Paul Luckraft reviews resources from Maoz, a Messianic charity that supports Jewish and Arab believers in Israel.

Here are two very informative and worthwhile booklets, written by Ari and Shira Sorko-Ram, Messianic Jews who have been pioneers in Israel’s Messianic Jewish movement for over 40 years. Ari and Shira founded Maoz, a non-profit charitable organisation supporting both Jewish and Arab believers in Israel.

Please see the base of the article for full ordering details.

To the Jew First

To the Jew First is written by Ari and explains the principle found in Scripture that God has assigned a specific order to the way he works out his purposes. Without this God-designed order or prioritising, things often don’t line up or bear fruit. But following this divine ordering can produce much blessing.

Chapter two is particularly valuable as Ari uses the biblical calendar and harvest cycle to explain how each of us can increase our individual fruitfulness by observing the period between Passover and Pentecost, the time in the Jewish calendar known as ‘counting the omer’.

Even those familiar with the Feasts and how to observe them may have missed this important concept. At Passover we celebrate our liberation and consequent freedom; at Pentecost we want to dedicate ourselves afresh to God for a new infilling and greater service. But between these two events are 50 days in which we can identify any new seed God has planted in our lives, some new first-fruits to be offered back to him as the beginning of a new harvest and period of fruitfulness. As we count through these 50 days we are to take special care of these gifts - nurturing and watering them, and pulling out the weeds that might choke them. Due attention at this time can lead to a greater harvest later.

Following God’s divine ordering and priorities can produce much blessing.

But the main point of the booklet is that Israel has been chosen first in God’s plans and if we don’t recognise this then our ministry will not be as blessed as we would wish. Here is the bigger picture in which we all operate. Israel is God’s first-born and his first-fruits among the nations. What we do to these fruit-fruits affects our harvest. Whatever our particular calling and wherever God might want us to serve, we need to recognise this fact.

The author quotes the example of Reinhard Bonnke. He was called to Africa but told by the Lord to pray for Israel. This puzzled him until the Lord responded with “If you pray for Israel, I will give you Africa.” Serve elsewhere, but pray for Israel!

It is pleasing to note that the author provides a more accurate translation of Romans 1:16 using the Complete Jewish Bible, namely “…to the Jew especially, but equally to the Gentile.” It is easy to dismiss ‘to the Jew first’ as merely being a chronological fact when instead we should see God’s prioritising principle at work regarding the Gospel. Salvation came to the Jews for the sake of all nations, and salvation came to the nations to bring Israel back to her Messiah and bring God’s purposes to complete fulfilment. Blessings all round!

Israel’s Call

Israel’s Call is written by Shira and is subtitled ‘How you can help her fulfil it’. The intention is to create a better understanding between Jews and Christians and to break down the barriers of communication between them. In particular, the aim is to help Christians who love Israel to become more effective in sharing the Gospel with Jewish people. This is the special focus of the first section, entitled ‘A guide to sharing the good news with the Jewish people.’

There are many helpful comments and suggestions here, such as which words to avoid (e.g. convert, mission), as well as some crucial points to be aware of, for instance that Jew’s conception of a Christian is a person without God – that is, the true God of Israel. The author is quite clear that in evangelising Jewish people the key ideas of repentance and faith in Jesus cannot be avoided.

Shira intends to create a better understanding between Jews and Christians and break down barriers of communication between them.

The longer second section deals with questions that often arise in discussions with Jewish people. Such topics include the Trinity, the nature of atonement, why so-called Christians are often anti-Semitic, and the role of Paul as the ‘creator of Christianity.’

One interesting section considers Jewish expectation of their Messiah when he comes if he is not Yeshua. Without his prior sacrifice for sins, how will he deal with evil and set up the Kingdom of God?

There are also helpful sections on the Holocaust and how the Jewish people regard being the chosen people. Perhaps most surprising is the length of the section on kashrut (the dietary laws) but this becomes apparent when it is realised that many Jews believe Jesus and the New Testament cancelled these laws and taught (or at least encouraged) the eating of pork!
It should be noted that this booklet was formerly entitled ‘I became as a Jew’ just in case you already have it under that name. If you don’t have a copy, then here is a highly recommended resource for those engaged in these sorts of conversations with Jewish friends.

