But what is its spiritual significance?

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

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

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

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

The Question Christians Should Ask

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

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

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

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

God’s Blessing?

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

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

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

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

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

There is Hope Yet

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

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

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

People power and the hand of God.

This week we have seen the fall from favour of two powerful politicians – Mugabe and Merkel. They have each held power in very different societies but their downfalls are both linked to the rise of people power.

People power signals the awakening of ordinary people to the misuse of power among the ruling elite that has been the source of oppression for far too long. It is now even affecting cruel dictatorships such as the Mugabe regime, which has dominated Zimbabwe for decades.

The popularist backlash has begun: where will it end?

Angela Merkel’s problems stemmed from her unwise single-handed decision to welcome more than one million asylum seekers from the Muslim world and to try to force other EU nations to follow the same policy. Her nearest neighbours - Poland, the Czech Republic, and Austria - have all resisted this pressure.

Populist Revolts

Other parts of the EU are experiencing something similar - a populist reaction against decisions made by those in power. In France, Macron’s sudden rise to prominence reflected a workers’ revolt against both left and right traditional political parties. But his failure to please the workers has brought them out onto the streets in protest.¹

It remains to be seen whether a similar pattern will be followed in Zimbabwe if the vast army of unemployed do not see radical change with their new President, Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Politicians in traditional parties throughout the EU are watching the growth of anti-establishment, populist movements with trepidation.

And what about the European Union itself? The cracks we have been forecasting in Prophecy Today UK are beginning to widen. The corruption at the heart of this evil institution with the gross rewards it pays to its unelected officials is becoming widely known and will bring its inevitable consequences. Politicians in the traditional parties throughout the European Union are watching the growth of anti-establishment, populist movements with trepidation.

The God Factor

Angela Merkel announces the failure of her coalition talks. See Photo Credits.

But the major factor that the Establishment does not recognise is the God factor!

Yes, certainly, the forces of social change that are sweeping Europe and other parts of the world, including traditional monarchies such as Saudi Arabia, are of sociological significance, but they also have theological significance! They are not simply generated by human ambitions or discontent: they all show signs of the guiding Hand of God!

The Prophet Haggai prophesying in the year 520 BC may not have known God’s timetable, but he certainly received a clear revelation of the purposes of God when he declared, “This is what the Lord Almighty says: in a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations…”.

We are certainly seeing a great shaking of the world of nature through storms, hurricanes, floods, droughts and earthquakes – arguably more than in any other period in recorded history; and we are also seeing a great shaking of the nations.

The forces of change that are sweeping Europe and other parts of the world all show signs of the guiding Hand of God.

This is where we need our Bibles more than sociological and political theory to give us a steer about what is happening and the likely outcomes of the forces of change that are driving the nations.

When we get a clear view of the nature and purposes of God, we have the necessary tools of analysis to enable us to understand what is going on in our world today. Without this knowledge we are left with our secular human frailty; alone in the universe, facing the gathering storms with winds of change reaching hurricane force and no compass or rudder to guide.

The two fundamental assets of the biblical prophets were: revelationary knowledge of the nature and purposes of God; and understanding of the sovereignty of God - that everything that happened was either because God directly willed it, or because he allowed it.

Exposing Injustice

So, what’s happening among the nations today? Certainly, we can see that in Europe and the West, God is exposing the corruption, injustice and oppression exercised by the ruling elite who misuse their riches and their power to pursue selfish aims and objectives.

As Jeremiah stated in his famous ‘Temple Sermon’ (Jer 7), God hates injustice and oppression. There is something in our fallen human nature that still reflects the image of God, in which we were created, that enables us to recognise injustice and oppression and to reject them. This is what is happening today as God turns on the light, exposing the corrupt financial, political and social systems of the modern world.

Mrs Merkel’s fall from power is likely to trigger elections in the new year which will benefit the far-right nationalist ‘Alternative for Germany’ (AfD) party, or even the ex-Communist Left Party. This will further destabilise Germany and could possibly trigger the collapse of the European Union, already under threat because of Britain’s withdrawal.

