Has God revealed a way forward for the nation?

Editorial introduction: While at Issachar Ministries’ recent prayer conference at The Hayes Conference Centre in Derbyshire, our Editor-in-Chief received a word from the Lord about the spiritual significance of the DUP. This word has been written out in letter form and sent today to Prime Minister Theresa May. In the letter, she is asked to consider praying with the DUP MPs for a way forward for the nation.

We copy the main text below and ask for your prayers that its message will be received as the Lord intends.

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Dear Prime Minister,

A certain man walked through a nearby field and discovered a jewel of immense value. He sold everything and raised funds to buy that field. That was a parable that Jesus told about the Kingdom of God (Matt 13:44). You, Prime Minister, have within your grasp the precious jewel that Jesus described: it is the 10 MPs in the DUP, who are all committed Christians. They represent the only province in the United Kingdom which has adhered steadfastly to biblical standards on life issues.

They are despised and rejected by many of their fellow MPs in the House of Commons. But God loves to use those who are considered of no account. He raises them up to use them for mighty miracles, as is told in many biblical accounts. Gideon, for example, said that he was the least in his tribe, itself low-ranked by all the others – yet he was used mightily to save his own nation.

In numerical terms the DUP may not have much political significance, yet they are pleasing in the sight of God for their determined stand for biblically-based values – the true ‘British values’ that once defined our entire nation. I believe that this is why they have been elevated to the position of influence within the Government that they now hold.

The DUP represent the only part of the United Kingdom that has rejected the relentless advance of secular humanism and defended family values, for instance by refusing to allow abortion to pollute the land with the blood of the innocent. Northern Ireland has seen more than its fair share of the shedding of innocent blood through the years of the Troubles that divided the community and wreaked havoc in so many families and individual lives. Maybe it is because they have seen so much bloodshed that they defend fiercely the right to life of unborn children, and resist steadfastly the pressure to conform to postmodernist standards that have become the new normal in the rest of the UK.

Prime Minister, whether or not you personally support all of their political decisions, your Christian upbringing will have given you a knowledge of the teaching of the Bible which the DUP openly and publicly try to uphold. They are the priceless jewel that is within your grasp – the values of the Kingdom of Heaven which this nation so desperately needs.

Their value may not be recognised by most of their fellow MPs, but if you were willing to invite them into your home to spend time praying with you, I believe that you would immediately find the answer to the most intractable problems that you face.

There is a way through that will enable you to deliver Brexit to the British people, to whom you are utterly devoted. The DUP – this little group of Bible-believing Christians – are your jewel in the crown, given to you at this time, I believe, to help you find a way forward. Their value to you and to the British nation is priceless.

I’m sure you know the many accounts in the Bible showing that God loves to use those deemed small and insignificant to carry out his greatest miracles. In that way he gets all the glory, as happened with Gideon’s 300 and when Jesus used five bread loaves to feed 5,000. But this has also happened more recently, as I well remember from my boyhood. Prime Minister Churchill acknowledged that in the face of certain defeat, with our troops stranded on the beaches of Dunkirk, our nation was only saved by the hundreds of little boats who responded valiantly to the call to rescue our men, accomplishing what the big ships could not.

In the current impasse, you truly need a miracle. But you have available to you a little group of Bible-believing Christians who represent the voters of Northern Ireland. I believe they hold the key to the conundrum that has defeated the finest brains in our Parliament. They bring a divine element of revelation into a situation that otherwise seems impossible.

Please allow them to sit with you, to pray with you and to seek the way of the Lord, to break through the impasse that has paralysed Parliament for far too long, as you yourself have acknowledged. Only through prayer and the power of God can our nation move forward into a new and blessed future – and in this regard, this small group of Northern Ireland MPs can help you in ways that no-one else can.

Yours sincerely,

Rev Dr Clifford Hill

Editor, Prophecy Today UK / Director, Issachar Ministries

Swanwick conference unites intercessors for Britain’s future

Earlier this week, over 100 watchmen and watchwomen from all around Britain gathered at The Hayes Conference Centre in Swanwick, Derbyshire, united by a fervent concern for the state of the nation and a desire to be strengthened in understanding, intercession and action.

The two-day conference of discussion, prayer, worship and seeking the Lord was not intended to be an overly structured event dependent on front-led sessions with leaders and experts, but was planned in such a way as to emphasise Body ministry and the unique contribution of each member of the ‘ekklesia’ of God.

Plenary sessions with corporate worship were led by Dr Clifford and Mrs Monica Hill and supported by the Issachar Ministries and Prophecy Today UK teams. Prophetic songs were brought and each morning the shofar was blown. But the richness and depth of the gathering was really established in smaller groups, where time was spent praying together and sharing wisdom and insight.

Surprise Speakers

Surprise additional speakers were Andrea Williams of Christian Concern and Syd Doyle of Nations Light Ministries. Andrea updated those present on the state of the nation, forthcoming legislation and current issues facing Christians in the workplace. Apparently, the Christian Legal Centre are dealing with four or five new enquiries each week from Christians regarding workplace issues.

Andrea Williams speaking at The Hayes, Tuesday 19 March 2019. Photo: Prophecy Today UKShe also agreed with Clifford and Monica Hill that Christians are “living in Babylon” and that believers will need to begin to form their own businesses and schools to provide employment and education, which will provide safe environments for them and their children. Chiming with this assessment, the Hills’ Living in Babylon book and workbook were recommended particularly as a resource for prayer and study groups.

Syd Doyle encouraged conference with exciting stories of outreach to Muslims and others in various places. He was also moved and encouraged to hear Clifford’s word about the “jewel in the crown” role of the DUP in the Brexit negotiations, full details of which are in our Editorial this week and have been sent in a letter to the Prime Minister.

Perhaps most importantly, time was set aside to seek the Lord in quietness, after which prophetic words and pictures that had been received were shared with the whole group. It was during this session that Clifford received the word about the spiritual significance of the DUP.

Though the programme was a full one, time was made for fellowship over coffee and meals, allowing those present to establish and strengthen their own personal connections. Clifford and Monica took the opportunity to reminisce with stories about their 50 years of ministry, some of which appear in The Reshaping of Britain. One story that didn’t make it into Clifford’s latest book was his and Monica’s first meeting, over 60 years ago – on a tennis court at The Hayes Conference Centre!

A Way-marker

As the time progressed, the sense of the Lord’s presence and leading seemed to become more palpable. Those who came expecting quick-fix answers to the national situation will have been disappointed, as the long-term, complex nature of our spiritual battle was brought into view and the responsibility of each individual to seek the Lord for their own understanding and response was emphasised. This was not a gathering to hype up expectations of revival (which will not come without repentance in any case, as Clifford pointed out) – but collectively to face up to reality and “strengthen feeble arms and weak knees” for the task ahead (Isa 35:5; Heb 12:12), putting all things in the context of the nature and purposes of God.

