If we erase God from our past, we will also bar him from our present and future.

With our politicians taking their summer break from vilifying each other, there is a window of opportunity to think about other things. The last week has seen the release of a new film about Dunkirk, to rave reviews. But as might have been expected, the film fails completely to do justice to what the whole nation agreed was a miraculous answer to prayer that saved Britain in one of her darkest hours.

The early days of the Second World War threatened to bring the whole of Europe under the dark cloud of Nazi oppression. France had fallen to the rapidly advancing German Panzer divisions, leaving the British army stranded on the continent and desperate to return across the Channel to defend their homeland from what appeared to be inevitable invasion.

It was a desperate situation and on 27 May 1940 the German High Command announced –

The British army is encircled and our troops are proceeding to its annihilation.

The dire plight of the situation had already been recognised in Britain. The day before the German announcement, Sunday 26 May, King George VI had called the nation to a day of prayer. In a stirring broadcast, the King had called the people of Britain and the Empire to commit their cause to God.

Battle in the Heavenlies

British troops await evacuation. See Photo Credits.The whole nation responded. Large crowds went to Westminster Abbey. Unable to find seats, they stood outside listening to the service and joining in prayer. Churches across the land were filled - and this day of prayer proved to be the first victory of the war. A great spiritual battle was fought in the heavenlies against the forces of darkness. A series of miracles followed:

• A spirit of confusion clouded the German High Command. Irrationally, Hitler ordered his generals to halt the advance towards the west coast of France. This gave the British army time to make their way to Dunkirk.
• A storm of extraordinary fury grounded the German Luftwaffe on 28 May, allowing the British forces to reach the beaches.
• A great calm followed which settled over the English Channel for several days with low cloud cover allowing the armada of little ships, many of them only riverboats, to cross the Channel and ferry the waiting soldiers from the beaches out to the Royal Navy warships for their return to Dover.

Amazingly 338,226 Allied soldiers were evacuated from Dunkirk in those few momentous days which would prove to be a turning point in world history. This was seen at the time as a direct response from God to the whole nation coming in humility before him in prayer.

Winston Churchill, the British Prime Minister, told the nation that he believed this to be a miracle – an answer to prayer. In a speech to Parliament he said,

I thought, and some good judges agreed with me, that perhaps 20,000 or 30,000 men might be re-embarked. The whole root and core and brain of the British army seemed about to perish upon the field or to be led into captivity.¹

The King called the nation to a day of prayer – and this proved to be the first victory of the war.

A Spirit of Confusion Descends

The safe return of so many men did not guarantee the survival of Britain. The army had to leave its weapons and equipment in France. Now it had to re-group, re-arm, and re-position itself to face the threat of imminent invasion. But the spirit of confusion in the German High Command continued to affect Hitler’s judgment.

Queue for prayer at Westminster Abbey, 26 May 1940. See Photo Credits.Amazingly, he did not follow across the Channel immediately after Dunkirk when Britain was at his mercy. He continued to hesitate throughout June to August 1940. This gave Britain a breathing space and an opportunity to re-group and prepare for the coming battle.

It was at this point that Field Marshal Goering, head of Germany’s Air Force, told his commanders that before Germany could invade Britain they had to destroy the Royal Air Force. On 30 August 1940, 800 enemy aircraft darkened the skies over southern Britain aiming to destroy the RAF’s airfields. The Battle of Britain had begun!

God’s Victory for Britain

The King again called for a National Day of Prayer on Sunday, 8 September 1940. This was to have been a day to give thanks to Almighty God for the miracle of Dunkirk. But the prayers of thanksgiving also turned to crying out to the Lord for the Battle of Britain in the air.

This became the next miracle when RAF Spitfires and Hurricanes, although greatly outnumbered, took a tremendous toll of the enemy bombers. By mid-September the Germans had sustained such heavy losses that they called off the mass attacks. On 17 September 1940, the German Supreme Command issued another order –

The invasion of England is postponed until further notice.

Once again Churchill addressed the nation and acknowledged the ‘miracle of deliverance’ in his famous speech, “Never in the field of human conflict has so much been owed by so many to so few”.²

But everyone knew that it was not just ‘the few’ who had given the victory: it was God who had answered the prayers of the nation.

Everyone knew it was not just ‘the few’ men who had given the victory – it was God who had answered the prayers of the nation.

The Battle Continues

Since the Referendum vote, the battle for Brexit has taken on many characteristics of Dunkirk – not least that we want to withdraw from Europe! Although of course, it is only the European Union from which we wish to withdraw so that we don’t come under its ungodly jurisdiction. Recent events in Westminster with a hung Parliament, the resurrection of Tony Blair and the advent of Vince Cable as the new leader of the Lib Dems all demonstrate the spiritual nature of the battle we still face to escape the clutches of the EU.

But this is not all. As a nation we have departed from our great biblical heritage and embraced the values of secular humanism – to our own destruction. This is why it is sad, but not surprising, that the new Dunkirk film focuses only on human bravery, failing to mention faith, prayer or even belief in the existence of God.

In so doing, it not only falls short of telling the full story – it actually sides with the enemy in the present spiritual battle for Britain’s soul. For if we try to erase God from the testament of Britain’s history, we erase him from her present and future.

Christians should recognise the true nature of this battle, whether it takes place in our Parliament or in our cinemas, but should also take heart that our God is a God who answers prayer.

If ever there were a time for Christians to come before God in prayer, confessing the nation’s unfaithfulness and interceding for people to turn in repentance, it is surely today. If we were to put our trust in the Lord and call upon him to heal the land, he would undoubtedly answer prayer today as he has done in the past.

References

1 Speech to the House of Commons, 4 June 1940.

2 Speech to the House of Commons, 20 August 1940.

Grenfell Tower and God’s purposes for Britain.

