Learning from the Paris Attack

Rebellion – not revival – is a key sign of the times.

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.

Author and publisher Peter Sammons takes on the multi-faith agenda.

‘The Empty Promise of Godism: Reflections on the Multi-Faith Agenda’ (Glory to Glory, 2009). Review by Maureen Trowbridge.

In the foreword to this book the author discusses the common view that all religions are essentially the same. “What sort of God do we believe in? Can we logically hold the notion that all religions are sent by God?”

Sammons sets off to explore the claims of the multi-faith ‘godists’ vis-à-vis the authentic Gospel, the true and consistent nature of God and his unique characteristics as revealed in Scripture.

Before opening up the multi-faith agenda, Sammons wisely lays a strong foundation with several chapters on the Bible’s revelations of who God is. Sammons spends time unpacking the Ten Commandments, which show clearly the true heart of God, including the command that “You shall have no other gods before me” (Ex 20:3).

Then, as the rest of the book unfolds, there are clear explanations of what the author terms ‘godism’ (a more nebulous approach to spirituality that holds that all religions have something to offer but none have a monopoly on the truth) in clear and challenging opposition to the truth of Christianity. All the comments and explanations are backed up by the word of God.

For anyone who is perplexed by, or wishing to respond to, the common belief that there are various paths to God and that no one religion or belief holds all the answers, this is the book to read. The author finishes with the way to find a true faith and with the positive affirmation from Jesus that “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life” (John 14:6).

I recommend this as an excellent and thought-provoking book for understanding and growing in the Christian faith, especially in the context of postmodern, multi-faith Britain.

The Empty Promise of Godism (382pp) is available from the publisher for £10 + P&P. Also available for free as an e-book.

‘The Prince of Peace; Finding True Peace in a World that Wars’ (GlorytoGlory Publications, 2015). Review by Rev Dr David Moore.

Peter Sammons’ ‘The Prince of Peace’ is aimed at a general readership, readily accessible also to those without any prior knowledge of the Bible. ‘Peace’ is here understood in the wide terms of the Hebrew word shalom (peace, wholeness, wellbeing, salvation, etc) and finds its focus and fulfilment in the person of Jesus Christ, the Messianic Prince of Peace.

This understanding enables the author to explore, in a semi-conversational style, a wide range of Bible-teaching: salvation and the Gospel, Jews and Gentiles, Israel in the purposes of God, other religions, world peace and eschatology (including Jerusalem/Zion). As such, it is a little ‘body of divinity’ which introduces the reader to the Gospel, the Bible and Christian theology.

For the more theologically literate Christian, the book is also of interest in that it clearly grows out of the conviction that Replacement Theology distorts the place of Jew and Gentile in the integral meta-narrative of Scripture. This holistic stance provides a key to biblical end time prophecy where there is often confusion over what applies to the Jews and what relates to the Church, the so-called ‘new Israel of God’.

‘The Prince of Peace’ should appeal to both the serious seeker and the thoughtful Christian alike.

The Prince of Peace (137pp) is available from the publisher for £8.99 + P&P.

About the author: Peter Sammons is a writer and publisher based in Essex. His publishing house, Christian Publications International (formerly GlorytoGlory Publications) supplies a variety of books and resources, with particular emphasis on Christian theology, healing and Hebraic roots. As well as books for purchase, the CPI website also hosts free and downloadable resources. Click here to find out more.

Tolerance leads to compromise.

"To the angel of the church in Thyatira write:

These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.

Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. 2I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.

Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan's so-called deep secrets, 'I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.'

To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations— that one 'will rule them with an iron sceptre and will dash them to pieces like pottery'—just as I have received authority from my Father. I will also give that one the morning star. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

The letter to the church in Thyatira is one of the less well-known letters of Revelation 2-3, being hidden in the middle of the list. However, it is also the longest letter and carries a message of such vital importance to our culture and generation that it would be careless of us not to give it the attention it deserves.

Thyatira Then and Now

Thyatira (modern-day Akhisar, Turkey) was a small commercial city about 50km inland from the coast of Asia Minor – a crossroads town situated at the junction of two major trade routes. As the messenger carried the letters of Revelation northwards from Ephesus, through Smyrna and Pergamum, he would then have arced back down to Thyatira on the next leg of his journey.

As with many settlements in Asia Minor, Thyatira has a long history stemming back thousands of years to Hittite rule. It has changed hands many times since then, coming under the authority of the Persians, Greeks, Romans and many others. A Christian community existed there from the very early days of the apostolic era and flourished for many hundreds of years, until the Ottoman Empire took over in the 14^th Century.

Thyatira was infamous in ancient times for its dyeing facilities and its role in the purple cloth trade (the Gentile convert Lydia, who welcomed Paul, Silas and Timothy into her home in Philippi, was originally from Thyatira and known for her successful trading in 'purple', Acts 16). However, it was also a commercial hub for many other industries including wool and linen textiles, leather work, pottery, bronze-work, agriculture and the slave trade.

