Why abortion matters.

“Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’" (Matthew 19:14) 

Today is a sombre day, marking 50 years since the Abortion Act was passed, since which some 8.7 million children have lost their lives – around one fifth of all UK pregnancies.¹ These silent millions, more than all the Jewish lives taken in the Holocaust, are being mourned and remembered this week.

On a recent trip to Banaias (Caesarea Philippi, where Peter declared Jesus to be the Messiah) in northern Israel, a huge cave at the foot of Mt Hermon that was a pagan worship centre at the time of Jesus, I was reminded vividly of how child sacrifice formed a central part of ancient idol worship. Infants would be thrown – alive – into the cave known locally as ‘the gates of hell’, to appease the gods. Indeed, child sacrifice has always played a part in satanic rituals.

Today, the black plastic bag full of babies that is taken out of the back door of NHS hospitals after a day’s abortions and thrown into the incinerator is our modern equivalent of the Temple of Pan at Caesarea Philippi where babies were thrown into the fire.

Infant sacrifice is just as prevalent today as it was in Jesus’ time. The very same demonic spirits are powerfully active today in our ‘modern’, ‘civilised’ society. They may cloak themselves in medical garb, or encouraging words like ‘choice’, ‘rights’ and ‘freedom’, but their insatiable lust for the blood of the young continues unabated, just as it has throughout history.

The cave at Banaias. All rights reserved.

For Christians who recognise that our position on such issues must be built upon the sure foundation of God’s word, not on the shifting sands of human opinion, the last 50 years has not represented ‘progress’, but the tragic re-ascent of satanic hedonism - albeit in a more clinical garb, but no less barbaric in God’s eyes, and giving a strong demonic foothold in our society to spirits of death and destruction.

The Spiritual Significance of Abortion

For 50 years the battle has continued to rage over this divisive topic – and perhaps more fiercely now than ever before. Individuals such as disabled peer Lord Shinkwin² and pro-life activist Aisling Hubert³ continue their fights for legal and cultural change. Today, pro-life group Abort67 (in conjunction with Christian Concern) is launching its ‘Moving Truth’ truck in central London, a mobile display bringing graphic images of abortion back into the public eye.

However, these brave Christians are standing as Davids against a Goliath opposition of abortion giants like BPAS and Marie Stopes, along with the British Medical Association and RCOG, which are together putting their weight behind abortion’s full decriminalisation.

Make no mistake; the decriminalisation of abortion is but the next stage in a much larger agenda, paving the way for the total legalisation of abortion, up to full term, for any reason. While recent statistics show clearly that there is no appetite for this among the general public⁴ – this is not stopping change for the worse being imposed from the top down, from powerful lobbies within the Government, key institutions and the media.

Just this week, the BBC has been criticised for airing a supposedly neutral documentary on abortion that was ‘brazen’ in its pro-abortion stance.⁵ It is one example of many - the majority of mainstream media outlets subscribe to the same liberal position, meaning that pro-life arguments are casually side-lined, talked down and misrepresented on a daily basis.

The truth is also being suppressed on the streets, where pro-life campaigns outside of abortion clinics are being ruled ‘intimidating’ and ‘harassing’ by local councils.⁶ Meanwhile, just over the sea, enormous pressure is being put on Northern Ireland to change its long-standing anti-abortion laws. And our Government insists on exporting abortion overseas to less wealthy countries, using international development aid as a vehicle.⁷

For concerned Christians, therefore, at this 50-year milestone there is much work to be done.

The last 50 years has not represented 'progress', but the tragic re-ascent of satanic hedonism, giving a strong demonic foothold in our society to spirits of death and destruction.

The Terrible Reality

Nobody is disputing that abortion is an extremely difficult and sensitive topic. But for biblical Christians, the God-given right of every child to live is indisputable.

The importance of an unborn child's life to God is shown explicitly in Exodus 21:22-23: "If men struggle and hurt a woman with child, so that she gives birth prematurely...if any harm follows, then you shall give life for life." Outside of confession, and repentance towards God and forgiveness in Jesus, blood guilt lies on all who have carelessly shed the blood of the unborn.

So, it is unsurprising that whilst hard-nosed cries for abortion-on-demand are foisted on an unthinking public, hundreds of thousands of women exist every day under the weight of overwhelming guilt and shame, having aborted a human life because they felt they had ‘no other choice’.

The Guardian boasts that 1 in 3 women will have an abortion at some time in their lives.⁸ The effect this has on women cannot be underestimated. But under the weight of such a burden, people have a choice: they can either harden their hearts towards God, finding ways to rationalise and excuse their actions, or they can come, broken-hearted and mourning, into the arms of a God who will grieve with them, heal them, bring good from their suffering and ultimately wipe away their tears.

The only people who can fully understand the spiritual and moral significance of abortion - and therefore those who God will perhaps hold most responsible for taking action - are Christians.

What You Can Do

The only people who can fully understand the spiritual and moral significance of abortion – and therefore those who God will perhaps hold most responsible for taking action - are Christians. And yet since 1967, the Church has remained largely silent on this issue.

Most believers remain tragically unaware of the importance of taking a stand for life! – morally and spiritually, before God and on behalf of the nation, but also on behalf of voiceless and defenceless unborn infants. The Church needs to be educated, as well as the public!

There are plenty of ways in which we can all do our bit.

1. Read up!

Help bring abortion into the light by making yourself and others aware of what it involves and its implications. As a start, we recommend material from the following:

• Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child (SPUC): click here.
  
• The Christian Institute: click here and here.
  
• Christian Concern: click here. 
  
• Abort67: click here. N.B. This website contains graphic images which many people will find very difficult to view. However, the intention of Abort67 is not to offend needlessly, but simply to expose the reality of abortion, which is intrinsically offensive – because abortion ‘protests itself’.
  
• ‘Why Pro-Life? Caring for the Unborn and Their Mothers’ by Randy Alcorn (2004, repr. 2012, Hendrickson).
  

2. Take action!

Take a stand in the community and outside abortion centres:

• 40 Days for Life: a vigil of prayer, fasting and peaceful activism to spread awareness about the impacts of abortion in local communities.
  
• Helpers UK (Catholic): click here.
  
• March for Life.
  

Get involved in campaigning, education and public awareness:

• Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child (SPUC): click here (England and Wales) and here (Scotland).
  
• Abort67: click here.
  
• Right to Life: click here.
  
• Alliance of Pro-Life Students: click here.
• Northern Ireland: Precious Life, the Life Institute, Youth Defence 

Leave an online tribute to the lost unborn with Voice for Justice.

3. Support financially and in prayer.

Most of the above groups welcome prayer and financial support. You can also give towards the work of Christian groups providing post-abortion counselling and healing, as well as alternative advice and support for pregnant women:

• Open: CARE's new initative to resource churches to support women through unwanted pregnancies and post-abortion/post-miscarriage concerns. Click here.
• Rachel’s Vineyard (healing retreats): click here.
  