The Grenfell Tower disaster continues to fill our newspapers and will no doubt do so for a long time to come. Left-wing politicians see it as an opportunity to lambast a Conservative Council for neglecting the poor, the powerless and the immigrant. Anarchists are stirring up rage while seeking the opportunity for overthrowing an elected government.

Lawyers are rubbing their hands at the prospect of prolonged legal battles. Criminals are said to have spirited away huge amounts of gifts and clothing donated by the public, and millions of pounds have been donated to online appeals, some of which have been set up by crooks.

But what about the survivors who have suffered the cruel loss of loved ones reduced to ashes – and the loss of everything they own, their homes, passports, precious family photos and mementos? Who is caring for them? How are they coping with devastating bereavement and shock?

In this issue of Prophecy Today we are publishing an interview with the pastor of a local church that has been intimately involved with the survivors since the first hours of the fire. I also have spoken to this pastor and heard some of his amazing testimony to the grace of God. They have just been filmed for the BBC’s Songs of Praise, so some of these testimonies may well be broadcast to the world.

Warning After Warning

Jesus also had to deal with a tower disaster during his ministry in Jerusalem (Luke 13:4). Jesus saw this disaster, which God had allowed, as a warning that something was severely wrong in the city and unless people took heed, a greater disaster would occur. History shows the result of his warning being ignored. Less than 40 years later, Jerusalem was totally destroyed by the Romans after a disastrous four years’ war.

Jesus also had to deal with a tower disaster during his ministry in Jerusalem – he saw it as a warning that something was severely wrong.

Christians who are alert to the times in which we are living know that God has been sending us warnings for a long time. Our nation has deliberately turned away from truth to embrace every kind of evil, from child abuse and gross immorality to lies and corruption in high places in the governance and commercial life of the UK.

We have deliberately defied the word of God, even to attempting to ‘re-define’ the founding principles of Creation. In so doing we have put ourselves outside the protection of God and we are already reaping the whirlwind of our own creation.

Is Repentance Still Possible?

Disaster will undoubtedly follow and I believe the Grenfell Tower inferno is the latest warning sign that God has sent to us. Of course, it is not too late for national repentance. Jeremiah was still calling for repentance when the Babylonian army was outside the gates of the city, because he knew that God could strike them down and save Jerusalem even at the last moment. But he also knew that there would be no repentance because of the blindness and wickedness that gripped the nation, so he knew that God would allow disaster to happen.

In the 40 years before the destruction of Jerusalem, God raised up three prophets – Zephaniah, Habakkuk and Jeremiah – all with a similar message. They each gave severe warnings; they each said that only repentance and turning to God would prevent disaster; and they each looked beyond the inevitable disaster to a time of restoration and blessing.

I personally believe that the people of Britain, America and Europe have all passed the point where repentance (although still possible) could save us from inevitable disaster. We are being driven by powerful forces of destruction. This is vividly illustrated in the spirit of death that is gripping many young people who are being driven to self-harm and suicide via the internet. In the same way, Western nations are being manipulated and steered by forces of evil.

I personally believe that Britain, America and Europe have all passed the point where repentance, though still possible, can save us from inevitable disaster.

Severe Testing – But with Purpose

Of course, these forces of darkness could be broken if there arose in the Western nations a powerful army of intercessors empowered by the Holy Spirit to scatter the darkness and heal the land. But there is little sign of this at the moment because churches are either gently sleeping in their cosy traditions or actively pursuing the policies of apostasy – the fruit of false teaching and rejection of the truth.

The three pre-exilic prophets of Judah were each told that God would actually use the disaster to further his purposes by sweeping idolatry, immorality and injustice out of the land to prepare the way for the new covenant relationship inaugurated by Messiah. The promises of restoration given by each of these prophets can be found in Jeremiah 31:27f, Habakkuk 2:14 and 3:16f, and Zephaniah 3:14f.

In the recent prayer times led by Issachar Ministries in different parts of the country where we have had intercessory gatherings to spend time together listening to the Lord, the outstanding words that have been received have been urgent calls for repentance, but also calls for strengthening the Body of believers to enable them to stand firm during the coming storm. Christians need equipping with the full armour of God, which is not only for defence but also for declaring the word of God in a hostile environment - that is, we must exercise the sword of the Spirit as well as raise the shield of faith!

The major revelation from these times of waiting upon God is that Christians in Western nations are going to go through days of severe testing, but those days will undoubtedly be followed by times of renewal, spiritual awakening and blessing.

Signs of Future Blessing

A little sign of future blessing can be seen in the Grenfell Tower disaster, out of which many people are entering into a new relationship with God - according to the reports we are hearing from churches in the area. Local Muslims in particular have been greatly shaken, not least because the inferno occurred during Ramadan, which they normally regard as a time of blessing; and because no Muslim would ever have his body cremated - yet so many have been reduced to ashes.

Christians in Western nations are going to go through severe testing, but those days will undoubtedly be followed by times of renewal.

There are reports of Muslims questioning their faith in the wake of Grenfell Tower, and the recent terrorist atrocities committed in the name of Allah, as well as the widespread tragedy unfolding in the Middle East – particularly in Syria, Iraq and Yemen, where Muslims are slaughtering each other. Many Muslims in Kensington are said to be responding to the love being shown to them by Christians and there is a new openness to the Gospel. Is this the beginning of a new harvest for the Kingdom?

As Shavuot is celebrated this week, we review resources tackling this intriguing question. 

This question should be of great interest to everyone, or at least anyone who eats! The topic is well worth studying personally, but also as a family and in small groups. It will certainly provoke much discussion, even controversy!

A good starting point is to consider eating as a spiritual matter as well as a physical one. Too often, we separate the physical and spiritual dimensions of life - far more than God does. God has created our bodies and everything we put into them. Indeed, it seems he has designed us to receive certain foods, and avoid others.