The two fundamental assets of the biblical prophets were: revelationary knowledge of the nature and purposes of God; and understanding of the sovereignty of God.

This gives an enormous opportunity to Britain to review the whole policy of offering enormous sums of money to the EU to allow us to come out from under its oppressive regulations.

But is the British Government sufficiently spiritually aware of what is happening in the world that political decisions can be made in line with the purposes of God? This is evidently not the case – unsurprisingly, given how few MPs are biblical Christians. This is where Christians are greatly needed to make their voice heard in the nation and to bring a ‘God-perspective’ into national decision-making.

Church, Arise!

At present there is very little indication that God-centred direction will come from the Church. But it is the Church that should be the prophet to the nation. In the absence of the word of God thundering through the naves of our cathedrals and from the pulpits of our churches, perhaps people power may yet emerge from the pews!

It is surely time for Bible-believing Christians to find every opportunity in this media-saturated world to declare the word of the living God to this godless generation!

The authorities in Israel were forced to take note of the disciples: “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realised that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13). May the backlash not only be seen on the streets, but in the churches as well!

Notes

1 E.g. Read more here.

Mark Dunman calls for continued prayer over Brexit.

For though we live in the world we are not carrying on a worldly war, for the weapons of our warfare are not worldly, but have divine power to destroy strongholds. (2 Cor 10:3-4, RSV)

A year ago I wrote an article for Prophecy Today entitled The EU Referendum – a Springboard for Action, in which I related the Smith Wigglesworth prophecy to what I thought was happening through the result of the Referendum.

Since then many Christians and groups of Christians have been praying that Brexit will be implemented and not reversed or side-lined by our political leaders. Many were pleased that Theresa May who had voted to 'remain' nevertheless embraced the mantle for Brexit with enthusiasm. Christians and leavers alike were aware that the Remain group would fight back.

Recently the nation has been shaken by a series of events: three terrorist outrages, the horrendous fire in West London and the general election result. Christian supporters of Brexit have even wondered whether they were still in God's will by supporting our exit from Europe. What might be going on in the spiritual realm? In my view satan has bided his time since last June with minor skirmishes, but now, nearly a year later, he has gone for a major counter-attack.

Historic Counter-Attacks

As an older Christian I find comparisons with the Second World War quite helpful.

Most readers will know that God called pockets of believers such as Rees Howells to intercede for our nation and for King George VI himself to call for national days of prayer (seven in all). By December 1944 the Allies thought the war in the West would be concluded very soon. They were going forward on a wide front across France and Belgium - when suddenly Hitler struck back with a concentrated thrust through the Ardennes Forest, in what became known as the Battle of the Bulge. There was panic, not least among some senior military commanders, but calmer heads prevailed and the counter-attack was defeated, although at considerable cost in Allied lives.

As our nation has been shaken, Christian supporters of Brexit have even wondered whether they were in God's will to back our exit from Europe.

Hitler could not have won the war at that stage, but had the breakout succeeded he could have caused considerable damage and delay. Likewise, satan cannot win this war, but he can and will try to deflect God's purposes.

Strategic Prayer

What, then, are the lessons for us in relation to Brexit? Above all, we must persevere in prayer. Hitler was motivated by satan's spiritual kingdom, the same enemy opposing Brexit. In light of this, it has been very encouraging to read David Noakes’ recent prophecy given at East Grinstead on 17 June,¹ which refers interestingly both to the adversary's great rage and to his fear. We could add to that his relentless tenacity. For example, battle was joined over the recent Queen's Speech (see Clifford Denton's article in this week's issue). We need to pray for the right kind of Brexit, as well as Brexit itself!

I believe this prophecy reinforces the message of Smith Wigglesworth that God does have plans for Britain, despite the way the nation has fallen away from his standards. David’s prophecy clearly states that we are in a war and that war has costs. This is absolutely scriptural (2 Tim 2:3-4, 2 Cor 10:3-4, Phil 2:25, to quote just a few scriptures). To be effective at waging war, an army has to be able to defend itself as well as attack. Scripture provides principles by which to do this.