As such, it was not an end-point or a culmination, but a starting-point for some and a way-marker for others. Some found Dr Hill’s session on Jeremiah 30-31 especially significant, as a way into developing our understanding of how Brexit and God’s plans for Britain might fit into his overarching covenant plans for Israel and his purposes for the whole world.

Others were inspired particularly by Andrea Williams speaking about the socio-cultural and political battles being fought in the nation – the worldly face of our underlying spiritual conflict. Still others were galvanised by Syd Doyle reminding us of our collective responsibility to make disciples, including amongst Muslims – “the fields are white for harvest” (John 4:35).

We trust that the Holy Spirit will have reached and ministered to each delegate in a unique and special way. Each person was encouraged to think about how they could develop their own witness and ministry in their area, in unity with other believers. It is hoped that in the future, Issachar Ministries will be able to play a part in connecting up believers locally.

It’s time to nail our colours to the mast

As we sail into stormy seas over Brexit, it’s time for both Church and state to nail their colours to the mast – over their stand with Israel in particular, and with biblical truth in general.

We have seriously lost our way, thanks to little political co-ordination and much confusion. What we really need is a heavenly compass. Have our politicians asked God for directions? Has the Church made its position clear? Most importantly, whose side are we on?

Anchor for the Soul

In 1947, the United Nations voted – by the required two-thirds majority – to recognise a reborn Jewish state. But Britain, badly bruised by her shambolic oversight of the region she was charged to prepare for this purpose, abstained in the vote and has been reeling from the blow of betraying God’s chosen people ever since.

Another key moment was the bold step taken more recently by President Trump in recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. But none of the major powers have yet followed his lead, preferring instead to seek appeasement with Israel’s enemies, which is one reason Europe is in crisis.

In the midst of the turbulence in Parliament over the prospect of a future outside of Europe, our only hope of steadying the ship of state is in returning to the Judeo-Christian values espoused by the Bible-believing MPs from Northern Ireland, who currently hold the balance of power. And as a further acknowledgement of the God of Israel, and the source of Western civilisation, we need to start seriously standing with the Jews.

Our only hope of steadying the ship of state is in returning to Judeo-Christian values and standing with the Jews.

Do Everything in Your Power

When, during the Yom Kippur War of 1973, Israel came perilously close to defeat, Prime Minister Golda Meir appealed to President Nixon for help, and his response in sending reinforcements saved the day – and Israel!

Years later Nixon said: “When she was talking [on the phone], I could hear my mother reading stories from the Old Testament to me when I was a boy.”

He recalled one thing in particular. “I could hear her tell me: ‘One day Richard, you will be in a situation where the Jewish people will need your help. When that day comes, do everything in your power to help them.’ It confirmed all my instincts and I knew I had to act. I suddenly realised why I had become President of the United States. It was the moment I had to do what I had to do.”¹

With a legacy blighted by the Watergate scandal, which saw him authorise illegal activities in pursuit of being re-elected, I guess few people realise the crucial part he played in Israel’s preservation.

Call to Churches

In righting wrongs of past sins committed against Israel, Britain’s Tory Government has made a start with an apology of sorts for restricting immigration to the Holy Land for Jews fleeing Nazi-occupied Europe.

Yet in some respects things have worsened, with the opposition gaining in the polls in spite of being plagued by anti-Semitism, while both the South African and Irish governments have made their anti-Zionist feelings known.

In light of this and especially of the threat posed by Iran, Christians United for Israel UK is calling on churches to stand with Israel as corporate institutions, rather than leaving it to individuals and para-church organisations.

Confidence in the Gospel

The Church as a whole, meanwhile, badly needs to recover confidence in the power of the Gospel. This was brought home to me forcefully as I watched Scotland make what one pundit called a ‘miraculous’ comeback against England in last Saturday’s Six Nations rugby test match at Twickenham.

Down 31-0 in as many minutes, they were facing a humiliating slaughter, but came right back with a brilliant second-half display to lead 38-31, before the hosts tied the match by scoring under the posts deep into injury time.

It reminded me of David and Goliath, especially after picking up a 4oz weight from a display of vintage balance scales in a café that same morning. On being surprised at how heavy it felt, I understood how the Philistine giant failed to survive the shepherd’s lethal slingshot.

The Church as a whole badly needs to recover confidence in the power of the Gospel.

The comparison was complete when I realised that Scotland had scored five tries – all converted – plus a penalty, whereas the young David had picked up five smooth stones for his fight. But he only needed one!

The Sea of Galilee, where Jesus calmed the storm with a word. Photo by Charles Gardner.The weapon we have been given is the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Eph 6:17), while our power is the Gospel, which is “the power of God that brings salvation to all who believe: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile” (Rom 1:16).

Jesus made it clear that if we fail to publicly acknowledge him, he will disown us (Matt 10:32f). Speaking of the signs of his imminent return, he said it would be a time when his disciples will be hated and when many will turn away amid much deception and wickedness. But he who stands firm to the end will be saved - and the Gospel will be preached to the whole world in preparation for his return (Matt 24:9-14).

Opportunities Ahead

So, in the midst of the great trials ahead, Gospel opportunities will come – perhaps as never before – as spiritually hungry people seek solace and comfort. Amidst the hardship, there will be a harvest.

As the tempest rages, remember that Jesus is the one who calmed the storm on Galilee!

References

1 Davies, P, 2018. The Miracle that is Israel. True Vine Media Limited.

The 'Mother of Parliaments' is in disarray - where is God?

Today, the eyes of the world are upon Britain, especially Westminster. Everywhere there is amazement that the British Parliament – the ‘Mother of Parliaments’ – is in disarray.

Why is this? In simple terms, it is because our Parliament, which is supposed to represent the people, is opposed to the people! The nation voted to leave the European Union and in Parliament, of 650 MPs, about 500 of them voted Remain.¹ Most of them will do everything possible to oppose the will of the people they represent, and keep Britain locked into the European Union. Clearly, it is the death of democracy when those elected to represent the people no longer do so.

There are, of course, many additional factors that go to make up the incredibly complicated situation in our House of Commons today. There are leadership ambitions on both sides of the House, and great dissatisfaction with their respective leaders. Among both Labour and Conservatives there is a desire to change the leader. Conservatives know that it would be disastrous to force Mrs May to stand down in the midst of a national crisis and Labour MPs know that Jeremy Corbyn has the backing of many of their new members and there is no outstanding leader to challenge him.

