Paul Luckraft reviews ‘Zionion’ by Steve Maltz (Saffron Planet, 2017).

This is a small book on a big theme: anti-Semitism in all its various forms. Its quirky title (pronounced ‘Zi-onion’) should not detract from the seriousness of its subject matter, nor should its size belittle the importance of its topic, which has been described as ‘the longest hatred’. As Maltz explains, he wrote this book “to expose the layers of hatred, as if peeling an onion, to shed light on the variety of aspects, scenarios and environments that this hatred has infiltrated” (p7).

So, now we know the reason for the title - the unusual conflation of Zion and onion - but what about the peeling process? How does Maltz go about exposing these layers?

The Multi-Headed Hydra

The answer lies in 16 short chapters, each of which outlines one particular area in which anti-Semitism is apparent, and which collectively build up the case that here we have something of major significance - something that is worldwide and endemic - an engineered hatred powered by generations of conditioning.

Maltz starts with the British Government and its post-Balfour failings, then moves on to the Palestinians, and the United Nations with its plethora of resolutions that condemn Israel (many more than those which condemn the rest of the world combined). Maltz concludes that either “Israel is the most evil rogue nation state in the World or there is a conspiracy of nations ‘out to get them’!” (p23).

In 16 short chapters, Maltz builds up the case that anti-Semitism is of major significance – a worldwide, engineered hatred that is endemic.

Later chapters include an examination of anti-Semitic attitudes found in the media, in academia and amongst activists and boycotters. Maltz demolishes the argument that Israel is an ‘apartheid state’ by demonstrating how Arabs have it better in Israel than they would elsewhere, something that a majority of Arabs admit to when surveyed. He also memorably coins the word ‘academonising’ to describe how those with impressive strings of qualifications often unite in their mutual hatred for the Jewish state.

Jihadists and neo-Nazis inevitably each get a chapter, but Maltz also illustrates that some Jews oppose the existence of Israel - usually for theological reasons - and that many Christians also still foster anti-Semitic sentiments, perhaps also for their own faulty theological reasons.

The overall conclusion is that “this multi-headed hydra of hatred against the Jews” (p77) is capable of emerging in many contexts. It is an ancient hostility that will not die. Jews remain hated and feared simply because they are Jews.

As Maltz admits, his book “has only skimmed the surface of the seas of animosity…[but the] objective has simply been to alert people to a massive injustice without laying it on too thickly” (p77).

Web Referencing

One interesting feature of the book is that the endnotes to each chapter consist largely of references to websites and webpages, most of which are independent news sources used to back up the points he makes. By following up each reference, the reader can expand his knowledge and understanding at each point. The book can thus be described as Tardis-like - much bigger on the inside that its outer size suggests.

It may seem tedious to have to keep going to the web to access this extra reading but all the links are also listed together on Maltz’s own website, Saltshakers, making clicking through much easier (though it must be said that some links no longer work).

The quirky title should not detract from the seriousness of the subject matter.

A Note on the Title

By the end, Maltz declares that “Our onion has been well and truly peeled” (p77). However, the onion analogy is not necessary to gain an appreciation of the book and the work Maltz has done in compiling it. It may have been inspirational and helpful for the author and his creative processes, but there is no sense that each layer (chapter) is getting smaller or heading towards a ‘centre’. The book stands on its own terms, and the reader will not be aware of any peeling process, though he may well be led to shed tears at each stage.

At first sight, the title is rather obscure and its pronunciation awkward to work out. Making up a new word for the title of a book can run into difficulty, but the subtitle (‘Why does the world obsess over Israel?’) is helpful in getting us past the cover – which as we know is never the best way to assess a book!

Excellent Value

Overall this slim volume is excellent value and easy to read. It could also be passed on to others whose views need challenging or whose understanding needs stretching. Maltz is an expert in providing assistance in both cases.

In some ways this is a slight diversion from the main themes of the author’s previous books (‘Hebraic Church’, ‘Livin’ The Life’) but these will be picked up again in his next book, Into the Lion’s Den, due out March 2018.

Zionion (80pp) is available from the publisher for £5.

A meditation on Psalm 119:97-104 (Ma ahavti torahteicha - 'O how I love your law').

When did you last write a letter by hand? And in ink? (“ink? - what's that?” I hear you ask!). It seems that electronic communication by emails, Whatsapp, Facebook, etc, have almost replaced letters written longhand.

So when we browse through the new emails in our inbox, which ones do we open first? Replies to emails sent yesterday? Requests for money? Emails that should have gone to our spam file? No! It's those from our loved ones; and those who love us.

The Bible has been called God's love letter to us. A letter from One who has shown such wonderful and faithful love for us should make us want to open it at once and read about them over and over again.

God’s Directives, Our Faith

Psalm 119 is such a letter, beautifully laid out in acrostic bite-sized pieces, with 8 verses for each of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet, the language in which God chose to communicate His love to us. It reveals the writer's devotion to the Word of God as the Word of life, and is an invitation to walk in Torah (not as a rigid 'law' but, more accurately, as teaching, guidance, and direction – torah derived from the word yarah, to teach). It's from the One who, as no other, loves us and draws us to love Him.

Every verse has a synonym for His guidance (His Torah), and the psalm focuses both on God's directives for life, and on our faith in His faithful promises to those who follow them.
No wonder the psalmist says, “O how I love Your Torah: I meditate on it all day long” (v97). Do we also read and re-read this love letter?

