The war in Syria is moving in a very dangerous direction.

With Al Qaeda and associates on one side and Assad on the other, another screw has suddenly turned in this all-out conflict without any rules of behaviour.

It is reported that the chlorine gas dropped upon women and children this week was made in Germany, sold to Iran and used by Assad’s Syrian Government forces backed by Russia.¹ How strange! The rebels had almost been driven out of Douma; Assad was on the verge of victory, why use chemical weapons? Madness! Or is it all fake news? Who can we trust?

What a mess! The Western nations are saying that a red line has been crossed. But how many red lines have been crossed in the past seven years of war in Syria? Are there no limits to the inhumanity and destructive forces that have been let loose in the Middle East?

World War, No Rules?

Today we have reached what is arguably the most dangerous point in world history since the end of World War II, with nations primed with weapons of mass destruction taking sides in a local civil war that could suddenly explode into global destruction.

Neither side can claim to be righteous; both sides have committed terrible atrocities. Whichever side we in the West back, it seems, we are aligning with demonic forces whose adherents have departed from any elements of common humanity in their intensity of hatred and determination to shed human blood.

Today we have reached what is arguably the most dangerous point in world history since the end of World War II.

There are no longer any rules, there is no longer any compassion, no longer any consideration for helpless babies and little children – all are regarded as legitimate targets for unlimited aggression. What has happened to humanity?

Humanity Corrupted

The Bible declares that human beings are created in the image of God. Have we reached a stage in our descent into corruption whereby there is no longer the least hint of the divine recognisable in our humanity? Have we reached the point of absolute degradation?

The Prophet Isaiah foresaw a time when humanity would descend into such depths of utter corruption that God would bring judgment upon all nations.

“Come near,” he said. “Come near, you nations and listen; pay attention, you peoples! Let the earth hear, and all that is in it, the world, and all that comes out of it! The Lord is angry with all nations; his wrath is upon all their armies. He will totally destroy them, he will give them over to slaughter. Their slain will be thrown out, their dead bodies will send up a stench; the mountains will be soaked with their blood” (Isa 34:1-2)

It’s a terrible picture but it is one that we are already seeing little glimpses of on our TV screens and iPads as news from Syria comes in. But what of the future? Where will all this lead?

With unpredictable leaders at the helm of the nations, no-one can answer these questions. One false move or miscalculation could rapidly escalate the situation into worldwide destruction – such is the depth to which humanity has descended.

Is There Any Hope?

Is there any hope for humanity? Certainly, there is! This is the whole point of the stark warnings that God gave to the biblical prophets. The warnings are there for anyone to read if we want to know the truth and understand the answer to the present dilemmas facing humanity.

Have we reached a stage in our descent into corruption whereby there is no longer the least hint of the divine recognisable in our humanity?

Those warnings given in Isaiah 34 are immediately followed by some of the most beautiful words and promises in the Bible, in the next chapter, which refers to the wilderness blossoming, the glory of Lebanon and the splendour of Carmel already showing the glory of the Lord and the splendour of our God.

This is linked with good news to those who recognise the plight of humanity and turn to the Lord God for help – “strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come’” (Isa 35:3-4).

Sin and its Undoing

In the New Testament Paul recognises the plight of humanity that we all experience: we are all sinners. We all do things that we regret. We behave badly and say things and do things in the heat of the moment that we should not. Paul goes to the heart of the matter when he says “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do” (Rom 7:15).

This is the strange thing about our human nature: the godly side can rise to sublime heights of self-sacrifice and self-giving. But the other part of our nature sometimes drives us to do things that we hate. This is because we are either led by the Spirit of God or we are driven by the forces of darkness.

Paul faces this dilemma and concludes that only Jesus is the answer to this internal battle inside each one of us, because only he can set us free from the forces of sin and death. He says:

For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. (Romans 8:11)

This brings us to the heart of the Gospel, that God in Christ has done something for us that we could not do for ourselves by actually dealing with the corruption of our human nature: as Paul says, “If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (1 Cor 5:17).

How Should We Pray?

So, what should Christians do in the present dilemma? Clearly, we must pray for our leaders, but how should we pray? Should we not also pray for the Syrian and Russian people and their leaders? It takes two parties to make a conflict (or in this case, many more than two!) and we should be praying that God will bring godly wisdom into the councils of human beings.

Only Jesus is the answer to this internal battle inside each one of us, because only he can set us free from the forces of sin and death.

Should we also be praying for God to hasten the day of the coming of Jesus? World events certainly look as though we are drawing closer to the times described in Scripture as leading up to the Parousia. But his coming will bring judgment upon all the nations and all people. Jesus said that before that time “the gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world” (Matt 24:14) so that everyone has a chance to hear God’s truth.

It is not his desire that anyone should be lost and all of us have some loved ones who are not yet in the kingdom. We should be careful of praying for God’s judgment to come quickly: it is far better to trust our loving Father whose timing is always perfect, who knows all the circumstances and cares for all his children.

References

1 Behold Israel, Special update on Syria, April 11, 2018. Youtube.

There’s a solution to the murder and mayhem on our streets

Plans have been revealed for the launch of a new party to ‘break the mould’ of British politics. But we don’t need a new party. We need a new heart, awakened by the Spirit of God from dreams of a man-made paradise in which we all sing from same the secular ‘hymn sheet’ where nothing is absolutely right or wrong.

This kind of thinking has only ever produced a nightmare scenario of violence, lawlessness and utter selfishness.

Britain has been hit by the terrifying news that the streets of London have now become more dangerous than those of New York. And in the Middle East, the Syrian Government would appear to have unleashed chemical weapons on its own people, killing 200 and wounding 1,000 more – mainly women and children. And Russia responds by calling this a fabrication.

A little further south, on the border of Gaza, rioters provoke the Israeli Defence Force with a so-called ‘March of Return’. Some would have us believe this is a legitimate protest at Israeli brutality and oppression, and for the right of refugees (and their descendants) to return to the Jewish state. But what is the truth?

Self-Inflicted Crisis

Well, the protestors deliberately chose the Jewish feast of Passover to mount their frustration, no doubt particularly mindful of the imminent 70-year celebration of Israel’s re-birth as a nation.

Actually, the refugee situation affecting the Palestinian people is a crisis of their own making, resulting from fierce opposition to the creation of modern Israel by her surrounding Arab states who immediately set upon the newly-born nation with the full force of their armies (like the dragon depicted in Revelation 12), warning Arabs living there to flee the country so they wouldn’t get caught up in the impending invasion.

The refugee situation affecting the Palestinian people is a crisis of their own making.

