When times are changing, as in today's society, we find ourselves asking each other this question.

It was the one posited to the early church in 2 Peter 3:11, one of the latest books in the New Testament, when they were experiencing situations not too dissimilar to our own today. How did the persecuted Christians respond at that time?

Early Apologetics

There are a number of written records (which did not make it into the Bible) of what is known as Apologia, or writings defending Christianity to its accusers. The Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus is one such example of Christian apologetics.

One particular chapter in a long letter thought to be to Diognetus (a tutor of the emperor Marcus Aurelius, admired for his wise advice) from a disciple, gives some of the answers which are still relevant today. Read this section on how Christians were seen to be behaving then and meditate on whether it matches our understanding of how we should be seen to be behaving today:

"For the Christians are distinguished from other men neither by country, nor language, nor the customs which they observe. For they neither inhabit cities of their own, nor employ a peculiar form of speech, nor lead a life which is marked out by any singularity.

The course of conduct which they follow has not been devised by any speculation or deliberation of inquisitive men; nor do they, like some, proclaim themselves the advocates of any merely human doctrines.

But, inhabiting Greek as well as barbarian cities, according as the lot of each of them has determined, and following the customs of the natives in respect to clothing, food, and the rest of their ordinary conduct, they display to us their wonderful and confessedly striking method of life.

They dwell in their own countries, but simply as sojourners. As citizens, they share in all things with others, and yet endure all things as if foreigners. Every foreign land is to them as their native country, and every land of their birth as a land of strangers.

They marry, as do all [others]; they beget children; but they do not destroy their offspring. They have a common table, but not a common bed. They are in the flesh, but they do not live after the flesh.

They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. They obey the prescribed laws, and at the same time surpass the laws by their lives.

They love all men, and are persecuted by all. They are unknown and condemned; they are put to death, and restored to life.

They are poor, yet make many rich; they are in lack of all things, and yet abound in all; they are dishonoured, and yet in their very dishonour are glorified.

They are evil spoken of, and yet are justified; they are reviled, and bless; they are insulted, and repay the insult with honour; they do good, yet are punished as evil-doers.

When punished, they rejoice as if quickened into life; they are assailed by the Jews as foreigners, and are persecuted by the Greeks; yet those who hate them are unable to assign any reason for their hatred."

How does this witness to you? Can you be an apologist in today's society so that those who are picking up the wrong message about Christianity can re-think all that they are currently believing? Do we have modern apologists who are prepared to fight the case for Christianity in the world today?

In this series on the Spiritual Gifts taught by Paul and listed in the New Testament, Monica Hill continues to examine each of the gifts listed in Romans 12.

Serving is not only named here as a natural gift, but is also one of the two methods, Speaking and Serving (Spiritual Gifts III), emphasised in 1 Peter 4 as the way and manner in which ALL the gifts are to be used.

Usually when Paul mentions a specific gift in more than one of the lists, it is there each time for a specific reason and meaning. 'Serving' is a good description of all the gifts in this particular listing and the fact that it is singled out and placed second seems to elevate its importance – perhaps acknowledging that it can so often be taken for granted or even demeaned. It is true that in the natural order of things, the servant does not have the same status as the one being served - this deliberate reversal accentuates it and should make us take more notice of it in our own lives.

Turning Values Upside Down

Jesus came to challenge and invert worldly concepts, showing how Christians should replace worldly values with Kingdom values. Luke even records Jesus' response to the dispute on greatness arising during the Last Supper: "I am among you as one who serves" (22:27). In the discourse following the request of John and James for preferential treatment, Mark records: "whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (10:42-45)

Isaiah's four 'Suffering Servant' passages, culminating in Isaiah 53, were a prophetic forerunner of not only the role of Israel but also of the Messiah, fulfilled in the coming of Jesus.

Jesus was always emphasising the servant nature of his relationship, whether it was with washing the disciple's feet, eating with the lowliest, elevating the poor or putting down those who thought too highly of themselves. Thus he taught his disciples by example that this was the way in which they too needed to behave toward each other.
He would also emphasise that serving the Lord was to be their priority, and that since serving others was a way in which they could do this, they should serve willingly and fervently. "Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people" (Eph 6:7) or "Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour, serving the Lord" (Rom 12:11).

Slaves – Servants - Friends

The New Testament emphasises that servants are not to be treated as slaves: it is not right that anyone who is serving should feel that they are enslaved. They are to serve not as slaves but as sons: "Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts...So you are no longer a slave, but a son and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir". (Gal 4:6-7).

In the Kingdom of God, worldly values are turned upside-down. We are to become servants of all, just as Jesus was, but we are not to serve as slaves- rather as sons."

Also when we serve and obey Jesus' commands, we become his friends: "You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business Instead I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from the Father I have made known to you" (John 15:14-15).

The Value of the Team

The serving capacity is one of the most important and vital roles in any team – without this co-operation, 'One Man Bands' proliferate. Even those who have the gift of leadership need not necessarily lead on every occasion, but must be sensitive to the skills and insights needed in each circumstance. When others are leading, they need to be mutually supportive.

An observation from nature is helpful here: when geese fly long distances they change leadership regularly (and so do cyclists in long road races). Those who lead also need to be able to support.

