Clifford Denton unpacks God's vision for knowledge, understanding and wisdom.
"Education, education, education", said Tony Blair as he entered 10 Downing Street for the first time. It sounded good at first. Now, our new Prime Minister Theresa May has raised education to a high priority once more, with a fresh focus on grammar schools. With standards under scrutiny as each year passes, whether it be through Ofsted reports, or exam results, our attention is never far from how our children are being taught in school.
But how close are we to a biblical pattern for education? It is not so much the efficiency and funding of our national programmes that should be our priority, but the foundations on which we are raising the next generation.
The Jesuits have been credited with the maxim, "Give me a child for his first seven years and I'll give you the man", reflecting what everyone who wants to order society according to a certain world-view knows. If an education system is designed to conform to a certain philosophy or religion, then society can be changed in a generation – for good or bad.
If an education system can be conformed to a certain philosophy or religion, then society can be changed in a generation – for good or bad.
Back to our Roots
So what does the Bible say? That must be the prime focus for Christians.
First, the word education is not to be found. The biblical word is Torah. Yet even before the establishing of Torah through Moses, God's prime purpose for his people was shown – right back in the Garden of Eden. God created mankind to be in fellowship with him. Adam and Eve were given simple instructions to maintain that fellowship. The principles of Torah were given to them in basic form - they were told what not to do in order to maintain a close relationship with the Lord.
The Bible, in other places, describes this relationship as a walk with God. Through human weakness and a little input from the enemy, Adam and Eve could not maintain this walk and so the Fall occurred, followed by God's programme of recovery through covenant that is still going on today. Principles of biblical education, Torah, were made known through Moses so that the chosen people of God could live an ordered and blessed life in fellowship with him.
Torah: Principles and Purpose
The Hebrew word Torah refers to the teaching of God's people. Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, summarised the way God's people should be taught: "stand before God for the people...teach them the statutes and the laws and show them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do" (Ex 18:19-20).
The walk with God, highlighted here, was recalled time and again throughout Israel's history. It was a walk that could (and did) falter through disobedience, and so its principles were reiterated at key moments. For example, Ezra affirmed the principles after his return to Jerusalem from Babylon:
Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Torah of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach the statutes and ordinances to Israel. (Ezra 7:10)
Micah also was inspired to champion the balance and purpose of Torah:
He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God? (Mic 6:8)
In considering what Christian education might look like, in contrast to what the world around us is establishing, we are wise to first look back to the Old Testament and consider how God intended his covenant people to walk safely with him.
Beware of dry legalism, however, in which Torah is reduced to a set of dos and don'ts, as if God desires only ritual observance. What he desires above all is relationship with us, as a father with a child, or a husband with a wife. The principles of Torah are for securing this walk, not replacing it.
Principles of biblical education, Torah, were made known through Moses so that the people of God could live a blessed life in fellowship with him.
Keeping on Track with God
The struggles of the Children of Israel to maintain a close walk with God demonstrate our need of principles to protect us along our way in life. As much as Adam and Eve were subject to the temptations of the evil one, so there are always ways in which evil is at work in the nations of the world to seduce God's people off track.
This principle is reflected in the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15) and so is as valid for Christians as it was for Adam and Eve and for the Nation of Israel. The four injunctions of the letter written from the Council to new believers (Acts 15:28-29) were essential things to abstain from so that "if you keep yourselves from these things, you will do well."
So even though we live in days of the New Covenant where, according to the fulfilment of Jeremiah 31:33, Torah (God's educational programme) is put into the minds and written on the hearts of God's people, still there are warnings about being seduced away from a close walk with God.
Jesus Messiah the Goal
The ultimate goal of Torah (God's educational package) was to bring us to Messiah (Rom 10:4), like an escort taking a person to the place of his education (Gal 3:24). Jesus made it clear that he did not come to abolish Torah but to fulfil it (Matt 5:17-20), meaning that the goal of teaching within the Christian community is the interpretation of Torah by the Spirit of God, in the light of Jesus the Messiah, fulfilling the New Covenant announced first by Jeremiah (Jer 31).
This goal remains the same as in the days of the Old Covenant, though now it is enabled by the Spirit of God in the heart of every believer. Our teaching should encourage and establish this walk for all of Jesus' disciples. Matthew 28:18-20, the Great Commission, is Jesus' command that we do this - making disciples.
This walk is enabled through the Spirit of God and it is as much a spiritual battle today to gain and maintain it as it was for Adam and Eve and for the Children of Israel through the days of the Old Covenant. Our education programmes must have the objective of discipleship and growth to maturity in the Holy Spirit as their prime focus, to help others mature in their personal walk with God.
Summary So Far
In summary, from the time of Adam and Eve, God's plan has been to live in relationship with his own people. Since the time of Jesus, the invitation has gone out to the entire world for people to walk in this relationship. God desires this but also requires our complete commitment.
Torah is not to be reduced to a set of ritual dos and don'ts. Above all God desires relationship with us – the principles of Torah are for securing this, not replacing it.
Education God's Way: The Method
Whilst each disciple of Jesus has a personal walk and a promise of the Holy Spirit as our personal teacher, God has also appointed some to be teachers (Eph 4:11). We learn from Deuteronomy 6 that responsibility for Bible teaching is first through the example of parents. Biblical education is primarily to take place in the home – more so than in church!
Other Bible teaching is ordered around this, with the aim of raising up disciples of Jesus to personal responsibility and independence in their walk with God. The exhortation of God to the families of Israel (Deut 6:4-9) is still foundational to the teaching of our children today:
Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
The importance of diligence is emphasised here; the minute care that is to be taken to remember, and always be alert to opportunities to teach God's ways. This shows that it is easy to slip into the ways of the world around. We must always remember what God has done in the past, in order to have a straight path into the future.
The goal of Torah, God's educational package, was to bring us to Jesus Messiah.
Education God's Way: The Content
If discipleship is the goal, what then of the content of biblical education? The Book of Proverbs emphasises the three key elements of knowledge, understanding and wisdom. These are three distinct elements usually considered key in any education system.
However, James warned us about demonic counterfeits (James 3:15). There is a wisdom that does not come from God. This is the danger inherent in education systems that are not founded on the Bible and are motivated in other ways (which James would call earthly, sensual and demonic).
Knowledge: Only the Start
Much education in our schools today is knowledge-based and much of it ends there, leaving the application of this knowledge open and vulnerable to the spirit of the age. Our children can be trapped within a system perpetuated by unbiblical objectives that are self-serving and at times dangerous. Thus, knowledge of nuclear power can be put to good use providing heat and light to enhance or lives – or it can be used to make weapons to destroy the world. This is just one illustration.
Knowledge from a biblical perspective, however, is far deeper than factual knowledge. The Hebrew word for 'knowledge' is the same word that describes the relationship between a man and his wife. As we study this we discover that all three of the key elements of biblical education are spiritual in nature. A prayerful reading of the Book of Proverbs will confirm this. So, whether we are speaking of factual knowledge or relational knowledge of God, we are designed and intended to exercise our spiritual nature in its acquisition.
Understanding: Releasing the Potential of Knowledge
But what of understanding? I have been a teacher and educationalist for many years, but it has taken me until recently to get a better grasp of what this is. Many of us use the words knowledge and understanding interchangeably, thinking we have grasped their meaning, but I would suggest there are hidden depths here that we did not realise existed.
Hebrew, the foundational language of the Bible, is verb-orientated: application is always paramount. Knowledge leads to action. One becomes intimate with information and with facts and the natural tendency is to do something as a consequence, to apply knowledge into some form of action or end result.
This is understanding in action, putting together diverse pieces of information to bring about a creative consequence. There is potential in knowledge - understanding releases that potential. How important, therefore, that understanding be properly directed, since the potential of knowledge can be released in so many different ways!