Israeli leaders, however, tried to persuade their Arab residents to stay, but to no avail – hence creating a totally unnecessary humanitarian crisis. And those who promised their swift return in the wake of Arab victory refuse to take any responsibility for their welfare. They are simply used as political pawns enabling anti-Semites to point the finger of blame at Israel for almost everything wrong with the world.

Palestinian protesters at the Gaza border. Stringer/Xinhua News Agency/PA ImagesMalcolm Powell, who was 12 at the time of Israel’s re-birth (in 1948), recalls reading and hearing at the time “that the Israelis were touring the Arab Muslim villages with loudspeakers urging them to remain, and to ignore orders to flee from the Muslim countries about to attack the new state.”

And while these self-inflicted refugees are estimated to have numbered some 800,000,¹ little is discussed in media circles about the 846,000 Jewish refugees forced out of Arab countries at the same time, who lost land and property equivalent to four times the size of Israel² - not to mention the many Holocaust survivors from Europe who had lost everything.

Land for Peace?

Quite apart from the refugee issue, Gaza was very much part of Israel until the world’s politicians managed to persuade former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to pull out of the enclave in a ‘land for peace’ exchange.

But ever since the 2005 withdrawal, terror group Hamas has used Gaza to launch a constant volley of rockets into Israeli territory, where frightened residents have hardly had a moment’s peace in more than a dozen years. They have also been subject to the constant fear of terrorists tunnelling under their homes with the intention of taking hostages and killing civilians.

Little is discussed in the media about the 846,000 Jewish refugees forced out of Arab countries in 1948.

Welsh photographer Grace Fryer has just opened a month-long exhibition depicting the suffering of children in Israeli communities close to the Gaza border.³ Some of those pictured are totally traumatised and unable to live normal lives. Grace witnessed mortar and rocket attacks herself when visiting the area as a child and returned as a student photographer in May 2016 to help others understand what these people are suffering. What sort of peace is this?

Truth Turned Upside-Down

Wherever you look in world politics, truth is being turned on its head. In my country South Africa, for example, Palestinians are being depicted as “the crucified, hanging body of Jesus today”.⁴ This was part of a ‘Good Friday statement’ by the Economic Freedom Fighters political party which ACDP (African Christian Democratic Party) leader Rev Kenneth Meshoe has described as “insidious, inflammatory, highly offensive and blasphemous”, adding:

Jesus was a Jew. Jerusalem has belonged to the Jews for over 3,000 years, from the time King David first established it as a city of Israel…I encourage persons not wanting to be deceived to research the truth for themselves and, if given the opportunity to travel to Israel to see the vibrant democracy that she is, to do so!

He further rounded on the “hypocrisy” of Palestinian leaders “who would rather spend the billions of dollars they receive from the international community to fund a mission to destroy Israel instead of investing in the health, education and economic development of their own people.”

What is the Problem?

We could all do with following the wisdom of legendary author GK Chesterton who, in response to a question from a major newspaper – “What is the problem with the world?” – is reputed to have submitted a brief handwritten note to the editor, saying: “I am. Sincerely yours, Chesterton.”⁵

We are the problem! We are all sinners, but there is a remedy for our sin, and his name is Jesus, who died on a cruel cross to take the punishment we deserved. Trusting in his death brings us life, health and peace – and, yes, it is also a recipe for changing a world gone wrong.

As Rev Meshoe put it, “Jesus’ death on the cross was an expression of the highest form of love; he gave his life for the salvation of all mankind. Palestinians are not being crucified.”

The answer to the problem of “I am” is the great “I AM” – the name God applied to himself and which Jesus also owned, as suggested by his many divine claims, such as: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no-one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

The answer to the problem of “I am” is the great “I AM”.

The Ultimate Answer

As for the streets of London, where more than 50 people have been murdered in the first three months of this year, the ultimate answer to the problem is just the same as outlined above. And for a helpful illustration, reference what has been happening in recent weeks just down the road from where Rev Meshoe has been speaking so courageously in the South African Parliament.

A huge prayer rally called It’s Time drew up to 150,000 people to Cape Town. It was the biggest recorded event in the city’s history, but when the organiser assured police there would be no incidents, the police chief laughed at him, explaining that 10,000 had attended the Mitchells Plain venue only a fortnight earlier and there had been 48 stabbings and over 100 robberies.

What’s more, he added, those attending the prayer event would have to park up to 4km away and walk through some of the district’s most dangerous areas.

But at the de-briefing following the rally, held to confess the country’s sins, the same police chief reported, with tears in his eyes, that not one single incident – no assaults, no robberies, nothing – had been recorded!⁶

Stop blaming everyone else for all the problems around you, and start to build a new world by dealing with your own sin. Jesus said something similar, telling his listeners to take the plank out of their own eye so they could see clearly to take the speck out of someone else’s eye (Matt 7:3-5). But don’t try doing it by yourself; only Jesus can help you!

Notes

1 Hancock-Watts, C. Understanding Gaza. ASSIST News Service, 11 April 2018.

2 Leaflet promoting The Hope photographic exhibition – see www.fathershouse.wales

3 The exhibition, opened on 12 April, is being held at the Theatre Clywd Education Gallery, Mold, North Wales.

4 Gateway News (South Africa), 3 April 2018.

5 Mohler, RA, 2018. The Prayer that Turns the World Upside Down. Nelson Books.

6 Joy Digital, 9 April 2018.

Why are we often so different?

In response to Linda Louis-vanReed’s recent article ‘The War on Trump’, Jock Stein muses on the contrasts between American and British attitudes to life and liberty.

In earlier life I had an American colleague who, domiciled in Scotland, heroically adopted three children from Devon. The oldest had an inherited genetic condition and suffered from depression as an adult. Last year, living on his own in California, he took his own life – but not before seeking help from three hospitals who all refused him admission because he had an insurance card called ‘Obama Care’.

The hospitals all refused to use the Obama Care card because they had been purchased by large hospital conglomerates, who wished to pursue more expensive insurance options.

American Christians have a record second to none in dedicated missionary and humanitarian engagement. But it has always puzzled me why their attitudes to healthcare provision, as well as to other political issues, are often so different from ours in Britain. If it were a matter of Christians thinking differently from others, I would expect and understand that – but my impression is that these attitudes represent the majority of Christians as well as Americans in general.

This article is an attempt to explain why this may be the case; it draws upon conversations with Americans as well as past reading, but I am open to correction.

1 Separation of Church and State

The Declaration of Independence is premised on belief in God. But because the American colonies saw church affiliation as directed by the attitude of the reigning monarch (rather than based on theological principles) they decided to allow for a separation of Church and State, hoping that this would make differences between denominations less problematic. Indeed, America was big enough to allow what missionaries called a ‘principle of comity’, with some States being mainly Presbyterian, others Baptist and so on.

