Diana's death was a merciful release for an undeserving nation.

Near my home there is a bridge on a bend of the road where a young man lost his life in an accident. Friends and relatives decorated the bridge with bunches of flowers in plastic covers which have remained for more than a year.

Little shrines like this are now to be seen throughout the land in towns as well as the countryside in what appears to be a new form of religion as Christianity declines in Britain.

With Bible-believing Christians becoming an endangered species, an agnostic population is developing its own religion. Grieving relatives who have little hope of seeing their loved ones in the life hereafter worship at these plastic altars to the dead, creating a kind of necropolis.

Flowers marking the spot of a fatal road accident. See Photo Credits.The Areopagus

It reminds me of the Apostle Paul arriving in Athens and seeing the vast array of shrines to Greek gods. He began telling people about the resurrection of Jesus and some of the local philosophers who loved to debate new ideas invited him to address the Areopagus, an outcrop of rock known as the hill of Mars, which served as the seat of the ancient and venerable supreme court of Athens (Acts 17:19-34).

Paul saw the opportunity to tell them about Jesus but wisely began by referring to an altar he had seen dedicated ‘To an unknown god’. In their polytheistic society, the Greeks were keen not to offend any of the gods by missing one of them, hence this shrine which Paul used to begin his message. His objective was to introduce them to the true God of Creation.

Death of Diana

The plastic altars that are spreading across Britain are symbols of the ‘unknown god’ that have become widespread in the past 20 years since the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, when a vast mountain of flowers in plastic bags was built up outside Kensington Palace and Buckingham Palace.

With Bible-believing Christians becoming an endangered species, our agnostic population is developing its own religion.

The 20^th anniversary of Diana’s tragic accident was recognised in August this year with more flowers in London and the two princes paying homage to their late mother.

The People’s Princess

The vast outpouring of grief 20 years ago was something never before witnessed in this nation and it took most people by surprise, including the Queen and our political leaders. Newly appointed Prime Minister Tony Blair described Diana as the ‘people’s princess’ which neatly encapsulated the public mood.

Diana was seen as a tragic figure – a beautiful woman deserted by her husband – millions of women in Britain could identify with her. Her TV interview about her divorce in which she had said that there were always three in her marriage touched a chord in millions of hearts. She was the lonely girl deserted by a heartless husband. In crying for her, millions were crying for themselves in socially acceptable grief.

An Orphan Spirit

Diana epitomised the ‘orphan spirit’ that is prevalent in Britain today as family life continues to crumble under the relentless attacks of those who wish to destroy the whole structure of our civilisation by attacking its Judeo-Christian foundations.

Her dispute with 'The Firm' – Prince Philip's nickname for the monarchy into which she had married - became the driving force in her life. She cleverly manipulated public opinion so that she was seen as the helpless victim of a cruel, all-powerful Establishment.

Diana epitomised the ‘orphan spirit’ that is prevalent in Britain today as family life continues to crumble.

Destroying the Monarchy

Her desire for revenge became far more than a personal dispute with her husband. It took on the character of a demonic force determined to destroy the monarchy, bringing chaos and confusion to the nation and tearing down all its major institutions that have held the United Kingdom together for centuries.

In taking as a lover the Muslim son of Mohamed Al Fayed, a man who hated Britain and who had acquired ownership of Harrods by disputed business dealings, Diana struck a blow, not only at the House of Windsor but at the Christian heritage of the nation.

If she had married him the consequences for the future of the nation were incalculable. This is why many people suspected that her death had been engineered by the Establishment to preserve the nation, but Christians saw it as the hand of God and his mercy towards an undeserving nation.

The plastic altar in The Mall in the heart of London at the funeral of the people’s princess represented the new religion of the British people – a nation grieving for its lost soul, deserted by the God of our fathers – now worshipping at the altar of ‘the unknown god’. Our condition is like that described by the faithful remnant of Israel after the destruction of Jerusalem who cried out to God for his forgiveness:

Our offences are many in your sight, and our sins testify against us. Our offences are ever with us, and we acknowledge our iniquities: rebellion and treachery against the Lord, turning our backs on our God, fomenting oppression and revolt, uttering lies our hearts have conceived. So justice is driven back, and righteousness stands at a distance; truth has stumbled on the streets, honesty cannot enter. Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey. (Isaiah 59:12-15)

Our nation is grieving for its lost soul.

