Please note this quick link for Keep Praying and Bless, for use in a neighbourhood. (The site I found on Google for the original was loaded with video images.)
Thank you Leslie.
Updated link for ‘Keep Praying and Bless’ (UK/EU in/out #10)
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Category Archives: Christianity
UK/EU in/out #10: Prayer of protection for Britain (& Ireland!)
I hit the desk straight after breakfast only to be hit in turn by a message from Hamilton, in scenic Montana! I’d intended kicking-off my blog-day after checking email, by finding a map of the UK for blogging about what Nina and I had just been praying.
LO and BEHOLD, I find my cyber-friend Tim Shey, out on The Road hitch-hiking western USA, has copied my previous post for his blog AND inserted a map of the British Isles! JUST the job! So yet another piece is put into the invisible jigsaw – thank and praise you Lord. And thank you Tim!
Now it’s not just that he’s an anglophile who’s enthusiastic about our Christian history and legacy but, moreover, it’s also another fine example of the Holy Spirit’s ‘bridge over the Pond’.
Ever since the Olympic Games were held here in 2012 Nina and I starting most days by using the blessing prayers for all the towns and cities listed in Keep Praying and Bless. (This link is to original version, which may take a minute to load because of video – click here for version adapted for praying around any neighbourhood.) In addition to the day’s specific location our hometown and nearby villages and church leaders are included.
The original purpose was to pray, bless and make declarations along the 70-days route of the Olympic Torch and thereby counteract its pagan influence. A Praise Bus preceded the official torch relay by about an hour’s time, as told in our personal account here.
In recent years we’ve also used an A5-size map with ordinary geographical features on one side and, on its reverse, the main routes across the UK. (I didn’t scan it because it’s now well-used.) I’ve found this a useful aid, especially when saying the Prayer of Protection, which I’ve modified slightly as follows:
‘Almighty Father, we come to You in the name of Your Son Jesus Christ, and in that mighty Name we break the power of every strategy and assignment sent against the British Isles and Ireland (and against ….) We pray the mighty covering of the Living Blood of Jesus Christ over our villages, towns and cities; over our coastlands, seaports and airports; over our roadways, railways and waterways and traffic thereon – as well as over ourselves and….
‘We ask that You release the angelic host to protect us from every spiritual and terrorist attack – especially our landmarks and each member of the royal family person and their premises and in public.
‘Lift each citizen above every circumstance and crisis. We affirm the finished work of Christ over all demonic forces and decree: no weapon formed against the plans and purposes for the British Isles and Ireland will prosper. We also decree: no longer will violence be heard in our land, or destruction within or at our borders. We bless the atmosphere to be charged with peace and order. Amen’ (Isaiah 54:17 & 60:18)
Perhaps you too would like to use that material in your intercessions?
I was to find that Tuesday’s blessing was right for what was to follow that evening. It was for Oxford (and our locality) and I its decree reads: ‘I AM The Lord Sitting On my Throne’ (Rev 3:15).
So we declared, “Our God rules and reigns over these nations and it is He who is far above all things – all rule and authority,power and dominion and every title that can be given.
Next I said the regular Prayer of Blessing and Aaronic prayer followed by this specific one: “We bless you British Isles and Ireland to know that all things are under the Feet of Jesus”.
Evening’s Meeting
My circulating an intercession email a few weeks ago met a response from a friend not seen for a couple of years. Jonathan suggested we meet up with others to pray regarding the Referendum. Dates were difficult and almost fell by the wayside, but I managed to go to his house on Tuesday.
What an immense surprise to discover that he’s deeply involved in the Leave campaign and says many Christians are supportive. I was amazed to learn of his prolific Facebook page Why leave the EU? covering the media. Yet it’s not at all surprising because I know he’s scrupulous in ferreting out facts and keen on details. His aim is:
- to provide accurate reasons for leaving the EU, enable discussion of the issues, and answer any questions and the arguments for remaining
Although not a subscriber, my friend’s aware of my blog and personal stance and so one of our longer prayers was for the Lord to expose the full facts and activities hidden from public view. (See last Thursday’s Is the Lord exposing rotten politics? UK, USA – next EU?)
The next day, Jonathan re-posts a new article on just that, with a covering “Haha. The lies are being exposed!” > Huge blow to Remain camp as Cameron admits – “We don’t need the EU to protect worker’s rights”.
We’ll consider my friend’s summary document next…
David Hathaway: EU Referendum – we must pray
In a recent post I quoted evangelist David Hathaway as being told by a Ukrainian pastor that the EU is a hundred times worse than communism. So you may like to respond to his following email of 3rd June, in which he points to some pertinent facts from British history – and recent French history to!!
He leads into his email by stating,
‘Britain faces a tremendous decision. We are living in a most dangerous time politically and spiritually. The Bible is more relevant today than at any point in history. It actually reveals the truth behind the EU and what concerns us as Christians.’
‘I feel that I must write to you, urging you to pray. Yesterday (2 June) I took part in two TV programmes regarding the referendum which will be broadcast on Revelation TV before June 23rd.
‘I am greatly troubled by the debate on both sides of the referendum on the EU. Neither side is dealing with the major issues, with claim and counter claim covering the main issues with a smoke screen, so that the public are being totally deceived. The two main issues being batted over the net are migration and the economy.
‘Migration is an issue so big that it dwarfs all other topics. The EU cannot handle this, it is not a political or military problem. Its root and answer is totally spiritual. Neither Britain nor the EU can solve this without God – but to accept Moslem countries such as 78 million Turks into ‘Christian’ Europe, either now or in the future -will create terrorism because our own experience is that they do not integrate, and it will bring Syria and Iraq directly on to our borders. The flood tide will be unstoppable.
‘The economy is also part of the smokescreen. The EU is an economic experiment which has failed. Of all the trading groups in the world, it has the lowest growth rate. Any attempt on our part to join it will inevitably bring disaster on us. Who are the economists who say that we will be worse off coming out of the EU? Why did they not foresee and warn us of the last recession in 2008?! It is no thanks to the EU and these economists that our recovery is faster and better than theirs. Proof enough that we are stronger without them.
‘Now for the major issue. If we remain in the EU we will have to surrender, not just sovereignty, but all democracy.
‘The EU is not democratic in any way. Just as under communism, the EU ‘parliament’ only votes through the issues presented to them by unseen, unelected ‘leaders’. I have known for many years that when sitting, the EU Parliament has so many pieces of legislation to pass in a limited time that there is very little discussion, so that bad laws are passed without question. Most of these issues, if brought before our Parliament, would be subject to much discussion, debate and amendment.
‘The other major issue of democracy is that many of the countries in the EU have never been democratic in the sense which Britain has. Our democracy dates back 800 years to the Magna Carter. German experience of democracy only came after the last war! Previously a collection of tribes or ‘princedoms’, finally united under the Kaiser, and then under Hitler – but never experiencing democratic rule until after WWII. Most of the countries which came out of communist control had also not experienced democracy. One would question France, especially Italy which is similar to Germany, also Spain under Franco, in fact with most of the countries within the EU, if they had experienced democratic government, it was only relatively recently. Look also at history in Austria, Hungary under the Hapsburgs.
‘In Europe, only Britain has a long and hard won history of true democracy. How can we even contemplate surrendering 800 years of history – and of bloodshed? Did the millions who gave their lives to defeat Napoleon – the Kaiser – Hitler – and communism, die in vain? Why are we surrendering our hard won freedoms in order to be ruled by an unelected ‘cabal’ whom we don’t know? No one is telling us who are the so-called ‘visionaries’, whose experiment we are, as they seek to establish the ‘New World Order’ of a Utopia without God?