In the World, But Not of the World

Culturally, Thyatira was a Gentile, pagan city with a 'work hard, play hard' ethos. It was known for its mercantile prosperity and its trade guilds, which would host lavish festivities for members with drink, sex and idolatry in abundance.

For Christians in Thyatira, though not facing the threat of dreadful persecution, there was constant temptation back into the ways of the world – indulging in unGodly revelry and being tempted into compromise by the comforts and social requirements of the good life. Indeed, refusing to give reverence to pagan gods or Caesar worship as part of guild celebrations could have led to expulsion from one's trade guild (and therefore unemployment), so it would have taken a lot of courage for believers to stand against this kind of activity.

Thyatira was a Gentile, pagan city with a 'work hard, play hard' ethos.

Ruins of a Byzantine church in Thyatira. See Photo Credits.The faithful in Thyatira had to learn to be 'in the world but not of the world' - how to take their stand against the flow of peer pressure and not let worldly values infiltrate the Church. This is exactly the theme the Lord Jesus chose for his letter.

From Tolerance to Compromise

In fairness to the Thyatiran church, they were doing a lot of things right - as the letter openly acknowledges. Jesus Messiah begins by congratulating the group for their good deeds, their love, faith, service and perseverance – and for the obvious growth in their dedication.

However, he loved this band of believers too much simply to pat them on the back for their good deeds and ignore the issues that needed addressing. He knew that though they were doing all the right things on the outside, there was compromise in their hearts.
At the time, the issue in hand was the influence of a certain 'Jezebel' who was leading God's people into sin, telling them it was fine to go along with the rest of the pagan city, experimenting sexually and partaking in idolatrous festivals. This seduction into sin may also have involved some element of occult, with believers being deceived and tempted by the promise of being given knowledge of "Satan's deep secrets".¹

This was the immediate, surface issue for the Thyatiran Church – and God's message was a tough one. She who had refused to repent (the letter implies she had already been given ample opportunity), along with her children (this may refer to her followers, cf. her biological children), would be subjected to suffering and even death as a consequence of their sin. God had had enough of their wilful disobedience; He was going to bring judgment upon them.

The Thyatiran church were doing a lot of things right - but the Lord Jesus loved them too much to ignore the issues that needed addressing.

But the underlying issue here was neither sexual immorality nor the eating of food sacrificed to idols, as much as both needed addressing. The fundamental issue was that the community of faith in Thyatira were being led down a road of compromise because of their attitude of tolerance towards those who were sinning and leading others to sin.

The word used for 'tolerate' in verse 20 means to permit, to allow, to not hinder. In other words, it is not restricted to those who joined in with the Jezebel rebellion, but also includes all those who stood by and watched it happen - too afraid to say anything.

Mixture is Not an Option

This is where the letter shouts so very loudly to our church culture today: tolerance of worldly values, pagan idolatry and false doctrine within the Church, even if we ourselves do not participate, is not an option for Christians. We cannot serve two masters – if we try, we will end up denying the Lord Jesus.

According to Clifford and Monica Hill in their book Ephesus to Laodicea, Christians in Thyatira "had learned the practice of tolerance in order to survive in a multicultural and polytheistic society, but in so doing they had compromised their faith".² Arguably, exactly the same thing has happened – and is happening right now – with Christians in Britain.

Relative wealth and freedom in Britain have left Christians exposed to the seductive pull of materialism, individualism and living for pleasure. The encroachment of suffocating, secular humanist 'tolerance' has made it virtually impossible to talk about universal rights and wrongs without being labelled judgmental or a bigot – so it is easier to stay quiet, to live out the faith in private.

To top it all off, many congregations in this country (like the Thyatirans) are doing well in their good deeds, their love, faith and perseverance; but this often makes it easier to justify doctrinal complacency or sinful behaviour. Believers are too tired, too busy, already doing their bit.

The fundamental issue for the Thyatirans was that they were being led down a road of compromise because of their attitude of tolerance towards those who were sinning and leading others to sin.

And so, comfort has led to complacency – to the point where the Lordship of Jesus is downplayed (even denied), his righteous ways are made light of, and his call to holiness is ignored, in case we offend others. Only last week, verses from the Qu'ran were read out in St Mary's Cathedral in Glasgow as part of a Christian Epiphany service!³ We are already on a very slippery slope.

If believers do not live in ways that challenge and change the culture around us, that culture will end up changing us. Note that the two major aspects of the compromise in Thyatira – sexual license and compromise with other religions – are also the two that most deeply divide the Church in Britain today.⁴

Living Victoriously in Babylon

Learning to live distinctive Christian lives in the midst of a secular/pagan culture is difficult. What is it alright to 'tolerate' in order to build bridges with our neighbours for the sake of the Gospel? How do we grow a Church culture that is not soft on sin, whilst avoiding both legalism (on the one side) and liberal compromise (on the other)?

There are many questions here and no easy answers – this is a path that can only be walked with the help of the Holy Spirit. But it is important to note that the process starts not in word or deed, but in the heart.

