A personal statement from the Editor-in-Chief.

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

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

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

Living in Babylon

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

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

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

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

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

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

Defiance in the Church

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

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

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

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

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

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

Babylon in the Churches

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

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

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

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

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

A word from Dr Clifford Hill.

For several weeks, in my prayer times, I have been hearing something I did not want to hear. The weekend before last, at a team retreat with Issachar Ministries trustees and the Editorial Board of Prophecy Today, I shared with them the message that I’m hearing – “stop praying for the nation”.

This sounds outrageous, but before you pick up stones to throw at me, please join me in a little Bible study. The Prophet Jeremiah spent 40 years of his life bringing God-inspired warnings to the people of Jerusalem and the nation of Judah. He pleaded with them to repent of their idolatry, injustice, oppression, violence and immorality; all of which are detailed in his famous ‘Temple Sermon’ in chapter 7.

He constantly pleaded with God on behalf of the nation for mercy and for God’s continuing protection, even though he knew the people to be unworthy of the Lord’s blessings.

But there came a point where God told Jeremiah to stop praying for the nation as he would no longer listen to his pleas. His Temple Sermon concluded with a striking passage:

Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which bears my Name, and say, “We are safe”…?

Jeremiah then almost exploded,

Safe to do all these detestable things? Has this house, which bears my Name, become a den of robbers to you? But I have been watching! declares the Lord.

This was followed by the Lord’s declaration, “I will thrust you from my presence, just as I did all your brothers, the people of Ephraim.” This was followed by a direct command to Jeremiah, “So do not pray for this people nor offer any plea or petition for them; do not plead with me, for I will not listen to you” (Jer 7:16).

Jeremiah constantly pleaded with God for mercy on behalf of the nation, but there came a point where God told him to stop praying.

Repeated Warnings Ignored

Three times Jeremiah was given the same instruction, to cease praying for the nation. The other two times are in 11:14 and 14:11. The latter enables us to understand just what God was saying. It says, “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Do not pray for the well-being of this people. Although they fast, I will not listen to their cry; though they offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them.’”

You notice that God did not say that he would not listen if they repented, but that he was no longer interested in their ritual religious offerings while they continued all their idolatrous practices and showed no trust in him. This is very similar to what Isaiah had said some 200 years earlier:

The multitude of your sacrifices – what are they to me? Says the Lord. I have had more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals…When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you. (Isa 1:11, 15)

God had been calling for repentance for 40 years and his words, through Jeremiah, had been ignored. The corruption in the nation had now reached the point where the people were being driven by evil forces that made them blind to the danger facing them and deaf to the warnings they were given.

After giving his Temple Sermon, God said to Jeremiah, “When you tell them all this they will not listen to you; when you call to them they will not answer. Therefore, say to them, this is the nation that has not obeyed the Lord its God or responded to correction. Truth has perished; it has vanished from their lips” (Jer 7:27).

Disaster Inevitable

I believe this is the situation we have reached in Britain – not only in the nation where our politicians are squabbling among themselves in confusion and the BBC forces homosexual propaganda on us on a daily basis, but also in the Church of England, our official state church, which has departed from the truth. As Charles Gardner pointed out two weeks ago, the Archbishop of York declared to the General Synod that the Bible should be ignored and measures passed to please lesbians and homosexuals.

The Synod also voted to call on the Government to ban the practice of ‘conversion therapy’ for gay people and is considering whether transgender people could be given special church services to celebrate their new gender identity. 25 years ago David Noakes sent a prophetic warning to Dr George Carey, who was then Archbishop of Canterbury. The warning is even more relevant and urgent today.

Surely the Lord is saying of the Church of England: “Truth has perished from their lips!”

I believe this is the situation we have reached in Britain - not only in the nation but also in the Church of England.

Justine Greening, the lesbian Secretary of State for Education who is determined to brainwash all our children with LGBT values from the age of five, put further pressure upon the Church last month saying, that if churches do not perform same-sex marriages they are “not part of a modern country”.¹ Our politicians and our church leaders are colluding to distort the truth and deceive the nation: “truth has perished from their lips!”

By contrast this week, the Archbishop of Uganda has stated that he will not attend the next meeting of Anglican leaders because he cannot have fellowship with those who deny biblical truth. Good for him!

God holds his Church primarily responsible for the spiritual and moral state of the nation. When the church becomes as corrupt as the nation, judgment becomes inevitable.

This is the reason why I can no longer pray for the welfare of this nation. I cannot pray, “Peace! Peace!” When the Lord is saying: “There is no peace!” I believe some kind of catastrophe is now inevitable in order to open eyes that are blind and ears that are deaf, and the Lord will use it to bring the nation to our knees. I also believe that this is the only way that God’s salvation is going to reach this nation.