Those who signed the Declaration never intended this separation to rule God out of public life. They just wanted to avoid the ‘establishment’ model being replicated in America, so that Christians (especially Non-conformists) would have a freedom they had not enjoyed in Britain. This has resulted in thousands of denominations freely proliferating.

On the one hand, this has allowed a freedom of theological inquiry which is non-aligned to political identity. On the other hand, it has inevitably led to the emergence of ‘tribal’ political identities, with politicians courting ‘the Christian vote’, just as Britain has had ‘the Non-conformist vote’ and ‘the Catholic vote’.

Those who signed the Declaration of Independence never intended the separation of church from state to rule God out of public life.

Since the Constitution does not actually name God, in the 20^th Century atheists began to argue more strongly not just to keep church out of state business, but to keep God and the Bible out of it too. Abortion and religious education in schools became crunch issues. While much the same kind of situation has now been reached in Britain by a different route, nevertheless here there is not the same stark gap between faith and public life that exists in the USA.

For example, take the polarisation between Christianity and science. In the USA, believing scientists such as Francis Collins (who cracked the human genome) have to tread very carefully around this issue when they write (as Collins does in his latest book The Language of God, which includes his testimony), despite the fact that 70% of US scientists across the full spectrum of disciplines identify as being ‘people of faith’ (Christian or otherwise). In the UK, there has been a far greater historic acceptance of faith and science rubbing along together.

This modern American attitude to separation – keep faith out of public life – seems to have embraced aspects of service also, feeding the arguments (outlined below) that welfare and healthcare are private matters - the responsibilities of individuals and churches, rather than the state.

2 The Formation of American Identity

The century leading up to the First World War did a lot to found American values. It was a Cowboys-and-Indians century in which Americans drove the frontier westward, with a belief (parallel to the spirit of British Empire) that the United States had a destiny to subdue the entire continent in the name of God.

A nation of self-made people was in the process of forming its own identity, especially after the Civil War, which left the country shaken and wounded. During this century, the steel magnate and self-made multi-millionaire Andrew Carnegie wrote a book called The Gospel of Wealth. In it, he argued that economic inequalities then emerging in American society should be tackled by the wealthy upper class, who should put their hard-earned millions to good use, engaging in thoughtful, responsible philanthropy.

A sense of individual responsibility came to characterise white American society and its Christianity.

This sense of individual responsibility came to characterise white American society and its Christianity, while it was black people who began to identify the Gospel communally – i.e. with a people and a race.¹ This contrast between individual and communal aspects of Christianity is expanded later.

Both Britain and the US have struggled to work through their race issues, but in Britain the work of those like ‘the Clapham Sect’ extended far beyond slavery into other social issues, and eventually Christians and non-Christians formed a consensus to support ‘the welfare state’ after the Second World War, which included the provision of social care. The same did not happen in USA.²

3 Individual and Social Provision of Care

The Old Testament teaches that God’s justice and care for the poor does require some social provision, not just individual charity (e.g. Lev 25). Similarly, the New Testament teaches that equity cannot be left simply to the goodwill of individuals (e.g. 2 Cor 8:13-14). This has often been reflected in the teaching of Christian leaders – for example, Calvin’s concern for his neighbour led him to support low interest rates and a city-sponsored job creation programme.

The theological underpinning of this comes from the biblical idea that each individual human being is made in the image of God (Gen 1:26) and is in need of rescue from sin through the coming of Christ and his sacrifice (John 1: 14, 29). But we also see (e.g. in Hebrews 2:5-10) a social or corporate focus – Jesus taking on humankind as a whole and dying, once for all, on the cross.

That is why the early Church Fathers described the incarnation as having both an individual side - the Lord coming to earth as a specific individual (enhypostasia in Greek) – and a corporate side - the Son identifying with humanity by taking on human nature (anhypostasia). And it is why the illustration of the Church as the Body of Christ – one body with many parts – is so powerful.

In other words, both the social and the individual matter when it comes to salvation, and this affects how we see the Gospel impacting society. My impression is that Christians in Europe, perhaps more influenced by Calvin, have taken on both these aspects of our salvation, the corporate aspect which lends itself to socialism, and the individual aspect, favourable to capitalism. This has led (all told) to a centrist economic position incorporating aspects of both in the provision of social welfare, but without the exclusion of charity.

Both the communal and the individual matter when it comes to salvation – and this affects how we see the Gospel impacting society.

In the US, it is the individual emphasis which has largely prevailed, while socialism has often been identified with communism (seen as the great rival of the American way of life, especially since the McCarthy era), and so rejected.³

In Britain the founder of the Labour Party (Keir Hardy) was a Christian; and early Trade Union branches, especially in Wales, were known as ‘chapels’. While of course many Christians held other political views, socialism was respected in Britain and found political expression in a way that did not occur in the States. The US Democratic Party had very different roots.

Final Thought: How Far is Grace ‘Unconditional’?

Healthcare is expensive, and understandably all governments struggle to put a cap on cost in one way or another, especially in ageing societies like Britain and the US. Both countries continue to debate this.

Although the contexts are very different, there is one question about attitudes which both societies face: do you help the poor regardless, or only the ‘deserving’ poor? And – to pick up the story I began with – do people really have to be wealthy enough to afford a certain level of health insurance before they qualify for assistance?

In other words, should the State set ‘conditions’ for the receipt of benefits, and if so, what conditions should it set? This may be directed by cost, but it is also a moral dilemma. Responses on each side of the pond will, at least in part, reflect the cultural differences outlined above.

Christians face this with regard to their own giving: do you help the poor, whether they deserve it or not - whether they belong to your group or not? Or do you limit generosity to ‘those and such as those’? In Roman times, the Emperor Julian used to complain how Christians supported pagan poor as well as their own, even though they would also have known Paul’s priority expressed in Galatians 6:10. And beyond the Church, is ‘charity’ only a private and individual concern, or is taxation and welfare a proper concern of ‘charity’?

In the days of the New Testament, Christians had to work out these issues within a minority group of believers – and in many respects we are now back where they were then. But the laws of Western nations were drawn up when Christians were at least nominally in a majority.⁴ Our social and political witness does, I think, require us to put these questions on a wider canvas, while we still retain the freedom to do so.

References

1 The formation of this ‘evangelical identity’ is well documented (see for example George Marsden, Fundamentalism and American Culture, 1980, OUP).

2 A recent interesting book which explores the history of these ideas is by the American writer Marilynne Robinson, The Givenness of Things (2016, Picador).