Principles in Prayer

For an individual or group planning to pray strategically about Brexit, it is vital that we are each submitted to God first, being spiritually and morally right with him, so he is able to clothe us with the protective armour of God (Eph 6:13-18).

While we pray on our own, it is also important to pray with others – whether part of our own fellowship or not, although the covering of a church or Christian ministry is desirable. Prayer should be led by the Holy Spirit and, importantly, we should not engage with large-scale principalities and powers over Europe (e.g. Eph 6:12-13) unless specifically instructed by the Lord.²

God does have plans for Britain, despite the way the nation has fallen away from his standards.

The Remnant’s Responsibility

David Noakes's prophecy refers to a remnant of believers who hold fast to God's word. This is especially true of Brexit, where the Church at large has failed to discern the spiritual significance of the European Union. It puts a responsibility on the remnant to carry through God's plans. As the prophecy says, God is in charge, but we know from the scriptures that he has chosen his Body, his army of Christian warriors, to help bring these to fulfilment.

Mark Dunman is the author of two books which were reviewed by Paul Luckraft in Prophecy Today in 2016.

Notes

1 Let me say straight away that every prophecy must be weighed within the Body of Christ. I personally believe that David has the mind of the Holy Spirit. His prophecies combine God's heart of compassion with his judgment.

2 It is well worth reading Francis Frangipane in 'The Three Battlegrounds' who warns against the dangers of undisciplined battle. We need humility and wisdom before God in this battle.

Are those who oppose the EU really backward-looking and bigoted?

Reversing Brexit is currently the chief General Election objective of all those people, especially Liberal Democrats, passionately committed to furthering the goal of European union.

This group includes many of our young people, particularly those in higher education, because of a deeply rooted but mistaken belief that the desire to preserve or (in Britain’s case) re-gain national sovereignty is somehow ‘racist’ and reactionary. They are taught that ‘nationalism’ leads to war, and being patriotic supposedly implies that one dislikes foreigners.

However sincerely held this belief may be, it should be rejected firmly by biblically informed and historically literate Christians.

The fallen human nature of ambitious and despotic rulers, obsessed by the selfish pursuit of wealth and power, has been the chief cause of war down the ages - not the existence of self-governing nation-states.

As for World Wars I and II, they, like so many armed conflicts of the modern era, were launched by militaristic dictatorships against mainly liberal democracies, whose peaceful exercise of their national sovereignty threatened nobody.

Reversing Brexit is the chief General Election objective of all those passionately committed to furthering the goal of European union.

Consequently, the real lesson of history is the very opposite of that drawn by the supporters of European integration. Since power corrupts because human beings are fallen creatures, it is essential that it remain dispersed, in an international system of ‘checks and balances’, rather than centralised and concentrated in a European Super-State.

Curbing Immigration: Right or Wrong

These ideas about national sovereignty and freedom are highly relevant to the controversial issue of immigration.

Politically correct ‘liberals’ always imply that the desire to restrict immigration is morally suspect, because it stems (supposedly) from a xenophobic, bigoted dislike of foreigners. Even when political pressures force them to acknowledge people’s legitimate concerns about the impacts of mass uncontrolled immigration on schools, hospitals, housing and transport, they do so reluctantly, always wanting to change the subject to the need for more government action to create jobs and improve public services.

Yet whilst it is obviously important to combat racists and welcome the positive contributions made by so many immigrants to our economies and societies, there is a strong and principled case for acknowledging the right of individual countries to control their own borders.

Border Control is Moral

In the first place, a country’s right to control its borders and restrict immigration is an essential component of its national sovereignty. If it is not allowed to determine who is or is not permitted to cross its frontiers and settle within them, it cannot maintain its distinctive national character or preserve its political independence.

Consequently, if we value an international system in which political power is de-centralised, we should recognise that mass uncontrolled migration threatens these institutional and cultural foundations, and should therefore be curbed.

There is a strong and principled case for acknowledging the right of individual countries to control their own borders.

A second and related argument is that liberal democracies cannot preserve their sovereignty, cultural unity and liberties if they open their doors to too many migrants whose cultural beliefs and values are fundamentally at variance with those of a free society. This truth is particularly relevant to the question of mass migration from the Muslim world, especially within the context of the global spread of radical Islam.

