Christian love for Israel displayed on Welsh heights

Beautiful feet have once again ascended the mountains of Wales to announce good news for the people of Israel.

For the fourth year running, the North Wales-based Fathers House Sabbath Congregation has incorporated a strong message about Christian support for Israel with a great deal of fun, at the same time bringing extra meaning to the Prophet Isaiah’s statement: "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news…who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’" (Isa 52:7).

Wonderful Display of Advocacy

Christians from Holland joined believers from the Shotton, Deeside, congregation as they ran or walked 8km across the lovely Clwydian range carrying Israeli flags and dressed in Run for Israel t-shirts. The event was followed by a barbecue at a nearby mountain orchard.

Fathers House pastor Mike Fryer explained: “This mountain range draws over three quarters of a million walkers a year from all over the world and the wonderful display of Christian advocacy for Israel was seen by tourists who had come to visit.

“There was of course the odd anti-Semitic comment but the majority of tourists thanked the participants for such fun-loving and passionate support for Israel. Israeli flags and directional signs with Israeli insignia, displayed throughout the area, were left undamaged – re-enforcing the understanding among leaders of the event that anti-Semitism is a minority view in Wales for whom Israel is generally seen as a respected nation.”

Mike’s statement is borne out by a colleague of mine who tours churches around the UK teaching on God’s purposes for the Jews and finds the people of Wales particularly knowledgeable and responsive.

9^th Av

In another show of support for Israel, Christians are taking part this weekend in an initiative called the Nations’ 9^th Av – a date on the Hebrew calendar associated with many tragedies and thus used as a traditional day of Jewish mourning (falling in 2019 on this weekend, 11 August).

Followers of Jesus are using it as an opportunity to confess and pray through the atrocities committed against the Jewish people in the name of Christianity over the past 2,000 years.

Find out more at https://9-av.com/. 

Revisiting the Welsh Revival during a conference at the Bible College of Wales (Part II).

As I continue my report on our visit to the Bible College of Wales and the nearby birthplace of the Welsh Revival, it seemed apt that my wife and I, along with my son’s family, should visit the famous Alnwick Garden in Northumberland the following week.

For the stunning spectacle of its cascading fountains beautifully reflected the purity and power of God’s presence we had experienced on the Gower Peninsula.

It was also at Alnwick that I came across the following inscription carved into stone: “Only dead fish swim with the stream.”

The likes of Rees Howells, the college founder who played a significant role in the revival, made a huge difference to the world because they swam against the tide, as the Bible urges us to do – specifically, “Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world…” (see Romans 12:1-2).

The cascading fountains of Alnwick Garden in Northumberland, reflecting the purity and power of God’s presence we experienced on the Gower Peninsula the previous week. See Photo Credits.One of his big challenges as he sought God’s leading on personal intercession was when the Lord told him to go hatless in order to reflect a permanent attitude of prayer. This, in 1909, went very much against the grain; in fact, it was unheard of for men to go about without a head covering. And he confessed to having had a tremendous struggle with obeying this particular call.

Fashion enslaves people into ‘keeping up appearances’ rather than pleasing God with acts of faith and devotion. But in this and other ways, Rees learnt to become ‘dead to the world’ and all its influences and expectations; he no longer cared that some would no doubt have considered his strange behaviour as somewhat fanatical (standing up for sexual morality and the sanctity of life is now generally considered unacceptable).

Hatikvah Films, who have already produced a string of inspiring documentaries on Israel’s place in God’s purposes as well as other Christian endeavours, are planning to make a movie called Surrender on the Rees Howells story, according to staff member Stephen Briggs, who also addressed the conference.

The likes of Rees Howells made a huge difference to the world because they swam against the tide, as the Bible urges us to do.

Investments for the Future

Among other participants was former student David Dare, now 80, from Lyme Regis in Dorset, who spoke of life-changing times under the ministry of Samuel Howells, son of Rees. David and his wife Rosemary now host intercessory prayer meetings four times a week.

Further testimonies shared included that of Tara, a seven-times married young woman whose story is told in Gangster’s Girl, soon due out from Penguin Books.

Dr Harry Schmidt, a Bible college principal from Chicago, told the remarkable story of how his wife had led him to the altar twice – initially at the age of 12 when she took him to the front of the rather cramped church to give his life to Jesus. Because there was not much room, he knelt at the corner of the piano stool where he wept buckets as he wiped his tears on the dress of the pianist, who was later to become his mother-in-law!

