Reflections on Donald Trump’s criminal conviction

The spiritual and prophetic significance of San Remo

How will God deal with Britain?

An incredible battle is raging over Britain. It is raging in the heavenlies above, and on the earth below, where it is centred upon our Parliament. Our MPs are in total disarray, fighting each other and not understanding the battle. Few of them realise that they are being driven by the powers of darkness intent on destroying this great nation that has turned its back upon God and despised its spiritual heritage.

The battle in the House of Commons is being fought between those who want to see Britain free from the European Union and those who want to see Britain continue enslaved to the rules and regulations of Brussels. It is as simple as that. But most of our MPs have no understanding of spiritual warfare and do not perceive the forces of darkness that are moving them like pawns on a chess board, driving them to destruction.

Come Out and Be Separate

The Prime Minister appears to have panicked under pressure and turned to Jeremy Corbyn, a notorious Marxist atheist, as her saviour, in a last-ditch attempt to get her deal approved by Parliament. As a professed Christian, has she never read the warnings in Scripture about being unequally yoked with unbelievers? The teaching of Paul could not be clearer:

Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? (2 Corinthians 6:14-15).

In verse 17 Paul urges “Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord.” This is an instruction that all our MPs should take to heart in dealing with Brexit. Undoubtedly, the best outcome for Britain and the most feared outcome for the EU is that we leave next Friday without a deal. But if that cannot be achieved, provided we leave with any kind of deal that leaves us free to make changes in the future, that would be better than a long delay with the possibility of never getting away at all, which is the objective of the majority in our present House of Commons.

Undoubtedly, the best outcome for Britain and the most feared outcome for the EU is that we leave next Friday without a deal.

Egypt…or Babylon?

A number of commentators, including prominent politicians, have compared the present situation with the time of Moses and the release of the Children of Israel from slavery in Egypt. But this is not the best biblical analogy, because we are not having to fight the EU for our freedom, as Moses fought Pharaoh. We are having to fight the morally corrupt and spiritually blind Members of our own Parliament, who do not understand the issues that face them.

A more instructive biblical analogy is the release of the faithful remnant of Israel and Judah from Babylon in 538 BC. Babylon had fallen to the Persians whose Emperor, Cyrus, issued a decree freeing all political prisoners. The people of Israel were free to return to the land of their forefathers, to rebuild Jerusalem and to restore the shattered economy, social structure, and towns and villages across the land.

A wonderful new opportunity was presented to Israel if they could face the one-thousand-mile trek across difficult country and undertake the great task of reconstruction and renewal. For many who had become comfortable in exile, the offer of freedom in the Promised Land was rejected for the fleshpots of Babylon. They were too comfortable and prosperous to risk embarking on an uncertain future.

But for those who had faith and vision and were prepared to put their trust in God, a wonderful new opportunity was presented. They obeyed the call to come out from Babylon and totally put their trust in God for the future. They were the faithful remnant who God would use to rebuild Jerusalem and prepare the way for Messiah and the coming Kingdom.

Yes, they had lots of hardships to face and difficulties to endure in the rebuilding of Jerusalem and its surrounding walls, but they had a shared vision which enabled them to work together, and God blessed their labours - especially when they rebuilt the Temple in the heart of the city and re-emphasised their faith in God at the centre of national life.

A more instructive biblical analogy than the Exodus is the release of the faithful remnant of Israel and Judah from Babylon in 538 BC.

Calling on God

This is surely a biblical parable for us today caught up in the conflict of Brexit with an unbelieving Parliament leading the nation.

The great unknown at the moment is precisely how God will deal with Britain. We know that judgment is thoroughly deserved for the way we have rejected our spiritual heritage, squandered the responsibilities we had for bringing the light of the Gospel to more than a third of the world’s population in the great Empire to which God entrusted us, and in the terrible way that we reneged on our promises to Israel - as Charles Gardner shows elsewhere in this week's issue of Prophecy Today.

Despite deserved judgment, we know that our God is loving and merciful – more ready to forgive than we are to repent. And we know that the Referendum result was a gracious allowance from God to give us a greater opportunity to return to him. Now is the time to petition God for his help to overcome the powers of darkness that are trying to sweep Britain into an abyss of chaos, which will inevitably result if we fail to leave the European Union within the next few weeks.

We ask all Bible-believing Christians to call upon the Lord for his mercy and intervention in what appears to be a hopeless situation. Let all the prayer groups and intercessors throughout the land acknowledge the plight of the nation before the throne of grace and call upon God for an outpouring of his power, which is the only means of saving Britain from the folly of its own leaders.