Priority in Serving

In Numbers 18:21 the serving role was recognised: "I give to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as their inheritance in return for the work they do while serving at the tent of meeting." Their time of serving was acknowledged and rewarded. The decision of the apostles in Acts 6 "It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables" is often misunderstood, as the seven Greek-speaking apostles had a much greater understanding of service and led the missionary movement to the Gentiles.

It is recognised that "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other" (Matt 6:24). Christians should want to serve the Lord and this should develop into a natural expectation to serve others. Joshua gave the people an option:

But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. (Josh 24:15)

'Other masters' can be material things like money – or even putting yourself and your own needs first. When you do the latter, "such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naïve people" (Rom 16:18).

A Word of Warning

In today's world the service industry is a prominent sector – and is often thought of as the 'serving' section of society. But servicing is not necessarily serving! It rather depends on your motivation and mindset when carrying it out. If God and others are not ahead of your own needs you have things in the wrong order!

If you have any comments on 'serving' as a spiritual gift, please do post them below.

'Reading Backwards' by Richard B Hays (SPCK, 2015, 176 pages, £16.99, available from Amazon for £14.88)

Anyone interested in reading God's Word more informatively and effectively will find this a fascinating and valuable aid towards understanding an important aspect of Bible study: namely how the New Testament writers used what we now call the Old Testament. The aim of the book is to uncover the strategies the Gospel writers employed when appropriating Israel's scriptures in order to provide their readers with a fuller portrait of Jesus, a methodology that Hays describes as 'reading backwards'.

The book is based on a series of six lectures the author delivered at Cambridge University but it is very accessible rather than too academic. There are, however, useful endnotes and a full bibliography for those wanting to take these studies further. The time constraints of a lecture series means the book cannot cover such an extensive topic in the depth it deserves, but it is still long enough to contain many useful examples, and if it leaves you wanting more then it will have achieved one of its main aims.

The structure of the book is very straightforward. The introduction sets out the main points involved and emphasises what the book is and is not about. Then each Gospel is examined in turn to discover how the individual writers used Israel's scriptures in their own distinctive way. Hay discusses the strengths and weakness of each writer's approach, and explains how each contributes to the composite multi-faceted picture of Jesus that results. The conclusion provides a good summary, tying everything together in a satisfying way.

Hays uncovers the strategies used by the Gospel writers to appropriate Old Testament scriptures in relation to Jesus, each of which builds a composite, multi-faceted picture of our Saviour."

There are many ways in which this book could be useful and significant. It will help promote the importance of Hebraic roots within Christianity, and also counter the heretical view that the Old Testament is obsolete or portrays 'a different God' (a heresy known as Marcionism).

Furthermore, we can begin to appreciate that the Gospel writers are actually teaching us how to read the Old Testament more as God intended. In particular, the technique of 'reading backwards' illustrates how prophecy is to be evaluated in retrospect and that it should not always be treated as predictive. Also it is to be hoped that, via the general approach of the Gospel writers to their Scriptures and more specifically from the examples given, thoughtful readers of the New Testament might become better attuned to hear for themselves both implicit and explicit resonances from the Old Testament. Given all this, a richer Bible reading experience should be the overall result.

Edmund Heddle unpacks the connection between the prophetic ministry and the metaphor of a watchman.

It is a long time in this country since the watchman made his way around a city at night, calling out the hours and declaring all was well (Song of Songs 3:3).

However, we still have those who watch over our safety by day and by night. The Royal Air Force provides a radar screen over our airspace, coastguards seek to prevent dangerous drugs from being landed, police protect our property, and doctors and nurses, firemen and ambulance crews are on the alert to provide us with immediate assistance should we need it.

Together with others too numerous to mention, they maintain the defence of the realm and the well-being of its inhabitants.

Prophetic watchmen

But our country also needs to be protected from evil practices and powers that can wreck our national and family life and this, according to the Old Testament, is the responsibility of the prophets. These individuals were regarded as watchmen.

Just as our military and emergency service maintain the defence of the realm and the well-being of its inhabitants, so prophets are responsible for protecting people spiritually."

God spoke to Ezekiel and said, "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel" (Eze 3:17, 33:7). In his commentary on the prophecy of Ezekiel, Dr A B Davidson said, "The appointment of Ezekiel as a watchman was not a change upon his original appointment as a prophet, it is only a more precise definition of it".

Picture a tower set in a commanding position with the watchman climbing to the top of this look-out, from where he can see all that is happening and is able to sound the alarm immediately he sees danger approaching (Isa 21:6-7). This is the responsibility laid upon his prophets by the Lord both then and now (Jer 6:17; Hos 9:8; Acts 20:28-31).

Hebrew words describing watchmen

There are at least ten words in the Hebrew Old Testament that are translated into the English words watch/watchman/watchtower. One of these, which occurs twenty-eight times, means to lean forward, to peer into the distance. This word is used in Ezekiel 3:17 and 33:7.

A second word, also occurring twenty-eight times, means to hedge about with thorns, that is, to act as a deterrent to would-be invaders. This is the word used in Isaiah 62:6. The third word, occurring nine times, means to keep alert, to be sleepless on the watch. This word is used in Jeremiah 31:28 to describe God's watching.