But our task at Prophecy Today UK is not simply to analyse the facts, but to see beyond them to the forces that are shaping our destiny, and to ask pertinent questions such as “What is God doing in the midst of all this chaos?” It is my belief that God is not simply sitting on the side-lines watching what is happening, but he is actually orchestrating the chaos in our Parliament.

Ever Seeing, Never Perceiving

Throughout the Bible we can see how God actively intervenes and creates a chaotic situation to which there appears no simple answer, in order to force people to recognise the utter folly of what they are doing. God actually uses disaster as a means of working out his purposes.

Just look at a few examples: God said to Moses “Go to Pharaoh for I have hardened his heart…” (Ex 10:1). God put a “lying spirit” in the mouths of the prophets (1 Kings 22:23). He put “hooks in the jaws” of Gog and Magog to make them carry out his will (Ezek 38:4). He told Isaiah that he was hardening the hearts of the people so that they would be “ever seeing, but never perceiving” (Isa 6:9).

Throughout the Bible we can see how God actively intervenes and creates a chaotic situation - he uses disaster as a means of working out his purposes.

Jesus said the same about the people of Jerusalem, “If you, even you had only known on this day what would bring you peace – but now it is hidden from your eyes” (Luke 19:42).

One of the signs of judgment coming upon the people is “madness, blindness and confusion of mind” (Deut 28:28). And when the level of corruption in a nation reaches crisis point, God removes his cover of protection, “Therefore God gave them over to the sinful desires of their hearts” (Rom 1:24). He sends a “powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie” (2 Thess 2:11).

A Lying Spirit

Today, we are not only seeing our Parliament but the media, the means of communication, being infected with a lying spirit. It is an age of fake news and deception. Even our national broadcaster, the BBC, that was founded upon biblical truth and the objective of transmitting it to the world, can no longer be trusted.

Radio 4, the bulwark of news broadcasting, has since the beginning of the year been pushing consistently for a second referendum, with the objective of reversing the decision to leave the European Union.

Powerful figures such as John Humphrys have undoubtedly added to the division in Britain that threatens every part of our national life – the economy, trade and industry, and law and order - because another referendum would create a level of national division not seen in Britain since the Civil War four centuries ago. This is especially so given the spirit of violence that is currently driving social media, contributing to knife crime, gang warfare, race hatred and terrorism.

Under Judgment

The plain fact is that as a nation we do not know what we are doing – we are blindly heading for disaster, led by our MPs, so many of who are driven by lying spirits, because we are a nation under judgment.

Today, we are not only seeing our Parliament but the media, the means of communication, being infected with a lying spirit.

Theresa May is under judgment in the same way as David Cameron was - and for the same reason. They both conspired to drive the Same-Sex Marriage Bill through Parliament against the wishes of more than 100 of their own MPs and against the wishes of the majority of the British people at that time. She was Home Secretary; he was Prime Minister.

Both of them claim to be Christians, therefore they know the word of God and they deliberately chose to defy biblical commands and lead the nation astray. David Cameron swiftly brought judgment upon himself that ended his career. Theresa May cannot succeed in anything to which she puts her hand (Deut 28:20) and she can only be the instrument of bringing further judgment upon the nation.

The 11^th Hour

It gives me no pleasure to write these things - but they are the plain, unvarnished truth. Is there any way of avoiding the deepening judgment that is coming upon the nation? Yes, of course there is! There is always, in the mercy of God, up to the 11^th hour, the offer of forgiveness and redemption - if there is repentance and turning.

We are now in the 11^th hour. But if the nation were prepared to put their trust in God and walk away from the secular humanist constrictions of the European Union without a deal, it would surely be pleasing in God’s sight. It would also lead to great opportunity for spiritual revival - for biblical truth to transform the nation through the prayers and the witness of the faithful remnant, who understand the times and are prepared to tell the nation the truth.

It may be that God is actually answering the prayers of the faithful remnant by increasing the chaos in our Parliament, so that Britain falls out of the EU by accident rather than by design. Despite voting against leaving without a deal, it is still possible that this is precisely what will happen on 29 March 2019. Is this God’s intention for Britain?

Please respond to our poll below:

References

1 Jacob Rees-Mogg’s estimate.

Encouragement amid the battle for Britain.

Two years ago, I reported that I believed God was telling me to stop praying for the nation, which upset some people. But the reason was because God was shaking everything – and we believed that more shaking was to come. He was going to shake the banks, industries, high street stores, political parties, Government - all the human institutions in which people put their trust. I warned about the danger of praying against the will of God, by praying “Peace, peace” when the Lord was saying “There is no peace”.

Today, everything is being shaken like never before! Our objective remains to pray that the shaking will be effective! But also, I believe God is encouraging us to begin to look beyond the present crisis to the times of blessing and prosperity that will follow if there is repentance and turning right now – which is the object of the great shaking.

The thing I find most encouraging is the enormous amount of prayer in the nation – clear, focused, mature prayer, from Bible-believing Christians.

Truth and Hope

Earlier this week, my wife and I were guests at the Annual Meeting in London of Transform Work UK, an organisation that Monica and I founded nearly 20 years ago. It gave us the opportunity of reminiscing and bringing a word of encouragement to them. We had the joy of listening to reports from Christian leaders in commerce and industry of what God is doing today.

Transform Work UK (TWUK) provides a link and purpose for thousands of praying Christians in their places of work. We spoke of the founding principles that warned against the danger of becoming little groups who just did ‘Sunday Church’ on weekdays. From the beginning, the objective was to get the Gospel into the workplace, to make an impact upon the economy, to make a difference in working conditions, to benefit employees: in short, to establish both biblical truth and biblical ethics in industry and commerce.

The thing I find most encouraging is the enormous amount of prayer in the nation – clear, focused, mature prayer, from Bible-believing Christians.

We reminded them of one of the founding members, Jeff, who worked for the Audit Commission. Jeff couldn’t stop sharing his faith with anyone who would listen and over lunch one day he talked to one of the Board Members about the biblical values of integrity, faithfulness, loyalty and love for one another at the heart of the Gospel. This led to the setting up of ‘Christians in the Audit Commission’ as part of their Human Resources. They were given an office and direct access to the Board and to the Chairman, who said that these were the ethical values that needed to be at the heart of the Audit Commission’s work.

It was thrilling this week to hear reports of regional group leaders (known as ‘Ambassadors’) from around the country and news of the impact Christians are making in industry and many other parts of the workplace today.

We heard from Christians in banking, in the motor industry, in local and national Government, in the railway network and numerous others. One man related how he had just led someone to Christ during his lunch hour.