Understanding Who God Is

The benefits of responding to this love letter are immediate. It makes me wise (chokmah) by keeping Your commands (v98), it gives me insight (sakal) through meditating on Your statutes (v99), and invites understanding (beyn) because I keep your precepts (v100) and seek to obey Your word (dvar) and Your laws (mishpat) (vv101-102). This is God's steadfast faithfulness (His chesed).

Note that the psalmist says: It is Your law (v97) - Your commandments (v98) - Your testimonies (v99) - Your word (v101) - Your laws (v102), for You yourself have taught me. All these elements of God's letter teach us about God Himself, and His love for us, and they are summed up in v104: In this “I gain understanding [of who You are]”.

No wonder the psalmist says, “They are sweeter than honey”. Who would not want these gifts from the One who loves us so?

And they please God, for He says to His people, “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom...but let him boast in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight” (Jer 9:24). God is Immanuel and wants to dwell with us, in us.

Paul echoes this to believers in Philippi – “I count everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Phil 3:7-10). Wow! That is a goal worth striving for. Torah is His way of loving us into receiving His promises and pleasing Him (1 Thess 4:1).

Knowing Him Better

As we mark Hanukkah, the Feast of Dedication (John 10:22), this week, and celebrate Jesus' birth, let us dedicate ourselves to receive His miracle, the true Light (John 1:9), and meditate on His Word, His Torah, so we come to know and understand Him better through His love letter.

Author: Greg Stevenson

In Matthew 6:16-19 Jesus gave his listeners a fuller understanding of the Old Testament scriptures about fasting. Now, in Matthew 9, Jesus having had a meal with tax collectors and sinners, some of the disciples of John the Baptist are left confused. They put this question to Jesus:

Why don’t your disciples fast whereas both the disciples of John the Baptist and of the Pharisees do?

Initially Jesus gave a straightforward reply by way of a wedding picture. Identifying Himself as the bridegroom at a wedding and His disciples as the guests, He made it clear that of course His disciples couldn’t fast during such a celebration. Nevertheless they would fast when the bridegroom is taken away. History tells us that after Jesus was taken away, times of fasting continued to be acknowledged by believers (e.g. Acts 27:9).

But then Jesus followed with two analogies which, until now, seemed to me to have little to do with the question posed by John’s disciples:

No one patches an old coat with a piece of unshrunk cloth, because the patch tears away from the coat and leaves a worse hole.

Nor do people put new wine in old wineskins; if they do, the skins burst, the wine spills and the wineskins are ruined. No, they pour new wine into freshly prepared wineskins, and in this way both are preserved. (vv16-17)

These analogies seemed to me irrelevant…until I thought about the initial question and what lay behind it: “Why don’t your disciples fast?” was really a way of asking: ‘Jesus, are you and by implication your disciples, doing away with Torah?’

These analogies give an answer which says ‘I am not doing away with Torah – on the contrary! I, your Messiah, am leading you into the fullness of Torah.’

Let me explain: The old coat and old wineskins represent Judaism at the time of Jesus - a good coat but with a hole, a wineskin that became rigid through lack of care. The patch and the wine is the Messianic faith that Jesus was proclaiming, the true fulfilment of Torah. Fitting an unprepared patch of Christianity to Judaism or forcing Christianity into a stiff legalistic Judaic wineskin will not be any more pleasing to God than patching up the legalistic forms of Judaism of Jesus’ day.

Assuming this to be a fair understanding, then I propose two prayers:

Heavenly Father…fill us with the new wine of life through the Holy Spirit, under the new covenant of Jesus’ blood. Let us inherit a full understanding of Torah as you always intended it – help us to learn, in you, how to relate to your Law and your people Israel.

Heavenly Father…release unbelieving Israel from bondage to legalistic Judaism, and prepare them for relationship with you and with Gentile believers, through Jesus the Messiah.

Amen?

Author: John Quinlan

A selection of the week's happenings to aid your prayers.

Society & Politics

• BBC to up religious output: After a review which revealed higher levels of belief and interest in religion amongst the public than previously thought, the BBC has pledged to increase its religious broadcasting output, though concerns are being raised about its ability to achieve this. Read more here.
  
• Brighton Hanukkah event closed to public due to anti-Semitism fears: The event, held at Hove Town Hall, had to be held behind closed doors due to security threats posed by pro-Palestinian protestors. Read more here.
  
• Another street preacher acquitted: Nigerian pastor Oluwole Ilesanmi was arrested and charged with a hate crime after preaching in London in June, but all charges have now been dropped. Read more here.
  
• Pro-abortion bias at all levels: The Christian Institute has reported this week on the astonishing level of bias present in the Government inquiry into buffer zones around abortion clinics, as well as on a premature baby left to die at 22 weeks after being termed not ‘viable’ by doctors.

Church Issues

• Entire Bible to be read in Parliament Square in 2018: The #TruthtoPower campaign is urging churches and individuals to sign up to read passages of Scripture as part of the initiative to bring the Word back to the nation. Read more here and here.
• Report implies multi-faith services should be an option for ailing churches: The independent review, published by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, suggests that listed CofE church buildings must be adapted for wider community use if they are to be kept open. Read more here.

