No longer internally strong enough to absorb a mass influx of peoples of different cultures, Europe has set itself on a course that will change it irrevocably.

The subtitle, ‘Immigration, Identity, Islam’, indicates the main aspects under scrutiny. It is their interaction which is creating the conditions for a successful cultural/religious transformation. The book is well-researched with plenty of evidence to support the thesis of the author who has also travelled widely across the continent to provide first-hand reports and eye-witness accounts.

Are you optimistic or pessimistic about Europe? Will it survive its current crisis? This may not be an overtly Christian book but it does contain an intelligent and thought-provoking analysis which if correct is deeply significant for Christians. Those with godly ears will hear what God is saying about Europe and its future.

‘The Strange Death of Europe’ (344 pages) is available from the publisher for £17.09 (paperback).

Re-discovering treasures from the past….

The Grace Outpouring (Roy Godwin and Dave Roberts, David C Cook, 2008, re-published 2012)

In this powerful and inspiring book Roy Godwin shares how he turned down a lucrative consulting job to lead the retreat centre Ffald-y-Brenin tucked away in a remote part of Pembrokeshire. His uncertainty on what would happen next was answered by God in an amazing way. People simply turned up, not always knowing why. But God did. “God gave us an answer as he sent people to us and met with them through prayers of blessing and the sheer wonder of finding themselves in his presence” (p45).

Over the years God has drawn thousands of seekers to this converted hill-farm where his healing and power is tangible and life-transforming. This book relates many fascinating stories of God’s work on a remote Welsh hillside as well as inspiring insights into how God can work in readers’ own communities. Highly commended.

‘The Grace Outpouring’ (185 pages) is available from Ffald-y-Brenind-y-Brenin for £8.99, where you can also purchase a newer book by Roy Godwin called 'The Way of Blessing'. Find out more about Ffald-y-Brenin on their website.

Jesus is the Question (Martin Copenhaver, Abingdon Press, 2014)

It is well known that asking questions was central to Jesus’ teaching, but not many of us will have studied them in detail or given enough thought to how powerful they are. This book is an excellent way to remedy this.

The book contends that Jesus is not so much the Answer Man as the Great Questioner. In the Gospels Jesus asks many more questions than he answers. To be precise, we are told that Jesus asks 307 questions, while he is asked 183 of which he only answers eight of them directly (some have argued only three). You can do your own count, but there is a useful chapter which focuses on these eight.

The book is well written, containing solid Biblical teaching illustrated by many examples from the author’s pastoral ministry. The final chapter contains a digest of about half of Jesus’ questions and suggestions for how these could be studied as a group. There is also an appendix containing a chapter-by-chapter readers’ guide, which of course consists of more questions for us to consider!

How well do we know Jesus? We will know him much better once we hear him question us. “Whatever else it means to follow Jesus, it certainly means letting Jesus’ questions guide our lives, rather than our own questions. Following Jesus is living the questions that Jesus asks” (p130). Highly commended.

‘Jesus is the Question’ (160 pages) is available from Amazon for £5.65.

Great Britain has fallen! (2002) and Awake! Great Britain (2005), both by Wale Babatunde

These two books by Wale Babatunde remain very relevant for our nation today and are worth picking up second hand.

When ‘Great Britain has fallen!’ first appeared Clifford Hill wrote the following endorsement:

“Wale Babatunde has produced an eminently worthwhile book, timely, well researched and with a prophetic ring of truth. From bishops to lay preachers, all who preach the Word of God in British churches should read this book. Through the eyes of an African Christian it brings a godly perspective on our ungodly land, but does so with grace and humility, as well as with hope for the future. I warmly commend it.”

Available from Amazon very cheaply.

The House that God Built: 100 years of God’s Working in the Congo (David Womersley, CAM International, 2015) – review by Maureen Trowbridge.

Throughout this book we learn about the marvellous way in which ‘God built His house’ in the Congo. It is a wonderful example of God’s amazing grace working through his people in the great pioneer African mission work Congo Evangelistic Mission (now CAM International). At its height they were responsible for 5,000 churches and fellowships. In spite of external pressures, civil war, diseases, persecution and even martyrdom, God won the lives of multitudes of men, women, boys and girls to follow Christ in a wonderful way.

David Womersley writes in a most moving and enthralling way about the everyday lives of his parents and other pioneer missionaries, up to the present day. It is very inspiring and exciting to read some of the events that occurred in the lives of those missionaries, of the people who became Christians and worked with them for the Lord, of the many miracles that happened and the schools and a Bible College which were founded.