‘Israel’s Call’ and ‘To the Jew First’ are available from Maoz for £3 each, or £5 for both, including P&P.

Novels from Maoz

Also available from Maoz are two novels in a projected trilogy by Ron Cantor. The first, Identity Theft, sets the tone in which David, a young Jewish man seeking after truth, is granted supernatural experiences to show him how Christianity in general and Jesus in particular were separated early on from their Jewish roots. Hence the title – Jesus’ true identity was stolen from him as the Church developed along non-Hebraic lines.

The author’s approach is to have David flying off with an angel into a celestial classroom and be supernaturally transported to various ancient historical locations where he meets biblical characters who correct his mistaken views on Christianity gained through his Jewish, anti-Christian upbringing. David is eventually convinced that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah and it would seem that he is being prepared for a big evangelistic role among the Jewish people which will become the main theme of the third book.

Meanwhile, the second book, Jerusalem Secret, continues in much the same way. In one section David spends a lot of time with the Apostle Paul who explains and expounds his own letter to the Romans in order to correct the misunderstandings and errors frequently made by theologians and preachers! At points like this the book is more sermon than story. The novel is merely a vehicle to convey information. David is simply told things rather than led to discover them, which is a main weakness of both books.

However, he does have a family and the tensions he experiences when back on earth among them certainly adds to the narrative content, especially the times with his sceptical wife, the discussions with his rabbi, and his relationship with his father in the second book (which is likely to become important in the third).

Cantor’s two novels follow a young Jewish man seeking after truth.

Overall, it must be stressed that these are teaching novels and so perhaps it is not surprising that they are rather thin on plot and characterisation. However, the theology and historical facts are accurate and well-presented within the overall framework of the storyline, even if the style becomes rather tedious at times.

The books might work for those who need their eyes opening as to how the Church has become so detached from its Jewish roots but for those who already have a firm grasp of this and are looking to enjoy a good read in novel form then these books might prove disappointing.

‘Identity Theft’ and ‘Jerusalem Secret’ available from Maoz for £10 each (including P&P), or from Amazon.

Ordering Information

Order from Maoz UK by contacting the office: call 02037 405794, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or fill out the contact form on the Maoz website.

Sharon and Frances Rabbitts review ‘Sister Religions’ (Hatikvah Films, 2014).

In ‘Sister Religions’, we are offered a sensitive yet no-nonsense consideration of what has become a defining issue of our day: the relationship between Judeo-Christianity and Islam.

This series of five interviews, each half an hour or less, gives viewers a frank and biblical response to the common misconception that Jews, Christians and Muslims all worship the same god (bracketed as they often are under the term ‘the Abrahamic religions’) and equips Christians to respond well to the challenge of Islam.

There are four interviews with Dr Mark Durie (Australian theologian, pastor and researcher), book-ended with an introduction from former bishop Michael Nazir-Ali and a final interview with religious liberty advocate Elizabeth Kendal. Each session approaches this minefield of a topic from a slightly different angle – and the interviews necessarily jump around a bit, as interviews tend to do – which can make for confusing viewing. However, the general structure is clearly chronological.

A Stormy Relationship

After the introduction, in which Nazir-Ali tackles the disputed belief that Jews, Christians and Muslims share ancestry in Abraham and gives a brief overview of the “stormy” relationship between the three religions, Mark Durie begins with the historic foundation of Islam, including the different stages of Mohammed’s life and their connection into the writings that have become the Qur’an.

In the third session, he turns to the colonial expansion of Islam and how this was prophesied in the Bible, as well as the development of classic Muslim attitudes to non-Muslims (dhimmi), as exemplified in the ‘jizya’ tax. Durie’s discussion here is fascinating, as he not only clarifies the Islamic mindset towards non-Muslims, but also alludes to the profound spiritual impacts the jizya can have, as a curse.

There is fascinating discussion of how the jizya tax operates as a curse.

