Frontline soldier’s ongoing battle to rescue Jews

Working on the frontline of the global battle to rescue Jews from persecution is not for the faint-hearted. But former head-teacher, lecturer and pastor Fred Wright will stop at nothing to help God’s chosen people make the journey back to their ancient land. And, at 72, he shows few signs of slowing down.

It was some 30 years ago that Dr Wright, of Colchester in Essex, gave up academia for the work of Aliyah (Jewish immigration to Israel). He has since risked his life and endured many hardships and privations in carrying out the task he believes all Gentile Christians should share.

As he points out, the scriptures are clear that Jews from all corners of the world will eventually be gathered back to the Holy Land in preparation for their spiritual restoration to their Messiah, and that Gentiles will be called to assist them (Isa 11:11; Ezek 36:26; Isa 49:22).

And in a new book, A Banner to the Nations, launched last week to mark 30 years’ involvement in Christian-sponsored Aliyah since the fall of Communism, Fred recounts many inspiring stories of this phenomenal movement. A conference celebrating the anniversary will also be held in Sheffield on 16 November – at the Bushfire Church (427 Halifax Road, Grenoside S35 8PB), starting 10:30am – featuring Fred, myself and the Sh’ma Kingdom Dancers.

Borne up by Passion for Jesus

In the few years I have known him, Fred has suffered physical challenges, faced setbacks of all descriptions and fought endless battles with red tape in his efforts to find new life and hope in Israel for thousands of Jews, often destitute and forgotten in dark and oppressive parts of the world like Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.

Along with Chesed-IM (Messianic Chesed in the former Soviet Union), he works alongside and advises an organisation called Ezra UK, whose ministry is focused mainly on facilitating the required documentation needed – usually the biggest headache for those who have little actual proof of their Jewish heritage.

As an ex-serviceman, his military experience comes in handy for the frequent obstacles he encounters – but he is borne up by his passion for Jesus along with the knowledge that God is always there for him.

Hazardous Journeys

The first flight of Jewish emigrants from Siberia.Among Fred’s many hazardous journeys were his missions to Ethiopia in a bid to help its largely-forgotten Jews finally return to the land of their forefathers after thousands of years. On one trip he landed in a war zone as his arrival at the country’s capital, Addis Ababa, coincided with a rebel coup.

But his first visit there was almost as alarming, particularly the internal flight to Gondar, the ancient capital where there was still a significant Jewish presence.

“After the baggage check, a security interview took place in a rickety, curtained booth where I was repeatedly asked to hand over my gun, and it was difficult to convince them that I didn’t have one.

“My rapidly receding sense of safety and well-being was not encouraged when the pilot announced we would be flying at only around 600 feet as the entry door would not close properly. This was especially unnerving in view of the fact that we were in the region of Lake Tana, the headwaters of the Nile. Flying over the world’s most crocodile-infested waters in an overloaded plane with the door not properly shut is a great faith booster!

“At Gondar we saw a ragged huddle of people at the side of the road in a distressed condition. Asking our guides who they were, we were informed rather indifferently that they were Falashas – a derogatory term for Jews there. When further pressed, our informant said they would just stay there until they died because there was no-one to help them and no facilities. But we managed to arrange sleeping mats, fruit and water and subsequently transport them in two trucks to Addis to join those waiting to make Aliyah.”

Working in a Warzone

Fred’s return, a couple of months later, just happened to coincide with the aforesaid coup, having only become aware of the storm into which he was heading through an on-flight newspaper headline.

“Upon landing, we were hurried to awaiting police cars and delivered to our respective hotels. As I began to unpack, I could hear a rumbling noise; as an ex-serviceman I recognized the smell of diesel and cordite – tanks approaching!

“Throughout the night, the sound of gunshot and the familiar rattles of firing squads and double execution shots haunted the darkness as the smells of war drifted through the night air. Our focus next day was to try to reach the Israeli compound and enquire whether we could help move some of the Jewish people living in the city to their comparative safety, which we did.