The fourth word, used only four times, means to protect and preserve. It is used in Jeremiah 31:6.

A study of these words shows that the prophetic watchman requires a penetrating vision, an unsleeping alertness and an undiminishing concern if he is adequately to protect those for whom he has been made responsible.

The Hebrew words used for 'watch' and 'watchman' depict prophets as needing a penetrating vision, an unsleeping alertness and an undiminishing concern."

Watchmen must watch

The watchman's first responsibility, having found the best position for observing all that is going on, is to keep his eyes open so as to gain as accurate a picture as possible of the situation (2 Kings 9:17). We need watchmen today who are not afraid to open their eyes to the seriousness of the situation in our country.

Britain is flaunting God's law in the matter of homosexuality (Lev 18:22, 20:13), while the media continues to fill our eyes and our ears with ever more violence. In some of our schools the minds of little children are being corrupted whilst older children are indoctrinated by teachers determined to overthrow the forces of law and order. Meanwhile so many of the churches show no real concern and carry on as though we had all the time in the world, their only real objective being their survival and personal happiness. The situation is so like that in the days of Isaiah who said, "Israel's watchmen are blind, they all lack knowledge; they are all mute dogs that cannot bark" (Isa 56:10).

Watchmen must warn

It is not enough for the watchman to see the danger approaching; he is on his watchtower for the express purpose of warning the people. This is why an essential part of the equipment of a watchman is his trumpet. God explains this to the prophet in Ezekiel 33:3, 6. The watchman "sees the sword coming and blows the trumpet to warn the people...but if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people...I will hold the watchman accountable."

Watchmen are responsible for keeping their eyes open to the situation and warning the people."

Already our streets with their muggers, rapists and child molesters reflect the situation described in the book of Lamentations (4:18) where it states: "Men stalked us at every step, so we could not walk in our streets." The calamity that could totally overwhelm our country if today's watchmen fail to deliver the strongest possible warning is nothing less than the total breakdown of law and order.

Watchmen must weep

When Jesus contemplated what was going to happen to the Jerusalem of his day he wept over it (Luke 19:41). And so will all true prophet/watchmen. As they like Ezekiel sit where the people sit and contemplate their despair they too will be 'overwhelmed' or to quote the Jerusalem Bible rendering, they will be 'like a man stunned' (Eze 3:15).

As the watchman warns of coming danger, he can prevent his words sounding harsh and judgmental only if his hearers know that his own heart is breaking. This is the thought behind the Lord's instruction in Ezekiel's day: "Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it" (Eze 9:4).

How much genuine weeping for the nation is there in our churches and fellowships? Why is there an almost total absence of serious, informed prayer for the nation and those who govern it (1 Tim 2:1-4)? When will we care enough to pray through the hours when we might be sleeping? Twice in the New Testament there is mention of Paul's 'watchings oft' (2 Cor 6:5, 11:27). A number of modern versions render this as 'sleepless nights' and William Barclay comments "At all times Paul was willing to be the unsleeping sentinel of Christ." Are we?

Watchmen must wrestle

God does not always do things the way we think he should, and Habakkuk was neither the first nor the last prophet that had to wrestle with such problems. "Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?" (Hab 1:13). Ezekiel also felt he must object to what he saw God was about to do. "Ah, Sovereign Lord! Are you going to destroy the entire remnant of Israel?" (Eze 9:8).

When we face the apparent contradictions in God's ways in human history we need to learn patience. It was seven days before the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel, and Jeremiah had to wait ten days. God does not always give us instant answers (Eze 3:16; Jer 42:7). But we need his answers before we can be certain we are making the right reaction to the situation that faces us. God's strategy for Jericho was different from that for Ai. Twice David sought guidance as to how to deal with his Philistine enemy, and God's strategy differed each time (2 Sam 5:18-25).

Watchmen must care enough to weep for the state of their nation, and to wrestle with God for answers."

Watchman's watch

Prophets/watchmen are not self-appointed. It is the Lord himself who stations them where he wants them to be. "I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem" (Isa 62:6). No one prophet could maintain continuous intercession night and day. He could do no more than take his turn to watch.

This method of working has given the name WATCHmen. The Jews divided up the night into three vigil periods which were called first, middle and morning watches (Lam 2:19; Judges 7:19; Ex 14:24). The Romans divided the night into four watches. The watch was the period when the watchman was on duty and it was only by co-operating with other watchmen that the whole twenty-four hours could be covered.

At the heart of this ministry was the necessity for co-operation, and today it will be only through churches working together that an effective warning can be given to the nation. That warning will fail unless all we do is in obedience to the Lord's strategy and in dependence upon his superior power. "Unless the Lord watches over the city the watchmen stand guard in vain" (Ps 127:1).

First published in Prophecy Today, Vol 3 No 1, January/February 1987.

Two important prophecies that speak of the role of believing women in Britain's future: one from a Russian bishop in 1911, and the other from an Asian Christian, given at the 1986 Mount Carmel gathering.