World Scene

• UN General Assembly votes 129-9 to call Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem ‘null and void’: The resolution was introduced this week as part of a rare emergency session. 35 countries abstained and there were 21 no-shows. The UK voted in favour. Read more here.

Israel & Middle East

• Assad blocks humanitarian relief, starves hundreds of thousands: The Syrian dictator is trapping 400,000 people in Eastern Ghouta, Damascus, in increasingly dire conditions, as part of a siege on rebel forces. Read more here.
  
• Palestinians seek to replace US as peace mediator: After Trump’s decision to recognise Jerusalem, Palestinian leader Abbas has renounced the US’s historic role in the peace process and sent envoys to China and Russia to court a replacement. Read more here.
  
• Obama protected Hezbollah to win with Iran: Politico has reported that the Obama administration intentionally derailed a US effort to track Hezbollah drug trafficking, in order to curry favour with Iran ahead of signing the nuclear deal. Hezbollah’s billion-dollar, illegal drugs network funds its terror efforts. Read more here.

Upcoming Events

• The P Word Conference (Cardiff): 27 January 2018, 10:30am-4pm, Freedom Church, Cardiff. A practical Christian response to pornography for all leaders. In partnership with CARE. For more information and for tickets, visit pwordconference.com.
• Foundations 9 (Cumbria): 19-23 March 2018, Grange-Over-Sands. Theme: Into the lion's den: reaching a world gone mad. Steve Maltz's annual week-long Hebraic conference. £260 per person. Click here for more information and to book.

Drama in the snow.

One of the most dramatic incidents in my life happened soon after Christmas high up in the Swiss Alps. My wife and I were walking through the little Alpine village of Adelboden to watch the Men's Downhill of the World Cup.

We are both poor skiers, but we were not there for the skiing. We were speakers at a conference at a local hotel and we had the afternoon free. On the way there I had a growing awareness of the presence of God: it was not just a spiritual response to the grandeur of the scenery.

Expectation

So, it was with a heightened sense of expectancy that we arrived at the foot of the slope and joined the crowd watching some of the world's most skilful young men risking life and limb to hurl themselves down the mountainside, trying to reduce record-breaking times by mere fractions of a second. We cheered the Swiss boys who were popular with the local crowd (there being no British competitors!)

I was sure that God had something to say to me so I carefully watched every competitor racing down the mountain but nothing of significance spoke to me.

Eventually it was all over. The presentations were made; the TV camera crews closed the eyes of the world and the crowd began to disperse. Several thousand people began to walk back into the village. I had a sense of disappointment and found myself silently saying, "Lord, have I missed something? Forgive me if I’ve not been attentive."

I had a growing awareness of the presence of God: it was not just a spiritual response to the grandeur of the scenery. I was sure God had something to say to me.

The footpath back into the village was narrow and winding. It was slow going with the large crowd threading its way along the snow-packed icy track which in some places was only four or five feet wide. At one point the pathway turned a sharp bend hugging the mountain face on one side, and on the other side there was a low wooden guard-rail protecting a steep snow-covered slope running down towards the edge of the ledge with a sheer drop onto rocks below.

A Near Tragedy

We had hardly turned the corner when the air was suddenly rent with a piercing scream of a child just behind me. She had evidently missed her footing coming around the bend on the outside of the crowd, slipped under the guard-rail and was now sliding helplessly down the steep slope towards the edge.

I swung round, and together with many others, stood frozen to the spot powerlessly watching the small figure of a three or four-year-old child sliding down the mountainside on her stomach, feet first, with arms outstretched screaming with the full power of her lungs and her eyes looking imploringly upwards. I doubt whether I will ever forget the look of helpless terror in that child's eyes as her body gathered speed on its way down towards almost certain death.

Before I could even take in the full horror of the situation another dramatic event occurred that was to leave an indelible picture in my mind. Within seconds, as the first screams from the child were echoing from mountains across the valley, a man hurled himself through the crowd, leapt the guard-rail and ran down the slope with such incredible speed that he rapidly began to overtake the child still screaming at the top of her voice.

It was little short of a miracle that he managed to keep his balance on the acute slope - actually running down the mountainside! A few more strides and he reached the child, sweeping her up into his arms, and then was lost from sight for a few moments in a flurry of snow as he stopped himself just yards short of the edge of the slope. He stood there for what seemed a long time with the child’s arms flung round his neck clinging tightly and sobbing loudly.

In that little drama of human love, we witnessed a tiny glimpse of God's great saving purposes for his children.

An Amazing Rescue

The man, later identified as the child's father, steadied himself in preparation for the dangerous climb back up the snow-covered slope. The climb seemed to take ages as he dug into the deep snow, testing each foothold before taking a step, ensuring that it was safe to take him with the additional weight of the child in his arms. Eventually he reached the guard-rail where there were plenty of willing hands stretched out to help him onto the pathway and to lift the little girl over the rail into the comfort of her mother's arms.

As I watched the father standing there so close to the sheer drop onto the rocks below and as I watched him on his slow ascent to safety I very clearly heard God say to me,

This is what I brought you here to see. You saw how that child was sliding towards certain death. You saw how her eyes were looking up to her father and you heard how she cried for help. You saw how her father responded immediately, not hesitating to assess the danger to himself, but flung himself down the mountainside to rescue his child. That is how I love my children.