• Revive Community (online and over the phone. Also provides training for those wanting to help friends or loved ones): click here.
  
• The Good Counsel Network (Catholic) (medical, practical and moral support during pregnancy): click here.
  
• Life Charity (support services for pregnant women, also campaigning and education): click here.
• Abortion Recovery Care and Helpline (ARCH): click here.
• The Choices Community: a new community being launched by Dr Mark Houghton, in conjunction with his new book 'Pregnancy and Abortion: Your Choice' (2017, Malcolm Down).

References

1 Abortion: facts and figures. The Guardian, 9 August 2006. 

2 Lord Shinkwin has headed up a campaign for better legal protection for disabled babies, who are much more likely to be aborted, and can currently be aborted up to full term.

3 Aisling’s attempt to prosecute two doctors for illegally offering abortion on the grounds of gender made national headlines. Her case was overturned by the CPS as ‘not in the public interest’, but, she is now pursuing this to the European Court of Human Rights.

4 If anything, there is support for a reduction of the current limit of 24 weeks. See Poll: most Britons want abortion limit reduced to 20 weeks. Catholic Herald, 22 May 2017. 

5 See this report from the Christian Institute.

6 Ealing Council’s vote to take action against pro-life group The Good Counsel Network could set a precedent. See here.

7 E.g. UK to spend over a BILLION pounds of aid money on family planning and overseas abortion. SPUC, 11 July 2017.

8 See note 1.

500 years ago this coming week, Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of a church in Wittenberg, Germany.

500 years ago this coming week (31 October 1517), Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of a church in Wittenberg, Germany. In those days, this was the traditional way to initiate a public debate on a given theme.

This time the theme was a 95-fold challenge to the corruption of the Roman Catholic Church of the day, that was bent on fundraising at the expense of the poor by selling so-called ‘indulgences’, whereby the unsuspecting were persuaded that they could purchase forgiveness of sins.

The 95 items¹ were headed with the words:

Out of love for the truth and from desire to elucidate it, the Reverend Father Martin Luther, Master of Arts and Sacred Theology, and ordinary lecturer therein at Wittenberg, intends to defend the following statements and to dispute on them in that place. Therefore he asks that those who cannot be present and dispute with him orally shall do so in their absence by letter. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

Luther summarised his overall purpose under three headings:

1. Selling indulgences to finance the building of St Peter's is wrong.
   
2. The pope has no power over Purgatory.
   
3. Buying indulgences gives people a false sense of security and endangers their salvation.
   

Thus broke out what became the Protestant Reformation, with the rallying cry of Habbakuk 2:4:

Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith.

Luther did not succeed in reforming the Catholic Church of his day but became cut off from this community, instead propelling into existence the Lutheran wing of the Protestant Church, which has spread its influence widely over these 500 years.

Luther did not succeed in reforming the Catholic Church of his day, but propelled into existence the Lutheran wing of the Protestant Church.

Luther’s Blind Spot

This week, we should celebrate this astounding move which brought freedom to millions who were no longer to be chained by the religious orders of the historic Roman Catholic Church, but free to explore the life of faith which pleases God. The later reforms of the Roman Catholic Church surely also owe something to this early proclamation of Luther.

The church door in Wittenberg, Germany, where Luther pinned his 95 theses for all to see. See Photo Credits.

Yet, great though the Protestant Reformation has been, we would also be wise to perceive an unfinished work. Luther had one tremendous blind spot. When he failed to impact the Jewish community with his proclamation of the Gospel, he turned against them. In his publication of 1543 ‘On the Jews and their Lies’, he described Jews as a "base, whoring people, that is, no people of God, and their boast of lineage, circumcision, and law must be accounted as filth." He wrote that they are "full of the devil's faeces...which they wallow in like swine," describing the synagogue is an "incorrigible whore and an evil slut".²

He proposed the following seven actions:

1. To burn down Jewish synagogues and schools and warn people against them;
   
2. To refuse to let Jews own houses among Christians;
   
3. For Jewish religious writings to be taken away;
   
4. For rabbis to be forbidden to preach;
   
5. To offer no protection to Jews on highways;
   
6. For usury to be prohibited and for all silver and gold to be removed, put aside for safekeeping, and given back to Jews who truly convert;
   
7. To give young, strong Jews flail, axe, spade, and spindle, and let them earn their bread by the sweat of their brow.
   

Luther could not have foreseen that this unfortunate after-thought in his later life, following many years of powerful and fruitful ministry, would be taken up literally by Hitler’s Nazis as an impetus to the terrible ‘final solution’, culminating in the horror of the Holocaust.

Let us thank God for the good fruits of Luther’s ministry, but now take responsibility for the completion of the Reformation.

The True Life of Faith

Luther was fluent in Hebrew yet he failed to fully understand Hebraic thought. He saw the Epistle of James as a “perfect straw-epistle” because he did not understand James’ teaching that faith without works is dead (James 2:26).³

No doubt his mind was already so much against those from a Jewish background (like James, whose name was actually Jacob) to consider them as having a doctrine of salvation by works, like the Roman Catholics of his day.

He did not consider the Hebrew emunah sufficiently to observe that it means both ‘faith’ and ‘faithfulness’, so that Hebrews 11:1 can be translated equally “faith is the substance of things hoped for” and “faithfulness is the substance of things hoped for”, which completely validates James’ teaching that the faith which pleases God involves the fruitful outworking of our lives.

Luther was fluent in Hebrew yet he failed to fully understand Hebraic thought.

A Careful Eye on Prophecy

Of course Luther did not live in our day when we see the miracle of Israel’s re-birth as a nation. Nor did he witness the increasing numbers of Messianic Jews declaring faith in Yeshua HaMashiach. Would he have been ashamed if he knew of his own contribution to fanning the flames of Replacement Theology still rampant in the Christian Church?

Had he lived today perhaps he would not have been so foolish as to speak against the Jews as he did and may well have written a 96^th thesis. He may have had a more careful eye on the outworking of prophecy. In his day, just as he discarded the Epistle of James and also that of Jude, he discarded the Book of Revelation. Perhaps he had not the prompting to consider end time prophecy as we have, with signs all around us.

What would this 96^th thesis be? Let me suggest it:

96 For discussion: We live in the sure expectancy that God is drawing together both Jews and Gentiles into the one community of faith which Paul calls the ‘one new man’ (Ephesians 2:14-15). It is now time to rediscover the original roots of our faith together. God, in His wisdom, is enabling a fresh interaction between Messianic Jews and believing Gentiles as never before to firmly establish the common faith. Surely this will be the means of strengthening for the days ahead, for washing away all doctrinal and denominational division when we are united in Spirit and Truth through Faith in the One True God and His Son Yeshua the Messiah. This is to be the goal of all who believe in Him, whether from Catholic or Protestant backgrounds. Surely this will complete the Reformation begun so sacrificially 500 years ago, but now to be completed as we wait for the return of our Saviour.