Turning the Nation

Do we have to wait until ultimate tragedy and social disintegration strike Britain before we cry out to God for forgiveness, as the faithful remnant did after the destruction of Jerusalem? Those who understand the times and can see the destruction looming over Britain if the social anarchists continue their divisive and destructive ways must break their timid silence and proclaim truth into the nation!

The plastic altars to unknown gods will not save us! There is no other hope than confessing our sins before the Lord and asking him to heal our land. The loving promise of God is:

If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. (Jer 18:7-8)

Originally written for HEART of Sussex, October 2017 issue.

How disastrous events can have more than one prophetic theme.

This article is a brief follow-up comment on last week’s two lead articles. One was by Clifford Hill in the wake of the hurricane in Texas (also reminding us of the 1987 hurricane in the south of England). The other was by Charles Gardner, looking behind the sad death of Diana, Princess of Wales.

This is a further reflection on interpreting signs, a process which takes time, patience and a willingness to look at events from multiple points, in order to achieve a balanced understanding.

Good Can Come from Disaster

When we prayerfully consider events in the world around us, we are often alerted to other perspectives on them that expand our thinking.

For instance, in relation to the recent storms and floods in Texas, the Caribbean and around the world, it is too simplistic to see these events as God dealing a hammer blow of judgment to punish a particular community. Indeed, great good is stirred up when disaster falls.

Back in 1987 when trees were ripped up in the south-east of England, blocking roads and damaging property, I recall many encouraging stories of how people immediately worked together to clear the debris and get life going again. Chainsaws were brought out from garden sheds and soon roads were unblocked as communities came together in common cause. This was surely pleasing to God, even though he had allowed the storm to bring general devastation to warn against corruption in society.

It is too simplistic to see events like the recent hurricanes as God dealing a hammer blow of judgment to punish a particular community.

Many indications of such a God-pleasing response to the Texas emergency have been shared in the news and on social media, as help for people and animals affected by Hurricane Harvey has arrived from all corners of the US and from further afield.¹ As one ministry leader put it, “Today…all of America are Texans”.² Such a prompt and earnest desire to assist will have been widespread across the States. Surely, again, God is pleased with this.

It seems that God’s signs, whilst carrying warnings and sometimes judgments, also stir up the best in us. Such responses were also seen in the Grenfell Tower disaster and after the terrorist attacks in London and Manchester. Surely there would have been similar care for neighbours after the collapse of the Tower of Siloam in Jesus’ day.

What then of the warnings that are the reason for God taking away his protection and allowing such shocks to strike communities in the first place, devastating so many? How do we read the signs when we are caught up in a shaking from God?

Fashion, Diana and the 1987 Storm

Madonna and Cyndi Lauper - two 1980s style icons. See Photo Credits.

By coincidence, as last week’s Prophecy Today articles were being finalised for publication, the BBC ran a programme on Radio 4 entitled ‘The Reunion’, which looked back at the development of the UK fashion industry in the 1980s. I found this to be a useful behind-the-scenes look at an example of what God was intending to say to our nation at the time of the 1987 hurricane.

In summary, the fashion world of the 1980s was gaining immense momentum as favourable exchange rates with the USA fostered trans-Atlantic trade. From a human perspective, Britain seemed to be a success story, its burgeoning pop culture generating huge revenues as an obsession with celebrity and fashion overtook the nation.

Those of us who were watching this at the time may recall becoming concerned as image-building became a high priority for many (particularly young) people and pop stars became worshipped as icons, their outlandish clothing and behaviour attracting cult followings. If this worried us, we can be sure it was also of concern to God.

God’s signs, whilst carrying warnings and sometimes judgments, also stir up the best in us.

Diana's famous Travolta dress. Of course, Princess Diana became a focus of the fashion industry. Her dresses were dazzling and she wore them like a model, being presented by the media as a sort of fairy princess from a Disney film – even a goddess. In her case, the media helped raise her up and in the end were partly responsible for her tragic death, although the greed and ambition of the fashion houses may also have had a part to play.

Somehow in all this there was a sense that things were getting out of control and contributing to the nation’s departure from the ways of God. Prior to the 1987 storm and financial shaking there were some warning signs in the financial markets because of some strain in the dollar/sterling exchange rate. When the hurricane hit and the financial markets reeled, the fashion industry slumped just as did, no doubt, many other areas of the business world.