Ethiopian Jewish children prepare for their flight to Israel through Operation Solomon.“The market area was strewn with an assortment of contorted bodies covered in flies and the stench of death and we were informed that all international outbound flights were cancelled as the rebels held the airport.

“But at the same time there was a flurry of activity with young boys rushing around, some barefoot, calling all the awaiting Falashas in the area to the compound. Suddenly, the sound of aircraft was heard. Groups of people were being ‘rounded up’ and surrounded by tape to keep them together as they were hurriedly rushed to the airport in special buses, each with an Israeli soldier of Ethiopian origin on board. The best-kept secret of the time, Operation Solomon, had begun.

“We worked through the night and next day, picking up people and taking them to the compound, helping with food and water supplies. We heard some news and rumours, but it was not until the initiative was completed that the enormity and scale of what had happened registered. The top-secret operation saw 34 planes, going on 41 sorties, to bring home to Israel some 14,500 Ethiopian Jews plus five more born in flight.”

Fred is married to Maria, who has accompanied him on many of his adventures along with their youngest son Daniel. ‘A Banner to the Nations’ (KDF Chesed Publishing, paperback, 182pp) is available online from Lulu or from Amazon for £9.99, or by contacting Ezra UK.

Cathedrals join bicentenary tribute to great composer

At a time of national crisis in Britain as a whole, it is most appropriate that cathedrals across Ireland should soon be ringing out to the strains of the hymn What a friend we have in Jesus!

After watching a TV programme about London-born pop star Adele, whose recordings have sold hundreds of millions of copies, I would like to draw attention to one Joseph Scriven – born in Banbridge, Northern Ireland, 200 years ago on 10 September – who achieved worldwide fame for a single song.

Like Adele, many of whose self-penned hits were born out of personal heartbreak, Scriven also had his fair share of troubles. On the eve of his wedding, tragically his bride-to-be was drowned. Later, in 1844, he emigrated to Canada where, once again, he became engaged, only to lose his second fiancée after a brief but fatal illness.¹

In spite of loneliness, poverty and his own precarious health, he spent the rest of his life helping the physically handicapped, as well as teaching and ministering among his fellow Christians in Ontario.

But it was not his own troubles that inspired the hymn for which he was to achieve such notoriety. He sent the words to his mother when she was going through a very distressing time, assuring her:

What a friend we have in Jesus
All our sins and griefs to bear;
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer.

His legacy continues in the hearts of millions who love this hymn, but also through his wider family. His great-great-nephew John has personally blessed and supported me (and others) in Christian ministry, and his (John’s) brother Henry, a retired bishop, will be presiding over a special service in Banbridge on Sunday week when 15 Irish cathedrals – including both in Dublin – will be joining the tribute.

Though seemingly robbed of much joy in his life, Joseph’s lyrics speak of someone who has discovered the secret of true peace and happiness, the remedy for trials and tribulations, and the escape route from discouragement and despair.

O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear;
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer.

And so, the private message to his mother of a man who has walked the vale of tears would become a source of comfort to people all over the world for many years to come – well beyond his death in 1886.

Speaking of his teaching and warnings, Jesus said: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

References

1 The Lion Book of Famous Hymns, Lion Publishing, 1991, compiled by Christopher Idle.

Are you able to join us for a special Brexit prayer conference?

The battle for Britain’s future has never been fiercer. These are historic days; there is a great need for the remnant of Bible-believing Christians in the nation to gather together to seek the Lord and intercede for the nation. Like Timothy, it is imperative that we ‘keep our heads’ and respond to what’s going on with faith (see 2 Timothy 3-4).

Join Dr Clifford and Mrs Monica Hill and members of the Issachar Ministries and Prophecy Today teams for a special prayer conference ahead of the next proposed date for Britain’s exit from the EU.

Venue: The Hayes, Swanwick, Derbyshire

Dates: Sunday 20 – Tuesday 22 October 2019

Cost (including all meals): £185pp (single room), £170pp (shared room). Day delegate cost for three days (i.e. full board but no accommodation) £100.

For more information and to book, contact the Issachar Ministries office on 01767 223270 during normal office hours.