A Coming Harvest!

In the 40 years before the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in the year 586 BC, God raised up three prophets in Judah – Jeremiah, Zephaniah and Habakkuk. All three brought strong warnings to the people; but all three saw beyond the catastrophe to the time of restoration, blessing and prosperity that would follow.

I am convinced that there will be a great spiritual awakening and harvest for the Kingdom in Great Britain with multitudes being saved - but it will not happen until there is repentance and turning. Just as many people whose lives are broken by sin, hear the Gospel and respond with joy as their sins are forgiven and they come into a right relationship with God, the same can happen with the nation.

I believe that some kind of catastrophe is now inevitable in order to open eyes that are blind and ears that are deaf.

For many years God has been warning that the time will come when he will shake all nations. The prophecy of Haggai 2:6-7, repeated in Hebrews 12, is coming true today: “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations’”. Note also that the prophecy concludes with a promise of restoration, “I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord Almighty”.

I am looking forward to the great spiritual awakening that will follow the great shaking! I can no longer plead with God to spare this nation from the judgment we so richly deserve. My prayer now is, “Make the shaking effective, Lord! And work out your good purposes!”

References

1 Interview with Sky News, 23 July 2017.

Yet our nation-builders chose a solid foundation!

In searching out a memorial plaque to a Jewish relative while spending time with family in the heart of London, I marvelled at the magnificent statues paying tribute to nation-builders who followed Christ.

Among them were Robert Raikes, William Tyndale and General Gordon of Khartoum – men who truly denied themselves as they took up their cross to follow Jesus; and in so doing left a legacy which no amount of this world’s wealth could ever match.

They had certainly taken to heart the Saviour’s warning, “What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but loses his soul?” along with his call to build on the rock of his words rather than on the sand without foundation (Mark 8:36; Matt 7:24-27).

True Heroes of the Faith

Robert Raikes was the founder of the Sunday School movement, through which generations of children were taught about the love of God through his one and only Son. Tragically, few attend these days and fewer still have any knowledge of God’s laws and commands; is it any wonder that we live in an increasingly lawless society?

William Tyndale was burnt at the stake for daring to translate the Bible into English nearly 500 years ago – and his dying prayer was that God would open the King’s eyes to its enduring truths! His prayer was answered; the Bible became the world’s best-seller and Britain became a great nation built upon God’s laws. Thankfully, our present Queen is already a follower of Jesus, as she makes quite clear in her annual Christmas messages. But it’s the eyes of many of her subjects that need to be opened.

Nation-builders like Raikes, Tyndale and Gordon truly denied themselves and took up their cross to follow Jesus, leaving behind an unmatched legacy.

General Gordon won many battles for Britain before losing his life in the defence of Khartoum. He declined both a title and financial reward from the British government, but after some persuasion accepted a gold medal inscribed with a record of his 33 military engagements. It became his most prized possession.

After his death in 1885, however, it could not be found. It was only later, when his diaries were unearthed, that it was discovered how, on hearing news of a severe famine, he had sent the medal to be melted down and used to buy bread for the poor. He had written in his diary, “The last earthly thing I had in this world that I valued I have given to the Lord Jesus Christ today.”¹

Gen. Gordon was a Christian who knew where his treasure lay. Are we as willing to heed Jesus’ teaching not to invest in this world’s treasures, but in the eternal kingdom where moths and vermin cannot destroy, nor thieves break in and steal (see Matt 6:19-21)?

God’s Allowance of Disaster

As I turned to peer through the trees of the Thames Embankment, I was impressed by our ultra-modern skyline with its strange but interesting shapes piercing the heady atmosphere of this bustling city. The pointed, pyramid-like structure of the Shard is uncomfortably close to what I imagine the Tower of Babel to have looked like. It certainly seems to echo the arrogant boast of the ancients about making a name for themselves with a tower that reaches the heavens (see Gen 11:1-9).

But how fragile this all is, for just a few miles west stands the blackened skeleton of the 24-storey Grenfell Tower, an ugly memorial to the 80 people who perished in the inferno there on 14 June – victims, it seems, of poor design and construction.

When New York’s 110-storey Twin Towers came crashing down at the hands of terrorists in 2001, we were understandably shocked at the depth of depravity shown by fanatical Islamists. But did we ask if God was perhaps using a ruthless people to bring us to our senses, as the Prophet Habakkuk discovered to his shock in ancient times?

Are we as willing to heed Jesus’ teaching not to invest in this world’s treasures, but in the eternal kingdom where moths cannot destroy, nor thieves steal?