A Message of Love

"Lord," I responded, "That is wonderful! Your love is just amazing!"

Immediately, I felt a sense of rebuke as though God was saying to me,

Why do you say that? Do you think that my love is less than that of a human father? Did I not create him? Did I not make him capable of such a love for his child? Am I less than my own creation? I am God. There is no other! I created the universe and I created human beings in my own image. My love is at least as great as human love and a million times more and a million times more.

It was then that I heard the words that were to have a long-term impact on my life. I very clearly heard the Lord say, "Tell my people I love them. Tell my people I love them." From somewhere in the back of my mind there came the words of a song:

Tell my people I love them,

Tell my people I care.

When they feel far away from me,

Tell my people I’m there.

We walked along the path back into the village, silently re-living the drama of the last few minutes, each of us conscious of the presence of the Living God, ‘lost in wonder, love and praise’. In that little drama of human love, we had both witnessed a tiny glimpse of God's great saving purposes for his children.

The fresh mountain air, the winding path, the breath-taking view across the valley, all seemed to take on a new significance of the God of Creation revealing his everlasting love for the people whom he had created in his image. I think we both felt a little bit like Moses standing on another mountain when he took off his shoes feeling that the very ground on which he stood was holy with the presence of Almighty God.

Only one man actually risked his life and ran down the mountainside to save the child - her father!

The experience on the mountainside transformed the evening message especially as we sang:

Mine is an unchanging love

Higher than the heights above

Deeper than the depths beneath

Re-Living the Drama

There have been many times during a sleepless night when I have re-lived that drama on the mountainside and asked myself the question, ‘If that had been my child would I have jumped the guard-rail and run down to save her?’ I would like to think that the answer is, ‘Yes I would!’ But I have never been in that position so I can't be absolutely certain.

The one certain thing I do know is that I made no attempt to go and save someone else's child. I don’t find that a very comfortable thought. There were scores of other men near enough to try to save the child, but only one man actually risked his life and ran down the mountainside to save the child - her father!

This powerful illustration of a father's love has given me so much more understanding of the love of God our Father; who so loved the world that he sent his only Son to teach us to know God as our Father. It’s his birthday we’re celebrating right now. Make sure you invite him to the birthday party!!!

Previously published in: Hill, C, 2010. Unbreakable Love. CCM, Bedford, pp18-22.

The awesome wonder of how the Creator came to live among us

Whatever you may think as harassed shoppers or parents, Christmas does not come too soon. It’s an example of God’s perfect timing, though I appreciate that the Messiah’s actual birthday was more likely to have been during the Feast of Tabernacles.

There was precise timing in the Divine coming, nevertheless. Naturally speaking, the Christ child should have been born in Nazareth. But because Caesar intervened and ordered a census, the holy family were forced to travel some 80 miles to Bethlehem (the town of David, from which their lineage was traced), thus fulfilling the prophecy of Micah:

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. (Micah 5:2)

The stars lined up with such precision, and in such brilliance, that the Wise Men were able to follow the light all the way to the little town near Jerusalem, where the flawless sheep were traditionally prepared for Passover.

And the shepherds on the surrounding hills were perfectly placed to respond to the angelic call to come and worship the new-born King, also to become the Good Shepherd leading his flock to fresh pasture.

Prophetic Statements

Among the precious gifts the Wise Men brought was myrrh, a prophetic statement of the Messiah’s sacrificial death to come as the ultimate Passover Lamb, when he would die on the Cross for the sins of the world – myrrh was used for embalming the deceased for burial.

Bethlehem means ‘House of Bread’ and indeed Jesus was to describe himself as the “bread of life” (John 6:35) whose body (symbolised by the bread of communion) would be given for us, his death bringing us life. Jesus adds: “Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

Naturally speaking, the Christ child should have been born in Nazareth. But because Caesar intervened, the holy family were forced to travel to Bethlehem, in fulfilment of ancient prophecy.

So the shepherds in the fields of Bethlehem and the Wise Men led to the infant King through a once-in-a-blue-moon lining up of the stars were all part of God’s perfect timing. Everything in God’s perfect plan was in the right place at the right time.

Frankincense. See Photo Credits.

The Apostle Paul, referring to the Messiah’s sacrifice, writes: “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly” (Rom 5:6).

Immanuel

The gift of frankincense, also brought by the Wise Men, represents the fragrance of God’s presence and speaks of Immanuel, God with us, which is also the central thought of the Feast of Tabernacles, celebrating the time when God made his presence known to the wandering Israelites in the wilderness – providing food, water and shelter in the parched desert environment.

Now, through the one born to be King (hence the gift of gold), God has actually taken on flesh to tabernacle (or live) among us. And at the end of his earthly ministry, the risen Lord promises to be ‘with us’ (his followers) forever, until the end of the age (Matt 28:20).

He Cares!

The reality of God being with us came home very strongly to my wife Linda and I during our recent extended stay in Israel caused by visa problems. Not only did we base ourselves at a guesthouse called Beit Immanuel (Beit = house) but we also learnt perhaps as never before that he really is ‘with you’ when you trust him absolutely.

After all, we weren’t even sure if our bank account could stand up to the pressure, but in the midst of the storm, when the wind and tide is against you, Jesus comes into your boat and says: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” (Mark 6:50). When you cast all your cares on him, he does indeed care for you (1 Pet 5:7). He is in control – even over immigration officials and government departments.