Deception in the house of God.

“Beware of your friends; do not trust your brothers. For every brother is a deceiver, and every friend a slanderer. Friend deceives friend, and no one speaks the truth. They have taught their tongues to lie; they weary themselves with sending. You live in the midst of deception; in their deceit they refuse to acknowledge me,” declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 9:4-6)

Jeremiah’s whole life was spent coping with opposition. From the time of his call to ministry, when he was probably still in his late teens, he was warned by God of the problems ahead: “They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you, declares the Lord” (Jer 1:19).

Cost of Faithfulness

He was born into a family of priests in the rural area of Anathoth and his family were regarded as much lower down the scale of public esteem than the priests who lived in Jerusalem and were responsible for the Temple.

To have a prophet as outspoken as Jeremiah in a family of priests was a tragedy! No doubt when they came into Jerusalem to take their turn of serving in the Temple, his brothers and other family members would have been greatly embarrassed to hear what the Temple priests were saying of their relative. But Jeremiah did not soften his words to please his family or to spare their discomfort; he declared the word of the Lord fearlessly.

But there was a cost and many times he feared for his own life – even on one occasion at the hands of his own brothers, who were plotting against him saying, “Let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name be remembered no more.” Jeremiah describes himself as “like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter” (Jer 11:19). He says in today’s reading, “Do not trust your brothers. For every brother is a deceiver”. Probably he had been invited to some family gathering but God had warned him not to go by revealing their plot to deceive him.

Jeremiah did not soften his words to please his family or to spare their discomfort; he declared the word of the Lord fearlessly.

Idolatry in the Temple

Jeremiah’s main target was not the ordinary people, nor the political leaders – it was the religious leaders, the priests and prophets who were the great deceivers of the nation. They were the educated elite who were able to read the Hebrew scrolls and to know the teaching of the Lord that was given to Moses. There was no excuse for them. The ordinary people did not know the requirements of the Lord, but the priests and prophets had full access to the word of God. They were the arch-deceivers because they misused this power and authority: “The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority” (Jer 5:31).

As we have said before in this series, the most serious act of deception by the Royal Temple priesthood was that they perpetuated the myth of the Temple’s inviolability, saying that God would never allow any enemy to destroy it and therefore Jerusalem was safe from attack, because God would always defend the city. Jeremiah knew this to be a terrible lie because God is a God of righteousness who demands faithfulness and loyalty from his people.

Yet the people of Jerusalem were worshipping other gods – especially Astarte, the goddess of the Babylonians, who they thought might help them by keeping the Babylonians away from the land of Judah. Once again, it was not only the people who were practising idolatry; there were even secret altars to foreign gods in the Temple itself. “Prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit. They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. ‘Peace, Peace’, they say, when there is no peace” (Jer 6:13-4).

It was not only the people who were practising idolatry; there were even secret altars to foreign gods in the Temple itself.

Deceiving in God’s Name

God hates deception, especially in spiritual matters. When people declare something in the name of God that deceives others – that is particularly abhorrent! But that is what the prophets were doing in Jeremiah’s lifetime: “Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you”, he said. “They fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. They keep saying to those who despise me, ‘The Lord says you will have peace’” (Jer 23:16-17).

These were wicked lies and deception that would have disastrous consequences because the people did not change their ways. They carried on in idolatry and God eventually removed his cover of protection from over Jerusalem, allowing the Babylonians to destroy the city.

In Western nations today, we are surrounded by deception in the media, in politics and in the world of commerce and advertising. But the most dangerous deception by far is coming from the Church. When the word of God is not faithfully taught and prophetically declared by the religious leaders of a nation, God holds those leaders responsible for the fate of that nation.

This is a sobering biblical truth that ought to be constantly in the minds of church leaders today – even if it means they have to pay the price that Jeremiah had to pay.

This article is part of a series on the life and ministry of the Prophet Jeremiah. Click here to read previous instalments.

Frances Rabbitts reviews Samuel Burgess’ timely defence of Britain’s political heritage.