It is in the heart that the choice is made whether or not to stand against deception or falsity within the Lord's Body. It is in the heart that tiny decisions are taken to stay silent when brothers and sisters go astray, in case they are offended by our speaking out. It is in the heart that compromise in our own behaviour is pursued, in exchange for the good life or for acceptance by others.

In sum, it is in the heart that tolerance blurs into compromise – before any words have been uttered or actions [not] taken. No human sees these small, imperceptible choices – but God does.

Sifting the Church

The time is coming when the Lord will sift and test us all, as he undoubtedly did the Thyatirans. Those who do not turn will end up suffering – not because God is a sadist, but because he knows we have hard hearts that often need to be broken before they can be changed.

It is in the heart that tolerance blurs into compromise.

Ideally, this judgment will produce a fruit of repentance and a return to obedience and righteousness. This may or may not happen – but what is certain is that it will become increasingly difficult in this nation to exist as a Christian with one foot in the world and the other in the Kingdom. It is either/or, not both/and! What will it take for us to choose the Lord?

Those who do, who hold on faithfully to that which they have been given whatever the cost - the overcomers - will participate with the Lord Jesus in His ultimate rule and reign at the end of time.

They will be given the bright morning star – Messiah Jesus Himself – whose eyes are a blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. He is the King of Kings who will reign for all eternity, when all other kingdoms with their seductions of wealth and prosperity have been blown away like chaff on the wind. It is this perspective that we need – a healthy fear of the Lord's glorious supremacy and power – to keep us from sinning.

References

1 Cf. Luke 8:17; Ephesians 5:11-14. See also commentary here.

2 2005, Handsel Press, p75.

3 See news coverage from Christian Concern.

4 Interestingly, the diocese that oversees all Greek Orthodox adherents in Great Britain (established in 1922 when Greek Christians were driven out of Asia Minor into diaspora by Turkish nationalists) is called the Archdiocese of Thyateira [Thyatira] and Great Britain! Culturally, we have a lot in common.

Click here to read the rest of the articles in this series.

Magna Carta Unravelled (Wilberforce Publications, 2015, 217 pages, £7.99)

This book, a joint venture between Wilberforce Publications and Voice for Justice UK, is a collection of essays by eight experts in various fields (eg politics, law, the Church) largely based upon talks given at a conference held in May to commemorate the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta. Among the better known contributors are Baroness Cox, Lynda Rose, and Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali, but all those involved have distinguished reputations and are highly experienced.

Six of the original talks were expanded by the speakers into written form and to these were added two extra chapters. The overall result is a comprehensive survey covering the origins of Magna Carta, the development of its ideas throughout history, and its relevance today. The whole makes an important contribution towards the discussion on the contemporary challenges we face in our nation regarding our freedoms.

The opening chapter provides an excellent overview and sets the scene, declaring that "what we need to recognise today is that we are in the middle of a predominantly three-stranded ideological war: between Christianity, secularism, and Islam" (p29). Society is now in the grip of competing belief systems as the ruthless imposition of non-Christian values with their own ideas of 'rights' and 'freedoms' are being selectively applied. The result is a vigorous shaking of our foundations which is causing many to wonder what the eventual outcome will be.

This is an important contribution towards debating the ideological war currently gripping British society."

Other chapters cover the historical and theological background to Magna Carta, its Christian origins and legacy, the role of the State concerning freedoms, and the rise of Islam and sharia law in the UK. The final parts focus on the current challenges to individual liberty. On reflection, not all sections are of equal interest or engagement; some are more difficult to follow and rather stolid. Certainly, there are also many anecdotes and testimonies, including up-to-date personal stories, but often these have been well covered elsewhere and are over-long in the context of this particular book. There is even some overlap between speakers, which may be one of the disadvantages of a book produced from a conference. Overall it is difficult not to be disappointed at times that this is not a more enjoyable read.

However, the book clearly has a place within the current re-assessment and evaluation of Magna Carta. It is of a suitable length to fit between short introductions and fuller studies, and above all it does ask the right questions. Realising that the UK is "at a crossroads, with the soul of our nation at stake" (p17), it is very pertinent to consider the relevance of Magna Carta. Clearly it is an important historical document but what about now, eight centuries later, in our multi-cultural society? The fundamental principles and freedoms that it established have recently been attacked, dismantled and shattered. How did this happen and why? And where do we go from here?

This book asks the right questions about the present situation and future outlook in Britain, showing how Christian principles and values are not just being eroded and marginalised, but being branded as dangerous."

As the authors show, Christian principles and values are currently being marginalised, rebranded as hate speech and provocation if expressed publicly, and even portrayed as dangerous to a liberal and secular modern society. At the very least the likelihood is that there will be continuing attempts to contain Christian views and eventually eliminate them in the cause of new freedoms and ideas of tolerance. The ultimate fear is that we will lose our specifically Christian freedoms altogether.

Is this unduly alarmist or a wake-up call? You decide! Either way here is an informative and valuable resource for those seeking to think through these vital issues.