Freedom to Critique Islam

As the annual reports of international human rights monitoring organisations like Freedom House regularly reveal, most of the Islamic world is blighted by religious intolerance, sectarian violence and political tyranny. Women largely remain second-class citizens, freedom of thought and speech is non-existent or heavily restricted, and the rights of religious and ethnic minorities are generally trampled underfoot.

Some two million Christians, for example, have been driven out of their Middle East homelands over the past 20 years. But the greatest victims of Muslim violence and intolerance have been and continue to be other Muslims. According to a 2007 study by Harvard-trained scholar and Middle East expert Daniel Pipes, and Professor Gunnar Heinsohn of the University of Bremen:

…some 11,000,000 Muslims have been violently killed since 1948, of which 35,000, or 0.3%, died during the sixty years of fighting Israel, or just 1 out of every 315 Muslim fatalities. In contrast, over 90% of the 11 million who perished were killed by fellow Muslims.¹

To highlight these facts, and the difficulties they pose for European countries struggling to control immigration from the Muslim world, is not to indulge in Islamophobia or to deny the fact that most Muslims currently living in Western countries live at peace with their neighbours and contribute to our societies. It is simply to draw attention to what is a genuine political and cultural problem widely acknowledged by liberal Muslims and human rights activists.

In March 2007, for example, a brave group of Muslim writers and intellectuals came together at a ‘Secular Muslim Summit’ in St Petersburg, Florida, USA, and issued a freedom manifesto called The St. Petersburg Declaration. This declared, amongst other things, that:

We see no colonialism, racism, or so-called ‘Islamophobia’ in submitting Islamic practices to criticism or condemnation when they violate human reason or rights…We demand the release of Islam from its captivity to the totalitarian ambitions of power-hungry men and the rigid structures of orthodoxy…²

Against this background, is it really ‘racist’ or illiberal for Western governments to seek to limit the entry into their countries of large waves of migrants? These will inevitably include a minority of Muslims who advocate Sharia law, do not recognise freedom of conscience or speech, treat women as inferior beings, and feel no loyalty or attachment to their host communities.

Liberal democracies cannot preserve their liberties if they open their doors to too many migrants whose cultural beliefs and values are fundamentally at variance with those of a free society.

Protecting Personal Freedom

It remains, finally, to observe that peace, harmony and wealth creation depend primarily on the voluntary co-operation and enterprise of private individuals, organisations, and businesses - that is, on all the myriad relationships, activities, and institutions of civil society outside the State.

Therefore, a peaceful and harmonious world requires that the coercive power of government be kept to a minimum, and maximum scope be given to personal initiative, effort and creativity.

That may seem a utopian dream, but such a world is more likely to become a reality (at least in part) if its existing free societies retain (or re-gain) their sovereignty and independence, trading freely with each other and co-operating in defensive alliances and the pursuit of common solutions to regional and global problems.

In such an international environment of competing tax systems, centres of power, and legal jurisdictions, connected to each other by free trade, travel and communication, private individuals and independent institutions will always have more room to breathe, and greater freedom of action, than if they are imprisoned within a world of regional power blocs – or, worst of all, some monopolistic system of global government.

Note Well

The single most important historical fact about the 20th Century is that more people (170 million of them) died in internal repression under tyrannical rulers and governments, than in all its wars combined.³

Bearing this in mind, no true friend of liberty should have any hesitation in opposing the misguided idealism of those who believe that abolishing national sovereignty will lead to a better world.

References

1 Click here for full details.
2 Click here to read the full text of the Declaration.
3 For fuller details, see: R.J. Rummel, 1996. Death by Government. Transaction Publishers, USA. Also The Black Book of Communism (Harvard University Press, USA, 1999).

The phoney war is over. The battle with the EU has begun.

Both our Prime Minister and Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission, have made statements this week. It feels rather like the first nine months of World War II, when nothing much happened and then soon after Dunkirk the Battle of Britain began and the German Luftwaffe began bombing the City of London.