3 See Bob Goudzwaard, Capitalism and Progress: a Diagnosis of Western Society (1979, Wedge Pub. Foundation).

4 See The Evolution of the West, by Nick Spencer (2016, SPCK), Research Director of Theos.

Discovering a common thread linking revival, Israel and President Trump

South Africans will tomorrow be praying for rain from Heaven.

On the back of a prayer meeting that drew 1.7 million Christians to intercede for their nation last April, a similar event is now being held in Cape Town.

Led by farmer/evangelist Angus Buchan, It’s Time will again petition God – not only for physical rain to end a crippling three-year drought, but for a Holy Spirit outpouring to end a famine of God’s Word in the land.

And God has promised to answer such a plea. Speaking to Israel, his chosen, he says: “I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground…” (Isa 44:3).

First to the Jews

It is well to remember that this pledge was originally addressed to, and still specifically applies to, the nation of Israel. And it’s no secret that the Jewish state has been transformed from a barren wilderness to a fertile garden since its re-birth 70 years ago. And, yes, the promise for Israel can indeed be appropriated for Gentile nations who honour the God of Israel along with his special people, the Jews.

But pleas for rain from Heaven will otherwise go unheeded as such blessing is dependent upon South Africa first blessing his people (Gen 12:3; Num 24:9). Belatedly accepting Israeli offers of help with water technology will not help; it’s the ultimate water supplier South Africans need to call upon in prayer and repentance.

Pleas for rain from Heaven will go unheeded as long as South Africa refuses to bless God’s people.

Outpouring of the Spirit

“I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground…” (Isa 44:3). A refreshing scene at Ein Gedi in the Judean desert, on the shores of the Dead Sea. Picture: Charles Gardner

The above Scripture (Isa 44:3) promising heavenly outpouring on a thirsty land once provided the inspiration to pray for revival in the Hebrides¹ for two elderly ladies, who just happen to be grand-aunts of US President Donald Trump.2 And I believe this has a direct bearing on the way the President has led the way in honouring Israel by recognising Jerusalem as its capital.

Blind 84-year-old Peggy Smith and her 82-year-old sister Christine, who was almost bent double with arthritis, pleaded day and night for God to fulfil his word, and the ripples of the subsequent revival of 1949-52 went all around the world.

Note that the Scripture verse quoted does not stop with the promise of water (both physical and spiritual), but continues: “I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.”

Not surprisingly, President Trump is proud of his Scottish heritage and has visited the Isle of Lewis where his ancestors helped to change the world for Christ.

God truly honours his word, and responds to faith in his promises. But please note the Zionist connection!

Saved by the Blood

As I contemplate tomorrow’s gathering in Cape Town, city of my birth, I picture the majestic mountainous landscape surrounded by the waters of the Atlantic and Indian oceans – all that sea and yet no rain – and imagine the waves piled high to make way for the faithful to walk through in prayer and petition, rather like the Israelites of old passing through the waters of the Red Sea as Moses led them out of slavery towards the Promised Land.

Jews everywhere will be celebrating Passover this coming week, recalling how the angel of death ‘passed over’ their firstborns, but did not spare Egypt’s sons, paving the way for their exodus as Pharaoh had his fill of plagues.

God truly honours his word, and responds to faith in his promises.

The Jews were saved, however, not just by the water that subsequently drowned the Egyptian army, but by the blood of the sacrificial lamb daubed on the lintels and doorposts of their homes.

The Only Way

Has South Africa – and its leadership in particular – not had its fill of plagues – of sin, corruption, poverty, violence, unemployment, disease and drought?

The way out of this trap is the blood of the ultimate Passover Lamb, Jesus the Messiah, sacrificed on a hill outside Jerusalem 2,000 years ago, who said: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no-one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

Fellow South Africans: mark your hearts with the blood of the Lamb, and He will send water on a thirsty land!

References

1 A group of islands off the west coast of Scotland.

2 World Tribune, 18 October 2017, and sapphirethroneministries.com, 20 October 2017.

Charles Gardner reviews 'Gospel Witness' by Joseph Boot (Wilberforce Publications, 2017).

The Gospel of Christ is what the West needs now more than ever before. As with the threatening colossus of the Greco-Roman culture that cast such a dark shadow over the early Church, today’s Christians face a similarly stark challenge in bringing the unchanging truths of the Bible to a world no longer believing it has any need for God.

In the second volume of his Cornerstones series, Gospel Witness (Wilberforce Publications), Joseph Boot reminds us that there is nothing new in the many 21^st Century substitutes for traditional Christianity.

Everyone, he writes, is basically religious, in that their worldview is driven by what they believe (even if it’s atheism, which simply amounts to saying, ‘I believe there is no God’).

The Christian Faith Has No Equal

In addressing academics, intellectuals and theologians, none of which I claim to be, the author nevertheless draws me into his conversation, profoundly arguing the case for a divinely-inspired Christian faith that has no equal, and which is the only means for changing a troubled world for the better.

This was the unambiguous claim of Jesus, and was powerfully vindicated when his resurrection was witnessed by more than 500 people at the time, and by millions over the succeeding centuries who have been able to testify to his very real presence in their lives.

Boot profoundly argues the case for a divinely-inspired Christian faith that has no equal, and which is the only means for changing a troubled world for the better.

And he concludes with an example, perhaps unequalled in Western history, of a man who made the world a better place because his heart was changed. William Wilberforce worked all his political life for the emancipation of slaves, but it would never have come about without the freedom he discovered through an all-embracing commitment to his Saviour, once convinced of the truth of his claims.

The Exclusive Claims of Christ

Perhaps as never before since the Reformation 500 years ago, the exclusive claims of Christ are being hotly challenged by a society in which truth is being ‘redefined’ and re-invented on an almost daily basis. Boot writes:

Today we live in frightening and challenging times requiring new fathers in the faith ready to follow the example of Wilberforce and be a prophetic voice to the nation…It is safe to say that the depth of need and religious apostasy in our present culture easily rivals that of Wilberforce’s era, since our age is marked by a self-conscious and deliberate rejection of God’s creational order, scriptural faith and our Christian heritage.

For individuals today therefore, as with Wilberforce, the Gospel must penetrate and encompass every facet of one’s life and ambitions. It is not just an argument to be debated in rational terms, but an experience – and a person – to be shared!

“Jesus Christ is not merely a conclusion at the end of an argument. He is the argument and the conclusion…if we rest on our arguments and abilities, we will utterly fail, for it is Christ alone who is the wisdom and power of God (1 Corinthians 1:22-25).”

'Gospel Witness: Defending and Extending the Kingdom of God' (Cornerstones Vol 2, 139pp) retails at £5 for the paperback and less for the ebook. Find out more here.

We can forecast the Beast from the East...but can we recognise the signs of the times?

