"This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God." (2 Cor 9:12)
Friday 12 February 2016
Dear Praying Friend,
Help us spread the word about Prophecy Today UK!
As we plan a day of thanksgiving on Saturday 9 April to celebrate the first birthday of the new on-line version of Prophecy Today, we are rejoicing in all the Lord has done so far - and praising him for all he is going to do in the future. We firmly believe that the Lord knows the end from the beginning, and that all the discordant-seeming affairs of the nations are entirely unsurprising to the Sovereign God who created all things.
Prophecy Today seeks to inform the church's witness in these testing times by offering a balanced biblical understanding of current affairs, and a prophetic insight into how the Lord is working his purposes out in this generation.
We really want to thank you for your partnership in this ministry - the careful, prayerful and watchful contributions of our writers (all unpaid) are encouraged and sustained by your partnership with us in the Gospel; every word is underpinned by your faithful prayers. We thank God for the privilege of labouring together with you to the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. And we pray the Lord will use Prophecy Today to encourage and strengthen his church to speak clearly into the nation and these times.
The number of hits on the Prophecy Today website continues to grow month by month. Over 1,000 people now receive our regular weekly e-mail updates. But we know there are still many churches who are not even aware this ministry exists.
So we're writing to ask for your help.
If you haven't already done so, could you draw Prophecy Today to the attention of your local church? Not only to strengthen its ministry, but to include us in its prayers, and perhaps in its tithing: Prophecy Today is a faith ministry, and our operating costs are borne entirely by the Lord's generosity through his people.
Unlike a print magazine, it costs around £2,000 a month to maintain the service - irrespective of how many people use it. So the maths is fairly simple: the greater the number of active supporters, the greater the chance of Prophecy Today being able to continue developing. We stepped out in faith on day one, and our existing partners already give generously. But we now need to bring additional donations into the storehouse if we are to sustain the service for the longer term.
If partnering with us in this way is something you feel able to do, do visit our Support page.
Meanwhile, we continue to give thanks to God for the ways in which he is using this internet-based ministry to bring new blessings – from the pastors who print out our e-mail updates to encourage the prayers of house-bound parishioners, to the Messianic believers in Israel, tapping into the teaching resources on the site. Please continue with us in praying in the Lord's provision for Prophecy Today UK in the months ahead.
With love in the Lord Jesus Christ,
Chris Pateman
Associate Director
Prophecy Today UK
(On behalf of the Editorial Board)
Edmund Heddle looks at the role of prophecy in spiritual warfare, using the example of Deborah.
The story of the prophetess Deborah told in prose in Judges 4 and in poetry in Judges 5 illustrates the role of the prophet within the people of God in times of both peace and war. The study is particularly appropriate at a time when the rise of personal prophecy needs to be balanced by according prophecy its proper place in the church's call to spiritual warfare.
It is true that, from time to time, God is pleased to reveal his purpose and guidance to individual believers, though this is likely to occur only occasionally through prophecy. Guidance is more likely to come through study of the scriptures, by the voice of the Spirit, through the teaching of God's ministers, and by the counsel and encouragement of other Christians. By contrast, every stage of spiritual warfare needs to be directed prophetically, as we shall see from our study of Deborah.
Deborah's Prophetic Ministry in Peace-time
Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading (or, more correctly, 'judging') Israel at that time. She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites came to her to have their disputes decided (Jud 4:4-5).
Deborah's name means 'bee'. She was obviously 'busy' and industrious. She brought sweetness into many situations as the Spirit of God enabled her to unravel tangled relationships. On the other hand, she could inflict a sharp sting to those who were acting unfairly or selfishly. Her husband's name means 'flaming torch', so she obviously had the blessing of a man who wielded the torch of truth. For some time, she had sat regularly under the palm which by now had taken her name and which had become an open-air court of justice. She did not conduct her ministry in secret but allowed everyone access to her presence. In this way she had won for herself universal respect throughout Israel and was acknowledged as a "mother in Israel" (Jud 5:7).
Deborah conducted her ministry of justice in the open, public arena, winning for herself universal respect.
There is still need today for those who can exercise the gift of prophecy in a counselling situation. The gifts of wisdom and knowledge make it possible to get to the heart of the trouble, and this without the lengthy psychotherapy of earlier days.
Israel's Deteriorating Situation
The idyllic scene at Deborah's palm tree was not to last very much longer. After the death of an earlier judge, Ehud, the Israelites (as was their bent) turned from Yahweh to idols, from God's ways to do what was right in their own eyes (Jud 2:11, 3:12, 41, 6:1 and 10:6, see also Jud 17:6 and 21:25).
Because of this apostasy the Lord sold them into the hands of Jabin, a Canaanite king who reigned in Hazor. He had at his disposal 900 iron chariots, an armoury that must have terrified Deborah's fellow countrymen. In her song (Jud 5) Deborah tells of the time when "the roads were abandoned" and travellers had to take to by-ways, a time when "village life in Israel ceased" and no longer was it possible to consult Deborah about their problems (Jud 5:6-8). It was a time when, to face Jabin's chariots, Israel was unable to rustle up even shield or spear to arm its 40,000 soldiers (1 Sam 13:19).
After 20 years of cruel oppression, the Israelites cried out to the Lord for succour. By way of answer the Spirit began to stir within Deborah. Where would we be today without devout women in all church groupings, women who are grieved at the state of the church; the idolatry, the immorality, the occult practices and the proud confidence of those who really believe they can cope without prayer and the spiritual gifts? There is no hope for our own deteriorating situation unless we take spiritual warfare seriously and learn its elements from the Deborah story, lessons that Christian men as well as women need to learn.
Where would we be today without devout women who are grieved at the state of the church and know how to take spiritual warfare seriously?
Deborah's Prophetic Ministry in Time of War
First let us note that Deborah did not presume to command the Israelite army herself. She waited on God until he revealed the commander of his choice. Then, reads the inspired record, "She sent for Barak [his name means 'lightning' or a flashing sword] from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, 'The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead the way to Mount Tabor'" (Jud 4:6).
In this incident Deborah was acting as God's mouthpiece. Just as in time of peace she had used the prophetic gift to counsel God's people, so now as Israel prepared to go to war she was able to hear what God had to say and was quick to pass on to Barak what she had heard. We should note that God's brief through Deborah to Barak is highly detailed:
- Barak, son of Abinoam, his name meaning 'Father of Pleasantness', was God's choice to be Israel's military commander.
- He was told the number of troops he was to recruit: "ten thousand men" (Jud 4:6).
- He was told the tribes from which he was to select them: "of Naphtali and Zebulun" (Jud 4:6).
- He was told the place where he was to rendezvous: "lead the way to Mt Tabor" (Jud 4:6).
- He was told the battle-plan God had designed: "I will lure Sisera...with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon river" (Jud 4:7).