The German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, has declared that Brexit is going to be very bad for Britain. What Germany failed to do through military attack in the 1940s they now intend to do through economic power. They are intent on luring banks away from London to Germany and they are determined to force Britain to pay as much as possible. Brussels, at the same time, is stepping up the political war against Britain. It’s all beginning to get quite nasty – but these are only the opening salvos of conflict.

We all knew that it was not going to be easy. But the majority of the population voted to leave the European Union despite plenty of warnings before the Referendum that it would be tough. We knew it would be a battle but what most people probably did not know is what sort of battle it would be.

Judging the Nations

We were discussing this in the Issachar Ministries office this week and remembering the international gathering of ministry leaders at Mount Carmel in Israel back in 1986, when Lance Lambert received a prophecy that we all believed was a word from the Lord. It was based on Haggai 2:6 where God promises to “shake all nations” and at the same time he will “shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land”.

All the leaders present believed that this prophecy would shortly be fulfilled in our lifetime. The word Lance received was:

I will judge the nations and the time is near. It will not only be by war and civil war, by anarchy and terrorism, and by monetary collapses that I will judge the nations…I will also judge them by giving them over to their own ways, to lawlessness, to loveless selfishness, to delusion and to believing a lie, to false religion and an apostate church, even to a Christianity without me.

Germany and Brussels are stepping up the political war against Britain – but these are only the opening salvos of conflict.

When we were discussing this, one of my colleagues said, “If you want to know what God is doing to fulfil his purposes today you only have to look at what the enemy is up to, because the ‘father of lies’ always knows what is important to God.”

So, what’s going on in the European Union that is making Germany and Brussels so angry with Britain and can also be seen to be anti-God? Of outstanding significance is its movement towards the establishment of a ‘United States of Europe’ in which each of the members would lose their sovereign identity.

The political elite were making good progress towards achieving this objective, until Brexit shattered their dreams. But many Christians believe that our sovereign identity is given by God and should not be surrendered. Deuteronomy 32:8 says that God “gave the nations their inheritance” and “set up their boundaries”.

Long-Term Objective

Back in 1993 when the Treaty of Maastricht was signed there was a meeting of the secret Bilderberg Group in Greece. Of course, the Group never make any announcements about their deliberations or policy agreements. But it is significant that two British politicians, Kenneth Clarke and Tony Blair (one Conservative and one Labour) who were there at the meeting, subsequently wrote articles in British newspapers in support of the abolition of the pound and the Bank of England, and in favour of a European single currency and European Central Bank.¹

The political elite were making good progress towards achieving their objective of a super-state, until Brexit shattered their dreams.

Both of these politicians today are ardent supporters of the European Union and anti-Brexit campaigners – Tony Blair is currently saying that he’s going to return to active politics to fight Brexit. There are numerous other British politicians, including a number in the House of Lords, who are fighting against Britain’s decision to leave the EU – men such as Denis Healey who died in October 2015.

Healey was one of the early members of the Bilderberger Group (founded 1954) and was Secretary of State for Defence and Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government. He hated UKIP and was an active supporter of a united Europe for many years. In 1979 he received the Grand Cross of Order of Merit from Germany for his efforts to bring about a united Europe – a policy that was part of Hitler’s 1942 ‘New Order’ plan.

Elitist Pressure

There are many like Healey still active in the House of Lords who are determined to keep Britain in the EU, which is a major reason why Theresa May called a General Election - to strengthen the Government’s hand in the negotiations to leave, which anti-Brexit politicians would love to undermine.

The backlash against this elitist group of politicians with their globalist objectives has been the cause of the populist uprising that brought Brexit in the UK, Trump in the USA and rank outsiders Macron and Le Pen in France.

There is no way of measuring the reasons why people have been voting for popularist candidates and rejecting the ruling elite. At least part of the reason must be a growing awareness of the obscene salaries and bonuses that globalist elites have been awarding themselves whilst avoiding paying taxes – but perhaps more broadly it is because ordinary people feel an ominous sense that there is something wrong with the current system and the direction in which it leads.

There are many politicians in both houses who are determined to keep Britain in the EU.

