Greg Stevenson reviews ‘Watchmen or Wolves?’ by Chris and Michele Neal (2019, The Lockman Foundation)

Britain’s future and the ideal Church

Charles Gardner reviews ‘Faith, Freedom and the Future’ by Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali (Wilberforce Publications, 2016).

The Church of England faces a stark choice of either conforming to current fashion with “easily swallowed soundbites” or of being vigorously counter-cultural, according to one of its most outspoken bishops.

Hitting Out at Dumbed-Down Baptism

In a new book, Faith, Freedom and the Future, Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali comments on what he describes as a “dumbed-down” version of the christening service.

In a desire not to offend, the Church was in danger of “capitulating to whatever is fashionable”, he writes.

The new ‘alternative’ service for baptism “almost entirely does away with sin and the need to repent…We are not told anything about the Christ in whom we are to put our trust. There is no acknowledgement of him as Lord and Saviour. In general, there is a reluctance to declare that the Bible sees the world as having gone wrong and needing to be put right. This is done by the coming of Christ, and baptism is nothing less than taking part in this story of salvation, no part of which can be sold short.”

And he concludes: “This is a choice for the Church of England – either to become simply an attenuated version of whatever the English people happen to believe and to value, or to be full-bloodedly a manifestation of the ‘one, holy, catholic and apostolic church’ it still continues to confess in the creeds. Which way will it choose?”

Nazir-Ali writes that in a desire not to offend, the Church is in danger of capitulating to whatever is fashionable.

Thorough Analysis

The book is also a thorough analysis of a number of moral issues facing us, and the Bishop’s diagnosis is a breath of fresh air which could help to revive our broken society.

In challenging the increasing marginalisation of Christians, he asks why a law originally based on Judeo-Christian principles is being used to silence them.

He also tackles radical Islam – with his Pakistani background, he is well qualified to do so – and raises the issue of blasphemy against the prophet (Muhammad), punishable by death in many of the Arab countries who have signed up to the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees freedom of thought, conscience and religion as well as the right to change beliefs.

“What is the difference between Asia Bibi and numerous others on death row, having been convicted on blasphemy charges, and the killings on the streets of Paris and Copenhagen?…Why does the international community tolerate one but not the other? Is it because Westerners are involved in one but not the other?”

Forceful and Passionate

The esteemed author can be laboured in the build-up of his arguments which I sometimes found difficult to follow, but when he gets to the point, he makes it with a forceful flourish and obvious passion for both the Gospel and the Anglican Church, which is no doubt why he has become a popular choice for radio and TV discussions.

This is a theological book with considerable intellectual appeal, but which does not shy away from unpacking CofE politics and driving home the stark choice currently facing the established Church.

Faith, Freedom & the Future (330pp) is available in both paperback and e-book forms. Click here to find out more.

Hungary’s populist victory and the disintegration of Europe.

The re-election of Viktor Orban in Hungary’s presidential election last week came as no surprise, but it has caused dismay in Brussels where there is a real fear that Orban’s trashing of the EU rules may spread to other states within the European Union. His campaign was built on fear-mongering and anti-immigration which gave his right-wing populist party a vastly increased majority.

Orban’s victory is a direct challenge to the core values of the European Union which, according to Christian Ultsch in the Austrian press,¹ has caused some to claim the EU is being “shaken to its foundations”.

Many Christians may be happy to see the secular humanist ‘core values’ of the EU being shaken and all those who respect the Christian values that have formed the foundation stones of Western nations will have some sympathy for Victor Orban’s endeavour to protect his country from a large influx of Muslims. He has seen the difficulties that have arisen in Germany following Angela Merkel’s opening the door to one million Muslims and within months some of them became involved in highly publicised terror attacks and sexual attacks upon women and girls.

In France the latest Islamist attack that has shaken the nation was the murder of Mireille Knoll, an 85-year-old Jewish woman and Holocaust survivor. She was stabbed 11 times before her body was set on fire in an anti-Semitic crime that brought 30,000 people onto the streets in protest.

Equality and Tolerance?

Those who uphold the politically correct EU core values of ‘equality’ and ‘tolerance’ believe that over a period of time integration will take place as people live together and accept one another as equals. But this secular humanist, atheist, Marxist dream of a tolerant society is utterly unachievable and simply reveals the ignorance of those who are the driving force behind the secularisation in Brussels that is seeking to remodel Europe.

They simply do not understand Islam, whose Qur’an specifically forbids Muslims to make friends with Jews and Christians: “O ye who have believed, do not choose Jews and Christians as friends; they are friends to each other; whoever makes friends of them is one of them” (Qur’an 5:51).

Those who uphold the EU values of ‘equality’ and ‘tolerance’ believe that over a period of time integration will take place as people accept one another as equals.

Integration is not on Islam’s agenda. Islam’s short-term objective is to rule Europe and the long-term intention is to dominate the world.

There is no compromise in Islam: which is why there is total deadlock between the Palestinians and the Israelis. The Palestinians do not want peace with Israel: their sole objective is the total destruction of Israel! In Britain we have seen the result of politically correct town councils and secular humanist social workers refusing to believe poor white girls being abused by gangs of immigrant men, so we can understand the widespread indignation in France where similar things are happening and Islamists are particularly targeting Jews.