After falling into disrepair and closing in 2009, the Swansea college site was reclaimed from developers, refurbished and then re-opened in 2015 thanks to a £5 million cash injection from Singapore pastor Yang Tuck Yoong in honour of British missionaries and the revival legacy.

The standard of singing was already high, as you would expect in Wales, but took off into heavenly realms when opera star Huw Priday took the microphone and treated us to glorious renditions of classic numbers including I’ll Walk with God.

Huw believes we are in for a period of great darkness ahead, and that we will need to stand firm in the faith to be ready to care for the many broken people who will flock to the Saviour. Having left a glittering career to commit himself full-time to Gospel ministry, he has an inspiring vision to help reach this generation through classical music.

Bucket-Loads of Blessings

The conference was not short on humour, being graced with the presence of gospel singer Bryn Yemm, a terrific entertainer who had us in fits of laughter even though not actually performing. An award-winning artist who has travelled the world, he has a special love for Israel, having led cruise ship tours from Haifa when he boldly witnessed to Jews about their Messiah.

Linda and I stayed at Nicholaston House, a beautiful Christian retreat some ten miles down the Gower Peninsula, and we had a magical view of the beach at Oxwich Bay. It was a vision of the Gower Peninsula, an area of outstanding natural beauty, that had originally acted as confirmation that I should accept the invitation to attend this conference.

We are in for a period of great darkness ahead, and that we will need to stand firm in the faith to be ready to care for the many broken people who will flock to the Saviour.

A friend with whom we had stayed in Cwmbran, South Wales, before heading for Swansea, had correctly predicted that we would experience ‘bucket-loads of blessings’ and it seemed apt that the long drought was broken by rain – later bucketing down – as we drove to the college via the M4 motorway.

Our Welsh experience finished, fittingly, with a stop to see old friends in Brecon who were missionaries to Bolivia and whose daughters are now following in their footsteps to Colombia and Rwanda. All the family are, like Abraham, still living by faith, not knowing where they are going next, but trusting in the Lord for every step of the way, which had proved to be the theme of the conference.

It seemed entirely appropriate, when we finally arrived back in Yorkshire at the end of our 250-mile journey from Swansea, to learn from TV news coverage of a new hero from Wales, Geraint Thomas, following his epic win in the Tour de France, cycling’s premier event. Will leading the world in this hugely challenging physical pursuit soon be eclipsed at a spiritual level as wells of revival are once more unblocked in Wales?

“In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths” (Prov 3:6). We had been on an epic journey ourselves as we continue to discover more about the perfect way to live!

Notes

Additional material sourced from Rees Howells – Intercessor by Norman Grubb, published by Lutterworth Press.

Read Part I of this report by clicking here.

Christians are running to declare their support for Jews.

Welsh Christians are taking to the mountains for which their country is famous to declare their support for embattled Israel and British-based Jews.

Led by former Israeli Defence Force commander Matan Dansker, members and supporters of the Fathers House Sabbath Congregation in Shotton, Deeside, will participate in an 8km run along the beautiful Clwydian Range in North Wales with persecuted Christians also in mind.

Fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy, “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news” (Isa 52:7), it follows a similar event last year and will be part of a weekend of activities from 3-5 August at which Mr Dansker, who fought in Gaza, will speak about what is happening in the Jewish state.

Congregational leader Michael Fryer is determined to respond to the rising hatred of Jews in the UK, where the official opposition Labour Party has adopted a watered-down definition of anti-Semitism.

He said: “This is of great concern to us all, so we are highlighting the issues faced by the Jewish community here along with the anti-Israel rhetoric – and an Israeli flag will again be flown at the highest point on the mountain.”

He adds: “Christians are also facing unprecedented persecution in many Asian, African and Middle Eastern countries with mass slaughter and rape being reported in Nigeria. At the same time, the basic tenets of our Judeo-Christian faith are being eroded even here in the UK where Christians are being prosecuted for refusing to comply with immoral practices.

“Fathers House stands shoulder to shoulder with the Jewish community in the UK and we support a number of charitable programmes in Israel. We also support pastors and orphanages in India and Myanmar [Burma] and will hear from those directly involved with these initiatives during this gathering. We will also have a video link with an orphanage in Myanmar during which our children will share with their counterparts in song and drama.”

For more information, see www.fathershouse.wales – details of the run’s location will be given out on request to those wishing to take part, whether running or walking.

Photos of last year's run. Left: runners celebrate their achievement. Right: cheerleaders encourage competitors.

It is always the right time to seek revival among the body of believers.

Christians ascend Welsh heights in support of Israel.