In the current confusion - our only hope is in God!

Is Trump a modern version of the Persian king Cyrus?

Rival petitions calling for a ban on a state visit from President Trump and supporting such a visit, have attracted sufficiently large numbers of supporters in the UK to trigger a debate in Parliament scheduled for 20 February 2017.

The outcry from the anti-Trump campaigners has been the larger and most vociferous. It rapidly attracted over 1 million petitioners in the first few days, encouraged by street demonstrations in many cities across the world.

The petitions resulted from an executive order signed by Donald Trump imposing a three-month suspension of visas for visitors from seven countries with Muslim-majority populations. The seven are Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen – all known to have connections with Islamic terrorists.

Recent anti-Trump protest, New York. See Photo Credits.Why has this caused such an outcry in Western nations? It surely cannot be that large numbers of Westerners want to encourage Middle Eastern Muslims to go to the USA. There has to be another reason. Of course, it’s an opportunity to express dislike of Trump and the many offensive things that he said during his campaign. But the spontaneous outburst also needs to be seen in the wider context of the huge backlash against the Trump inauguration both in the USA and in many other nations.

Elite Outcry

This backlash has come particularly from those within the US who support the liberal elite – the secular humanist intelligentsia who have controlled the political scene in the country for several decades. The prospect of them losing the political power and social status they have enjoyed for so many years is driving them to a frenzy of protest, using every possible means of expressing their fury - from traditional street demonstrations to celebrity endorsements and social media.

The latest move by President Trump to appoint a conservative judge to fill a vacancy in the Supreme Court underlines the social and moral revolution that is beginning to unravel decades of social engineering that has taken place in the USA.

The backlash against Trump is coming from the secular humanist intelligentsia who have controlled the political scene in the USA for decades.

One of the major reasons for Trump attracting large numbers of supporters who do not usually vote Republican and large numbers of the disillusioned and disenfranchised is because he promised "to drain the Washington sump". Americans understood this as getting rid of the cabal of professional politicians and civil servants who have imposed a far-left social ideology upon the USA for the past two or three decades.

Trump as Cyrus

Evangelical Christians in the USA have hailed Donald Trump as being in the mould of Cyrus, the 6^th Century BC Persian ruler who was described by the Prophet Isaiah as being chosen by God, although he didn’t even know the name of the God of Israel (see Isa 45:4).

It is an interesting comparison because Cyrus overthrew the all-powerful Babylonian Empire that had ruled what we now know as the Middle East for 70 years. The then-current Babylonian Emperor, Nabonidus, was weak and ineffective. When Cyrus approached Babylon there was no battle and no resistance – people welcomed him and he took control of the whole Babylonian Empire without a drop of blood being shed.

Cyrus was different from any other ruler before him. He did not publicly kill Nabonidus. He arrested him but treated him kindly. Also, he signed a decree releasing all the political prisoners held by the Babylonians. This enabled all the Jews who had been enslaved by Nebuchadnezzar and used as forced labour in Babylonia, to go back to their homes in Israel and to re-build the ruined city of Jerusalem.

Cyrus’s decree also released people from other countries who had been deported to Babylon. They were allowed to go back to their countries of origin and take with them the edifices of their gods which had been brought to Babylon. The Jews did not have images of God, but they were allowed to take all the sacred vessels stolen by Nebuchadnezzar from the Temple in Jerusalem.

Evangelical Christians in the USA have hailed Donald Trump as being in the mould of Cyrus, the 6th Century BC Persian ruler.

Helping God’s People

Cyrus not only allowed the Jewish people to go back to Jerusalem; he also gave a large sum of money to the Jews for the re-building of the Temple, on the understanding that they would regularly pray for him and his family. The ‘Cyrus Cylinder’ which is held in the British Museum in London gives details of this arrangement, which is hailed by many historians as the first ‘Charter of Human Rights’ in world history.

Cyrus was the first Emperor to rule his empire by ‘consensus’ and not by force. He believed that if the people felt gratitude towards him and he showed generosity rather than cruelty; they would accept him and not oppose his authority. History shows a period of peace throughout the region during his lifetime and those of his immediate successors.

Today’s Changes

So, are American Christians justified in comparing Trump with Cyrus?