There is even a praying group in 10 Downing Street, and a young man in Theresa May’s constituency enthusiastically reported how his group prays for her on a daily basis.

Great Need for Prayer

I have no doubt that prayer is playing a major part in the struggle to complete a satisfactory Brexit deal. All discerning Christians have known for a long time that the battle to untangle Britain from the tentacles of the European Union would be long and hard, because it is not simply a political tussle - it is a major spiritual conflict.

At the beginning of the TWUK meeting I gave them a scripture which I believe was a word from God for them. It was “Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtain wide, do not hold back; lengthen your chords, strengthen your stakes. For you will spread out to the right and the left” (Isa 54:2).

I did not know that Ros Turner, the leader of TWUK, had based her annual message on Jeremiah 29, where the word of God to the exiles in Babylon was to build houses and plant gardens, to increase in number and not to decrease. The same word also instructed the exiles to pray for Babylon, which must have seemed outrageous to the people of Israel whose land had been overrun by this enemy. But that was part of God’s good plan for their future prosperity.

I believe God is encouraging us to begin to look beyond the present crisis to the times of blessing and prosperity that will follow if there is repentance and turning.

I believe that God is now telling Christians in Britain to pray not only for Brexit, but for Brussels! Yes, pray for Brussels! The EU leaders are incredibly worried about the possibility of Britain leaving without a deal which would have a terrible impact upon the EU economy. Of course, they are holding out to the last minute to try to stop Britain leaving the EU; just as are the secular liberal elites in the Westminster Parliament – by any means necessary. Of course, delaying Brexit or forcing another referendum in the current climate of violence and social media hatred would bring violence onto the streets of British cities and chaos across the nation.

Never has there been a greater need for prayer – focused, targeted prayer - since the days of Dunkirk and the 1940s’ threat of Nazi invasion! Nor has there been a greater need to mobilise the little groups of praying Christians in the workplaces, in homes and churches across the nation!

God Longs to Forgive

The next few weeks is going to be the most important time in the history of Britain since the Second World War. Christian intercessors - alone, in small groups or in large gatherings - could focus their prayers with words from Jeremiah 29, praying specifically for repentance and willingness to seek agreement in Brussels and Westminster.

To my surprise, I believe God is saying that he has not finished with Europe, which used to be the most Christian continent in the world, taking the Gospel to many nations. Despite its gross backsliding, God is longing to forgive and to restore. Britain’s departure from the EU will cause an enormous shaking which could be God’s way of opening eyes that are blind.

Through the mountain of prayer that is ascending to heaven from Britain and all over Europe right now as the nations are gripped with anxiety for the future, God is at work using this situation to work out his good purposes. And if we will allow him, he will guide the decision-making and ensure his good plans will give both a future and a hope to Britain and to Europe.

His word is “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord” (Jer 29:13-14).

God is working his purposes out.

Yesterday I had the privilege of speaking to a packed fringe meeting at the Church of England Synod in Westminster. There were a number of bishops and clergy of all ranks and the general atmosphere was one of deep concern for the state of the nation. The meeting was in Church House alongside Westminster Abbey and I think we were all aware of events across the road, where our politicians are struggling with seemingly intractable problems.

If any of those attending the meeting came expecting, or even hoping for, easy answers or joyful tidings, I’m afraid they would have gone away disappointed. The primary message I had to give was that God holds the Church responsible for the moral and spiritual state of the nation. I had been asked to speak about my latest book, ‘The Reshaping of Britain: Church and State since the 1960s’. I spoke about the last four Archbishops of Canterbury who I’ve known and worked alongside; and I spoke about the lack of a prophetic voice from the Church giving leadership to the nation in a time of revolutionary social, economic and political change.

It was not a comfortable message and in the short time of discussion it was clear that there are no easy answers to the situation. How do you bring creative, biblically-based change into an organisation as massive as the Church of England? I was only able to repeat what I’ve said so many times that there will be no revival in the nation until there is repentance in the Church. Of course, this is no easy message for those who are dealing with a multitude of pastoral problems in their congregations.

Right Understanding

One of the clergy asked, “Should we be encouraging young people in our churches to go into politics?” I know it is a very lonely and difficult place for Christians in the House of Commons at present. If there were a significant number of those who uphold biblical values and whose trust is in God, it would undoubtedly change the dynamics of politics and that should be a future hope and objective for all church leaders.

But I think it would take away a lot of our fear about the present political mess in the nation and our vast array of social problems if we simply understood what is going on. This means discerning the difference between the social engineering that has been driving the nation for the past 40 or 50 years generated by secular humanist advocates, and what is divine activity initiated by God.

It would take away a lot of our fear about the present political mess in the nation and our vast array of social problems if we simply understood what is going on.

Most Christians do not think in these terms because we do not rightly handle the whole word of God. We concentrate upon the Gospels and Epistles, but neglect to study the biblical Prophets, whom God used to reveal his nature and purposes to humanity in preparation for the coming of Messiah. Without a thorough understanding of this background we can never understand what God is doing in the world today. I said yesterday that this should be the major concern of church leaders today.

Listen to this from Isaiah 45:7: “I am the Lord, and there is no other. I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things.” All the Prophets recognised that God creates disaster! But he is more than ready to change disaster into prosperity!!! In fact, that is God’s purpose! He is longing to see his children enjoying the blessings of those who uphold righteousness and live by the standards of truth he has revealed in his word over many thousands of years.

Shaking All Things

God is at present shaking all the nations, as he first revealed to the Prophet Haggai in 520 BC, the significance of which for today is explained in the New Testament in Hebrews 12. You can see this in the upheavals and bitter Brexit divisions in Britain, in the rise of the populist movement in many countries throughout Europe, and in the fear of the Brussels elite at what may happen in the EU election in May this year.

You can see it in the USA, where there has never before been such bitter division between Republicans and Democrats. You can see it in the upheavals in South America, in Venezuela; similarly in Africa, especially in Nigeria in recent days, in the Middle East, in the distressing humanitarian crises in Yemen and Syria, and in many other parts of the world.

It is not only the nations that are being shaken, but all the great institutions in which we human beings put our trust – including the Church! Right now, the Roman Catholic Church is being torn asunder by having to face the sexual sins of its clergy over many decades that are being revealed to the public. Successive Popes have delayed the day of reckoning for many years, but the Vatican is having to face the uncomfortable truth that a system of forced celibacy in a social climate of sexual libertarianism is a recipe for disaster! Large numbers of clergy have misused their spiritual power for sexual gratification, exploiting vulnerable children and adults. The day of judgment has arrived, and this has not just been brought about by social pressure, but by the judgment of God.