- He was given the promise of complete victory: "I will give him into your hands" (Jud 4:7).
- He was given the day to march forth against the enemy (Jud 4:14): "This is the day the Lord has given Sisera into your hands."
- He was given the assurance that God had gone ahead (Jud 4: 14).
Barak's Insistence That Deborah Must Go with Him
All this vital tactical information was given to him by Deborah, who had first received it from the Lord. Some commentators have been critical of Barak who, in response to his commission, replied, "If you go with me, I will go; but if you don't go with me I won't go" (Jud 4:8). Others have labelled him a coward. But surely his caution was sensible? He had learned a lesson, one the church needs to learn today. It is folly to imagine that the spiritual battle can be won by human ability or academic qualifications alone. We need to remember the explanation given by Jesus to his disciples when he said, "This kind can come out only by prayer" (Matt 17:21) (some manuscripts add "and fasting").
How important it is for today's church to ask that an abundance of Deborahs be raised up who can hear what God is saying and then pass on his battle orders! I fear that often we fail to discover God's combat briefing, and then wonder why so little has been accomplished despite all our efforts.
How important is it for today's church to ask that an abundance of Deborahs be raised up who can hear what God is saying and pass on his battle orders!
Responding to our Commission to Overthrow the Principalities
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm" (Eph 6:12)
There was a response to the Lord's call to his people in the time of Deborah. There were some who delighted Deborah (and the Lord himself) by willingly offering themselves for the work. She commenced her song with the words, "When the princes in Israel take the lead, when the people willingly offer themselves - praise the Lord!" A few stanzas further on she comes back to the joy of finding volunteers: "My heart is with Israel's princes, with the willing volunteers among the people. Praise the Lord!" (Jud 5:2 and 9).
Further still in their victory song, Deborah and Barak record their appreciation of help received from other tribes within Israel, and comment on those who did not heed the call.
1. The tribes that mustered at the call
Help came from Ephraim and Benjamin, while a group of captains came from Makir (a branch of the tribe of Manasseh that had settled west of the Jordan). A group of men, each carrying a commander's staff, came from Zebulun. The princes of Issachar (the tribe that "knew the signs of the times") are twice mentioned for their support of Deborah and for rushing into the valley with Barak (Jud 5:14-15).
2. The tribes that risked their lives to be there
Two of the tribes, Zebulun and Naphtali, risked their lives as they took position on the heights of the battlefield (Jud 5:18). Their bravery received special mention.
3. The tribes that found excuses and failed to turn up
Reuben was the tribe that could not make up its mind. As the New English Bible renders the verse, "He was split into factions." According to the Good News Bible, "The tribe of Reuben was divided, they could not decide whether to come" (Jud 5:5-1). Deborah asks, but does not answer, the question posed in her song: "Why did you stay among the camp-fires to hear the whistling for the flocks?".
Reuben had the reputation of being unstable (Gen 49:4). He could not decide who should go or, if they did go, who should lead. So in the end no one went from Reuben. Other tribes lived some way away and did not want to get involved. Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan. Dan lingered with his ships. Asher sat unmoved by the seaside, with its creeks and coves.
4. The tribe that was cursed for failing to help
We do not know why the tribe or clan of Meroz is singled out for special condemnation, but it is cursed by the angel of the Lord himself. The reason given is simply that they "did not come to help the Lord, to help the Lord against the mighty" (Jud 5:23). No one knows who or what Meroz was and there is no other mention of the name in the Bible. Like the fig-tree which was also cursed by the Lord himself (Mark 11:12 and 21), their failure to respond to the call was visited by divine displeasure.
Jael is called 'blessed' because she seized her opportunity and dispatched the cruel tyrant Sisera with tent-peg and hammer (Jud 5:26). Deborah is careful, in commending those who turned up to help so willingly, to remember that the praise must go to Jehovah, the God of Moses, and to him alone. "Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers! I will sing to the Lord, I will sing; I will make music to the Lord, the God of Israel" (Jud 5:3).
Deliverance at the River Kishon
The river Kishon, whose name means 'winding', was normally a meandering stream. But it was to this river that God said he would lure Sisera, the Canaanite commander, with his chariots and troops (Jud 4:7). From Deborah's song we can see that the event had a parallel to God's action in Moses' day: "O Lord, when you went out from Seir, when you marched from the land of Edom, the earth shook, the heavens poured, the clouds poured down water" (Jud 5:4-5).
As well as extensive flooding there was also frightening activity in the sky: "From the heavens the stars fought, from their courses they fought against Sisera" (Jud 5:20). A catastrophic cloud-burst changed the Kishon into a raging torrent. Many chariots were swept away and the rest were bogged down in the mud. Up to his waist in mud, Sisera had to abandon his chariot and seek whatever protection could be found on such a night. But his fate was already sealed by the prophetic word that Deborah had received and passed on to Barak.
The Prophetic Word in Spiritual Warfare
There are valuable lessons to be learned from this account of the prophetess Deborah. The church is committed to continuous conflict with powers of darkness, and we have every reason to believe the conflict will escalate the nearer we get to the coming of the Lord.
The church is committed to continuous conflict with the powers of darkness – and so we have valuable lessons to learn from the account of the prophetess Deborah.
Church leaders need to understand and accept the valuable part that men and women must play in this kind of warfare. They need to encourage co-operation between the regular on-going ministry and the occasional spiritual gift such as prophecy. Finally, they should remember that we need never be afraid to follow where Christ is leading us. There may be temporary problems and set-backs, but victory is certain. All the time we follow his prophetic direction we shall find that the weather itself will fight for us.
Discover the place of prophecy in leading God's army into action, and how thrilling his service can be when we learn to take God's prophetic word seriously.
First published in Prophecy Today, Vol 6 No 6, November/December 1990.
Paul Luckraft interviews Neil Turner, author of 'End-time Survivor' (reviewed in Prophecy Today last year). Neil runs the Omega Programme, which teaches believers how to live well in these significant days.
Neil's intriguing comment that his book took 25 years to research and five years to write made me want to find out what had inspired him and kept him going during this long process. As he shared his story with me, I learnt how much God was behind this lifelong passion and realised the truth that, in Neil's own words, "life is lived forwards but understood backwards."
Earlier Years
Neil did not have the advantage of a Christian upbringing but when, aged 14, his brother invited him to an evangelistic meeting in the aftermath of the UK Festival of Light, he experienced a strong conversion. During his teens he grew in his new-found faith through youth groups and church fellowships, though his time at school was less successful. After poor A Level results he realised that university was not for him so instead he sought out a career in industry.
Neil's story is one of faith and God-driven passion through which he has learned that "life is lived forwards but understood backwards."
Aged 19 he went to work for British Aerospace and was trained in project management. His working life gave him the opportunity to develop his skills in this area over a period of 20 years - skills which God would use later - but by the end of this time he was feeling unhappy. He had reached a ceiling and a change of direction seemed desirable.