Islamic Anti-Semitism Exposed

Protests in France against the murder of Holocaust survivor Mireille Knoll. See Photo Credits.

A letter signed by more than 300 French dignitaries (including former President Sarkozy) denouncing the new anti-Semitism in France has been published this week in a Parisian newspaper.² It calls attention to the alarming surge in Islamist radicalism that is driving a string of attacks upon Jews.

The French Jewish community of more than half a million - the largest in Europe - has seen a wave of emigration to Israel over the past 20 years at least partly driven by the virulent anti-Semitism of Muslim immigrants. The letter highlights the “quiet ethnic purging” that is taking place in working-class city neighbourhoods.

Against this backdrop, the rise of far-right populist parties is understandable. But it is not just the EU’s values that are being shaken. Orban’s victory in Hungary is linked with divisions that are destabilising the whole of Western society – it represents the rise of a new kind of nationalism that has its roots in racism.

Self-Destructing Society

It is strange how wherever you look in the Western world today, division and hatred are on the rise. It is as if our societies are tearing themselves apart from the inside out. While immigration into the West has imported a plethora of new prejudices, home-grown hatreds are also flourishing - at both ends of the political spectrum.

Wherever you look in the Western world today, division and hatred are on the rise.

In the USA, right-wing populism brought President Trump to power, but already his presidency has seen a rise in anti-black racism as well as a spike in anti-Semitism.

In Britain, the populist movement that brought about the Brexit vote has coincided with a rise in racist incidents. But the focus recently has been upon left-wing anti-Semitism in the Labour Party since Jeremy Corbyn became leader. In a meeting last week with representatives of Jewish communities Corbyn was challenged to do something to eradicate the racism that has become apparent in the Labour Party.

Behind the Division

What is it in human nature that drives people to hatred of other human beings?

The answer can only be that we have turned our backs on God. We have rejected the biblical values that have formed the foundation of Western democracy for centuries. Once we depart from these core values the cracks in the structures of society begin to show and it’s not long before all our social institutions, such as the family, begin to crumble.

In the absence of love, justice and unity that stems from God, humans soon turn to hatred. Barely one generation passed in Genesis before mankind turned to murder, brother against brother. The lesson of history is that rebellion breeds hatred and violence. Today, from end to end on the political spectrum, we see people trying to build a world without God – just like at the Tower of Babel. We cannot be surprised to see hatred and division on the rise as a result.

The Litmus Test

The litmus test of the health of a society is the poisonous presence of anti-Semitism, the “oldest of all hatreds”. Whereas other racisms regard hated groups as ‘inferior’ (e.g. anti-black racism), anti-Semitism strangely blames Jews for being ‘superior’ because of their achievements in finance, business, banking and the arts. Whereas all other racisms have definable roots, anti-Semitism transcends time, geography, politics and social class.

In the absence of love, justice and unity that stems from God, humans soon turn to hatred.

It also transcends religion. Islamic anti-Semitism is widespread around the world, stemming right back to Mohammed who turned on the Jews and viciously slaughtered them when they refused to accept his new religion. Christian anti-Semitism has flourished through the ages as Jews have been blamed for killing Jesus and punished for rejecting the Gospel, while Replacement Theology has been manufactured by the Church to write Jews out of God’s purposes altogether.

When people rebel against God and reject his word, this manifests most virulently in a spiritual hatred for the Jews as the covenant people of God, through whom he chose to reveal his nature and purposes to the world. But the Bible says that “The word of the Lord will go out from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and settle disputes for many peoples” (Isa 2:3-4). This has never been rescinded; and is still God’s intention to fulfil.

The cracks and divisions in our society today have one common root: rebellion against God. This is surely the major problem of our humanity that only the Gospel can cure.

References

1 Die Presse, Vienna, 9 April 2018.

2 Click here for the original letter (in French) or here for the translated page. Please also see this article from Jihad Watch.

Parliament’s Christian witness will prevail.

As if London hasn’t seen enough tragedy of late, her weary eight million residents woke up to a veritable picture of Dante’s inferno on Wednesday morning. The sight of a West London tower block burning away all night was truly terrible, with all the loss of life, home and family that resulted. Our hearts go out to all the victims.

In truth, we are all reeling in shock, perhaps wondering why things just seem to have gone from bad to worse in the wake of the recent terrorist attacks. And though the Grenfell Tower fire did not fall into the latter category, the cause is as yet unknown.

Nevertheless, we need to take stock, and continue to pray for God’s mercy on our battered nation, now further rocked by the resignation as leader of the Liberal Democrat Party of Christian politician Tim Farron. More of that later…

Biblical Voice in Parliament Maintained

In fact, not everything is gloom and doom; there are real signs of hope, despite a General Election that left confusion and chaos as politicians jostled for power, the Conservatives winning most seats but with no overall majority, and thus in a seemingly weak place for negotiating our exit from the European Union.

The Bible says: “When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers, but a ruler with discernment and knowledge maintains order” (Prov 28:2).

Christians had been dismayed as they found themselves having to choose between main parties who had all agreed that sexual ethics – and in particular same-sex marriage – was not an issue. So it seemed that the way was left open to continue running the country on secular humanist lines, with no thought for the biblical laws that have underpinned our civilisation for centuries.