‘Then there is the spiritual issue. In the treaties forming the Union, they openly rejected any suggestion of recognising our Judeo/Christian heritage. The European Parliament Building in Strasburg – built to continue the rebellion against God which started in Babylon with its famous tower; the ‘Woman on the Beast’ after which Europe gets its name – ‘Europa’: these two symbols alone identify Europe with rejection of God! The EU is designed to follow the French pattern of a totally secular state. Yet former French President Chirac himself said that, ‘in establishing a totally secular state, we created a dry river bed of atheism which will draw a flood tide of militant religion.’ You only have to look at France over the last year to see how prophetic his words were – truly the biggest threat to France today is that militant religion! Then the Bible is clear that God’s judgement is over the way that we treat Israel. In Britain we have supported Israel – both historically and now today. The EU has rejected Israel and politically and financially supports the Palestinians against Israel.
‘These issues were all dealt with when I produced my documentary film, ‘The Rape of Europe’ (click to view), 16 years ago. The fact that the EU features in Daniel’s prophetic picture as the last empire before Christ sets up His Kingdom on earth, is important, but just evidence of the truth of Bible prophecy.’
Yours prayerfully
David Hathaway
Footnotes:
David Hathaway is a British Evangelist who has ministered worldwide for more than 60 years. David’s ministry is focused on providing assistance both spiritually and materially to the former Soviet countries and the Russian Holocaust survivors living in Israel. David says: “I have a vision in my soul – Eurovision – a vision of Europe won for Christ. I will not rest until God fulfills this vision He put in my heart.”
Visit his website at PropheticVision as well as on Facebook, where you’ll find his above exhortation attracts not a few critical comments!
The documentary’s unpleasant title refers to the ancient legend now used to promote our continent’s new ideals – rather than being associated with Christendom! [Alternatively, read Neil Mackereth’s brief ‘executive summary’ on EU Membership Referendum – Stay or Leave with illustrated annexures, as published earlier on this blog.]
UK/EU in/out #7: ‘Cat’s out of the bag!’ press editorial
EU: EXPOSED! (Thursday’s prayer request refers)
‘The cat is out of the bag: the EU bureaucrats have let it be known that they do not approve of member states picking political leaders they disagree with or who contradict their elitist world view.’
Thus opens Friday’s Telegraph View: EU bureaucrats cannot cope with democracy. The grounds for that editorial are not only offensively scurrilous but also grossly insulting remarks against one of our national leaders – AND against the intelligence of the British voter. This is much worse than Obama’s interfering in our affairs during his last state visit. Furthermore, it fully vindicates the deep misgivings of those Christians who are unhappy with the EU’s unholy nature.
This hardly surprising revelation direct from the hearts and minds of tyrants themselves is itself sufficient reason for Britons to want our independence back.
The following quotations from Friday’s editorial and the op-ed by columnist Fraser Nelson, editor of The Spectator, should ‘put my readers in the picture’ (use the links to read their opinions in full).:
Credit: Jap Pool (AP)
DT editorial continues from above: ‘Speaking at yesterday’s session of the G7, Jean-Claude Juncker attacked Boris Johnson, suggesting that his Euroscepticism was not “in line with reality”. Martin Selmayr, Mr Juncker’s chief of staff, went one step further with a tweet that was truly beyond the pale:
“G7 2017 with Trump, Le Pen, Boris Johnson, Beppe Grillo? [American, French, British and Italian] A horror scenario that shows well why it is worth fighting populism.”
Fluffy-headed Boris twice served consecutive terms as popular Mayor of London and is a possible future leader of the Conservative party. So the editorial points out, ‘Mr Johnson’s accusers are bureaucrats who are clearly deeply uncomfortable with a true democrat – especially one who has such an unusual rapport with the public. [There are issues I’ve objected to on grounds of faith – RB.]
‘Mr Selmayr’s demand that “populism” be combated also betrays the EU’s instinctive distrust of democracy. Its founders were desperate to construct a supranational institution that would ensure that the people are always governed by their betters. As such the EU is inherently anti-democratic: demonstrated by its treatment of Greece and an approach to referendums best summed up as “you can vote as many times as you like, so long as you eventually vote for what we want”…’
‘The irony is that men such as Mr Juncker and Mr Selmayr do not realise how much they are encouraging the decline of their own EU project. Voters do not like being told that they can or cannot vote for someone just because an unelected foreign bureaucrat fears for the consequences.’ (emphasis added).
DT’s man at the G7 reports Tory MP and founder of Vote Leave, Steve Baker’s reaction to that tweet was, “This is a doubly outrageous intervention. First, unelected officials have no right to interfere in democratic processes. Second, they are flat wrong. Boris is an affable, liberal conservative. There is no comparison between his views and those of the extreme populists of the national right”.
EU: CENTRE OF MALIGN ORTHODOXY
Fraser Nelson opens his op-ed by explaining that (giving his German style ‘Professor Dr’), ‘Martin Selmayr is one of the most powerful men you’ve never heard of. He is chief fixer for Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission; we have him to thank, at least in part, for the woeful ‘“deal” that David Cameron was given in his renegotiation…
‘Behold, the great battle of our times: the bureaucrats of Brussels, unsullied by the need to win votes, ready to take on the democratic process and any leaders that it might catapult to power.’
Fraser then tells of the remarkable successes by popular parties in a number of countries: Austria, Italy, Sweden, Holland (‘How did the party of Gert Wilders, once banned from entering Britain, end up most popular in the Netherlands?’) Finland, Poland.
In country after country the answer tends to be the same – globalisation, immigration, economic disadvantage, unemployment. Therefore, ‘increasingly the new populists see the EU as the centre of this malign orthodoxy and call for looser ties with it’.
He concludes, ‘A spectre is once again haunting Europe, but it’s not that of populism. It’s the intransigence of established political parties who prefer to denounce populists rather than seek to understand what motivates their supporters. And the EU, which set out in hope of uniting the continent, has become a source of instability – sticking to an outdated script at a time of unprecedented demographic and economic change…’ [Europe’s voters are – leaders should listen to them, not sneer.]
NB: Fraser’s remark about “the great battle of our times” resonates well with a prophetic word privately circulating among intercessors praying for David and Samantha Cameron and whatever outcome the EU Referendum brings.
UPDATE: His analysis proves to be ‘right on the money’! (As in continuation link below.)
EU: “100 TIMES WORSE THAN COMMUNISM” – Ukraine pastor
Finally, evangelist David Hathaway’s extensive connections to Eastern Europe enable him to report recently,
“When I said to the European head of the Pentecostal church in Kiev that the EU is worse than communism he replied that – after years living under communism and now negotiating in Brussels – the EU is ONE HUNDRED TIMES WORSE THAN COMMUNISM.” [Iron Does Not Mix With Clay, Prophetic Vision #80, 2016]
Conclusion
Is the Lord pointing something out through last week’s triple ‘coincidences’? If so, then we must start to pay close attention to what’s about to happen.
Another 3 pieces of the Invisible Jigsaw have fallen into place…
- Thursday, technical glytches delay a prophetic insight on ‘rotten EU politics’
- Friday’s ProphecyTodayUK on testing prophecies has “Open Blind Eyes” prayer
- Friday paper’s headlines and editorial on EU officials’ interference in Referendum.
Continued reading at News Alert: UK/EU in/out #7 UPDATE >>>
[Puzzle In Sky by Idea Go, courtesy of Freedigtalphotos.net]
UK/EU in/out #6: “Open blind eyes” prayer
It’s intriguing that the day after a thought got dropped into mind about the Lord exposing politics within the UK and the EU (as herein), ProphecyTodayUK reviewed some recent prophecies and reasoned arguments on Britain’s relationship with the EU.
In last Thursday’s first post I conclude,
“Wouldn’t now be a good time for all the rotten dirty laundry of crumbling EU finances to be exposed in full glare of continent-wide publicity? Maybe it would make messrs Cameron & Osborne do a volte-face, an abrupt U-turn, over the EU!”