The weather forecasters did a good job warning us of the approach of the ‘Beast from the East’. Of course, it did not prevent many roads being closed, cars getting stuck and accidents happening: but at least we were warned in advance so that we could take precautions or change our travel plans. But how good are Christian preachers in giving forewarning to people of what is likely to happen in the nation?

Where Are Church Leaders?

There is increasing anger in the Brexit debate – people are getting fed up with constant bickering among politicians and news programmes swamped with journalists arguing among themselves – always emphasising the bad news and stirring up controversy and confusion.

Now the EU has put forward their plan, which would require Northern Ireland to stay in the European Union and would break up the United Kingdom – wilfully adding to the problems facing our negotiators and stirring divisions among Brits in the hope of causing the Government to fall and, in the resulting chaos, the decision to leave the European Union will be reversed.

The EU leaders are aided and abetted by people like Tony Blair, George Soros, John Major, and many others, who want to keep us tied into the oppressive (demonic?) institutions of the EU and their vision of an atheist, secular humanist world empire.

But where is the voice of the Church? Why do we not hear Christian preachers thundering from their pulpits about the spiritual forces of evil that are creating chaos and confusion? Could it be that they are like the Pharisees and Sadducees who came to Jesus asking for a miraculous sign? He replied,

When evening comes, you say, “It will be fair weather, for the sky is red”, and in the morning, “Today it will be stormy for the sky is red and overcast.” You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times! (Matt 16:2-3).

The weather forecasters were able to warn us of the ‘Beast from the East’ – but where are the Christian preachers able to warn about what is coming to the nation?

Wrong Theology?

Could it be that our Church leaders are unable to discern the signs of the times because they’ve got their biblical theology all wrong? Earlier this week I received an email from a minister of a London church reporting a message he had given to his congregation promising them a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit and of supernatural power to overcome the enemies of Christ because we are now in the last days leading up to the coming of Jesus!

I was horrified to read this because it is a distortion of the truth! The great shaking of the nations may lead many to give their lives to God but there is no promise that Christians will rule the world. In fact, the first words of Jesus on the subject were warnings about deception!

He also said that in the last days, nation will rise against nation, there will be an increase of wickedness with persecution and betrayal of believers, with false prophets and teachers deceiving the people and many turning away from the faith (see Matthew 24).

Isn’t this what we are seeing today? There are plenty of signs of growing tension between the nations as well as the terrible wars in Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Nigeria, Myanmar, South Sudan and many more places around the world, where people are being slaughtered and vast numbers of refugees are on the move.

Could it be that our Church leaders are unable to discern the signs of the times because they’ve got their biblical theology all wrong?

Jesus also said that the Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in all the world - and this is also undoubtedly happening today, despite all the persecution of believers and the falling away from the faith in the Western nations. The Church worldwide is growing at a faster rate than ever before in history, with vast numbers of new believers in China, South Korea, the Philippines, Indonesia, Africa and in South America.

In fact, the Gospel is even growing in the Middle East where Christians are evangelising in the refugee camps and Jesus is appearing to Arabs in dreams and visions, leading to increasing numbers of secret believers among the Muslims.

These are amazing days if we are willing to recognise the signs of the times!

Heresy in the Church

But Jesus also warned about the love of many growing cold. Peter actually says that judgment will begin with the family of God (1 Pet 4:17). And he warns about false teachers coming into the Church and “secretly introducing destructive heresies, even denying the Sovereign Lord” (2 Pet 2:1).

Christians should be on their guard against false teachings and destructive heresies that sound so attractive and appealing – promising great power to perform miracles and heal the sick. Popular prophecies today are promising that Christians are going to take control of broadcasting and TV and spread the Gospel through the mighty power they will exercise, which will enable them to take control of the Government and enforce righteous laws which will prepare the way for the Kingdom of God.

They believe that once Christians have established the Kingdom of God on earth, Jesus will return and they will present the Kingdom to him. This is the teaching variously known as, ‘Kingdom Now’ or ‘Dominionism’ or ‘Latter Rain’. But this teaching is not in the Bible!

Beware!

Many Christians in the Western nations, especially in the USA and in Britain, are embracing this dangerous false teaching. It is dangerous because Christians who imbibe these beliefs are preparing for the wrong things.

Dominionism is dangerous because Christians who imbibe these beliefs are preparing for the wrong things.

It’s like if the weather forecasters, instead of warning us that the ‘Beast from the East’ would bring snow, promised sunshine and warm temperatures so that we put on light clothing and suntan lotion instead of getting out our wellies and shovels!

The message to Christians should be, “Beware of deception!” Read your Bible and see what Jesus and the Apostles said about the days leading up to the second coming of Jesus. Lift up your heads and rejoice even in the dark days when our faith is severely tested! Maranatha! Come quickly Lord!

Tributes to Billy Graham, from Charles Gardner and Dr Clifford Hill.

On Wednesday 21 February 2018, in his 100^th year, the most tireless, faithful evangelist of our time went home. Used of God to reach millions, from ordinary citizens to presidents and royalty, Billy Graham was renowned for both preaching and living out the true Gospel.

The many thousands of tributes pouring through the media offer but small glimpses of the immense legacy of this one man’s service. Nevertheless, we are honoured to contribute ours below.

May we all have the grace to accept the challenge of his example.

A Humble Servant

Charles Gardner

He carried an awesome presence I have never witnessed in another human being.

Tributes are pouring in from all over the world in honour of one of the greatest evangelists of modern times, and I am privileged to add my own.

Billy Graham has died at his North Carolina home in his centenary year after a life of tireless service to Christ carried out with God’s clear anointing.

It is estimated that he has preached the Gospel to over 200 million people, and his global influence is incalculable. A confidante to many US presidents, he was also a man of true humility.

I remember the occasion, at All Souls, Langham Place, in the 1970s, when he quietly slipped in among the central London congregation, sitting a few rows behind me. No-one would have known he was there until the Vicar, Michael Baughen, (or was it John Stott, the Rector?) publicly welcomed him to the service.

On another occasion, he was actually down to speak and it was flagged up as a ‘guest service’ to which we were encouraged to bring seekers. I brought my mum along and he spoke with powerful eloquence on Psalm 23, but I remember how gutted I felt at my mother’s reaction – she was totally unmoved. I had to learn that no matter how good the preacher is, Jesus said: “No-one can come to me unless the Father draws him” (John 6:44).

My son Julian, however, was among the first to respond to his message when Billy came to Sheffield in 1985. He was just nine years old and went marching out onto the Bramall Lane pitch all on his own, indicating that he didn’t need anyone to accompany him. The preacher had chosen what I considered a somewhat obscure Bible passage for his sermon, but thousands of hearts were touched.