We each need to decide if our loving Heavenly Father is asking us to reconsider what we choose to eat (and what we eat is a choice, one we make regularly). If gluttony is wrong and fasting is of benefit (including spiritually) then our usual eating must fit somewhere between these two extremes. Our mealtimes become part of the battle between flesh and spirit. These regular times during the day provide repeated opportunities to make good choices. Each meal is a chance to submit more to God’s will and become more conscious of him, perhaps paving the way for other spiritual improvements.

A good starting point is to consider eating as a spiritual matter as well as a physical one.

What we eat may not be a matter of salvation or of huge doctrinal significance, but it is about pleasing God and being obedient to his will. There may well be health reasons too (obedience and being healthy often go together!). It is well said that ‘you are what you eat’ – or, perhaps more accurately, you are what you absorb from what you eat – for biology will back up what our Creator has decreed.

Temples of the Holy Spirit

The Bible contains many laws and requirements relating to food, especially in the Old Testament, but ultimately for Christians this is about walking in the Spirit. Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 3:16, 6:19-20). What we place inside us should not be approached carelessly. God was very precise about what the Israelites brought into their Temple, so perhaps also he cares about what we put into ours.

Moreover, the meal table can (maybe even should) be regarded as an altar at which we bless and honour God for all his provision, including the remarkable gift of daily life and how he sustains it.

The Bible challenges us repeatedly on the issue of what we eat. From the very beginning, God instructed Adam on what he could and could not eat (Gen 1:29, 2:16-17) and the first disobedience involved eating (Gen 3:6). Animals were designated as clean or unclean even before the Flood came (Gen 7:2) and eating meat with blood still in it was strongly prohibited from the time of Noah (Gen 9:4), through the Levitical laws to Israel (Lev 19:26, Deut 12:16) and later to Gentiles in the Apostolic decree in Acts (15:20, 29).

What we eat may not be a matter of salvation, but it is about pleasing God and being obedient to his will.

Many questions are raised about our eating habits simply by reading the Bible. What do ‘clean’ and ‘unclean’ really mean, especially regarding eating animals? What did Jesus say on all this - did he change or add anything here? Should Gentiles take seriously Jewish kosher rules, especially in the light of modern methods of food production? Does what Paul says on food offered to idols have any relevance for us today?

If all this has made you want some answers, here are some books to help.

‘Holy Cow!’ by Hope Egan and Thomas D Lancaster (First Fruits of Zion, 2012)

Despite the jokey title, this is a very serious attempt to answer the question ‘Does God care about what we eat?’, which is actually its subtitle. Its main strength is its co-authorship. Part One, by Messianic Jew Hope Egan, gives the perspective of a ‘nice Jewish girl’ (as she describes herself!). She tells her story in a forthright and informative manner - how she came to understand the importance of the Hebrew scriptures in helping her decide which foods to eat.

Her review of the topic spans both Old and New Testament, and takes in what Jesus would have eaten as well as modern Jewish views. She is bold enough to ask whether her ancestors took it too far, especially regarding the separation of meat and milk. Each chapter concludes with questions to discuss and ponder, making it an excellent resource for group study.

Part Two, by Thomas Lancaster, provides extra theological insights on the important biblical passages mentioned in the first part of the book. These include Leviticus 11, Mark 7, Acts 10 and 15, and several parts of Paul’s letters (1 Corinthians 8-10 and Romans 14 in particular). This provides the book with a bit more weight and helps to back up what Hope Egan has already outlined from personal experience. As a ‘double act’, this works well.

This is a very readable book throughout and can also feature as a reference guide to the topic. It contains useful appendices, including a list of clean and unclean animals, as well as a substantial bibliography and two helpful indices (scriptural and subject) to enable the reader to find passages and topics easily.

‘Holy Cow!’ (157 pages) is available from Amazon for around £10. Also on Kindle.

‘Biblically Kosher’ by Aaron Eby (First Fruits of Zion, 2012)

This is a full review of everything you could possibly want to know about keeping kosher and the scriptural mandate behind it. Although it is quite technical in places it provides a substantial study for those wanting to dig a little deeper into the biblical texts.

After reading this book you will not be in any doubt about the more contentious passages, for instance why Jesus did not declare all foods clean (as many translations of Mark 7:19 make him say). And if you wondered whether Acts 10 was suggesting God had changed his mind about eating unclean animals, this book will help you avoid this error. The author also tackles the more complicated passages in Paul’s letters. Each piece of biblical analysis has a helpful summary of bullet points, just in case you get a little lost in the details.

Overall, the book is in three parts. Part One explains the reasons for keeping kosher and also explores objections to it. Part Two is a thorough account of what the Torah has to say on this topic, including clean and unclean animals, abstaining from blood, and the meat and dairy issue.

The last of these is a fascinating word-by-word exposition of the single verse about not boiling a kid in its mother’s milk, which will help you understand how this simple yet rather perplexing verse has come to mean so much in Jewish dietary habits. Eby is also honest enough to explain where rabbinic tradition has taken over from correct interpretation.

Part Three has two sections, the second of which is particularly interesting and important for Christians. Entitled ‘Kashrut for Gentiles’, this will enable Christians to embrace aspects of kosher without going too far down the Jewish path.

The book also has an excellent bibliography, glossary of Hebrew terms and indices of both scriptural passages and subjects.

This is a book which will certainly change the way you think about the Bible and food. It has the potential to bring you closer to the ancient Jewish way of life that Jesus and his disciples practised, and enable you to discover how the simple act of eating can become an expression of worship.

Buy ‘Biblically Kosher’ (190 pages) for £11.85 from Amazon, or download the e-book for $12 from the FFOZ website.

Further Resources

Together, the above two books tell you everything you need to know about what the Bible says regarding food and eating. But on the more practical matter of how to go about incorporating these principles into our daily lives, the following three books are worth considering.

