But what is its spiritual significance?

The Prime Minister deserves our congratulations for her tenacity and skill in reaching agreement with the European Union to enable the Brexit negotiations to proceed to the next stage.

She has certainly worked incredibly hard together with David Davis and the team of negotiators to achieve this breakthrough despite all the derogatory comments of her critics and the wiles of her political opponents and the anti-Brexiteers.

According to reports this morning, Mrs May worked through the night to ensure full agreement on the Irish border before catching a plane from Northolt to Brussels for the final talks with Mr Tusk that resulted in the announcement from both of them that agreement had been reached.

Of course, this does not mean that Britain is finally out of the European Union, but it is a very significant step in that direction, which has been achieved despite enormous opposition from secular humanists determined to keep Britain under the control of the EU. This agreement recognises that Britain will leave the European Union in 15 months’ time, with or without a trade agreement, which has yet to be negotiated. That is the political and social significance of today’s announcement.

The Question Christians Should Ask

The question that Christians will be asking is, what is the spiritual significance of the announcement? If we think back to the Referendum of 2016 our conclusion in this magazine was that the two most significant factors that guided that result were a movement of social change and a powerful spiritual input.

We have said many times in our articles that the Brexit battle is primarily a spiritual battle and evidence of this has certainly been seen.

The social factor was the rising tide of populism in Europe and the USA. In Britain it was the anti-establishment sentiment among ordinary working people that strongly influenced the vote. But of even greater significance was the spiritual factor – the prayers of Bible-believing Christians who were convinced that God was giving the nation an opportunity of shaking off the shackles of the secularist, humanist European Union.

We have said many times in our articles that the Brexit battle is primarily a spiritual battle and evidence of this has certainly been seen as powerful personalities and media commentators have conspired to undermine the negotiations with the EU. But despite all the opposition, against all the odds and forecasts of doom and gloom, agreement has been reached that Britain will leave the European Union.

God’s Blessing?

Is this a sign of God’s blessing? I personally do not think that it is. I believe it is a sign of God’s mercy in the midst of judgment, which is what many Christians have been praying for. We know quite well that Britain is a nation that has despised its Judeo-Christian heritage. Successive governments have followed humanist agendas and deliberately turned away from biblical principles and values that are enshrined in our history.

Nevertheless, the God whom we know as the God of Creation, who holds the nations in his hands and guides their destiny if they put their trust in him, does hear and heed the prayers of his servants, even if they are but a tiny minority. The God who has been revealed to us through the prophets of Israel and supremely through our Lord Jesus Christ is a God who does not depend upon demographic majorities.

In fact, God loves to work through small numbers, as he has demonstrated time and again in history.

I believe that this is not a sign of God’s blessing, but one of mercy in the midst of judgment.

So what of the future? I still cannot pray for a great outpouring of blessings and prosperity upon the nation because I have not yet seen any signs of repentance – or even calls for such repentance from our Church leaders! I can nevertheless give heartfelt thanks to God for his mercy in still watching over this nation and allowing us the opportunity of regaining our sovereignty and having another chance to renounce some of the evil laws that we have put upon the Statute Book in the past 40 years.

There is Hope Yet

The agreement that has been reached today is an historic moment that not only has political and social significance, but has spiritual significance in showing us that God still has a purpose for this nation.

It remains to be seen whether or not our leaders recognise the hand of God in this – even to the extent of putting a little group of Bible-believing Christians, the DUP, holding the balance of power that enables the Government to continue.

Today is a day when we can rejoice greatly in the goodness of God and in his love and mercy. But we should not forget that his kindness is supposed to lead us to repentance (Rom 2:4). Let’s commit afresh to pray for this today.

Free at last? Not quite!!

Free at last! – Well not quite!! What does it mean? What is the future for Britain? We know what Theresa May said on Brexit Day and we know what Donald Tusk said, but what is God saying to us? Are any of our politicians pausing to seek God’s direction at this crucial time in our history – the most challenging time since the end of World War II?

It is quite wrong to look at Brexit as a ‘divorce’ because it was never a ‘marriage’ that the British people entered willingly and joyfully. It was certainly not a marriage made in heaven! We were tricked into a civil partnership and we lost our virginity in Europe! We were led to the altar, bright-eyed and trusting. When we discovered the reality we felt betrayed. The great question is – can we recover from the experience, and what sort of nation will we be?

In 1973, we thought we were simply joining a trading alliance but we were tricked by our politicians. Edward Heath admitted that he knew right at the start that what was being presented to the British people was not true. He didn’t exactly say that it was a con trick, but he certainly admitted that he knew the end result was full social and political union.¹

British Ambassador to the EU Tim Barrow handing over Theresa May's letter formally triggering Article 50. See Photo Credits.We have the opportunity now to create something new – it’s like being born again! But biblically, being born again involves repentance for the past, and committing ourselves to follow a new path – to live a Godly life. Is there even the faintest possibility that this might happen on a national scale for Britain?