I could not put this book down because I wanted to know what transpired next – so many things were happening as the chapters unfolded, some joyful, others sad – all moving! It is also full of good illustrations and photographs.

A compelling read - I would certainly recommend it.

‘The House That God Built’ is available from CAM International for £5 plus £1.50 P&P. Order by getting in touch with the office, or through the ‘Donate now’ button on this page.

Overwhelmed by the never-ending flood of information and opinion in circulation about the EU Referendum? Help is at hand!

Here is a roundup of helpful resources that we have come across, along with a short overview for each one, so you can decide what it would be most helpful for you to read, watch or share with others. Materials added since last week are in a different colour.

N.B. The materials included here are largely in support of a vote to leave the EU, even though some are published by organisations that have chosen to remain impartial on the whole. It is our firm conviction that a vote 'Leave' is the right way forward for Britain, before God.

If you are looking for resources to support a vote to remain, we recommend Christian Concern's resource list, which features material from both sides of the debate.

READ

Have less than an hour? Read...

• A Christian Case for Leaving the European Union - Duncan Boyd, Protestant Truth Society. Well-argued booklet covering the origins and structure of the EU and current issues in the Referendum debate from a biblical perspective. Available to purchase from the Protestant Truth Society for £1 for single copies. Click here for sample pages and a shorter leaflet version.
• Maranatha Community's call to prayer over the Referendum: What is God's Will for Britain?
• A Christian Perspective on the European Union and the Referendum - Intercessors for Britain. Insightful booklet connecting the rise of the EU with historic empires and discussing issues of citizenship, sovereignty and nationalism from a biblical perspective. Available online but unsuitable for printing – hard copies can be ordered on a donations basis from Intercessors for Britain.
• The Biblical Case for Brexit – Pastor Peter Simpson, Penn Free Methodist Church. Excellent booklet laying out six reasons why Britain should leave the EU on biblical grounds, covering issues like borders, financial management, nationhood and trust in God. Thoroughly recommended. £3.20 for three copies – click here to buy.
• The June/July 2016 issue of HEART News. Features many well-written articles on the Referendum as well as information about local prayer meetings in the South-East. HEART is a Christian outreach paper circulated widely in churches in the South-East, and elsewhere. Some articles are available on the HEART website, where there is also information about subscriptions.

Time no object? You might enjoy...

• Babylon in Europe – David Hathaway. Small book making links between the EU and Bible prophecy and unpacks the deliberate exclusion of God from the EU's constitution and foundational principles. See below for information about David's accompanying film, 'The Rape of Europe'. Click here for our review of Babylon in Europe, and information on purchasing.

For ease of access, here is a full list of all the articles we have published on Prophecy Today UK concerning the EU Referendum, in order of most recent publication.

• A Nation Under God? (Dr Clifford Hill)
• After the Referendum: What Might Our Nation Become? (Dr Clifford Denton)
• Prophetic Call to "Come Out of Europe!" (Charles Gardner)
• D'Day For Europe (Dr Clifford Hill)
• The Threat to British Justice (Dr Clifford Hill)
• Defence of the British Parliament (Viscount Tonypandy)
• Rigging the Referendum? (Dr Clifford Hill)
• Integration Into EU Would Betray Coronation Oath (Dr Clifford Denton)
• Life and Prosperity (Dr Clifford Hill)
• The Referendum: An Exercise in Bullying (Dr Clifford Hill)
• 'Come Out of Her My People': Beyond the EU Referendum (Dr Clifford Denton)
• Boris Bashing (Dr Clifford Hill)
• Britain and Europe: Meltdown and Mission (Dr Peter Carruthers)
• Why Should We Leave the EU? (Helen Belton)
• The Great Debate (Dr Clifford Hill)

WATCH

Have less than an hour? Watch...

• The EU & Magna Carta: The Price of Freedom. Documentary by former lawyers Roger and Kate Stanway, about the nature of the EU and how it impacts upon our own constitution, laws and freedoms. What is the future for British national identity – and even the monarchy – if we remain in the EU? An excellent exploration of the issues we face today. Watch online for free. Runs just over half an hour. Accompanying video series (2015) on the Magna Carta also available.
• A Christian Perspective on the EU and the Referendum. 12 minute Youtube video from Intercessors for Britain, laying out six key debate questions from a biblical point of view.
• Series of short Youtube videos from Christian Voice, narrated by Stephen Green. Covering various aspects of the EU from a biblical perspective. Each less than four minutes long. See the Christian Voice Youtube channel.