All the Prophets recognised that God creates disaster! But he is more than ready to change disaster into prosperity!

For Love

Why is God shaking everything? It may be amazing to those who do not study the whole word of God – but when God brings judgment upon the evil institutions of humanity it is an expression of his LOVE!

God so loved the world that he gave his own Son to save humanity from self-destruction. But our tiny minds simply cannot comprehend the magnitude of God’s purposes without the divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit to flood his truth into our lives.

Let me give a small illustration of the great truth that I’m trying to convey. For more than 30 years I have been trying to teach a basic sociological truth that when you weaken and undermine the family, you destroy the social fabric of society, because the family is the linchpin holding everything together. This is what we have done in Western society and this is the underlying cause of knife crime, gang warfare, drug use, bullying, depression and suicide. We have crucified truth and produced an age of fake news, lies, hatred and violence, driven by the forces of darkness that we have embraced.

But amidst all this, God is working out his purposes to bring human beings to the point where they recognise that they have no solutions to the problems they have created. When they begin to cry out ‘O God, what has gone wrong?’ God knows they will be then open to the truth. He is calling upon his Church to be ready for a great spiritual awakening! Not a revival of the old institutions that we call churches, but a genuine new openness to the truth, met by a Church that genuinely both lives and declares the unchanging word of God.

That is the way disaster will be turned into prosperity! And the good news is that we may not be far from the turning point!

God must sometimes tear down in order to build up.

Why are our politicians still in confusion? Why is there no shared vision or clear strategy in Westminster after so many months of debate? Surely the simple answer has to be that there are no political solutions to the problems in the nation. But when will our political representatives realise that something is wrong and begin to look below the surface for the real problem – and the real answer?

The evidence that Britain is a sick society is all around in our daily news: the huge rise in knife crime in the past five years, young people dying on our city streets, the homeless sheltering in shopfronts, children becoming drug mules, self-harming, suicides, domestic violence, family breakdown, gambling addiction, alcohol problems, poverty, inequality - we could go on and on with an endless list of symptoms.

But they all come back to the same source – our society-wide rejection of truth, trust, faithfulness, integrity, justice, love, unselfishness, service and loyalty - all the values of the Gospel set out in the Bible that used to be taught to our children in every state school and in Sunday schools.

We have ditched the lot! So, our children have no yardstick by which to measure truth; and we are surprised when their world of social media, soaked in fake news and lies, leads them into depression, self-harming and suicide. The media rages against paedophiles who groom vulnerable children online, but are we not a nation of child abusers in the eyes of God? We have despised his word and we are reaping the harvest.

A Second Chance?

It’s time to face up to reality: Brexit will not solve our problems! But to remain in the EU would be even worse. And the worst possible outcome would be another referendum! The nation is already bitterly divided and calling for a so-called ‘People’s Vote’ is a recipe for civil war!

Maybe all the Brexit negotiations are pointless anyway as the EU itself appears to be set on a course for disintegration. Populist movements are gaining momentum across Europe which is likely to bring in a lot of hostile MEPs in the EU election in May. With Italy in recession and France and Germany not far behind, if Britain leaves without a deal and without paying its £39 billion settlement bill, it could be a fatal blow to the EU.¹

It’s time to face up to reality: Brexit will not solve our problems!

If Britain succeeds in getting out of the European Union next month in the face of massive opposition, I believe it will be a sign that God is giving us a second chance and an opportunity to deal with the social problems in the nation.

The Cost of Revival

At the Wembley Arena Prayer Day, I made two points which I believe are important:

1. God holds the Church responsible for the moral and spiritual state of the nation.
   
2. There will be no revival in the nation until there is repentance in the Church.
   

I apologise for referring again to the Wembley event. I’ve taken a lot of flak for appearing on that platform, but at the risk of indulging in self-justification, I really have to say that I still believe it was right for me to go there and say those two things – and possibly also to witness the teaching that is appearing in some of our churches!

I was a lone voice calling for repentance at Wembley, which should worry Bible-believing Christians because we know that judgment begins at the house of the Lord. If we do not recognise our responsibility for the state of the nation and repent before God, there really is no hope for Britain!

Why is it that when evangelicals come together for prayer, the predominant thing they want to do is to call upon God to send a revival? What they often don’t realise is that the cost of revival is repentance for our responsibility for the mess in the nation. We are part of a Church whose preachers have committed adultery, have broken their marriage vows, have indulged in sodomy, have lied and cheated. We have allowed Scripture to be manipulated in support of sinful lifestyles. We have tolerated televangelists with luxurious lifestyles and enjoyed the pronouncements of false prophets who have tickled our ears with promises of power, miracles, signs and wonders.

How do we dare to ask God to send a revival to such a Church? I am due to address a lunchtime meeting at the Church of England Synod next Thursday in London, and I intend asking how we can expect God to bless a Church that is not giving clear godly leadership to the nation in a time of great turmoil.

If Christians do not recognise their responsibility for the state of the nation and repent before God, there really is no hope for Britain!

Learning from Jeremiah

In the Prophet Jeremiah’s day, he faced a similar situation. The religious leadership of the nation, the Temple priesthood, were as corrupt as the rest of the population. Jeremiah said “I have seen something horrible: they commit adultery and live a lie. They strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns from his wickedness. They are like Sodom to me, the people of Jerusalem are like Gomorrah” (Jer 23:14).

Do you not think that God is saying something similar to us, not only in Britain but in all the Western nations, where we have had the Gospel for centuries but we have turned away from the ways of righteousness – selling our inheritance for a mess of pottage?

Jeremiah was told that God’s purpose for the nation was peace and prosperity – Jeremiah’s task was to build and to plant. But there were six verbs in this instruction, not just two. They were “To uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.” The nation was so advanced in corruption, immorality and idolatry, that a lot of things had to be removed from its culture before there could be blessing and prosperity.

God was giving notice to Jeremiah that he was about to shake the nation to its very foundations. The great institutions of state, its political and economic structures, including its religion, would all be shaken. Nothing would be spared. This is what happened in 586 BC when the Babylonian army tore down the walls of Jerusalem, destroying the Temple, the Palace and all the great buildings.

Is God today warning the Western nations that the whole of our civilisation is coming under judgment? How much uprooting and tearing down must be done before building and planting is possible again? Has God brought Islam into the West for judgment, or to expose its false teaching and bring about a Muslim harvest for the Gospel, along with a revival of true biblical Christianity in the West?

At a Crossroads

Surely today we are at a crossroads. It is not only Brexit that is a warning sign, but the populist movement that is spreading across Europe, and the huge divisions that are shaking America. The ‘Arab Spring’ began the shaking of Islam. God has promised to shake all nations – he has already started.