First, look at the situation in Washington: a revolutionary period of change has begun in the USA – not through violent revolution (even though there have been protests) but via a peaceful transition of power, like Cyrus’s takeover of Babylon. The man leading today’s revolution is very different from all those who have gone before; he has no entrenched political ideology. He has no experience of government or diplomacy; but that was probably what was needed to effect fundamental change (although he is likely to make some clumsy mistakes until he gains experience).

Now look at the nature of the changes that are taking place. The secular humanist liberal elite that has ruled Washington for decades is being replaced by a much more conservative administration who wish to emphasise traditional, biblically-based social and moral values. Of course, there are many in America who hate what is happening and they are very vocal in protest. But that doesn’t mean that the changes taking place are necessarily bad.

Cyrus overthrew the Babylonian Empire in a peaceful revolution, and was different from any other ruler before him.

Battling for the Soul of the West

Meanwhile, the same battle is going on in Europe: it is a battle for the soul of the Western nations in a largely post-Christian era. In Britain, the battle has become focused around Brexit, with secular humanists on both the left and the right, such as Nick Clegg and Ken Clarke, still fighting to keep Britain within the European Union.

Listening to the debate in the House of Commons this week, it was clear that the division between supporters of Brexit and Remainers is no longer political and economic - it is about social values and the ethos of our national identity: at root, it is a spiritual battle.

It is essential that Christians understand the nature of this battle that is taking place in our lifetime – for it is a battle where prayer and Christian witness are of vital significance for the outcome.

Is Trump a Modern Cyrus?

So, back to the original question: could Trump be a modern Cyrus? Cyrus the Persian was a great leader: he was wise and compassionate. Do we see the same characteristics in Trump? Probably not at the moment, but can he change? Only time will tell.

The same battle is going on in Europe – it is a battle for the soul of the Western nations in a post-Christian era.

But one thing is certain – God has allowed his election to happen and I firmly believe in the sovereignty of God and that with God nothing is impossible. So, I’m prepared to wait and see and to join American Christians in surrounding the man with prayer, in the hope that he may grow in wisdom and grace for the sake of the peace and prosperity of the world.

Paul Luckraft reviews ‘God’s Chaos Candidate’ by Dr Lance Wallnau (2016).

One of the big questions of 2016 was, ‘How did Donald Trump get elected to the highest office in the USA, if not the world?’ As his inauguration happens today many will be repeating that question and wondering how it will all work out. Here is a fascinating book that provides insights into the personal journey of the new President and the state of the country he is about to lead.

The title itself is an interesting one, based upon Jeb Bush’s description of Donald Trump as “the chaos candidate”. Lance Wallnau has taken this and given it a prophetic twist, advocating that Trump, rather than being the candidate of chaos, is the right man to lead America through and out of the chaos that has descended upon the nation in recent decades. Hence the phrase in the subtitle, the American Unraveling, to which he devotes a whole chapter towards the end of the book.

A Wrecking Ball?

The first chapter is available as a free download on the author’s website and I would recommend reading this as a taster for the book as a whole. In sum, Dr Wallnau believes that God has chosen Trump to be a “wrecking ball to the spirit of political correctness” (p7) and that he is God’s anointed leader for the coming years in the same way that the Lord chose Cyrus in the past (Isa 45).

The author is clear that Trump’s personal faith is not the main issue here, though he does argue that while Trump is far from being an evangelical Christian, he does support many Christian values and offers a new opportunity for America’s Christian heritage to flourish again.

Wallnau advocates that Trump, rather than being the candidate of chaos, is the right man to lead America out of the chaos that has descended upon it in recent decades.

A New Cyrus?

The author’s thesis is that God can use those who are not specifically ‘one of his own’, just as he has in the past (as well as Cyrus, Wallnau cites, among others, Abraham Lincoln and Winston Churchill). In emergency situations (especially those of a chaotic nature), what is required is a different kind of leader, someone with a transformational agenda and the capability of putting it into practice - rather than one committed to maintaining the status quo with all its self-interest and propagation of political power.

Trump’s emergence as a “rugged wilderness voice” has created a “destabilizing threat to the vast deal making machinery” (p8) that permeates the Washington scene in both political parties. And this, the author believes, is exactly what is needed at this time.

Warning - Dominionism

Quite a bit of the book is devoted to the US political scene, which may be of more interest to some readers than others, but it does not prevent the book being a readable account of how the USA has been affected by the strategists of the Progressive Left. The author argues that the ‘seven mountains of culture’ (Religion, Family, Education, Government, News Media, Entertainment, Business/Economics) have been hijacked to reduce the impact of Christianity in the nation and to attack Christian values.