The PM and the People

In the current climate of populism, a remarkable political development has been seen in the local council and regional election results in Britain this week. The swing to the Conservative Party appears to go against popular trends. This could be very largely due to the way Theresa May has been able to distance herself from the political elite.

Her inaugural speech outside 10 Downing Street on the day she became Prime Minister set the tone of her leadership, when she declared her concern for ordinary working people who were having difficulties in making ends meet.

At the Conservative Party Conference, she signalled an end to the David Cameron style of government favouring the better off. She pledged a quiet revolution, rightly perceiving the significance of the Brexit vote among working-class voters. The increase in the Conservative vote this week has underlined her success in aligning herself with the populist cause – although it remains to be seen whether or not the high hopes she is creating will be realisable.

Wake Up, Church!

Probably only a small percentage of those who voted to leave the EU did so because of theological convictions that the EU is a demonic institution and that if our national future is to be prospered by God’s blessings, we have to repent of our ungodly laws and policies, many of which were inspired by the EU. But thankfully, God does not require a democratic majority in order to answer the prayers of his people!

God does not require a democratic majority in order to answer the prayers of his people!

The biblical strength of the new Government in June and the success of the Brexit negotiations do not depend upon chance – they depend on prayer, on the faithfulness of the Church and on the sovereign choice of God.

Perhaps the most pertinent question is – are Christians in Britain prepared to go into battle, not only against greedy globalists where they would have popular support, nor just against secular humanists who are brainwashing our children in state schools and are exercising their influence in the media and government, but against the spiritual powers of darkness that are contending right now for the soul of the Western nations?

Ultimately, this battle is not as much about the destiny of nations (though of course this matters) as it is about the eternal futures of millions of individual citizens and their chance to hear the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. It is essential that Christians should understand the spiritual nature of the battle and the importance of mobilising the power of focused, believing intercession at this crucial hour in world history.

References

1 The information in this paragraph is drawn from Rodney Atkinson, Europe’s Full Circle: Corporate Elites and the New Fascism’ Computing Publishing, Newcastle upon Tyne, 1996, p89.

Will Theresa May’s judgment about what is best for Britain prove correct?

Free at last? Not quite!!

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

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

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

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

Wartime Faith

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

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

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

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

A Christian Nation?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Still Under Judgment

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

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

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

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

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

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

A New Nation Under God?

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

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

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

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

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

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

References

1 See here and here.

Clifford Hill explores the Dutch election from a biblical standpoint.

What’s happening in the Netherlands? The results of their General Election have surprised the pundits who were all expecting Geert Wilders to do well.

He had been topping the polls for some time but then, days before the election, the spat with Turkey was a gift for Prime Minister Mark Rutte. He took a courageous decision to defy Turkish requests for rallies of Turkish nationals in Holland as part of Erdogan’s bid to gain greater power for his Presidency.

Rutte’s decision to break up demonstrations of expatriate Turks in Rotterdam, to ban Turkey’s Foreign Minister from the country and to expel another Turkish Minister who arrived in the Netherlands by car without permission, delighted the Dutch public and greatly enhanced Prime Minister Rutte’s electoral prospects. The timing could not have been better for him and the results from the 80% turnout of voters has reflected this.

Dutch newspapers have been full of congratulations to Rutte and political commentators have hailed the increase of right-wing parties and the diminished support for Wilders as a significant shift away from populist parties. One newspaper (NRC) said that the result showed that the Netherlands had returned to ‘normal’ and the ‘patriotic spring’ was dead.

Is Populism Dead?

But Dutch elections never give a clear-cut result. No party is able to form a Government on its own and, although Rutte has slightly increased the number of seats his party holds, he cannot govern alone. He will have to do deals with two or three other parties to try to find a working majority for a coalition to govern the nation.

Newspapers are claiming that Rutte’s win shows that European populism is dead.

It would be reckless to conclude that populism in Europe is now dead, especially with the French elections coming up soon and Marine Le Pen doing well in the polls. The level of dissatisfaction with their political leaders among Europeans is still running high and part of the reason why Rutte did well was because he stole some of Wilders’ anti-immigration thunder.