Through the one born to be King, God actually took on flesh to tabernacle (or live) among us.

And so we were able to enjoy the extra rest, relaxation and beachside restaurants the Lord had graciously provided for us. And documents we needed to board our re-booked flight home arrived in the nick of time – God isn’t in a hurry, but he is punctual. He came at just the right time for you and I to receive him and make him Lord of our lives.

Modern Bethlehem. See Photo Credits.God with Us

The Apostle John records: “He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us…” (John 1:11-14).

The new-born King of 2,000 years ago desires to make his presence known this Christmas with many new-born believers!

Why not turn the words of this carol into a personal prayer? “Oh holy child of Bethlehem, descend to me I pray; cast out my sin and enter in, be born in me today.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

Meeting Us Where We Are

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

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

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

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

Our Task

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

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

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

Immanuel – God be with us.

Clifford Denton
Chairman of the Board

News of church growth in Iraqi Kurdistan.

It is not making news headlines here in the UK, but there is a growth of believers in Christ Jesus in Kurdistan. They are getting saved from Islam in the wake of the withdrawal of ISIS.

Below is a collection of reports from personal contacts who have visited the area and comments from believers there. The aim is to encourage believers in the West to think of these brothers and sisters in Christ and hold them in prayer as they struggle in difficult circumstances, often facing persecution and hardship.

They are so very gracious and encouraging in their communications - they need encouragement and whatever support we can give.

In Yeshua,

Peter Adams

The Untenable Situation of the Nineveh Plains Christians

Iraq is split into three general areas: Kurdistan in the north, Sunni Islam in the centre-north of Baghdad, and Shi’a Islam in the south.

The Nineveh Plains of central Iraq are the biblical areas where the Prophets Jonah and Nahum preached. Jonah gave them the besorah (news) and they repented and turned to the God of Israel. 150 years later, Nahum brought news of impending judgment from God. They had, in that short time, turned away from him.

However, Christian societies have survived in this same area for 2,000 years. Those who remain today are facing an existential threat. Their future literally hangs in the balance.

ISIS has all but decimated Christian towns like Qaraqosh and Bartella. I’ve seen their disastrous conditions. There is little or no support from central Government. The powerful Orthodox priests (think of the Jewish priesthood of Yeshua’s day) managed to undermine and ruin the help that was promised by Franklin Graham’s Samaritans Purse. They could have had 500 homes repaired and made habitable, but Evangelical help is not wanted by these men - they’d rather the people suffer.

There is a growth of believers in Christ Jesus in Kurdistan, getting saved out of Islam.

The latest attempt to undermine the demography of the Christian town of Qaraqosh, which has a massive cross at the city entrance that can be seen from miles around, is to infuse Shi’a students into its Christian college. Incredibly, these students are now angered because there is no accommodation for them in town! Meanwhile, 1,000 Christian refugee families returning to the area are themselves desperately trying to repair homes so as to settle down, after three to four years away living in camps.

These people, like my friend RS, need our prayers more than ever before. They are fighting what seems like a losing battle, but for their hope and faith in Yeshua. I do not know how they continue, how they even have the zeal to fight on. But what alternatives do they have? Christians are not welcomed into Europe and America - only Muslims. Such is the skewed world in which we live.

Surely God is coming swiftly and his recompense is with Yeshua, who will wage a ferocious war against his enemies - even these who are destroying the lives of his children.

Thank you father for having a godly heart for the people and the new believers in Kurdistan. It’s true, our area is under threats and [there has been] a hard situation of the economy recently. Please, whenever you guys give help…to the people in Kurdistan, at first pray about it for the families for…grace, peace and [that] hearts would be soft. (HK)

Great Numbers Departing from Islam

I am reliably told that many, many Muslims are departing from Islam in Kurdistan and Iraq. Although they still go to mosque and play the part out of fear, they are no longer practising their faith. This is an indication that the ‘prince of power of the air’ (Eph 2:1-2) is to some degree being challenged.

Yes my father, many Muslims leave Islam. I was a Muslim 5 years ago…I believed in Jesus Christ… (XS)

Many are simply becoming atheists, while others are turning to Christianity. This has been driven by a realisation that the god of ISIS is no god worth following. Attending the mosque has become perfunctory, a way to not draw attention to themselves.

This does not mean all are coming to faith in Yeshua, but it does mean the grip satan has had in these areas is loosening. And in this atmosphere, Kurds in particular are being saved.

These people need our prayers more than ever before. They are fighting what seems like a losing battle, but for their hope and faith in Yeshua.

Meanwhile, the example being set by Christians in the West is no help to these new believers. “It does not inspire Muslims to come to Messiah”, ZH said. “We are coming to Yeshua because of direct revelation from God, reading the Bible and seeing our fellow Muslims in the face of persecution willing to leave Islam to follow Jesus”.

Another commented: “The strength of Islam is the weakness of so-called Christianity in the West...we are bending over backwards to please everybody except Jesus Christ, instead of living to the Glory of the One and Only God the Father.”

Revelations of Jesus

Nevertheless, the Spirit of God is at work in Iraq – for which we need to rejoice! Yeshua, the great revelation of God to man (which the Allah of Islam is incapable of producing), has been causing many Muslims to lose hope in Islam. As they understand and grasp the Judeo-Christian message they are filled with hope.