All three key elements of biblical education – knowledge, understanding and wisdom - are spiritual in nature.
Wisdom
Biblical education must develop a Godly mindset, so that our understanding (and therefore our doing) has the right motives. This can only be accomplished through a prayerful walk with God, who alone can lead us to apply what we learn rightly. That is why James says that we should ask God for wisdom in faith, in confidence that God will give it liberally.
The wisdom of God is not only concerned with abstract and spiritual matters. It is also concerned with practical outworking for the ordering of our society. In all ways, practical and spiritual, the goal of education is to fulfil the two Great Commandments: to love God with all our being and our neighbour as ourselves. It is no small thing to teach one another to walk with God in this way and it is clear that education in our nation's schools is likely, in the world as it is, to fall far short of this.
In Conclusion
Returning to the introduction to this article: "Education, education, education" rightly directed is an excellent maxim, but wrongly directed is worldly, blind and potentially dangerous. Surely we are at a period in history when we should consider carefully what God's plan for the education of his people should be, especially our children.
"Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body...here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man." (Ecc 12:12-13)
Dr Lisa Nolland reports on an up-coming conference tackling sexuality and gender from a biblical perspective.
Many Christians and other social conservatives are becoming concerned by the LGBT rights takeover in the public (including religious) realms in the West. For increasing numbers of children, this social engineering is becoming embedded in the classroom.
Even Christian teachers are needing to 'explain' how two men or two women can now marry, leading children as young as seven or eight to start to believe that they are 'gay' because they too 'love' their same-sex best friend. Of course they do, but that doesn't mean they are gay!
The Church seems to be wanting to sit this one out, hoping against hope that things will return to normal. Sadly, of course, not only is that not going to happen, but indeed, the activists have only just begun! 'Stage Two' is that of totalitarian enforcement: just look at Canada to see how (in)'tolerant' it is now in places.1
Silent Church
The average person does not begin to know how to navigate these minefields. Christian leaders of mainstream evangelical organisations in this country say very little, concentrating on politically correct or 'feel good' projects, or (like Archbishop Welby) wax lyrical about the needs of the LGBT communities. The very rare conservative 'extremist' willing to stand up for the truth is fined, fired or (at best) humiliated for making politically incorrect comments.
Mostly, however, the average Christian just wants to get on with life and the normal routines of family, work, etc. Even this, though, is increasingly difficult. Stonewall is in several hundred schools and it is only one of various LGBT programmes being pushed at the moment. With LGBT matters being pushed to the fore comes a turning up of the volume of all things sexual for children and teenagers.
Robbing Children
How do children know if they are gay or not? How can they find out if they are? As the excellent video Robbing children of their innocence notes, kids are tacitly encouraged to explore their sexuality in such programmes. That may or may not be the intention, but it is one of the outcomes. See for instance the subtexts of the 'sexual advice' on the highly-acclaimed, NHS-endorsed 'Respect Yourself' site for teenagers in Warwickshire.
Even more troubling is that such high risk and potentially life-altering sex acts as 'felching', 'fisting' and 'rimming' are whitewashed and tacitly promoted to under-age children.2 This is complete madness - and yet few, if any, blow the whistle.
Being Prepared to Respond
Closer to home, though, how can one respond when your daughter tells you she is gay or your son insists he is a girl? What to do about the increasingly vociferous demands of Stonewall to 'make your school "safe"'? How about when your child comes home from a school RE session and asserts that Jesus never mentioned homosexuality so loving gay relationships must be OK?
Messy Church, Alpha and Christianity Explored simply cannot do the necessaries here. What can help, though, is The 'New Normal', a Christian Concern conference in November which will engage at the cutting edge of these issues. We will have leading people in their fields coming to update and inform, educate and inspire us as to how parents, pastors and youth workers, in particular can respond.
Beyond Our Borders
We also are doing our bit for those in the developing world who are at the mercy of the activists. The Diocese of Machakos, Anglican Church of Kenya, has created a unique and holistic programme on sex and gender issues which we are thrilled to support in The 'New Normal'. A collection of used clothing, shoes, toiletries, bags and suitcases as well as money will be taken at the London conference.
Proceeds will help at-risk-kids, families, the church and wider community in Machakos, near Nairobi, Kenya. Currently, we are not aware of any other kind of response by any church anywhere. So we want to give Bishop Joseph every possible support. Funds from 'progressives' will be denied to him, so it is vital we do our bit!
The 'New Normal' conference will be held on 12 November 2016 at the Emmanuel Centre, London (10am-5pm). For the full programme and to book tickets, click here.
Lisa Nolland (MA, MCS, PhD) is Convenor of Anglican Mainstream's Marriage, Sex and Culture Group. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to email Lisa.
References
1 E.g. Van Maren, J. Transgender madness is sweeping our schools. Parents, protect your children. LifeSite News, 26 August 2016.
2 See the Respect Yourself website.
Art Katz looks at the Prophet Ezekiel and the significance of his vision of the valley of dry bones.
The 'dry bones' of Ezekiel 37 represent not only a spiritually dead Israel but a similarly lifeless Church. But in this prophetic scenario, Art Katz, a Messianic believer with a love and burden for Israel, argues that each will be the agent of the other's resurrection.
Ezekiel's vision of the valley of dry bones, set out in chapter 37 of his book, symbolises the Jewish community of exiles in Babylon. The NIV footnote expands the phrase 'very dry' in verse 2 to mean 'long dead, far beyond the reach of resuscitation'. As with the prophetic 'son of man' who figures so prominently in this chapter, so are we, the prophetic people of God, also set down in a valley full of dry bones - the Church in our day.
In such a desperate situation we must be realists, avoid wishful thinking, and consider circumstances as they are, i.e. as God sees them. If we are unable to see this reality, then we cannot expect to prophesy in order that the 'bones' might be brought to life again. Any prophecy over the situation requires an identification with the mind of God that overcomes any reluctance to face the awesome fact of Israel's death.
We, the prophetic people of God, are set down in a valley full of dry bones – the Church in our day.
Israel and the Church Related
From the first verses of chapter 37 one suspects that the object of God's intention is not Israel alone, however glorious her restoration will be (Rom 11:15), but also that of the 'son of man'. Could this person be a figure of the remnant, the end times Church come to its full prophetic shape and stature? Could it be that the Church is to be brought alive again through its response to Israel in a time of urgent crisis affecting that country?
Such a situation, involving a reciprocal relationship between Israel and the Church, by which the one is made complete through the action of the other, is surely the heart of Paul's discourse in Romans 11. Is it not such a relationship that explains the ecstatic paean of praise with which the chapter concludes (Rom 11:33-36)? For the mystery of which Paul speaks is not only Israel's restoration, but is also the transfiguration of a last-days Church that has been appointed by God to be the very agent of Israel's restoration!
If this interpretation is correct, the Church will surely need to change from its present fragmented and divisive state to become a people of God speaking with a single voice. Such authentic unity does not come through any contrived ecumenical arrangement but through apostolic authenticity.
Israel a Means of Bringing God Glory
In the present-day Church we find a variety of extremes of attitude towards Israel - from indifference (if not outright hostility), to a celebration that borders on idolatry. If the Church is to be the agent of Israel's resurrection, drastic changes will be needed. Much of the Church does have an intuitive knowledge of Israel's 'death', and a desire that she should rise again. Has our perception of Israel not been the projection of our own self-satisfaction and acceptance as 'the Church'?
Could it be that the Church is to be brought alive again through its response to Israel in a time of urgent crisis affecting that country?
