The prophet whose very presence was a message in itself.

Ahijah of Shiloh prophesied the breakup of Israel into two kingdoms. In the tenth part of our series on the relevance of the message and ministry of the non-writing prophets for today, Fred Wright considers the impact of Ahijah’s life on the times in which he lived.

The ministry of the non-writing prophets reached the highest expressions around the time of the demise of Solomon and the subsequent division of the kingdom. Tensions centred around the definition of the true Israel and the true worship of the Lord. Ahijah of Shiloh is a key figure in the tumultuous times leading to, and the institution of, the divided kingdoms. The story of Ahijah is an outstanding example of how a man can be a message in himself.

Solomon built high places for his foreign wives and although the practice may have commenced as ‘courtesy worship’, it soon became an established part of religion in Israel to worship foreign gods, notably:

• Ashtoreth/Astarte: the goddess of the Sidonians. A mother goddess of fertility and war, a common figure, rife in the time of the conquest and the time of Samuel's ministry (Judg 2:13, 10:6; 1 Sam 7:3-4; 12:10), of whom numerous naked female statues have been discovered. Female deities of this nature were invariably earth mothers. Today the New Age movement frequently use similar motifs.
• Molech: the detestable god of the Ammonites generally considered to have the meaning of 'king of shame’ because of the practice of child sacrifice in the fire (Lev 18:21, 20:2-5; Jer 32:35 cf. 2 Kings 17:31). The law of Moses demanded the death penalty for one offering his child to Molech but the practice constantly re-emerged, as in the case of King Ahaz (2 Chron 28:3) and King Manasseh. Although there was a rout of the cult by Josiah, Ezekiel still had occasion to protest against the practice.
• Chemosh: the detestable god of the Ammonites also contained the practice of child sacrifice. The notion of child sacrifice was to some extent to pacify the deity. Today child sacrifice through abortion is in a similar vein a sacrifice, in this case to appease the idol of felt needs of the individual.

Shiloh

The whole concept of monarchy and, to some degree, even the institution of the Temple was regarded by some as a foreign institution, alien to the covenant with God. God did not live in a Temple but was omnipresent. Israel's call was not to be like other nations, but to be free of idols and to be dedicated to the Lord alone. We find a primary expression of these tensions in Ahijah’s appellation ‘of Shiloh’.

It soon became an established part of religion in Israel to worship foreign gods.

Shiloh was situated on the north side of Bethel (Judg 21:19) and it was here, in the early days of conquest, that the tent of meeting was set up (Josh 18:1). We may reasonably assume that the establishment of the shrine was a prophetic action looking forward to the fulfilment of the Messianic ascription in Genesis 49:10. It was at Shiloh that the seven tribes who had not as yet received their inheritance tarried. We may understand Shiloh, therefore, as representing, in a primary sense, a symbol of awaiting of that which is yet to be fulfilled.

Although not directly mentioned in Scripture, it appears that Shiloh was destroyed c.1050 BC as an example of God's judgment against wickedness. The priesthood moved to Nob (Jer 7:12, 14; 26:6, 9). It would be reasonable to assume that a remnant of the cultus, of whom Ahijah was a part, remained and ministered out of Shiloh.

Separated Through Choice

Throughout the history of Israel there were always groups who considered that Israel had gone astray with the institution of the monarchy, the Temple and its worship. They preferred to remain outside of Jerusalem and the Temple environs. The Recabites (Jer 35) are an example of such a group from the time of Jeremiah while the Essenes are an example in the late Second Temple period.

John the Baptist may have belonged to such a group amongst whom such a notion was held, as witnessed by his preaching (Matt 3:9; Luke 3:8). Paul's ‘Israel of God' may also have this connotation (Gal 6:16). There can be little doubt that in the modern age the battle to preserve authentic devotion to the Lord is getting harder. We have seen over recent years many fashionable, often syncretic ideas come and go through the church.