We need to take stock, and continue to pray for God’s mercy on our battered nation.

But who would have thought the Conservatives would be forced to ‘get into bed’ with the strongly Christian Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) of Northern Ireland, in order to secure a still wafer-thin overall majority for carrying out planned legislation? The DUP’s ten seats add up to a coalition fractionally more than all the other parties put together. So they will clearly be beholden to their friends from across the Irish Sea, a fact provoking hysteria from many quarters – not least the Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson, who is a lesbian.

It could certainly make for a rough passage for any new un-Christian laws. The DUP is thoroughly opposed to same-sex marriage and, in line with their Bible-believing basis, is also unreservedly pro-Israel.

So, for all the humanistic attempts to rid Parliament of its Christian witness, God has ensured that it remains – and that biblical thinking cannot be ignored. God will not be mocked.

The psalmist asks: “Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, ‘Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.’ The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them…” (Ps 2:1-4).

The fiercely Protestant DUP was founded in 1971 by the Rev Ian Paisley who, when he launched the Northern Ireland Friends of Israel group in March 2009, drew a parallel between his own country’s struggles against terrorism and that of Israel’s. And he also prayed for peace in Jerusalem!¹

Time to Plead with God

Last Sunday evening, as my wife and I contemplated the ongoing political turbulence, we suddenly noticed a worrying crack in the ceiling, with water dripping through. Our hot water tank was leaking and on the blink, and we have since had it replaced (at no small cost). Thankfully, disaster was averted by an emergency plumber.

It was very much a picture of the state of the nation with the drip, drip, drip feed of secularism (and in particular the LGBT+ agenda) on the point of bringing the house down. We are in serious hot water, and poison is leaking into the ship of state, which is on the verge of sinking.

For all the humanistic attempts to rid Parliament of its Christian witness, God has ensured that it remains.

I am sickened by the BBC’s continual obsession with depicting the ‘virtues’ of left-wing propaganda. As the country rocks with uncertainty, and in danger of collapse, a great show is made of a ‘gay pride’ march in York, described as a symbol of unity and love. Of course, I realise this is nothing compared to the 200,000 who marched through Tel Aviv, Israel’s major city, in celebration of the homosexual lifestyle. And that in what is universally known as the ‘Holy Land’! However, this only goes to prove that both Jews and Gentiles are prodigals whom the Father longs to welcome back.

And since we are talking numbers, it’s worth noting that a recent prayer meeting of Christians in South Africa drew a massive 1.7 million people (equal to Tel Aviv’s total population) to a farm outside the central city of Bloemfontein, where they pleaded God’s mercy for their beloved nation. We too, in Britain, need to pray – and how! Surely it’s time Christians got together, as they have done in South Africa, to plead God’s mercy for our land?

Truth Turned Upside-Down

Tim Farron. See Photo Credits.

Tragically, much of the West has not only rejected God and his laws, but has gone further by turning millennia-old precepts completely upside-down. The Prophet Isaiah, writing 2,700 years ago, said: “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight. Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine and champions at mixing drinks…” (Isa 5:20-22). Ring any bells?

To put it another way, it would be like Monty Don reporting from the Chelsea Flower Show that weeds are the new flowers and rubbishing anachronistic gardeners who insist on showing their beautiful roses and lilies amidst finely-cut lawns and water features.

Exaggerating? Hardly – for one of the most disturbing aspects of the election campaign was the blatant anti-Christian prejudice promoted in much of the media, claiming that Christian candidates were unfit to hold public office because of their biblical views.² Even the Prime Minister was condemned by a major national newspaper for visiting one of the UK’s largest black churches – because the church opposes abortion and same-sex marriage.³

One of the most disturbing aspects of the election campaign was the blatant anti-Christian prejudice promoted in much of the media.

And now Tim Farron is the latest victim. After an insufferable media campaign directed at his Christian faith, in the words of Evangelical Alliance spokesman David Landrum, “he has found himself torn between living as a faithful Christian and serving as a political leader – and so he has resigned. And who could blame him? Politics has always been a tough business and general elections have always been rough rides. Tim was surely prepared for that. What he wasn’t prepared for, and what nobody really expected, was a vicious and sustained assault on his faith. And he wasn’t alone in this.”⁴

The Fields are Ripe for Harvest

Finally, on a more positive note: Rosaria Butterfield, a former lesbian and LGBT advocate, converted to Christ after reading large sections of the Bible as part of research into why the so-called religious right ‘hated’ people like her. Her first book, The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert, details her conversion and the cataclysmic fallout which followed – in which she lost “everything but the dog”, yet gained eternal life in Christ.

We are the people of the Book, which holds the key to life and leads us to the ‘pearl of great price’ which can often cost us everything (Matt 13:46). Pearls are shaped through rough times, and we need to speak up for Christ in the face of the storm.

References

1 Teller, N. The UK balance of power – weighted towards Israel. Jerusalem Post, 12 June 2017.

2 E.g. The Daily Mirror, 4 May 2017, The Spectator, 18 May 2017, Buzz Feed, 27 May 2017. See here.

3 Robertson, D. The Independent, 30 May 2017.

4 Landrum, D. Farron’s fall – neither liberal nor democratic. Christian Today, 15 June 2017.

Examining the true spirit behind all the election promises.