Focus will now be upon what a new right-wing Government led by Rutte will do to restore broken relationships with Turkey. If they give in and apologise, they will inflame the rising anti-Muslim sentiment in the Netherlands.

No Understanding

Europe has by no means ‘returned to normal’ because one nation has narrowly held on to the political status quo. Politicians do not understand the mood of the people because they do not understand the socio-economic and social forces of change that are currently driving Western nations.

These forces of change cannot be understood simply in terms of an ideological battle between the radical left and the conservative right. Neither can they be understood purely in economic terms of Marxism versus capitalism; or in sociological terms of relative deprivation and the revolt of the ‘have nots’ against the ‘haves’ in society.

The reason why our political leaders cannot understand what’s going on today is because they have abandoned God. It is as simple as that! In academic institutions of former generations, theology was regarded as the queen of the sciences, because people understood that God was the God of Creation who had created human beings in his own image. This was the starting point of all investigations of human relationships. If you rule out God, you lose the anchor point of truth for all subsequent investigation.

If you rule out God, you lose the anchor point of truth for all subsequent investigation.

The Bible’s Timeline

The Bible gives us a timeline that enables us to see the development of humanity against the backcloth of God’s plan for the nations. If we look at humanity from God’s perspective, we can see how far we are along the road to self-destruction. God sees the global arsenal of weapons of mass destruction – nuclear bombs, nerve gas, germ warfare weapons.

He also sees the vast pollution of society and the corruption of human beings, not least through the internet’s transmission of pornography and the degradation of human bodies through sexual perversion, violence and drugs.

These twin forces of global destruction – violence and moral corruption – are the fruit of the spiritual forces of darkness or ‘principalities and powers’ against which the Bible warns us.

Jeremiah has a telling phrase:

This is what the Lord says: let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord. (Jer 9:23-24)

This is where wisdom truly resides!

Wake Up!

The populist movement we are seeing today is not just a social movement of underclass protest; it is the result of God shaking the nations. God is alerting us to danger. He is drawing our attention to the fact that humanity is heading for global disaster.

The populist movement today is not just a social movement of underclass protest – it is the result of God shaking the nations.

The populist movement is just a small symptom showing that ordinary people know there is something wrong. But will the leaders of the nations pay heed? Will the elite secular humanist intelligentsia who have been the driving force behind globalisation and the undermining of Western Judeo-Christian heritage for decades take heed? Will they open their spiritual eyes and understand what is happening before it is too late?

Much depends upon whether the churches in the Western nations have sufficient strength and spiritual insight to stand for truth and righteousness against the forces of darkness. We cannot expect to see repentance or understanding in the world until there is first repentance and understanding in the Church, which must mediate the truth at this pivotal time.

The Apostle Peter says in the Bible:

The day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. (2 Peter 3:10)

Was this just a flight of fantasy? Or did Peter know something that we don’t?

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

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

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

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

The Truth About Sweden

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reclaiming Reality

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

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

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

EU Renewal of Vows

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Common Threads, Common Battle

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Where Will This Lead?

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

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

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

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

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

Where Can We Start?

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

References

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What an incredible week this has been in international politics!

The week began with 70 nations gathering in Paris, with the intention of trying to force Israel into a two-state solution that would effectively commit national suicide. This was followed by world business leaders meeting in Davos, Switzerland, trying to assess the health and direction of the world economy.

On the same day that Davos started came the statement from Prime Minister Theresa May outlining British Government plans for Brexit which have long-term implications for Europe and the rest of the world. Today, the eyes of the world are upon Washington as the people of the USA install the most unlikely President in the history of the United States – Donald J Trump.

The pace of change worldwide has been increasing exponentially over the past 40 years. Today it is almost bewildering for all those who try to follow world events and to understand what is happening.

At the beginning of this year, political and economic commentators were looking back over 2016, trying to assess how accurate their forecasts for the year had been. Most of them admitted honestly that they had been taken by surprise on almost all major world events.

Christians who have been recognising for some years that God is shaking the nations can trace the hand of God in all this. The Psalmist got it right when he declared that God scoffs at the nations when they try to throw off all restraint and conspire in vain against his purposes (Ps 2). Paul touched on a deep truth when he said that “God made foolish the wisdom of this world…For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom” (1 Cor 1:20, 25).