Going Deeper in Scripture
Also during this period of his life he was offered the chance to lead a fellowship in his native North West, which he did for a handful of years. In this role the demands of teaching the Bible on a regular basis provided the impetus to study the scriptures in more depth. The prophetic aspects in particular began to attract his attention. He learnt extensively through the ministries of renowned Bible teachers such as Derek Prince and David Pawson, and he also decided he needed a personal mentor to help him at this time. Keith Mason, founder of the Creative Word Bible College, Rochdale, took on this role and has been a wise guide and friend from that point on.
Neil realised that he was not cut out to be a pastor, so this was not an option for him once he felt uncertain about his current job. Instead, when he resigned in 1999 he joined Marconi Management College, which brought him to the Midlands where he now lives. However, after just one year in this new job he was made redundant, aged 40. That year was an intense learning curve, profitable but short. It was over almost before it had begun. What next?
Living on God's Expense Account
It was then that God stepped in and directed him to set up his own business in project management training. At first this was successful and kept Neil very busy. Then the work dried up. Financially this became extremely challenging. Neil shared how that at one point he was down to his last pound and he felt utterly helpless. He can recall even now the despair at being brought so low, especially when he felt he had been obeying God's call. However, he can also testify that "God brings you to the end of your strength to bring you into his."
Eventually work built up again and Neil found that God's promises do hold. His faith had been strengthened through adversity. He confesses that he can now go forward knowing that "if I'm on my Father's business, I'm on his expense account." Life is indeed understood backwards.
Adversity shows us that God's promises do hold and we can walk forward in faith.
Neil's book 'End Time Survivor'The Book Takes Shape
During all this Neil was continuing his studies, especially in prophetic areas. His approach was to set himself small personal projects. Eventually he studied the book of Revelation, looking for the patterns that God had put there. While not ignoring what he could learn from others he was determined to build up his own potential and seek out truth using the skills God had been giving him over the preceding part of his life.
Eventually it became clear to Neil that these small studies could be developed into something bigger, and the idea of a book took shape. He began to map out what it should look like, forming an outline and some of the sections. Once he had this in place he found a greater motivation for more study. Seeking God, he received more and more insights, sometimes being woken in the night to be instructed by the Holy Spirit.
At first he was effectively writing for his own benefit, to convince himself what was true and what was not. His style evolved to match this. Essentially he was not approaching this so much as a writer but as a project manager. In fact, it dawned on him that he was actually doing project management on his own project! From small beginnings and over a period of 25 years, a book was beginning to emerge. His eventual aim was to "create the most comprehensive account of end-time prophecy available".
The Omega Programme
The problem of publishing was a particularly tricky one. No-one was interested and at this point such disappointments could easily have dispirited Neil once more. But he had learnt to trust God and so he persisted. With help from others he realised the best way forward was to publish his work as an e-book and to be able to print on demand, a valid option for a first-time author unknown to the publishing world.
But again it was a difficult process. Only a few copies were sold. However, this was not to be the end. The book was essentially a course in print form, a handbook which contained modules rather than chapters. So why not deliver it as a course, especially as Neil had been trained to do just this?!
It became clear to Neil that all his small studies could be developed into something bigger – and as the outline of his book took shape, so his motivation to study grew.
Thus the Omega Programme was established, and in 2014 Neil began to take people through a series of modules based upon the book. Once again Keith Mason acted as mentor and overseer, and sensibly Neil also set up what he calls a council of reference - a small group of people to whom he is accountable.
This is now how Neil sees his material should be shared, with the book backing up his training modules. As a trainer Neil wants to see behavioural change in those he teaches. Regarding the end-times that means preparation and survival. Is the Church ready? What should it believe and do differently?
Why Stop There?
What next for Neil? He continues to work very successfully as a trainer in the secular world. Clearly his heart is in the Omega programme and helping people understand what the Bible says is coming upon the world as the end of the age approaches.
Will he write another book? Maybe, but more likely he will seek to extend what he is already doing, perhaps by training others to deliver the material. Training the trainers sounds just up his street!
Whatever the future, he knows that God will always have more for him. Neil would sum up his journey as God repeatedly telling him to keep going. Time and again God said "Why stop there?" And that is the message he would share to encourage others. Whatever you are doing, take it further. Keep moving forwards. You may only understand it later but always look for more. There is always a way ahead with God, even if brick walls appear and obstacles obstruct. Never settle. Seek the next level. And keep asking yourself, "Why stop there?"
Click here for more information about the Omega Programme. Our review of Neil's book 'End-Time Survivor' can be found here (includes purchase details).
Weekly Passages: Exodus 18:1-20:26; Isaiah 6:1–7:6; 9:5-7; Matthew 5:8-20.
What emotion does the thought of meeting with God bring to our hearts? Fear? Terror? Intrigue? Longing? Or 'How?' (at the impossibility of it)? This week's Torah portion reflects on this meeting, but turns the thought of its impossibility on its head. For God desires to meet with you!
Meetings on Mount Sinai
He met Moses at a bush that seemed to be on fire but was not consumed, and commissioned him to bring the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt and into the desert, specifically to meet with him (Ex 19:17). Later, God instructed Moses to build a Tabernacle in the desert according to a specific pattern, which he called the Tent of Meeting (ohel meod, Lev 9:23). It was where he would dwell among them. It is interesting that God called his people into the desert to meet with him.
God called his people into the desert to meet with him.
Moses himself had spent 40 years in the desert in Midian before God called him to lead the Children of Israel to the land he had searched out for them - the most beautiful of all lands (Ezek 20:6). Now at Mount Sinai, God chooses to meet with his people. He calls to them through Moses to show them his glory and power, and he establishes his awesome holy nature before them.
Chosen and Called
He then presents them with the requirements for a chosen people to be in covenant relationship with him - the Ten Words (Commandments) - and encourages them to obey his voice and keep his covenant, so they could be a peculiar treasure to him, above all other peoples, living under his protection and blessings. In this, he chooses Israel as a husband chooses his bride, with the joys and responsibilities that this brings.
On Mount Sinai, God affirms that he has chosen Israel as a husband chooses his bride – with all the joys and responsibilities that this brings.
Their calling is to be a kingdom of priests (who serve God) and a holy nation (to be separate from other nations), to carry the word and the knowledge of God to all the earth and especially to reflect God's Name and character to the nations around them. This is the calling of Gentiles too - those who have met the God of Israel through his Son Jesus.
Ultimately Israel will (through Messiah) be a light to all nations (Isa 49:6), because it is God's redemptive plan for all mankind, instituted through the covenant he made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Israel). God is faithful to his covenant - he doesn't have a Plan B. All who will respond, Jew and Gentile, God promises to bring to his holy mountain, and "make them joyful in My House of prayer...for My House shall be called a House of prayer for all peoples" (Isa 56:6-7).