As such, Wallnau suggests, the USA is now facing its ‘Fourth Crucible’, a defining moment on a similar plane to events like the founding Revolution, the Civil War, the Great Depression and WW2. Another four or eight years of the same kind of government, from either party, could lead to a permanent unravelling and even ultimate collapse.

There are many interesting insights in this part of the book, but it is also important to note at this point the author’s clear and problematic devotion to dominion theology, specifically the ‘Seven Mountains’ branch. Dominion theology involves dangerous and deceptive interpretations of Scripture that this magazine does not endorse – neither can we endorse the highly influential ‘New Apostolic Reformation’ (NAR) group in the USA, out of which many of these teachings emanate.

Nevertheless, despite Wallnau’s clear connections here, this book provides a valid perspective on Trump and his entry into modern American politics that is worth weighing and holding in the context of a broader understanding of God’s word and purposes.

The author's thesis is that God can use those who are not specifically 'one of his own' - he cites Cyrus, Abraham Lincoln and Winston Churchill, among others.

Trump the Man

Furthermore, Wallnau is not writing from a distance. He has met Trump personally and had regular access to him as part of a group of Christian pastors and leaders with whom Trump has had several meetings in recent years.

Wallnau has also researched Trump’s past and gained an understanding of what makes him tick as a businessman and family man, and how he thinks and operates today. These sections of the book provide revealing insights into the man who is about to become one of the world’s most powerful leaders. If our view of Trump so far is based on mainstream media output, then here is a welcome balance. The author has sought to put the record straight - or at least to straighten it out a bit.

Trump may be an unpolished performer politically, and he will make mistakes, but he is someone who tells the truth as he sees it and who will shake things up where necessary. As a very successful businessman and CEO his approach to the American economy will be to treat it as one big enterprise, a company that needs to pay its way rather than get deeper and deeper into debt.

God’s Common Grace

Inevitably the author faces questions along the lines of 'Is Trump a Christian?' He admits that Trump is no choir boy but believes that he does pray and is genuine in seeking God and re-establishing Christian principles which he does understand. His declaration to church leaders that they “have gotten soft” (p49-50) is most revealing! He has had personal moments of soul-seeking and spiritual transformation, and many encounters with anointed preachers (mainly African-American clergy who remain a key influence).

The author firmly believes that God’s ‘common grace’ is upon him, which he explains more fully in chapter 5. He asserts that “It has gradually dawned on evangelicals that having the right person in the Oval Office may be more important than voting their favorite Christian” (p68). Perhaps that answers the question posed earlier of how Donald Trump did get elected.

There are many interesting insights in the book, but it is also important to note the author's clear and problematic devotion to 'dominion theology'.

Seeing a Different Future

If we believe that God really does control nations and their destinies, then a critical consideration of Dr Wallnau’s book is important – whether or not you agree with the rest of his theology.

Perhaps, as the author suggests, Trump has been able to see a different future and is not afraid to go there. And if he has offered himself to the task of guiding America there, then at least he deserves our prayers. Perhaps he will find the Presidential office a transformational one for himself. If God has called him, then he will want to equip him.

God’s Chaos Candidate (156 pages, Killer Sheep Media Inc.) is available from Amazon for £10 (less on Kindle). For more information about the book and to read its first chapter, visit the official website.

American voters are facing an extremely difficult and important decision. Clifford Hill comments on how they might discern God's will - and how we can support them.

All my American friends are saying the same thing – who do we vote for? Never in the history of the USA has it been so difficult to make a choice – both candidates are seriously flawed. Voters feel they are between a rock and a hard place, or between the devil and the deep blue sea. Many committed Christians I've spoken to say they are not going to vote at all because both Clinton and Trump are so awful!

Allegations of Corruption

The US press has been full of negative accounts about both presidential candidates. Hillary Clinton has been accused of misusing her personal email account for state business when she held high office in the Obama administration. She has also been accused of being involved, together with her husband, in a huge amount of personal corruption in which they have made vast fortunes.

Trump has been accused of refusing to reveal his tax returns which allegedly show that he has hired clever accountants to hide his vast income successfully, meaning that he has paid relatively little in tax. So both candidates are mired in allegations of corruption.

Both candidates are mired in allegations of corruption.

Politically Disturbing

On the political front, Trump has a history of discrimination against African-Americans in renting his property and in employment in his enterprises. He also has made many statements in his speeches indicating prejudice against non-Americans and a xenophobic attitude, such as his declaration that he will build a wall to prevent Mexicans entering the USA illegally, and his promise to ban Muslim immigrants.