And the fact that Yeshua suffered persecution gives them greater strength to endure their difficult conditions. It is a motivation to live for him and not to fear any coming tribulation. They are not forsaken, they sense His presence, and KNOW His peace.

A message from XS in Kurdistan who has left Islam:

A God who cannot reveal Himself is not a god…Thanks be to God, the faith is much stronger because God created us in His image. And he revealed [himself in] human flesh to let us not have any doubts about Him...! …that’s the reason we are feeling so pleased because Jesus has been persecuted before each of us, and this persecution is [bearable for] us for the sake of His name.

Others are coming to faith as they see the steadfastness of the believers who have counted the huge cost of leaving Islam. This is truly different from our Western idea of people coming to Jesus to see what they can get out of him. But coming to the Lord is not a formula to a better lifestyle. The reality is that most Christians who come to Yeshua in earnestness find themselves literally surrounded by problems.

Our brothers in Kurdistan see the life of a believer quite differently. They see Yeshua walking beside them in the midst of their storms. This is the type of faith that draws unbelieving Muslims to Yeshua. They are not coming for a better lifestyle; they are coming because he is the only hope we have in this life. A new lifestyle, or a new life? There is a huge, huge difference.

New Death Threats for Kurdish Believers

Recently I had a video call to Christian friends in Kurdistan who I visited a couple of months ago. They have bad news concerning their safety, yet in this darkness there is the encouragement of seeing the light of new believers coming to faith.

After a recent distribution to Muslim widows and mothers who lost sons fighting ISIS, they’ve received death threats. This has unfortunately meant they have had to leave their homes for the safety of Irbil. Quite incredibly, in the midst of these tribulations, they are seeing Muslims come to faith. Another two men have come to believe in Yeshua in these last days.

It seems almost bizarre that while we in the West are busy discussing and debating the rapture, and whether Christians are due to go through tribulation, our brothers are faced with some very trying and testing times. Consider the domestic difficulties on top of this, with some spouses not being saved and the pressure on these marriages.

While we in the West are busy discussing and debating the rapture, and whether Christians are due to go through tribulation, our brothers are faced with some very trying and testing times.

Apart from this, they have the looming political spectre of Iran hanging over them, barely half an hour away. Iran is pushing to have a crescent running from ancient Persia through Iraqi Kurdistan, Syria and Lebanon opening the way to the Mediterranean Sea. And of course poised to take Israel from her northern border.

Thankfully we have the scriptures full of exhortation to those enduring hardships and living under an anti-Christ system already. These are two we discussed recently:

They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God. (John‬ ‭16:2‬)‬

While the context John speaks about is Judaism, exactly the same applies to those put out of the mosques. The Mullahs have been speaking about our brethren and their need to be put to death.

…strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, ‘Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God’. (Acts‬ ‭14:22‬) ‬‬

Paul gives further warning here that followers of Yeshua must not expect to enter the Kingdom any other way than by tribulation.

I ask you who care to please pray for them. And those already praying, please continue praying the Lord’s protection over them and their families. These people do not have other Christians to look to for guidance and support. They are in desperate need of our prayers and have asked that I convey their deep appreciation for our love and concern towards them.

Points for prayer:

• Please pray for Muslims departing from Islam in Kurdistan and Iraq: that the Spirit of our Lord God may draw them to himself, and that they do not stay in a spiritual vacuum, only for it to be filled by something else. Our prayers can be influential in the redemption of these people, for whom Yeshua died.
  
• Please pray for the believers in Kurdistan who have left Islam - that they continue in this new faith in Yeshua the Messiah.

Point for action:

There are some believers in Kurdistan who cannot afford kerosene for their heaters, and those in Soran and Irbil also need food support through the winter. Temperatures drop below freezing and I am planning to send some money to my contacts there who will see it gets into the right hands.

If anyone has a desire to help, any amount will be greatly appreciated. It would not take much for us believers to make a huge difference in their lives of our Kurdish brethren this winter over a three-month period.

If you would like to contribute, please make a direct payment to Prophecy Today (details below) and include the instruction ‘Kurdistan’ – we will collect the gifts and send them directly.

Bank transfer details: Prophecy Today Ltd / Account Number: 19560260 / Sort Code: 77-66-03

Editorial note: These reports were received via email and have been edited slightly and anonymised for publication. The content remains unchanged. Names of believers have been abbreviated for their protection.

Peter Fenwick concludes his assessment of the Toronto Blessing in the light of Scripture.

This article is part of a series. Click here for previous instalments.

The Receiving Methodology

The claim has been made widely that via Toronto ‘receiving meetings’ people have gone on to experience great advance in the realm of sanctification. It has been claimed that people have moved into areas of very significant holiness where besetting sins previously dominated.

As has been shown earlier in this chapter, the style of receiving methodology is not new in the charismatic movement. It has prevailed for years and therefore comes as no surprise to thousands of Christians. What I am going on to say may well produce a reaction of 'So what? Who cares? The whole thing works so does anything else matter?'

First of all, yet again, the New Testament, indeed the whole Bible, never gives an example of meetings being convened for the laying on of hands, resulting in Christian people being significantly more sanctified. None of the Bible's teaching on sanctification so much as hints that procedures like this could help. Yet we have been presented with this method as the great thing that God is doing in these days.