Prayer indicates the essential and intimate nature of this relationship - the product of this desert meeting. Paul encourages us to rejoice, pray and thank God continually (1 Thess 5:16-18).
Prayer indicates the purpose and nature of this desert meeting - relationship.
Intimacy Born in the Desert Place
The holy nature of this intimacy is born out of a desert experience. Like God who is holy and separated from worldly values, Israel was (and is still) called to be "separated from all people that are on the face of the earth" (Ex 33:16). So God calls them into the desert for this, to learn two lessons:
- They find out who they were: vulnerable, complaining, wanting to go back to the comforts of Egypt, thirsty, hungry, dependent on God's provision. For us, too, the world distracts us from our dependency on and longing for God – our experience of his provision.
- They encounter God's faithfulness. He leads them into the desert to free them from the false gods of this world's false security. For us too, deserts are places and times of transition in our spiritual journey – to meet with God, and learn to trust him. The world offers many alternatives, but does not make us thirsty for him (Ps 42:1, 63:1).
Other Biblical Examples
Both John the Baptist and Jesus (our model) went to desert places to meet with God, and Jesus took his disciples to solitary places to meet with his Father (Mark 6:31, 46). We need the silence, solitude and holiness of a desert place where we can hear the still small voice of God above the clamour of the world. Prayer and fasting, abstinence from entertainment, and laying down our works to find vulnerability and dependence, are responses to the invitation to meet with him.
We need the silence, solitude and holiness of a desert place where we can hear the still small voice of God above the clamour of the world.
Isaiah found this in his normal priestly work in the quiet of the Temple, in his awesome encounter with the God of Israel, and he quickly recognised his need for cleansing in the presence of the One who is Holy, Holy, Holy (Isa 6:3). Mankind too is unclean, and needs iniquity (avon, perversity, moral evil) taken away and sin (missing the mark that God sets) purged (Isa 6:7).
A New and Living Way
Through Jesus' sacrifice upon the cross, he has opened the way for you and me to meet with God. For Jesus, this was a desert place where we cannot go - being made sin for us, he was forsaken by his Father (Matt 27:46). His crucified body became the means by which the veil separating Israel (and Gentiles too) from God was torn open. We now have boldness to enter into the presence of God by the blood of Jesus - a new and living way (Heb 10:10, 19).
Through this encounter with the Living God, and by engaging with his teaching on the Kingdom of Heaven (Matt 5:5-20), we may choose a lifestyle that brings blessing – humility, meekness, righteousness, mercy, peace-making, purity of heart - that will enable us to stay in his presence and fulfil our calling to be witnesses to him, to the ends of the earth.
The desert is a doorway to much blessing and wonder, because it leads us into the arms of the God who loves us, and gave his Son to die for us, that we might live – in him.
Author: Greg Stevenson
This magazine believes that Britain needs to take a step of faith and vote to leave the EU.
The first signs of hope for the future are beginning to creep into the British press as journalists right across the political spectrum dismissed the draft agreement with the EU as a Cameron con-trick designed to keep Britain in the European Union.
After racking up thousands of air miles travelling around European capitals trying to reform the European Treaty, the Prime Minister failed to achieve his primary objective of securing British control over our own borders. He also failed to stop the massive burden upon our welfare system of child benefit payments made to East European migrants working in Britain, sent for the support of their children back home.
Europe Will Not Relinquish Power
The temporary break upon welfare payments to migrant workers is dependent upon Britain proving that the strain upon our economy is unsustainable. But even this is dependent upon Brussels - the EU still retains control of the final decision. There is a hint that Britain might be allowed the right to block any EU laws that are considered detrimental to the best interests of our nation. But again, in this the EU maintains control, as Britain would have to persuade at least 14 EU member states to agree!
In the opinion of this magazine, the European Union is clearly not going to relinquish any of its power to Britain or any other single nation-state, as this would undermine its ultimate objective of total control over Europe through the establishment of a European Super-State.
Ultimate Objective
Prime Minister David Cameron with President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz, Thursday 4 February. Steve Parsons/PA Wire.
This objective of a 'United States of Europe' was there right at the beginning, in the 1972 foundation of the 'European Common Market' which Edward Heath signed in 1973 on behalf of the British people. Before signing, Heath was told by the Lord Chancellor, Lord Kilmuir, that Britain would suffer a loss of sovereignty in three respects:1
- Parliament would surrender some of its functions
- The Crown would lose some of its power
- Our courts of law would be subordinate to the European Court of Justice
Heath ignored this and deliberately lied to the British public, saying "There is no question of eroding any national sovereignty".2 Behind the scenes, however, his government wholeheartedly endorsed the Werner Report which laid out plans for "the ultimate creation of a European federal state".3
Back in 1972, European leaders agreed that there would be a slow motion takeover of national governments. The Treaty of Rome in 1986 followed by the Maastricht Treaty took huge steps towards the formation of an EU Constitution that enforces its laws over all nations within the European Union.
Slowly but surely, the EU has formed a massive unelected bureaucracy that exercises control over member states. The EU is already well on the way to achieving its ultimate objective of forming a European State with its own currency, its own parliament, its own defence programme, space programme, banking system, legal system and Supreme Court - through which it can exercise control over all its member states, in the same way as the Soviet Union exercised totalitarian control over its satellite states.
The EU is well on its way to achieving total control over all its member states – in the same way as the Soviet Union exercised totalitarian control over its satellite states.
For the past eight months our Prime Minister has been touring the capitals of Europe trying to get a deal that he can present to the British people that will persuade us to stay under the control of Brussels. The plain fact is that David Cameron has discovered that the European Union is incapable of reform! It will never surrender its control!
Myth of Economic Ruin
Will our Prime Minister have the courage to admit the truth to the British people? If he does not, in the next five months we can expect to see a deliberate campaign of deception orchestrated by Number 10 of even greater magnitude than was inflicted upon the nation by the Heath Government back in 1973. They will primarily play the 'fear' card – warning Britain's workers that their jobs will be in peril; warning the public that prices of ordinary household goods including food will all go up; warning that our trade will suffer because EU markets will be closed to us.
All this is a pack of lies because Britain pays into the EU far more than we gain! Back in 1972 by joining the European Common Market, Britain was forced to break all its Commonwealth Preference Trade Treaties which had disastrous effects upon the economy of countries such as New Zealand who supplied much of our lamb and butter. We have never apologised to them!
The government may well play the fear card that our economy and quality of life will be in peril if we leave the EU. But all this is a pack of lies.
The British Commonwealth has roughly a third of the world's total population. By leaving the EU we would be able to trade freely with the Commonwealth, without being constricted by the controls exercised over us by Brussels. We would be free from the Common Agricultural Policy which has almost brought our dairy farmers to bankruptcy, as well as the disastrous Fisheries Policy which has oppressed our fishermen and given away our rights to fish in our own waters.