The closing item in Friday’s ‘Testing Prophecies Together’ by ProphecyTodayUK expands upon what I was trying to convey. Therefore, and with their editor’s kind permission, I draw that item to my reader’s attention for weighing with the Lord.:
‘…an exhortation for prayer from prayer partner Sandy Harvey, sent via the following e-mail to the office:
‘When I was praying for the upcoming referendum this weekend I believe that God gave me a clear word to help us pray for it in an ongoing, continual way.
‘I was interceding at the time but I am aware of the enormity of the decision and the importance of fervent prayer at every possible moment in the coming days.
‘The Word He gave was, “open blind eyes”.
‘I believe God gave this as a simple strategy to be able to continually pray throughout the day wherever we are and whatever we are doing. Whilst driving, shopping or doing any every day activity if we pray those words, ‘Lord, open blind eyes’, we are opening a door for Him to work in somebody.
‘People we see in the street, the man at the petrol pump, the supermarket checkout operator, “Lord open her/his blind eyes”.
‘Firing prayer darts whenever the vote comes to mind.
‘This was weighed and accepted by my prayer partner. I have also just heard that the intercessors in Israel praying for the UK about the referendum have also been using the same words, “Open blind eyes”. (I understand that they are also praying and ‘unblock ears’.)
‘Lay all this before the Lord, with Bibles open, and alongside other prophecies, and in a prayerful attitude seek the Lord’s wisdom for the future of our nation and our vote on 23 June.’
EUROPE vs ISRAEL
The thorough bias against the state of Israel is undoubtedly an important aspect of our Lord’s perspective upon the poisonous political spirit at the heart of the continent dear to my heart. Middle-Eastern affairs analyst Daniel Pipes has just published a pointed paper that demonstrates this issue, which will have a grave effect upon the EU’s future. That is, it is under the Genesis 12:3 curse of failing to bless the Jewish people in their homeland.
In Left vs Israel, Daniel considers a little-known and seriously warped WHO report that was voted upon by members of the UNO. All European countries – INCLUDING UK – were against Israel. Pipes writes,
‘The unlikely (voting) pattern suggests that monolithic Muslim hostility is cracking while Europeans, who are overwhelmingly on the Left…increasingly despise Israel. Worse, even those who do not share this attitude go along with it, even in an obscure WHO vote.’
SO, we do need to be well aware of serious spiritual issues over being asociated with the European Union.
Monday newsmix: UK re-awakening and more Muslims looking to Jesus
After a short break on the coast followed by a weekend course on living in Holy Spirit’s anointing, I trawled through my in-tray and was very pleased with the following good news. Both items are related to visionary and prophetical words, the first comes from our county town, and the second from the wider Middle-East.
Can These Bones Live?
Dr Clifford Hill reacts as follows to what happened during the Pentecost celebrations:
“If anyone thought that Christianity was dying in the traditional churches of Britain, what happened in Winchester Cathedral last week would have shattered their illusions!”
He reports the ancient, hallowed building and grounds were packed out at that evening’s celebration. This was the culmination of nine days of prayer events for the evangelisation of Britain, as invited by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York. The Pentecost weekend itself culminated in six ‘Beacon events’ with video links to Canterbury Cathedral where the Archbishop, Justin Welby, gave a message based upon the Lord’s prayer, which he said was “reassuring enough to be on the lips of the dying and yet dangerous enough to be banned in cinemas!”
Read Clifford’s full report here, which closes with his asking,
“Was this a sign that something special is beginning to happen in the old denominational churches? Will the spiritual life of the nation be transformed by a new generation embracing the gospel in their own culture as the Holy Spirit breathes new life into the unchanging message of salvation and “Jesus is Lord!” is once again heard on the lips of children and young people?”
In my humble opinion, “Yes it is a sign” and my initial thought was of the prophetic promise heard at Ffald-y-Brenin retreat centre, as blogged two years ago in Resurrection Coming to the Anglican Church.:
‘The usual morning liturgical prayer time got overshadowed by the Lord, who reminded them of the raising of Lazarus. They were told He’s going to call the Anglican Church out of its grave and bring it back to life!’
Of all the words published in this blog this may be exceptional because it was the first to be severely criticised, as related in this post about our later visit to Ffald-y-Brenin. Also, this latest event reflects what others have observed of an increasing number returning to the Anglican fold and other churches – yet without denominational divisions as in bygone eras. And, of course, readers of this blog are aware of many prophetic words about a new era in the Church and move of God in the UK; eg, brought by Heidi Baker (with updates).
Intense Persecution Brings Harvest of Muslims
The exciting news continues of many Muslims seriously doubting their faith and looking and turning to Jesus in reaction to it being returned to its original barbaric practices. As blogged about Iran and a significant warning in Mecca (here and here respectively), as well as other posts, this is personally encouraging in view of a vision I had in 1992 on the fall of Islam (see this email).
Another morning email Is There Any Good News From the Mid-East? alerted me to Joel Rosenberg’s latest post, in which his friend Tom Doyle answers,
“Yes, despite intense prosecution we’re also seeing a great harvest of Muslims turning to Christ.”
After providing several wonderful examples, especially of those martyred on a beach in Libya to the shock of the world, Tom asks why is it that Muslims are now coming to faith in Christ in significant numbers? His answer:
“One of the reasons is that Islamic terrorists are killing violently for their faith, while followers of Jesus are dying peacefully for their faith. Muslims are watching the violence and it has soured them towards their religion. It has also opened them up to the possibility that there may be something to this Jesus after all. They see hate in Radical Islam and love among the Jesus followers, even as they are taken to be executed. What a contrast.
“Yes, Christians are being persecuted openly in the Middle East. But they are standing strong, and this has served to spread the gospel even more rapidly. In a world of bad news, that is very good news.”
Indeed it is. And as noted in Good News: Christian Revival in N Africa, the Cartheginian early Church author Tertullian observed the same and formulated the famous dictum:
“The blood of martyrs is the seed of the Church.”
[Credit: Hand Pressing News Icon by Watcharakun, courtesy of Freedigitalphotos.net]
Revd John Kilpatrick: apolitical prophecy in His Presence
Awkward internet trouble struck last Sunday afternoon!
However, resolution on Monday brought some unusual insights on America’s highly controversial presidential candidate!
Even more weirdly, whilst writing I’m struck that this post covers a ‘triple-strike’ on one particular day this month: see if you can spot it as you read. Ask yourself, “Does it confirm the previous post’s prophetic word, ‘Month of May – Domino Effect’ ?”
We couldn’t get live-streaming of Sunday morning’s service at Church of His Presence. Occasionally, there are intermittent dropouts but a simultaneously broadcast chat-room keeps e-members and ‘techies’ in touch and so we know what’s happening. But this time it was most unusual not to get any streaming connection at all in over half an hour. Then I saw their administrator’s note about the server having crashed.
I quipped to Nina, “Maybe they’re having a terrific time and the electrics are affected”.
A few years ago we heard Mahesh Chavda talk about when the powerful presence of the Lord blew stage-lighting and set off internal alarms, to which a fire brigade responded and arrived at the church meeting – but there wasn’t any fire, of the ordinary kind, that is.
Was something similar happening far beyond the other side of ‘the Pond’?? It was!!
Holy Spirit’s Presence
On Monday we caught up with the archived video and saw everyone was still affected by the evening celebration on Friday 7th May – Holy Spirit’s presence was clearly evident during Sunday’s worship.
Pastor John Kilpatrick immediately spoke about Friday evening’s celebration and referred to the Glory having fallen during the Brownsville Revival. John interviewed some who’d been there on their reactions. Of last Friday he admitted to having struggled to preach; because it was on God’s Glory. His message had been held over from an earlier Friday, when he’d been completely unable to speak because he’d been under the ‘chabod’ or heavy weight of God’s glory – ‘slain in the Spirit’ – for several hours!
