"The axe is already at the root of the trees" (Matt 3:10): Clifford Hill asks if these words of John the Baptist have relevance for us today.

I have always thought that in this verse John the Baptist is speaking about judgement falling upon Israel. That is what all my commentaries say. The axe is about to cut down the tree. But John does not say this. He says that the axe is at the ROOT of the trees, not the trunk!

This changes the meaning of the metaphor: the root of the trees was being cut off so that the "nourishing sap" (to use Paul's words in Romans 11:17) from the root could not feed the tree to produce good fruit. Therefore, it would have to be cut down.

Israel's long-awaited Messiah was about to appear and John's mission was to prepare the way for him. Meanwhile, the spiritual life of the nation was being corrupted by the Scribes and Pharisees whose teachings and interpretations of the Law made life difficult for ordinary people. The Israelites were being cut off from their spiritual heritage in the teaching of Moses and the prophets, so they were unable to read the signs of the times. Jesus wept over 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).

Our Spiritual Heritage

In Britain, America and Europe since the Second World War, we have been cutting off our Judaeo-Christian roots. The 'nourishing sap' of the word of God that has blessed our nation for centuries is being cut off at the very time when we most need the guidance and the blessing of God.

Just as Jesus came to Israel at a time when they were cut off from their own spiritual heritage, so now Britain and other 'Christian' nations are cutting themselves off from their own Judeao-Christian roots."

The nations are being shaken with greater speed and severity each day but because the leaders of the Western nations do not know the word of God, they are unable to perceive the significance of what is happening. They do not know what to do: so inevitably they are making all the wrong decisions.

The Greek TragedyProtestors clashed with police outside the Greek Parliament on Wednesday.

In Brussels the Eurozone nations are struggling to save the euro. They may have succeeded in a patched-up deal to stop the Greek crisis bringing down the whole structure of European finance – but they are simply 'kicking the can down the road', delaying the day of judgement. They continue to build up a mountain of debt that will eventually become a volcano that will burst and spill out, engulfing not only Athens but the whole of Europe.

Battle in the Middle East

In the Middle East the power struggle for control of the Muslim world is increasingly centring upon the two behind-the-scenes main players in Iran and Saudi Arabia. With America's President Obama having another year to run, there is huge danger in his desire to be friendly to Iran, despite the recent treaty.

Everyone knows that the Iranian nuclear programme is not just to produce nuclear power for peaceful purposes, because they are sitting on the world's fourth greatest reserves of oil. They don't need nuclear power! What they do want is a nuclear bomb! Then they can control the Middle East and prepare to attack Israel. But if they succeed in their nuclear ambitions, the Saudis will have to do the same. They will immediately purchase a nuclear bomb and the race for survival will be on! Who will blink first?

Global Insecurities

With the rising tide of terrorism from militant Islam, the threat to world peace grows daily. So too does the danger of worldwide financial collapse. In Beijing the Communist rulers are struggling to control their stock market casino as the gambling fever that grips the nation has paved the way for a gigantic double-dealing con-trick that has swindled millions of small investors out of their savings. Clearly there is no way that a massive $3.5 trillion could have gone through a life-and-death cycle in a mere 80 trading days of normal commercial activity! Yet, the all-powerful commissars of China are powerless to protect their own people from financial disaster.

For those who have eyes to see and ears to hear, there have been warning signs of these global problems for a long time. Many Christians believe that a critical point in world history will occur around the time of the Feast of Tabernacles this year which coincides with the Lunar Eclipse, the 'Super Blood Moon' on 28 September, 2015.

Whether or not this is the case, we are certainly living in volatile times. What can be done? The most effective thing Christians can do is pray – but we need to know how to pray and what to pray for. This is where knowledge of the Bible and an understanding of the nature and purposes of God are essential.

The most effective thing Christians can do is pray- but we need an understanding of how to pray and what to pray for."

When we can understand what God is doing, we know how to pray. We should be praying for our nation; for repentance for all we have done that is contrary to the word of God and the way we have cut off our spiritual roots. God is slow to anger and abundant in mercy. It is time to call upon him for help. Never was there greater need than today.