By exiting we would be freed from the immense burden upon our economy of paying billions of pounds into the EU to support a corrupt oppressive system run by unelected officials, who every year fail to get a clean audit report on their accounts.4
Step of Faith Required
If David Cameron does go ahead and allow the British people to choose their own future in June 2016 the question then would be: will the public have the courage to take a great step of faith and choose freedom, or will they voluntarily choose to be enslaved by a corrupt totalitarian system?
This is where faith really matters! If we were truly a God-fearing nation prepared to put our trust in the Lord, we would have no fear in going forward under our own traditional British constitution, which has defined the relationship between Government and people for 800 years (since the signing of Magna Carta) and which is reaffirmed in our national Coronation Oath.
If we were truly a God-fearing nation, we would have no fear in stepping out on our own.
If we were a God-fearing people, we could draw comfort and strength from the record in the Bible of God's dealing with his covenant people Israel and his promises that apply to all nations. Through the prophet Jeremiah, God promised: "If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned" (Jer 18:7).
Are We Prepared to Lead the Way?
Bible-believing Christians know that God has been warning Britain for a long time that we have been allowing secular humanist politicians to pass legislation that is offensive to God, driving the nation towards the breakdown of family life with disastrous social consequences.
Through hardships of storm and flood and economic austerity, God has been warning us that as a nation we are heading for unimaginable disaster! But in his mercy, we are now being offered an opportunity to shake off the atheistic secular controls of Brussels and put our trust in God. If we are prepared to take a step of faith by leaving the European Union and repenting for the past, God will undoubtedly bless the nation.
The Church should be leading the way in this by public repentance for our share of responsibility for the godless state of the nation - and by proclaiming our confidence in the Lord that if we turn to him, he will undoubtedly bless the nation with prosperity and the healing of our social divisions and broken relationships - bringing love and joy and faithfulness into family life.
We are being given an opportunity to shake off the secular controls of Brussels and put our trust in God. Will we take a step of faith – and will the Church lead the way?
The forthcoming referendum gives the nation the opportunity to choose our future in the same way as Joshua presented a choice to the people of Israel to choose to live under the slavery of men or under the blessing of God. He said, "Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve...But as for me and my household we will serve the Lord" (Josh 24:15).
References
1 PRO/FO 371/150369, EEC Relations with UK, 1960.
2 White Paper, 1971.
3 Quote from PRO/FCO 30/789, Sub-committee of official committee on monetary aspects of UK entry to EEC, 1970. The Heath Government's positive response: PRO/CAB 164/771, Informal talks with the European Commission and the exchange of views with member countries during the negotiation period, 1970.
4 Waterfield, B and Dominiczak, P. EU auditors refuse to sign off more than £100billion of its own spending. The Telegraph, 4 November 2014.
Paul Luckraft reviews 'The Jews: Why Have Christians Hated Them?' by Gordon Pettie (2010, Everlasting Books and Music Ltd, 172 pages, £5. Available on request from the UK office of Revelation TV)
I would recommend this book for two reasons. First, if you have never read anything before on this topic, then it will open your eyes to a very important aspect of Christian history and the relationship between the Church and Israel today.
Second, if you are familiar with the failings of the Church regarding the Jewish people, then this book will fill in any gaps in your knowledge and provide a very good summary in concise form, though it is sufficiently complete to act as a thorough reference to the prolonged Christian mistreatment of the Jews.
The author is honest enough to admit that his work may not ultimately provide a satisfactory answer to the question in the title. 'Why?' is always a complex question. But he has recorded as much evidence as he can fit reasonably into one book to demonstrate that, whatever the reason or reasons, "layer upon layer of hatred by Christians to Jews has taken place" (ppvii-viii).
This book provides a concise but thorough reference that will open your eyes to the topic of Christian-Jewish relations through history.
Impetus for the Book
The initial impetus for the book arose from two visits Pettie made to Israel, the first in 2000 when he was asked to administrate a 10-day conference in Jerusalem. A few months later he travelled back to fulfil a similar role for a Repentance Conference, where Protestants repented for what had been done in their name against the Jewish people through the centuries. A new journey of discovery had begun through which the author not only gathered information, but also found his love increasing for Israel and God's people.
The desire to commit to print what he was learning became a devotion and a full commitment. Not having written a book before this was a challenging prospect, but after a year and a half of research in which he studied little else, the book was ready. Its content is clearly disturbing but, as the author states, "For Christians to receive a wake-up call and start loving the Jews, they need to see what happened in the past. The evidence has to be examined, and some of it is not very nice!" (p8).
Denouncing Replacement Theology
The overall aim of the book is the denouncement of Replacement Theology and chapter two provides a very good discussion of this and how the early Church separated itself from its Jewish roots, amply illustrated by quotes from the early Church fathers.
The overall aim of the book is to denounce Replacement Theology, which it does through a very good discussion and with ample illustration.
It seems there is an unfortunate printing error on page 29 where the statement that "God is calling His Church to renounce the teaching of Repentance Theology" should presumably read "Replacement Theology". His next comment clarifies this as we are exhorted to "repent for the false doctrine that has arisen from it and re-establish the Jewish people to the right place that God has for them" (p29).
Chapter three focusses on Jerusalem and is followed by more details on how we have lost our Jewish heritage, including a helpful summary of the feasts and festivals. However, the heart of the book (nearly half the total number of pages) is devoted to a comprehensive chronological survey of Christian antagonism towards the Jews from Constantine to our own day. There is a special focus on Luther as one of the key moments in this immense catalogue of horrors, and a separate chapter entitled 'Christian support for Hitler's Holocaust'.
Practical Advice
However, this is not just a fact-finding book. The final chapter, entitled 'So what can be done?', contains practical advice on how to use what you have learnt in a meaningful way. The list of 14 suggestions include praying, study, offering practical help and speaking out – something for everyone!
This is more than just a fact-finding book. The final chapter contains practical advice on how to use what you have learnt in a meaningful way.
Here is a book that provides useful information but also stirs the heart. It is an excellent potted history and if readers want to find more details elsewhere there is a helpful list of recommended further reading. But there is enough here to help counter any remaining hostile attitudes and persuade us to show the Jewish people that we do not hate them. It goes some way to encouraging us to fulfil Paul's aim of showing Christ in such a way as to arouse the Jews to jealousy, so that they find in Jesus the Messiah they are longing for.
An important aspect of the prophet's ministry is that of warning people to turn from their rebellious ways and to return to God in repentance and obedience.
The word of God teaches us that, "We all like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way" (Isa 53:6). Here is a characteristic shared by every member of the human family. We may differ as to age, sex, colour, race and nationality, but all have this in common: we have strayed from the right path and have obstinately chosen to go our own way and to do our own thing.