The manifestoes are published! The day has arrived! No more leaks. No more fake news or half-truths. The real thing is now here. Each of the main parties has now published its policies for the next five years.

The politicians and their advisers have been poring over the texts, burning the midnight oil, arguing over each point and how to express it to the public. At last agreement has been reached and the results have been printed – there for all to see!

But how many voters will actually read the manifestoes? I decided to investigate what the politicians have actually said. I wanted to get past the big stuff on the NHS and migration; the economy and Brexit. I wanted to get the feel of what lies behind the policies. I wanted to read the small print – the things the politicians and their professional advisers have slipped in to the text – things they probably hope the public won’t really notice – the things they want to get away with undetected.

These are the things that reveal the true spirit behind the political promises that are being poured out this election time.

The Spirit of the Age

Upon closer inspection, all three main party manifestoes are pandering to the spirit of the age, seeking to endorse and extend radically anti-Christian values. Just look at some of the social issues that crop up across all three:-

• Extending sex education to all children
  
• Promoting LGBT+ lifestyles
  
• Tackling hate crime
  
• Enforcing and strengthening equalities law
  
• Promoting humanist values worldwide
  

Let’s look at what the parties have to say on these issues. The following are a few quotes:

Not-so-hidden agendas: Tim Farron makes it clear where the Lib Dems stand on Brexit.

Sex Education

The Conservative Party “will introduce comprehensive relationships and sex education in all primary and secondary schools” (p79).

Labour will “make age appropriate sex and relationship education a compulsory part of the curriculum” (p77). Labour will “ensure that all teachers receive initial and ongoing training on the issues students face and how to address them. We will ensure that the new guidance for relationships and sex education is LGBT inclusive” (p111).

The Liberal Democrats will “include in SRE teaching about sexual consent, LGBT+ relationships, and issues surrounding explicit images and content” (p29).

Promoting LGBT+ Lifestyles

The Labour Party says “A Labour Government will reform the Gender Recognition Act and The Equality Act 2010 to ensure they protect trans-people” (p111).

The Liberal Democrats will “strengthen legal rights and obligations for couples by introducing mixed-sex civil partnerships and extending rights to cohabiting couples” (p72). They will also “extend The Equality Act to all large companies with more than 250 employees, requiring them to monitor and publish data on gender, BAME, and LGBT+ employment levels and pay gaps” (p71).

Tackling Hate Crime

The Conservative Party will “push forward with our plan for tackling hate crime committed on the basis of religion, disability, sexual orientation or transgender identity” (p44).

The Labour Party will “bring the law on LGBT hate crimes into line with hate crimes based on race and faith, by making them aggravated offences” (p111).

The Liberal Democrats will “tackle bullying in schools, including bullying on the basis of gender, sexuality, gender identity or gender expression” (p30).

Enforcing and Strengthening Equalities Law

Theresa May launches the Conservative manifesto, Thursday 18 May.

The Conservative Party will “strengthen the enforcement of equalities law – so that private landlords and businesses who deny people a service on the basis of ethnicity, religion or gender are properly investigated and prosecuted” (p56) (This is a direct threat to Christians).

“A Labour Government will enhance the powers and functions of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, making it truly independent” (p108).

The Liberal Democrats will “extend protection of gender reassignment in Equality Law to explicitly cover gender identity and expression, and streamline and simplify The Gender Recognition Act 2004 to allow individuals to change their legal gender without unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles” (p72).

Promoting Humanist Values Worldwide

The Conservative Party will “continue to champion British values around the globe: freedom, democracy, tolerance and the rule of law” (p38).

The Labour Party commits to “appoint dedicated global ambassadors for women’s rights, LGBT rights and religious freedom to fight discrimination and promote equality globally” (p118). Labour will also “continue to ensure a woman’s right to choose a safe, legal abortion – and we will work with the Assembly to extend that right to women in Northern Ireland” (p109).

British Values?

All of these policies are either expressly anti-biblical or more subtly so – dressed in language that seems to promise good for society. The protections of hate laws and equality legislation, for instance, are difficult to argue against from a Christian standpoint without being labelled hateful or bigoted. However, it is these catch-all policies that are being used to shut down freedom of conscience and speech for Christians, while enforcing the nation to not only accept but also endorse wrongdoing.

All of these policies are either expressly anti-biblical or more subtly so – dressed in language that seems to promise good for society.

Moreover, the Conservatives are the only ones who spell out the values that lie behind all their policy decisions: freedom, democracy, tolerance and the rule of law. They claim these to be British values - and to untrained ears they sound positive - but there has been no national debate upon what constitutes British values, where these concepts have come from and what they are being used to promote.

They certainly are not the values of our forefathers, which were the biblical values of truth, justice, righteousness, faithfulness, integrity and love. These are the values of our Judeo-Christian heritage that former generations embraced and became the foundations of our civilisation. Are we to allow them to be abandoned without even protest?

Aggressive Humanism

All the values underlying the policies put out by all three parties in their manifestoes have come from Darwin, Freud, Marx and other humanists. They are based fundamentally upon evolutionary/secular humanist beliefs, not on Judeo-Christian values. By what right do our politicians champion humanist values “around the globe”, calling them British?