A worrying trend, in recent times, is the sudden interest in Israel for the wrong motives. One charismatic stream has promoted prayer for the Jewish people on the grounds of Genesis 12:2-3 as part of a ‘prosperity’ doctrine. This has also included raising vast amounts of money for aliyah-related projects that have born little fruit.¹

Throughout the history of Israel there were always groups who considered that Israel had gone astray.

A Divided Kingdom

Ahiiah makes a dramatic entrance (1 Kings 11:29) encountering Jeroboam, who was at that time a petty official, on the road. He proceeded to pronounce the end of the united kingdom by rending his garment into 12 pieces and presenting 10 to Jeroboam. These pieces represented his forthcoming rule (1 Kings 11:31).

The deep loathing of Jeroboam, son of Nebat, is implied almost immediately. His mother’s name is given as Zeruah (leprous) – a widow. In the Septuagint translation she is described as a harlot (1 Kings 11:26). Jeroboam fled from Solomon, finding refuge in Egypt with Shishak, and returned upon the revolt of the ten northern tribes against Rehoboam. He was elevated to kingship by popular assent (c. 931 BC) and set about establishing a rule that would become a negative measuring stick for subsequent kings who are generally considered to have perpetuated his sins of idolatry.

One should understand that the prophet in ancient Israel fulfilled far more than a religious or cultic function. The prophet was involved in matters covering all the main areas of life, including both political and domestic matters. in the same way the role of the prophet today is not simply to pronounce blessing and encouragement to the church, but also to speak to the leaders of the nations.

Consequences of Idolatry

We next encounter Ahijah when Jeroboam’s son fell sick and he sent his wife in disguise (with the customary gifts) to the ageing prophet, who we are informed was poor of sight. However, the prophet immediately knew who she was and predicted the death of Jeroboam's son, the fall of his house and the future captivity of Israel (1 Kings 14:6-16). Idolatry, in all of its forms, is abhorrent to the Lord. In the New Testament, the aged John’s mature reflections and departing plea make this most clear (1 John 5:21).

The story of Ahijah of Shiloh is one of the many warnings in Scripture against idolatry in all of its forms. More than this, it also one of several instances where God shows that he will operate through a faithful remnant. Paul may have had this in mind when speaking of the last days in his letters to Timothy (1 Tim 1:3f) where he states that in the last days there will be times of great stress when many will follow deviant teachings. Israel's disasters were invariably caused by the forsaking of the Lord in favour of foreign gods and other idols.

The story of Ahijah is one of many warnings in Scripture against idolatry, and one of several instances where God shows he will operate through a faithful remnant.

Ahijah the Shilonite could possibly be styled ‘Ahijah the faithful’. We know little of Ahijah outside of the notices in 1 Kings but we may say with assurance that as a representative of a faithful remnant his mere presence had a prophetic significance that demanded attention - a quality sadly lacking today.

This article was first published in Prophecy Today in 1999, Vol 15(1).

Notes

1 This references 'prosperity gospel' movements operating in the late 1990s abusing aliyah for their own ends, rather than the principle of aliyah itself, to which Prophecy Today is fully committed.

Arabic message in tongues confirms calling for Jewish vicar.

A Jewish follower of Jesus was having second thoughts about being ordained into the Church of England ministry when he got the surprise of his life.

A message in tongues¹ was given during a home meeting which Ralph Goldenberg immediately recognised as Sudanese Arabic.

Having grown up in Sudan with the ability to speak several languages, he knew exactly what it meant. And it could not have been a clearer confirmation of his calling.

“Allah be’hebak – Inta min al dam beta Ibrahiem – Al Angiel fi fomak” translates as: “God loves you. You are from the blood of Abraham. The gospel is in your mouth.”

The messenger, who hadn’t even realised he had spoken a real (as opposed to angelic) language, subsequently interpreted what he had said (as instructed by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 14:27) as: “You are to proclaim the gospel and bring my people to the kingdom.”