Mention the word ‘conservatism’ these days in the context of politics and many will automatically assume you are referring to the Conservative Party. The word may also trigger an adverse reaction, as it has gathered some negative connotations: unfettered greed, elitism, obstinate refusal to accept change.

In this timely, concise volume from Wilberforce Publications, Samuel Burgess pares away the vagaries and peculiarities of party politics from the much longer-standing (even ancient) political/philosophical tradition of conservatism, acknowledging where the former and the latter have coincided over the years, but also where they have parted company.

In so doing, Burgess ‘rediscovers’ conservatism as a rich heritage of principles and values with a huge amount to offer in modern-day Britain. His contention is that politics is a moral endeavour (being concerned with the bettering of individual, civic and national life) and that only conservatism is morally substantial enough to guide us in the days ahead.

A Valid Philosophy for Our Time

At 190 pages this is a relatively slim volume, but the prose is considered, eloquent and thought-provoking. Complex subjects are dealt with cogently, though it is by no means a light read.

Burgess starts by dispelling the myth that conservatism is just about preserving the status quo, unpacking its substantive principles, its historic roots in English common law and its debt to the ‘father’ of modern conservatism, Edmund Burke, who is quoted regularly thereafter. Eight subsequent chapters consider matters of civic importance in Britain today, including the idea of the nation-state, the market, freedom under law, culture, religion, the environment and even the idea of beauty, showcasing in relation to each the virtues of a truly conservative approach.

Burgess does not provide comprehensive accounts of these subjects (or the book would be far longer than it is) but offers succinct outlines in accordance with his core argument. As such, this is a book that will start conversations more than finish them. But Burgess undoubtedly achieves his overall goal: to set conservatism back on the table as a valid philosophy for our time (and, presumably, to remind those who ally themselves with the ‘Conservative’ Party what they ought to be standing for).

Burgess ‘rediscovers’ conservatism as a rich heritage of principles and values with a huge amount to offer in modern-day Britain.

Refreshingly Constructive

In unpacking the goods of conservatism it is obviously necessary to highlight how and why other approaches have failed. Burgess strikes a good balance, not indulging in excessive debunking of philosophies like liberalism and socialism but letting the virtues of conservatism speak for themselves. As such, the book is a refreshingly constructive, uplifting read.

The beauty of conservatism, according to Burgess, is that it is not so much a grand political project as a common-sense set of principles, rooted in an objective view of reality and morality (i.e. truth really exists, as do objective standards of good and evil). These principles can be applied to the specifics of any issue or circumstance. Conservatism is therefore a creative, flexible philosophy which allows for society to develop according to the uniqueness of individual places and people – provided they remain rooted in the soil of morality. Conservatism is, according to Burgess, “a political expression of a belief in moral order” (p162).

Unlike liberalism and socialism, conservatism recognises that human nature contains both good and evil and seeks to harness this complex, messy moral reality for the betterment of society. This realism gives conservatism appeal to everyone, not just to Christians. However, throughout the book we catch glimpses of conservatism’s Christian roots – for instance its understanding that true freedom is not about license and permissiveness, but about deference to legitimate authority and flourishing within good moral boundaries.

As the chapters unfold, we discover that conservatism is a friend of gradual, organic change (rather than overnight revolution) and is innately social, recognising the importance of kinship and community. Indeed, we discover that conservatism has people and their best interests at its heart.

Because each chapter is relatively brief given the depth of the subject material, it would have been good to have some further reading recommended at chapter ends. In places, Burgess could also do more to connect his comments back into his main argument about conservatism, especially for readers without a grounding in political philosophy. But these criticisms are minor and do not detract from the overall worth of the book.

Unlike liberalism and socialism, conservatism recognises that human nature contains both good and evil and seeks to harness this complex, messy moral reality for the betterment of society.

High Stakes

Today, the stakes are high. Transnational governance threatens to supersede the nation-state, libertarian individualism is leading to community disintegration and aggressive secular liberalism is stifling freedom of speech. We desperately need to recover a more reasonable, positive, common-sense approach. More than this, we need to have the confidence to put morality and belief back at the heart of politics, recognising that this is the only route to social order and true flourishing.