So, Sunday morning in Alabama continued in the same Revival atmosphere and one hour one minute into the service John said,
“You know I believe what’s going on right now in the political world, somehow I believe the Lord’s right behind it!
“Here’s what I really believe and I want you to know I’m not saying (vote) democrat or a republican – understand? Listen to me: something’s going on in the political sphere!
“And something’s going on in grass-roots America and grass-roots America’s rising up and saying “We’re SICK of the political correctness. We’re SICK of our nation going down the drain. We’re SICK of decisions that’s being made that’s deteriorating America”, and the grass-roots are rising up and they’re possibly voting for somebody that makes Americans real nervous.
“And I’m not saying I’m a Trump supporter – because I’m not!…(and I’m not anyone’s supporter)…BUT I am a supporter of Revival and I’m believing God for Revival to SHOW UP in America and to SWEEP this country – from the White House to the school-house to the corn house!!…[great excitement across congregation].
“Here’s what I believe is happening: I believe God’s shaking America back – I believe that we’ve been asleep. We’ve been in a coma but the Holy Ghost’s been slapping us [John slaps himself on both cheeks] with His Primaries and America’s waking up – “Huh? What he’d say?” – “What’d she say?”- “OMG what’s going on!” – “I’ve never seen nothing like this before!”
“And the Holy Spirit says, “Buckle your seat-belt; you ain’t never seen nothing like you’re about to see!!”
“I believe that God somehow is going to translate what’s going on in the political world and bring it over into the spiritual world – it’s time for spiritual correctness!
“Let God be God; I said ‘Let God be God’. Let God MOVE and let His power SWEEP this nation like it did many years ago!”….
Spirit-filled rejoicing and great excitement followed with lengthy ministry under the Glory – very definitely a church of HIS Presence!
Shake, Rattle and Roll…
John’s immense excitement as Holy Spirit sparked him into hopping and skipping whilst he moved into prophecy reminded me of an unusual word I’d read over the weekend from Australia’s Lana Vasser. Perhaps he was confirming the gist of what she received, as here:
‘…I have no political agenda, I am not attempting to ‘push’ anything, I am simply releasing something that I feel the Lord gave me. Recently, the Lord surprised me as I heard Him singing and I heard him singing concerning Trump. I heard the Lord singing in the same melody to the old song by Billy Haley and The Comets, “Shake, Rattle and Roll”. Yet as I heard the melody, I heard the Lord singing:
“I am using TRUMP to shake, rattle and roll. I’m using TRUMP to shake, rattle and roll… I’m using TRUMP to shake, rattle and roll”(!)”
WHAT! WHY? To grasp this rather alarming revelation read Lana’s blog I Heard the Lord Singing Regarding Donald Trump, published last Friday 7th May .
I doubt John would have opportunity for that to have come to his attention on the other side of the world – especially as he was involved in that evening’s celebration with Lindell Cooley, and preparing to speak on Mysteries of the Glory and then come under its after-effects!!
Trump and Israel
The next day, Tuesday, I had opportunity to follow-up a headline on William Koenig’s news service World Watch Daily as a matter of particular interest to students of Bible prophecy. This was from an article in The Jerusalem Post published on Friday 7th May – Politics: On Trump’s Side (by Gill Stern Stern Hoffman).
It covers the work of British-born public relations innovator Jonny Daniels, director of the Holocaust commemoration organization From The Depths, and may be the Israeli who’s closest to Donald Trump. Daniels is quoted as saying of Trump on Israel,
“He is someone who understands our traditions, Just like Obama grew up in traditional Muslim settings, Trump has gained an appreciation of traditional Judaism.”
In 2013 Trump released a video of his deep respect for Israel’s PM Netanyahu and so you may like to read Hoffman’s article in full via the above link to print-copy. (The JP website is slow to load because of a long script and excessive advertising.) Here are some extracts for your information:
| “The Donald Trump I know is thoughtful, strong-willed and an incredibly smart person,” Daniels said. “He reads people and situations and, most importantly, doesn’t give up. He will fight for Israel and – just as important for Israel – fight for the USA. A strong America is a strong Israel. Over the past eight years, there has been a massive decrease in American strength, and as the US’s great ally that has been a significant problem for us.” |
| “It is very good news for Israel that he will be the Republican candidate for president, because we really do have a good friend in Donald Trump,” Daniels said. “I’m not sure people realize who he is beyond his media persona. He is a politician playing politics, and there are certain things you do and say for votes, and if it’s inflammatory so be it. Netanyahu and Obama have also reached out to their voter base, and that’s what Trump has been doing.” |
| “He is smart enough to understand that a peace deal wouldn’t be brokered over night,” Daniels said. “When we look at his true understanding of the concerns facing Israel, we have to see it promisingly. He was vehemently against the Iran deal before he thought he would be running for president.” |
My reader, did you spot the triple date references in the above three sections? Friday 7th May. Hmmm most intriguing….
Maybe the Lord is underscoring that material? Maybe pastor Kilpatrick’s prognostication is accurate? How say you?
Finally, today Israel Hayom publishes an interview with Trump, Israel Is the US’ Bastion of Hope, wherein he states, “We are going to protect Israel. We will make sure it is in good shape forever”. I’ll leave you to read his opinion on the incumbent president’s actions to jeopardize an ally by dealing with Iran.
Such interesting times…
UK/EU in/out #5: vision of Britain and our End-time purpose
An exhortation to pray for Britain’s leaders and people to know and move into God’s full purpose for us. When we humbly recognise, repent and turn from all that’s contradictory to the spirit of our prayers and seek God’s face for fuller revelation, then He promises to hear, forgive and cleanse us individually and nationally and to heal our land (per 2 Chron 7:14)
Thank you to Lynne at Father’s House of Prayer for reminding me of this powerful vision the Lord gave Wendy Alec a week after bombings on London Transport in July 2005 (see Watchman Network report). This extract from the full vision explains unequivocally why Britain should extricate itself from the anti-Christ spirits presiding across the water.:
‘…And the Lord showed me huge flourishing green tree that was planted in the European mainland – its huge trunk seemed to be planted in Brussels and the foliage had grown so dense that the trees branches and foliage had grown over the English channel and covered Britain in a great dark shadow and thousands of smaller offshoots and branches had taken deep root in Great Britain – and I saw the roots tangled and grown into London and then through the British Isles up all the way to Scotland.
‘The Lord said –
“These are the deep roots of secularism and humanism that have taken deep root in this nation – these are the roots that are eroding this nation’s faith!”
‘And I saw thousands upon thousands of people bowing in obedience to this tree and the roots were tightly twisted around their ankles – but they seemed totally unaware of this – that they were bound – and so they rejected the faith of their fathers – and I saw a great scoffing and a great decline in the traditions and the foundations of the past – and this mass of people was divided into two camps – the first huge mass of people whose ankles were bound by the gnarling roots of the green tree from Europe were younger and seemed more modern in their approach – and I saw written over their head – ‘UNBELIEF’ – ‘CYNICISM’ – ‘HUMANISM’ – and the foliage and green leaves seemed to shadow their heads – and I sensed that they were being attacked at a cerebral level.”
‘But the second group seemed to be those whose roots and foundations were from the established traditional denominations of Britain – yet they were just as affected as this first group – but I saw written over their head – ‘PRIDE’ – ‘SKEPTICISM’ – ‘CLOSED MINDEDNESS’ and I sensed that the roots around their ankles had bound them in a different manner – that even if they heard the call of the Spirit in these days that the spiritual forces had them so bound that they could not move with the tide and the times of God – and I saw the green foliage literally cover and shadow their foreheads and eyes and I saw the word blinding.”