There is also a very useful overview in this session of the Islamic co-option of history and the Christian scriptures to suit its own theology – and the continuation of such practice today.

Durie’s final session engages with the tricky area of inter-faith dialogue - its potentials and dangers. The last interview (Kendal) departs from discussions about theology and history to focus on contemporary Islamic persecution of Jews and Christians around the world – and how Western Christians might respond.

As the DVD progresses, viewers not only get a decent potted history of the relationship between Islam and Judeo-Christianity, they also get expositions of key terms like ‘jihad’, ‘Islam’ and ‘jizya’. The sessions also develop a clear sense of the classic Islamic attitude towards Jews and Christians, which is being revived in modern-day jihad with deeply concerning fidelity.

Sobering Viewing

This is not intended to be light-hearted viewing; it is a sobering production designed to be a serious study aid. It is visually unexciting, being simply a series of face-to-face interviews rather than a documentary – and Durie and Kendal perhaps speak more engagingly than Nazir-Ali. However, all three are clearly experts in their field and answer the questions in a grounded, sensitive way.

In all, it is to be commended for its concise and eloquent yet uncompromising coverage. It blows out the water the common misunderstanding that Islam is somehow on the same footing as Christianity and Judaism and is able to be compared and contrasted as an equal. Instead, it shows that Islam has a fundamentally different set of starting points and a different mindset.

This is a serious study aid with concise, eloquent and uncompromising coverage.

For those new to the topic, this DVD is a good and thought-provoking introduction. For those already well-versed in the matter, there might be little new material (excepting, perhaps, Kendal’s interview) – but the whole thing would make a good discussion prompt for study groups or interested friends.

Explosive questions about how Christians should treat and engage with Muslims are tackled with sensitivity and respect. It would be suitable for open-minded non-Christians to watch, even though it is made with Christian viewers in mind. It should generally be targeted at teenagers and older, given the seriousness of the subject matter.

If anything, the DVD would benefit from an accompanying study guide – particularly for use in a group context. If you are planning to use it in this way, we would recommend the group leader watching it ahead of time and noting stand-out points and questions, to aid discussion. Alternatively, books by Mark Durie (e.g. Which God? Or The Third Choice, both available from Hatikvah) stand as recommended accompaniments.

‘Sister Religions’ is available from Hatikvah Films (where you can also watch a trailer) for £9.99 plus P&P, or rent online for less.

Grenfell Tower and God’s purposes for Britain.

The Grenfell Tower disaster continues to fill our newspapers and will no doubt do so for a long time to come. Left-wing politicians see it as an opportunity to lambast a Conservative Council for neglecting the poor, the powerless and the immigrant. Anarchists are stirring up rage while seeking the opportunity for overthrowing an elected government.

Lawyers are rubbing their hands at the prospect of prolonged legal battles. Criminals are said to have spirited away huge amounts of gifts and clothing donated by the public, and millions of pounds have been donated to online appeals, some of which have been set up by crooks.

But what about the survivors who have suffered the cruel loss of loved ones reduced to ashes – and the loss of everything they own, their homes, passports, precious family photos and mementos? Who is caring for them? How are they coping with devastating bereavement and shock?

In this issue of Prophecy Today we are publishing an interview with the pastor of a local church that has been intimately involved with the survivors since the first hours of the fire. I also have spoken to this pastor and heard some of his amazing testimony to the grace of God. They have just been filmed for the BBC’s Songs of Praise, so some of these testimonies may well be broadcast to the world.

Warning After Warning

Jesus also had to deal with a tower disaster during his ministry in Jerusalem (Luke 13:4). Jesus saw this disaster, which God had allowed, as a warning that something was severely wrong in the city and unless people took heed, a greater disaster would occur. History shows the result of his warning being ignored. Less than 40 years later, Jerusalem was totally destroyed by the Romans after a disastrous four years’ war.

Jesus also had to deal with a tower disaster during his ministry in Jerusalem – he saw it as a warning that something was severely wrong.

Christians who are alert to the times in which we are living know that God has been sending us warnings for a long time. Our nation has deliberately turned away from truth to embrace every kind of evil, from child abuse and gross immorality to lies and corruption in high places in the governance and commercial life of the UK.