It is estimated that he has preached the Gospel to over 200 million people, and his global influence is incalculable.

A year earlier, when he spoke at Birmingham’s Aston Villa stadium, I attended the press conference. I don’t recall what was asked or said, but I will always remember how the atmosphere changed when he walked into the room. He carried an awesome presence about him that I have never witnessed in any other human being.

Perhaps the most significant mark he made on my life was through a Jewish lady called Helen McIntosh, who found her Messiah through Billy’s famous meetings in Haringey, north London, in 1954.

Helen became leader of John Stott’s ‘nursery class’ for new Christians and seekers, a forerunner to the likes of Alpha and Christianity Explored. She always referred to herself as a ‘completed Jew’ and, through the scriptures, taught me a great deal about my new-found faith. She eventually took me under her wing as assistant, and those early years from 1972-4 were foundational to my Christian life.

Thank you Billy for changing lives all over the world through the simple Gospel message that Jesus died for our sins and rose again for our justification! Glory to God!

Billy Graham speaking in Florida, February 1961.

A Man of Integrity

Dr Clifford Hill

My outstanding memory of Billy Graham is how he loved to talk about Jesus. His favourite text was John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” He must have preached on this text many hundreds of times, all over the world and in many different nations. It was the same message of God’s love for all people and that the only way to God was through Jesus.

Billy Graham was indeed an evangelist to the world and he was used to meeting presidents, prime ministers, monarchs and world leaders. He was often consulted by presidents of the USA, but in private he was just an ordinary humble man who loved to talk about Jesus. I had quite a bit to do with him in the 1970s and 80s – what now seems another lifetime! But my memories of sitting chatting with him are quite vivid and they were precious times.

We often talked about the state of the Church as well as world events. It was a time when several big-name televangelists were getting unwelcome publicity for either sex or money scandals. These things never touched Billy. His ministry was always clean and despite the size of his organisation he maintained firm standards of righteousness so that scandal never reached him. Billy insisted that members of his team who travelled with him on foreign tours brought their wives with them, because he knew the pressures and temptations that occurred when married couples were separated for long periods.

My outstanding memory of Billy Graham is how he loved to talk about Jesus.

Ruth was his lifelong wife and companion with whom they had five children. She died in 2007 aged 87. Billy has outlived her by more than 10 years but no doubt they have had a glorious reunion and he has achieved his desire to meet Jesus.

Millions have benefited from his ministry and there is no Christian preacher who has ever reached more people or been more influential with ordinary people and with world leaders than Billy Graham. He leaves an amazing legacy and his ministry will continue long after his departure through his writings and recordings, both audio and video. Both in this world and in the next, multitudes of believers will be echoing the words of the Lord, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

Jesus wasn’t born on 25 December. Does it matter?

It is a remarkable thing that all around the world, over the next days and weeks, there will be millions, if not billions of people celebrating what we call Christmas.

In our modern day it comes in many different forms. Those of us who remember those simpler family times of the 1940s and 50s (or earlier) may feel uncomfortable with the worldly emphases of today, whose glitter soon fades away. Many Christians will seek to focus on the central reason for Christmas, preserving the memory of the birth of the Son of God, the promised Messiah of Israel.

Yet, even so, more and more Christians are realising that Christmas was not celebrated by the first disciples of Jesus the Messiah (Yeshua HaMashiach), who would have recognised only the biblical feasts. More and more, the traditional Christian interpretations of Christmas are found to carry errors of interpretation – even in the wording of some of the favourite traditional carols.

It is all too easy to either blind oneself to the reality of Christmas all around, or, at another extreme, reject the season’s celebrations outright with rather a negative response. It would seem that the Lord is taking us through a period of transformation – gradually – in preparation for, not his first coming, but his second coming.

So, what about this year? What is the real priority?

Meeting Us Where We Are

When Jesus was here in the flesh he entered a world with established traditions. Among those traditions were two feasts added on to the main Levitical feasts of Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles. The feasts of Purim and Hanukkah were part of the yearly traditions of the Jews. They were not given as part of the Mosaic Law, so it is surprising that Jesus seemed to celebrate them, rather than correct them.

It is all too easy to either blind oneself to the reality of Christmas all around, or, at another extreme, reject the season’s celebrations outright.

Some would consider that his lack of opposition to these feasts meant that he accommodated them as correct traditions. Perhaps so. Perhaps, however, we could look at it from another angle. Could he not simply have taken things as he found them and focussed positively on his chief purpose: to minister to the poor and to proclaim the Kingdom, leaving it to his hearers to respond in all aspects of their lives?

What would Jesus do if he came to earth this Christmas? What would be his priority in our season of a non-biblical festival? Perhaps he would not confront it, but accept the context in which he found the world – meeting us where we are. Would his priority, despite so much wrong, still be to minister to the poor and to proclaim the Kingdom, rather than argue about the trappings that have accumulated around Christmas?

Our Task

We know that Jesus is unlikely to come down to earth on 25 December 2017. However, he does still move among the people of our modern world – in his people, by the power of his Spirit. Therefore, it is up to us to fulfil his priorities for the season.

With that in mind, whatever we think of Christmas today, let us consider the poor and proclaim the Kingdom – the season affords us great opportunities.

Among all others at Prophecy Today I extend my seasonal greetings.

Immanuel – God be with us.

Clifford Denton
Chairman of the Board

“If one part of the Body suffers, the whole suffers with it” (1 Cor 12:26).

In Britain, the Christmas period invariably brings with it a seasonal focus on cold weather and keeping warm by the fireside. Stoves and hearths suddenly become wonderfully inviting, comforting places – we even sing songs about them.

As you spend time near your own fireside over the next couple of weeks, remember our brothers and sisters around the world who are standing in the fire, suffering because of their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. I’m convinced their songs are a lot more meaningful to God.

Eye on the Middle East

According to persecution watchdog and charity Open Doors, approximately 1 in 12 Christians worldwide is suffering from ‘high’, ‘very high’ or ‘extreme’ persecution.¹

Its annual ‘World Watch List’ charts the 50 most dangerous countries in the world to be a Christian. This year, nine of the top 10 countries are in the Middle East and North Africa (20 out of the top 25). Holding the top spot for the 15^th year in a row is Communist dictatorship North Korea. But for the most part, around the rest of the world, pressure on Christians is coming from Islamic fundamentalist communities and regimes.²

Figure 1: Open Doors’ ‘World Watch List’ of the 50 countries where Christians are most persecuted. See Photo Credits.Zooming in on the Middle East, we are greeted by an ominous, uninterrupted corridor of red (‘extreme’ persecution), stretching from Pakistan in the east to Syria in the west (see Figure 1). These are five of the worst countries in the world for Christians, united by Islam as a shared source of oppression.