‘And I said to the Lord, “Father – what does this mean?” And He said –
“The spirits that led Europe into post Christian decline – have invaded Great Britain over these past decades – and have infiltrated and overshadowed the nation with the same humanism and paganism and secularism – and yet Britain is still so blinded by her roots and her foundations that she is still declaring herself a Christian nation” – but the Lord says that, “She has been shackled by the enemy.”
‘And I said, “Lord what can break the shackles?”
‘And the Lord spoke and said,
“The prayers and fervent supplications of My saints in Great Britain – the repentance for the sins of commission and omission on behalf of the governments of Great Britain – on behalf of the people of Great Britain.”
‘Then I asked the Lord about the Church – and He showed me thousands of people all belonging to different denominations with divisions and literally multitudes of OPINION – and somehow it seemed that the people’s opinion was all more important in their eyes than God’s opinion and I heard Him say:
“Until their opinions become My opinion the Church will continue to be divided among itself and be weak and underfed and lack the true POWER of GOD – Oh yes,” says the Lord –
“There are many meetings – there are many committees – there are many opinions – opinions – but it is not the opinion and the thoughts of men’s hearts that will change the destiny of Great Britain – but the opinion and the thoughts and intents of the word of the Living God – Humble yourselves – Humble yourselves and put aside your opinions and press into me the Living God for a living Word.”
‘And the Lord said –
“A humble and penitent heart I will not despise.”
– and I saw the words written – ‘DIVISIONS AND FACTIONS’.”
‘Then as people dropped to their knees all over Britain from every walk of life and denomination – the lion started to change – and He grew strong and sleek and his roar grew stronger. And I saw written in the spirit – “Create in me a clean heart O God – and renew a right spirit within me”. And as the people started to seek the face of the Lord I saw the word ‘COURAGE’ – and I knew that in the spirit realm that Great Britain had been endowed from the beginning of time with the mantle ‘COURAGE’ – and the Lord said,
“LIONHEART”
‘And God said Britain has yet to move into her end-time destiny in the nations – And I saw again in great letters – the words –
“THE GLORY HAS DEPARTED FROM THE LION – BUT THE GLORY OF THE LORD OF HOSTS SHALL RETURN.”
AMEN: Lord let Your Kingdom come, Your will be done here on earth as it is in heaven…
Footnotes:
- Read the full account in Vision for Great Britain which opens with encouragement for intercessors and reference to angelic activity followed by a promised awakening of the Church and for Great Britain as a ‘Land of End-time Destiny’, even hinting at changes in the United States!
- The vision came 11 years before the long-awaited Referendum, the results of which will be known in time for its 11th anniversary in July. Number 11 is said to symbolise disorder, chaos and judgment (BibleStudy.org). Pray the voting turns out God’s way.
- Perhaps we’ll see monumental governmental changes on both sides of the ‘Pond’!
- UPDATE April 2017: the importance of this vision resurfaced 12 years later in connection with two related prophetic words (Fulfilled Prophecies #19 Britain’s Shackles Now Shattered and Spiritual Shift Across Northern Hemisphere…).
Reports of ‘Awakenings’ cont’d – “Get ready to jump!”
Let me now share some personal things about the last two posts that may be of interest.
Usually I take a long weekend cyber-break after Thursdays but last week it would be until Tuesday as Monday was a Bank Holiday. As I’d be elsewhere yesterday, I very quickly scan-checked my email on Saturday and noticed a couple from Michael Marcel. (We first met at inter-church prayer meetings for the Thames Valley in Reading in late-1990s and last saw one another at a recent mentoring day in Windsor.)
I sensed it was important to reply to Michael’s email news with some from David Robinson of Bloxham, who too had emailed me on Friday about ‘Awakenings’ in USA, plus an earlier post of mine on related prophecies. Later we chatted on the phone after I’d updated him on what happened when I read out his email to Nina. I emailed him:
‘Have just finished early steak dinner and hooked laptop up to tv so we can check out the links I circulated from you and what David sent.
‘So then happened to notice (other) emails and read them out to Nina…(next) I read aloud your one to pastors but she’d already heard, “Get ready to jump!”
‘After saying so and my starting to reply to you, she then got a picture of a trampoline in a garden and saw a man using it and bouncing so high he went off flying and disappeared from view! She heard that, just as our ordinary muscles need to be used and flexed – so too do our spiritual muscles. She also knows there’s a distinct difference between ordinary and spiritual bouncing, as demonstrated in that ‘video’ picture!’
Michael phoned whilst we were watching Patricia King bring a prophetic word to those meetings in San Diego (as below) and, as he’d just returned from there, I asked if it was connected with her XP Ministries of Maricopa, Ariz, or Harvest International Ministries with Che Ahn in the Pasadena area.
He said, “No, neither – it’s not of any ministry. It’s non-denominational”. Terrific, that’s as it should be. I happened to mention about the many times we sense in our spirits, and even getting Holy Spirit ‘sizzles’, when watching Him moving and touching folk in Church of His Presence (Alabama), and explained that I refer to it as “Bridge Over the Pond” (see Holy Lightning Beyond ‘The Pond’ Strikes in UK in particular).
Michael’s response intrigued me. He said, in one of his books Rick Joyner describes Holy Spirit’s going across the ocean as being like moving over a very long bridge!!
Hmm…very interesting…watch this space!
[Credit: Endless Bridge by Evgeni Denev, courtesy of Freedigitalphotos.net]
Reports of ‘Awakenings’ in USA – UK next please Lord (#1,000)
Appropriately for this blog’s 1,000th post there’s news of developments in the New Era for the Church:
At Sunday’s morning’s service in CHP in Alabama pastor John Kilpatrick said he’s being contacted about a revival involving many young people in eastern Kentucky, as well as one happening in West Virginia (see video at 1:19:40). He reminded the congregation of what he heard when visiting the Appalachian area of the early 19th Century Cane Ridge Revival.
Those remarks are particularly interesting in view of news received the previous day from Michael Marcel. He updates subscribers to his website with a couple of email, one of which was also circulated to nearly two hundred leaders and which reads as follows:
Dear Pastor, Prophet or Leader
THIS IS AN AWAKENING SEASON
Most of you know that Revival/Awakening has been on my heart for several years now and I am sure you have heard many prophecies over the last two years that Revival is coming – well, that season is upon us!
An awakening has been apparent in many parts of the world for a year or more – the underground church and government churches in China, Brazil, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Mozambique, Uganda to name a few. I believe it is clear that the Billion soul revival, as prophesied by Bob Jones, is with us. It has been noticeable though that there has been little happening in the west – America and Europe.
This has now changed. This week I came back from the Fire & Glory outpouring in San Diego. It has been going for 89 nights (6 nights a week) and each meeting can be viewed here:
This is is for the equipping of the harvesters and was prophesied by James Goll in January.
A sister outpouring has been going on for 40 days (4 nights a week) in Seattle and can be seen here:
Since March there has been a full-scale awakening in West Virginia with hundreds of students coming to the Lord, as reported by Christian Today in this post.
Today, I have discovered that something else is beginning in Edmonton, Canada, through Todd Bentley. He has just announced he is extending his conference by a week.
So, now it is our turn and the turn of Europe. I personally have not heard of anything breaking out here in the UK (apart from Coleraine last year), but perhaps you know different; if so please let me know. It is not a guarantee that the awakening will hit us; it is up to us – we have to take a risk and step into what God is doing. There is a significant personal cost in putting on meetings every night or several times a week, but I believe that this will happen here soon. This is a time when we need to work out where God wants us in the Revival; there is no more time, it is at our door, so I urge you to switch into revival mode.
I do not know about you, but I am NOT going to let this awakening pass us by. If there were the demand I would open my house up to worship and prayer every night.
I know each one of you are doing wonderful things, but I am writing to you to urge you, if you are not already doing it, to prepare for revival!