The 1911 Prophecy: Background

Mother Barbara, Valentina Niolaevna Zoegkova, was born in Moscow on January 2 1889, the fourth child of extremely pious parents. Her father, Nicholas Alexeevitch, was chief director of one of the biggest banks in Russia, yet throughout his life he dedicated himself to defending the interests of the church and to serving its people.

From her birth, Valentina was surrounded by the intensely spiritual. Her family were often visited by 'starets' (holy men) and other Russian religious figures. This kind of contact filled her with an intense desire to consecrate herself to the Church and in her early youth she was blessed for missionary work and monachism by her spiritual father, Bishop Arseny of Moscow.

One starets who regularly visited her parents' home was Bishop Aristocoli, from Mount Athos. Ten days before his death, Aristocoli spend some time in discussion with Valentina, outlining her own future and that of a Russia already under a revolutionary yoke.

"You have received the gift of speaking and writing about what is useful for the soul, especially in our times", said Aristocoli. "Your inclination to monastic life will find its fulfilment, but far from here. You will live in one country, then will go further - to Palestine, to Jerusalem, and you will live there for a long, long time. In Jerusalem is the Holy Land, where much work and activities exist. You will live under different powers, but do not fear anything. You will always be under the protection of a right and just hierarchy.

Many sufferings will come to the world. Many people will perish. But it is not yet the end of the world; the time and the hour are known only by God. God's army- the powers of angels -will battle with Satan's army. In Russia people will suffer. It will be a worldwide sorrow from the evil spirits who put to trial all believers in God. Many will be killed. God knows who he must take, and who to leave. But Russia's fate is in God's hands and she will rise again. It will be a great miracle of renewal after great sufferings, sent to her with purifying aims. Light from the Orient will shine on the whole world and God will forgive in answer to suffering and repentance. This is very important- to have a conscience about one's sins; everyone and all are siners and all must repent."

The starets said much more to Valentina, foreseeing the establishing of a convent in Palestine and the building of a school, all of which eventually came to pass.

The 1911 Prophecy

Shortly before his death, Bishop Aristocoli passed this prophecy onto Mother Barbara.

Tell the women they must belong absolutely to God.They must believe in the great things that are happening and that God is doing on the earth. They must prepare their souls, their children and their husbands. And they will have very much work to do for God. Oh, what a great work the women will have to do in the end time, and the men will follow them.

Not one country will be without trial - do not be frightened of anything you will hear. An evil will shortly take Russia and wherever this evil comes, rivers of blood will flow. This evil will take the whole world and wherever it goes, rivers of blood will flow because of it. It is not the Russian soul, but an imposition on the Russian soul. It is not an ideology, or a philosophy, but a spirit from hell.

In the last days Germany will be divided in two. France will just be nothing. Italy will be judged by natural disasters. Britain will lose her empire and all her colonies and will come to almost total ruin, but will be saved by praying women. America will feed the world, but will finally collapse. Russia and China will destroy each other. Finally, Russia will be free and from her, believers will go forth and turn many from the nations to God.

The 1986 Prophecy: Background

On Mount Carmel, March 1986, an Asian man shared a prophetic insight with a woman from Britain. He had visited Britain only on the one occasion of his journey to Israel for the Carmel gathering, and knew little or nothing of the state of the church. As he stepped over the threshold of the conference centre on Mount Carmel, he was aware of a strong anointing from God and was given a vision concerning Britain.

The 1986 Prophecy

He saw a large church with a number of people in it. As he looked he saw that the men were asleep on their benches- and scattered around the church were women standing with arms uplifted crying to God.

He asked the Lord, 'What is this?'

God said 'I am showing you the true situation in the church in Britain. The men are asleep and not aware of what is going on, but I have my handmaidens who are seeking my face and who are understanding my heart and I am using my handmaidens for the nation.'

He then asked the Lord for a scripture to confirm the vision and the interpretation and was immediately given Judges 4:4: The situation in Israel at that time was bad and God chose a woman, Deborah, to judge Israel. She knew God's ways and was receiving messages for the people. Then, when she saw that the time for confrontation had come, she called for the man who was commander-in-chief of the army (she respected him and reverenced God's order). He would not go without her, so she went with him and because of this the victory would be the Lord's, but the honour would go to the women. Jaal hammered in the nail that killed Sisera, captain of the enemy forces. God used women who both knew his ways and waged warfare and gained the final victory.

God's call comes to his handmaidens of Britain to stand strong, to seek his face, to know his ways and to wage warfare. He says 'I am with you, be strong and of a good courage.' They will be persecuted from within the churches, but the time will come when those same people will come and ask them to show them the way in the battle and to go with them. The Lord will be victorious through the church but the honour will go to his handmaidens. 'When my people take a firm stand then I will reveal my glory through them'.

Zechariah 4:7 - the mountains will become a plain - we have nothing to fear.

When Christianity loses its Hebraic foundations, it loses its vital focus on community...

Introduction

Following on from our previous study, we recall that Paul would have seen no new concepts in his apostolic ministry. He used the Tanakh (Old Testament) as his Scriptures. He understood the glorious revelation of what God had in mind in all the years leading up to that time, now fulfilled through Jesus. For example, he would have understood:

• how the covenant with Abraham was to be fulfilled.
• how the New Covenant that Jeremiah foresaw (Jeremiah 31) was fulfilled in Jesus the Messiah.
• that what God promised for Israel came to clarity through Jesus.
• in what manner Israel was to be a light to the Gentiles.
• the basis of the Olive Tree metaphor.
• that sin needed a permanent remedy.
• the types and shadows of the Tabernacle in the wilderness.
• the balance of Law and Grace.
• the heart principles of Torah.
• the balance of justice with mercy and of faith with works.