An important aspect of the prophet's ministry, not only in Old and New Testament times but also today, is that of warning people to turn from their rebellious ways and to return to God at a level of repentance that leads to future obedience.
The Sending of Prophets
"Again and again I sent all my servants the prophets to you. They said, 'Each of you must turn from your wicked ways and reform your actions'..." (Jer 35:15). Their message was, "In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength" (Isa 30:15 RSV). The NIV translates the Hebrew word shuvah, which means 'to turn back', as 'repentance'. Constantly the prophets call for God's people to return to Yahweh. "Come, let us return to the Lord...Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God...Return to me with all your heart...Take words with you and return to the Lord...Return to me and I will return to you" (Hos 6:1, 14:1-2; Joel 2:12-13; Mal 3:7).
The Blessings Promised to Those Who Return
The first blessing was that of forgiveness. "Let the wicked forsake his way...let him turn to the Lord, and he will have rnercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon" (Isa 55:7). "I have swept away your offences like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you" (Isa 44:22).
As well as pardon for the past the people were promised a new beginning. "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you...and move you...to keep my laws" (Ezek 36:26-27). "I will give them a heart to know me...they will be my people...for they will return to me with all their heart" (Jer 24:7).
Those who return to the Lord are promised many blessings, including forgiveness and a new beginning.
They would be brought back to inherit the land. "I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up...for they will return to me with all their heart" (Jer 24:6-7). They would enjoy material blessings, as Moses had promised to God's people: "All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God" (Deut 28:1-12). "'Test me in this', says the Lord Almighty, 'and see if I will not throw open the flood-gates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it'" (Mal 3:10).
Disasters Threatening Those Who Turn from God
The prophets of the Bible have no hesitation in believing and proclaiming that God is behind all things that happen, including unpleasant and frightening events: "I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things" (Isa 45:7). Jeremiah announces that disaster is on its way and that it behoves God's people to turn from their evil ways: "This is what the Lord says: 'Look! I am preparing a disaster for you and devising a plan against you. So turn from your evil ways...'" (Jer 18:11). When Baruch, Jeremiah's assistant, wrote a fresh scroll to replace the one King Jehoiakim had burnt, all the threats of coming disaster were repeated along with "many similar words..." (Jer 36:32).
According to the story of Jonah, a threatened disaster was averted when men repented. "When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened" (Jonah 3:10). The opposite was the case in the time of Isaiah. In his ninth and tenth chapters is a phrase that repeats four times: "For all this his anger is not turned away, his arm is still upraised" (Isa 9:12, 9:17, 9:21, 10:4). In the Good News Bible this passage reads, "Yet even so the Lord's anger is not ended; his hand is still stretched out to punish."
When men do not respond to disaster, the result can be only that greater disaster will come upon them. This is surely a salutary thought for us as we think back over the series of disasters we have witnessed or experienced in Britain during recent times.
Those who refuse to turn bring disaster upon themselves - and when they do not respond to this, the result can only be greater disaster.
Another aspect of the prophets' ministry is to draw their listeners' attention to crises that have occurred. The book of Amos contains a striking example of such action. In chapter 4 (verses 6-11) he reminds them of the disasters that had occurred. These included famine, drought, blight, locusts, plague, war and raging fire. One recurrent phrase in these verses sounds like a death-knell: "'Yet you have not returned to me', declares the Lord." God does not want to have to bring ever more serious disasters - that is not his nature or desire - but it may become inevitable, "You crushed them but they refused correction They made their faces harder than stone and refused to repent" (Jer 5:3).
Why Do People Turn from God?
1. Because they do not know God's word.
Jeremiah writes of the people and their leaders, "These are only the poor, they are foolish, for they do not know the way of the Lord, the requirements of their God. So I will go to the leaders and speak to them; surely they know the way of the Lord, the requirements of their God. But with one accord they too had broken off the yoke" (Jer 5:4-5). It is a very sad situation when the ordinary people who do not know God's law receive no direction or correction from their leaders because they have rejected the revealed word of God. Like so many today, they are left with only the unsure ground of situation ethics as the nations plunge further and further into moral chaos.
2. Because they listen to false prophets.
"Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you, they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds..." As a result of this error, "From the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness has spread throughout the land" (Jer 23:15-16). How sad that when the ministry of the prophet was so needed, as in Jerusalem then and in our situation today, we are confronted by so-called prophets who have not heard from God at all, but speak forth their own dreams and delusions. "...prophets who prophesy the delusions of their own minds...[they] prophesy false dreams...and lead my people astray with their reckless lies..." (Jer 23:26, 23:32).
It is of vital importance today that the stream of prophecy is kept clear by careful observance of the scriptural rules laid down for us in the New Testament. If we tolerate human traditions and unscriptural practices, we may lose the effective working of a very precious and necessary gift.
It is a sad situation when ordinary people who do not know God's law receive no direction or correction from their leaders, because they too have rejected the revealed word of God.
3. Because they fail to learn from the mistakes of others.
In the time of King Josiah, the prophet Jeremiah received a word from the Lord condemning Judah for copying the behaviour of her 'adulterous sister' Israel (Jer 3:6-10). "I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no tear she also went out and committed adultery" (Jer 3:8). We see many examples of wrong behaviour, especially in the area of sexual morality. Sadly, some of these have been within the Christian church; sadder still, a few have been among its leaders.
We need prophets today who are not afraid to remind God's people of the standards laid down in his word. But at all times they should avoid that judgmental and critical spirit which hurts yet more and condemns. "Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted" (Gal 6:1).
The Folly of Not Returning to God
According to one of the Church Fathers, "Outside of God there is nothing but death." Therefore, the only sensible thing for anyone to do is to return to God. Ezekiel is feeling the urgency of the matter when he cries out, "Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?" (Ezek 33:11). He makes it clear that God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked rather "...am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?"
Today's prophets need to stress the unrelieved awfulness of living or dying without God and consequently the stupidity of concentrating all our efforts on amassing this world's goods arid striving for its fame Jesus was speaking very much to the point when he said of the rich man, in his story, "You fool!" (Luke 12:20).
Today's prophets need to stress the unrelieved awfulness and folly of living or dying without God.
The Blessedness of Turning Back to God
God is holy, and he is a God of justice and judgment. But Scripture teaches that judgment is his "strange work...his alien task" (Isa 28:21). There is no doubt that in this injunction he is providing an example to prophets. Justice and judgment must have their rightful place in the ministry of today's prophets. "If I have the gift of prophecy...but have not love, I am nothing" (1 Cor 13:2). In Jesus' greatest story we see an example of the love that should characterise all his followers. Whatever they have done in the past, "Let's celebrate, for this son of mine was dead and is alive again, he was lost and is found" (Luke 15:24).