References

1 Click here for a translation of the entire 95 theses.

2 Anti-Semitism: Martin Luther - "The Jews & Their Lies" (1543). Jewish Virtual Library.

3 Martin Luther and the Book of James. Biblestudy.org.

100 years ago, an epic cavalry charge opened the way for Jerusalem’s liberation.

The liberation of Jerusalem by Allied forces 100 years ago was undoubtedly one of the great moments of history that should be remembered not only as a military success, but also as a stupendous spiritual victory.

The man in charge, General Edmund Allenby, is said to have carried with him a message from British Prime Minister David Lloyd George, who “wanted Jerusalem as a Christmas present for the British nation”.

The PM’s War Cabinet was in the meantime working on plans for Jewish restoration to their ancient land, but felt that any public announcement of sympathy towards Zionism should be coupled with a military breakthrough.

The Last Great Cavalry Charge in History

And at 4:30pm on 31 October 1917, about 800 bayonet-wielding ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand) horsemen set off in three columns at a canter across a 5km plain to Beersheba on an epic cavalry charge that, in author Kelvin Crombie’s words, would change the course of world history, triggering a chain of events that would lead to the creation of modern Israel.

The Aussie soldiers were evidently riding a death-defying gauntlet of shrapnel, high explosives and machine-gun fire from some 4,000 entrenched Ottoman troops, and their rapid advance prevented the intended complete destruction of local wells, which would have been disastrous for over 50,000 troops and their animals.¹

The epic cavalry charge of the ANZACs would change the course of world history. 

British-led forces had already been repelled twice in their efforts to break through a Turkish/German line of defence stretching from Gaza to Beersheba, the Israeli city now known as capital of the Negev desert region.

Photo thought to show the charge of the Australian Light Horse Brigade, 1917. See Photo Credits.But the Turks were taken by surprise as they did not suspect that anyone would be so foolish as to attack the fortress from the desert. Unfortunately for them, as one wag has put it, nobody has ever accused the Aussies of being in their right minds – enthusiastically charging out on what has been dubbed ‘the last great cavalry charge in history’ even after riding 60 miles through the white-hot, searing sands of an unforgiving Judean desert.

The Australians suffered just 31 troopers killed and 36 wounded as they captured 750 Turks, nine artillery pieces, three machine guns, and tons of other munitions and supplies. Even more importantly, they seized 17 of the 19 wells intact, recovering 90,000 gallons of fresh, drinkable water from the town, enabling the Army to stave off death by dehydration.²

Paving the Way for Balfour Declaration’s Fulfilment

It was surely significant that the Balfour Declaration, through which the British Government promised to do all in its power to establish a national home for the Jews, was signed on the very same day, and subsequently conveyed to Britain’s Jewish leaders. The Battle of Beersheba thus paved the way for the fulfilment of this pledge, and within just six weeks Allenby’s forces ended 400 years of Ottoman rule in the region.

A park dedicated to the Australian soldiers was opened in 2008. It was a $3 million project funded by the philanthropic Pratt Foundation, whose chief executive Sam Lipski told journalists at a ceremony there five years ago that the history of Zionism and the Middle East could have been very different had the ANZACS not defeated the Turks at Beersheba.³

Yet for many young Aussies, the annual pilgrimage to Gallipoli in Turkey – the site of a tragic military defeat in 1915 that cost some 8,000 Australian lives – has become a rite of passage, whereas the stunning military victory at Beersheba remains relatively unknown.

It is surely significant that the Balfour Declaration was signed on the very same day. 

The Liberation of Jerusalem

General Allenby enters Jerusalem unmounted, in reverence of Jesus, 1917. See Photo Credits.The Royal Flying Corps also played a vital role in the liberation of Jerusalem by dropping pamphlets calling upon the Turks to surrender, an event evidently foretold by Isaiah some 2,700 years earlier: “Like birds hovering overhead, the Lord Almighty will shield Jerusalem; he will shield it and deliver it, he will ‘pass over’ it and will rescue it” (Isa 31:5). As it happens, this passage was also the required reading in all Anglican (Church of England) churches that week.

As a result, Jerusalem surrendered without a shot being fired, perhaps also helped by the similarity of Allenby’s signature to the Arabic (Al-Nebbi) for the prophet Mohammed. Victory in Jerusalem coincided with the Hanukkah festival recalling Jewish liberation from Greek-Syrian tyranny in the second century before Christ.

On 11 December Allenby declared British military rule from the ancient steps of the Tower of David, right opposite Christ Church, headquarters of the Church’s Ministry among Jewish people (CMJ) who had done so much to convince political and church leaders of Israel’s destiny under God. He arrived at the Old City on horseback, but dismounted at Jaffa Gate before entering the holy enclave on foot, declaring: “It does not behoove me, a Christian, to enter the City of my Messiah mounted.”

The Role of Evangelical Christians

Without in any way minimising the contribution of the ANZAC troops towards Israel’s re-birth, the ground had been well prepared over the previous century by British evangelical Christians such as William Wilberforce, Lord Shaftesbury, Charles Spurgeon and Bishop JC Ryle, who believed that Jewish redemption is a fundamental aspect of biblical truth, and prayed to that end.

They in turn influenced the movers and shakers of the age, backed up (through divine providence) by the rise of Jewish Zionism under Theodor Herzl. The result was the Balfour Declaration.

The ground had been well prepared over the previous century by British evangelical Christians who believed that Jewish redemption is a fundamental aspect of biblical truth, and prayed to that end. 

An interesting footnote is that most of Lloyd George’s 1917 War Cabinet were evangelical Christians – ironically, the only member strongly opposed to the policy, Edwin Montague, was Jewish. Balfour, the Foreign Secretary, had already served as Prime Minister and declared on his deathbed that aiding Jewish restoration was possibly the most worthwhile thing he had done. Also in the cabinet was South Africa’s Jan Christiaan Smuts, who had long predicted that a great Jewish state would arise once more.⁴

Notes

1 Crombie, K, 1998. Anzacs, Empires and Israel’s Restoration: 1798-1948. Vocational Education & Training Publications.

2 Dan Goldberg, Haaretz newspaper, 30 October 2012, though some facts are gleaned from an anonymous blogger.

3 Ibid.

4 Gardner, C. The Magnificent Ten. Prophecy Today UK, 3 February 2017.

We begin to serialise an older classic on the charismatic movement.

We are pleased this week to begin re-publishing ‘Blessing the Church?’, which was written in the mid-1990s as an in-depth response to the ‘Toronto Blessing’ and the perceived excesses of the modern charismatic movement.