Have we not missed the significance of Israel as a means of bringing glory to God? Is there not an issue greater than Israel's success as a nation? Indeed, can Israel fulfil its covenant destiny to 'bless all the families of the earth', except as a nation transformed through resurrection? What we may be celebrating prematurely as the final prophetic fulfilment may only be a necessary preliminary. In other words, 'what is raised in glory' must first be 'sown in dishonour' (1 Cor 15).
We do not need to defend or justify Israel's increasingly desperate situation, if we can only see her travails as the means by which God is bringing the nation to an end of its false hope in itself. Unless we are able to do so, what alternative is there but to reject Israel, or to join in with those who censure her for the very moral failings which she must experience in order that she might be brought to the end of a reliance upon her own ability and moral authority?
If Israel does not perceive God to be the One by whose word the dead are raised, then how can she know God as he really is? And, if she does not, then how can she reveal him to the nations?
Apostasy and Undeservedness
Surely, the sad national acknowledgment of Ezekiel 37:11 is yet to come. For us Jews, our bones are indeed dry and our hope is lost, a situation contrary to the historic optimism and indomitable self-sufficiency which we have so often demonstrated to the world.
Is it on that basis that we are to fulfil our Abrahamic calling that "in you shall all the families of the earth be blessed" (Gen 12:3)? Israel's increasing failure to establish herself as a righteous example to the Gentile nations is an eloquent testimony to this fact.
How wrong it is to condemn her for the very thing she is prophetically required to demonstrate! That even the Holocaust did not suffice to elicit the cry of Ezekiel 37:11, her present defiant condition testifies.
Israel's travails are the means by which God is bringing the nation to an end of its false hope in itself.
On the contrary, the oft-reiterated boast 'never again', itself suggests an attitude derived from military self-confidence, thus inviting a continuation of Israel's sorry situation.
Ironically, Israel, in her apostasy and undeservedness, is a greater testimony to God's love than if she were walking in righteousness. It is as a God of power, faithfulness and mercy, that a redeemed Israel must make him known, her ultimate restoration coming about through the word spoken by the very Church with which Israel has been so long in enmity!
The issue then, is not the glorification of Israel, but of God. His own goodness prompts him to act as he does. It is as a recipient of his undeserved grace and mercy that Israel must bear him witness, as a nation brought to such depths of repentance and change as never before witnessed by the world (Ezek 36:31; Zech 12:10-14; Zeph 3:11-13; Isa 60:15). It is through this that Jerusalem will be made 'a praise in the earth'.
The Painful Truth
Such a perception of Israel's future is painful. How much greater, though, would be the disappointment in an Israel that fails our every expectation and even brings into question the veracity of Scripture (as some have perhaps naively understood it).
Will there be those who will lose faith in a God who appeared unable to secure his people from calamity - and will this be a factor in that great end times apostasy of which Paul warned?
It is better for believers to be "brought out by the Spirit of the Lord" (Ezek 37:1) and put "down in the midst of the valley" (i.e. in a place of depressing truth) than to find themselves in opposition to, or exempted from, God's purposes for Israel, however well-meaning their intentions.
How much of our own 20th Century 'Christianity' is a desperate 'keeping alive' of what God would make desolate? Are there not many who present Israel as a projection of their own vain hopes?
To pray for the removal of the situations that vex and threaten Israel, however much one may desire it, could well be against God's plans, for it is surely his intention to bring to an end those Zionist or charismatic false hopes which need to perish in order that God's eternal and prophetic purposes might come about.
To pray for the removal of the situations that vex and threaten Israel, however much one may desire it, could well be against God's plans.
Truth at the Right Time
Such was the obedience of Jesus that, despite his own human desire, he "stayed two more days where he was" (John 11:6), after hearing about the sickness of his friend Lazarus. Had he acted prematurely out of human compassion and hastened to the bedside of his friend, he would have nullified the purposes of the Father, for the sickness was not to end in death, but was to reveal God's glory.
The prophetic mouth disqualifies itself when it speaks a false word of comfort, however well-meaning. The same is true when it speaks a true word prematurely. May we keep ourselves in prophetic obedience, despite being censured and misunderstood by others for our apparent 'lovelessness'. Otherwise, when the Father calls us, the agent of Israel's resurrection, to proclaim to her, 'Come forth', our word may fail.
However much our non-intervening silence will be misconstrued, only a faith that works by love will suffice in that critical moment.
The love I am referring to is not a 'love' which is no more than a mere sentiment or fascination for Israel's mystique, but is one which represents the unconditional love of God; a love manifested in the same hour in which Israel will be hated by the nations.
If Jesus, as an utterly devastated Son, cut off from the land of the living, was able as the resurrected and glorified Son to enlist God's power in order to bring his Church to birth, how should we expect less for Israel, whose glorious restoration is the theocratic key to the nations?
The prophetic mouth disqualifies itself when it speaks a false word of comfort – and also when it speaks a true word prematurely.
Total Obedience Required
But how is this to be effected? The prophet is no mere spectator, but an agent. It is his fidelity alone that releases the power which brings about new life. His vision is critical to the redemption of Israel, the more so because he is able to see the situation as it is. Total obedience is required, an obedience that represents death to those inveterate prejudices, envies and insecurities that would just as soon leave Israel in its grave than bring the prodigal back from the dead to bask in the Father's favour!
Only through such obedience to the prophetic calling can the 'sticks' be joined together so that "one king shall be king over them all and David, their prince forever" (Ezek 37:22, 28).
It is the issue of Israel alone - though she does not realise it - that compels the Church to that ultimate faith, obedience and stature by which it is itself fitted for eternity! Is not this the heart of that mystery whose understanding alone saves us from the deadly 'conceit' referred to in Romans 11:25? For there are many who have a misconception of the Church, viewing her as being apart from, or a substitute for, Israel.
What shall be found more to redound to the eternal honour of God, than this triumph over sin and death in both Israel and the Church?
Only a faith that works by love will suffice – the unconditional love of God, manifested in the same hour in which Israel will be hated by the nations.
God's Sovereign Purposes Will Triumph
The same powers of hell and darkness that rushed in their characteristic fury to bring about the death of Jesus will, at the end of the age, seek to destroy the nation whose restoration is bound up with the coming of its King and with the triumphant establishment over the nations of his theocratic rule!
At present the principalities and powers which control the various nations are doing all they can to stir up hatred towards Israel. In doing so they are, ironically, fulfilling the purposes of him who is sovereign over all - the One whose certain triumph will be made plain to all the nations, including the chosen nation itself, Israel (Ezek 36).
It is in this way that Israel will fulfil the role which it has spurned or so sorely misunderstood. Such a fulfilment will, paradoxically, be brought about more by Israel's vices than its virtues, and by her failings rather than her successes. It is in this way that God, and God alone, will be glorified.
First published in Prophecy Today, Vol 10 No 1, January 1994.
New light is shed on the Holocaust heroine who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
The discovery of a handwritten will and more than 70 photographs has provided fresh insight into the life of a Christian martyr who perished at Auschwitz.
Just six months before the camp was liberated by the Red Army on 27 January 1945, the life of courageous Scot Jane Haining was snuffed out, aged 47, by Nazi butchers for the 'crime' of loving the Jewish girls under her care.
Priceless Discovery
The "priceless" finding in the attic of the Church of Scotland World Mission Council's archive in Edinburgh has once again brought Jane's story into sharp focus, four years after the publication of a new book on the subject.
From Matron to Martyr – One Woman's Ultimate Sacrifice for the Jews (2012, Tate Publishing) is authored by New Zealander Lynley Smith, a distant relative who travelled the world to research details for her magnificent portrayal of this brave woman from Dunscore, near Dumfries – the only Scot to be honoured with a 'Righteous among the Nations' award by the Yad Vashem Holocaust museum in Jerusalem.