Wartime Faith

A lot of commentators are comparing this testing time to the difficult days of World War II when Britain stood alone against the might of the Nazi army. But Britain is a very different nation today! In May 1940 when France had capitulated and it looked as though the whole of our army was trapped on the continent, King George VI called the nation to prayer.

The nation responded with practically every able-bodied man and woman filling the churches and a quarter of a mile-long queue to get into Westminster Abbey. Britain was a nation of faith. We did not all live godly lives but we believed in God and when we fervently cried out for help he responded with the miracle of Dunkirk, when calm seas enabled the small boats to get to the beaches to rescue the soldiers and low cloud shielded them from air attack.

Brexit feels like the chance to be born again as a nation - but biblically, this involves repentance and dedication to God.

The whole nation recognised this as a miracle - it was even acknowledged as such by Prime Minister Winston Churchill in a speech to Parliament. The nation gave thanks to God for answered prayer. People in Britain knew that they were the only ones left in Europe still standing against the vast army and air force of Nazi Germany; but their confidence was in God.

A Christian Nation?

The difference back then, however, was that everyone in Britain had been taught the Bible from infancy. Every school started the day with an act of worship and every day included teaching from Scripture. Most people knew at least some Bible verses as the children were taught to learn Scripture by heart. After Dunkirk many favourite verses were memorised such as:

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)

My grandma had a ‘promise box’ which was like a honeycomb. Each day she took out one of the little folded pieces of paper with a text that gave her a word for the day. I am not saying that Britain was a Godly nation, but it was certainly a Bible-believing and God-fearing nation.

Today, more than half the nation doesn’t even believe in the existence of the God of the Bible and we have a large minority who worship other gods. It would not be possible for the Queen to call the nation to prayer today – who would they pray to? How can the nation know God when they have never heard the Gospel?

We have to face the plain fact that we are no longer a Christian nation.

A lot of commentators are comparing this testing time to the difficult days of World War II – but back then Britain was still a God-fearing nation.

Still Under Judgment

So what hope is there for the future? Will Brexit really bring a blessing? Will Brexit be good for Britain - was it really an answer to prayer?

If we believe Brexit was an answer to the prayers of the faithful remnant of committed Christians left in Britain, then we have to recognise the enormous responsibility that this faithful remnant now bears. The remnant recognised the true spiritual nature of the European Union and the satanic forces that were driving Europe towards an ever-increasing secular humanist and anti-God society.

But it is not enough to recognise the sinful nature of the EU and to rejoice that we are leaving it. We have to recognise the true spiritual state of our own nation. We are a nation under judgment, not least because we have passed many laws that are directly against the word of God - and we cannot blame all these on the EU. Brexit will not get us out of judgment: it is a time of grace, not deliverance.

We lost our way when we drifted from our constitutional position encapsulated in the Queen's Coronation Oath, which was made before God on 2 June 1953. Central to the Oath is the commitment to the utmost of our power to maintain the laws of God and the true profession of the Gospel. Now we have the opportunity to bring that Oath back into the centre of our recovery as a nation - more central than the economy or any other primary motivating principle.

In our democracy, we all share responsibility for the state of the nation because we all have a vote and we all have access to our politicians who are our representatives in Parliament. Most Christians don’t ever bother to look at what our politicians are discussing in Parliament and don’t even bother to pray for them! If we never bother to witness to our MPs and ensure that they know the word of God when they are considering issues of state, then how can we escape the judgment of God ourselves?

Brexit will not get us out of judgment: it is a time of grace, not deliverance.

A New Nation Under God?

If Britain is to be a new nation under God, much depends upon the faithful remnant of believers. Are we prepared to stand firm for the truth even when it’s not politically correct to declare it and we may get strong opposition? How much are we prepared to suffer for the Gospel?

We need to read again the letters to the seven churches in the Book of Revelation because we are facing similar situations today and we need to learn how to become ‘overcomers’.

The Christians in Laodicea, which was the richest town in the region, were lukewarm in their faith and had shut God out of their lives. Is this not the condition of many Christians in Britain? We are like the believers in Laodicea who said “I am rich; I have acquired wealth and I do not need a thing.” God’s response to them was “You are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked” (Rev 3:17).

Many Christians in Britain are quite content with their lives and do little or nothing to share their faith with others. We are just like the Christians of Laodicea – and we don’t even realise it!