They also tap into the biblical passages explained elsewhere but go on to give advice on how to create meals and a diet for healthy living:

• What Would Jesus Eat? by Don Colbert (Thomas Nelson, 2005. Available here).
  
• What the Bible Says About Healthy Living by Rex Russell (Revell, 2006. Available here).
  
• The Maker’s Diet by Jordan Rubin (Siloam, 2005. Available here).

Where was God on Monday night?

In the aftermath of the horrendous terrorist attack in Manchester, Christians might well be asked, “Where was your God?” The answer is not simple, but there has to be an answer. Indeed, where else but God will we find the bottom line answer to these escalating problems in the world?

Questions like this have been asked as long as the world has existed. At the time Jesus was on earth he needed to address contemporary tragedies like the falling of the Tower of Siloam, which killed 18 people. He made it clear that those 18 were no more sinful than others and warned Israel and Judah in the hearing of Rome that “unless you repent you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:5).

These seem harsh words, but Jesus was not willing to compromise his message to a fallen world. This message echoed through the succeeding 2,000 years to us, coming to mind at such times as the collapse of the Twin Towers on 9/11, the recent Paris terrorism and indeed the Manchester atrocity of this week.

When innocent people suffer such an untimely death, we are not to deduce that they were being punished for their personal sins but we are to consider what God is saying to us all through the incident. There are signs of his presence and word all around us, and these signs are increasing in number and impact.

Where was God on Monday? The answer is not simple, but there has to be an answer.

Where is Our Protection?

When evil abounds we ask why was there no protection. The hard fact is that the protection of God is progressively disappearing from our nation.

Over the years, Prophecy Today has taken the hard path of highlighting the many tragedies that have hit the nation – allowed by God as call after call to turn back to him. This has been through an era when the priorities of our nation have been far from a close walk with him – and many law changes that are against the principles of the Bible.

From the inception of Prophecy Today magazine in the 1980s, we have warned especially about what was then the beginning of the rise of Islamic terrorism. We published articles and sent personal warnings to members of the government. Yet, generally speaking, these warnings were far from heeded. And so, the nation has not been protected as it might have been.

Yet it is not only Islamic terrorism that we are facing when God takes away his protection. We are vulnerable in every area of our society. Surely we all feel this, and despite the massive efforts to gain votes in the coming election, we are not convinced of the strength of man to overcome our vulnerabilities. It is right to increase the presence of the police and the military to increase protection on our streets in this vulnerable time following the Manchester atrocity, but this cannot be the answer alone. Without the help of God, no amount of policing our streets will take away our vulnerability.

God’s Grace and Grief

What, then, is God saying to us? Something like, I have loved you as a nation, but you have rejected my laws and rejected belief in my Son. It was my intention in withdrawing my hand of protection that you should turn to me once more, to reinstate my laws, to seek me in prayer and walk in my ways. I long to restore my protection, but cannot until you turn in repentance: how can I protect a people who do not want to know me? Protection in this transitory world is only effective for a short time. It is your eternal future with me that is of greater importance and you must think on these things. Believe me, when you suffer through the acts of terror of the age I suffer with you, but for the ultimate good I must allow these things to come to pass. Seek me while you can. Only I can protect you against the growing evil in the world.

The hard fact is that the protection of God is progressively disappearing from our nation.

We have highlighted in this magazine the central tenet of the Queen’s Coronation Oath, that to the utmost of her power she will maintain the laws of God and the true profession of the Gospel. We have written personally to the Queen and to her ministers to remind them of this at times of law change and at times when the signs of God’s displeasure are evident through the nation.

God was present in Westminster Abbey when the Queen, on all our behalves, made that Oath on 2 June 1953. We may have forgotten this but God has not and grieves to see the consequence of his removing his hand of protection. He grieves with us at what he must allow and at the consequence when 22 people die so painfully, as they did in Manchester. Yet it was we that turned from him first.

His longsuffering ensured that his grace extended to this nation beyond our deserving, even during our drift to apostasy. So when signs abound of protection removed we have sunk further than we realise.

Now: Our Great Responsibility

Christians have a great responsibility in the midst of this. There are some especially called to intercessory prayer and to the ministry of the watchman exemplified in the call of Ezekiel (Ezekiel 3 and 33), but all of us are called to this ministry to a certain level in these days of crisis.

Unless the Lord God brings back his protection we will remain vulnerable whatever party wins the General Election, whatever Prime Minister handles Brexit, the NHS, social care, the nation’s finances and so on. The evil that hit Manchester is yet another sign intended to point us back to God. Out of a suffering nation it is time for prayer to rise to the throne of God as it has in past times of crisis in our nation. Perhaps our current crisis is more serious than at any other time in our history.

Frankly, we who know these things have a great responsibility. Through the laws of the Lord and true profession of the Gospel, the country can be brought back under the protection of Almighty God. It is not God who is unjust but it is our hands that are stained with blood if we, once appointed, do not fulfil the call of the intercessor and watchman.

Maureen Trowbridge reviews ‘What Am I Worth?’ by Marion Daniel (New Wine Press, 2010)

In this, Marion Daniel’s second book, the author begins by asking questions about the difference it would make to each of our lives if we understood our worth as a person. She outlines many issues which have a lack of self-worth at their root, and throughout the book seeks to show the difference God’s love and grace can make.

Causes of Poor Self-Worth

The first chapters consider the origins of poor self-worth, covering many possible influences including society, the media, our culture of success, plus the all-important effects of family and friends. Linked in with these are our environment and circumstances. Each of these factors affect our way of thinking and what we believe about ourselves.

However, God looks for different attributes in the lives of those who trust Him. The author shows how the way to right living and Godly thinking is to align ourselves with the Word of God and with the Father, who does not see us as the world sees us, or as we see ourselves (1 Cor 1:27-29).

What difference would it make to each of our lives if we understood our worth as a person?

Humility Key

There are helpful chapters on the power of God’s encouragement, as well as on how to lift our eyes off ourselves and our inadequacies and become focused on God instead.