Surely it is time to search the scriptures for understanding of the times and come before the Lord with repentance, humility, trust and hope for the future.

Notes

1 It would not be good for the German economy if BMW build a plant in Britain to avoid paying a tariff on their cars (Britain is their best export customer)!

When the Church has failed the nation, how can believers pray?

Christians across Britain are gathering for prayer this weekend in meetings in towns and villages, responding to the crisis in the nation. There is no central coordination of these meetings. They are simply a spontaneous reaction to the growing anxiety in the nation to the turmoil in Parliament as we get nearer to the date for leaving the European Union. I am due to speak at an all-day meeting in Wembley Arena, organised by David Hathaway’s Eurovision ministry and which is being live-streamed on the Eurovision website.

The meetings will no doubt bring together Christians who voted different ways in the 2016 Referendum, but the common cause today is to pray for a divided nation and for our political leaders who are striving to find agreement on an acceptable plan for leaving the EU.

Many of our politicians are among the 48% of the nation who voted to remain in the EU and they are still seeking ways to reverse the decision, but it is becoming increasingly obvious that a second referendum would plunge the nation into an unprecedented period of division and uncertainty, possibly even triggering violent confrontation bordering on civil war, stoked by social media.

The Days of Dunkirk

The present crisis is being referred to in the press as something we have not seen since the days of Dunkirk. This is a good parallel because in 1940 the nation recognised that there were no human solutions to the situation facing us, with our army stranded on the continent and the rest of Europe already conquered by the Nazis. Only divine intervention could save Britain from invasion and defeat.

The whole nation was called to a Day of Prayer by the King, joining together to call upon God for a miracle, which Prime Minister Churchill acknowledged in Parliament after an armada of little boats rescued our soldiers from the beaches of northern France.

The difference today is that we are no longer a God-fearing nation and it is only the Bible-believing faithful remnant who will be praying. But God is not a democrat looking for a majority. He loves to work through small numbers, as he did through Gideon’s 300. The big question for Christians today is how do we pray? We know perfectly well that our nation is ungodly and that few of our parliamentarians are born-again believers. So, how should we pray?

The present crisis is being referred to in the press as something we have not seen since the days of Dunkirk.

Record of the Church

I believe the answer lies in looking at the record of the Church in the affairs of the nation over the past decades of social change. In the immediate post-World War II period, the state Church had an Archbishop, Geoffrey Fisher, who was a high-ranking Freemason more interested in the Masonic Grand Lodge of England than in the affairs of Britain. He certainly had no interest in evangelism.

Fisher was followed by Michael Ramsay who was just as bad, and took no interest in the affairs of the nation during his 13 years as Archbishop, while Acts of Parliament were passed of enormous significance in changing Britain’s culture, such as the Race Relations Act, the Abortion Act, the Theatre Act, the Divorce Reform Act and the European Communities Act, which took Britain into the EU. When all these momentous bills were debated, the Church of England was silent. The only bill that Ramsay engaged with in the House of Lords was the measure to legalise homosexual acts, which he publicly advocated.

But Ramsay’s example of political silence was reflected across the whole Church in those days. I have wept before the Lord many times for my own failure to speak about what was happening in the nation. I was the Minister of a large London church preaching to 500 people on a Sunday in the 1960s, but I was not even aware of the Abortion Act that has been responsible for killing nearly 9 million unborn babies. I bitterly regret that I did nothing at that time.

Worse Than Silence

When I was a young man, church leaders were all telling young people not to get involved in politics, which was considered the domain of the devil. This was in total contrast to the Victorian era when the Bible was quoted regularly in Parliament. But in the 20^th Century, evangelicals came to consider social action to be alien territory. We left politics to others so we should hardly be surprised at what we’ve got today. But the Church of England’s record is worse than just silence.

In the 20^th Century, evangelicals came to consider social action to be alien territory: we left politics to others.

In the year 2000 an Education Bill was going through Parliament and a peer introduced an amendment calling for schools to teach that faithful marriage is the ideal form of family. This was fiercely opposed by Tony Blair’s Government who were strongly influenced by LGBTQ+ activists. The vote in the House of Lords was very close - but nine bishops voted with the Government. If they had voted the other way, the amendment would have been carried.

In the report to Parliament The Cost of Family Breakdown,¹ it was noted that the Church’s official representatives had voted against faithful monogamy as the ideal for family life despite massive evidence showing that all other forms of the family give inferior outcomes for children.

Confession and Weeping

Christians who are coming before the Lord this weekend to pray for the nation should recognise that we are all part of the wider Church that has failed to take an active role in getting the Gospel into the affairs of the nation during the decades when the greatest social changes have taken place.

Our prayers should be prayers of confession, weeping before the Lord as Jeremiah wept over Israel in his day, “Oh, that my head were a spring of water and my eyes a fountain of tears! I would weep day and night for my people” (Jer 9:1).

Jesus wept over Jerusalem, and if we love our nation we too should be weeping before the Lord. The words of the Prophet Joel give us hope for the future: “Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing” (Joel 2:13-14).

References

1 See Foreword by Norman Dennis, pp3-4. Download the full report here.

Searching for reality in a 'post-truth' age.

The famous words of Pilate at the fake trial of Jesus have echoed down the centuries – what is truth? These words have taken on new significance in the 21^st Century with the development of social media and the spread of ‘fake news’. Paul defines truth in very simple terms: as the good news of salvation (Eph 1:13). Jesus says that he himself is truth. He says “I am the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6). By this statement Jesus means that anyone who knows God, knows truth.

If truth is so central to the purposes of God, it is small wonder that it is under attack from the powers of darkness that are presently ruling the world. It is as though a huge blanket of cloud is covering humanity and preventing clear perception and rational thinking. The evidence of this can be seen in every part of the world.

In America, division over immigration has led to parts of Government being shut down because of President Trump’s dispute with Congress over the wall he wants to build between the USA and Mexico. Europe too is wracked by disagreement over immigration and the many other problems besetting the EU project: in Germany there is mounting fear over the failing economy and the future of the Euro. In France there are growing social problems, with millions taking to the streets before Christmas in populist demonstrations against the policies of President Macron.

These problems are not going away and there are similar tensions in other EU states. But, arguably, none have such potentially far-reaching consequences as the divisions over Brexit.

No Alternatives?

At the moment Brexit arguments in Britain have not spilled over into the streets, although there are plenty of noisy groups in Westminster demonstrating around Parliament day after day. The major upheavals are inside Parliament where confusion reigns supreme.