This is the spirit of the age that is driving the political policies being promoted in Britain today – aggressive humanism. Continued unchecked, these policies will undoubtedly bring Christians into conflict with the law in the future. Our freedom of speech risks being curtailed by hate laws and soon we will not even be able to quote parts of the Bible in public worship services. No doubt the day may even come when our home-based Bible study groups will also be under threat.

All the party manifestoes are based fundamentally upon evolutionary/secular humanist beliefs.

We Need the Word of the Lord!

When similar things were happening in Israel the prophets thundered forth the word of God, but today our church leaders are silent. Why do we not hear the word of the Lord declared in our nation?

“This is what the Lord says, cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord. He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes…But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream…It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” (Jer 17:5-8)

Clifford Hill and David Noakes jointly bring a message.

I watched the Last Night of 'The Proms' last Saturday along with millions of other viewers and the vast open-air crowd in Hyde Park and similar gatherings in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Was it my imagination, or did anyone else detect an extra (Brexit?) fervency in the patriotism that flowed out of the Albert Hall in waves and resounded from the crowds across the road and other parts of the UK?

Of course, the Last Night of The Proms is always an occasion for flag-waving and dressing up in silly hats and jigging up and down among the Promenaders. And it's also an occasion for singing traditional folk songs and indulging in Rule Britannia and Jerusalem with their regular encores and crowd participation. But this year's final night seemed to have an extra edge of enthusiasm. It was not just that a guest soloist, Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Flórez (a foreigner!!), dressed in elaborate costume lustily sang 'Rule Britannia, Britannia rules the waves' but also the Finnish Conductor Sakari Oramo, (another foreigner!!) participated enthusiastically in singing 'Jerusalem'.

Rule Britannia

I suppose there's some precedent for 'Rule Britannia' being sung by foreigners since it was written in 1740 by Thomson, a Scottish poet, for Frederick (the German) Prince of Wales and father of the future George III. But it did seem a little odd to see a Peruvian and a Finn extolling Britain in 'Land of Hope and Glory' with its line "God, who made thee mighty, make thee mightier yet!"

I usually enjoy the Proms and this was no exception because at heart I'm a patriot – I love my country – in the same way as the prophets of Israel loved their country and longed to see it in a right relationship with God so that his blessings could be poured out upon it and his protection would be over the land and the people. I too have that same desire: but I have watched with dismay the growth of secular humanism in Britain and across the Western nations in the past 30 years. I have been frustrated by the rising tide of unbelief within the church as well as in the nation and the consequential impotence of the church.

We watch with horror at growing international threats.

Like Jeremiah I've watched with horror the growing threat on the international horizon as the nations build up their arsenals of weapons of mass destruction and as the army of terrorists spreads across the world, infiltrating communities throughout Europe and the West in preparation for the release of the man of lawlessness among the nations.

LJuan Diego performing at BBC Proms in the Park see photo creditseaders Are Unaware

My frustration is due to the lack of awareness among leaders in both church and state of the spiritual significance of what is happening. Leaders play at Politics and the church plays at Theology but no one comes to grips with the reality of the situation, because they do not know the very fundamentals of Creation and the nature and purposes of God. They do not know the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and they are sublimely ignorant of the holocaust of violence that will be let loose into the world unless there is a radical change in the very nature of our humanity that can only come about through the gospel of Jesus.

The church has the key but has lost it in a monumental mountain of false teaching, ritual mumbo jumble and complex theology – burying the simple truth of the Gospel and despising the word of God that calls, "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord."

Britain at the Crossroads

Today Britain is at the crossroads! We are a nation under judgement. We crossed a red line when we defied the God of Creation who made us in his own image – male and female – and we dared to redefine marriage, despising the beautiful love relationship that God intended for his people. Forty years ago we joined ourselves in a pact with European nations driven by humanist values and infiltrated by Satanists. They seek to live in unity and peace but are doomed to failure by their rejection of the Prince of Peace.

Britain has the opportunity to forge a new role in the world.

God has mercifully given to Britain the chance of deliverance from the marriage with the European Union and the opportunity to forge a new role in the world under his blessing. This could be a sign and powerful witness to the nations of the rewards that are open to all who seek a right relationship with God and are prepared to love and obey him.

There are many in Britain today who are fearful of the future because they lack understanding of the word of God and lack faith in the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. There are many churchgoers who share that fear because they too have never really learned to recognise the word of the Lord as the sheep recognise the voice of their own Shepherd. But God is loving and merciful and he has a word for those who are anxious about the future since the vote to leave the EU. My friend and colleague David Noakes and I have worked together in the prophetic Ministry since the early 1980s. David received a word this week which I commend to all our readers. Please read it prayerfully and weigh it carefully. I think it may bring you a blessing.

Word of Prophecy Received by David Noakes

In the aftermath of the Brexit vote 11.09.16

Beloved, you who are called by My Name, I want to say to you in these days, when there is confusion and turmoil and upheaval: Do not be alarmed or concerned, for I am fully in control. I have brought about these circumstances, and my adversary is full of rage, and would like to oppose and if possible, to undo, that which I have done.