Preparations are underway for the second presidential debate, to be held this Sunday in St Louis. See Photo Credits.Hillary Clinton is highly distrusted by conservative voters because of her strong liberal views on abortion and same-sex marriage, as well as her support for the LGBT campaign to allow public toilets to be used by either gender (including the extending of this into state schools, which will allow boys to use the girls' toilets). She is also known to support a wide range of measures that discriminate against Christians who take a stand upon biblical principles.

Voter Indecision

It is these issues of personal corruption and unpopular political measures surrounding both candidates (and many other concerns beside) that are causing such anxiety and uncertainty among voters. Polls currently show Clinton having a small lead over Trump, although some polls show them to be level. But most significantly, recent polls also indicate that as many as 12% are presently still undecided,¹ due to the unpopularity of both candidates. Many of these may not cast their votes at all.

But voter apathy could spell disaster for America. If electors are so alienated by the choice of politicians being offered to the public by the two main parties, voter turnout will be low. This not only undermines the whole process of democracy; it also has a negative impact upon the spiritual life of the nation. That may sound a strange thing to say, but it is based upon a major spiritual principle – the sovereignty of God.

Voter apathy and indecision could spell disaster for America.

God's Sovereignty

Most Christians don't really understand the 'sovereignty of God' because very little is taught about it in our churches and we don't really like verses in the Bible that speak about it. Take a look at two key verses:

Come and see the works of the Lord, the desolations he has brought on the earth. (Ps 46:8)

I am the Lord, and there is no other. I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things. (Isa 45:7)

Does God really create disaster? Surely not! Isn't he a God of love? So why does the Bible tell us that God creates disaster?

Justice as well as love is part of the nature of God, which the prophets of Israel recognised. But they also knew that God held the nations in his hands 'as a drop in a bucket', which was Isaiah's description (Isa 40:15). Isaiah said that God "brings princes to nought and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing" (Isa 40:23). In other words, God is completely in control – everything that happens, he either allows or initiates.

Our Acknowledgement Aside!

The same is true of our individual lives, even if we don't acknowledge his sovereignty. Cyrus, the Persian ruler, had no knowledge of God but God used him to overthrow the Babylonian Empire and allow the captive Jews to go back to the land of Israel to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple. God actually called Cyrus his 'anointed one'! He said "I summon you by name and bestow on you a title of honour, though you do not acknowledge me" (Isa 45:4).

Understanding the 'sovereignty of God' is of immense importance if we are to know what God is doing today and if we wish to pray with wisdom about what's happening, not only in our individual lives but also in our nation. Understanding God's purposes and how he is working out those purposes in the contemporary world situation is of great importance.

God is completely in control – everything that happens, he either allows or initiates.

Asking for God's Guidance

Prayer changes things. And when many Christians combine to pray about what's happening, they can actually influence the course of history. This has happened recently in Britain on two occasions: the Scottish Referendum, where a huge amount of prayer called upon the Lord to save the British Union; and the June Referendum on our membership of the European Union, which was preceded by prolonged prayer both by individuals and by a large number of gatherings of Christians. They called upon the Lord to guide the nation to the right decision.

Even some politicians who wanted Britain to remain in the European Union, such as our new Prime Minister Theresa May, are now recognising that a new dawn is opening up before the nation, that could lead to a time of unprecedented prosperity and blessing. But this will only occur if we truly seek the ways of righteousness and truth.
The same could happen in America if the American people surround the nation in prayer so that God can work out his purposes.

Praying Wisely

God can work out his purposes one way or another; even if he has to allow what appears to be a disaster. God often has to use disasters in our personal lives or in the life of a nation in order to bless us – to turn us from the wrong path, to change our hearts or to give us a deeper experience of his grace!

This is why it is so important for Christians to pray in the right way – asking the Lord to guide them in placing their vote – not according to party allegiance or personal prejudice. The right prayer is to ask the Lord that his will be done. Then, whatever the outcome, God will work out his purposes for good, and not for evil.

When many Christians combine to pray, they can change the course of history.

Whatever happens in America affects the rest of the world, especially Britain with its historic ties. We urge our readers to pray for America: pray that God will guide America's believing Christians who feel alienated from both candidates and show them how to use their vote.

References

1 Stokes, C. EXCLUSIVE POLL: Democrat Hillary Clinton opens up double-digit Michigan lead on GOP's Donald Trump. WXYZ Detroit, 6 October 2016.