When it was published in 1995, ‘Blessing the Church?’ made a seminal contribution to the debate on the direction of the charismatic movement, as well as to teaching on deception within the Body of Christ. Though written in response to a particular set of circumstances more than 20 years ago, its message stands the test of time. Though a great deal has changed since the 1990s, sadly even more has stayed the same.

We will be serialising the book over the next eight weeks and commend it to you warmly.^1,2 We believe it should be foundational reading for all who are interested in understanding the background of the contemporary charismatic movement, and so the shape it is in today. Indeed, it is commended to any believer who is passionate about seeing the Body of Christ grow and flourish as Messiah Jesus intended.

Dr Frances Rabbitts

Managing Editor, Prophecy Today UK

Blessing the Church? Introduction

Rev Dr Clifford Hill

Few observers of the Church scene would deny that the 1990s proved to be a critical period for the charismatic movement.

The publication of books and articles speaking about a crisis within the movement proliferated. Hank Hanegraaff in Christianity in Crisis (Harvest House, 1993) carried out extensive research of the teaching given by a number of prominent charismatic leaders. He looked at their statements in comparison with Scripture and found that many of them were contrary to the Bible.

There was growing anxiety, not simply among reformed evangelicals, but among many within the charismatic movement, concerning a serious drift away from biblical principles. Of course, there will always be differences of interpretation and textual exegesis. But differences in interpretation cannot account for statements which are directly contrary to those found in the Bible.

The charismatic movement has been a tremendous blessing to millions of Christians who have found a new freedom in worship and a deeper personal relationship with God which has strengthened their faith and enabled them to participate more actively in the work of the Gospel.

However, the emphasis upon personal experience which broke the icy grip of traditionalism in most branches of the Church has also had its down side, as charismatics have been carried along on waves of excitement into deeper realms of experience. Any movement or teaching which offers the believer a deeper personal experience with the living God is highly attractive. Yet when experience parts company with sound biblical teaching, there is grave danger for the believer. There is strong evidence that this is what happened within the charismatic movement during the 1990s and, in various waves and guises, has continued since.

When experience parts company with sound biblical teaching, there is grave danger for the believer. 

The Toronto Blessing

The wave of spiritual experience that began in 1994 known as the ‘Toronto Blessing’ has received worldwide publicity. In Britain a number of books were on the market within months of the first appearance of the phenomenon. These offered uncritical and excited accounts of what was variously described as ‘revival’, ‘pre-revival’, ‘times of refreshing’, the ‘impartation of supernatural power’ and numerous other descriptions.

There were many published accounts of the benefits of the 'blessing' in the lives of believers. Many testified that they had been drawn into closer communion with God, a deeper commitment to prayer, to Bible study and renewed love for Jesus. At the same time there were many accounts of bizarre phenomena such as making animal noises and uncontrollable physical manifestations including screaming and vomiting which many charismatics did not believe could be the work of the Holy Spirit.

At the height of the Toronto Blessing many churches gave scant attention to the preaching and expounding of the word of God. In some cases, this was enforced due to the preacher becoming overcome by physical convulsions which rendered him incapable of speech. Many charismatics shook their heads and said surely God would not hinder the proclamation of his own word! Others were greatly excited by these strange activities and participated enthusiastically in the 'receiving meetings' where the emphasis was upon receiving 'more of God'.

Divisive Effect

In Britain, the Toronto Blessing resulted in the most widespread and deep-rooted division to hit the Church for many years. This division was not between believers and unbelievers, or between evangelical and liberal; it was a division among charismatics themselves. It brought division in the families of believers, it divided prayer groups, it brought division and splits within congregations and it divided church from church even within the same denomination.

In Britain, the Toronto Blessing resulted in the most widespread and deep-rooted division to hit the Church for many years. 

There is evidence of thousands of Spirit-filled believers leaving their churches and being forced to seek other places of worship or simply meeting in little ad hoc house fellowships, or even going nowhere while nursing the hurts of rejection by leaders who refused to hear any questioning of the bizarre activities in their congregation. This division contrasts strangely with the experience of the disciples recorded in Acts chapters 2-5, when, from the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit brought sweet unity, love and sharing among the believers.

Background to ‘Blessing the Church?’

It was out of a deep concern for love and unity in those churches which have experienced the renewing power of the Holy Spirit in recent years that two leadership consultations were called at Bawtry Hall in Yorkshire in January and March 1995. It was out of the papers given at those consultations and the subsequent discussion that ‘Blessing the Church?’ arose.

Its strength lay in the fact that all the writers were not only evangelical preachers of many years' experience, but that they were each convinced of the presence, the power and the activity of the Holy Spirit in the Church today, and that spiritual gifts may be exercised by all believers. All wrote, therefore, from within the charismatic movement, not as hostile observers from outside.

All the writers – Clifford Hill, Peter Fenwick, David Forbes and David Noakes - had been involved in leadership in the charismatic movement from the early days. We wrote, not in the spirit of judgmental-ism, or indeed with a negative critical attitude. Rather we wrote out of a deep concern, for the Church in which we had leadership responsibilities and for the future direction being taken by the charismatic movement.

The prime purpose in writing was to draw attention to what we considered to be a serious drift away from biblically-based teaching into the realm of experientialism. This led to the pernicious practice of using contemporary 'revelation' as the basis for doctrine and the justification for the formulation of new teaching and practice within the Church which has no biblical foundation.

We wrote out of deep concern for the Church and for the future direction being taken by the charismatic movement. 

Each of the writers undertook in-depth research examining our own teaching and practice and a searching re-evaluation and re-assessment in the light of biblical scholarship. Our study of the Bible led each of us to extend our personal re-evaluation to include current practices across the whole spectrum of the charismatic movement and to an examination in some detail of the underlying teaching. It is out of the fruit of this examination that this book was written. It contains a message which we believe to be of vital importance in these days.

We recognise our own failings as leaders and our proneness to go astray in days when there are enormous pressures from the world around us and when we do not see very much to encourage us from the fruit of our labours. We therefore wrote in a spirit of love and humility under the deep conviction that the Bible provides us with the only standard of truth that can guard us against error, false doctrine, wrong practices and unrighteous behaviour.

Dangers Facing the Church

It is our earnest hope that what we have written will be received by our brothers and sisters in Christ in the same spirit of love and humility in which we have written – today, as much as when it was first published.

Inevitably, in our examination of contemporary teaching in the charismatic movement we had to note those leaders who were most closely associated with its propagation. Our task, however, was not to make accusations against brothers in Christ, but rather to contend for the faith which we all hold to be precious and to warn where we saw teaching which is seriously at variance with Scripture. Such teaching opens the door to all kinds of error and aberrant practices.

There is grave danger today of the Church being infiltrated by New Age teaching and the charismatic movement is not immune from this danger. Neither is it immune, if it drifts away from a strict adherence to the Bible as the plumb-line of divine revelation and truth, from straying into the realms of cultic activity.