The second point at issue is that the New Testament tells us most clearly how sanctification will come about. In John 17:17-20, Jesus is praying to his Father for his people and he says “[Father] sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth”. He had previously taught in John 15:3, “Now you are clean through the word which I have spoken to you”.

The Bible never gives an example of the laying on of hands resulting in Christian people being significantly more sanctified.

Paul taught in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is...useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work”. When Paul addresses his farewells to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20, he says in verse 32, “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified”. We have very similar teaching in the Old Testament, for example, Psalm 119:11, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you”.

What are all these scriptures saying? They are telling us very plainly that sanctification, cleansing and living in righteousness come to the people of God through the word of God, that is, through the scriptures. It is necessary to feed on the scriptures, to meditate upon them, to digest them, to absorb them and hide them away in our hearts. Through them we learn to respond to God's disciplines and to benefit from them; we learn to trust in God working out his purposes in times of turmoil and trial and tribulation.

Supremely we discover who God is - that is, his nature and character - and we read over and over again how much he supports us and how much he has done for us, and indeed, is doing for us.

We become familiar with the full revelation of God in the Lord Jesus Christ, whom we look to in order to lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily besets us. This is the pattern set for us in the New Testament. It is the Lord Jesus himself and the apostles who have taught all of this and we surely finish up at odds with them if in these last years of the 20^th Century we go down a different route altogether.

The Bible is clear that we can be converted in a moment following repentance from sin and faith in the Lord Jesus; it is equally clear that the work of sanctification takes a lifetime.

It is a consequence of the Holy Spirit working in the life of the believer, through the ministry of the word of God, as shown above. In Ephesians 5:26 Paul teaches that Christ will sanctify and cleanse the Church which he loves with “the washing with water through the word” (emphasis added) in order to ultimately present to himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing. We will take this matter a little further in the next section.

The work of sanctification takes a lifetime, and is a consequence of the Holy Spirit’s work, through the ministry of the word of God.

The Claimed Testimonies

There were those who claimed that, as a result of the type of ministry I have described, they had an experience of God resulting in a new love for the Lord Jesus Christ, a new love for the scriptures, increased zeal in witnessing and freedom from besetting sins. These are very significant claims.

However, these claims were made and accepted very soon after the ministry experience from which they were said to result. No experienced and responsible pastor would have allowed such a situation to arise. Proper pastoral responsibility to those who believe they have had an experience of God does not involve only the offering of encouragement and support; it also involves ensuring that spiritual progress is maintained and also determining whether the experience stands the test of time.

It is irresponsible to give instant public prominence to someone who believes he has had such an experience, and this for two reasons. First, it does not allow the experience to be tested. Secondly, public applause is the worst possible environment for spiritual growth. Many Toronto leaders were not without pastoral experience. Why then did they allow this?

I believe the reason is that sanctification, love of God, love of Scripture etc were demonstrably biblical, whilst all other features of the Toronto Blessing were not. These testimonies were, in fact, being used to authenticate the Toronto Blessing as a whole, the argument being that if the Toronto Blessing resulted in sanctification, it must be of God and so therefore must its manifestations and methodology.

But did it result in sanctification? As I have said, no time was allowed for testing the claims; testimonies were accepted long before anyone could be sure that there would be permanent fruit. We were being asked to accept these testimonies as genuine in order that we might also accept the Toronto Blessing as genuine, with all that this implied. This was no light matter. We were surely entitled to ask that the testimonies be proved over time before being presented as evidence. I heard of many claims of changed lives, but my own knowledge of the people concerned did not support these claims.

Testimonies of sanctification and increased love for God were, I believe, used prematurely to authenticate the Toronto Blessing as a whole.

I know many people who accepted the Toronto Blessing; most of them I have known for many years. Before they became involved in the Toronto Blessing the majority were agreeable and amiable Christians, and they remain so; but I have not noted startling changes in them. Others were less agreeable before their Toronto experience and unfortunately they also have not changed! Many of both groups reported pleasant experiences of 'carpet time', but I detected no fundamental changes of the sort that were being claimed. To me, of course, this came as no surprise, in view of the general absence of the word of God within the Toronto Blessing.

We may hope that there were some who, because of their genuine and earnest seeking of God, truly met with him and received blessing at his hand. But before we can accept the huge claims of widespread personal renewal, we must have solid evidence which has met the standards of Scripture and has stood the test of time.

Conclusion: Return to the Bible

I feel strongly that the reservations I have set out in this chapter need to be heeded. The Bible must be restored to the position of honour which it formerly had within the evangelical tradition. Unless this happens there is no knowing where Christianity will end up.

Some supporters of the Toronto Blessing object to this emphasis on Scripture on the grounds that it circumscribes God's actions. God, they argue, must be allowed to work in any way he chooses. I fully endorse this latter point, but we must recognise that one of the things God has chosen to do is to give us responsibility for testing things. He has also chosen to give us in the scriptures an account of his character and his ways, thereby equipping us with the means of testing whether or not something is of him.

Scripture contains many warnings, both from the apostles and from the Lord Jesus Christ himself, concerning the danger of deception and counterfeit works. Some of these will be so subtly disguised as to deceive the very elect. We are exhorted to watch, to test, to be on our guard, and to examine all things; and to be ready to reject those things which fail the test.