Have time for a feature-length film? We recommend...

• Magna Carta Unlocked - Sceptred Isle Productions. Five-episode historical series looking at Britain's heritage through Magna Carta and its impacts down through the centuries. How can we decide our future regarding Europe unless we understand our past? Watch the trailer, stream online (£2 per episode or £5 for all five) or buy the DVD for £12.50 - all on the Magna Carta Unlocked website.
• The Rape of Europe – David Hathaway. Feature-length film proposing a biblical understanding of the EU. Available on Youtube.
• Brexit the Movie. Well-made, feature-length campaign documentary supporting a vote to leave. Secular in perspective. Covers issues of democracy, bureaucracy, trade, the EU's history and its future. Crowd-funded by over 1,800 members of the public. Watch online for free, or click here for details of local screenings, or to host your own. Runs just over an hour (can be watched in shorter segments on the official website). Also available on Youtube.

GO

There are several of meetings happening up and down the country for Christians to pray and discuss the Referendum from a biblical perspective. Here are a few that we know of – do get in touch if you know of others we can feature!

BIRMINGHAM, Saturday 18 June. Every Vote Counts: prayer for the Referendum. Birmingham City Church, The Parade, B1 2QQ. 10:30am-3pm. World Prayer Centre event.

BIRMINGHAM, Thursday 23 June. The World Prayer Centre Prayer room will be open from 9:30-11:30am for those who would like to come and pray for the Referendum on voting day. Cornerstone House, 5 Ethel St, B2 4BG.

BRISTOL, Thursday 23 June. Prayer for Europe. From 5:00pm-10:00pm at Keynsham Elim Church, Balmoral Road, Keynsham, Bristol, BS31 1AL. Please register your interest here.

ESSEX, Wednesday 22 June. Prayer for the nation and the Referendum. 9am-1pm and 6-9pm at St Mary's, Dock Road, Little Thurrock, Grays, Essex, RM17 6EX. More information here.

KENT, Saturday 18 June. Prayer event in conjunction with Thanet PrayerNet. From 7-9pm, Newington Free Church, St John's Avenue, Ramsgate, Kent, CT12 6JD. More details here.

LINCOLNSHIRE, Saturday 18 June. A time of fasting and prayer focusing on the Referendum, organised by Mike and Pat Doherty. 10:30am for an 11am start. The Pavilion, Cleethorpes, DN35 8AB. Register your interest by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

LONDON, Saturday 18 June. Intercessors for Britain prayer day. Speakers to include Adrian Hilton, author of 'The Principality and Power of Europe'. 10:30am-6pm, Regents Hall (Salvation Army), Oxford Street, London, W1C 2DJ. Contact Intercessors for Britain for more information.

LONDON, Saturday 18 June. Prayer event in conjunction with Britain Prayer Court. 10am-2pm at the Emmanuel Centre, 9 Marsham St, Westminster, London SW1P 3DW. Click here for more details and to RSVP.

As we draw our series on Christianity's relationship with Israel and the Jews to a close, here is a roundup of the sources which have been featured in its articles.

All the books listed here come recommended as resources for study - whether for reference or for reading in full. Sources that have been used more extensively in the series are highlighted in bold.

To help consolidate the series, we have also compiled a select timeline of historic events and trends which, in one way or another, affected relationships between Christians and Jews. Please feel free to use this as a resource for personal or group study.