When you see something breaking out please let me know as I want to record it on my website UK Awakening, which I have set up for this purpose.
Love
Michael
For more and reaction from Holy Spirit, read Reports of ‘Awakenings’ cont’d.
Michael Marcel is the author of Prepare For Revival, the publicity for which reads:
‘It is time for Revival. Many are expecting one to break out across our nation, but do you really know what a revival is? In this important and timely book, Michael Marcel answers this question and records many exciting accounts of revivals that we have experienced in the United Kingdom since the Reformation. He looks at the reason why the last revival/awakening in the United Kingdom was in 1949, and the last in England was 1921. “Prepare for Revival” recommends what strategies we must do to make revival a reality and what we need to do to prepare ourselves for the revival that is coming.’
Michael’s other books are God’s Heart For A Dying Land and It Is Time – to step out into your calling.
UK/EU in/out #2 cont’d – significant spiritual signs
Continuing Neil Mackereth’s Discussion Paper ‘Stay or Leave?‘ with flagged annexures. Your attention is also drawn to the editor’s Footnote.
FLAG A
1. Tower of Babel – EU HQ Strasbourg
Apart from signposting the pitfalls of pride and idolatry, what significance does the Tower of Babel have today?
It may shock you to learn that the European Union Parliament building in Strasbourg is modeled on the unfinished Tower of Babel, as depicted in a painting by Brueghel (see poster image below). Here is a photograph of the EU Parliament building in Strasbourg, and below is an architectural model of the building:
Now take a look at the picture below:
The picture on the right was an early EU poster which, after considerable protest, was dropped. But the picture had done the damage. It had divulged the secret of the inspiration for the design of the EU building. There seems little doubt that the EU parliament building was modeled on Breughel’s painting of the Tower of Babel (seen on the left).
More controversial are suggestions that the inverted star symbols represent satanic inverted pentagrams.
Doesn’t it seem strange that anyone would choose to model the EU Parliament building on a tower built in defiance of God? Is it deliberate, coincidental, or a sign – a sign not only of the re-emergence of Babylon on the world stage but a sign also of the End Times?
FLAG B
2. A Woman Rides the Beast
The first statue above is in front of the EU parliament building in Strasburg and the second below is in front of the Winston Churchill building, also in Strasburg.:
Is there some prophetic significance in the name Europe, its origins, and/or the woman riding the beast? The mythology is that “Europa” was a Phoenician noblewoman who was seduced by Zeus who was disguised as a bull. He carried her off to Crete and raped her. Europa subsequently became queen of Crete.
‘Europa seated on a bull’ has been a motif in European art since Greco-Roman times, and in the eighth century Europa gained ecclesiastical usage under Charlemagne. Today, Europe is called Europa in most Germanic languages.
The link that is made by some is with the Woman and beast references in Revelation 17 and 18. She is referred to in Revelation as Babylon the Great, the mother of prostitutes and of the abomination of the earth (Rev 17.5). There is much debate and conjecture on the metaphors and symbolism in these chapters. Suffice it to say, we are advised to have nothing to do with her.
FLAG C
3. Pergamum Altar – Berlin
Pergamum was one of the cities in Asia Minor (modern Turkey) where Roman influence can be most clearly seen. Situated on a hill there was an altar to Zeus where historians and archaeologists now believe the Roman Emperor was worshipped by the citizens of the city. Every year, on the Emperor’s birthday, the Caesar of the day was adored by people throughout his Empire who addressed him as ‘son of god’, ‘saviour of the world’, and ‘lord.’
In the Book of Revelation, Jesus dictates a letter to the Apostle John, which includes the line:
“I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is.” (Rev 2.13)
The throne mentioned here can only refer to one thing – the temple-like structure which is known as the Pergamum Altar, built around 200BC. This temple is also mentioned by the Roman historian Tacitus (56-117AD) in his Annals, and in Plutarch’s (45-120 AD) Life of Caesar. The mound on which it was situated is still visible today.
From what John sees and hears it seems that from the Ascended Christ’s perspective Pergamum is the location in Asia Minor where it can be safely said that “Satan has his throne” and where “Satan lives.”
Let’s now fast forward nearly 2000 years. In 1878 the German engineer and archaeologist Carl Humann started excavating the Pergamum Altar. In 1902 Kaiser Wilhelm II ordered that the whole structure, including the Gigantomachy Frieze, be transported to Berlin. The 113 metre sculptured frieze around the base of the altar depicts the struggle between the gods and the giants in Greek mythology. The altar was reconstructed, first in the Kaiser Freidrich Museum and subsequently moved to the specially built Pergamon Museum, on Museum Island. Kaiser Wilhelm II claimed this was the greatest achievement of his reign.
In 1933, Hitler was elected Chancellor of Germany and in 1934 he ordered the building of a Tribune at Zeppelin Field in Nuremberg. The architect, Albert Speer, is said to have used the Pergamum Altar as a model for the much larger scale “Zeppelintribune”. It took three years to build and it was from a podium at the centre of this vast edifice that Hitler took the salute during the Nazi rallies in Nuremberg.
[See Footnote by editor RB]
FLAG D
4. Ishtar Gate – Berlin
The Ishtar Gate and Processional Way were built by Nebuchadnezzar II in c 575 BC. They formed the main and ceremonial entry route to the inner city of Babylon (there were seven lesser gates). It was dedicated to Ishtar, revered goddess of fertility, love, war and sex. Some scholars believe that, just as the Babylonian military and intellectual influence spread across the world, so too did their religion.
There is speculation that the different names, Eostra or Ostara (a Germanic pagan goddess) and Easter, may originate from Ishtar. The Benedictine monk Saint Bede chronicled that Easter took its name from “Eostre”, an Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring. The Romans, in attempts at unity, were known to have combined festivals, their names and practices, in order to appease differing religious and pagan beliefs. If Easter is derived from Ishtar, that might make many of us think about the pagan origins of a major Christian festival.
The Ishtar Gate and Processional Way (an artists’ impression is shown above) were excavated by Robert Koldewey between 1899 and 1914. Its reconstruction in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin was completed in 1930, though some parts are so huge they are held in store.
There is a mass of information on the Internet about the gate, and a plethora of opinion, in which there is a considerable mixing of fact and fiction, myth, scientific study and archaeological findings. All this makes objective analysis very difficult. However, there are mythological references to the goddess Ishtar visiting hell and to the Ishtar Gate being the very entrance to hell. The depiction of 337 snake god images on the gate may have significance in Hebrew numerology, as the number 337 is said to represent hell.
You may feel that this connection and the Ishtar symbolism generally are overplayed. You may regard it all as just plain weird. Or you may come to the conclusion that this is an example of truth being stranger than fiction. Whatever your view, there is strong evidence to support the contention that the EU Parliament building is modelled on the Tower of Babel. Furthermore, there is no doubt that the Pergamon Altar and the Ishtar Gate stand in Berlin.
FLAG E
5. Shiva – CERN Geneva
[CERN Statue Unveiled – official CERN link replaces photo: RB]
CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, straddles the Swiss French border. Strictly speaking CERN is not an EU research project but rather a European lead cooperative scientific research venture. The 12 founding states, Belgium, Denmark, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Yugoslavia, established CERN in 1954. The organization was subsequently joined by Austria (1959), Spain (1961-1969, re-joined 1983), Portugal (1985), Finland (1991), Poland (1991), Czechoslovak Republic (1992), Hungary (1992), Bulgaria (1999) and Israel (2014). The Czech Republic and Slovak Republic re-joined CERN after their mutual independence in 1993. Yugoslavia left in 1961. Today CERN has 21 member states.
CERN came to public attention when scientists using the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) identified the elusive Higgs Boson particle in 2013. There has been growing concern about the work that CERN does, especially from those who believe the scientists are “playing God.” CERN has tried to allay the disquiet by stating that the Large Haldron Collider (LHC) experiments are not trying to “open a door to another dimension.”