My word to you is that I have done a good work, but I call upon you who are faithful to stand firm and to persevere in prayer that the work which I have begun will proceed to the conclusion which I have purposed. The task is far from complete and it is not a time for complacency, so be vigilant and continue to pray that I will complete the work. It will not be a short or an easy battle, so have courage and do not be tempted to lose heart.

Have gentle hearts towards those who are confused and upset and distressed. There are those who feel that the nation is being thrown into exile, and this is causing them to feel afraid and angry, but they do not know that it is I who have brought this about. But I say that this seeming exile is in order to preserve you. You in Britain are like the good figs who were taken into exile before judgment fell (Jeremiah 24).

There will be great darkness and upheaval in the European institution; but I have done this in your nation at this time in order to preserve you.

Therefore, look up and be greatly encouraged, because out of this time of turmoil and upheaval will come great opportunity. Those of you who are committed to me I will uphold, I will protect, and I will send upon you a new outpouring of My Spirit, that you may speak My word in Spirit and in Truth; and My Spirit will bear witness to it and it shall bring forth fruit.

I do not say that your whole nation will turn to Me, for that will not be the case; but beloved, I will bring multitudes into a valley of decision and many will turn to Me, for despite the apostasy which has gripped the nation, I have not failed to love the nation of Britain, and in My grace and mercy, I will continue to pour My love upon you, even though you have angered Me greatly.

Take heart, be encouraged and look up. I will walk with you through the time of turmoil and upheaval. There will be those who will hate you for the testimony you will give, but I will cause many to repent and acknowledge that what you say is truth; for beloved, My people have been failed by many who now lead them, but I am come as the great Shepherd of the sheep. I want to recover My people and to gather many others into My sheepfold.

Therefore be of good heart, and be afraid of nothing, for in the events of these times I am fully involved, and I will walk with you, every one of you, on every step of the uncharted path which lies ahead.

About the author: David Noakes was a solicitor in London until he joined Clifford Hill’s ministry in 1984. He has been part of the Prophetic Word Ministries/Prophecy Today team since that time, although he has also exercised an independent ministry speaking at conferences both in Britain and overseas. He has visited Israel many times and until recently was chairman of Hatikvah Film Trust, working with Hugh Kitson making films about Israel. He is a well-known Bible teacher with an established ministry and remains an official advisor to Issachar Ministries (Prophecy Today UK's parent charity).

'The Secular Terrorist: The Slow Suicide of Christian Britain', by Peter Mullen (RoperPenberthy, 2012, 189 pages, available from the publisher for £9.99)

This is an interesting if disturbing read on a familiar theme: the decline of Christianity and Christian values in Britain. The author's experience as rector of Anglican churches in London, together with his keen observation of society in general, means he is well informed. Moreover, he believes the situation is so dire that he is prepared to speak out strongly, in some cases very strongly, hence his choice of words for the title.

Moral reversal

Mullen examines all the usual areas of concern, starting with sexual morals, abortion, embryo research, and family breakdown. His main contention here, as elsewhere, is that over time, through a slow but steady series of incremental changes, humanistic values and secularism have transformed society until an almost complete reversal has occurred. Utilitarianism now dominates our thinking and consumerism our lifestyles.

He contends that the denial of our Christian roots has produced a slow suicide. We have been beaten by losing faith in what we believed. Secularisation is the hidden terrorist in our midst, creating impotence and encouraging self-doubt. Cultural and social defeat was "guaranteed once Christianity had died in the soul of Western man" (p119). The author maintains that only the re-discovery of our Judaeo-Christian heritage will save Western society. What is needed is "nothing less than a return to the practice of our faith" (p9).

Mullen contends that Britain's slow demise is due to our loss of faith, with secularisation the hidden terrorist in our midst.

Moreover, he believes that we "shall not turn again to God until we are overwhelmed and perhaps almost annihilated by some great catastrophe" (p180), and not one that we can blame upon God for: we will have brought it upon ourselves, as has happened repeatedly throughout history. Israel's desertion and repeated disobedience brought disasters. We cannot expect to be an exception to this pattern in the human/Divine story.

The problem with political correctness

In a strong section of the book full of good examples, Mullen vigorously attacks political correctness as a key component of the decline. He argues that "the secular gospel of Political-Correctness" creates a linguistic dictatorship and a form of social conditioning, deceiving many, especially into thinking that we have made moral progress. The claim that we are now much more advanced and enlightened has found an enthusiastic audience. We now feel superior to the primitive pre-PC era.

Mullen vigorously attacks political correctness as a linguistic dictatorship and a form of social conditioning that deceives us into thinking we have made moral progress.

In discussing science, creation and design, Mullen also makes many useful points, simply put but displaying good knowledge. The same is true when he examines literary trends and the history of reason and philosophy. Overall, he covers a wide range of intellectual ideas with skill and understanding.

Looking forward or backward?

The weaker points in the book come, first, when he attacks the press (tabloids and others) for crude reporting and dumbing down of information. His excessive examples add little to his overall argument and may be off-putting.