The Reward for the Prophets Who Turn Men to Righteousness
"Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens and those who lead [RSV 'turn'] many to righteousness like the stars for ever and ever" (Rev 12:3). It is true that "we all like sheep have gone astray" (Isa 53:6). We all have an inborn determination to do what we want to do. Sadly, Scripture points out that "there is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death" (Prov 14:12).
We did not find the right road by our own cleverness but by the grace and mercy of God. Now we in turn must share what we have experienced. It is just such prophets who will shine, because they have turned others from their sins and have played some part in returning them to the Father and to home.
First published in Prophecy Today, Vol 6 No 5, September/October 1990.
'The Way of Wisdom: Facing the issues of Life with the Wisdom of the Bible' by Patrick Whitworth (2013, HK Forwards Printing, 240 pages, available from Amazon for £9.99)
'The Way of Wisdom' stands out in Christian literature – not because Patrick Whitworth's writing is controversial, but because through it he sheds light on the lack of teaching currently available on this vital subject.
Whitworth has been Rector of All Saints Weston (Bath) for over 20 years, and for ten years was the rural dean of Bath. He is also canon of Bauchi diocese in Nigeria, a Prebend of Wells Cathedral and Chair of SOMA UK, an Anglican mission agency. He has written several books including the trilogy of 'Becoming Fully Human', 'Becoming a Spiritual Leader' and 'Becoming a Citizen of Heaven', as well as books about the challenges facing the Western Church ('The Word from the Throne', 'Prepare for Exile'). Many of these are used for study guides and courses.
Extensive Survey of Scripture
The Way of Wisdom works through less familiar portions of Scripture like Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs and Job, as well as the better-known territory of the Psalms and Proverbs. It also surveys the lives of individual Bible characters, drawing lessons from their examples.
A section is devoted to wise leadership, looking at the lives of David, Solomon, Joseph, Daniel, Esther and Nehemiah. Difficult questions about how wisdom works in times of suffering and apparent injustice are dealt with through the story of Job and the poor counsel provided him by his friends. Another delightful chapter is given to the connections between wisdom and love, particularly in the context of intimate love and the family, focusing on Song of Songs and Ruth. The author also devotes some space to a wider survey of Church history.
The Example of Jesus
Of course, no book on biblical wisdom would be complete without a study of the person of Jesus. Whitworth devotes the final 60 pages of 'The Way of Wisdom' to Jesus' life and teaching, discussing the wisdom found in the Parables and the Beatitudes, as well as Jesus' wise responses to characters like Nicodemus, Lazarus and the rich young ruler. Importantly, Whitworth demonstrates that Jesus' wisdom consisted in his understanding of his identity as God, his calling as Messiah and his role as suffering servant.
Though not always an easy read, grounding it as he does in real examples of fallible people and the perfect example of our loving Saviour, Whitworth brings an underappreciated and poorly understood topic down-to-earth. For study purposes, the book includes a 30-page study outline which applies the teaching with many searching questions.
Other Whitworth books available from via Amazon, and some from SPCK.
Could a momentous statement from Orthodox rabbis signal a vital sea-change in Jewish-Christian relations? We welcome your comments!
We live in momentous times! Everything is being shaken. Revolutionary forces have been shaking the world for 50 years – social revolution, political revolution, technological revolution – everything is changing at an ever-increasing speed! Every day something new happens that causes us to change our thinking and re-assess what we had considered immutable, unchangeable, everlasting.
World-Changing Statement?
Last month a statement was made by a group of 25 Orthodox rabbis that attracted very little attention in the media but which may prove to be an event that changes the course of world history. The statement was entitled: 'To do the will of our Father in Heaven: Toward a partnership between Jews and Christians'.1
It began with the following paragraph:
After nearly two millennia of mutual hostility and alienation, we Orthodox Rabbis who lead communities, institutions and seminaries in Israel, the United States and Europe...seek to do the will of our Father in Heaven by accepting the hand offered to us by our Christian brothers and sisters...
The statement continues:
Now that the Catholic Church has acknowledged the eternal covenant between G-d and Israel, we Jews can acknowledge the ongoing constructive validity of Christianity as our partner in world redemption, without any fear that this will be exploited for missionary purposes.
As stated by the Chief Rabbinate of Israel's Bilateral Commission with the Holy See under the leadership of Rabbi Shear Yashuv Cohen, "We are no longer enemies, but unequivocal partners in articulating the essential moral values for the survival and welfare of humanity". Neither of us can achieve G-d's mission in this world alone.
Changed Attitude to Jesus
One of the key points that the statement acknowledges is that Jesus upheld the centrality of the Torah. This was a point of contention when the apostles first began their mission in Jerusalem. In the trial of Stephen before the Sanhedrin it is recorded, "They produced false witnesses, who testified, 'This fellow never stops speaking about this holy place and against the Law. For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us'" (Acts 6:13-14).
In the Gospels there are many occasions when Jesus disputed with the Pharisees concerning their interpretation and practice of the Torah, but he always upheld the Torah as the unchangeable word of God. In the statement from the Orthodox rabbis this is acknowledged in a momentous passage that unties 2,000 years of misunderstanding between Jews and Christians. The statement affirms a declaration by 18th Century German rabbi Jacob Emden:
Jesus brought a double goodness to the world. On the one hand he strengthened the Torah of Moses majestically, and not one of our sages spoke out more emphatically concerning the immutability of the Torah. On the other hand he removed idols from the nations.
Significantly, the statement acknowledges that Jesus upheld the centrality of the Torah, untying 2,000 years of misunderstanding between Jews and Christians.
An Historic Turning Point
Since issuing this statement, it has been signed by many more Orthodox rabbis around the world, undoing two millennia of Jewish rejection and animosity towards Jesus. This is surely a notable miracle and could signal a turning point in the history of Jewish-Christian relations, as prophesied by the Apostle Paul in a letter to Christians in Ephesus. He said that the purpose of Jesus was to destroy the barrier between Jews and Gentiles. "His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace" (Eph 2.15).
Rabbi Dr Eugene Korn, Academic Director of the Center for Jewish-Christian Understanding & Cooperation said:
This proclamation's breakthrough is that influential Orthodox Rabbis across all centers of Jewish life have finally acknowledged that...Christianity and Judaism have much in common spiritually and practically. Given our toxic history, this is unprecedented in Orthodoxy.
Another significant passage in the statement says, "Both Jews and Christians have a common covenantal mission to perfect the world under the sovereignty of the Almighty, so that all humanity will call on his name and abominations will be removed from the earth. We understand the hesitation of both sides to affirm this truth and we call on our communities to overcome these fears in order to establish a relationship of trust and respect" (emphasis added).
Could this statement signal the turning point in the history of Jewish-Christian relationships prophesied by the Apostle Paul?