Holy Spirit Empowerment

As recorded in his autobiography, Find the Truth and Lock it in Your Heart,² that miraculous incident sparked the beginning of a very fruitful 20-year ministry for the Rev Goldenberg, a former optometrist who has since been helping people to see spiritual truths.

Now 72 and retired, Ralph led churches in various parts of England, including the Jewish community of Edgware in north London, where he encountered opposition as well as interest.

Rev Goldenberg’s fruitful 20-year ministry was sparked by a miraculous confirming of his calling in tongues.

At his first church, in his home town of Bournemouth, he witnessed the miraculous healing of a missionary to China who had come home for back surgery which was cancelled after prayer and anointing with oil.

The Holy Spirit, who had so empowered the first believers on the Day of Pentecost that they spoke in the languages of Jews from many nations who were staying in Jerusalem for the festival (also known as Shavuot),³ has clearly played an essential role in Ralph’s ministry.

He recalls the time when, during a Pentecost Sunday service, “nearly everyone received the Holy Spirit and children spontaneously started praying and prophesying over the adults.” His final Pentecost service turned into an impromptu full immersion baptism and lasted four hours.

Find and Follow the Truth

Ralph was among 40 grandchildren to a Chief Rabbi sent to lead the Jewish community in Sudan, and both his grandparents told him to ‘find the truth and lock it in your heart’ – hence the book’s title. So imagine his surprise when the vicar in charge of the church⁴ where he was married a golden 50 years ago told him to “search for the truth and follow wherever it leads you”.

Ralph was sent to a Jewish school in Brighton, England – and seemed to meet Christians at every turn of his life from this point on. He had also, in fact, attended a Catholic school in Sudan.

He followed his father into optometry, meeting wife Helen at the City University in London where she was also an optometry student. When he joined an optician’s partnership, he too was a Christian! Ralph and Helen had three lovely boys, a beautiful home and in time seemed to have everything, but still felt empty inside. They made friends with a Christian couple and soon became connected with St Mary’s, Ferndown.

“I am a Jew but I want to know about Jesus,” Ralph told the vicar. Helen meanwhile had already been persuaded that Jesus was knocking on the door of her life just waiting to be invited in (Rev 3:20) and Ralph was duly challenged to read the New Testament, which he found ‘mind-blowing’.

His Jewish grandparents told Ralph to ‘find the truth and lock it in your heart’.

But he needed to be sure that Jesus was divine. So he challenged God to send at least one person – perhaps even six – to say “Jesus is alive!”

He subsequently felt drawn to attend church with Helen, and was blown away when a new song was introduced which repeated the line ‘Jesus is alive today’ several times! He never looked back, and it was ten years later, while experiencing pre-ordination nerves, that he got the knockout confirmation of his calling in Arabic!

Ralph has certainly found the truth his grandparents encouraged him to seek and is currently part of the leadership of the Church’s Ministry among Jewish people (CMJ), an international body dedicated to the spiritual rebirth of Israel.

References

¹  A New Testament phenomenon foretold in the Tanach (Old Testament) – see Isaiah 28:11, Acts 2:4, 1 Corinthians 14:21.
² Creative Book Solutions
³ Acts 2:4-5.
⁴ St Anne’s Bagshot in Surrey.

Some of the week's happenings to aid your prayers.

Society & Politics

• Tabernacle Christian Centre looking for a Christian teacher: An evangelical church nearby to Grenfell Tower are urgently requesting a dedicated teacher of English and History, able to teach to GCSE level, to start in September. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to get in touch with Pastor Derrick Wilson.
  
• Christian street preacher will not be charged: Ian Sleeper, who was arrested outside Southwark Cathedral in June and held in a cell for 13 hours after displaying placards sharing love for Muslims and critiquing Islam, will not be prosecuted. Read more here.