Further on in the book, it is suggested that “humility is the key to self-worth”. The Apostle Paul, for all his intellectual skill and learning, realised that his spiritual power was in God alone, who gives grace to the humble. Having been made alive in Christ, Paul could then be used in the service of the Lord (Gal 2:20).

Prayers and Declarations

At the end of each chapter there is a helpful summary and the author also includes prayers which will enable readers to seek God’s help to change their hearts and minds.

In the last chapter there are ‘biblical declarations’ of who we are in Jesus Messiah. We are encouraged to keep reading these, which will help to transform our thinking about ourselves.

The way to Godly thinking about ourselves is to be aligned with the Word of God and with the Father, who does not see us as the world does.

This book will certainly strike a chord with many who struggle with their own sense of self-worth. It provides a biblical framework through which they can alter their perception of themselves and develop an understanding of what has hindered them in the past.

What Am I Worth? (128 pages) is available for £6.99 from Sozo Books. Also available on Kindle.

What underlies the BBC's efforts to re-shape British culture?

Last week we commented on the BBC’s deliberate promotion of the transgender element of the LGBT agenda. This week, Dr Clifford Hill offers a biblical-sociological framework for understanding just why the BBC is trying to reshape society to fit these values.

*****

The Apostle Paul was way ahead of his time in teaching principles that are in accord with the modern discipline of Sociology, whose founding fathers (such as Durkheim and Weber) were early 20^th Century scholars. Paul perceptively outlined a five-stage theory of social change in his letter to the Romans, written from prison in Caesarea, around the year AD 60.

Paul had travelled widely across the Roman Empire and was a keen observer of human nature. He had lived for several years in the city of Ephesus with its fertility cults and sex symbols in full view of the public – the relics of which can still be seen by visitors today. He had experienced an incredible amount of hardship and suffering through pursuing his missionary zeal. He described some of his travel experiences:

I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea…I have laboured and toiled and often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. (2 Cor 11:23-27)

But whilst being an intrepid traveller, Paul was also no mean scholar who ably debated with the Greek philosophers in Athen’s famous Areopagus. Paul brought his vast resources of knowledge and experience to focus upon the forces of social change that he perceived to be at work in the Roman Empire, that would inevitably lead to the decline and fall of that great empire.

He wrote about this in the opening chapter of his weighty theological treatise to the Christians in Rome. Luther, when a professor in the University of Wittenberg, declared Romans to be the greatest book in the Bible. It sets out Paul’s mature thinking about the current condition of humanity in the context of God’s eternal purposes.

Romans 1 sets out Paul’s mature thinking about the condition of humanity in the context of God’s eternal purposes.

Paul’s Analysis of the Forces of Social Change (Romans 1:18-32)

Stage 1 (verses 18-21): Paul begins with a statement that human beings in rebellion against God deliberately become involved in the leading of society astray from fundamental truth rooted in God’s principles and good design. Paul says that when people suppress the truth about Creation, they are at beginning of a slippery slope towards the degradation of hearts and minds. In other words, once you deny the central truth of the existence of the God of Creation (which can be understood clearly by all human beings), you open the way to the whole gamut of forces of social and moral corruption. Every true perspective on life becomes warped. Paul’s teaching is that once you reject the truth you automatically come under the sway of the forces of darkness.

Stage 2 (verses 22-23, 25): The second stage in the degradation of society comes when human beings pass from the denial of the God of Creation into idolatry. Paul recognises that all human beings have an innate tendency to worship something or someone. Once the basic truths of Creation are denied, people seek alternatives and find them in bits of wood and stone or anything created by human hands – which they worship.

Modern forms of this idolatry include worship of wealth and property (just consider the preponderance of TV programmes about finding the perfect house – e.g. seeking A Place in the Sun or Location, Location, Location - plus our worship of cars which we fondly clean and polish, the jewellery we wear, the fashions we parade and the wealth we own). They also include worship of people – including celebrity cults or the adoration of self. In our era, the individual is now god.

Stage 3 (verse 24): The third stage in this social change is the relaxation of personal and corporate morality, when we begin to cheat on our partners. In Romans 1 the emphasis is on sexual desire, but cheating can extend to every area of life (e.g. finances, relationships, legal responsibilities). We abandon standards of truth and integrity and we worship our bodies and our “sinful desires”.

Stage 4 (verses 26-27): The fourth stage is where human beings are no longer content with simply indulging their God-given sexual desires but “[exchange] natural relations for unnatural ones”. Paul describes this delicately: “men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another”.

Stage 5 (verses 28-32): The fifth and final stage in the corruption of society, Paul says, is God giving people over to “a depraved mind”. This is a vital stage and a tipping point – a point at which society has deliberately refused and rejected God’s efforts to rescue them to such an extent that God gives them over to their chosen course of rebellion, allowing them to become completely enslaved and deceived by it. He does not necessarily abandon them to this forever – but it is by far the more painful road for humans to walk, and many can be lost forever as a result.

Human beings in rebellion against God deliberately become involved in the leading of society astray from fundamental truth.

Brainwashing and Reversal of Truth

In national terms, this means the whole mindset of society becoming warped through being brainwashed with false teaching. This includes the deliberate injection of false values into our children – the calculated, strategic changing of society by social engineering to make everyone conform to a false ideology. This is what happened in Germany in the 1930s, when the majority of the population accepted the Nazis’ ideology of a super race, and acquiesced to the murder of 6 million Jews.

Social engineering produces human minds so corrupted that they completely abandon the whole concept of ‘truth’– in fact they reverse truth. In the words of the Prophet Isaiah:

Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. (Isa 5:20)

Paul says that at this stage in the corruption of society, the mindset of humanity is so degraded that people can no longer recognise the truth and are no longer aware of the forces of evil that are driving them towards destruction. He says:

They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice…They invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless.