Bibliography

Bacchiocchi, S, 1977. From Sabbath to Sunday, Pontifical Gregorian University Press Rome.
Berkhof, L, 1984. Systematic Theology, Banner of Truth.
Berman, J, 1985. Popular Halachah: A Guide to Jewish Living, World Conference on Jewish Origins.
Booker, R, 2002. No Longer Strangers, Sound of the Trumpet.
Bullinger, E W, 1968. Figures of Speech Used in the Bible, Baker.
Carroll, J, 1993. Humanism: The Wreck of Western Culture, Fontana.
Comfort, P W (Ed), 1992. The Origin of the Bible, Tyndale House.
Danby, H, 1933. Mishnah, Oxford.
Davies, W D, 1980. Paul and Rabbinic Judaism, Fortress.
Davies, W D, 1984. Jewish and Pauline Studies, Augsburg.
Dodd, C H, 1936. Apostolic Preaching, Harper.
Dowley, T, 1999. Life in Bible Times, Candle Books.
Eban, A, 1984. Heritage: Civilisation of the Jews, Wedenfeld & Nicolson.
Edersheim, A, 1994. Sketches of Jewish Social Life, Hendrickson.
Encyclopedia Judaica, (17 volumes plus yearbooks. Also available on DVD), Keter.
Feinberg, M, undated. Daily Life in the Time of Jesus, Palphot.
Flannery, E H, 1985. The Anguish of the Jews, Paulist Press.
Flusser, D, 1988. Judaism and the Origins of Christianity, Magnes Press.
Flusser, D, 1989. Jewish Sources in Early Christianity, MOD Books.
Garr, J D, 1989. Restoring Our Lost Legacy, Golden Key Books.
Gower, R, 1987. New Manners and Customs of Bible Times, Moody.
Holtz, B W, 1984. Back to the Sources: Reading the Classic Jewish Texts, Simon & Schuster.
Jagersma, H, 1985. History of Israel to Bar Kochba, SCM.
Jocz, J, 1979. The Jewish People and Jesus Christ, Baker.
Kjer-Hansen, K, 1996. Jewish Identity and Faith in Jesus, Caspari Center.
Kopciowski, E, 1988. Praying With the Jewish Tradition, Eeerdmans.
Lull, F (Ed), 1989. Luther's Basic Theological Writings, Fortress.
Mansoor, M, 1984. Biblical Hebrew Volume 1, Baker.
Martin, V, 1995. A House Divided: The Parting of the Ways between Synagogue and Church, Paulist Press.
Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho, The Ante-Nicene Fathers Vol 1, Eerdmans, 1993.
Origen, Against Celsus, The Anti-Nicene Fathers Vol 4, Eerdmans 1993.
Stern, D, 1988. Restoring the Jewishness of the Gospel, Jewish New Testament Publications.
Stern, D, 1991. Messianic Jewish Manifesto, Jewish New Testament Publications.
Suetonias, Lives of the Twelve Caesars, Wordsworth Classic, 1997.
Tacitus, Annals of Imperial Rome, Penguin, 1956.
Warfield, B B, 1956. Calvin and Augustine, Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company.
Whiston, W, undated. Josephus: Wars of the Jews, Nimmo, Haig and Mitchell.
Wilson, M R, 1991. Our Father Abraham, Eerdmans.

See also www.tishrei.org for articles from various authors.

Today, Prophecy Today publishes its 30^th review since the magazine went live in April. What will you be reading over Christmas?

Our goal has been to review books and resources that will be of interest to the discerning Christian. As Christmas approaches, why not look back through our reviews - and perhaps even let them inspire you to make some purchases? To encourage you in your reading endeavours, here is a brief note from the editor of St Andrew's Christian Bookshop.

A Note from St Andrew's Bookshop

Over the last year I have discovered some alarming facts; not only is the number of Christian books being sold still in decline, but when a Christian bookshop closes very little of its sales are picked up by nearby bookshops – possibly up to 95% is lost. A recent Evangelical Alliance survey on Bible reading reported that people under 44 years old read the Bible on average 40% less than people over 44 years old (I would suspect a survey on the reading of Christian books would be even more telling!). And when discussing all this with the Right Revd. John Pritchard, the former Bishop of Oxford, he stated that he believes many Christians are now 'religiously illiterate'! If the church is not reading Christian books it is missing out on a rich vein of spiritual knowledge and information to help us understand what we believe and why.

So what does this all mean for us in our bookshop ministry?

For me it has been both releasing and exciting that the decline of the Christian bookshop is not inevitable.

Yes, the market has changed. Many of us have to accept the collapse of sales from Sunday School prize-giving, the decline of church hymnbook sales as churches move to the big screen, and the gradual end of many regular church bookstalls.

The challenge ahead for all of us in Christian retailing is to help the church to rediscover the value of Christian books. We want to dispel the myth that it is always cheaper and quicker to buy book on-line rather than from your Christian bookshop (we can often give a quicker and better service). We are also working to encourage church leaders to regularly recommend books when they preach, and to consider having suggested books to read with each teaching series I believe that people are hungry to be fed but don't know what to read. When books are recommended, people buy them, read them and lives are changed.

Be encouraged – the end is NOT inevitable. BOOKS DO CHANGE LIVES!

So when you're making choices about what gifts will most bless your loved ones this Christmas, why not reject the socks and the bubble bath, and choose something to encourage, inspire, challenge, grow...Choose a Christian book!

St Andrew's Bookshop

Re-printed with kind permission.