How to pray as the Greek crisis goes global...

This weekend the leaders of all the countries that are part of the European Union have been called together to consider how to deal with the so-called "Greek Crisis". The referendum held by the Greek Government last Sunday produced a resounding 'NO' to the austerity measures which the Euro club countries are trying to force upon them.

The people of Greece have said "Enough is enough"! Years of austerity have done nothing to improve the national economy crippled by debt. It has simply increased the unemployment rate so there are less people able to pay taxes and the country has become poorer and poorer. But the powerful nations of Europe, led by Germany and the European Central Bank, are blindly demanding yet more austerity.

You don't have to be an economist to know that if the present policy is not working it is sheer madness simply to press on enforcing the same policy with even greater stringency! The ordinary people of Greece have recognised this, and they have bravely determined to confront the bankers and say "Can't Pay: Won't Pay!" (It would be even better if they said Can Pray: Will Pray! But of course, you have to know how to pray and what to pray for!).

You don't have to be an economist to know that if the present policy is not working, it is sheer madness to press on enforcing it with even greater stringency."

Underlying Crisis

Of course, there's lots more to it than that! Most Greeks are aware that there is great need for reform in their national lackadaisical approach to the duty of ordinary citizens to pay their taxes, and that there is endemic corruption in their political system. But they have also been the victims of grossly corrupt banking practices on a global scale. Their banks have been used for sharp practices by Russian oligarchs as well as their own wealthy Greeks, whose sudden withdrawal of investments triggered the crisis.

But what began as a problem for a national bank in one country has now become a crisis threatening to unravel the whole of the European Union and the stability of NATO which has an effect upon east-west relationships that is causing great concern in Washington. If Greece leaves the Euro and turns to Russia or China for help in coping with its financial chaos, this will have an immediate effect upon the balance of world power.

The People Revolt

There are similarities here with the peasants' revolt in 18th century Britain over the inflated price of bread, due to imported corn being cheaper than homegrown corn. Their protests threatened to destabilise the nation at a time when Britain was at war with half the world. So too the peasants' revolt in Greece is likely to have far wider ramifications.

It is time to recognise the fundamental weakness of the whole capitalist system that has built up vast sums of national debt that struggling national economies are unable to meet. Greece is not alone in facing a burden of debt that is beyond any possibility of being repaid. If the International Monetary Fund cancels even part of the Greek debt, others will demand equal treatment. Already there are strong anti-austerity protests in Portugal, Spain and Italy. The unfairness of the whole debt-ridden world economy hits the poor harder than the rich. The peasants' revolt in Greece is likely to spread like wildfire across Europe. This is the fear gripping European bankers.

It's time to recognise the fundamental weakness of the whole capitalist system: Greece is not alone in facing a vast burden of debt that is beyond any possibility of being repaid."

Unjust System

Karl Marx was surely right when he said that capitalism contains within itself the seeds of its own destruction. You don't have to be a Marxist or even an anti-capitalist to recognise the truth of this statement. There is something fundamentally unjust in a system that allows 1% of the population to live on vast excesses of wealth whilst the rest of the population struggles to make a living, many experiencing malnutrition and disease which could be eliminated if there were a fairer system of wealth distribution.

The Bible foretells a day when God will deal with this injustice. He will humble the proud and lofty, according to the prophet Isaiah (2:12-21). The oppressors will be overthrown and God's justice will be seen. Maybe the Greek crisis is part of God's plan to allow the whole financial system to collapse, so that his justice can be established. Christians should be careful not to pray against the great shaking of the nations. If this is how God is working out his purposes, we must trust him.

Christians should be careful not to pray against God's purposes being worked out. We must learn to trust him."

Right Prayer

If you pray "Peace, Peace" when God is saying "There is no peace" – you put yourself against God! The next verse in Isaiah 2 says "Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?" If our trust is really in God we can trust him with our lives – even if we are nervous of how we are going to survive the storm.

If God is at work shaking the nations, it is wrong to ask him to stop the shaking. The right prayer is to ask God to fulfil his purposes and to make the shaking effective! He will certainly take care of those who put their trust in Him.