The Prime Minister insists that the deal she has negotiated with the EU is the only deal and there is no Plan B. But Parliament has voted to take back the initiative by insisting that if her deal is voted down by Parliament next week, she must come back to the House of Commons in three days with a further plan.

If truth is so central to the purposes of God, it is small wonder that it is under attack from the powers of darkness that are presently ruling the world.

Although there appears to be no valid alternative to Mrs May’s deal, there is probably a majority of MPs who want to ensure that Britain does not leave the EU with no deal at all. The EU fears a ‘No Deal’ more than Britain does, but our politicians appear blind to this. If the MPs make it impossible for ‘No Deal’ to happen, they strip the Prime Minister of the most powerful weapon in negotiations with Brussels.

The Netherlands alone say that they will lose more than £2 billion in trade if there is no deal between the EU and Britain. Germany is desperate to sell their cars in Britain, without which their economy would be in serious trouble; and the EU itself urgently needs the €39 billion promised in the divorce bill, without which the Euro currency is likely to fail. Many of our MPs seem completely unaware of the power they hold over the EU, which is part of the blindness afflicting leaders of our nation.

The Consequences of Rebellion

This blindness to truth is not simply a political, economic or social issue: it is fundamentally a spiritual problem resulting from Britain’s rejection of her biblical foundations. Though this rejection is not recognised, its consequences can be seen throughout the life of the nation.

One obvious example is that every week there are young people dying on the streets of London through a wave of knife crime, drugs, gangs and lawlessness that is spilling across to other cities. This is a national issue, but our politicians are too busy arguing over Brexit to notice what is happening on our streets.

But this wave of violence is directly linked to our rejection of God. We have rejected the biblical foundations of Britain’s value system, so we are no longer able to recognise truth. For 50 years we have allowed the nation to be driven by secular humanist activists who have deliberately undermined traditional family life, promoting divorce, cohabitation, sexual perversion, abortion-on-demand and more recently, transgenderism. These policies have all been based on a lie – the lie that all types of family are equal.

This blindness to truth is fundamentally a spiritual problem resulting from Britain’s rejection of her biblical foundations.

There have been scores of sociological research reports demonstrating that only faithful marriage as the Bible describes it produces happy, stable and successful family life for both adults and children. But this truth about families has been wilfully ignored or rejected by post-modernist agitators who have done untold harm to British children.

Every child who dies on the city streets of Britain is in some way a victim of the post-modern, secular humanist, pro-LGBTQ+ policies that have deliberately aimed at destroying family life in the nation in this ‘post-truth’ age.

Spiritual Blindness

The greatest crime in Britain today is the blindness of our leaders, in both Church and state, to recognise the sickness of the nation and the root of its problems.

I have been responsible for no less than eight sociological reports to Parliament on family life in Britain during the past 30 years. They have set out clearly the consequences of following policies based upon the false concept of ‘equality’. But successive Governments have been blind to TRUTH.

This blindness is a spiritual malady. It is not a lack of intellectual capacity. It is plain and simply a spiritual force of darkness, given a foothold through rebellion and rejection of God’s word, that makes it impossible to understand and accept TRUTH.

This is why our MPs are in such utter disarray over Brexit. There is no shared vision because they are blinded to TRUTH. The plain fact is: no political solutions to the nation’s problems can be found until there is repentance for what has been done to the nation; and new openness to the word of God. What will it take? Is it a matter of more prayer, or more truth-telling – or must more disaster be allowed to come upon Britain?

At this time, it is vital that the faithful remnant of God’s people seek to understand what he is doing and pray and act in line with his will. Elsewhere in this week’s issue of Prophecy Today UK is an article to this end, entitled ‘A Word for 2019’. Please do read this and bring it before the Lord in prayer, seeking how you might respond.

Some insights from the Editor-in-Chief at the head of the year.

1. What is God Doing Today?

We are entering a time of immense turbulence that is of great significance in the history of the nation. It is essential to understand what God is doing and not be blinded by what human beings are doing. What is God doing today?

In the past God has spoken to us about shaking the nations. Back in 1986 he highlighted Haggai 2:6 and 7: “I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations…” Much of what we are seeing today is God’s activity in shaking the nations, exposing corruption and turning upside-down the institutions in which people have put their trust; which is a modern form of idolatry. We need to keep our eyes upon him and understand what he is doing.

There is still a faithful remnant of Bible-believing Christians in Britain who are greatly needed in this time of turbulence. The message that Jesus gave in Nazareth when the scroll of Isaiah was given to him in the synagogue is important. Jesus chose to read from Chapter 61, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news…” The whole of this chapter is significant for the faithful remnant today and it needs careful study. The faithful remnant will be called “Oaks of righteousness” and be “a planting of the Lord for the display of HIS splendour.”

Their task is to “rebuild the ancient ruins”; to recall the nation to the biblical foundations of truth upon which the nation was founded. This requires study and teamwork, working together, honouring one another and in everything keeping our eyes upon the Lord and only doing what he tells us to do. A key Scripture is John 5:19: “The Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing.”

So, what is God doing? What are we seeing all around us in Britain? An excellent description is in Ezekiel 12:2: “Son of man, you are living among a rebellious people. They have eyes to see but do not see and ears to hear but they do not hear, for they are a rebellious people.” This provides the key to understanding what is happening in the nation – a nation that is under judgment, whose leaders have no vision, who rush about in confusion looking for solutions that cannot be found; because there are no political solutions to the spiritual problems in the nation.

It is essential to understand what God is doing and not be blinded by what human beings are doing.

But this is not only the condition of our political leaders. It is also the condition of church leaders of all denominations, most of whom have either been swept up into the maelstrom of secular humanist values in a post-Christian world or have retreated into a cosy little pseudo-biblical world, feeding pastoral comfort to their flock, but have lost the prophetic cutting edge of the Gospel and no longer fearlessly declare the unchanging word of God to a lost generation!

The words of Jesus in telling the parable of the sower applies to the Church in Britain today: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand” (Matt 13:13). They do not understand because they do not have the Spirit of God. Paul makes this very clear in 1 Corinthians 2:12-14, “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned” … but the faithful remnant can say “But we have the mind of Christ”.

The faithful remnant in Britain today is largely composed of the older generation: but God is doing something quite remarkable! He is using the spirit of rebellion that is sweeping the nation to bring young people into the kingdom!

There are many signs that thinking young people are tired of the antics of our politicians and in their search for the truth they are rejecting the post-modernist philosophy that has driven society to the point we have reached today. They can see the social disaster vividly portrayed in social media that reflects their world. But God is actually using the spirit of rebellion to work out his purposes.