World Scene

• Churches open their doors in Freetown: In the aftermath of the terrible mudslide this week in Sierra Leone, in which 400 have died, 600 are still missing, and some 3,000 are now homeless, Tearfund reports an outpouring of love in the midst of overwhelming ruin. Prayers and donations are especially welcome at this time. Read more here.
  
• Christians targeted for prosecution in Russia: A year after Putin made evangelism illegal in Russia, 186 cases have been brought to court, the majority levelled against Christians. Even home prayer and Bible study meetings have resulted in charges. Read more here and here, read a full list of prosecutions here.
  
• Netanyahu condemns Charlottesville anti-Semitism: The Israeli PM has criticised the evident anti-Semitic feeling present at the rally, where Nazi symbols were on full display and protesters chanted “Jews will not replace us”. Read more here.
  
• Airline's pro-LGBT advert backfires: Dutch airline KLM tried to promote LGBT relationships using images of seatbelts…but the ad has backfired spectacularly. Read more here.
  
• Christianity growing in North Korea: Despite horrific persecution, recent reports and testimonies show that the faith is alive and well – and spreading - in the despotic state. Read more here.
  

Israel & Middle East

• Iran builds missile factory in Syria: The expansion of Iran through the region as ISIS is pushed back is causing concern among Israelis. Meanwhile Turkey and Iran are strengthening ties despite their differences. Read more here and here.
  
• Gender controversy at the Western Wall set to fire up again: Conservative and Reform movements are planning to hold a protest prayer at the kotel next week, pushing back against the Government’s June cancellation of plans for an egalitarian prayer area. Read more here.

Upcoming Events

• National Day of Prayer for Britain (8 September): Emmanuel Centre, Westminster, 10:30am-8pm. David Hathaway, together with Brenda Taylor and Dennis Greenidge, are calling a day of prayer for Britain’s Government, Brexit, and for the nation to turn back to God at this critical time. Free, but registration required – This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to register by email.
• Feast of Tabernacles celebration (20-21 October): Emmanuel Centre, Westminster. Join Barry and Batya Segal and Vision for Israel for their annual Sukkot celebration. Click here for more information and to book tickets.

Recommended Sources

At Prophecy Today UK we are aware that the world is moving very quickly and it is difficult to keep up with all the latest developments – especially when the material circulated by our mainstream media is increasingly far from reality and definitely not devoted to a biblical perspective!

Though we are not a news service, we want to help keep you informed by passing on updates and reports as we are led. This will be a selective, not an exhaustive, round-up, which we hope will be helpful for your prayers. Click here to browse our News archive.

We also recommend the following news services for regular updates from a Christian perspective:

• Christian Concern (UK)
• Christian Institute (UK)
• JNN News (Barry and Batya Segal, Israel)
• Family Watch International
• Barnabas Fund
• Kehila News (Israel)

It is always the right time to seek revival among the body of believers.

Christians ascend Welsh heights in support of Israel.

The man of God who started well, but was deceived.

Heatwaves and weather events “could kill over 100,000 a year in Europe by 2100”.¹

This recent news, no doubt published in the light of the unprecedentedly scorching weather recently in Italy, caught my attention last weekend. The article predicts searing heatwaves, droughts, floods and wind storms, all as a consequence of global warming.

Does this sort of warning have a familiar ring to it for those of us who read our Bibles? The physical threat of fire should always be a sobering reminder for believers, for we know it will also be the form of the Lord’s final judgment upon the earth (e.g. 2 Peter 3:10-13). It is not surprising that as we approach His return, then, things are ‘hotting up’ (so to speak) – physically, politically and spiritually. Through physical signs we are being alerted increasingly to the times of urgency in which we live.

The Lord Will Come with Fire

My wife had a dream back in 2012. It went as follows:

I dreamed that a tornado was coming through the city and it was very wide, lifting up in its way houses, people, cars…We had to run away to the forest but the forest was on fire in various parts. Where we went the fire would be, not large bits but in small pieces. So we decided to go back but were pushed to where the tornado was still touching down. I felt we had to get below street level and warn people to join us. Many came but lots wanted to go back for things. Bodies were strewn everywhere. So down we went and as it passed over we saw a glimpse of heaven / peace / sun and then it left. We were still there among the debris, water and mess as the tornado went on its way.