We have deliberately defied the word of God, even to attempting to ‘re-define’ the founding principles of Creation. In so doing we have put ourselves outside the protection of God and we are already reaping the whirlwind of our own creation.

Is Repentance Still Possible?

Disaster will undoubtedly follow and I believe the Grenfell Tower inferno is the latest warning sign that God has sent to us. Of course, it is not too late for national repentance. Jeremiah was still calling for repentance when the Babylonian army was outside the gates of the city, because he knew that God could strike them down and save Jerusalem even at the last moment. But he also knew that there would be no repentance because of the blindness and wickedness that gripped the nation, so he knew that God would allow disaster to happen.

In the 40 years before the destruction of Jerusalem, God raised up three prophets – Zephaniah, Habakkuk and Jeremiah – all with a similar message. They each gave severe warnings; they each said that only repentance and turning to God would prevent disaster; and they each looked beyond the inevitable disaster to a time of restoration and blessing.

I personally believe that the people of Britain, America and Europe have all passed the point where repentance (although still possible) could save us from inevitable disaster. We are being driven by powerful forces of destruction. This is vividly illustrated in the spirit of death that is gripping many young people who are being driven to self-harm and suicide via the internet. In the same way, Western nations are being manipulated and steered by forces of evil.

I personally believe that Britain, America and Europe have all passed the point where repentance, though still possible, can save us from inevitable disaster.

Severe Testing – But with Purpose

Of course, these forces of darkness could be broken if there arose in the Western nations a powerful army of intercessors empowered by the Holy Spirit to scatter the darkness and heal the land. But there is little sign of this at the moment because churches are either gently sleeping in their cosy traditions or actively pursuing the policies of apostasy – the fruit of false teaching and rejection of the truth.

The three pre-exilic prophets of Judah were each told that God would actually use the disaster to further his purposes by sweeping idolatry, immorality and injustice out of the land to prepare the way for the new covenant relationship inaugurated by Messiah. The promises of restoration given by each of these prophets can be found in Jeremiah 31:27f, Habakkuk 2:14 and 3:16f, and Zephaniah 3:14f.

In the recent prayer times led by Issachar Ministries in different parts of the country where we have had intercessory gatherings to spend time together listening to the Lord, the outstanding words that have been received have been urgent calls for repentance, but also calls for strengthening the Body of believers to enable them to stand firm during the coming storm. Christians need equipping with the full armour of God, which is not only for defence but also for declaring the word of God in a hostile environment - that is, we must exercise the sword of the Spirit as well as raise the shield of faith!

The major revelation from these times of waiting upon God is that Christians in Western nations are going to go through days of severe testing, but those days will undoubtedly be followed by times of renewal, spiritual awakening and blessing.

Signs of Future Blessing

A little sign of future blessing can be seen in the Grenfell Tower disaster, out of which many people are entering into a new relationship with God - according to the reports we are hearing from churches in the area. Local Muslims in particular have been greatly shaken, not least because the inferno occurred during Ramadan, which they normally regard as a time of blessing; and because no Muslim would ever have his body cremated - yet so many have been reduced to ashes.

Christians in Western nations are going to go through severe testing, but those days will undoubtedly be followed by times of renewal.

There are reports of Muslims questioning their faith in the wake of Grenfell Tower, and the recent terrorist atrocities committed in the name of Allah, as well as the widespread tragedy unfolding in the Middle East – particularly in Syria, Iraq and Yemen, where Muslims are slaughtering each other. Many Muslims in Kensington are said to be responding to the love being shown to them by Christians and there is a new openness to the Gospel. Is this the beginning of a new harvest for the Kingdom?

Labour’s revival deserves close attention.

The re-emergence of the British Labour Party as a serious contender for power – following a period when they seemed unelectable under a new leader from the hard Left – is extremely worrying.

Although I recognise a clear resurrection of Marxism here, it is also worryingly comparable to the nightmare scenario of the rise of Nazism in the early 1930s when Hitler was swept to power by an electorate desperate for a restoration of pride and plenty. With the rise of socialist agendas in Britain and in other countries, the subtle agenda of anti-Semitism is once more being carried along by an increasingly angry undercurrent for change.