Of course, I am in no way trying to justify the motivation of those who committed this atrocity, but the Twin Towers clearly represented the Western world’s focus on material wealth, and of its greed and avarice often at the expense of the poor and needy. Having said that, the perpetrators of that terrible disaster, in which some 3,000 perished, saw it more as an attack on the West in general, and Israel in particular. After all, New York is home to more Jews than any city in the world, including Tel Aviv!

Like the ruthless Babylonians of old, the terrorists hated the Jews above all. And the shocking thing was that God allowed the attack to happen, as he had done in Habakkuk’s day when the Temple was destroyed and the Jews were carried off into exile.

The Will to Fight

As we have turned our backs on the God who made Britain great, the prospect of being invaded by enemies forcing us to worship foreign gods is not far-fetched. To a certain extent, it has already happened. As Dr Clifford Hill made clear last week, Britain was only spared from Nazi invasion by a nationwide response to repeated calls for prayer from King George VI, the Queen’s father.

Have we the spine, or the will, to resist the invading forces of evil in the gathering gloom of politically-correct immorality now threatening our land? Or have we resisted God so long that we are no longer able to distinguish good from evil?

But if you still have (spiritual) ears to hear, God is concerned for your soul. It is the most precious thing you own. If you store up treasure on this earth, who will have it when you’re gone?

I am not only addressing those on the fringe of church life, or even outside of it altogether. There are many Christians who spend far too much time concerned for the things of this world rather than pointing men and women to Christ, who alone can satisfy our souls. The cross is the way to life. Jesus said: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no-one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). There is no other way to eternal life. Preach the cross; preach Jesus. Win souls for Him!

References

1 Gordon, S. Cuckoos in the Nest. Christian Year Publications, p123.

If we erase God from our past, we will also bar him from our present and future.

With our politicians taking their summer break from vilifying each other, there is a window of opportunity to think about other things. The last week has seen the release of a new film about Dunkirk, to rave reviews. But as might have been expected, the film fails completely to do justice to what the whole nation agreed was a miraculous answer to prayer that saved Britain in one of her darkest hours.

The early days of the Second World War threatened to bring the whole of Europe under the dark cloud of Nazi oppression. France had fallen to the rapidly advancing German Panzer divisions, leaving the British army stranded on the continent and desperate to return across the Channel to defend their homeland from what appeared to be inevitable invasion.

It was a desperate situation and on 27 May 1940 the German High Command announced –

The British army is encircled and our troops are proceeding to its annihilation.

The dire plight of the situation had already been recognised in Britain. The day before the German announcement, Sunday 26 May, King George VI had called the nation to a day of prayer. In a stirring broadcast, the King had called the people of Britain and the Empire to commit their cause to God.

Battle in the Heavenlies

British troops await evacuation. See Photo Credits.The whole nation responded. Large crowds went to Westminster Abbey. Unable to find seats, they stood outside listening to the service and joining in prayer. Churches across the land were filled - and this day of prayer proved to be the first victory of the war. A great spiritual battle was fought in the heavenlies against the forces of darkness. A series of miracles followed:

• A spirit of confusion clouded the German High Command. Irrationally, Hitler ordered his generals to halt the advance towards the west coast of France. This gave the British army time to make their way to Dunkirk.
• A storm of extraordinary fury grounded the German Luftwaffe on 28 May, allowing the British forces to reach the beaches.
• A great calm followed which settled over the English Channel for several days with low cloud cover allowing the armada of little ships, many of them only riverboats, to cross the Channel and ferry the waiting soldiers from the beaches out to the Royal Navy warships for their return to Dover.

Amazingly 338,226 Allied soldiers were evacuated from Dunkirk in those few momentous days which would prove to be a turning point in world history. This was seen at the time as a direct response from God to the whole nation coming in humility before him in prayer.

Winston Churchill, the British Prime Minister, told the nation that he believed this to be a miracle – an answer to prayer. In a speech to Parliament he said,

I thought, and some good judges agreed with me, that perhaps 20,000 or 30,000 men might be re-embarked. The whole root and core and brain of the British army seemed about to perish upon the field or to be led into captivity.¹

The King called the nation to a day of prayer – and this proved to be the first victory of the war.

A Spirit of Confusion Descends

The safe return of so many men did not guarantee the survival of Britain. The army had to leave its weapons and equipment in France. Now it had to re-group, re-arm, and re-position itself to face the threat of imminent invasion. But the spirit of confusion in the German High Command continued to affect Hitler’s judgment.

Queue for prayer at Westminster Abbey, 26 May 1940. See Photo Credits.Amazingly, he did not follow across the Channel immediately after Dunkirk when Britain was at his mercy. He continued to hesitate throughout June to August 1940. This gave Britain a breathing space and an opportunity to re-group and prepare for the coming battle.