He would also have reflected on the Feasts and Sabbath and seen the reason for the days of preparation for the coming Messiah. And his mindset would have been the building up of the Covenant family of God.

Revelation of the Word

Paul's revelation of Jesus, a bright shining light from the dim shadows of understanding, would have stood in context because of his rabbinical training. The preparation of his understanding of the Tanakh (Old Testament) makes the revelation of the Gospel not only rooted, but also understood through the contrasts that were made.

Take, for example, the concept of salvation. This was not a new concept with the New Testament. It is a constant theme with over 150 direct references in the Old Testament, of which over 60 are in the Psalms. The Psalms deal with mankind's response to all the travails of life. Their application is first to the trials of this life, developing into a Messianic expectation that looks to a permanent separation of the righteous from the wicked, and to an eternal life free of the pressures in this life.

For Paul, the revelation of Jesus made perfect sense in view of the Old Testament, in which concepts like salvation and the coming Kingdom are constant themes."

Jesus confirmed this when he spoke the parables of the Kingdom, bringing faith and hope to those who were downtrodden with no human means of escape or salvation. There are also glimpses of the future Kingdom in the Tanakh, such as in Job and the Psalms:

For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, And my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! (Job 19:1-27)

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever. (Psa 23:4-6)

It needed the revelation that Paul had directly from Jesus to understand the greatness of the salvation brought through Jesus. This did not change, but shed fresh light on his earlier training in the Scriptures. The whole world needs this same revelation. This is the Gospel message, echoed by the writer of the Hebrews:

Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will? (Heb 2:1-4)

Paul would have known that the Hebrew word for salvation- Yeshua -became the name and ministry of the Son of God, whom Christians re-named Jesus.

Without the revelation of the eternal purposes of God, it is only ever possible to interpret the Bible in earthly terms."

Without the revelation of the eternal purposes of God, it was only possible to interpret the shadows of the Gospel message in earthly terms. Even with the scholarship of the Rabbis, there was misunderstanding and disagreement about the future hope for Israel:

For Sadducees say that there is no resurrection -- and no angel or spirit; but the Pharisees confess both. (Acts 23:8)

From the same source material as the Jewish Rabbis of his day (the Tanakh – Old Testament), however, Paul understood its true fulfilment in the life, ministry, sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus. His understanding linked Heaven to earth. There was both a promise for eternal life and an application to this life.

The Man and the Message

Pause, and imagine Paul travelling from place to place through the countries surrounding the Mediterranean. He was both the man and the message. He was a prepared vessel, ready to share the Good News of Salvation from his very inner being, from the foundation of the Gospel to its fulfillment in Jesus.

He traveled from place to place sowing the good seed, pouring himself out, as it were (Phil 2:17). All this was before the Church Councils that re-defined Christianity as a new thing, separate from its Hebraic foundations.

Now let us turn briefly to the application Paul had in mind for building community on this earth.

Community

One of the most important consequences of the Gospel message, understood against its Hebraic background, is that it is linked to community. It was Greek philosophical thinking that turned the message of salvation into an other-worldly theological concept, often overly detached from application to this world. The Gospel of salvation can become the end, not the beginning, preached Sunday after Sunday to those already converted, forgetting the fact that we should be building a mature witnessing community in this world.

Paul and the other apostles had a 'this-world' perspective of the Gospel: it was a beginning, not an end, to be played out in community."

Paul and the early Apostles would have had a 'this-worldly' perspective of the Gospel message, emanating from their Hebraic background of being rooted in the community of Israel. Salvation is personal but the consequence, on this earth, is to strengthen family and community.

Greek Humanism

By way of contrast, consider what Greek philosophy has imposed on the Christian Church. Greek humanist thought would have been unimaginable to Paul on his apostolic journeys, as he sought to invite Gentiles into the ancient family of faith promised to Abraham and fulfilled in Jesus.

Contemporary author and lecturer John Carroll has seen in humanism what many Christians have not seen. In Humanism: The Wreck of Western Culture (Fontana, 1993), he has a telling message relating to the post-Reformation Church. Carroll's main thesis is that the Greek philosophies, on which humanism is founded, fail to answer the deepest questions of mankind – namely those associated with death.