If we are among the Christians who voted for Brexit, we carry a responsibility to blow a trumpet of warning in the nation and to make our witness among fellow believers who do nothing about the spiritual state of their unbelieving neighbours. God will hold his Church responsible if Brexit fails to produce a new nation under God.

There are many signs of life in some of Britain’s churches so we must pray that the faithful remnant rises to the challenge and exercises a transforming influence in the nation.

References

1 See here and here.

The furore over Trump and Eurocrat denials of reality have the same spiritual root.

The latest media furore to erupt over President Trump concerns comments he made last weekend about Sweden. Speaking at a rally in Florida, he said “You look at what’s happening in Germany, you look at what’s happening last night in Sweden. Sweden, who would believe this? Sweden. They took in large numbers. They’re having problems like they never thought possible.”¹

Jumping at the chance to debunk his poor choice of wording, the left-wing media were once again given a golden opportunity to make the President look like a fool. Media outlets worldwide exploded with cries of ‘fake news’.

Meanwhile, voices pointing out that there was a legitimate point buried in Trump’s bungled phrasing have largely gone unheard – in fact, in some cases, they seem to have actively been censored.²

The Truth About Sweden

It has since surfaced that Trump was referring to a report by Ami Horowitz on a surge in migrant-related gun violence and rape in Sweden in recent years. Despite attempts by the Swedish establishment and the Western media to ‘debunk’ both Trump’s comments and the Horowitz report, the [little-reported] facts speak for themselves.

Hours after Trump’s comments, violence erupted in Rinkeby, Stockholm with a mob attacking police officers with rocks and setting fire to cars.

Last year, 55 areas of Sweden were marked off as ‘no go’ zones – that is, where police admit that they have lost control.³ The Swedish National Police Commissioner has publicly called for thousands more officers to help cope with unrest in asylum centres.⁴

Voices pointing out that there was a legitimate point buried in Trump’s bungled phrasing have largely gone unheard.

Across the country, an increase in rapes has coincided with the mass influx of migrants (Sweden was named the ‘rape capital of the West’ in 2015⁵), and research shows that migrant men are overrepresented amongst the perpetrators.⁶ Most recently, live-streaming of rapes in Stockholm has been used by Tunisian men to attract others to the city via social media.⁷

Meanwhile, the Swedish political establishment has been accused of trying to hush up the rise in assaults, to avoid boosting support for the right-wing Sweden Democratic party.

Reclaiming Reality

Of course the situation is far from simple – there are also reports of counter-attacks on migrants and refugee centres, as well as violence erupting between migrant gangs.

But that said, the reality of this situation is still not being reported properly in Britain. Our liberal press is far more concerned with having another pop at Trump.⁸

Now, please don’t read me wrong. Sweden isn’t falling apart. Europe is not completely devoid of the rule of law – and nobody is pretending that the plight of genuine refugees should be ignored. However, neither should the darker underbelly of the migrant crisis be denied – for the sake of those being assaulted, and also for the sake of understanding the direction in which Europe is headed.

EU Renewal of Vows

President of the European Council, Donald Tusk. See Photo Credits.

Next month marks the 60^th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome (i.e. the EU’s 60^th birthday), and EU member leaders are being invited to Rome “to renew their wedding vows”,⁹ at a time of unprecedented crisis for the institution.

Earlier this year, President of the European Council Donald Tusk circulated an open letter to the heads of member nations, outlining key threats to the bloc’s future and calling upon members to unite in the face of crisis. On the one hand, the letter is an understandable attempt to rally morale at a difficult time. The EU is facing a number of grave threats, any one of which could cause it irreparable damage.

On the other hand, however, Tusk’s letter exemplifies the extraordinary denial still so rank amongst EU elites, and gives us a clue as to where this might lead. For instance, the rise of populism across the continent, according to Tusk, does not signal that there are genuine issues that need addressing. Instead, key populist objections to the EU are written off as “the rhetoric of demagogues” that needs to be “opposed”.

EU elites still seem to be in denial about the problems facing the institution.

Buried near the end of the letter, in a sea of platitudes about unity, faith (in ‘our achievements’), peace and prosperity, is a very telling call:

We must…take assertive and spectacular steps that would change the collective emotions and revive the aspiration to raise European integration to the next level.

Exactly what kinds of “assertive and spectacular steps” will be tabled, in this last-ditch attempt to hold on to power? And how exactly do those in power plan to “change the collective emotions” to be more in line with the European ideal?

We do not yet know the answers to these questions. However, what we do know is that here, in crystal clear terms, Tusk is suggesting that instead of responding to criticism, the EU should consolidate itself against it. Ignore the masses, keep to the original programme, keep the faith – renew the vows (!).

Common Threads, Common Battle

It is not difficult to trace some common threads here, across the USA and Europe. In both, we are witnessing a sustained reaction from the liberal establishment (in politics, business, the media, etc) against two key things.