It was at this point that Field Marshal Goering, head of Germany’s Air Force, told his commanders that before Germany could invade Britain they had to destroy the Royal Air Force. On 30 August 1940, 800 enemy aircraft darkened the skies over southern Britain aiming to destroy the RAF’s airfields. The Battle of Britain had begun!

God’s Victory for Britain

The King again called for a National Day of Prayer on Sunday, 8 September 1940. This was to have been a day to give thanks to Almighty God for the miracle of Dunkirk. But the prayers of thanksgiving also turned to crying out to the Lord for the Battle of Britain in the air.

This became the next miracle when RAF Spitfires and Hurricanes, although greatly outnumbered, took a tremendous toll of the enemy bombers. By mid-September the Germans had sustained such heavy losses that they called off the mass attacks. On 17 September 1940, the German Supreme Command issued another order –

The invasion of England is postponed until further notice.

Once again Churchill addressed the nation and acknowledged the ‘miracle of deliverance’ in his famous speech, “Never in the field of human conflict has so much been owed by so many to so few”.²

But everyone knew that it was not just ‘the few’ who had given the victory: it was God who had answered the prayers of the nation.

Everyone knew it was not just ‘the few’ men who had given the victory – it was God who had answered the prayers of the nation.

The Battle Continues

Since the Referendum vote, the battle for Brexit has taken on many characteristics of Dunkirk – not least that we want to withdraw from Europe! Although of course, it is only the European Union from which we wish to withdraw so that we don’t come under its ungodly jurisdiction. Recent events in Westminster with a hung Parliament, the resurrection of Tony Blair and the advent of Vince Cable as the new leader of the Lib Dems all demonstrate the spiritual nature of the battle we still face to escape the clutches of the EU.

But this is not all. As a nation we have departed from our great biblical heritage and embraced the values of secular humanism – to our own destruction. This is why it is sad, but not surprising, that the new Dunkirk film focuses only on human bravery, failing to mention faith, prayer or even belief in the existence of God.

In so doing, it not only falls short of telling the full story – it actually sides with the enemy in the present spiritual battle for Britain’s soul. For if we try to erase God from the testament of Britain’s history, we erase him from her present and future.

Christians should recognise the true nature of this battle, whether it takes place in our Parliament or in our cinemas, but should also take heart that our God is a God who answers prayer.

If ever there were a time for Christians to come before God in prayer, confessing the nation’s unfaithfulness and interceding for people to turn in repentance, it is surely today. If we were to put our trust in the Lord and call upon him to heal the land, he would undoubtedly answer prayer today as he has done in the past.

References

1 Speech to the House of Commons, 4 June 1940.

2 Speech to the House of Commons, 20 August 1940.

We need not be dismayed - though the earth may shake around us.

The imagery of the Book of Revelation gives a picture of an immense end-time spiritual battle when the powers of darkness and evil are active. This seems very much like the day in which we live, eventually of course moving towards that glorious, victorious day when the Lord Jesus returns to bring in the Kingdom of God. Until then we will need to persevere through days of battle and trial.

Recent history shows us that the “wars and rumours of wars” that Jesus prophesied (Matt 24:6) are indeed a full part of our present-day human experience. Most recently, the horrific disasters in our nation show us that the physical fallout of the spiritual battle is coming very close to home.

Yet not all of the fallout is so easy to discern. Satan’s ways proceed on many fronts, including deception and flattery - so that those he manipulates can think good is evil and evil good.

Earthly Signs of a Heavenly Battle

Central to the battle for the UK is our withdrawal from the European Union. So-called ‘Brexit’ has not turned out to be as easy as was hoped. It has become the centre of the spiritual battle for our nation. Our spiritual adversary will use circumstances to gradually build doubts and cultivate mind-sets that could neutralise the fervour to withdraw cleanly from the EU.

Among those beguiled by the swirling tides of the spiritual battle is Tony Blair, who finds it difficult not to tinker away in the background. There have long been conspiracy theories about the grey-suited men of Europe who meet in private to influence world affairs from behind the scenes. The Bilderberger Group, for instance, a group of powerful politicians and businessmen, are known to have met regularly over many years to chart the course of Europe’s future.

Recent disasters in our nation show that the physical fallout of the spiritual battle is coming close to home.

Tony Blair. See Photo Credits.It is with such people that Tony Blair has been meeting recently, to now come forward with proposals for the UK to remain in a so-called ‘reformed’ EU in a new outer ring. We can be sure he is being beguiled by spirits of darkness to bring forward suggestions to compromise our withdrawal from the EU – all the while thinking himself Britain’s saviour. EU leaders are determined to keep Britain under the jurisdiction of EU law, which is the very thing from which we wish to be set free.