The Church must return to the Bible as the supreme authority in faith and practice. As I said at the beginning of this chapter, we are in a battle for the Bible. We must reassert its sufficiency as a criterion for judging all things. What possible grounds can there be for thinking that now, at the end of the 20^th Century, God is introducing any other?

In the new year: We turn to Chapter 4 of ‘Blessing the Church?’: From North Battlefield to Toronto, by David Forbes.

Three books from the well-known Rector of St Aldate's Church, Oxford.

Charlie Cleverly is the Rector of St Aldate’s Church in Oxford and has authored several books. Here we feature three that are highly recommended by some of our reviewers.

The Passion That Shapes Nations (Victor, 2005)

Although written some years ago now, this book is timeless in terms of its subject matter and relevance. The author contends that in times when the Christian faith is under fire, what is needed is “a resurrection of the spirit of the witnesses/martyrs” (p17). His book is a contribution towards the ‘unforgetting’ of those who have gone before, whose stories of courage and conviction can easily be overlooked and yet have so often founded a stronger Christian witness in the nations where God has placed them.

By operating within the principle of sacrificial love and often paying the ultimate price of a martyr’s death, their passion for Christ has indeed helped shape nations.

In a sense, this book follows in the tradition of Foxe’s Book of Martyrs and at times Cleverly quotes from it, but this is no repetition of material found elsewhere or just a catalogue of those who have died for their faith. The author dwells on their lives, not just their deaths, knowing that this will inspire us far more to serve God faithfully in our own circumstances.

This is a contribution towards the ‘unforgetting’ of those who have gone before, whose stories of courage and conviction can easily be overlooked.

Inevitably, selecting which martyrs to include from “so great a cloud of witnesses” is a difficult task. It is no surprise to find chapters on Polycarp, Wycliffe and Tyndale, Latimer and Ridley, Bonhoeffer and Schneider. But there are others, less well known, whose stories also deserve to be told.

The author focusses on James Hannington and the Uganda Martyrs, the Chinese Church (one of the longest chapters) and those suffering under Islamic persecution, which is described as the “third most prolific cause of martyrdom of Christians in history” (p144).

Each chapter tells its own story; it might be that the best approach to the book is not to read it all at once but to consider a chapter a day over a period of time. That way the individual stories can stand out in their own right rather than being lost in a larger wave of information. Each one calls out to us today - their voices still speak across history. We would do well to listen.

The Passion that Shapes Nations (176pp, paperback) is available on Amazon.

The Discipline of Intimacy (Kingsway Publications, 2002)

This is a book on prayer and its principles, written for those who know that prayer is meant to be easy and yet who find it difficult, and for those who need inspiration and encouragement to pursue the deeper levels of intimacy which make prayer more of a joy than a duty.

The book is written “with the conviction that every Christian is called to pray” (p16) but that we do need to be taught (or, rather, disciplined) in order to become more effective in prayer.

The book is in two parts, the first being based upon the letter to the church at Ephesus in Revelation 2. In this section the author outlines several steps to intimacy as part of the process of developing a more disciplined prayer life. There is also a chapter on the Lord’s Prayer, entitled ‘The Master Plan of Prayer’ - a much better title than simply calling it a ‘model’ prayer!

The second part of the book is much longer and starts by asking ‘what is intercession?’ Each chapter in this section is prefaced by a ‘story of…’ based upon a biblical character such as Abraham, Hannah, Joel, Isaiah. This keeps the Bible continually before us as a guide to prayer.

This book is written for those who know that prayer is meant to be easy but find it difficult, and for those who need inspiration and encouragement in their prayer lives.

The longest chapter is reserved for praying for the nations, and within this is a very well-balanced and informative section on praying for Israel. The aim of praying for a nation is to see its divine destiny fulfilled. The author usefully includes an appendix containing some well-known prophecies for certain nations to help us understand that God does have plans for nations.

Other chapters in Part II include praying for the Church, and the seven prayer burdens of Christ. The latter is based upon John 17 and encourages us to enter into a ‘school of prayer’, with Christ as our Master. There are also reflections on the prayers of Jesus from the Cross - perhaps his shortest prayers to the Father but certainly some of the most deeply felt. He could only pray these prayers at that time because he had learnt the discipline of intimacy during his life. As he lived, so he died, in intimate prayer with his Heavenly Father.

The final chapter tackles the issue of prayer in times of barrenness, when God is silent. The book ends with a useful study guide with questions and reflections on each chapter.

This is not just another book on prayer but one that will last a lifetime, for those willing to engage in an unending journey of discipline and discovery.

The Discipline of Intimacy (238pp, paperback) is available on Amazon.

The Song of Songs (Hodder, 2015)

Charlie Cleverly has also written a detailed commentary on the Song of Songs, subtitled Exploring the Divine Romance. Drawing on a wide range of literary and theological sources, he presents a clear rounded understanding that combines the two different aspects of the Song: a sexually-charged love story and a metaphor of the relationship between God and his people.

A very helpful book for those who have previously neglected this portion of Scripture or who have tried to come to terms with it but found it rather puzzling or off-putting.

The Song of Songs (336pp, paperback) is available from the publisher for £9.99. Also on Amazon.