United Witnesses
Christian tradition that dates back to the New Testament is that the day will come when the barriers between Jew and Gentile will be broken and the two will be used by God in a powerful spiritual unity to witness truth to the world, which will transform the nations. This teaching is clearly set out by Paul in the three central chapters in his letter to the Romans: chapters 9 to 11.
Paul saw this coming together of Jew and Gentile believers in Jesus to be part of God's end time purposes for the evangelisation of the world. He believed that this would not take place "until the full number of the Gentiles has come in" (Rom 11:25). Then "All Israel will be saved" and God will reaffirm his unbreakable and irrevocable covenant with Israel.
This expectation of unity between Jew and Gentile was foretold 500 years before the time of Jesus by the prophet Zechariah, who was given a vision of two branches of an olive tree and told, "These are the two who are anointed to serve the Lord of all the earth" (Zech 4:14). This is repeated in the last book of the Bible, in a prophecy foreseeing the future of Jerusalem and the end of its occupation by unbelievers:
They will trample on the holy city for 42 months. And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. (Rev 11:2-4)
Long foretold in Scripture is a coming unity between Jew and Gentile, a miraculous breaking down of barriers, through which God will reach the world.
Need to Reject Replacement Theology
Now that rabbis are reaching out to Christians, it is surely time for senior church leaders throughout the world to respond by utterly rejecting the curse of 'Replacement Theology' that says that the church has replaced Israel in the purposes of God. This has done untold harm in stirring up hatred against the Jews over so many centuries. It was this false belief that God had broken his covenant with the Jews that caused Luther to urge the German princes to drive out Jews from their lands.
Luther's teaching became influential in Hitler's Nazism that produced the bloodbath of the Second World War and the unspeakable horrors of the Holocaust in which 6 million Jews were murdered. This past week we have been remembering Holocaust Memorial Day (27 January) the day on which the Soviet army liberated Auschwitz and revealed its horrors to the world.
Opportunity for the Church
This is an historic time for Christians throughout the world to call upon church leaders to respond to this statement from Orthodox rabbis by humbly apologising for the false theology we have propagated for centuries. We should also be humbly confessing before God that we have dared to teach that he is not a covenant-keeping God who would never ever break his promises.
It is surely time for Christians to call on their church leaders to respond to this statement by humbly apologising for the false 'replacement theology' we have propagated for centuries.
We have denied the truth that God revealed to Jeremiah when he told him "The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah" (Jer 31:31). This new covenant was only opened to us Gentiles through Jesus. God affirmed his promise with a solemn oath:
Only if the heavens above can be measured and the foundations of the earth below be searched out will I reject all the descendants of Israel because of all they have done, declares the Lord. (Jer 31:37)
Now is the Time
Now is the time, while God is shaking the whole world, for Christians to recognise our responsibility for so many of the tragedies of history and to reach out in love and humility to our Jewish brothers and sisters. The Catholic Church has done this: surely Protestant Church leaders should do the same – reaching out in the name of Jesus the Jewish Messiah.
It is Jesus who opened the one true God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob to us Gentiles. His followers were said to have turned the world of the Roman Empire upside-down. Maybe the time has come when God is turning our upside-down world the right way up!
Read the CJCUC statement in full here.
References
1 Orthodox Rabbinic Statement on Christianity, CJCUC, 3 December 2015.
Weekly readings: Exodus 13:17-17:16; Judges 4:4-5:31; John 6:15-71
Fresh from release from Egyptian captivity, the Israelites make their way into the desert, led by Moses and guided by the Lord's presence. Soon they are confronted with new threats to their existence: annihilation by the pursuing Egyptian army, death by thirst, death by starvation.
The story is well-known: as each problem provokes the people to panic, so God responds with patient care and miraculous provision - the Red Sea is parted and the Egyptian army completely destroyed; bitter water is made sweet; manna and quail are provided daily for food; water is caused to spring from desert rock.
Provision of Bread
Despite all these miracles, Israel's 40-year desert wanderings are marked by a persistent, community-wide refusal to trust in the Lord and his promise of provision. The scriptures record this as a time when God tests the Children of Israel – and sadly, they in turn respond by testing him (Ex 15:25; 17:2; Deut 6:16).
When manna is provided each morning, along with the instruction that each person should gather only what they need for that day, some obey without question. Others insist on hedging their bets and gathering enough for the following day - only to find that it rotted overnight (Ex 16:20). Then, despite this ongoing miracle of daily 'bread from heaven', it is not long before the Israelites begin to complain because they doubt God's willingness to provide water (Ex 17:1-7).
The Bread of Life
In John 6, we again witness varied responses to God's divine provision – in this case his provision of Jesus as the Bread of Life, the fulfilment of the prophetic foreshadow of the manna. In this passage Jesus makes a speech that – for those without understanding of its spiritual significance – seems to make very little sense (and was even thought offensive). In the face of this "hard teaching" (John 6:60), how do people respond?
As with God in the Exodus desert, some turn against Jesus and grumble. Many of his 'disciples' leave him from that day on. Only Peter has the courage to declare faith in Jesus – not understanding of his words, necessarily, but faith that he is the Holy One of God, the giver of life.
Who Does the Testing?
In both of these passages, God tests his people, requiring them to take steps of faith and trust which lead them beyond their own strength and understanding. His desire is for them to learn the deeper lesson that "man does not live by bread alone, but...by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord" (Deut 8:3, 16).
Ultimately, when God tests us with difficult circumstances, he is not testing our endurance, strength or intellect, our ability to understand difficult teaching or even our capacity to discern spiritual truth – he is testing our willingness to put our faith in Jesus.
Our response to the matter in hand reveals our heart towards God himself: will we trust him? Will we follow him joyfully and willingly - or doubtingly, trying at every turn to wrest control from his hands? An old hymn states: "we never can prove the delights of His love, until all on the altar we lay; for the favour He shows, for the joy He bestows, are for them who will trust and obey."1
If our response is as those who tried to collect two days' worth of manna – to test the Lord by making a show of obedience whilst trying to retain control – then we love ourselves more than we love God. Bonhoeffer remarked that "Where our treasure is, there is our trust, our security, our consolation and our God. Hoarding is idolatry."2
Willingness to Trust
In the journey of faith, God does not require us to be especially skilled or talented, intelligent or experienced. He does not even require us to have the strength needed to obey his call – just the willingness. As Deborah put it in Judges 4-5, when some Israeli tribes turned out to fight the Canaanites and some hung back, God is simply looking for "willing volunteers" (5:9).
Do we think our God has changed since Bible times? No, he is the same yesterday, today and forever. Psalm 95 exhorts: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did...in the desert where your fathers tested and tried me" (7-9). Instead, we are to "bow down in worship...kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care" (95:6-7). It is the heart of God to provide and care for your every need – will you trust him today?
Author: Frances Rabbitts