She told our family about this dream one evening. As usual at that time, after the meal we read from the Bible. This night, seemingly by coincidence, we reached Isaiah 66 and verses 14-16:

When you see this, your heart will rejoice and you will flourish like grass; the hand of the LORD will be made known to his servants, but his fury will be shown to his foes. See, the LORD is coming with fire, and his chariots are like a whirlwind; he will bring down his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For with fire and with his sword the LORD will execute judgment on all people, and many will be those slain by the LORD. [emphasis added]

Time is Short

So, what are we to do about it? We have to do something, both in prayer and action. Just as the scientists are warning the world of the need to change lifestyles in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, we have to warn people that God’s judgment is coming closer.

There is still time for multitudes to escape the fire of God’s judgment. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, the opportunity still remains for them to turn their lives about and join our Heavenly Father’s Kingdom. But time is getting short.

Author: John Quinlan

References

1 Press Association, see here.

What can Christians expect from the coming times of volatility - and how can we prepare?

As was announced last week, we at Prophecy Today believe that God will not now hold back from shaking Britain. For many years his warning signs have not been heeded - signs of the very same nature that Amos highlighted when he warned Israel of their departure from the ways of God (Amos 4).

In Britain there has been a long-standing expectation of a severe economic shaking - even in secular circles. This financial shaking will surely be more severe than that which accompanied the hurricane which hit the south of England in 1987, impacting the markets in the following days.

One might have thought the recession of 2007, seen as the greatest since the Great Depression of the 1930s, was the severe shaking that we were expecting. Now it seems that even this was a warning shock pointing to something much more severe ahead.

God’s Shakings Are Immense

The Book of Revelation predicts the fall of all the cities of the nations (Rev 16:19) and some see in Revelation 18 the foretelling of a total, global financial collapse in the space of just an hour (Rev 18) – a phenomenon which would not have been possible just a few decades ago, but which today could happen very easily. Whatever shaking is coming to Britain in the near future will likely be a precursor of this, though not the final woe that impacts the world.

In Britain, even in secular circles, there has been a long-standing expectation of a severe economic shaking.

God’s shakings are immense, nevertheless. Clifford Hill, in last week’s editorial, took us back to the times of Jeremiah to liken what is happening in Britain to the judgment that was about to fall on Judah. Jeremiah wept over Jerusalem just as Jesus did around 600 years later, when he prophesied its fall under the Romans, including the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD.

The return of Israel to God following this major shaking and her second exile into diaspora is still not complete.

So let’s take the fallout of an imminent shaking in Britain very seriously. If Jerusalem was not preserved, who are we to say that a dramatic collapse could not occur to once-protected Britain?

Obvious Weaknesses

A financial recession or collapse would, of course, impact incomes, savings, businesses and investments, with enormous consequences. People would fall on hard times. But there is a possibility here of even greater fallout: a breakdown of law and order.

There is already an atmosphere of discontent with and distrust of authority enveloping the country, especially among young people. This could easily turn into resentment, and violence could erupt on our streets.

A brief perusal of the political scene in Britain reveals a landscape ripe for volatility: a perceived weak Conservative Government appearing to fail with Brexit (or even appearing to succeed!), Government failure to fulfil election promises, health and care systems on the brink of collapse. There is also the possibility of another general election and the Labour Party led by Corbyn coming to power, which itself could dramatically fail, further dampening the hopes of many. The weaknesses are many and obvious, with tragedies like the Grenfell Tower fire brewing up to a fervour problems that have already been bubbling away for some time.

Yet, for the Church, this is not an entirely negative picture. We must see it as a day of opportunity for the Gospel. But how will it be to minister in such troubled times?

Prepare!