Similarly, there is a battle raging around the Prime Minister to bring her and the Government down. She herself is subject, directly or indirectly, to sinister spiritual attacks to weaken, confuse, disorientate, isolate and undermine confidence.

These are manifestations on earth of the spiritual battle in the heavenlies.

Earthquakes Ahead!

Why is it not as easy as we hoped? Are there more hard times ahead for the UK? This is the serious warning given by Clifford Hill in last week’s editorial. It made me think again of the prophecy that was given to Paul Slennett some years ago which I have supported, especially by sharing in the writing of the book Earthquake in the City.

Membership of the EU is not the only issue on the Lord God’s agenda for the UK. He also wants us to return to him wholeheartedly. This is the key to our understanding why, though we are moving in the right direction in coming out of Europe, that it is through troubled not easy times. The signs are that the Lord’s protection is not secure over this nation. There is a call to repentance in the midst of all else.

God wants us to return to him wholeheartedly – that’s why our exit from the EU is through troubled, not easy, times.

Paul Slennett heard from the Lord, at an Intercessors for Britain conference in 1989, that a “mighty earthquake is about to occur. An earthquake that will swallow up the whole city”. Was this to be a financial earthquake, a physical earthquake or both?

A physical earthquake is certainly possible; indeed, Dr Musson of the British Geological Survey gave a press release in 2010 that appeared in every national newspaper (either on Thursday 16^th or Friday 17^th September). He warned that London is overdue for an earthquake that could cause billions of pounds’ worth of damage.

There is some logic in the fact that God may remove protection from the nation sufficient to let such an earthquake occur. With the recent experience of the Grenfell Tower disaster, could we really experience such a physical catastrophe? Perhaps.

If we are speaking financially, the economic shaking that beset the nation in 2007 could easily have been a preliminary to further financial collapse yet to come. Whether a coming earthquake is financial, physical or both, it is becoming more and more possible in a previously protected nation for signs to occur that we have not before expected or experienced. These are serious days – days where we must listen to the prophetic word and test it prayerfully together.

God is not vindictive. It is not his pleasure to leave us vulnerable, but to call the nation to repentance so that he can justifiably return us to his protection. The shakings are not what God desires, but he will do or allow whatever is required to give the nation signposts back to him.

Everything Beautiful in its Time

There is redemption, even blessing, possible in all circumstances facing our nation. Let me illustrate.

At this time, I find myself in a challenging situation with the declining health of my wife at the latter end of our lives together. It has helped me understand God’s redemptive purposes in suffering, as is also applicable in many other circumstances of believers in troubled times. I have been reminded of Solomon’s teaching on the times and seasons of life, in Ecclesiastes 3. My prayer had been that God would make whatever he has in store for us as a family beautiful in his sight.

God is not vindictive. It is not his pleasure to leave us vulnerable, but to call the nation to repentance so that he can justifiably return us to his protection.

This, I believe, has turned out to be an inspired response to any difficult circumstances. I had not realised, until I recently had it pointed out to me, that this is exactly Solomon’s conclusion for God’s people in both good and difficult times. His conclusion is, in all times and seasons, “He has made everything beautiful in its time” (Ecc 3:11).

Bible-believing Christians should be alert to the troubled times that lie ahead that may be the ‘mighty earthquake’ that has been prophesied. It is time to mobilise the intercessors, to draw near to God in faithful, fervent prayer for all God’s people and for our nation. We need not be dismayed - though the earth may shake around us. Whatever challenges lie ahead, the Lord can turn them into something beautiful if we put our personal trust in him.

Grenfell Tower and God’s purposes for Britain.

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

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

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

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

Warning After Warning

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

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

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

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

Is Repentance Still Possible?

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

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

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

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

Severe Testing – But with Purpose

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

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

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

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

Signs of Future Blessing

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

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

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

Labour’s revival deserves close attention.

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

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

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

Failure to Tackle Anti-Semitism

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

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

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

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

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

Red Line for Jews

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Anything Goes

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

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

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

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

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

Temporary Troubles

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

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

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

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

Notes

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

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

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

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

Lynda Rose, of Voice for Justice, shares her perspective on the spiritual state of the nation.

Last week, at their conference in Bournemouth, we saw the BMA vote in favour of de-criminalising abortion, the practical effect of which would be to make termination legal for any reason up to birth.

Immediately after, following a proposed Labour amendment to the Queen’s Speech criticising the ‘inequality’ of not allowing abortion in Northern Ireland (and to avoid defeat by a Labour and Conservative ‘coalition’ of MPs who oppose the DUP stance on abortion), the Government hastily put in place measures to pay for Northern Irish women wanting abortion to cross the Irish Sea and have the procedure for free on the NHS.