First, the reality of the failures of the secular humanist liberal project. By this I mean the real, factual failures of this agenda to improve the lives of ordinary people, whether we are talking about the underbelly of open-door immigration, the effects of multi-faith ‘tolerance’ or the negative impacts of abortion, easy divorce and LGBT advances on family life. The liberal left will not and cannot afford to acknowledge these realities.

Secondly, and as a result of this, they are reacting against those who are calling them out and holding them to account in this – whether individual journalists, academics or politicians, or the ‘populist’ masses on the ground. Tactics here can include anything from media demonisation to the seeding of entire counter-demonstrations.

In both the USA and Europe, we are witnessing a huge backlash from the liberal left against its critics.

In worldly terms, this twofold backlash from those who have long held onto power has been precipitated by various popular rejections of the Western liberal project, including the Brexit vote and the Trump win. Even secular commentators have read events like these as mass expressions of anti-establishment feeling.

In spiritual terms, what we are witnessing is, seemingly, the enemy’s response to God’s shake-up of decades of satanic values and ideals being imposed upon largely unsuspecting populaces, lulled into a false sense of security with talk of ‘unity’, ‘freedom’ and ‘tolerance’. The downright falsity of these man-made ideals is being revealed – for those who have eyes to see and ears to hear.

In this magazine, we have argued that this is God’s direct intervention, shaking the nations and providing Christians with a window of opportunity for the Gospel. But what has come along with that, of course, is a very angry enemy who is writhing and thrashing about, knowing that his time is short (Rev 12:12).

Where Will This Lead?

No wonder, then, that populist movements like Brexit and the Trump victory have faced incessant attempts to derail them. No wonder that there are such common threads to be drawn between the US and Europe at the moment – it is the same spiritual battle cross-cutting the two. Make no mistake: a war is raging right now, for the heart and soul of the West.

Whether the EU survives the present crises, or collapses and is replaced by something else, its underlying vision and spirit will endure. This is because its spirit is one of human pride and self-sufficiency – in fact, it is the perennial spirit of rebellion common to all humans (save One).¹⁰ Those in power, and the purse-strings and agendas fuelling them, will not give up easily – but neither, hopefully, will we.

God has been shaking up decades of satanic values and ideals – and this has made the enemy angry.

For the vital thing to understand is that God’s key weapon in this war is us – ordinary, average Christians. We are the primary vehicle the Lord has chosen to use at this time in the battle for truth and righteousness.

As such, we are not to sit back and watch these huge events unfold on the global scene as if they were nothing to do with us – neither are we meant to become so engrossed in them that we lose perspective and get distracted from God’s call on each of our lives. Like the instruction that Mary, the mother of Jesus, gave to the servants at the wedding of Cana, we should also “do whatever he tells you!” (John 2:5).

Where Can We Start?

And there’s something we can do today! As stated in this week’s Editorial, occult networks are calling members to a worldwide, co-ordinated cursing of Trump, to begin today. This is part of a concerted, demonic effort over the next month to remove him and his team from power (nine of his cabinet of 15 are reportedly evangelical Christians – no doubt part of the reason why the administration is so hated). We urge believers to seek the Lord over this, cover yourself in the full armour of God, and pray positively for the President and his whole team.

References

1 Click here to watch the extract from Trump's speech.

2 Hasson, P. Huffington Post Removes Blog Post Saying Trump Is ‘Absolutely Right’ About Sweden. The Daily Caller, 23 February 2017.

3 Stromme, L. SWEDEN IN CHAOS: Number of ‘no-go zones’ INCREASED as police lose control over violence. The Daily Express, 22 September 2016.

4 Phillips, M. Sloppy words but the substance was true. 23 February 2017.

5 Calrqvist, I and Hedegaard, L. Sweden: Rape Capital of the West. Gatestone Institute, 14 February 2015.

6 Van der Born, V. Swedish professor confirms: "migrants fiercely overrepresented in crime". Gatestone Institute, 23 February 2017.

7 Frankehuis, D. Sweden: Arab men live stream sexual assualt on Facebook. Again. Gatestone Institute, 23 February 2017.

8 As far as I can tell from our mainstream press, and perhaps predictably, only The Telegraph and The Mail have so far dared to offer an alternative perspective on his comments.

9 Barigazzi, J, Herszenhorn, DM and de La Baume, M. Tusk calls on EU countries to renew their wedding vows. Politico, 2 January 2017.

10 That’s why the EU places such an emphasis on integration, on oneness – because it is built on a rejection of the worship of a totally separate God – it worships itself and depends upon itself instead. Power, prosperity, wealth and happiness are all to be found from inside the humanist programme.