Commenting on the poignant discovery of her last will and testament, dated 2 July 1942 and bequeathing her typewriter, coat and other items to various people, council secretary Rev Ian Alexander said:
It is a wonderful document and tremendously exciting to have something that Jane Haining herself has written. It gives a sense she was fully aware of the risks she was taking...Scottish missionaries were advised to return home from Europe during the dark days of the Second World War, but Jane declined and wrote: 'If these children need me in days of sunshine, how much more do they need me in days of darkness?' 1
Jane Haining's life was snuffed out, aged 47, by Nazi butchers for the 'crime' of loving the Jewish girls under her care.
Beyond the Call of Duty
Jane had been living and working in the Glasgow area before taking on the role of matron at a girls' home in Budapest, Hungary – the boarding establishment of a school run by the Scottish Mission to Jews.
So dedicated was she to what she believed was her life's calling that she refused to leave her post when given several opportunities to escape, and even being ordered home by her superiors who feared for her safety. But more important to her was the safety of the Jewish girls under her care, already suffering under relentless discrimination and persecution even before the Nazis marched into their country.
Many of their parents were forcibly split up by the authorities as they sent the breadwinning Jewish men away, ostensibly to work camps, leaving families destitute and distressed.
The children often took refuge in the arms of Jane, who loved to comfort them with hugs and prayers of assurance. When she was forced by new laws to sew yellow stars onto the uniforms of her girls, she sobbed uncontrollably. And when some of the poorer pupils had no footwear, she effectively cut off any remaining ties with her homeland by using the soft leather of her suitcase to make soles for the girls' shoes.
She could identify with those who had lost parents as her mother died in childbirth when she was only five (her baby sister Helen lasting just 18 months) and her father died soon after remarrying, leaving his grieving widow pregnant.
Jane refused to leave her post when given several opportunities to escape, and even when ordered home by her superiors who feared for her safety.
Death, Where is Your Sting?
Jane was eventually arrested by the Gestapo on a series of charges which basically amounted to the fact that she showed too much concern for the Jews. Leaving her girls distraught, she was moved around various local prisons before being corralled into a cattle truck, crushed in with some 90 other women in conditions worse than animals would suffer, with access to neither water nor toilets for the long and tortuous journey to Auschwitz in south-west Poland.
She died soon afterwards, allegedly of natural causes. But since she had a strong constitution and had held up well even when sharing her food with her fellow inmates in an earlier prison, she is more likely to have been either shot or gassed, like so many of the million-plus Jews estimated to have perished at this most infamous of all death camps.
A postcard written two days before her death indicated no ill health, but hinted at her impending 'promotion' to meet with her Lord in heaven.
Intriguingly, in a chapter titled A View from the Summit early on in the book, the author imagines the scene of Jane's arrival in paradise, which serves the useful purpose of taking the sting out of the horrors that ensue in the narrative. Indeed, the Bible speaks of how the promise of resurrection removes the sting of death!
Delighted by the new discovery, author Lynley Smith told me: "It shows that Jane was well aware of the danger she was in – something I have always said. Bearing in mind that her Bible was miraculously rediscovered in 2010, I think God is keeping her story alive as its message – her example of loving the Jews enough to die for them – is so urgent for today."
Jane is likely to have been either shot or gassed, like so many of the million-plus Jews who perished at Auschwitz.
Reaping with Songs of Joy
The book has been translated into Hungarian, a key Budapest thoroughfare has been named after her and the government there has also honoured Jane for her sacrifice. But in truth, anti-Semitism there is once more on the rise, inflamed by the policies of the right-wing Jobbik Party.
In fact, little appears to have changed since those dark days in 1944. Lynley has told me how, on a recent visit to Budapest to launch the Hungarian translation of her book, she witnessed a group of skinheads racing through the city, one of them giving a 'Heil Hitler' salute as he dashed past a policeman.
In 2010 Jane was awarded a Hero of the Holocaust medal by the UK Government. Yet she had sought no honour in this world except to do the will of God and love his Chosen People. Meanwhile the Church of Scotland Mission in Budapest, which was home to a sizeable Jewish population in the 1930s, marked its 175th anniversary last weekend.
As I was meditating recently on Psalm 126 – that "those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy" – I thought of Jane Haining, who wept uncontrollably as she was forced to sew yellow stars on the uniforms of the Jewish girls in her care. A harvest of life from the dead would surely follow, of which the re-birth of Israel was just the beginning.
As the Rabbi who wrote a foreword to Lynley's book said, "Jews need to know that true followers of Jesus are our friends."
References
1 Life of Scottish missionary who died in Auschwitz revealed. Jewish News, 15 September 2016.
Paul Luckraft meets up with Sally Richardson, founder and organiser of the 'Israel and Prophecy' group, London.
The 'Israel and Prophecy' group meets once or twice a month on Saturdays at All Souls Clubhouse, London. Paul arranged to meet up with Sally, its founder, to find out how they started and what God is doing through the meetings.
Pieces of the Jigsaw
It is often the case that when God wants to start something new he calls on those who have been serving him faithfully for many years and whose previous experience and background provide just what he needs at that time. For many years Sally Richardson had been involved in organising meetings and making contacts with speakers and teachers who had also become good friends. Her involvement with Christian Ministerial Fellowship International (CMFI) in particular meant that she had come across several speakers at conferences whom she would be able to call upon in the future – a future which God knew about long before she did!
Another piece in the jigsaw that the Divine hand was putting together was the venue. By chance Sally came across All Souls Clubhouse (ASC) when walking down Cleveland Street one day. Instead of just going past, she decided to go in and investigate what was there. Sometime later, when another venue for a meeting she was organising was inadvertently double-booked, Sally remembered ASC and was able to rearrange her meeting there. Although this was a one-off at the time, it is now clear that God was showing Sally the potential of the rooms there for what he would want in the future.
God knew Sally's future long before she did – and had all the pieces of the jigsaw in place ready.
The Seeds Germinate
For the next few years nothing different happened, but seeds had been sown. Then in 2012 Sally found that, quite spontaneously and independently, people were telling her with great concern and sadness about their churches espousing Replacement Theology and having no understanding of prophecy or the end times, much less any teaching on them. This very much resonated with Sally's own awareness of the lack of good teaching in churches on the vital subjects of Israel and prophecy. As she says, "I was very distressed in spirit about these matters, and began to earnestly pray and seek the Lord concerning them. He then began to remind me of certain things."
First, he showed her that she was in the fortunate position of knowing a number of brothers who could give sound and balanced teaching on these vital and neglected subjects. He also reminded her that she had organised meetings in the past, so why not do so again? Indeed, with both the necessary administrative skills and a list of personal contacts, surely she was the one God could most use to help people in this respect?
Further, the Lord laid on her heart that these meetings were to be in central London, and in a venue easily accessible for people. At this point he reminded her of ASC and of that previous occasion when she had needed to find a last-minute replacement venue.
As she continued to pray about the possibility of arranging meetings and what to call them, she sensed the Lord say they were to be held under the banner title of 'Israel and Prophecy'. Everything was coming together and in the spring of 2013 the first meeting took place, being led by two brothers from the Bible Prophecy Foundation.
Sally recalls that only a small number of people attended (about 15), but all very much appreciated the teaching that was brought, the warmth of the welcome they received and the fellowship they enjoyed with others of like mind. This encouraged her to continue, and three more meetings took place that year. Also encouraging was the way the Lord brought a small team of helpers around her to assist with recording, serving refreshments and the other essential tasks which make such a venture more successful and enable it to grow.
Often when God wants to start something new he calls on those who have been serving him faithfully for many years, whose background provides just what he needs at that time.