Second, Mullen rails against the Church of England for trying to be modern, correctly arguing that the Church has done little to stem the decline and has indeed contributed to it through situation ethics and de-mythologising Biblical truth. But his insistence that the only proper Bible translation is the Authorised Version and that the Book of Common Prayer is vastly superior to the Alternative Service book make him appear stuck in the past. He may be right that, in a typically memorable phrase, modern worship is merely a "third rate echo of recently abandoned fashions in pop culture" (p86) but to assert that the AV and BCP were meant to be preserved for all time suggests his only solution to modern trends is to retreat into a bygone age.

Nevertheless, the book overall is an important contribution to a vital debate. We do need to "wake up to the fact that there is a militantly anti-Christian elite in Britain today" (p41). But he ends with positive advice for Christians in such circumstances: be diligent in prayer and study, form strong church communities, and trust in God.

Clifford Hill responds to the Irish vote for same-sex marriage.

"You can fool some of the people some of the time but you cannot fool all the people all the time." It looks as though the Irish have disproved this platitude. The campaigners, a small group of homosexuals who joined forces with a determined army of secular humanists, themselves said that this could not have happened five years ago. In an incredibly short time they have succeeded in creating a social revolution in Ireland. But what they hail as a "victory for equality" is in fact a victory for deception!

Victory for Equality?

Same-sex marriage has nothing to do with 'equality'. You can have equality in the law of the land simply by legalising same-sex partnerships; but you cannot 're-define' marriage, which is part of God's act of creation, any more than you can redefine the moral law of truth, or the natural law of gravity. The state may call a same-sex relationship 'marriage', but it will not be marriage in the sight of God.

Amidst all the campaigning for 'equality', there has been a huge cover-up of the health risks associated with actively gay lifestyles."

It is amazing how the campaigners have been able to deceive the nation. At the public celebrations a number of Government Ministers were interviewed – all hailing the result as a victory for 'equality'. The Minister of Health welcomed the result: but he did not acknowledge the great deception – the cover-up of the health risks, that by encouraging boys to engage in homosexual practices they are reducing their life expectancy by over 20 years because the human body is not designed for penetrative anal intercourse.¹ But the medical facts are ignored.

Discrimination Unacceptable

In my work in the community over many years I've had countless conversations with both men and women with homosexual tendencies or in active relationships. I have a great deal of sympathy for their desire to be accepted on the same terms as everyone else. All discrimination is totally unacceptable. But most of the people I have talked with are not simply concerned with equality: even if they are not practising Christians, they want their relationship of love to be both recognised by others and blessed by God. The blessing of God is the one thing of which I have never been able to assure them.

All discrimination is totally unacceptable. But we cannot assure people that God blesses homosexual relationships as marriage"

A true love relationship between two people of the same gender is not wrong and can be blessed by God who is the very essence of love. But the Bible emphatically states that homosexual acts are wrong. It says, "Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable" (Lev 18:22).

Most of these sexual regulations relate to the health of individuals and society: for example, to prevent inbreeding in a small community. But the teaching of the New Testament is equally clear on what is regarded as sexual deviance, "Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Cor 6:9).

SSM and the Church

In biblical terms, 'marriage' is between one man and one woman and can never be redefined- whatever laws are passed by human parliaments. I have a great love for the Irish people, but I recognise that many of them have a very limited knowledge of the Bible because the Catholic Church in Ireland has never encouraged people to study the word of God for themselves. Most people have just left 'religion' to the priests.

There have also been many cases of abuse of children and of harsh treatment of single mothers in care homes. In fact, this huge vote in favour of homosexual marriage may well be an expression of the way the ordinary people in Ireland have reacted against the Catholic Church for the way the hierarchy desperately tried to cover up their sins. The same-sex marriage vote may be an anti-church vote as much as a vote for social change.

The same-sex marriage vote in Ireland may be an anti-church vote as much as a vote for social change"

The Tide of Secular Humanism

Sadly what has happened in Ireland will affect other nations in the Western world as it adds force to the tide of secular humanism sweeping Europe and undermining the Judaeo-Christian foundations of the nations. As I watched the scenes of rejoicing in Dublin I remembered the warning given to Abraham "the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure" (Gen 15:16).

The sin of the Amorites began with homosexual practices and degenerated into all kinds of sexual perversions. In several Western nations, pressure groups are already lobbying for the age of consent to be lowered- and some even for the legalisation of some form of paedophilia.² They say that young people below the present age of consent at 16 are increasingly engaging in sexual activity and it is wrong to criminalise them. They argue that society should recognise the social revolution that has taken place and therefore all forms of sexual activity for any age group should be legalised.

Once again their argument is based upon 'equality'; but once again it is deception, as they ignore the immense harm they are doing, not only in weakening family life but also in endangering the physical, mental and emotional health of every individual caught up in the so-called 'social revolution'.

References

1 Eg Cameron, P and Cameron, K, 2007. Federal distortion of homosexual footprint (ignoring early gay death?), Family Research Institute, CO. Please note that this research is largely rejected by the pro-LGBT community.

2 Age of consent reform, Wikipedia

Resetting our compass from 1985...

The early issues of Prophecy Today in the mid-1980s frequently referred to a ‘move of the Holy Spirit’. They were exciting days. It was the height of the Charismatic Movement. House groups formed in the 1960s and ‘70s had spilled over into meetings in schools and community halls. Celebration events attracted large crowds with loud music and enthusiastic praise.