Our warnings are sounded in days of great danger for the Church. In the Western industrialised nations, we are faced with the continuing onslaught of secularism and rising hostility to the Gospel in the context of increasing lawlessness and social decay. On the world scene Islamic fundamentalism and the use of violence to achieve their objectives is a continuing menace to the spread of the Gospel and is resulting in many thousands of Christian martyrs each year.

Yet the worldwide Church continues to grow through tremendous spiritual awakenings in many of the poorest nations. The greatest threat to their faith is the spread of Westernisation and what we in the West have come to recognise as ‘pop culture' - the culture of easy affluence, sensuous self-indulgence and acquisitive materialism driven by moral and spiritual anarchy.

Our warnings are sounded in days of great danger for the Church. 

It is in the context of the contemporary world situation and our deep desire to see the re-evangelisation of the Western nations, our own longings for revival and our unshakeable belief in the activity of the Holy Spirit among us in the Church today that we wrote ‘Blessing the Church?’.

We call to our brothers and sisters in Christ to recognise the dangerous situation which still faces us; and to recognise also that our emphasis upon the experiential within the charismatic movement has led us away from the doctrinal basis of the faith which our forefathers held to be of supreme importance. We therefore plead for a re-examination of current teaching and practice among charismatics in all branches of the Church and a recognition that the Bible provides us with the only plumb-line of truth.

Our analysis required examining the teaching of a number of those who minister within the charismatic/evangelical churches. Inevitably in so doing we had to name names. Our purpose was to compare what was being taught with what the Bible says. Our aim was not to discredit these men or to invalidate their ministries. Rather, it is still our hope that what we have written will contribute to the ongoing theological debate within the charismatic movement.

Although this book was written against the background of the debate on the Toronto Blessing, its scope is much wider. All the writers saw Toronto as merely the latest step in a continuing process of an overemphasis upon experience and a neglect of sound biblical teaching. We therefore attempted to look at the antecedents of Toronto rather than the phenomenon itself.

What Will Follow

What we undertook was essentially to re-trace our steps to the early days of the charismatic movement. We looked at the introduction of different teachings, beliefs and practices at different stages in its development.

Over the next seven weeks Prophecy Today UK will re-publish this work, starting with an examination of the rise of the movement in the context of the social history and secular culture in which it gained momentum. Subsequent articles will examine restorationist beliefs, the Latter Rain Revival movement of the 1940s in North America and its influence on charismatic doctrine, and the development of the charismatic movement itself – including its direction and the kinds of prophecies that have come through it.

Our writers draw many penetrating insights from Scripture which illuminate the Church’s situation during the 1990s – and which undoubtedly still have relevance today.

Next week: A child of the age? The socio-cultural background of the charismatic movement.

First published in 1995. Updated and serialised October 2017.

Notes

1 If you are interested in purchasing a paper copy, limited numbers are still available on Amazon at the time of publishing.

2 We have revised the text where necessary to update it for 2017 web publication, but have tried to keep these revisions minimal.

Paul Luckraft reviews two DVDs ahead of the centenary of the Balfour Declaration this coming week.

The Forsaken Promise: Centenary Edition (Hatikvah Films, 2017)

To coincide with the centenary of the Balfour Declaration, Hatikvah Film Trust have issued a shorter version of The Forsaken Promise (originally 4 hours along across two discs, first published 2007). This is an excellent resource for those who have no or little knowledge of the aftermath of the Balfour Declaration, when Britain repeatedly reneged on its commitment to support a Jewish homeland in Palestine and failed to administer the region as the Mandate required.

The new disc can more readily be used in group discussions or even given away to those who want to discover how events played out in the vital period from 1917 to 1948, when the current state of Israel came into existence.

The DVD has eleven sections which means it can be used selectively if time does not permit a full showing, or paused at suitable moments to allow group discussion. The opening seven minutes set the scene well and would be a good way of opening up such a discussion. After that we start to see how things went wrong as Britain failed to live up to her promises. The presentation covers events from the San Remo meeting of 1920 to the British withdrawal in 1948, including the Hebron Massacre (1929), the White Paper of 1939 and the appalling incident of the Exodus ship (1947). Some of the scenes are quite disturbing and would need to be handled sensitively in a group context.

The DVD ends with an interview with Derek Prince in Israel, whose forthright words leave us in no doubt about the seriousness of Britain’s actions and attitudes during this vital period in our history and that of the Jews.

The Forsaken Promise: Centenary Edition (44 minutes) is available from AO Vision for £5. The original edition is still available from the publishers for £15.

The Destiny of Britain (Hatikvah Films, 2007)

Also available from Hatikvah is The Destiny of Britain, a prequel to The Forsaken Promise. This has not been reduced in length and remains in a two-disc format, with the main presentation (on Disc 1) being in two parts totalling 107 minutes. Disc 2 features several extended interviews with participants in the main presentation - a chance to hear at greater length what these experts had to say before it was edited down for Disc 1.

Presented by Kelvin Crombie, this is story of how Britain’s Christian heritage and her geo-political objectives in the Middle East combined in the period leading up the Balfour Declaration.

Britain played a key role in the restoration of the Jewish people to their biblical homeland and this DVD acts as a positive counterfoil to the more shameful episodes that followed the Declaration. Here we learn about how God placed many strong Christians in positions of influence in order to bring his purposes to fulfilment.

Knowing our history is central to understanding our present and likely future. This DVD provides key information to that end.

The Destiny of Britain: Decisions that Shaped an Empire (107 minutes) is available from Hatikvah Films for £10.

Jesus prayed for His disciples “that they all may be one, as you, Father, are in me, and I in you; that they also may be one in us, that the world may believe that you sent me” (John 17:21).

This was one of His most important prayers for us, a High Priestly prayer just before He went to the cross for us. It was why He came to this world and why He gave His sacrifice for us. First, that we might be saved, and secondly so that we might be His united Body on this earth. Is it any wonder, then, that the unity of the Christian Church is forever under the sinister attacks of the evil one?

That unity is the echad of Deuteronomy 6:4: “Hear O Israel: the Lord our God is one [echad]”. It is the unity that commands a blessing in Psalm 133.

It is unity in diversity. In all God’s expressions of Himself, He is one. Father and Son are one (echad). The Holy Spirit is one with the Father and Son (echad). The Holy Spirit is working on us through the ministries of the Church to bring us to maturity of the same oneness (Eph 4:13). Son and Bride, ultimately, will become one (echad).

This unity in diversity is also to be the character of the Christian Church, in which each member exercises particular gifts of the Holy Spirit.