Gathering Momentum
In 2014, things really took off - such was the demand. There would be a meeting every month, sometimes twice a month, with more and more speakers being drafted in. News of the meetings spread by word of mouth. Sally testifies, "I don't need to advertise much now, new people are coming each month." Thankfully, there are larger rooms available at ASC when necessary – as God knew from the beginning! Sally is grateful that the Clubhouse is a very welcoming and supportive venue. "I have been told by the Manager and some of the volunteers that we are a favourite of theirs amongst the many other groups who use their facilities."
With such contentious subjects as Israel and prophecy, it might be wondered how this is handled. The answer is - diplomatically and with a stress on unity! Clearly, regarding Israel all the speakers are anti-Replacement Theology and pro-restoration. As for end time topics, a greater diversity of opinion is allowed for on the part of the speakers, which at least allows people a chance to think things through from a biblical perspective.
Without exception each brother's ministry has been warmly received and greatly appreciated. Those attending regularly tell Sally at the end of the meetings how very grateful they are for the teaching they've heard, some nearly in tears and others almost overcome with gratitude. "I get fed here!" more than one has declared. "Please...never stop these meetings! We need them!"
Such contentious subjects as Israel and prophecy are handled diplomatically and with a stress on unity.
A Bright Future!
The future of these meetings seems assured. The speakers are generally free to decide what they want to speak about, as long as it fits the general remit of Israel and prophecy. There will certainly be no lack of specific topics to keep the group going until...well, the Lord returns!
The style of the meetings may vary a little, sometimes with discussion, Q&As, and also some prayer and intercession. But the overall aim has been satisfied – people are now receiving the biblical teaching they were lacking previously.
As Sally concludes, "I want to give all the praise and glory to the Lord for the blessing these meetings have been, and indeed, continue to be."
Details of Future Meetings
The next four meetings are as follows:
- 1 October: Pastor Ian Huxham and Rod Boggia (Bible teachers from Evangel Sidmouth and PFI)
- 29 October: Prayer and Bible Day with Simon Wyatt (Bible teacher from Bethel Christian Assembly, Raising a Standard)
- 5 November: Chris Hill (Bible teacher and Israel Tours leader, CL Ministries)
- 19 November: Tony Pearce (Bible teacher, Bridge Lane Fellowship, Light for the Last Days)
All meetings will be from 10am-3pm unless advised otherwise, at All Souls Clubhouse, 141 Cleveland St, London W1T 6QG. Recordings are available to purchase after. A love offering is taken for the speaker. Please come prepared for the lunch break – either bring a packed lunch or eat at a nearby café.
For more details, contact Sally by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
All welcome!
Campbell McAlpine looks at Habakkuk, the prophet who cared.
"In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways" (Heb 1:1). He knew how applicable the messages would be to future generations. God's voice to one man, or one people, is often his voice to many men and many people.
The setting of the so-called 'minor prophet' Habakkuk was one of despair. The storm-clouds were gathering over Jerusalem. Josiah, Judah's last good king, had been succeeded by Jehoiakim, the ruler who with fearful disdain burned Jeremiah's scroll on which was written God's message to Israel, Judah and the nations. The last forty years of Judah's history had begun, and God revealed to his prophet that the end was near.
God's voice to one man, or one people, is often his voice to many.
Habakkuk's Prophecy and Ministry
Habakkuk was a man with a deep concern for the situation. His name means 'love's embrace', and he had a love for God and for God's people. He embraced the prophetic ministry God had given him, despite its difficulties.
His prophecy can be summarised under four headings: a man with a burden, a man with a vision, a man with a prayer, and a man with a song. These four-fold concerns are not unique to Habakkuk, but rather display a pattern common throughout Scripture.
Moses was a man with a burden, given to him by God: "I have indeed seen the misery of my people...So I have come to rescue them" (Ex 3:7-8). He was a man with a vision: to bring them into a "good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey" (Ex 3:8). He was a man with a prayer: he cried to the Lord. He was a man with a song: his joyous proclamation, "I will sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted" (Ex 15:1), is hymn number one in the Bible!
Hannah was a woman with a burden: "O Lord Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant's misery and remember me" (1 Sam 1:11). She was a woman with a vision for a son to give to the Lord all the days of his life. She was a woman with a prayer: she prayed and continued in prayer, pouring out her soul to the Lord. She was a woman with a song: "My heart rejoices in the Lord" (1 Sam 2:1).
Habakkuk's name means 'love's embrace', and he had a love for God and for God's people.
But Jesus is the pre-eminent man with a burden: "But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed!" (Luke 12:50). He is the man with a vision: "But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself" (John 12:32). He is the man with a prayer: "Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you" (John 17:1). He is also the man with a song: "When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives" (Mark 14:26). Let us now take a look at these elements in the book of Habakkuk.
A Man with a Burden
A God-given ministry will have a God-given concern. Habakkuk was greatly troubled by the apostasy of God's people and their wickedness. Like other prophets before him, such as David, Jeremiah and Ezekiel, he cried, "O Lord, how long?"
The more he prayed, the worse the situation became. Violence, iniquity, trouble, plundering and strife were everywhere in evidence. The law was powerless, and injustice ruled. It was then that God spoke to the bewildered Habakkuk, giving him a message which was even more disturbing. He was going to send against Israel a wicked, invading army that would show no mercy. Habakkuk knew all about the sin of God's people, but could not understand why God would use a people more wicked than they to bring judgment and wrath.
In his confusion Habakkuk did a wise thing. He lifted his eyes from the situation to God himself. He contemplated the character of the Almighty: "O Lord, are you not from everlasting?" (Hab 1:12).
What an example for us in our situations, even when there are circumstances we cannot understand! We know the absolute perfection of God. It is impossible for God ever to do anything unjust, unfair, or unrighteous. We know that, "as for God, his way is perfect."
In his confusion, Habakkuk wisely lifted his eyes from the situation to God himself.
We have entered a period the Bible calls the 'last days'. We are witnessing the fulfilment of Scripture. Sin and iniquity abound. God has given many a concern to pray for the situation and for the Church, and it is a privilege for us to do so. We know that God's purposes will triumph and so we can leave the results to him, confidently aware that in heaven there will be a multitude that no man can number, from every tongue, tribe and nation.
A Man with a Vision
With all the unanswered questions revolving in his mind, the prophet knew there was only one thing to do: stand, watch and wait. He was not disappointed. God spoke and told him to write down the vision, one which would be for an appointed time. Even though there would be a period of tarrying before its outworking, the prophet was encouraged to wait for it.
The vision was a denunciation of wickedness and of wicked men. The proud, the bloodthirsty, the covetous, the idolatrous and the violent may appear to prosper, but God pronounces his 'woes' against them. In the midst of the vision God declares, "The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea" (Hab 2:14).
Here is a beam of brilliant light shining in the darkness. God will be acknowledged and glorified. The day is coming, as Paul reminded the Philippians, when at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Evil will not prevail. The rider on the white horse who is called Faithful and True, whose eyes are like blazing fire, on whose head are many crowns and on whose robe is written King of kings and Lord of lords, will strike the nations and in righteousness will judge and make war.
Habakkuk stood, watched and waited for God's answer – and was not disappointed.
A Man with a Prayer
Having been given the vision, the prophet must now pray according to the revelation he had received. How can the earth be filled with the knowledge of the glory of God? Revival! "Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy" (Hab 3:2).
The prophet understood that the only answer for the sinfulness and desperation of the situation was divine intervention. Immediately after the plea "in wrath remember mercy," Habakkuk described true revival: "God came" (Hab 3:3). Some of us can remember saintly Duncan Campbell's account of the Lewis revival. But it was not Campbell who brought revival to the Hebrides – "God came."