Party-time

I remember walking into a hall in 1987 with several hundred people singing and dancing and waving flags. The band and a group of singers were repeating a ditty to thunderous applause with increasing physical participation from the crowd, some of whom were swaying in the aisles and others falling down. I said to one of the leaders, “What’s going on here?” He responded, “Don’t worry! The Lord’s having a party!”

I remember thinking at the time, “I hope the Lord has been invited and that he hasn’t already left!” A decade before that, Monica and I were in the East End of London. The 1970s was the formative, more serious time of charismatic renewal. We had 1000 people on a Saturday evening to ‘Prayer, Praise and Healing’ meetings. At that stage we were still singing the great Bible-based hymns of Wesley and Watts, but by the mid-‘80s the musicians were driving the charisma.

Praise was the order of the day. We were marching through the land, re-claiming dominion over the nation. It was known as ‘Dominion Theology’. We bought into the popular teaching of ‘Power Evangelism’. Christians were going to seize control of the airwaves and the political and social systems of the nation in preparation for the second coming of Christ when we would present the Kingdom to him. It was all down to us!

Going Against Fashion

Right from the start of Prophecy Today we found ourselves going against the fashion. The popular teaching did not stand up to careful comparison with the Bible. We didn’t want to curb the enthusiasm of people who were genuinely caught up in the Holy Spirit, but we were aware of the dangers of deception, so we had to warn. We knew that unless the biblical teaching offered to the people was based upon the plumb line of truth in the word of God it would be deception. The devil who deals in lies is careful to present his teaching as close to the truth as possible, otherwise it would fool no one!

"Christians in churches and fellowships that had got caught up in the Renewal Movement were so enjoying their new-found spiritual liberty that they were taking their eye off the wider scene."

We could see that the Christians in churches and fellowships that had got caught up in the Renewal Movement were so enjoying their new-found spiritual liberty (which contrasted to the dead traditionalism they were offered in many churches), that they were taking their eye off the wider scene. A similar thing happened several times in the history of Israel when God sent prophets to draw the people back to the truth of the word of God, so that they could stand against enemy attacks. Isaiah had to warn against danger from the Assyrians and Jeremiah against the Babylonians.

Warnings of Danger

In the 1985 publications of Prophecy Today we warned of great danger coming from two directions – one from within the Western nations and the other from outside. The two dangers we identified were – the increasing confidence of secular humanists, and the rising power of militant fundamentalist Islam.

We saw that the secular humanists’ strategy of undermining the Judaeo-Christian heritage and biblically-based foundations of the nations could destroy the spiritual strength of the Church to stand against a religion that was teaching a very different concept of God. We believed that the peace of the world was under threat and that Christians were unaware. They were enjoying their party celebrations, saying “Peace, Peace,” when God was saying “There is no Peace”.

"Christians were enjoying their party celebrations and saying "Peace, Peace", when God was saying "There is no Peace".

In the lead article of the very first issue of Prophecy Today March/April 1985, I drew attention to the rise of fundamentalist Islam in Libya, Syria, Iran and Pakistan and I said “The threat from militant Islam may one day prove to be greater than the threat from atheist Russian Communism”. Thirty years later the truth of this can be seen on the streets of Paris!

First Issue of Prophecy Today

We rejoiced in the new life that the Renewal Movement was bringing into the Church. We said that God was re-arming his Church for spiritual battle against the onslaught of secularism and false religion. We warned against the failure to discern false biblical teaching which would have disastrous social as well as spiritual consequences.

"In the first issue of Prophecy Today, we rejoiced in the new life that the Renewal Movement was bringing into the Church. We said that God was re-arming his Church for spiritual battle against the onslaught of secularism and false religion."

Sadly, these warnings were not heeded and the Charismatic Movement became increasingly self-centred, with individuals exercising the spiritual gifts for their own self-aggrandisement and self-satisfaction, rather than recognising that the spiritual gifts were given to enable the Church to fulfil the Great Commission. That is the tragedy we have seen played out in the 1980s and ‘90s that has left the traditional churches bereft of the power that God had provided for the great battle he foresaw.

"Sadly, the Charismatic Movement became increasingly self-centred, with individuals exercising the spiritual gifts for their own self-aggrandisement and self-satisfaction, rather than recognising that the spiritual gifts were given to enable the Church to fulfil the Great Commission."

Will we Never Learn?

Today we see the spiritually bankrupt institutional churches with declining congregations selling their buildings for mosques or supermarkets, while the new churches are settling into the same patterns of institutionalisation that brought spiritual ruin to the denominations. Will we never learn? Will we never learn from the history of Israel that disaster always follows failure to heed the warnings God sends to us?

Only God can Heal

We believe God is raising up Prophecy Today at such a time as this, to bring his word to a rebellious generation through the faithful remnant of believers that still exists in the Western nations. We undertake this task, not with any confidence in our own ability, but only with a sense of obedience to God. Only God can heal the nations, and only he can protect his people in times of persecution and give them the spiritual strength to stand firm when all around them is being shaken.

Urgent

God is warning believers that we are moving into the most perilous time in the history of the world, with the nations armed with weapons of mass destruction capable of destroying all life on the planet. There is nothing more urgent than seeking the word of God for our times. That is what we are committed to doing in Prophecy Today, although we undertake this task with fear and trembling.