Paul sees this as the final degradation of humanity leading to what we would describe today as a ‘dysfunctional society’ – or the end of civilisation.

Paul’s analysis is sociologically sound, though written c.2000 years ago. It is a timeless way of understanding any society – no matter what culture, geographical location or place in history. It would be interesting to take a poll of a cross-section of the population in Britain today asking which stage in this framework of social change we have reached.

What is your assessment?

Author: Dr Clifford Hill

Photo Credits: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0

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.

In the final instalment of our series 'The Relevance of the Message of the Prophets for Today', Chris Hill looks at Malachi and his testimony to the love of God.

One of the common misconceptions people have about the Old Testament is that it portrays God as the God of judgment and not of love. They say we must look to the New Testament if we are to encounter the God of love.

Such a simple analysis will not do. The New Testament contains a great deal about God's attitude to sin and its consequences, while the Old Testament continually presents us with wonderful revelation of the Lord's love for his people. We have only to do a word search of chesed, the Hebrew word for 'steadfast love' or 'grace', to find that it appears over 80 times in the Old Testament.

The Old Testament view of God is that he is gracious and loving to those who repent of their sin and rebellion, and he promises to provide a Saviour. The New Testament takes exactly the same position but goes farther, declaring that the provision has been made! Jesus, the Saviour, has come! Hallelujah! The Lord does not change.

Back to Basics

Malachi was the man for the moment; unequivocal in his faithful proclamation of the burden of the Lord. He thundered against the unfaithfulness of the Jewish people and the priests. Their grave social injustices were a scandal. They had abandoned true devotion to the Lord and adopted an attitude of insolent indifference towards his righteous laws.

The Lord had been acting for their sakes. It had been a momentous time, a time of restoration. The Lord had brought a quite miraculous release to the Jewish people. Cyrus of Persia had overthrown the devilish legacy of Nebuchadnezzar and his successors, and actively encouraged the Jews' repatriation to their land. Babylonian oppression was a thing of the past.

Zerubbabel paved the way. He and Ezra brought back many Jewish survivors. Temple worship was restored and Jerusalem rang again with the praises of God's people!

A common misconception is that the God of the Old Testament is the God of judgment, whilst the God of the New Testament is the God of love. But such a simple analysis will not do.

In 445 BC the Persian king permitted his cupbearer, Nehemiah, to repair the city walls. Nehemiah was appointed Governor of Judea, answerable only to the Persian Court. He brought in reforms to help the poor, to encourage family fidelity, to restore Sabbath observance and to encourage financial integrity.

Twelve years after introducing his reforms Nehemiah returned to the Persian Court. During his absence the Jews fell back into sin and the priests did nothing to halt the slide. Indeed, they spearheaded the rebellion, were casual in their duty to God and corrupt in teaching God's Law to the people. Nehemiah 13 shows that mixed marriage had again taken its grip, as well as abuse of the temple and the violation of the Sabbath. Malachi stepped forward.

With the religious leaders and the people in this sorry state, it fell to Malachi to speak out. Provoked in his spirit, he could not remain silent. The priests may compromise themselves - Malachi could not. Layman or not, affront or please, he must speak out the word of the Lord.

Tragically, if the scholars are right in dating Malachi, apart from some initial response by particularly God-fearing people, it seems that his prophetic preaching was largely ignored. When Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem he found only godless rebellion.

Malachi had spent himself for God, but he did not have the satisfaction of seeing his message taken seriously.

Malachi's Prophetic Calling

It takes guts to be a true prophet of God. We all wish to be liked and for our ministries to be welcomed. Is there anything nicer for the preacher than to hear those words, 'Well, dear brother, I've not heard preaching like that for years. It was wonderful! When's the earliest we can have you back?'

If the Bible is anything to go by, the truly prophetic ministry is more usually greeted with, 'Well, brother, I didn't sense much of the love of God in your message tonight. In fact, you've upset a lot of people here and made them feel insecure.'

It is interesting that as soon as God's righteousness and judgment of sin are spoken of, people believe that his love is being ignored. But Malachi shows that this is neither true nor prophetic. His great purpose is to testify to the focused love of God shining on his people in blazing glory (Mal 1:2-5), and the whole oracle is designed to draw the people back to that love. In a sense the prophecy of Malachi is a love letter from God to his people. Malachi's purpose is not condemnation but restoration. Is not this the heart of the prophetic calling?

As soon as God's righteousness and judgment of sin are spoken of, people believe that his love is being ignored. But Malachi shows that this is neither true nor prophetic.

Malachi's Method

The prophet calls Judah, the unfaithful 'lover', back to the Lord, her 'true love', by reminding her how things were. This describes a relationship with God which brings delight to his people and to him. What is it like when we are living in love with God?

• I honour and respect my heavenly Father God (Mal 1:6)
• I offer him only my best (Mal 1:7-8, 13b-14, 3:3b-4)
• I delight in the habit of worshipping him (Mal 1:10-13a)
• I revere him and stand in awe before him (Mal 2:5)
• I speak only what he gives me to say (Mal 2:6)
• I speak only truth and never falsehoods (Mal 2:6)
• I walk with him in peace and uprightness (Mal 2:6)
• I turn many people away from sin because I am prepared to bring a word from God to them (Mal 2:6-7)
• I maintain loyalty to my brothers and sisters (Mal 2:10)
• I identify any pagan influence in the church or out of it and avoid it completely (Mal 2:11)
• I am utterly faithful to my wife (Mal 2:13-16)
• I give to the Lord what is properly his (Mal 3:8)

Part of Malachi's message is addressed to priests and part to laity. Both apply equally to us, as we are a chosen people, a royal priesthood (1 Pet 2:9), so we identify with Malachi's words whether he spotlights priesthood or laity.