Consider the interval between Malachi’s prophecies and the coming of Jesus – the 400 ‘silent years’ when God seemed to be inactive. We know that by the time Jesus came to minister to the poor and proclaim the Kingdom, many were demonised and many were sick with incurable diseases. Surely we will find the same when God opens the door for the Church to minister to the needy in Britain, during and after the coming shaking.

A brief perusal of the political scene in Britain reveals a volatile landscape – but this is not an entirely negative picture.

Already we see many people in our nation falling for the temptations of satan and living – or merely existing - outside of the protection of God. Family life is disintegrating, as in the time of Malachi, as a sign of this. The consequences are already telling on many lives, just as in the days of Jesus.

It will not simply be a case of food banks and extra financial support. We will need to be ready with the full scope of spiritual ministries at the time designated by God for a call to repentance that many may yet heed. For the events ahead will lie completely within the redemptive purposes of God.

We may have just a short time to consider this and so the word for the Church today, in this context, surely must be "PREPARE"!

But How?

I would suggest that the first part of our preparation be in our attitude. For those of us who have warned of the decline in our nation for so long, it is all too easy to have the judgmental attitude of Jonah who was sent to Ninevah. We should instead have the attitude of Jeremiah and Jesus who wept over the fall of Judah. When did we last weep for the people of our nation?

We must seek to understand the mindset of this generation, especially amongst young people. Why do they believe what they believe and do what they do? Through understanding and sympathy we will be more ready and able to help when doors of opportunity open.

Secondly, we must turn to prayer. The strategy of prayer triplets was very successful for the evangelistic ministry of Billy Graham (called Mission England) in the 1980s. What strategy for prayer will the Holy Spirit give us for the coming days of ministry in our nation?

We will need to be ready with the full scope of spiritual ministries at the time designated by God for a call to repentance that many may yet heed.

Thirdly, let us fan up the flames of the ministries in our churches. How will we deal with someone needing deliverance or healing as they make steps towards acceptance of the Gospel? How will we minister to those who will emerge with confusion and fear?

Let us be honest: if our spiritual life has dried up leaving a lifeless religiosity in its place, now is the time to seek God for personal revival and re-commissioning for the days ahead. Through watching and praying we must seek to understand the times we are in and the subtle tactics of our spiritual adversary who finds ways of deceiving Christians as well as unbelievers.

Fourthly, of course, we must prepare prayerfully for the practical helps that will be needed when this nation is shaken.

Being Ready

Some years ago, when I lived in Gorseinon close to where the 1904 Welsh Revival broke out, I asked an elderly neighbour about her experience of the revival. I had the following answer: “Oh dear no, that was in the chapels. It passed the churches by”.

Let us be sure that we are ready to serve and participate when the day of harvest comes to us. We do not want to let the opportunity pass us by.

A personal statement from the Editor-in-Chief.

So many people have contacted me since last week’s Editorial that I feel I must make a statement to clarify what I was saying. It wasn’t really anything very new, because in Issachar Ministries we have been teaching along these lines for some time.

We have always tried to teach the necessity of understanding what God is doing so that we can pray in line with his will. It’s no good praying “Peace! Peace!” if the Lord is saying “There is no peace”. And it’s no good praying shalom upon the nation if the Lord is saying, “I am shaking the nation”!

We have to say, “Lord, help us to understand why you are shaking the nation so that we can pray for your shaking to be effective, so that you may work out your purposes in the nation.” This is the right way to intercede, even though it may be uncomfortable for us.

Living in Babylon

Issachar Ministries has long been teaching that for many decades Britain has been defying God by passing ungodly laws – and that as a nation we crossed a red line when our Parliament passed the Same-Sex Marriage Act in 2013. This was a direct act of defiance of the God of Creation – the God of the Bible and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Our Parliament immediately put the nation outside the protecting cover of God. Judgment began immediately upon those most responsible for this heinous Act. Maria Miller, the Minister responsible for the Act lost her job within weeks. David Cameron was spared only long enough to offer the Referendum on the EU to the nation. Then judgment fell upon him that ended his political career.