These are complex issues, but Burgess provides a robust, hopeful defence of why conservatism’s framework for a flourishing society is unparalleled. Today, we seem intent on throwing away its hard-won benefits, accrued over centuries, and these will not be recouped overnight. Our challenge is not to recreate the past, however, but to learn from it and look to the future. The first step is to re-envision ourselves, strengthening our confidence in values which have been much derided and ‘deconstructed’ in recent years. In this, Burgess has done us all a great service.

Whether or not we can recover what has been lost without wholesale repentance and return to belief in God, Burgess leaves unanswered. Nevertheless, the book remains an empowering reminder that Christian beliefs birthed a rich political tradition in Britain with much to commend itself to our modern age. Conservative principles are grounded in timeless truths and will still be standing when all other ideologies have crumbled.

This book is a must-read for those in government, for anyone concerned about how to blend faith with politics and for all who seek a better understanding of how Judeo-Christianity has blessed our politics in the past and could yet do so again.

‘The Moral Case for Conservatism’ (2019, Wilberforce Publications, paperback, e-book) is available online for £10 (£5.49 on Kindle).

You may also be interested in Samuel Burgess’s first book:

‘Edmund Burke’s Battle with Liberalism’ by Samuel Burgess (2017, Wilberforce Publications)

The British people benefit from an extraordinary political heritage, but few know very much about it, or about the debt we owe to the faithful individuals who went before us and helped to create it. 18^th-Century Irish statesman Edmund Burke is one such giant, on whose shoulders we now stand.

In this, Samuel Burgess’s first book, we are treated to an in-depth look at the ‘father’ of modern conservatism and his political legacy. Edmund Burke sought to uphold a biblical approach to politics at a time when the tyranny and moral anarchy of the French Revolution were threatening to spill across the Channel into Britain, ideologically and physically.

Burke’s political defence of the realm was influential at the time, but his was also a prophetic voice. Though libertarianism was rejected in the 18^th Century as too radical, it enjoyed a resurgence in the late 20^th Century and now dominates our politics, media, language and culture, paving the way once again to coercion and authoritarianism.

Burke’s political defence of the realm was influential at the time, but his was also a prophetic voice.

In seven chapters, Burgess unpacks Burke’s Christian beliefs and how they shaped his approach to politics. As he goes, Burgess shows how unique the Christian conservative tradition is in its beliefs about humanity and the world and what it offers in an era of political turbulence and confusion.

In the latter part of the book, there is some similarity with material in ‘The Moral Case for Conservatism’, but the difference in focus between the two means that both books are still worthwhile purchases. ‘Edmund Burke’s Battle with Liberalism’ lays a good historical foundation for ‘The Moral Case for Conservatism’ and the books can be seen as companion volumes.

Burgess’s first book is perhaps a little less accessible and more academic than his second, but no less important. Apart from anything else, it is a solid encouragement that the path we tread today has been trodden before: that great men of faith have gone before us, battling the same powers, learning the same lessons and shining a light on the way forward which we would do well to heed. Edmund Burke is not a well-known name outside the realm of political theory, but it ought to be. We owe him much.

‘Edmund Burke’s Battle with Liberalism’ (180pp) is available from Amazon for £9.99 (paperback) or £4.99 (Kindle). Find out more on the Wilberforce Publications website.

What are the spiritual dynamics behind all the Brexit fury?

When religious leaders re-interpret Scripture to suit themselves.

How can you say, “We are wise, for we have the law of the Lord,” when actually the lying pen of the scribes has handled it falsely? The wise will be put to shame; they will be dismayed and trapped. Since they have rejected the word of the Lord, what kind of wisdom do they have?...From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit. They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. “Peace, peace,” they say, when there is no peace. (Jeremiah 8:8-11)

In this passage, Jeremiah continues his accusation that the people did not know the requirements of the Lord. But it was the Temple priesthood who were really in Jeremiah’s sights. They claimed to be the educated elite of the nation, saying; “We are wise, for we have the Torah to guide us.”