The grim realities for Christians in these countries are rarely exposed or understood by the Western media, so why not make a point this Christmas of finding out a bit more? Read on for a taste of the situation in each one – and for some relevant resources.

Pakistan

World Watch Ranking: 4

Pakistan, the only modern state to be created in the name of Islam,³ has some 4 million Christians among its 198 million population – barely 2%. Its increasingly hard-line Islamic culture means Christians are frequently subject to attacks by ordinary Pakistanis and members of groups such as the Taliban and ISIS.

In 2013 a suicide bombing of a church in Peshawar left 100 dead, and only last year another targeting Christians celebrating Easter in a Lahore park killed over 75, mainly women and children. These are particularly vulnerable - according to Open Doors, around 700 Christian women and girls are abducted each year in Pakistan, and usually raped, then forced to convert and marry Muslim men.

Christians also often fall foul of the state and its notorious blasphemy laws, which carry the death sentence. Known churches are registered and monitored by the Government. But the brunt of persecution is born not by pre-existing Christian groups, but by Christian converts from Islam.

Remember: 17-year-old Sharoon Masih, a Christian teenager who was beaten to death by his classmates in August after drinking from the same glass as a Muslim.

For the most part, around the world, pressure on Christians is coming from Islamic fundamentalist communities and regimes.

Afghanistan

World Watch Ranking 3

In Afghanistan, where tribal society is intrinsically Islamic, conversion is illegal. There are no churches and the Government claims there are no Christians. Converts are seen as betraying their clan and are subjected to destitution, occult practices, being sent to a mental hospital, torture or execution if they are found out. Baptism is punishable by death.

As in Pakistan, believers face the dual threat of violence from their immediate communities and attacks from groups such as ISIS and the Taliban, which ruled the country completely during the late 1990s. Christians must go it alone - even meeting in small groups is too dangerous, and use of the internet is closely monitored – or flee the country.

It is impossible to know how many followers of Jesus there are, for they are all in hiding. There is one Jew in the whole country – who has his own Wikipedia page for the privilege! Even with all this, however, in 2015 Operation World named Afghanistan as having the second-fastest growing church in the world.

Remember: The three Afghan Christians (at least) who have been attacked and/or killed this year in German refugee centres.

Iran

World Watch Ranking 8

Armenians and Assyrians in Islamic republic Iran are allowed to be Christians, but they are treated like second-class citizens and remain a tiny minority (<1% of the population). Muslim converts to Christianity, by far a larger group, run the risk of the death penalty. Missionary activity in Farsi (Iran’s first language) is illegal, Christians are frequently imprisoned or subject to abuse, and house churches are often raided by the secret police.

Despite this, the number of Muslim-background believers is growing, with many reporting having dreams or visions of Jesus. Operation World has named the Iranian church as the fastest-growing in the world, and Open Doors notes that “more Iranians have become Christians in the last 20 years than in the previous 13 centuries put together”.

Remember: Yousef, Mohammadreza, Yasser and Saheb, four Iranian Christians who were landed with 10-year prison sentences in the summer for promoting ‘Zionist Christianity’. They appealed the sentence this week in court. At the time of arrest, they were also sentenced to 80 lashes for consuming alcohol, having been found taking communion.

Despite – or because of - intense persecution, the church in Iran and Afghanistan are the fastest-growing in the world.

Iraq

World Watch Ranking 7

In the early 2000s, Iraq was home to 1.5 million Christians – one of the world’s oldest Christian communities - now just 230,000 remain, with hundreds of thousands fleeing ISIS and the more general rise of Islamic fundamentalism since the US-led invasion in 2003. Many are fearing the total disappearance of this group.

Evangelism is illegal, and in ISIS-held areas churches have either been demolished or seized, public meetings have been banned and Christians have been subjected to violent punishments. Many have fled to Iraqi Kurdistan, which has been subjected to attacks from the Iraqi Government and Iranian-backed forces after trying to declare independence earlier this year.

As with other countries in the region, Muslim-background believers face the most severe persecution, ranging from social ostracism to execution. And yet, their number is growing apace, especially in the embattled Kurdish regions.

Remember: Christians in Iraqi Kurdistan, some testimonies from whom we will be featuring next week.

Syria

World Watch Ranking 6

Christians make up a larger minority in Syria, some 4% of the population – but this used to be about 10%. The civil war has forced about one million believers to flee in amongst the other refugees, and life for those remaining behind is very difficult.

Though officially Syrian Christians have much more freedom than other believers in the region, the Assad regime is no real friend. They are also being targeted by ISIS and other radical groups for bombings, abductions, abuse and murder.

Remember: The 116 Christian civilians slaughtered in a mass execution by ISIS in the desert town of Al-Qaryatain in October.

Light in the Darkness

Next week we hope to publish some testimonies from the believing community in Kurdistan. Amongst the stories you will read, one comment is particularly telling: “The weakness of Christianity is the strength of Islam”.

What does the unbelieving world see when it looks at Christians in the West? Compromise? Self-indulgence? A weak, watered-down faith with no effect whatsoever on the culture around it?

But while we see little fruit in our own nation, God is growing his Church – under the radar and away from the attention of the global media.

While we see little fruit in our own nation, God is growing his Church – under the radar and away from the attention of the global media.

Just as he has always used the humble things to shame the wise, the weak things of this world to shame the strong, the things that are not to nullify the things that are - so he is growing his Church through underground networks in the Middle East, through the single believers that choose to stay behind in warzones just so they can reach others with the Gospel, and through dreams and visions that reach Muslims who are otherwise beyond the reach of any Christian.

Resources and Encouragement

It is a sobering subject at Christmas time, but we would like to invite you all to join with us over the festive period in committing to pray for our brothers and sisters. There are also plenty of resources below for you to grow in your own understanding and raise the profile of the persecuted Church in this country – and please do add more by commenting below.

• Open Doors: Learn more about the persecuted Church, get prayer resources and write to persecuted Christians through Open Doors, which is also launching a 7-year campaign to get Christians around the world involved in bringing hope back to the Middle East. If you and/or your church could get involved, click here.
  
• Barnabas Fund: Hope and aid for the persecuted Church, and plenty of resources for believers in the West.
  
• Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW): A Christian charity that defends religious freedoms around the world. They provide plenty of information, resources and opportunities to take action.
  
• Operation World: Resources for praying for the nations.
  
• The British Pakistani Christian Association: A network for Pakistani believers that also aims to raise awareness about their plight in the UK. The BPCA is very close to the ground in Pakistan and provides insightful reports on the situation there for Christians.
  
• Elam is a charity that exists to establish and strengthen the Iranian Church.
  