CERN recently explained that the statue of the Hindu god Shiva, a complex deity sometimes termed “The Destroyer”, in front of its Geneva HQ (shown here), was a gift from the Indian government. India is one of CERN’s “observer states” along with Russia, Japan and the US.
There is a wealth of information and countless “conspiracy theories” available on the internet – treat with caution.
FLAG F
6. Babylon
The story of Babylon is interwoven in the timeline of Scripture. We have already looked at some strange and disturbing symbolism on the global stage today. Here I want to add some historical depth to FLAG A and FLAG B
Babylon is first mentioned in Genesis 10, a chapter that is sometimes referred to as “the table of nations” because it lists the countries founded by the descendants of Noah, after the flood.
Noah’s great grandson Nimrod, “a mighty warrior on the earth”, established a kingdom in Shinar that included Babylon (synonymous with Babel) as one of its centres. Shinar is thought to have been an area between the rivers Tigris and Euphrates in what is now Iraq, formerly Mesopotamia. Babylon was on the Euphrates, located about 55 miles south of modern-day Baghdad.
The first event of note concerning Babylon, recorded in Genesis 11, is the building of the Tower of Babel, which most scholars agree was a ziggurat, a many tiered structure with ramps leading upwards from each level to the next.
Tower of Babel by Pieter Brueghel, painted in 1563
It seems that the people of Babylon were building the tower as a symbol of their own greatness. It was a statement of identity, self-worth and pride: it was not built to honour God.
The Bible records that God stopped the building, the builders were dispersed and the common and only language spoken by the world’s population became many languages.
Genesis 11 is foundational in establishing Babylon as a picture of a city of rebellion against God. From then on, references in the Bible indicate that Babylon is symbolic of sin, depravity, and defiance (e.g.1 Peter 5:13; Revelation 17.5).
Perhaps no one expressed the origins of Babylon more eloquently than Josephus, a Jewish historian in the first century (an exact contemporary with some of the New Testament authors). He describes the extraordinary pride of the ruler called Nimrod who inspired the people of his city to build something that clearly sought to dethrone God:
‘Now it was Nimrod who excited them to such an affront and contempt of God. He was the grandson of Ham, the son of Noah, a bold man, and of great strength of hand. He persuaded them not to ascribe it to God, as if it were through his means they were happy, but to believe that it was their own courage which procured that happiness. He also gradually changed the government into tyranny, seeing no other way of turning men from the fear of God, but to bring them into a constant dependence on his power… Now the multitude were very ready to follow the determination of Nimrod and to esteem it a piece of cowardice to submit to God; and they built a tower, neither sparing any pains, nor being in any degree negligent about the work: and, by reason of the multitude of hands employed in it, it grew very high, sooner than any one could expect; but the thickness of it was so great, and it was so strongly built, that thereby its great height seemed, upon the view, to be less than it really was. It was built of burnt brick, cemented together with mortar, made of bitumen that it might not be liable to admit water. When God saw that they acted so madly, he did not resolve to destroy them utterly, since they were not grown wiser by the destruction of the former sinners [in the Flood]; but he caused a tumult among them, by producing in them diverse languages, and causing that, through the multitude of those languages, they should not be able to understand one another. The place wherein they built the tower is now called Babylon, because of the confusion of that language which they readily understood before; for the Hebrews mean by the word Babel, confusion.’
(From The Antiquities of the Jews by the Jewish-Roman historian Josephus, c AD 94).
Coming back to the possibility EU being the new Babylon: why is the Europa symbol (a woman on a beast) so widespread? Is it merely symbolising Europe or is there some other prophetic significance?
“There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names ….” (Rev 17.3)
Most theologians agree that this prophecy refers to an end times world order where the woman symbolises an ‘ecclesiastical Babylon’ and the beast symbolises a ‘political and commercial (economic) Babylon’. Revelation 17 describes the woman as ‘Babylon the Great’ whilst Revelation 18 describes the fall of commercial or economic Babylon. In simplistic terms, a corrupt apostate church rides (and therefore by implication, controls) a corrupt and brutal political and economic system. If Europa (Europe) really is moving towards a fulfilment of this prophecy then we can expect to see a world political system and a world economic system developing the EU.
FLAG G
7. What Does Scripture Say About Alliances
Peter Horrobin, founder-director of Ellel Ministries International, posted his ‘Thoughts on the coming referendum on membership of the European Union’ on his blog of 24 March 2016 under the title ‘In or Out?’
[NB: Neil copied the full blog as Flag ‘G’ to his paper but here it’s abridged. To read full original version click/tap its above, highlit title.]
After a brief introduction to the matter Peter writes, ‘As I meditated on the situation and prayed about how I should vote, God turned my thoughts to the story of King Jehoshaphat, as it is told in Chapters 17-20 of 2 Chronicles….
He’s drawn to the following conclusion:
‘After Jehoshaphat realised what he had done through his marital, political and military relationship with Ahab, God gave him an opportunity to repent and change direction once more. He took it and the subsequent years were the most prosperous and God-protected of his entire reign. In some ways I now see this coming referendum as being like an opportunity for the whole nation to repent of the decision it made in 1975, in ignorance of what membership of the EU would mean.
‘But now we know what it has meant and what it will mean, and we have a one-time opportunity to choose whether or not we are going to remain in alliance with a type of Ahab or Ahaziah, through which we lose both our sovereignty and the potential to be a God inspired nation. Or, we can choose to take back into our own hands the future destiny of our government, our laws and our finances.
‘You may say that it won’t make any difference, for our own government has not shown any desire to return to our spiritual foundations, an opinion with which I, sadly, have to agree. But the difference is this: with the UK inside Europe, if leaders were to rise up in the future with the intent of changing things, to bring the UK more in line with God’s laws, they would have no legal authority to change anything – because everything would be subservient to our masters in Brussels. Even if God were to raise up a modern-day ‘Joseph’, ‘Daniel’ or a repentant ‘Jehoshaphat’, inside the EU they would be impotent.
‘But, released from the shackles of what I now see as an ungodly alliance, who knows what God could still do in and through this nation?
‘I do not believe that God has forgotten our history, or the blood of the Christian martyrs who have laid down their lives and I would agree with the implication of what Archbishop William Temple said during the second world war – that God still has a purpose for this nation in the times that are yet to come before Jesus returns.
‘There are those who are saying that for the economic benefit of the nation and our workers we need to remain within the trading community that is the EU. However, let us not forget the painful lesson that Jehoshaphat learned the hard way – that trading alliances with the wrong partners will not be a source of blessing.
‘So, for deeply spiritual reasons – reasons that you will not see talked about in the Newspapers, or hear about on TV, I have come to the conclusion that it is time for the UK to cut itself free from alliances which undermine our sovereignty and limit our capacity to make our own laws. On the 23rd of June I will be voting to leave the EU – but I’m already praying for those hidden ‘Jehoshaphats’, ‘Daniels’ and ‘Josephs’ to come to the fore of public life, and start steering our nation back to the godly roots from which it has currently wandered so far.’
FLAG ‘C’ FOOTNOTE by RB:
Joel Richardson makes this note in his blog Joel’s Trumpet about that altar of Zeus:
‘As an aside, while many saw it as a deeply ominous sign, I personally found it more humorous that when President Obama made his initial acceptance speech in 2008 for the DNC presidential nomination, it was in a nearly perfect replica of what Jesus referred to as “the throne of Satan.” Needless to say many leftist bloggers and news outlets went crazy when I pointed this out.’
Even so, perhaps this really is an omen in view of Obama’s supportive remarks during his state visit this April 2016 on behalf of the UK government’s propaganda for remaining in the EU.
UK/EU in/out #2 – Stay or leave?