I am not suggesting Jeremy Corbyn is a new Hitler, but it is difficult not to be reminded of the Nazi era. After all, swathes of young people came out in support of Corbyn – the no-hoper turned celebrity almost overnight – in spite of much negative press coverage, including his evident anti-Semitic sympathies. But as someone has said, “the lesson we learn from history is that we never learn the lesson from history!”

Failure to Tackle Anti-Semitism

The latest victim of the menacing – some would say thuggish – behaviour of those surrounding Mr Corbyn is one of his own MPs, Luciana Berger, a 36-year-old Jewish mum representing a Liverpool constituency.

According to the Daily Mail,¹ she faces the threat of de-selection from party activists unless she apologises for previously criticising her leader. A former member of the Shadow Cabinet who quit her post in protest at Mr Corbyn’s stance, Miss Berger has received vile anti-Semitic abuse including 2,500 hate-filled messages in just three days from internet trolls. These included threats to rape or kill her, while some featured the yellow star used by the Nazis to identify Jews.

Corbyn is a no-hoper turned celebrity almost overnight - despite his evident anti-Semitic sympathies.

Mr Corbyn has faced repeated criticism that he has failed to tackle anti-Semitism in his party. He has personally referred to terror groups Hamas and Hezbollah as ‘friends’ and, in October 2014, travelled to Tunisia to visit the grave of a PLO terrorist linked with the massacre of Jewish athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics.²

But none of this seems to move the rising mass of ‘Corbynistas’, who instead turn out to cheer their man as if he were some kind of pop star. Meanwhile, Labour takes an eight-point lead over the Conservatives – 46 per cent to 38 – according to a YouGov poll for The Times.³

Red Line for Jews

Grassroots group Momentum, evidently responsible for Mr Corbyn’s meteoric rise to prominence, has clearly recruited a sea of red political soldiers waving flags of intolerance at anyone daring to oppose their ideologies.

Isi Leibler, a highly respected Jewish leader and commentator, advises Britain’s Jews to cross this ‘Red Sea’ by packing their bags for Israel. The threat to their well-being and safety may be worse than at any time since 1656, when Jews were invited back to Britain under Cromwell following their expulsion in 1290.

“It is a horrifying prospect that a man who publicly praises Hamas and Hezbollah as his ‘friends’, who attended a ceremony in Tunis commemorating the murderer of Israeli Olympic athletes, was employed by the state-controlled Iranian TV to present programs, and tolerated the proliferation of overt anti-Semitism in his party was so close to being elected Prime Minister,” he wrote.⁴

Jewish leader Isi Leibler is advising British Jews to pack their bags for Israel.

Such huge support “for a primitive Trotskyite whose friends include terrorists…is simply mind-boggling”.

The ‘red line’ has now been crossed for British Jews who are considered pariahs by a substantial proportion of the nation, he added. Anti-Israel rhetoric has reached unprecedented levels both in street demonstrations and at universities, while armed guards are now required at schools, synagogues and other Jewish centres.

By contrast to the 1930s, he said, today’s Jews have a state willing to embrace them where they can enjoy the fruits of the Jewish national renaissance and leave behind the humiliation of anti-Semitism.

Anything Goes

1930s Germany might seem a world away from 21^st Century Britain, but what makes us think we are insured against totalitarianism, dictatorship, chaos and confusion, riots in the streets and even civil war?

We can insure our houses against a variety of risks, but there is no such insurance policy for our nation at this time. We have turned our backs on the Lord of glory – and he has left us to our own devices and dilemmas. We are now paying heavily for not taking out (everlasting) life insurance as we reap the consequences of worshipping the hedonistic idols of atheism, with society breaking down, terror stalking our streets and what we used to regard as ‘sin’ being celebrated and promoted.

In 1930s Germany, few dreamed that this apparently charismatic figure who talked of restoring German pride and was gaining in popularity by the day would, within a dozen years, have sent 50 million people to their deaths in a war that would see the destruction of the nation’s economy along with many of its great cities, and the most appalling crime in history – the murder of six million Jews.