False Unity, True Unity

Yet, all this is under attack. There is a forced unity that is sometimes evident when we try to subdue our doctrinal differences so much that we end up with a lifeless ecumenism. Worse than this is when we succumb to one of the tides of false spirituality that are always washing across the world, identified by a tendency to draw us into compromise with other religions and play down the way of salvation through the shed blood of Jesus.

Neither of these are what Jesus prayed for. He is looking for a Bride making herself ready through deep study of the word and prayer, whose unity is through the working of the Holy Spirit.

While there is a personal application of salvation to the individual whence we can each testify that “I” have been saved. The “I” turns to a “we” and an “us” when we recognise the one Body, growing in unity together.

It is time then to focus on the unity of the Spirit, recognise the enemy’s schemes to isolate and divide us, and pray more than ever through these difficult times, that we may indeed be one as the Father and Son are one.

Author: Clifford Denton

Top-level turmoil is a biblical sign.

Day after day the news media is filled with reports of confusion in Whitehall, disagreements within the Cabinet and discontent among backbenchers.

Nobody is quite sure what’s going on and the general uncertainty at the top of the political spectrum is rapidly communicated, not only to the nation but also to leaders of the 27 other nations in the European Union with whom we are trying to negotiate an exit treaty.

The Bible tells us that ‘confusion’ is a direct consequence of turning away from God – rejecting his truth. Deuteronomy 28 lays out the great benefits and blessings that flow from being in a right relationship with God and keeping his commands to walk in his ways. It also sets out the consequences of rejecting the word of God.

Of course, these things were specifically written for the guidance of Israel, a nation in a covenant relationship with God. Nevertheless, the spiritual principle here is one that applies to nations such as Britain and the USA. They have publicly declared themselves to be nations that accept the Bible as the revealed word of God, which sets the standard for truth in the public square as well as in personal and corporate morality and ethics.

Having publicly recognised God’s truth, we have to bear the consequences of our rejection which are spelt out in Deuteronomy 28:20: “The Lord will send on you curses, confusion and rebuke in everything you put your hand to, until you are destroyed and come to sudden ruin because of the evil you have done in forsaking him.”

Departing from the Truth

The Prime Minister’s latest flying visit to Brussels will do nothing to rescue the Brexit negotiations with the EU unless there is public recognition of the way we have departed from the truth and despised the word of God.

However much we may have had sympathy for Theresa May in her ill-fated speech to the Conservative conference, it is hardly surprising that she choked on her words when in the same speech she declared that the greatest recent achievement of the Conservative Government was in changing the definition of marriage, defying the word of God and his created order.

Having publicly recognised God’s truth, we have to bear the consequences of rejecting it.

There is nothing more certain to bring judgment upon the nation than such an action. But God has not acted hastily. Successive governments in Britain have been conspiring to turn truth upside-down for many years. Despite Tony Blair’s personal acknowledgement of the importance of moral and spiritual values in society, the influence of secular humanist ideologies within the New Labour movement were strong.

Blairites and the Battle for the Family

Jack Straw, see Photo Credits.Notably, the rising influence of LGBT interests were seen in the Blair Government, where powerful Cabinet posts were given to homosexual individuals such as Chris Smith,¹ who took control of Culture, Media and Sport. This was exactly the area where LGBT values could be injected subtly into public life and was a notable triumph for the LGBT movement. Women in the Blair Government with strong feminist and secular humanist orientations, such as Clare Short and Harriet Harman, also opened the way for the promotion of ideologies harmful to the family.

Disputes within the Cabinet reflected this ideological battle for the preservation or destruction of the family. Jack Straw’s endeavour to promote measures that would strengthen family life were thwarted within the Cabinet and resulted in his failure to produce the White Paper he promised in his speech on 15 July 1998, when he welcomed the publication of the report ‘Family Matters’.²

All this underlines the reason why Britain is in such dire straits today. Many Conservatives were amazed when David Cameron gave his support to ‘same-sex marriage’ (SSM) in 2013. But this was not his brainchild: he had been present at a meeting of European leaders in 2010 when it was agreed that all EU member states should aim to legalise SSM by 2013.

Cameron knew the pressure would be on and, as an ambitious politician, he simply wanted to be ahead of the game. But in so doing he brought judgment upon himself that ended his political career. When will Western leaders learn that you cannot defy the word of God without incurring inevitable consequences?

Successive governments in Britain have been conspiring to turn truth upside-down for many years.

Understanding Europe’s History

All the confusion surrounding Brexit is a measure of the extent to which we have put ourselves outside the protection and blessing of God and at the mercy of the destructive secular humanist spirits driving the European Union.

There is so much history wrapped up in these Brexit negotiations. Europe has been torn apart by two devastating wars in the past 100 years. Emotions run deep in the national psyche of each of the European nations. Germany has, twice, recovered remarkably from the devastation and destruction of military defeat. Their dream of a united Europe under German domination through the European Union had almost been achieved. But once again Britain is the one nation standing in the way.

Britain has always been the stumbling block – the odd one out – even driving on the other side of the road, not conforming to European standards - a nation of nonconformists! Today, the nations that suffered defeat or the humiliation of five years of enemy occupation (and of having Britain to thank for their liberation) suddenly find themselves in a position of power over Britain. Our Prime Minister has asked for their help in devising a deal that she can sell to her unruly Cabinet and a divided nation.

But mixed into all this are massive spiritual issues, as the whole of Europe has been assailed by a secular humanist onslaught in the past half-century. Britain has been more successful than any other European nation in holding on to its Christian heritage, largely through the influence of our ageing Queen, whose Coronation Oath to uphold the Protestant faith spread a cover of protection over the land.

Brexit is a sign of God’s mercy towards Britain, giving us the opportunity of re-asserting our sovereign independence under the blessing of God. But that can only be achieved through the recognition of how God has blessed us in the past, especially in the lifetime of our parents and grandparents. But we have deeply offended him in our own generation and, sadly, most people in Britain do not understand the nature of the battle and its spiritual dimension.

Bible-believing Christians who do understand the times have a vital role to play in the future of Britain if we are to be successful in getting out of Europe.

We Have Work to Do!

This is where Bible-believing Christians who do understand the times have a vital role to play in the future of Britain if we are to be successful in getting out of Europe. A few months ago, I was told in my times of intercession to stop praying general prayers of blessing and welfare upon the nation, but to engage instead in prayer with a particular focus.

Jeremiah was warned against praying “Peace! Peace!” when God was saying there was no peace (Jer 6:14). We have to learn to pray in line with God’s will. Then our prayers will be a powerful force to bring the nation in line with the purposes of God. That could still happen with the Brexit battle, in which our prayers should be specifically directed by the Holy Spirit. For that to happen, each of us has to learn to listen to the Lord.

References

1 Chris Smith was the first openly homosexual Politician to be appointed to a major Government office in British history.

2 Family Matters, a Report to the Home Secretary, The Rt Hon Jack Straw MP, from The Lords and Commons Family and Child Protection Group. Chairman: Lord Ashbourne, 15 July 1998.