We have always tried to teach the necessity of understanding what God is doing so that we can pray in line with his will.

Since 2013 mature Christians have been praying for mercy in the midst of judgment. The Referendum was a specific target for believing prayer which, as an act of mercy, God answered positively, giving us the opportunity to sever connection with the demonic institution that the EU has become. But Brexit can only succeed if there is sufficient Godly repentance in the nation to allow God to act in mercy.

Since 2013 the faithful remnant of the Lord’s people in Britain have been ‘in Babylon’ – much as the faithful remnant of Israel were sent to Babylon in 598 BC and when Jeremiah heard of their misery (as per Psalm 137) he sent them his famous letter (Jeremiah 29) telling them to settle down as God had got good plans for them.

The faithful remnant in Britain today are in a similar position: not physically separated, but culturally and spiritually separated from the nation. We are living by a different set of values – kingdom values, not the politically correct, secular values of the nation.

Defiance in the Church

The new thing for me was last month when the Archbishop of York refused to accept an amendment that would have committed the CofE to biblically-based evangelism.

Specifically, an amendment was suggested by Andrea Williams recognising the importance of Scripture in informing and directing how the Church engages with the nation, which the Archbishop of York (with nodding agreement from the Archbishop of Canterbury) urged the rest of the Synod to resist, saying “If you’re going to serve the whole community please don’t limit our language…The Word became flesh and sadly we are now making it Word, Word and Word again. Resist the amendments.” He was clearly committing the Church to conform to the political correctness of secular society.

Since 2013 the faithful remnant of the Lord’s people in Britain have been ‘in Babylon’ – culturally and spiritually separated from the nation.

The same Synod agreed to compose a service to recognise and celebrate the new identity of transsexuals, which is surely an offence against the God of Creation. Putting these two things together I sensed that the CofE had now passed a red line in much the same way as the nation did in 2013. It was at that point that I felt the Lord saying to me the time had come to share with other believers what we have already been teaching about the nation in small groups of intercessors around the country who were seeking to pray in line with the will of God.

I first checked this with our trustees at our retreat last month and they encouraged me to share it with the prayer partners who would be with us the following day. I did this and there was a very positive response – people were even saying that they felt a sense of relief as they had been hearing something similar for some time.

Once I had done this I knew that word would go round rapidly, so then planned to say something in Prophecy Today UK, which I did last week. I believe that our state Church has stepped over a red line. There is a faithful, believing remnant in every church, but in many cases they are as much ‘in Babylon’ in their church as they are in the nation.

Babylon in the Churches

This is the new thing: the faithful remnant is having to learn to live victoriously in Babylon in the institutional churches as well as in the secular nation! Of course, God’s judgment will never come upon the faithful believing Church that is the Body of Christ – but we may well see judgment come upon the unfaithful institutions that are called churches! The Church of England may only be held together so long as our present Queen is head of state. After that – who knows what will happen?

The faithful remnant is having to learn to live victoriously in Babylon in the institutional churches – as well as in the secular nation!

I can no longer pray God’s shalom upon the institutional churches any more than I can pray peace and prosperity upon our secular humanist state – I can only ask for mercy and pray for the faithful remnant to be preserved as the shaking intensifies.

However, that does not mean I intend to stop praying – for there is much I can pray for – and much we can all pray for! Each of us has the freedom in this to seek guidance from the Holy Spirit about how to pray in line with the will of God.

Personally, I pray that truth will be preserved and that the day will come when eyes that are blinded by secular humanism will be opened; and ears that are deafened by fake news and Darwinian lies will be unstopped; and that God will preserve his faithful remnant until the day that a harvest for the Kingdom may be reaped, in a time of his choosing. I probably won’t see the harvest in my lifetime but I have great hope that there will be a harvest for the Kingdom in the lifetime of my grandchildren!