Many believe the Holocaust could never happen again – and some actually believe it never took place at all – because it was wicked beyond belief. But in Britain’s brave new world where anything goes, a party whose leader has obvious anti-Semitic sympathies is now more popular than the newly re-elected Conservative Government of Theresa May, which has had to agree to work with Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party to carry out legislation.

1930s Germany might seem a world away from 21^st Century Britain, but what makes us think we are insured against totalitarianism?

Temporary Troubles

It’s worth recalling that homosexuals were also sent to Nazi death camps. But now, perversely, their lifestyle is held up as something for which we must all be proud – and those who disagree are, like the Jews, also pariahs. Of course both these scenarios are horribly wrong. God loves gay people as much as any of us, but not their lifestyle.

An estimated one million people joined the ‘Gay Pride’ march through London, seen by the BBC as something to lift our spirits in these difficult times blighted by terror and confusion. But the ‘happy’ scene is in fact a tragedy, underscored for me as I watched the TV cameras pan across the parade down Regent Street with the distinctive features of All Souls, Langham Place, in the background.

For many across the world, this church is seen as the very heart and soul of Christian evangelicalism – representing those who believe the Bible is the unchanging word of God for all time; and that it means what it says, and says what it means. But the contrast picked up by the cameras also reminds us that the current state of the union is only temporary, whereas our God is eternal. Comparing people to grass, the Prophet Isaiah wrote: “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever” (Isa 40:8).

And remember: “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Heb 4:13).

Notes

1 Ferguson, K. Labour MP is threatened with deselection by hard-left activists. Daily Mail, 6 July 2017.

2 Jerusalem News Network, 2 June 2017, quoting Jerusalem Post.

3 Joseph, A. Labour take shock poll lead over Conservatives. Daily Mail, 6 July 2017.

4 British Jews: A wake-up call. Jerusalem Post, 13 June 2017.

Our Resources Editor Paul Luckraft pays his own visit to the Tabernacle Christian Centre, near Grenfell Tower.

When my friend Sally Richardson told me of her visit to the Tabernacle Christian Centre in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire, I decided to follow this up with a visit of my own and spend some time talking with Pastor Derrick Wilson. Here is what I learnt.

The setting for the interview was the strangest I had ever encountered. The main church and all the other smaller rooms were full to overflowing with racks of new clothes, boxes of household goods, mattresses and many other items. Where to sit was the first problem! Eventually we squeezed into a tiny space in a corner of the crowded main room, set up a couple of folding chairs and began to talk. Meanwhile, volunteers continued to work around us, organising the items and talking to anyone else who came in.

Derrick has been a pastor for 24 years, and has led the Tabernacle Christian Centre since 2005. Before then he was engaged in similar work, including being a street preacher, totalling 30 years in ministry overall. His wife Paulette has been an integral part of this, including being Principal of the Tabernacle School, which is a Christian school nearby.

He admitted that at times it has been a difficult role to sustain, with many challenges and hardships, both financially and in terms of opposition. But Derrick is a man that rises to a challenge, and with God’s help he has already overcome many obstacles. Another challenge has now come, but God has been preparing his man.

Looking Outwards

Recently God had been speaking to Derrick about a new move which would impact the church and the community. Derrick is a prophetic pastor with a clear teaching ministry. The Gospel and the Cross are central to all he proclaims.

God had been speaking to Derrick about a new move to impact the church and community.

He also encompasses an evangelistic and missionary focus. But he admitted to having been frustrated. The small congregation he leads were not always responsive. How could this change? How might they become more community-focussed, more mission-orientated? For a while, Derrick had sensed that God was saying he would be bringing people to them, from all directions. Did this make sense?

People from All Directions

Pastor Derrick Wilson. © Prophecy Today UK

On the Tuesday evening before the fire broke out (in the early hours of Wednesday 14 June), Derrick had led their usual Bible study from the Letter to the Hebrews. At the end they took up an offering and Derrick began to pray. As he did so, he felt a word from God, along similar lines to before but more specific: “As from tonight there will be a spiritual shift over this church. You will see people come here from north, east, south and west, to do the job you should be doing.”