Boycott campaign is another form of anti-Semitism.

As new settlement construction gets underway in Israel’s disputed territories, a fresh wave of condemnation is expected.

Accusations that the Jewish state is practising apartheid – supposedly over its ‘illegal occupation’ and ‘treatment of the Palestinians’ – will inevitably be trotted out, adding fuel to the fire of a Boycott, Sanctions and Divestment (BDS) movement masquerading as a compassionate supporter of oppressed Palestinians, but in actual fact demonstrating another form of anti-Semitism.

Backlash Against BDS

Before tackling this gross misuse of the ‘apartheid’ tag, it’s worth saying that BDS has taken a series of knocks of late – both in the courts and in the legislative arena. In Spain, for example, 24 legal rulings and expert opinions were made against the movement and, in France, one court decision ordered that a financial penalty be imposed on BDS activists demonstrating outside supermarkets calling on consumers to boycott Israeli products.¹

In the United States, several pieces of legislation against the movement have been ratified. In Texas, for instance, a law was passed forbidding ties with, or investment in, companies that boycott Israel.² According to Ynetnews, such success owes much to legal investment from Israel’s Justice Ministry, now under Ayelet Shaked.

BDS has taken a series of knocks of late – both in the courts and in the legislative arena.

Even actress Greta Gerwig now regrets putting her name to a letter calling for the cancellation of a play based on a novel by Israeli author David Grossman and funded by Israel’s Office of Cultural Affairs in North America – a letter denounced as “hypocritical, discriminatory and dangerous” by nearly 50 high-level entertainment industry executives.³

Creative Community for Peace, dedicated to countering the cultural boycott of Israel, claims credit for persuading Gerwig to retract her support. “I was unfamiliar with the complexities of the letter and I did not take the time to study them,” she conceded.⁴

Israeli ‘Apartheid’? An Absolute Lie

Meanwhile, claims that Israel is an apartheid state are described as “an absolute lie” and a mockery of the struggle her parents went through by Olga Meshoe, daughter of a South African MP who grew up under the apartheid system.

There is no doubt that international sanctions helped to end that oppressive regime, but comparisons with Israel are outrageous, according to many South Africans like Olga (myself included). Opponents of Israel have been using the ‘apartheid’ tag “to incite and encourage the destruction of a people just because you don’t like them,” she said. “The world needs to recognize that you are not only doing an injustice to the people in the Middle East; you’re making a mockery of what our parents went through.”⁵

Olga and her father Kenneth are founders of DEISI – Defend, Embrace, Invest, Support Israel – part of Africa’s growing movement towards closer ties with the Jewish state.

The irony of the Jewish ‘apartheid’ claim is that Ramadan Dabbash, head of a Palestinian village in Jerusalem, says almost all the city’s Arabs would prefer to live peacefully under Israeli administration.⁶

It is the Palestinian leaders, he said, who destroy the chances for peace with non-stop incitement of Palestinian youth, diversion of funds to terror and a resultant lack of economic growth in Palestinian-controlled areas.

Comparisons between Israel and apartheid South Africa are outrageous.

Also on the BDS front, I recall that Boris Johnson, on his last tour of Israel, condemned a boycott proposed by what he termed “corduroy-jacketed academics”. He said: “I cannot think of anything more foolish than to say you want to have any kind of sanctions or divestment or boycott against a country that, when all is said and done, is the only democracy in the region; and that is the only place, in my view, which has an open, pluralistic society.”⁷

I need to add that, just because I commend a politician on his/her stand for Israel, doesn’t mean I applaud them wholeheartedly or necessarily regard them as morally superior. But it is a chink of light, as the Bible is quite clear – those who bless Israel will themselves be blessed (Gen 12:3).

How Far Will BDS Go?

And I very much doubt if the boycott advocates would go all the way in their efforts if they really knew the extent of the merchandise produced by little old Israel, or by Jewish people in other lands. It would mean a change of lifestyle few would be prepared to contemplate.

We are not just talking about oranges, Sharon fruit and a few other products we could easily leave out of our shopping baskets without upsetting our appetites too much. Are they prepared to sacrifice their mobile phones, computers and so many other trappings of modern life for the cause? It is no secret that Israel has long been an international hub in the development and production of modern technology from which we all now benefit and without which much of our commerce would grind to a shuddering halt.

A full boycott of Israeli produce would mean a change of lifestyle few would be prepared to contemplate.

For example, you would have to stop googling for all that vital information, as Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin are both Jews. You would have to close down your Facebook account, because 31-year-old Jewish-American Mark Zuckerberg founded the facility. You would have to stop watching Steven Spielberg movies and throw out all your Bob Dylan and Barbra Streisand albums. And, to top it all, you would need to close down your computers as Microsoft boss Steve Ballmer and Dell Computers founder and CEO Michael Dell are both Jewish.

In closing, may I recommend Israel’s delicious mangoes, available at Sainsbury’s. And, if you’re looking for the perfect setting for a special occasion, I could point you in the direction of the world’s No 1 restaurant (according to Tripadvisor!) – the Black Swan at Oldstead, near Thirsk in North Yorkshire – which includes Israeli wine on its menu…at a cost!

Notes

1 Bridges for Peace, 28 July 2017, quoting Ynetnews.

2 Ibid.

3 Oscar Front-Runner Regrets Signing Anti-Israel Letter. United with Israel, 8 October 2017.

4 Ibid.

5 David Soakell’s Watching over Zion, Christian Friends of Israel, 12 October 2017.

6 United with Israel, 9 October 2017.

7 See note 5.

Monica Hill concludes her series with a final article on the spiritual ‘manifestations’ of 1 Corinthians 12.

This article is part of a series. Click here to access the archive.

“Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father” (John 14:12)

“Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good…to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers” (1 Corinthians 12:9-10)

We are coming to the close of these thumbnail studies of each of the manifestations of the Spirit, which fit, in a special way, into the whole series of spiritual gifts that Paul lists as being available to us. We want to stress that discussions on, and insights gained from, these issues are all on-going – these studies are not the final word on the matter!

Furthermore, just knowing about the gifts is not sufficient – they need to be part of the whole raison d’etre of the faith, for each one of us. All of the gifts operate for the common good, to build up the Body of Christ. They operate only in the unity of the Spirit from whom they come. Before we consider the final three manifestations listed in 1 Corinthians 12, therefore, we will dwell for a moment on this theme.

Many Gifts, One Spirit

1 Corinthians 12 stresses the importance of the unity of the Holy Spirit. That unity is emphasised in Paul’s presentation –

• “no-one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord’, except by the Holy Spirit”;
  
• “there are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them”;
  
• “there are different kinds of service, but the same Lord”;
  
• “there are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work” (vv3-6).
  