This provoked the most serious charge of actually tampering with the historic teaching given by God to Moses. It was the role of the scribes within the Temple community to copy the scrolls and to ensure the accuracy of every letter and its pointing. If their work could not be trusted because they were changing the meaning of words to suit their own interpretation, the authority of the word of God was undermined.

Tampering with Scripture

Jeremiah’s charge was that the whole priestly community was corrupt; they had very little respect for the integrity of the word of God, which they actually changed to suit their own purposes. He says that they had rejected the wisdom of God and substituted their own worldly wisdom. Sadly, this has been a predilection of theologians down the ages. They have always injected their own interpretations into Scripture.

No doubt this has often been well-meant, in order to make the teaching more understandable for readers. But this is the reason why we have so many different versions of the Bible and it is very difficult to know what the original scrolls actually said. Clearly, this is not a modern practise. Jeremiah was aware of the same activity by the scribes in Jerusalem more than 2,500 years ago.

Jeremiah’s charge was that the priests did not respect the integrity of the word of God, which they actually changed to suit their own purposes.

What is the spirit behind these practices? It is surely one of pride: that we think that our human wisdom is superior to God’s! The Apostle Paul dealt with a similar situation among the educated elite in Corinth. He said: “Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?” (1 Cor 1:20).

At root, it is the desire for power that drives human beings to want to take control away from God and to exercise it ourselves. But Jeremiah points to the foolishness of this because once human beings reject the word of the Lord, they are left with only the limited ability of human minds to foresee the outcome of decisions, or the direction in which they are leading. It was the wisdom of God that revealed to Jeremiah what was going to happen to Jerusalem and the Temple if King Zedekiah revolted against Babylon, as the Temple priests and politicians were advising.

Abuses of Power

The priests were convinced that the presence of the Temple ensured the safety of the city, because God would never allow his holy place to be desecrated by foreigners. Jeremiah knew this was a lie, because righteousness and justice were part of the very nature of God. The priests were ignoring the part of the Torah that declared, “You shall have no other gods before me” (Deut 5:7). The people did not ‘know requirements of the Lord’ and indulged in many kinds of idolatry which were deeply offensive to God.

The most serious consequence of all this was that the Temple authorities themselves spread the false belief, “Peace, Peace”, when there was no peace. This promise of peace and prosperity was deception: in fact, it was a dangerous deception because it covered up the deep theological sickness in the royal Temple community, who were mis-handling the Torah. The leaders of the nation were all part of a small elite who were “greedy for gain”. They were full of self-indulgence and were misusing their power for their own selfish ambitions.

Ezekiel spelt out the penalties against the leaders of the nation who misused their power: “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against the shepherds and will hold them accountable for my flock. I will remove them from tending the flock so that the shepherds can no longer feed themselves” (Ezek 34:10).

The promise of peace and prosperity was a dangerous deception which covered up the deep theological sickness in the royal Temple community.

Deception Close to Truth

Jeremiah’s great concern was that he could foresee the terrible consequences of the deception that was consuming the whole nation. The people, who were unable to read the Torah for themselves, were easily deceived by a popular message that allowed them to do as they pleased.

Deception, of course, has to be very close to the truth, otherwise it would fool no-one. The lie that the Temple priests were spreading was close to the truth, because God would undoubtedly have protected the City of Jerusalem if the leaders and the people had put their trust fully in him and were obedient to the terms of the covenant. As Jeremiah said in his famous Temple Sermon, God did not simply give commands about burnt offerings and sacrifices (ritualistic religious practices) - he said, “Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people” (Jer 7:23).

The same requirements of trust and obedience apply today if we as individuals, and as a nation, are to enjoy the peace and prosperity of being in a right relationship with God.

This article is part of a series on the life and ministry of the Prophet Jeremiah. Click here for previous instalments.

Why are Christians so uncomfortable over the issue of Israel?

Can Christians take courage from the Dunkirk spirit of our cricketers?