True revival is accompanied by a knowledge of the Lord, a sense of his presence and - yes - fear, because the holiness of God reveals the blackness of our sin. "His glory covered the heavens, and his praise filled the earth. His splendour was like the sunrise; rays flashed from his hand, where his power was hidden" (Hab 3:3-4).
True revival is accompanied by a knowledge of the Lord, a sense of his presence and – yes – godly fear.
As he prayed, Habakkuk reflected on the mighty things God had done in the past: the parting of the sea, the sun and moon standing still, the overthrow of the enemy. He was awed by what God could do - and had already done - and trembled. But he knew that there was a place of refuge and a place of rest.
A Man with a Song
The prophet had come to a new place. No longer was he asking, 'How long?' or 'Why?', though he knew that God's judgments were coming. He had found not only a place of rest, but also one of joy: "Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Saviour" (Hab 3:18). "The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights" (Hab 3:19).
God is in control. He is sovereign. Therefore, we can do what Paul exhorted the Christians to do, "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: rejoice!" (Phil 4:4).
As it was then, so it is now: "See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples" (Is 60:2). Iniquity abounds and the end of all things is near. Events are accelerating. Politicians timorously introduce their latest recipe for recovery, while we look in vain for statesmen who are bold enough to raise a standard for righteousness and integrity. People look to 'the Church' for answers, but find few voices to declare that, "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people" (Prov 14:34).
The words of the Lord Jesus echo down two thousand years of history to remind us that, "All men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another" (John 13:35). But still we seem to "strain out a gnat and swallow a camel." Dialogues and disagreements abound with petty arguments, while the world is surely and certainly slipping to the very brink of hell. How puny, how pitiful! God has placed in the hands of his Church the gospel of Jesus Christ which is "the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes" (Rom 1:16).
The end draws near and people look to the Church for answers – but find few voices to declare the truth about righteousness and sin.
It is the Gospel which reveals the righteousness of God and also his wrath, about which Paul wrote in the same verse, "I am not ashamed." Jesus proclaimed, "This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come" (Matt 24:14). Where are the men and women with a burden, a vision, a prayer and a song? God bless you if you are one. Let us pray that God will raise up a whole army. "O Lord, revive your work, in wrath remember mercy."
Originally published in Prophecy Today, Vol 10 No 4, July 1994.
This week's scriptures: Deuteronomy 16:18–21:9; Isaiah 51:12–52:12; John 1:19-27; Acts 3:22-23
This week's Torah portion covers God's further instruction (teaching) for life, given to His people through Moses. A principle message here concerns the application of justice (Hebrew tsedek) for the Children of Israel. God instructs Moses: "Appoint judges [shoftim] and officials...in every town" (Hebrew: in all your 'gates', because the gate of a town was where the seat of justice was), "and they shall judge [shaftu] the people fairly" - with just judgment (mish'pat-tsedek, Deut 16:18).
"Justice, justice, you shall follow" (tsedek tsedek tirdof, Deut 16:20). But the basic meaning of tsedek is that of rightness, in a natural, moral and legal sense, and can thus be translated as righteousness, which is the basis of God's justice (Ps 145:17). So this instruction is actually to pursue a just and righteous judgment that reflects God's righteousness. It refers to the need for uprightness, rectitude, and thus objective, pure justice.
In Western nations today, our legal system is less concerned with righteous justice, than with a complex procedure designed to secure a desired result in court for prosecutor or defendant according to the evidence - conviction or acquittal. Statues of Justice are portrayed as a stern lady with a sword (symbolising Reason and Punishment) and scales (symbolising the Weighing of Evidence), often blindfolded (representing Objectivity and Impartiality). But there is little depiction of righteousness.
In Torah, God called Israel to pursue a righteous justice in the court, and to follow a righteous attitude in both lifestyle and deeds. For us too, God's instruction is to pursue rightness in all we do, and to cultivate a righteous justice that reflects His righteousness.
God the Only Righteous Judge
Because God is Just, Righteous, and Merciful, we do not need to fear mortal man. Even in exile, God said to Israel, "I, even I, am He who comforts you". They did not need to live in terror because of the wrath of the oppressor (Isa 51:12-13). The day would come when they would know His Name, for He had foretold their return in His Word. The messenger would proclaim good news of peace and salvation and say to Zion, 'Your God reigns!' "Listen, your watchmen shout for joy together, for the Lord has comforted His people" (Isa 52:6-9).
Even in rebuke, God pursues righteousness, for the Lord is righteous in all His ways (Ps 145:17). John was this promised messenger who called for repentance through baptism, and elevated "the one who comes after me", who was the promised Messiah, the Lamb of God, who would bring salvation (John 1:27). Peter also, speaking later in the Temple court, confirmed that the Prophet whom Moses said God would raise up was indeed the Lord Jesus. Peter's challenge was clear: "You must listen to everything He tells you" (Acts 3:22), a reflection of God's own command, when Jesus was transfigured: "This is My Son, whom I love. Listen to Him" (Mark 9:7).
This is the message of good news today for all people: "Listen to Him" and seek His salvation. There is only one Lawgiver (who correctly interpreted Torah for the people, James 4:12; Matt 5:17) - Jesus - and He is the One who God has appointed as Judge of the living and the dead (Acts 10:42), the One to whom each of us will give an account (Rom 14:12).
Torah: The Letter and the Spirit (Who Brings Life)
The requirements of Torah given through Moses under the first covenant were clear, and sin was dealt with firmly and justly, even with the death penalty, in order to purge evil from Israel (Deut 22:22). But we see Jesus dealing with sin in the spirit of the law that brings life. The Pharisees' demand to apply the letter of the law without mercy was not righteous justice (John 8:5-9). Perhaps Jesus recalled Jeremiah's word (17:13) that those with this attitude turn away from God, and would be 'written in the dust' because they had forsaken the Lord, the spring of living water.
God always desires life rather than death, and calls all men to confess their sins and renounce (forsake) them – these find mercy (Prov 28:13). Jesus echoes this righteous justice. He does not condone sin, but neither does He condemn the sinner without mercy. Instead He says, "Go now and leave your life of sin" (John 8:11). This is God's invitation to life, forgiveness and restoration, for which Torah was given, and for which Jesus died upon the Cross.
Our 'life' is often seen as what we do between birth and death. Yet the living can have a quality that may be termed 'alive' or 'dead'. Even churches can be called 'dead' (Rev 3:1). A life of sin is not true living. The Talmud expresses this contrast: The wicked are called 'dead' while they are alive; and the righteous are called 'living' even after they are dead.1 It is the Spirit of Torah that brings life.
Set Righteous Judges at Our Gates
We too need to set 'righteous judges' at all our personal gates, to keep our heart attitude right (righteous) so we can pursue righteous justice (mish'pat-tsedek). To guard the gates at the entrance of our towns and cities is the responsibility of the intercessors for each town and city in our nation. But we must pursue righteousness also at the personal level (the heart-gate, the eye-gate, the ear-gate, the mouth-gate, the hand-gate and the foot-gate – what we see, what we hear, what we say, what we do and where we go - and most importantly, to guard our heart attitude), so that we can honour God's righteousness in all our life.
When we are quick to judge ourselves by God's standards, we relate to others in blessing and compassion. Self-justification (judging ourselves as being without sin) allows for condemning others without mercy. If God thought like that, who could ever be forgiven?2 As always, Jesus interprets this well. In His 'sermon on the mount' (Matt 6:12) He says, "Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us". Here is understanding, and hope, and mercy - if we seek and pursue His righteousness.
The current Hebrew month Elul falls this year in the period 4 September to 2 October. It is a time of reflection, confession and preparation for the ten days of Awe (yamim noraim) between Rosh Hashanah (Yom Teruah - the Day of Blowing the Shofar) and Yom Kippur (1-10 Tishrei). Let us use this time to re-think what God's righteous justice means for us, and how we may pursue Him as we pursue His righteousness.