Isn't this a delightful list? We can learn from it and experience it! Here he describes the normal life of the man or woman who loves God! The heart of Malachi's message is to call the people back to their 'true love'. He does so by showing how far they have drifted away from that first love and its awful consequences.

Malachi was faced with an appalling situation. It took tremendous courage to confront people who were living like this. It still does! How much of this is true today - of me?

It takes guts to be a true prophet of God.

Restoring Our Love

Loving God is the key to life. Malachi calls out across the centuries, 'Come back to your first love!' His message is timeless. First addressed to a backslidden Judah, his words lose none of their bite when related to us.

Because Malachi has provided us with a 'love letter' from God, it is full of hope for the future restoration. God longs for us and woos us with words of tender encouragement.

• I am loved by my Father (Mal 1:2)
• My Father wants his covenant of life and peace to continue in me and through my ministry (Mal 2:5)
• My Father longs for godly children to be the fruit of my godly marriage (Mal 2:15-16)
• I am sustained by the revelation that he is coming (Mal 3:1)
• His refining of me will make my offerings acceptable to him (Mal 3:3)
• Bringing to him all that is his, will result in his blessing me and my fruitfulness for him as he promised (Mal 3:10-11)
• The blessings he bestows will be a testimony to his grace alone (Mal 3:12)
• The distinction between me and those who do not love the Lord will be so obvious (Mal 3:18)

What Must We Do?

Any preacher worth his salt preaches to gain a response from those who listen to his words. It was so with our Lord and with his disciples. This is typified by the response of the Jewish pilgrims in Jerusalem for Pentecost (Acts 2:37), 'What shall we do?'

Malachi's proclamation evoked a response from those who truly feared the Lord. Malachi 3:16 says, "Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honoured his name."

It is time for those who will hear and fear the Lord to find each other and talk about these things urgently. Will we repent and return to our first love? We are surrounded by luke-warmness, levity and deception. But growing alarmed accomplishes nothing in itself.

Loving God is the key to life. Malachi calls out across the centuries, 'Come back to your first love!'

It is time to find each other and ask the pertinent question, 'What shall we do?' It is time to start talking to one another about holiness. Time to start helping each other to be holy. This is how great revivals have started. Am I concerned enough about my spiritual poverty to want to do something about it? Never mind the pastor; never mind the other members of the fellowship. Is the Lord speaking to me?

Malachi is the last prophet of the Old Testament. To him fell the privilege of having 'God's last word' for close on 400 years. Malachi spoke of restoration to the love of God. He also spoke of the coming of the Lord (Mal 3:1-5) and he spoke of his forerunner who would prepare his way (Mal 3:1, 4:5-6).

Malachi paved the way for the gospel - the good news of a glorious victory. He paved the way for Jesus Christ and him crucified. It is by embracing what he has done that I can face what I may have become - and move back into the glory of what I have in Christ. Resting in God's covenant love.

First published in Prophecy Today, Vol 12 No 3, May/June 1996.

What is the significance of the High Court Judges' decision that Brexit cannot be implemented without the approval of Parliament?

Clearly this could result in long delays, with both Houses of Parliament locked in debate over the minutiae of each detail of the negotiations. It creates another element of uncertainty which is damaging both for the economy and for Britain's future standing in the world.

Is this just another tactic by those who, like Tony Blair and many others, want to reverse the 23 June Referendum decision of the British public and keep us shackled to the European Union? In this magazine our primary purpose is not simply to join in a political debate but to ask the fundamental question: does God have something to say about this situation?

Britain's Divine Purpose?

The biblical position is that God has a purpose for each nation within his overall international purposes of bringing his truth to the whole of humanity. Paul referred to this when addressing the Areopagus, the Council of Philosophers in Athens. He said:

From one man he has made every nation of men – that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him. (Acts 17.26-37)

Of course, Paul had seen geographical boundaries change as the Roman Empire expanded, so what was the truth he was seeking to convey? It was surely about national identity and the unique purpose that God has for each community of people.

God has a purpose for each nation, within his overall purpose of bringing his truth to all humanity.

43 years ago, Britain moved its God-given boundary stones and joined a man-made institution specifically designed with the humanist intention of removing national sovereignty and borders to prepare the way for global rule by a political elite with one currency, one army, one set of regulations and values, and one religion. It was the outcome of their man-made solution to the problem of squabbles between the nations of Europe that had resulted in the two world wars of the 20^th Century.

On 23 June, God gave Britain the opportunity of rediscovering its national identity, uniqueness and place within the purposes of God. Of course, as was to be expected by all those who have spiritual understanding, this decision was going to provoke a furious backlash. Today, there is a great spiritual battle raging in the heavenlies over this nation and it is going to become increasingly intense.

Brexit is by No Means Won

I referred to this in a speech on 29 October at a celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles in the Emmanuel Centre Westminster, which was full for the occasion. It was led by Barry and Batya Segal who have a great ministry in Israel through the Joseph Storehouse that serves both Israeli Jews and Palestinian Arabs.

During the meeting, I said that the battle of Brexit is by no means won. This was clearly endorsed by those present. When I was speaking, I had a strong sense of a word from the Lord and I wrote it down after the meeting.

This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid of Brexit, the battle is not yours but mine. I guided the vote to leave the European Union - the Union that denies its heritage of truth that your forefathers fought and gave their lives to maintain. It is a union that has brought darkness to the people and now it is a Continent that is walking in darkness. But you my people are the ones who have seen a great light and yours is the task to open eyes that are blind and ears that are deaf to the truth.

Those who have seen the light will witness to those who walk in darkness and are bound by the power of Satan, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and be set free from the powers of darkness. It is not the politicians who will set the people free but it is those who have seen the light. They will be used as a mighty army of prayer warriors to support and direct the way of those who hold political power so that when the great shaking of Europe begins and the towers of mammon fall, Britain will stand firm and will be a witness to the world.