1 Corinthians 12:8-10 stresses that all the manifestations are given either through the Spirit or by means of the same Spirit. Verse 11 draws it together: “All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines”.

This stress on the unity of the one Spirit from whom they all come surely must have some connection with the mistakes that were being made in the Corinthian church. Today, we are tempted, just as they were, to focus on the gifts or ‘manifestations’ rather than the source of the gifts. We often omit to give thanks where they are due and we fail to give God all the glory.

We should not take and use these gifts as a right, thus making ourselves important. Also we should not compare our own gift with that of others and feel that what we have is somehow of lesser value. This could lead to neglecting the gift that is given to us for the sake of false humility.

Paul emphasised the Holy Spirit as the one source of all these gifts – the Corinthian church were obviously tempted to focus more on the gifts than on the source.

A careful reading of 1 Corinthians 12:12-26 where Paul speaks about unity and diversity in the Body shows the value of all the spiritual gifts for the Church today. It also stresses that none are, or should be, of greater significance than the others.

I always read the last few verses (from verse 29) as a challenge to be aware of the uniqueness of each person’s gift and to agree with Paul that the answer to each of the questions is a resounding ‘no’. But we also need to agree that we should desire the greater gifts of “faith, hope and love”, while recognising that “the greatest of these is love” as declared in the beautiful love poem of 1 Corinthians 13.

Faith is for All

When we come to study the final three manifestations we can see how much they depend on each other – but we can also become rather confused as to the status of ‘faith’, being included as a manifestation which comes and goes as the Spirit wills and is not given to all!

Surely faith is believing and trusting in God and acting on this belief? “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Heb 11:6). Surely faith is the cornerstone of being a Christian? We all need to have the ‘living faith’ that saves us and links us firmly and securely to our Father God. So what does Paul mean by including faith as a spiritual manifestation?

Faith as a Manifestation

Although it is presumed that we all have a measure of faith, there is also a special gift of faith which is exercised in persistent prayer and intercession. This involves is a strong confidence in, and dependence upon, God, in the context of a conviction of what God will accomplish through us. This comes when you know you have received a word from the Lord so that you can pray with absolute confidence that what you’re asking is within his will.

The ‘faith’ spoken of in this context is a special kind of faith that Jesus spoke about when questioned over the withered fig tree: “Jesus answered ‘I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go throw yourself into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him’” (Mark 11:22).

The disciples were rebuked when they failed to heal a boy with a demon spirit, with the reason given as: “Because you have little faith. I tell you the truth if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you’” (see also Luke 17:6).

All believers must have a measure of faith, but there is also a special gift of faith which involves a strong conviction of what God will accomplish through us, that comes through persistent prayer.

Paul refers to this again in 1 Corinthians 13:2 as believing in God’s promises and having God’s faith in us - that is the “faith that can move mountains”, and this kind of faith is inextricably linked with the manifestations of ‘healing’ and ‘miraculous powers’.

No manifestation can operate without faith, but these two in particular cannot operate separately without this special kind of faith. James also spoke of this kind of faith in connection with healing: “the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up” and also mentioned the faith that Elijah needed to pray for both drought and rain (James 5:13-18). Paul prayed that the Ephesians will know God more intimately and experience “his incomparably great power for us who believe. The power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead” (Eph 1:18-19).

This special kind of faith enables us to do all that the Father wills - as long as we remember that it is a gift from God, and not a human skill. It is always the Holy Spirit who gives to God’s people the power to pray in faith and it is always God’s will for which they are given the faith to pray.

Hebrews 11 is a wonderful chapter giving examples of those throughout history who had this visionary kind of faith and who put their complete dependence on God.

Gifts of Healing

Note that ‘gifts of healing’ is in the plural in the Greek (χαρίσματα ἰαμάτων) [carismata himatone] and can mean different kinds of healing (Matt 10:1). This may not just mean physical healing but can also mean healing of relationships, or of psychological, emotional or spiritual needs. This is a ‘manifestation’ and not an appointment to a regular ministry of healing (1 Cor 12:30). Those who receive it should not be counted as official or regular workers of miracles. Even Peter, Paul and Philip in Samaria, whose healings are recorded in Acts, were not known as divine healers.

There are also those who receive training as doctors and nurses to care and heal in a worldly sense, but this manifestation is not that natural, human skill. Of course, the gifts of the Holy Spirit can be used alongside these human skills, so there can be continuing development of the entire field of Christian healing. God can bless them both as they are needed – and the manifestations can be spectacular when human help is no longer available.

‘Gifts of healing’ are plural – they do not just include physical healing but can also mean healing of relationships, or of psychological, emotional or spiritual needs.

Gifts of healing should be spontaneous among believers as and when the Spirit leads and wills, and these gifts do not depend only on the faith of those receiving the manifestation – Jesus often rejoiced that “Your faith has made you whole” (Luke 17:19; Mark 5:34; Luke 8:48; Mark 10:52). It is faith in Christ that cures people as Jesus reminded the onlookers following the healing of the crippled beggar: “It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see” (Acts 3:16).

James 5:13-16 gives specific instructions on praying and the use of oil. The ‘sick’ here means literally those ‘without strength’, needing the restoration of full health. The role of the elders was to build up the Body, healing all those needing support that they might be enabled to fulfil their ministry as fellow heirs with Christ (Rom 8:11-17).

Miraculous Powers

Gifts of healing can often be seen as miracles in themselves and Acts often uses the term ‘miracles’ (dynameis) to denote bodily healing and the casting out of evil spirits (Acts 8:6 -7 and 19:11-12). Healings were described as “signs and great miracles” (Acts 8:13) and “extraordinary miracles” (Acts 19:11).

But the working of miracles (literally the energising of powers – i.e. God’s powers) also refers to works of special and extraordinary power of God’s almightiness, such as those of Jesus when he turned the water into wine, walked on water or raised Lazarus from the dead. Those manifesting miraculous powers were promised that they would receive the power to “pick up snakes with their hands and when they drink deadly poison it will not hurt them at all” (Mark 16:19).

This is a very special manifestation given as and when the Spirit wills – and not one we can claim or manipulate. It is listed as one of the marks of an apostle in 2 Corinthians 12:12 but the whole story of Simon the sorcerer (Acts 8:9-24), his conversion and baptism followed by his desire to purchase special privileges, is a salutary lesson.

A ‘Final’ Word

When we look at developing the spiritual gifts - whether natural gifts, ministries or these ‘manifestations’ - to allow us to become the kind of people that God wants us to be, we see that it is all for a purpose: so that we can be both his witnesses and his ambassadors to others around us.

We should always remember that the gifts are given to enable us to serve others and not for self-aggrandisement! It is good for us to remember this when we recognise how gracious our Father is to send his Holy Spirit to help us, advise us and guide us into all truth, as well as to fill us with his grace.