Author: Greg Stevenson
Notes
1 Talmud - Bekhoroth, 18b.
2 David Blumenthal, in God at the Centre, 1994, Aronson, p155.
Clifford Hill and David Noakes jointly bring a message.
I watched the Last Night of 'The Proms' last Saturday along with millions of other viewers and the vast open-air crowd in Hyde Park and similar gatherings in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Was it my imagination, or did anyone else detect an extra (Brexit?) fervency in the patriotism that flowed out of the Albert Hall in waves and resounded from the crowds across the road and other parts of the UK?
Of course, the Last Night of The Proms is always an occasion for flag-waving and dressing up in silly hats and jigging up and down among the Promenaders. And it's also an occasion for singing traditional folk songs and indulging in Rule Britannia and Jerusalem with their regular encores and crowd participation. But this year's final night seemed to have an extra edge of enthusiasm. It was not just that a guest soloist, Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Flórez (a foreigner!!), dressed in elaborate costume lustily sang 'Rule Britannia, Britannia rules the waves' but also the Finnish Conductor Sakari Oramo, (another foreigner!!) participated enthusiastically in singing 'Jerusalem'.
Rule Britannia
I suppose there's some precedent for 'Rule Britannia' being sung by foreigners since it was written in 1740 by Thomson, a Scottish poet, for Frederick (the German) Prince of Wales and father of the future George III. But it did seem a little odd to see a Peruvian and a Finn extolling Britain in 'Land of Hope and Glory' with its line "God, who made thee mighty, make thee mightier yet!"
I usually enjoy the Proms and this was no exception because at heart I'm a patriot – I love my country – in the same way as the prophets of Israel loved their country and longed to see it in a right relationship with God so that his blessings could be poured out upon it and his protection would be over the land and the people. I too have that same desire: but I have watched with dismay the growth of secular humanism in Britain and across the Western nations in the past 30 years. I have been frustrated by the rising tide of unbelief within the church as well as in the nation and the consequential impotence of the church.
We watch with horror at growing international threats.
Like Jeremiah I've watched with horror the growing threat on the international horizon as the nations build up their arsenals of weapons of mass destruction and as the army of terrorists spreads across the world, infiltrating communities throughout Europe and the West in preparation for the release of the man of lawlessness among the nations.
L
Juan Diego performing at BBC Proms in the Park see photo creditseaders Are Unaware
My frustration is due to the lack of awareness among leaders in both church and state of the spiritual significance of what is happening. Leaders play at Politics and the church plays at Theology but no one comes to grips with the reality of the situation, because they do not know the very fundamentals of Creation and the nature and purposes of God. They do not know the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and they are sublimely ignorant of the holocaust of violence that will be let loose into the world unless there is a radical change in the very nature of our humanity that can only come about through the gospel of Jesus.
The church has the key but has lost it in a monumental mountain of false teaching, ritual mumbo jumble and complex theology – burying the simple truth of the Gospel and despising the word of God that calls, "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord."
Britain at the Crossroads
Today Britain is at the crossroads! We are a nation under judgement. We crossed a red line when we defied the God of Creation who made us in his own image – male and female – and we dared to redefine marriage, despising the beautiful love relationship that God intended for his people. Forty years ago we joined ourselves in a pact with European nations driven by humanist values and infiltrated by Satanists. They seek to live in unity and peace but are doomed to failure by their rejection of the Prince of Peace.
Britain has the opportunity to forge a new role in the world.
God has mercifully given to Britain the chance of deliverance from the marriage with the European Union and the opportunity to forge a new role in the world under his blessing. This could be a sign and powerful witness to the nations of the rewards that are open to all who seek a right relationship with God and are prepared to love and obey him.
There are many in Britain today who are fearful of the future because they lack understanding of the word of God and lack faith in the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. There are many churchgoers who share that fear because they too have never really learned to recognise the word of the Lord as the sheep recognise the voice of their own Shepherd. But God is loving and merciful and he has a word for those who are anxious about the future since the vote to leave the EU. My friend and colleague David Noakes and I have worked together in the prophetic Ministry since the early 1980s. David received a word this week which I commend to all our readers. Please read it prayerfully and weigh it carefully. I think it may bring you a blessing.
Word of Prophecy Received by David Noakes
In the aftermath of the Brexit vote 11.09.16
Beloved, you who are called by My Name, I want to say to you in these days, when there is confusion and turmoil and upheaval: Do not be alarmed or concerned, for I am fully in control. I have brought about these circumstances, and my adversary is full of rage, and would like to oppose and if possible, to undo, that which I have done.
My word to you is that I have done a good work, but I call upon you who are faithful to stand firm and to persevere in prayer that the work which I have begun will proceed to the conclusion which I have purposed. The task is far from complete and it is not a time for complacency, so be vigilant and continue to pray that I will complete the work. It will not be a short or an easy battle, so have courage and do not be tempted to lose heart.
Have gentle hearts towards those who are confused and upset and distressed. There are those who feel that the nation is being thrown into exile, and this is causing them to feel afraid and angry, but they do not know that it is I who have brought this about. But I say that this seeming exile is in order to preserve you. You in Britain are like the good figs who were taken into exile before judgment fell (Jeremiah 24).
There will be great darkness and upheaval in the European institution; but I have done this in your nation at this time in order to preserve you.
Therefore, look up and be greatly encouraged, because out of this time of turmoil and upheaval will come great opportunity. Those of you who are committed to me I will uphold, I will protect, and I will send upon you a new outpouring of My Spirit, that you may speak My word in Spirit and in Truth; and My Spirit will bear witness to it and it shall bring forth fruit.
I do not say that your whole nation will turn to Me, for that will not be the case; but beloved, I will bring multitudes into a valley of decision and many will turn to Me, for despite the apostasy which has gripped the nation, I have not failed to love the nation of Britain, and in My grace and mercy, I will continue to pour My love upon you, even though you have angered Me greatly.
Take heart, be encouraged and look up. I will walk with you through the time of turmoil and upheaval. There will be those who will hate you for the testimony you will give, but I will cause many to repent and acknowledge that what you say is truth; for beloved, My people have been failed by many who now lead them, but I am come as the great Shepherd of the sheep. I want to recover My people and to gather many others into My sheepfold.
Therefore be of good heart, and be afraid of nothing, for in the events of these times I am fully involved, and I will walk with you, every one of you, on every step of the uncharted path which lies ahead.
About the author: David Noakes was a solicitor in London until he joined Clifford Hill’s ministry in 1984. He has been part of the Prophetic Word Ministries/Prophecy Today team since that time, although he has also exercised an independent ministry speaking at conferences both in Britain and overseas. He has visited Israel many times and until recently was chairman of Hatikvah Film Trust, working with Hugh Kitson making films about Israel. He is a well-known Bible teacher with an established ministry and remains an official advisor to Issachar Ministries (Prophecy Today UK's parent charity).
A lesson for Britain on what education is all about.
Whatever else you may say about Israel – though the cradle of Judeo-Christian civilisation, they are clearly now as secular as the rest of us in the West – they are currently being blessed by a leader who believes in the importance and authority of the Bible.
Whereas former British Prime Minister Tony Blair trumped education as the all-important issue of his tenure, Israeli PM Binyamin 'Bibi' Netanyahu has been more specific.