Putting On a Biblical Mindset

As I watched the BBC’s account of this one industry at the time of the 1987 crash, and became aware of how it overlapped with both of last week’s lead articles, it made me think again about interpreting the signs that came from the severe weather of both 1987 and 2017, which were of course on my mind as well. It was interesting to hear this secular presentation on fashion and filter it through a biblical and prophetically-inclined mindset – something every prayerful believer can do.

By looking in detail at what happened in this one area, I have this week become aware that the Lord allowed the storm to make us think through and turn back from what was not pleasing in His eyes – which undoubtedly included the growth of a fashion-conscious, celebrity-obsessed culture.

I believe the Lord allowed the storm to make us think through and turn back from what was not pleasing in His eyes – which undoubtedly included the growth of a celebrity-obsessed culture.

This does not mean that good did not also come from the storm, as communities rose up to help one another in ordinary, everyday ways. But more broadly, this prophetic sign was sadly not heeded; the industry found ways to pick up and move on, remaining quite deaf to what the Lord was saying.

Understand the Heart and Purposes of God

Surely there are aspects of the Texas hurricane that speak of corruption in US society, whilst God will also be pleased with those helping victims recover. It is ‘both/and’, not ‘either/or’ – and by balancing these different aspects of the disaster we can understand the heart and purposes of God better.

Will the prophetic word to the US get out in such a way that the nation emerges better off than it was before? Human beings have the ability to deafen themselves to the word of God, pick themselves up and carry on in defiance, which can only lead to further shaking.

Similarly, we have written in Prophecy Today for some time that further shaking will come to the UK. From time to time we hear of warning signs from within our financial institutions (see, for example, here). In anticipation of greater shaking ahead, let us continue to become mature in the reading of the signs. Our Bible reference is Hebrews 12:26:

Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven. Now this “yet once more” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things that cannot be shaken may remain.

Therein is the balance.

References

1 Even the President has not hesitated to join the fray, serving meals to victims at a relief centre in Houston - read more here.

2 Pastor John Looper, Restoration Fellowship International. Email to supporters.

Why the Princess should have avoided a deadly encounter with a spirit medium.

Amidst all the hype and nostalgia over the 20^th anniversary of the tragic death of Diana, Princess of Wales, I feel a duty to point something out that political correctness has deemed the great unmentionable (though not quite an elephant in the room, because few among our biblically illiterate mainstream media are aware of its seriousness).

I well remember the concern I felt in the summer of 1997 when it was reported that Diana and her lover, Dodi Al Fayed, were visiting a spiritist medium in Derbyshire. They arrived by helicopter and there was much press coverage, as was always the case when the so-called ‘Queen of Hearts’ was involved.¹

The Paris car crash in which the couple were killed just over a fortnight after this deadly encounter in Derbyshire should have served as a warning to the millions of others dabbling in the dark world of the occult. I will explain what I mean by ‘deadly encounter’ in due course.

The Paris car crash should have served as a warning to millions dabbling in the dark world of the occult.

Meanwhile Dodi’s father Mohamed concocted a bizarre conspiracy theory around the tragedy – claiming that it was an assassination engineered by Buckingham Palace and MI6 in order to deal with the supposed unsuitability of a possible Muslim match with royalty. Others blamed the chasing paparazzi for causing the crash as an apparently drunk ‘chauffeur’ drove at nearly 100mph to get away from them.

Spurning Advice

In looking back, most of our media paint a glossy picture of Diana as a tragic victim of so much misunderstanding – and indeed she was; a beautiful woman rejected by her husband, her insecurity driving her to search for love in the wrong places. Yes, very much the story of our age, hence the great outpouring of grief as millions, including myself, could identify with her (in fact, the evidence of my family tree even suggests an ancestral connection with the Spencers).

While it is right and proper to extend compassion to Diana’s sons William and Harry over their grievous loss of an evidently wonderful mother, it was refreshing to get a somewhat different perspective from Daily Mail columnist Dominic Lawson, who revealed that the Princess had spurned his advice about keeping away from the Fayeds.²

In Dominic’s own words, Mohamed Fayed was “nothing but trouble”, citing for example “the almost toxically controversial nature of the Egyptian (then owner of Harrods) and the fact that having been condemned eight years earlier in a 752-page Department of Trade report as a serial liar and fantasist, he was not a suitable holiday host either for her or her sons.”

More serious still was her spurning of warnings given in God’s Word, the Bible, described as “the most valuable thing this world affords” at our Queen’s coronation. Warnings against consulting mediums are repeated throughout the book on which our democracy – and indeed monarchy – has been built, such as: “Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God” (Lev 19:31). See also Leviticus 20:27, where death is the result, and Deuteronomy 18:11, where it is described as “detestable”. And in 1 Chronicles 10:13, we see that it was in part the cause of King Saul’s death!