It would seem that we are rapidly approaching a time when only the self-obsessed will survive. Though perhaps, realistically, that won’t be for very long; in their efforts to justify once-forbidden behaviours - cloaked in the language of rights, tolerance and diversity - proponents of the new so-called ‘morality’ seem hell-bent on destroying the foundations on which our society is built, along with the lives of a sizeable part of the generation to come. To put it bluntly, there won’t be enough children to ensure our survival, while a significant proportion of those that are born will voluntarily become ‘infertile’.

Worship of the Demonic

Since the passing of the Abortion Act in 1967, the UK has seen the slaughter of almost 9,000,000 babies – for no apparent cause other than that their conception at the time, for whatever reason, was unwanted. Worldwide, this is genocidal slaughter of the innocent on a scale never before seen in the history of the world.

It is frighteningly reminiscent of the blood sacrifice offered to Moloch, the Canaanite god who demanded child sacrifice, and whose worship so fatally attracted the Jews, bringing upon them the wrath of God, the destruction of their nation, and their consequent exile from the land. But why, unbelievers ask, should something so seemingly trivial as the odd sacrifice to a local deity provoke such an over-the-top response?

Since the 1967 Abortion Act, we have witnessed genocidal slaughter of the innocent on a scale never before seen in world history.

The answer from the Bible is clear. In the Ten Commandments, and consistently from that point on, Yahweh expressly forbad the Jews to follow the religious practices of Egypt and Canaan. The reason was simple; such worship was demonic, feeding spirits hostile to God who wanted to challenge His rule and keep the human race in bondage to death. And any such worship, especially blood sacrifice, fed these spirits - by the exercise of choice intensifying their illegitimate control over followers, and fatally damaging any relationship they might aspire to with God.

At any time, worship of the demonic is dangerous, because it gives form to, and intensifies, evil. To put it another way, it gives evil a hold that it wouldn’t otherwise have. So now, the blood sacrifice of 9,000,000 babies on the altar of sexual freedom and women’s rights has fed a spirit of death that is voracious in appetite, and is increasingly asserting control over the nation. Indeed, as a result of this modern-day ‘worship’, the Moloch spirit has grown so powerful, and its hold over the nation so strong, that it is challenging the sovereignty of God.

Spiritual Hubris

This is spiritual hubris with a vengeance, but because men and women have increasingly rejected obedience to God – placing themselves outside his protection - its influence has become like a suffocating cloud: a spiritual smog blotting out the light.

All have been affected, tainted by the contagion of evil spread through re-branded and Godless morality – even ‘believers’ have fallen under its sway and are blinded, so that they now assert abortion is okay, and that any form of relationship is good, provided only there is ‘love’. Whatever next? Will we sanction marriage to a sibling, or to the family dog, or a gerbil? The suggestions might appear bizarre, but nothing, it appears, is off the table, because increasingly we are seeing good branded as evil, and evil as good.

All have been tainted by the contagion of evil spread through re-branded and Godless morality – even ‘believers’.

This is madness. Whatever the followers of this new religion would have us believe, God has not changed and, as sure as night follows day, judgment follows sin. So now, perhaps more than at any other time in our history, the UK is at a crossroads. More than that, humanity is at a crossroads, and the fate of the human race hangs in balance.

We Have to Choose

The reality is that there’s a massive spiritual battle now raging ‘in’ and ‘over’ the nation, and this spirit of death, fed with the blood of the unborn and bolstered by lesser spirits of chaos and confusion, is seeking exterminate anything and everything challenging its rule. The recent apparent success of Islamic terror attacks, combined with the ever-increasing disarray of government and society, is testimony to its success so far, and there is every possibility that things will get worse. We could even see armed conflict on our streets.

There is however good news – and it is very good news – because, whatever crisis we face, the Lord remains in absolute control. He could easily dispatch this dark spirit and its cohorts and save us - but he will only do so if we turn back to him and repent.

The truth is, we cannot worship both God and the devil, so we have to choose. The nation has to choose. And only if we make the right choice and repent will we have any hope of banishing this dark spirit from our land.

Mark Dunman calls for continued prayer over Brexit.

For though we live in the world we are not carrying on a worldly war, for the weapons of our warfare are not worldly, but have divine power to destroy strongholds. (2 Cor 10:3-4, RSV)

A year ago I wrote an article for Prophecy Today entitled The EU Referendum – a Springboard for Action, in which I related the Smith Wigglesworth prophecy to what I thought was happening through the result of the Referendum.