At the start of the school year, he announced to his cabinet that "excellence and Zionism", with an emphasis on Bible study, were at the root of an education "revolution" his government wanted to bring about. "First of all the study of the Bible," he said. "We must make a major effort; this is the basis for why we are here, why we have returned here, why we stay here."1
What a contrast to the way things are run in Westminster, seat of the British Parliament. Of course there's much talk about raising educational standards, but we have cast the Holy Scriptures to the margins of our schools, and there are even efforts by humanists to wipe out their influence altogether. Yet without the Bible, our knowledge is incomplete. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge..." (Prov 1:7)
We have cast the Holy scriptures to the margins of our schools.
The Apostle Paul wrote: "Love never fails... But where there is knowledge, it will pass away" (1 Cor 13:8). And he is not talking about gushy love, but the 'agape' (Greek) love that is unique to those who have experienced a personal encounter with Jesus.
Britain's Greatness Built on the Bible
It was in holding to the authority of the Bible and proclaiming its truth that Britain became a great nation whose influence covered the globe, and it was because we believed in its literal veracity that we were privileged to help pave the way for Jewish restoration – both to their ancient land and to their Lord.
Our spiritual forefathers such as William Wilberforce, John Wesley, Charles Spurgeon, Charles Simeon and Bishop JC Ryle saw from the scriptures that Christians should pray for and facilitate Israel's return. And they played a crucial role in the modern-day re-birth of the Jewish state.
But our Jewish brethren also need the "new heart" Ezekiel prophesied (Ezek 36:26) if they are to fulfil their God-given role as "a light for the Gentiles" (Isa 49:6). Mercifully, Mr Netanyahu is paving the way for this spiritually with his declaration of intent.
Tragically, however, neither Church nor state in Britain is following this kind of lead, as they once did, caving in on all sides to politically correct pressure undermining the Bible's authority. The result is increasing breakdown in society, with all too few children growing up under the love and discipline of a mother and father.
Current Disunity Over Scripture
Key to Israel's restoration was an Anglican society called CMJ (the Church's Ministry among Jewish people) who are still doing a great work among God's ancient people today. But the Church of England, with which they are linked, is literally at the point of breaking up. And the issue is...the Bible's authority!
A dozen evangelical2 parishes in the South-East – including representation from the Diocese of Canterbury, the ancient heart of Anglicanism – are currently in discussions toward what could lead to a formal split over the 'watering down' of biblical teaching on issues of marriage amid talk of 'blessing' services for same-sex couples. They are setting up 'embryonic' structures that could be used were a split to take place.
The Church of England is literally at the point of breaking up.
The Rev Dr Peter Sanlon, Vicar of St Mark's Church in Tunbridge Wells, said: "If senior leaders of the Church of England water down the [church's] teaching on key issues like homosexuality, then this synod could easily evolve into a new Anglican jurisdiction."3
Threat of Schism
This development coincides with news that Bishop of Grantham Nicholas Chamberlain has become the first Church of England bishop to publicly declare he is gay and in a relationship, albeit celibate.4 And it has emerged that Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby was aware of this at the time of his consecration last November.
Bishop Chamberlain said he adhered to church guidelines under which gay clergy must be celibate and are not permitted to marry, and Archbishop Welby has stated that "his sexuality is completely irrelevant to his office".5
Yet an increasing number of priests have married or plan to marry same-sex partners in defiance of the ban and Archbishop Welby told a recent Christian festival that he was "constantly consumed with horror" at the Church's treatment of lesbians and gay men.6
Disagreements over sexual issues have already caused schisms within the wider Anglican body – in Canada and the United States, for example. But it was on the Bible's authority that a Judeo-Christian civilisation was built that became the envy of the world. Israel's future – their protection from enemies and hope of a Messiah – is bound up in the authority of the Bible. Pray for Mr Netanyahu.
Notes
1 Jerusalem Post, 30 August 2016. Also quoted by Jerusalem News Network on 1 September 2016.
2 A term signifying belief in the absolute authority of the Bible on all matters of faith.
3 Church of England parishes prepare for a possible schism. Christian Concern, 31 August 2016.
4 Sherwood, H. Bishop of Grantham first C of E bishop to declare he is in gay relationship. The Guardian, 2 September 2016.
5 Ibid.
6 Ibid.
This week, Paul Luckraft reviews three more short booklets from Christian Friends of Israel.
Patterns and Principles of Jewish Prayer (Dr Dwight Pryor, 16 pages, available from CFI for £2)
This brief booklet is adapted from a lecture given by Dr Pryor in 1993. Its aim is spiritual, namely to encourage us to pray more frequently and with greater focus, rather than academic, to provide us with interesting information.
Some time is spent discussing our Hebrew heritage and what constitutes a Hebraic perspective before Pryor settles to his main theme, asserting that "perhaps no greater treasure has been bestowed on us than the prayer life of Israel" (p4). He encourages us to see how our Christian worship can draw deeply from the ancient patterns and principles of Jewish prayer and worship in the synagogue.
Pryor goes on to examine the Siddur, the Jewish Prayer Book and common guide to prayer in the time of Jesus, which contained many beautiful prayers and blessings covering all elements of life, individual and communal. We are reminded that Jesus would have known and used these ancient prayers. Pryor suggests that the charm of the Siddur is that it "allows us to 'feel' Judaism, including the Jewish spirituality that so much a part of Jesus' world" (p8).
Finally, the principles of Jewish prayer are outlined, including that prayer is essentially an outpouring of the soul and that its main focus is the Kingdom of God. Jewish prayer was a daily duty but it had to go beyond mere ritual; it had to have a sense of devotion or direction (kavannah) which would create an intensity and undivided attention upon the One being prayed to. The use of the prayer shawl and the physical activity of repeated bowing or swaying are explained within this context.
Overall, this short account achieves its aim and may encourage those who want to know more to seek out other books on this theme.
Jesus the Rabbi, Was He Orthodox? (David Bivin, 13 pages, available from CFI for £2)
This booklet is also based on a talk, one given in Jerusalem in 1987. The title is deliberately framed as a question but it seems to be used as a vehicle to discuss more whether Jesus was observant or orthodox as a Jew, rather than just as a rabbi. In fact, information about being a rabbi is rather sparse. It is soon shown that Jesus was recognised as a rabbi by many different people but that this was often purely a courtesy title based upon the Hebrew 'rav' meaning 'great'.
As for Jesus' teaching methods, Bivin correctly asserts that "the most convincing proof that Jesus was a practising rabbi was his style of teaching" and that "he used the same method of instruction that was characteristic of the other rabbis of his day" (p4), However, further discussion is restricted to his use of parables, and only a few lines at that.
Anyone wanting more on the theme of rabbi will have to look elsewhere, but this booklet does provide interesting information on the Jewishness of Jesus, and could be a useful introduction for those yet to begin to explore the Jewish background of Christianity.
The Synagogue in the Time of Jesus (Derek White, 34 pages, available from CFI for £3)
This is an excellent study booklet full of fascinating details that every Christian would benefit from knowing. Once again, it was originally given as a talk (in 2004), but this time it was either a very long session or it was extended later when put into written form, being twice as long as similar booklets in this series, including four pages of black-and-white pictures and eight pages of endnotes and sources.
After a brief account of the development of the synagogue and its function in the time of Jesus, seven topics are covered starting with the origin of the synagogue and a discussion of where a synagogue would be built. We then learn about its nature and function, and the role of women in the 1st Century synagogue, as well as the roles of its various officers.
Then follows a lengthy section on its liturgy, which includes more on Jewish prayers (see above), and finally an intriguing brief account of 'the Christian synagogue'. For those not aware of how the early Church followed the synagogue pattern, here are important insights into how Christian worship meetings had some strong parallels with the existing Jewish liturgy.
This very thorough and well-written booklet makes an important contribution to showing how much the roots of Christianity are firmly embedded in its Hebraic heritage. Highly commended.
CFI has a large range of booklets on a variety of subjects – click here to browse their selection.