Warnings against consulting mediums are repeated throughout the Bible.

Sexual Promiscuity and the Occult

The New Testament contains a most illuminating passage on the subject, which involved a female fortune-teller who earned a great deal of money for her owners. She followed the disciples, shouting: “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” She kept this up for many days until St Paul got so annoyed that he commanded the spirit to come out of her “in the name of Jesus Christ” (Acts 16:16-18). It did, and that was the end of her owners’ business.

The interesting thing is that she actually told the truth. But the devil also knows who Jesus is. The problem was that she was not serving God, but the devil. She was enslaved by the evil one and her freedom brought trouble – and jail – for Paul and his companion Silas, because a money-making racket based on a forbidden activity had been stopped. The authorities sided with the owners of the occult practice, just as often happens today. Could this be why apparently little effort is being made to prevent so-called kinky sex festivals taking place on the doorsteps of protesting neighbours in Kent? One such festival, in woodland near Tunbridge Wells, was billed as a chance for hedonists to “fulfill fantasies on a mystical site where witches’ covens have met for centuries”.³

Sexual promiscuity and the occult go together. Occult in all its forms – and that includes horoscopes – can be bracketed under the general heading of witchcraft. It is demonic, deceptive and disastrous.

The Whole Truth

According to the Derby Telegraph, Diana’s visit to psychic Rita Rogers in Lower Pilsley was not a one-off, as she kept in regular touch. Rita apparently warned Dodi to avoid France for fear of an accident in a tunnel and had earlier predicted Diana meeting a man with the initial D on water (they met on his yacht).

So there could well have been elements of truth that drew Diana and her lover into a deadly trap. This is where dabbling into the occult leads, and why unsuspecting Britons need to be warned to avoid it, and instead pursue the beautiful truth personified in Jesus, who said: “I am the way and the truth and the life; no-one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

Fortune-telling enslaves you, because it ties you to the course dictated by whatever ‘revelation’ has supposedly been given rather than freeing you to make your own decisions and trust God to lead you in his “paths of righteousness” (Ps 23:3).

Fortune-telling enslaves you, tying you to the course dictated by whatever ‘revelation’ has supposedly been given.

Of course I can’t say for certain whether Diana ever read the passages I have quoted or was aware of them. But the Bible is God’s word to us. It is not just a history book. It contains a vast breadth of advice and wisdom on how to live our lives. Ignorance on the day when we will all have to give account of our lives will be no excuse (2 Cor 5:10).

The fulfillment of many ancient prophecies, particularly those concerning the coming of Messiah Jesus as well as the more recent extraordinary re-gathering of Jews to their promised land from every corner of the globe, is surely proof enough that the Bible can be trusted absolutely.

Prophecy vs Fortune-Telling

Prophecy – the forth-telling of God’s will, ways and purposes – is one thing. Consulting mediums is quite another, an activity strictly forbidden by the Lord. It’s about seeking secret knowledge in order to feel in control by delving into a future that God has chosen not to reveal. He wants us to live by faith – that is, by trusting him for our daily needs. “Without faith it is impossible to please God…” (Heb 11:6). It is not for us to know precisely what lies ahead (see Deut 29:29).

Prophecy – the forth-telling of God’s will, ways and purposes – is quite different to consulting mediums in order to gain secret knowledge, an activity strictly forbidden by the Lord.

Dabbling with darkness will invite all kinds of trouble to our lives. God wants us to live in the light, and he has shown us the perfect way by sending Jesus, His Son, “the light of the world” (John 8:12).

One of the most famous passages of Scripture is preceded just a few verses earlier by this question: “When someone tells you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God?” (Isa 8:19). The former leads only to distress, darkness and fearful gloom… (v22)

Nevertheless…”The people walking in darkness have seen a great light…For to us a child is born, to us a son is given…and he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isa 9:1-6).

Notes

1 Quinn, S. Anniversary of Princess Diana's visit to Derbyshire psychic Rita Rogers. Derby Telegraph, 14 August 2017.

2 The Daily Mail, 28 August 2017 – Princess Diana was godmother to Domenica, the Down’s Syndrome daughter of Dominic Lawson and his wife Rosa Monckton.

3 The Independent, 14 August 2017.