Since then many Christians and groups of Christians have been praying that Brexit will be implemented and not reversed or side-lined by our political leaders. Many were pleased that Theresa May who had voted to 'remain' nevertheless embraced the mantle for Brexit with enthusiasm. Christians and leavers alike were aware that the Remain group would fight back.

Recently the nation has been shaken by a series of events: three terrorist outrages, the horrendous fire in West London and the general election result. Christian supporters of Brexit have even wondered whether they were still in God's will by supporting our exit from Europe. What might be going on in the spiritual realm? In my view satan has bided his time since last June with minor skirmishes, but now, nearly a year later, he has gone for a major counter-attack.

Historic Counter-Attacks

As an older Christian I find comparisons with the Second World War quite helpful.

Most readers will know that God called pockets of believers such as Rees Howells to intercede for our nation and for King George VI himself to call for national days of prayer (seven in all). By December 1944 the Allies thought the war in the West would be concluded very soon. They were going forward on a wide front across France and Belgium - when suddenly Hitler struck back with a concentrated thrust through the Ardennes Forest, in what became known as the Battle of the Bulge. There was panic, not least among some senior military commanders, but calmer heads prevailed and the counter-attack was defeated, although at considerable cost in Allied lives.

As our nation has been shaken, Christian supporters of Brexit have even wondered whether they were in God's will to back our exit from Europe.

Hitler could not have won the war at that stage, but had the breakout succeeded he could have caused considerable damage and delay. Likewise, satan cannot win this war, but he can and will try to deflect God's purposes.

Strategic Prayer

What, then, are the lessons for us in relation to Brexit? Above all, we must persevere in prayer. Hitler was motivated by satan's spiritual kingdom, the same enemy opposing Brexit. In light of this, it has been very encouraging to read David Noakes’ recent prophecy given at East Grinstead on 17 June,¹ which refers interestingly both to the adversary's great rage and to his fear. We could add to that his relentless tenacity. For example, battle was joined over the recent Queen's Speech (see Clifford Denton's article in this week's issue). We need to pray for the right kind of Brexit, as well as Brexit itself!

I believe this prophecy reinforces the message of Smith Wigglesworth that God does have plans for Britain, despite the way the nation has fallen away from his standards. David’s prophecy clearly states that we are in a war and that war has costs. This is absolutely scriptural (2 Tim 2:3-4, 2 Cor 10:3-4, Phil 2:25, to quote just a few scriptures). To be effective at waging war, an army has to be able to defend itself as well as attack. Scripture provides principles by which to do this.

Principles in Prayer

For an individual or group planning to pray strategically about Brexit, it is vital that we are each submitted to God first, being spiritually and morally right with him, so he is able to clothe us with the protective armour of God (Eph 6:13-18).

While we pray on our own, it is also important to pray with others – whether part of our own fellowship or not, although the covering of a church or Christian ministry is desirable. Prayer should be led by the Holy Spirit and, importantly, we should not engage with large-scale principalities and powers over Europe (e.g. Eph 6:12-13) unless specifically instructed by the Lord.²

God does have plans for Britain, despite the way the nation has fallen away from his standards.

The Remnant’s Responsibility

David Noakes's prophecy refers to a remnant of believers who hold fast to God's word. This is especially true of Brexit, where the Church at large has failed to discern the spiritual significance of the European Union. It puts a responsibility on the remnant to carry through God's plans. As the prophecy says, God is in charge, but we know from the scriptures that he has chosen his Body, his army of Christian warriors, to help bring these to fulfilment.

Mark Dunman is the author of two books which were reviewed by Paul Luckraft in Prophecy Today in 2016.

Notes

1 Let me say straight away that every prophecy must be weighed within the Body of Christ. I personally believe that David has the mind of the Holy Spirit. His prophecies combine God's heart of compassion with his judgment.

2 It is well worth reading Francis Frangipane in 'The Three Battlegrounds' who warns against the dangers of undisciplined battle. We need humility and wisdom before God in this battle.

Can justice be done in a society that no longer accepts responsibility for its wrongdoing?

In a week that has seen the end of the 28-year campaign for justice on behalf of the 95 football fans who lost their lives at the Hillsborough disaster, it’s a good time to reflect on the issues of blame when something goes wrong.

Back in the 1980s and 90s when I was minister of a church in London, I used to exchange churches (and our house and car) for a month in the summer with the minister of a church in the USA. I would just preach once on a Sunday morning and in return we would have a holiday in California or Vermont or some other State. One year we took a church in the Bronx where there was a murder almost every day, which made us happy to get back to the East End of London where, at least, we understood the culture!