• You might also be interested in our round-up of resources on Islam.

Notes

1 Statistics and information, unless otherwise stated, taken from Open Doors' 2017 report.

2 Islam may be the primary threat to Christian freedoms worldwide, but it is not the only threatening religion. Hindu nationalism is consistently a problem for churches in India, and hard-line Buddhist nationalism is making a come-back in south-east Asia. Let’s not also forget secular humanism in Europe and North America.

3 Pakistan was created as an independent home for Indian Muslims in 1947.

Avoid the new religion that seeks to dazzle through glitter and sparkle

Coming back to the UK after our unexpectedly lengthy tour of Israel, we were particularly struck by the emphasis on Christmas – even our cappuccino at Heathrow had to be decorated with a tree-shaped sprinkling of chocolate!

Christmas lights soon beamed on us from all sides, reflecting less on the theological aspect of the feast as on the usual glitz and glamour and commercial hype we have all come to know and love – perhaps not!

And then there were massive crowds at the shops on Sunday – now the new religion on what used to be the Christian Sabbath. In Bawtry, on the edge of Doncaster, Christmas trees were lavishly bedecked with baubles in a brilliant array of colours – and, as ever, we sense the danger of not seeing the wood for the trees.

I am reminded, however, that festive lights will also now be adorning Jerusalem in celebration of Hanukkah – marking the time when the menorah candle burned miraculously for eight days despite having only enough oil for one, following victory over the Syrian-Greek emperor Antiochus Epiphanes who desecrated the Jewish Temple by sacrificing a pig there and blasphemously proclaimed himself God. But focus on what the light means, not on its beams!

Look for the True Light

For we’re submerged in so much darkness today – not least the marginalisation of the Christian Gospel to the point where it has become politically incorrect – and yet we all make a big fuss of this incredibly important Christian festival!

In truth, all these bright lights are, for the most part, dragging us further into the gloom of materialism, partying and pointless debt, rather than towards the true light to which they are allegedly designed to draw our attention.

So my Christmas (and Hanukkah) message to readers is: don’t look for the bright lights; look rather for the true light “that gives light to everyone”, according to John the Baptist (John 1:9) – a light that leads to everlasting life, and is not snuffed out with the brief passing of our lives.

Yes, we all like shiny things, but unless they are part of Heaven’s treasure, they will fade and rust and turn to dust (Matt 6:19-21).

All these bright lights are, for the most part, dragging us further into the gloom of materialism, rather than towards the true Light.

The Significance of Jesus’s Coming

A famous passage of Scripture, often associated with Christmas, speaks of the light that the Messiah will bring to the world. Its context, most significantly, is of the darkness of the occult, which has gripped so many in our day (Isa 8:19).

The prophet, however, goes on to predict a great honour that would be bestowed on the region to which he refers as ‘Galilee of the nations, the Way of the Sea’: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned” (Isa 9:2).

A major highway at the time, connecting Asia, Africa and Europe, straddled the coast of Israel before moving inland towards Galilee and then beyond into Syria. Galilee was thus an international crossroads whose people were immensely privileged to have seen a great light when Jesus came among them.

No Longer Inhabited

The ruins of Capernaum. See Photo Credits.Yet many rejected him and failed to grasp his significance. True, 2,000 years later he is still much spoken against, but he is nevertheless the most famous man who ever lived. He performed many miracles in Galilee – in Capernaum, Chorazin and Bethsaida – and warned those cities that they would be judged for their rejection of Messiah.

As for Capernaum, where much of his ministry took place, he said: “Will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades; for if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day” (Matt 11:23). Capernaum was destroyed by an earthquake in 749 AD. We could only view its ruins. Yet a short distance away is the town of Migdal, still a thriving community where former prostitute turned passionate believer Mary Magdalene came from.

A little further down the coast still is the city of Tiberias, a popular resort frequented by the occupying Romans in Jesus’s day – yet it is not mentioned in the Gospel accounts. Also not mentioned is Sebastia, the ancient capital of Samaria up in the hills, which was the ‘in’ place for the jet-set of the day, with its spa and baths adorned with beautiful columns. Now, apart from a few remaining columns, it is a barren ruin in a dustbowl with little to suggest it was the Las Vegas of a bygone era.

The true light came first to Galilee, but many rejected him and failed to grasp his significance.

The Obedient Blessed

Meanwhile, seemingly insignificant events and people have changed history. One example is Joppa, now known as Jaffa, at the southern tip of Tel Aviv. It was there, in the house of Simon the Tanner, that the Apostle Peter had a vision, and because he acted upon it in obedience to the Lord, it became the means by which the Gospel was preached to the entire Gentile world.

The Roman centurion Cornelius, 40 miles up the coast, had a similar encounter, and he acted upon it because he was a God-fearing man who loved the Jews. Genesis 12:3 tells that those who bless the seed of Abraham will themselves be blessed while those who curse them will come under judgment. And so the Holy Spirit fell on these Gentile believers.

Life in All its Fullness

Joppa (now Jaffa) is once more significant today as the entry point of Jews returning to Israel from every corner of the globe. Airliners from all over the world fly over this ancient port bringing the scattered seed of Abraham back to the Promised Land.

The bright lights of Tel Aviv. See Photo Credits.

What’s more, many of them are now turning back to the Lord, having acknowledged Jesus as their Messiah. And we worshipped with some of them (in Hebrew), which was an amazing privilege. It was such a moving experience to witness hands and eyes lifted to the skies in praise and adoration of the Lord we love.

And they are reaching out to a world still lost and confused; Tel Aviv is a hedonistic city where many indulge in a club-and-coffee bar culture that leaves little room for God. But there is a great openness. They may be lost, but they are looking for a Shepherd. Pray that their eyes will be open; go if you can and tell them about Yeshua (Hebrew for Jesus). They are looking for fun and fulfilment, but they often find mere emptiness, as at the bottom of a beer glass or coffee cup.

Like us in Britain, they too are looking for the bright lights, but are so dazzled by the glitzy neon signs that they miss the real thing – the true light that gives light to every man. Jesus says: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).

Like us in Britain, Israelis too are looking for the light, but are so dazzled by the glitzy neon signs that they miss the real thing.

Light to the World

As I was standing on the Mount of Olives, I contemplated how Jesus paid such a heavy price for our salvation as he sweated blood among the olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane below.

The olive tree is a symbol of the Messiah. Its fruit is harvested using sticks to beat them down from the overhanging branches; Jesus was whipped for us. The olives are then crushed for their oil; Jesus was crushed for our iniquities (Isa 53:5). But the oil is then used to light a candle…to bring light to the world!

Let’s focus on the true light this Christmas – and Hanukkah.