I believe that God is not only looking for his people to pray, but also actively to be his witnesses. This means every Christian speaking the word of the Lord in their family and among their friends and neighbours – boldly but lovingly speaking truth into our nation where there has been so much compromise and distortion of the truth.

There is a great spiritual battle raging in the heavenlies over this nation and it is going to become increasingly intense.

Arise, Church!

I believe God is saying that the time has come for Christians to confront the forces of darkness that have been destroying family life, promoting secular humanism and allowing the spiritual forces of evil to corrupt our children.

The Church has been silent for far too long, compromising with the world. If the Lord is to use Britain as a witness to the world at the time when the European Union collapses and all the institutions of power crumble, there has to be repentance in the Church and a new openness to the Spirit of God. Then he will be able to bless the nation, giving protection and prosperity in the time of great shaking that is soon to encompass all nations.

Each of us has a specific and vital part to play in this. Will you join us in praying for our nation and seeking the Lord for guidance, conviction and courage in the days ahead, that each of us might respond in the way he desires?

This week a number of our articles remember the Aberfan tragedy. In his editorial, Clifford Hill thinks particularly of those who lost their faith that day.

50 years ago today, at 9:15am on Friday 21 October 1966, 144 people died in Aberfan near Merthyr Tydfil in Wales. 116 of them were children, who were just beginning their lessons when their school was hit by a mountain of mud sliding down from a coal slag heap towering over the village.

The mudslide hit a farm cottage first, then hit the school and a row of houses before stopping. About half the children and teachers in the Pantglas school were killed. They had just reached their classrooms after leaving morning assembly, where they had been singing 'All things bright and beautiful', praising God for the beauty of the countryside.

The pathos of this tragedy still brings to tears to the eyes of those who remember that tragic day in the history of the valleys, and it can hardly fail to move those who today, 50 years later, read the accounts of eye-witnesses and survivors.

Decent Men Led Astray

There had been many warnings that the tip was unsafe due to the presence of a spring underneath, and heavy rainfall triggered the sudden slide. A board of enquiry was set up that concluded that the National Coal Board was largely to blame and legal liability for compensation was not contested. The report stated:

The Aberfan disaster is a terrifying tale of bungled ineptitude by many men charged with tasks for which they were totally unfitted, of failure to heed clear warnings, and of total lack of direction from above. Not villains but decent men, led astray by foolishness or by ignorance or by both in combination, are responsible for what happened at Aberfan.¹

The pathos of this tragedy still brings to tears to the eyes of those who remember that tragic day.

No one faced criminal proceedings, but those named (and others cleared) had to live with the disaster on their consciences for the rest of their lives. But it was not only officials in the National Coal Board whose lives were affected - everyone in the valleys will remember that day to the end of their lives. Many of them lost their Christian faith on that day. Typical of the comments on the BBC website is the following:

I was 14 at the time of the Aberfan disaster.
My school was very religious, and I had been trying to decide how much I believed in God. When the disaster struck it was the talk of the school, and in many of the classes we found ourselves discussing it with our teachers.
We particularly wanted to know why God would allow so many children to die.
The teachers had no answer. I turned away from the idea that there is a God. And that's my view, to this day.
John Adams, UK²

What is the answer that should have been given to John Adams and all the others who were asking similar questions? Today there are millions asking the same thing, not only of the Aberfan tragedy but of the terrible events we see on our TV news - such as what's happening in Aleppo, where human lives are being deliberately destroyed by bombs dropped upon women and children - not only killing but causing life-changing injuries.

Why doesn't God intervene? Hundreds of books have been written on the subject of human suffering, but the only authentic answers are to be found in the Bible.

The Power to Intervene

The Bible clearly teaches that God has given us freedom of will - to choose the truth, or to be driven to destruction by our own selfish and violent human nature. The Aberfan tragedy was created by human greed and mismanagement in creating a mountainous pile of coal slag and ignoring warnings about its unsafety. Also in this week's issue, Greg Stevenson lists alerts given before the disaster which were ignored, and Clifford Denton notes that God sent prophetic warnings ahead of time.

Many people lost their Christian faith on that day, asking why God didn't intervene.

Through the prophet Jeremiah, God gave warning after warning to the people of Jerusalem that disaster would strike the city unless there was a drastic change in the behaviour of the people. They all believed that they could do what they liked and there would be no bad consequences because God would defend the city from the Babylonians. They ignored the warnings with disastrous results.

God Shares Our Distress

When we wilfully ignore warnings we should not be surprised when tragedy overwhelms us. But incredibly, when that happens, God does not desert us. Isaiah expresses this emphatically; "In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old" (Isa 63:9). God actually enters into our tragedies alongside us and shares our distress.

This is the teaching of the God of the Bible: that when we bring disaster upon ourselves and cry out to him for help, he responds in love and compassion. "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers they will not sweep over you...Do not be afraid, for I am with you." (Isa 43:2-5).

In the Midst of Trial

This does not mean that nothing will ever go wrong, or that we will not suffer hardship - but that in the midst of trial, God will never desert us. Jesus promised to be with his disciples for ever. "I will never leave you alone," he promised (John 14:18).

Jesus himself lived the message of God's love. He knew that his Father would not intervene to save him from a cruel death at the hands of evil men - but that by not intervening, God would actually use this suffering to work out his purposes of salvation to be available for all human beings.

God actually enters into our tragedies alongside us and shares in our distress.

Of course, I'm aware that the thoughts expressed on this page cannot possibly answer all the questions about human suffering. But I hope they may stimulate some of our readers to offer thoughts on this subject which may be a help to those who are struggling to understand why tragedies such as Aberfan occur. For myself I can affirm the words of the Apostle Paul, "For I am convinced that neither death nor life...nor anything in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Rom 8:38-39).

References

1 The Aberfan Disaster – Inquiries. The National Archives.

2 1966: Aberfan - A generation wiped out. BBC Witness, On This Day.