In his book, Carroll also sees elements of failure in the Church as well as in the humanistic world. The humanism of the Renaissance was not completely washed away from the emergent Church of the Reformation. The author makes a brief, but perceptive, analysis of the Protestant Church that emerged at the time. He writes of the great work that was done in many ways to bring the message of personal salvation, but he also notes that this was at the expense of community:

The Puritan's constitutional inability to relax in the world combined with its reliance on his own conscience to undermine the role of both priest and church. Protestantism is in essence, under Calvin's huge shadow, a conglomerate of one-man sects loosely held together by a common metaphysics. Its achievement was to create another powerful individualism with which to counter the new humanistic individualism. The cost was the decline of community. Once there is a faith alone and Calvin's conscience, the vital unifying role of family, village and town has been eclipsed. The Reformation threw out the incense and holy water, the chanting, the bleeding madonnas and most of the sacraments. It burned the relics and smashed the statues; it banned the dancing. It found, however, that the Church it occupied had cold floors and bare walls. The communal warmth had gone. (p62, emphasis added)

Paul's Gospel message emerged from the community of Israel, and was based on a covenant community that expanded to include those saved from the Gentile world. When the Hebraic roots of the Gospel message are neglected, Greek shadows replace them and so the Gospel loses its community setting. This is one of the most important aspects of restoring the Hebraic foundations of the Gospel message.

When the Hebraic roots of the Gospel message are neglected, Greek shadows replace them and the Gospel loses its sense of community."

In the section entitled 'Salvation: Escape or Involvement?' in Our Father Abraham, Marvin Wilson echoes the same thoughts:

The Hebrews boldly affirmed their God-given humanity. Again and again in Scripture we see that their identity was found in society, not in isolation from others. They did not view the earth as an alien place but as a part of creation. It was on earth alone that human beings' highest duty and calling could be performed – namely, that of bringing glory to their Maker through the praise of their lips and the work of their hands. (p179, emphasis added)

For Study and Prayer

If Paul visited a church in the Western world today, would he recognise it as emerging from the Middle Eastern context of his day?

Next time: Our inheritance from Israel and the Jews

Continuing his series on prophecy, Edmund Heddle turns to the life and ministry of John the Baptist.

Great interest was excited throughout the land of Israel when after three hundred years of prophetic silence, John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judah. He required the people to submit to a baptism of repentance in the River Jordan as the only right way to prepare for the imminent arrival of the Messiah (Luke 3:3).

This 'prophet of the Most High' (to use the description given him by his father Zechariah immediately after his birth and naming, see Luke 1:76) was to be the recipient of the highest accolade possible for a prophet to receive when, years later, Jesus declared "there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist" (Matt 11:11). Clearly, it is essential to include a consideration of John's prophetic ministry as we seek to understand 'What is a prophet?'

Contemporary Religious Outlook

The Jewish people, smarting under the Roman army of occupation, had been saved from complete despair by the messages of the great Hebrew prophets to which they listened in their synagogues Sabbath by Sabbath. Most of them wanted God's promise of deliverance to bring them a Messiah, a King of outstanding strength, who would rid them of their foreign overlords. However, there were a smaller number, sometimes styled the 'quiet in the land', who prayed continuously and looked expectantly for a righteous leader, a great prophet like Moses.

At a time when many nations are facing great political uncertainty with immorality, crime and violence apparently unstoppable; like Israel of old they need the prophetic warning that unless they repent disaster is inevitable, together with the persistent cry of the 'quiet' intercessors who prepare the Lord's way into their crisis situations.

At a time of such uncertainty, like Israel of old we need both prophetic warnings and the persistent cry of the 'quiet' intercessors who prepare God's way."

Similar Background

John and Jesus, who were cousins, both shared this latter background and were brought up among those who like Simeon "were waiting for the consolation of Israel" (Luke 2:25). There are intriguing parallels between the lives of these two. John and Jesus were born at nearly the same time, and in both cases their births were miraculous. They both had a long period of 'hidden years' before their public ministry, yet in total their lives were both short. At the commencement of their public ministry they knew tremendous popularity, but for both this later gave place to unmerciful hatred.

Finally both were killed by those who hated them and their righteousness. In each case only a handful of their disciples mourned their master's death and cared enough to carry their dead bodies away for burial. Today's prophets, like those of long ago, must be prepared to face rejection and suffering. Their demand for personal holiness and national righteousness is unlikely to improve their popularity rating.

Yet So Different

That there are striking similarities in the backgrounds and subsequent life experience of John and Jesus cannot be denied, and yet in other ways they were so different.

First, in their attitude to life. Jesus summed up their differences in his familiar words: "For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say 'He has a demon.' The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax-collectors and sinners" (Matt 11:18-19).

Second, in their kind of ministry. Folk who were commending John's ministry nevertheless admitted "John never performed a miraculous sign" (John 10:41). Whereas, when John's disciples asked Jesus if he was the coming Messiah, he pointed to his miracles as evidence and told them to tell John: "The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the deaf hear, the dead are raised", and that he should cease doubting that Jesus was the Messiah, even though their ministries were so different.

There are intriguing parallels between the life of Jesus and that of John the Baptist, but they also differed greatly in their attitude to life, their ministry and witness."

Third, in the duration of their witness. Jesus showed that John was "a lamp that burned and gave light" (John 5:35) and for a while they had enjoyed his light. As a lamp attracts moths so for a while did John attract the crowds and even Herod himself (Mark 6:20). John was just a lamp which had to be lit and fed with oil. Jesus however is the self-perpetuating light to which John came to bear witness (John 1:8-9). Prophets may differ in their interpretation of Scripture and in the lifestyle they choose to adopt, but they need to be careful that their opinions and actions do not colour or conceal the pure light of Christ shining through them.