Last year, most political and economic commentators were taken by surprise on almost all major word events.

The Nature and Purposes of God

So, how do we understand what’s going on in the world today? If we’re going to get a clear view of what is happening, we have to start by getting a biblical perspective of the nature and purposes of God.

This may sound boring to those who simply want to forecast the future. But without this broader perspective we have no yardstick of truth and no focal point for an investigation.

We need to know the God of Creation, who holds the nations in his hands. Despite having given human beings freedom of will, God nevertheless still guides the affairs of the nations to fulfil his overall purpose of bringing his Gospel of salvation to all people.

We have only to look at the incredible destruction of the city of Aleppo in Syria to see what human beings can do when all restraint is removed and there is no regard or value for anything, including human life. This is a picture in miniature of the direction the nations of the world, armed with the most incredible weapons of mass destruction, are taking towards collective global self-destruction. And this is the reason why God intervenes in world affairs - to steer the nations in a different direction.

Watching and Praying

Christians in the Western world have slowly been waking up over the past few decades to the reality of the world situation and the dangers that confront us. They have been stunned by the level of violence in the Middle East and the horrific acts of terrorism in Europe and elsewhere carried out by militant Muslims in the name of their god Allah. They feel helpless as the North Koreans strive to produce their first nuclear bomb and the Chinese establish military bases on unoccupied islands in the South China Sea.

An increasing number of Christians are taking seriously the command of Jesus to watch and pray. The significant rise in the number of home-based small groups around Britain is evidence of this. This prophetic, awakened Church is increasingly resembling that of New Testament times; not only for meetings in the home but also for emphasis upon prayer and Bible study.

If we’re going to understand what is happening, we have to start with a biblical perspective of the nature and purposes of God.

Prayer Makes a Difference!

In Britain, we are seeing more Christians involved in corporate prayer for national and international issues than we have seen since the days of the Second World War. I was at a conference last Saturday when the whole company agreed to stop and pray about the meeting of world leaders that was taking place in Paris. It was not on the agenda, but we spent a whole hour praying about the event and the issue of Israel and the Palestinians. I’m sure we were not alone and that prayer greatly influenced the outcome; bringing confusion among the delegates and resulting in no resolution that could harm Israel.

The business leaders’ meeting in Davos was also said to be a non-event, with delegates being more interested in what was happening in London, where Theresa May was speaking.

The Prime Minister’s speech certainly was very warmly received by much of the British media; especially her promises that Britain will no longer be under the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice (or injustice, as many see it!), no longer subject to the free movement of labour so that we can control immigration and no longer under the control of European customs regulations so that we can develop international trade. Especially welcome was her statement that Britain would not accept a ‘bad deal’ - and that both Houses of Parliament will have a vote on the final agreement.

Of course, none of this has gone down very well in the European Union, which was to be expected. But during the next two years we may expect to see further major shaking of the EU and upheaval that will affect the negotiations with Britain. In threatening to make life difficult for post-EU Britain, European leaders are failing to factor in the activity of God.

In Britain, we are seeing more Christians involved in corporate prayer for national and international issues than we have seen since the Second World War.

Today: Focus on the USA

Anti-Trump demonstrators in Washington, today.

World leaders and Europhiles in Britain have all been surprised that their pre-Referendum forecasts of doom and economic disaster have not been fulfilled. But Christians know that prayer played a large part in Brexit and therefore we may expect to see God’s blessing – especially if believers continue to pray actively for the nation.

Today, the focus for prayer should be upon the USA – urgently asking the Lord to guide the new President and members of his Administration, that they will be given wisdom far above the normal human level to exercise Godly leadership as they navigate a confusing world and the rapid changes that are sweeping across the nations today.

Those who are fearful that Trump’s ungodly and erratic past could carry over into his presidency need to remember that with God nothing is impossible; as Jeremiah rightly declared:

“Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you!” (Jer 32:17)

Author: Dr Clifford Hill

References: Second image: Jose Luis Magana/AP/Press Association Images.