It felt like a rebuke. Was it of the flesh, Derrick wondered? It seemed to be a warning, but what did this mean? Who were these others that would suddenly come from all directions?

A few hours later, the phones started ringing. Immediately it was clear a major incident was happening less than half a mile away. Was this what God had spoken about? The doors of the Tabernacle were immediately opened. Derrick and his wife began to search the streets. Messages flooded in from friends and relatives. Then, from nowhere, people started arriving - some local, others total strangers.

Over the next few hours and into the next few days, they continued to arrive at the Tabernacle. Many brought items or gifts; others came to offer help. Volunteers simply appeared - literally from all points of the compass - and some from far away, in one case Bristol. Once they arrived, they stayed. Some even slept in the side rooms of the church.

Within hours the church was at the heart of a mercy mission. No-one had organised this; even today Derrick does not understand how it happened. Why his church? But God had honoured his word, and Derrick’s heart for the community and obedience to preaching the true Gospel. Although other churches nearby also became similar centres, clearly God was doing something special at the Tabernacle.

God honoured his word, and Derrick’s heart for the community and obedience to preaching the true Gospel.

A Message in the Midst of Tragedy

Many of the volunteers who came were not Christians, but they seemed to know where to come. They simply arrived; God had guided them there. And once there, they found a peace and joy in what they were doing. A sense of God’s presence and blessing surrounded them and began to change them.

The Muslim community has suffered immensely by this tragedy, and been greatly affected by it in so many ways. But they are also being significantly impacted by what God is doing at the Tabernacle. They come to receive physical goods but find they are offered so much more. They are told ‘we as a church are praying for you’, and they are so grateful. They have been shaken so much that they are responding to what the Christians are offering. In their suffering many questions remain, but at the Tabernacle they are at least finding some answers.

In the midst of tragedy, a message is getting across - the message of the cross. At the front of this crowded room full of gifts is a large wooden cross, with a crown of thorns. It stands there strong, stating clearly ‘this is what you need’. Meanwhile, with their building crammed full of clothes and other items, the church congregation has been worshipping on the streets, and is being asked what this singing means!

Just the Beginning

As has been frequently reported, the initial response from the Council was chaotic or non-existent. But God knew what needed to be done, and how to do it. He stepped in and told the Tabernacle Christian Centre they were to be at the heart of this. Derrick had prayed that somehow the Tabernacle would become a significant part of the community and now it is happening.

God knew what needed to be done, and how to do it.

© Prophecy Today UKHe had faithfully preached a Gospel of holiness and righteousness, love and service - not always a popular message, but God has honoured him for this and put the Tabernacle firmly on the map. He has woken them up and there is a sense that this is just the beginning. A harvest of souls is fully expected.

My visit was informative and emotional, amazing and at times shocking. But soon after meeting Derrick my impression was that it was a privilege for them to be so used by God at this time. This is a deeply significant event that will stay with us all for a long time, certainly for as long as the blackened shell of the tower block stands there for all to see, and no doubt the pictures and videos of it will remain for much longer.

My own first glimpse of it was unusual. As I walked from the tube station towards the Tabernacle I had no sense that I was in its vicinity. Where was it? Had I come to the right area? Suddenly it appeared from behind a similar tower block which had been blocking it from my sight. ‘Here I am’, it seemed to be saying, you will not be able to ‘block’ me out for years and years.

After meeting Derrick, he walked me back a different way, past the memorial walls and pictures, past those still standing there and wondering - past the places where the horrific events of that night had taken place.

God has honoured Derrick for his faithfulness and put the Tabernacle firmly on the map.

In such cases it is always right to ask what God is saying, what he is doing, both among the church and the community, even the nation (as Clifford Hill does in this week’s editorial). Grenfell is part of a pattern of events that is shaking our nation, our political system and social structures. Yet that shaking is aimed at producing a greater harvest, for the Kingdom that cannot be shaken. The Tabernacle Christian Centre is an example of how God works his purpose out among those who are prepared to listen and serve.