Fundamental Difference

The basic difference between John and Jesus was one that John was ever eager to point out. Jesus was 'the coming one', the one whose coming the prophets had foretold. John's coming was also foretold in Scripture but he was never more than a herald, a messenger sent to prepare the way of the Lord (Isa 40:3; Matt 11:10).

John stated that he was not fit to carry Jesus' sandals (Matt 3:11) for God had made it clear to him that when the dove came down and remained on Jesus after his baptism, this indicated that Jesus was nothing less than the Son of God (John 1:32-34). John is forever the servant of, and is inferior to, the Lord Jesus.

Jesus went even further when he said that "he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than [John]" (Matt 11:11). Those who are in the Kingdom are brought nearer to God, have a clearer knowledge of God and have higher privileges than the greatest that were before Christ. So the prophets who prepare the way for the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus have a greater and more glorious message than John could have imagined.

John and the Earlier Prophets

Jesus regarded John as the greatest of the Old Testament prophets (Matt 11:11). In what ways was he like them and did he differ from them? John the Baptist did not reproduce all the aspects to be seen in the Old Testament prophets. We have already seen that he did not perform any miracles to confirm his spoken word, neither do we have any record of his making public intercession for the nation.

Jesus regarded John the Baptist as the greatest of the Old Testament prophets. John may not have performed miracles, but he was given the privilege of introducing the Saviour of mankind onto the public stage."

However, we hear him making strong ethical demands of his hearers and he reiterates the earlier prophets' demand for repentance. Unlike those who preceded him he was able to announce that God's promised visitation of his people was imminent. He stands alone in his use of baptism as an act of prophetic symbolism and is unique in his being able physically to introduce the Saviour of mankind on to the stage of his public ministry.

Jesus' Admiration of John

On the occasion when the deputation of John's disciples were leaving, Jesus spoke to the crowd about John. "What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in king's palaces. Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written 'I will send my messenger ahead of you who will prepare your way before you'" (Matt 11:7-10).

John was not someone who would allow the winds of opposition to deter him from doing what he knew was right. Neither was he a pampered courtier fawning over the monarch. He was a man with a message and a man who had the courage to deliver that message. In fact this was how John came to spend the last part of his life in prison, because he had the courage to rebuke Herod the Tetrarch for taking his brother's wife (Matt 14:3-4).

John never allowed opposition to deter him from doing the right thing. He was a man with a message, the delivery of which required great courage and a strictly disciplined life."

Earlier John had given very clear and critical advice to tax collectors, soldiers and others who came to him seeking baptism (Luke 3:10-14). Even the religious leaders were made to face the need for a change of lifestyle before their professed repentance could be accepted. John likened them to the snakes that came scurrying out of their shelter in the grass and bushes when a desert fire broke out (Matt 3:7). It is a demanding role to declare what God requires of people both in secular and religious spheres of life, requiring not only considerable courage but also a strictly disciplined life.

Holy Violence

Jesus commended the single-minded determination he saw in John the Baptist and said that this was the attitude required of those who would seek to enter the kingdom. "From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and men of violence take it by force" (Matt 11:12 RSV). The time had come to cast aside indifference and to maintain a holy resolution. Jesus' crusade for 'holy violence' was not a physical one, but a spiritual one: it required the death of formality in the quest for utter holiness.

John the Baptist's Problems

There were two temptations that John had to face. The first was when people began to turn away from John to join up with Jesus in considerable numbers, as their ministries proceeded side by side in Judea. One of John's lieutenants reported: "Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan...well, he is baptising and everyone is going to him" (John 3:26). As happens so often, the truth was spiced up with a bit of exaggeration, but John refused the temptation as he replied: "A man can receive only what is given to him from heaven." He may have been tough, but he was certainly also gracious.

The greatest problem for John was being imprisoned by Herod. It must have been terrible for this man of the desert used to the wind blowing through his hair and able to freshen his sun-tanned face in the waters of the Jordan - he must have felt like a caged animal. In such circumstances John fell victim to doubt and depression (see Matt 11:2-6). Was this Jesus really the Messiah? Why wasn't he burning up the chaff? Why was he not demolishing all opposition to his kingdom? Jesus' reply warned him not to be offended at Jesus' very different approach (Matt 11:6).

It is important to remember that even John had doubts, and faced temptations. But his grasp of who Jesus was and what his ministry was about remained outstanding."

A Christ Centred Message

Apart from moments of self-questioning, John is outstanding for his grasp of who Jesus was and what his ministry was about. To John, Jesus is: the Son of God, the Lamb of God, the Baptiser in Holy Spirit, the coming one who had arrived, the one who was before John and greater, the wielder of his winnowing fork, the axe-man aiming at the root of the tree, the one from above, the bridegroom, the one whose sandals John was unfit to untie or carry and supremely the one who comes from heaven and is 'above-all' (Matt 3:10-12; Mark 1:7; John 1:27-34; John 3:29-34)!

John the Baptist shows all today's prophets the right attitude to Jesus when he says: "He must become greater; I must become less!" (John 3:30).

First published in Prophecy Today, Vol 2 No 6, November/December 1986.

"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.