One of the things that surprised us was that Americans went to law over the slightest dispute. One of the church members in Los Angeles was sued by a delivery man who tripped on the front garden path which he claimed was uneven. Law firms would advertise to represent anyone who had an accident on a ‘no-win-no-fee’ basis, which encouraged people to sue their neighbours on the slightest pretext.

That ‘blame game’ culture has spread to Britain where law firms specialise in getting compensation for victims of road accidents – fake or genuine – with whiplash being the favourite complaint. It is because of the huge increase in such insurance claims that we all have to pay such high premiums. The Government is preparing legislation to try to deal with the blame game culture that is spreading in Britain.

Change in British Character

Is it my imagination, or has there been a fundamental change in the British character in recent years? We used to be known as a stoic nation. People coped with adversity and accepted personal responsibility when things went wrong. Nowadays when anything goes wrong we look round to see who we can blame! We certainly don’t accept any personal responsibility. If we have an accident our car insurance tells us never to say ‘sorry’, even if we know we were to blame. We must never admit we made a mistake!

American blame culture has spread to Britain and changed our national character.

It is this kind of culture that lies behind the saga that has followed the Hillsborough tragedy. If the policeman in charge of crowd control had immediately admitted that his decision to open the gate to relieve the crowd pressure outside the ground had caused the pressure inside the ground, we would never have had this 28-year enquiry. It would appear that he made an error of judgment, but he is now being charged with manslaughter, which will require proof that he deliberately sent 95 people into mortal danger.

Even if he is sent to jail, it will not bring the dead back to life, but will it give satisfaction to those who have lost loved ones? Is this really what they want – just to be able to blame someone and punish them for their human error of judgment? Of course, there were lies and ‘cover ups’ involved in this particular incident which have complicated the whole tragic affair. And the relatives of the dead are perfectly justified in demanding the truth and punishment of those who lied.

From Hillsborough to Grenfell

My concern about ‘the blame game culture’ is that it is going to be with us for a long time to come in settling the latest tragedy, the Grenfell Tower inferno. We are now learning that the heat inside the building was so great that those who lost their lives will never be found so that their relatives can have the satisfaction of burying them.

This is tragic for those who are grieving the loss of loved ones. There are bound to be calls for the punishment of those who were responsible for the construction and maintenance of the building, which only had one staircase. There was no emergency lighting on the night of the fire and the fire appliances did not have the capability of reaching the top floors to rescue those trapped.

There are so many things wrong with this terrible tragedy – and so many who could in some way be held responsible for it - that the enquiry now starting is likely to last a long time and be highly complex. But in calling for injustice to be exposed and those responsible to be held to account, we also need to temper the righteous public anger that is being widely expressed – lest justice be lost to vengeance and public order be lost to anarchy.

We need to temper the righteous public anger that is being expressed, lest justice be lost to vengeance.

There is a difference between seeking justice and simply trying to deal with deep anger and sorrow by finding someone to blame; but that is what is happening as the ‘blame game culture’ spreads.

Taking Responsibility

In Britain, our biblically-based personal and corporate values used to put God first, ‘others’ second and ‘self’ last. In our modern era, however, we have dropped God and reversed ‘others’ and ‘self’. We never admit to personal error. It’s always someone else’s fault when things go wrong.

Is it because we are so insecure that we cannot admit any personal failings? Do we lack the self-confidence to be able to say “Sorry, I messed up”? It takes what Christians know as ‘grace’ (loving-kindness and favour we do not deserve) to be able to deal with issues where we know that we’ve made a mistake, or done something wrong.

The reason that Christians can handle these things better than non-Christians is due to our relationship with God, whom we know is infinitely better than we are, which makes us humble in his presence. Additionally, we know that God is a loving Father who created each of us in our mother’s womb and knows us better than anyone else. He knows our weaknesses as well as our strengths and he loves us despite our failings.

It takes what Christians know as ‘grace’ to be able to deal with issues where we know that we’ve made a mistake, or done something wrong.

It is his grace that covers our wrongdoing. He holds us accountable for our actions but, when we confess wrongdoing, God is always willing to forgive us and to restore us to right relationships with himself and those whom we have offended.

Life-Changing Grace

This is basic Christian teaching – but it is what is lacking in our society today and what is at the root of the ‘blame game’ which is so damaging to individuals and to the whole community. It would be life-changing if we could each exercise grace and so reverse this culture that destroys our relationships.

We can begin by saying ‘sorry’ silently to God next time we make a mistake. He will then give us the courage and strength to say ‘sorry’ to others. Psalm 51 is our guide – verse 12 says “Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”

Psalm 51

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.
Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.
Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place.

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you.
Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, you who are God my Saviour,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.

Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise.
You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.

May it please you to prosper Zion, to build up the walls of Jerusalem.
Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous, in burnt offerings offered whole;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.