Young people are joining the faithful remnant and it is in the purposes of God to ensure that his precious word that has been kept in the old wineskins will not be lost, but will be poured out into the new wineskins before the older generation are taken into glory. My own grandson, Mark, who is due to be ordained this year, is an example of this.

2. The Faithful Remnant

The faithful remnant is a stump in the land. Isaiah 6:13 is significant and needs to be studied. As the oak leaves a stump when it is cut down so “The holy seed will be the stump in the land”. Issachar Ministries has a special calling for mobilising and resourcing the older generation of believers.

The Lord has given to Monica and me a living parable. In our garden we had a beautiful old plum tree that bore luscious fruit. In the middle of a very dry summer some six years ago it was heavily laden with fruit when a great storm with a powerful wind blew it down. We had no alternative but to harvest its fruit and then cut it in pieces for our log fire. With great sadness we cut its trunk near to the ground just leaving a stump. To our amazement another tree has grown up from the stump and in the past two or three years it has been producing fruit – not quite the same kind of fruit, smaller but good quality and very eatable.

The faithful remnant is the stump in the land – but that stump can bear good fruit.

The Lord spoke to us through this parable that the stump can produce good fruit, like the potter working at his wheel when Jeremiah called to see him (Jer 18) and the piece of clay he was working could not be fashioned into the intended pot. Instead of throwing away the clay the potter put it back onto the wheel and re-fashioned it into another pot – not the original beautiful vase intended to grace a rich person’s living room, but a useful pot that would bless a busy housewife in her kitchen.

The message for the faithful remnant is that the Lord never throws away any of his people, even when they have messed up their lives. Repentance and reformation are a key part of the Lord’s intention for all his people and it is this message of salvation through death and resurrection that is at the heart of the Gospel. It should always be present as part of the message of hope proclaimed by the faithful remnant.

3. God Holds the Church Responsible

God holds his Church responsible for the state of the nation. This is what we learn from the biblical account of God’s dealings with his covenant people Israel and Judah. A keyword to the institutional churches in Britain for 2019 is Ezekiel 13:4, “You have not gone up to the breaks in the wall to repair it.”

The wall around the city was there to protect all its citizens. The safety of everyone was in peril when there were breaks in the wall that were left unattended. Every walled city in ancient Israel had its engineers charged with the responsibility of constant surveillance. Hence the illustration in Amos 7, where he saw the Lord standing beside a wall with a plumb-line in his hand checking to see if there was a bulge, which would indicate corruption inside the wall that could lead to a sudden collapse such as that foreseen in Isaiah 30:12-14.

It was because Jeremiah had seen the inevitable consequences of the corruption in the nation that gave such an urgent cutting edge to his message: “Your own conduct and actions have brought this upon you. This is your punishment. How bitter it is! How it pierces to the heart! Oh, my anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain. Oh, the agony of my heart! My heart pounds within me, I cannot keep silent. For I have heard the sound of the trumpet, I have heard the battle cry. Disaster follows disaster; the whole land lies in ruins…” This had not yet happened but prophetically Jeremiah could already see the disaster and because he loved his nation and he loved the city of Jerusalem, he could not keep quiet.

This is the kind of urgent prophetic compulsion that is needed in the faithful remnant of Bible-believing Christians in Britain today, if there is to be any chance of saving the nation from utter disaster. It is not too late to save the nation! But the task is urgent. The faithful remnant in the older generation has to be mobilised and stirred into action to ensure that the truth of the Gospel reaches the younger generation. Grandparents are in a unique position in Britain today and they are valued by their grandchildren.

It is not too late to save the nation! But the task is urgent.

These young people understand social media and the multitude of apps on their mobile phones. Their spiritual antennae enables them to detect fake news in a way that is beyond the capacity of the older generation. It is God’s intention to blend the old and the new in a unique way to advance the kingdom.

The message the faithful remnant (old and young) have to declare will not win them many friends but it will have such a ring of truth that it will penetrate the darkness that is enveloping all generations. The word of the Lord in Jeremiah 5:21 needs to be declared and it will be heard through the mouths of the faithful remnant, “Hear this, you foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear. Should you not fear me? declares the Lord. Should you not tremble in my presence?”

The old and the new generations of believers are both needed in 2019 if the nation is to survive the period of intense turmoil that lies ahead. The battle facing us in Britain is a direct clash between the powers of darkness and those of the light. It is essential to understand the nature of this battle and much can be discerned from the life and ministry of Jeremiah.

In Jeremiah 5:3 he recognised that God had sent many warning signs to the nation: “You struck them, but they felt no pain; you crushed them but they refused correction”. He saw that they were only the ordinary people, so he went to the leaders, religious and political, “but with one accord they too had broken off the yoke and torn off the bonds” that connected them with the Lord God of Israel.

Jeremiah recognised that it was primarily the religious leaders of Judah who were responsible for the godless state of the nation: “Both prophet and priest are godless; even in my temple I find their wickedness, declares the Lord” (Jer 23:11). He describes this in some detail:

Among the prophets of Samaria I saw this repulsive thing: they prophesy by Baal and lead my people Israel astray. And among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen something horrible: they commit adultery and live a lie. They strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns from his wickedness. They are all like Sodom to me, the people of Jerusalem are like Gomorrah... (Jer 23:13-14)

In understanding the spiritual battle erupting in Britain, much can be discerned from the life and ministry of Jeremiah.

This is what is happening in Britain among some of its church leaders who have embraced secular humanist values and are teaching lies to the people: devising celebrations for transgender people in the name of God instead of teaching them the truth and calling for repentance and change. They even pollute the minds of little children by encouraging them to cross-dress and to question their God-given gender created in the image of the God of Creation. God will hold to account the wickedness of these church leaders.

But even in the midst of judgment, the faithful remnant must proclaim a message of hope. Psalm 81 is a key to understanding this blend of judgment and hope. It begins with singing joyfully to God and moves into its message of warning and hope with the keywords “If only!”

Hear, O my people, and I will warn you – if you would but listen to me O Israel! You shall have no foreign God among you; you shall not bow down to an alien God. I am the Lord your God who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it…If My People would but listen to me, if Israel would follow my ways, how quickly would I subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes!…You would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you… (Ps 81:8-16)

This is the message that needs to be proclaimed by the faithful remnant – the message of warning and of hope – if my people. It is the same message that Solomon received at the dedication of the First Temple (2 Chron 7:14). If those who are faithful in declaring the word of the Lord put their trust in him and are prepared to embody the message in their lifestyles as well as to fearlessly declare it through every media at their disposal, it will make an impact in the nation in the turbulent post-Brexit days ahead. We may yet see the promises of blessings given through the prophets coming into our nation.

Even now, declares the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning. Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing… (Joel 2:2-14)