The following is a prophetic word for Great Britain given through Lance Lambert, who had a great love for the UK as his adopted country after he escaped here from the Nazis as a child. Please read and weigh this prayerfully.

Lance Lambert, Saturday 6 August 2011

Hear the voice of the Lord, O Isles that I have so greatly loved and favoured. I the Lord the Almighty, I took you when you were nothing, clothed with skins and woad, and through My saving power, I made you great. When you were nothing, through My Word and your faith in Me, l lifted you and made you Great Britain. Through many awakenings and many revivals, stage by stage, I took you until you became a great power with the greatest Empire in the history of the nations. From you My Gospel and My Word went throughout the world, and tens of thousands came into an experience of saving faith! That Empire with all its many failings and weaknesses was still one of the most just and righteous Empires of history.

Those Isles of yours were soaked with the blood of My faithful martyrs and its soil received the burnt ashes of those who would not renounce My Name, My Truth, and My Word. I, the Lord have not forgotten those who gave their all for Me!

But now the whole nation that l created and sustained has turned from Me. They paganise their land, state and institutions; there is no voice heard to warn the nation. False religion, the work of world rulers of darkness, cover your Isles; a Laodicean church, neither hot nor cold, rumbles on like machinery. It is a church where I am outside of its routine; its organisation and its methodology. It is Christianity without Me: Religion without Me!

My being is seared with pain, for judgement is determined against your land. I can do no other. I will destroy the vestiges of her greatness; l will return her to her first estate. I will wreck her economy, destabilise her in every way. I will change her climate, even her weather. I will prove to her that the way of the transgressor is hard and terrible. I will allow demonic forces held in check erstwhile by My Word and Gospel, and the living faith of so many, to become rampant in her social life, to the destruction of her society.
Will you who know Me and love Me go blind and dumb and deaf into this judgement?

It is time for you who love Me, who are faithful to Me, to take action! Stand before Me and plead The Finished Work of My Son. At least cry out to Me, that there will be those who turn from darkness, from sin, and be saved for whosoever shall call upon My Name in the midst of these judgements, l will save!

lt will cost you everything to stand in the gap, but you will enter into My heart, and know deep fellowship with Me. Such travail conceived in your heart by My Spirit will cost you deeply, but it will end in My Throne and Glory.

Magna Carta Unravelled (Wilberforce Publications, 2015, 217 pages, £7.99)

This book, a joint venture between Wilberforce Publications and Voice for Justice UK, is a collection of essays by eight experts in various fields (eg politics, law, the Church) largely based upon talks given at a conference held in May to commemorate the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta. Among the better known contributors are Baroness Cox, Lynda Rose, and Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali, but all those involved have distinguished reputations and are highly experienced.

Six of the original talks were expanded by the speakers into written form and to these were added two extra chapters. The overall result is a comprehensive survey covering the origins of Magna Carta, the development of its ideas throughout history, and its relevance today. The whole makes an important contribution towards the discussion on the contemporary challenges we face in our nation regarding our freedoms.

The opening chapter provides an excellent overview and sets the scene, declaring that "what we need to recognise today is that we are in the middle of a predominantly three-stranded ideological war: between Christianity, secularism, and Islam" (p29). Society is now in the grip of competing belief systems as the ruthless imposition of non-Christian values with their own ideas of 'rights' and 'freedoms' are being selectively applied. The result is a vigorous shaking of our foundations which is causing many to wonder what the eventual outcome will be.

This is an important contribution towards debating the ideological war currently gripping British society."

Other chapters cover the historical and theological background to Magna Carta, its Christian origins and legacy, the role of the State concerning freedoms, and the rise of Islam and sharia law in the UK. The final parts focus on the current challenges to individual liberty. On reflection, not all sections are of equal interest or engagement; some are more difficult to follow and rather stolid. Certainly, there are also many anecdotes and testimonies, including up-to-date personal stories, but often these have been well covered elsewhere and are over-long in the context of this particular book. There is even some overlap between speakers, which may be one of the disadvantages of a book produced from a conference. Overall it is difficult not to be disappointed at times that this is not a more enjoyable read.

However, the book clearly has a place within the current re-assessment and evaluation of Magna Carta. It is of a suitable length to fit between short introductions and fuller studies, and above all it does ask the right questions. Realising that the UK is "at a crossroads, with the soul of our nation at stake" (p17), it is very pertinent to consider the relevance of Magna Carta. Clearly it is an important historical document but what about now, eight centuries later, in our multi-cultural society? The fundamental principles and freedoms that it established have recently been attacked, dismantled and shattered. How did this happen and why? And where do we go from here?

This book asks the right questions about the present situation and future outlook in Britain, showing how Christian principles and values are not just being eroded and marginalised, but being branded as dangerous."

As the authors show, Christian principles and values are currently being marginalised, rebranded as hate speech and provocation if expressed publicly, and even portrayed as dangerous to a liberal and secular modern society. At the very least the likelihood is that there will be continuing attempts to contain Christian views and eventually eliminate them in the cause of new freedoms and ideas of tolerance. The ultimate fear is that we will lose our specifically Christian freedoms altogether.

Is this unduly alarmist or a wake-up call? You decide! Either way here is an informative and valuable resource for those seeking to think through these vital issues.