Published by kind permission of the author, who says, “Over recent weeks I have felt a growing pressure to put pen to paper (or finger to keyboard to be more accurate) on the vexed question of how to vote in the EU referendum. I have drafted a military-style brief, using a format learned long ago!”:
EUROPEAN UNION (EU) MEMBERSHIP REFERENDUM
STAY OR LEAVE?
A Discussion Paper by Neil Mackereth, 13 April (updated 26 April) 2016
Introduction
There are many aspects to the debate on whether the United Kingdom should remain in or leave the EU. Notwithstanding the many opinions, nuances and uncertainties, the main discussion points can be grouped into three broad categories:
- The economic (markets, trading relationships, self-interest, fear);
- The political (power, right to govern, security, law-making, influence);
- The spiritual (God’s will, plan, apostolic and prophetic guidance).
The most important is the most ignored!
I see reports that the church should not be involved/take a stance/make recommendations on whether we should vote to stay or to leave the EU. I question that – surely the opposite is true. Wouldn’t it be more fitting if those charged with shepherding the flock and encouraging our spiritual well-being, gave prayerful guidance on this difficult question?
Is God interested in Britain and its future?
If He is, has he given us any biblical guidance on alliances, or signs and insights that might help us in the decision-making process?
As you might imagine, these are not the sort of questions I would ask if I didn’t believe that God is interested in our future and that God has given us signs and indicators to help us make wise choices. In what follows I focus on the spiritual category. It could be argued that living by faith means letting God choose the best way forward, rather than claiming our “rights” and focusing on our own welfare. Thus obedience to God transforms anything we do in the natural (politics, economics, social interaction or whatever) into the spiritual.
What is God saying about EU membership? In my view the indicators are unequivocal and are summed up in 2 Corinthians 6:17: “Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord” (see also Revelation 18:1-4).
There are 5 “signs” and 2 points for consideration that I want to look at:
Signs and Considerations of Spiritual Significance in the EU Membership Debate .
- The EU Parliament Building, Strasbourg, modeled on Tower of Babel – FLAG ‘A’
- A Woman Rides the Beast statue, Council of Europe, Brussels – FLAG ‘B’
- The Pergamum Altar (Satan’s throne) in Berlin – FLAG ‘C’
- The Ishtar Gate (gateway to Hell) in Berlin – FLAG ‘D’
- Shiva statue (Hindu god of destruction) at CERN (European Organisation for Nuclear Research) – FLAG ‘E’
- Is Europe the new Babylon? – FLAG ‘F’
- What does Scripture say about alliances? (Peter Horrobin article) – FLAG ‘G’
Recognising that you may not have the time or the inclination to look at these signs and considerations in full, I have attached relevant information, as Annexures or ‘FLAGs’ [in blog’s next post]. Even if you don’t have time to read the detail, each picture is worth a thousand words!
Executive Summary
There can be little doubt that the EU Parliament building is modeled on the Tower of Babel, as depicted in a painting by Brueghel, FLAG A, and that the Woman Rides the Beast image is both a statue and a widely used symbol in pictures and on EU currency, FLAG B.
Most would agree that Germany is the “power house” of Europe and has significant influence in the EU decision-making process. Assuming that God does give us signs, it is startling to note that the Pergamum Altar, also referred to in the Bible as Satan’s throne, and the Ishtar Gate, said to be the gateway to Hell, are both in Berlin, see FLAG C and FLAG D respectively.
The statue of the Hindu god Shiva (The Destroyer) is a strange choice to have in front of the CERN (the European Organization for Nuclear Research) building in Geneva, FLAG E.
If asked whether the surprising symbolism used in the EU and at CERN has significance in influencing how we should vote, my counter question would be “what further signs would we need to be convinced that remaining in the EU is not our best option?” I find these signs astonishing and compelling. The Bible repeatedly advises us about having “eyes to see and ears to hear” and about being held accountable for not recognising the signs of the times.
If the EU is the new Babylon, FLAG F, we can expect to see systems developing that aim to establish worldwide economic and political controls: a new world order moving towards totalitarian government. We might also wish to note the Bible’s emphatic advice to have nothing to do with Babylon, as depicted as the woman on the beast in Revelation 17 and 18, and as stated in Isaiah 48.20
Under the heading “What does Scripture say about alliances” I have taken the liberty of quoting in full an article written by Peter Horrobin, founder of Ellel Ministries, at FLAG G. [RB: extracts only for blog but link to original blog provided.]
Sadly, I can guarantee that over the coming weeks we will hear a great deal about economic issues, trading relationships, financial stability, security, border controls, immigration, political influence, special relationships, the right to govern and so on, and so on. It is very unlikely that any senior politician will mention the spiritual implications or even suggest that prayer might be appropriate in seeking the best way forward for our nation.
Finally, what the government’s controversial “vote to stay” leaflet makes clear is that we are not really committed to the EU dream. We are a fringe member both in geographical terms and in our hearts and minds.
I will be voting for Britain to leave the EU [as will editor RB].
Continue reading the appended FLAGS A-G >>
NOTE: Neil, retired Brigadier with background in communications and administration, is the author of SIGNS, The Significance of Biblical Prophecy. I first met Neil at his excellent extensive course on this topic at Winchester Vineyard Church, the outcome of which is his conversational introduction to what the Bible teaches about the climax of history and the end of the world, as we know it. For more information and my recommendation see this post, or click image for fuller details and to purchase.
The foundational reason for Unity across the Church
Apostle Paul instructs us:
‘Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be the glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
‘I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience and forbearance to one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.’
‘There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all’ (Ephesians 3:20-4:6)
Last Sunday Lyndell Cooley taught on being one body in Christ and how the above verses are foundational, as well as critical for the future of the Church. Writing from prison, Paul teaches believers how to be real, radical and risky – even dangerous – in our beliefs and the kind of character needed to stand together and to confront the world and persecution.
“IF your Christianity is NOT dangerous you may want to check and see if it really is Christianity!
“If it’s SAFE, it’s probably NOT Christianity, because Christianity IS dangerous!
“Isn’t it amazing that the church is scared to death of the danger we’re facing, which is NORMAL to Christianity – because we’ve become so comfortable (as Americans) being accepted…but the scripture is full of people who live dangerously…”
Lindell then quotes Jesus’ warning at Luke 21:12 of what will happen to His followers. They’ll be taken before courts and rulers for “My Name’s sake – It will lead to an opportunity for your testimony.” So Lindell adds, “You can go to church for 30 years and keep your mouth shut but risky Christianity means you say something!”
He likens the power behind Paul’s words to that we feel upon reading people like Richard Wurmbrand, Lutheran pastor jailed for years by Communists in Romania and founder of Voice of the Martyrs radio. He tells of a paraplegic ex-muslim confined to a wheelchair but imprisoned in Lahore Pakistan for converting to Christianity. When asked how he felt about the possibility of execution, he replied
“If I’m hanged for the Name of Christ, I will kiss my rope but never deny my faith!”
“That kind of talk in prison”, continues Lindell, “Is like a stiff, wakening winter wind in the face of our drowsy, television, internet-soaked, self-pitying kind of Christianity!
“It makes us wake up and get dressed for spiritual winter battle – and that’s what Paul wanted us to have. He wanted us to be awake like that! He pleads us to, number one, preserve the unity of the Spirit…”
Lindell briefly addresses live-streaming online members of Church of His Presence at 1:03:00 on this archived video. That’s where you too can get an overview of his important, deeply rousing and encouraging message on being One Body in Christ and what that means to tell the nations about Jesus. The message in full begins at 1:10:20 and closes with Lindell leading worship.
Be mightily blessed as you read and watch…
Blog anniversary: ‘The Fellowship of the Secret’
Funny the way things go but I didn’t realise ’til yesterday, when I started blogging more on the current theme, that a year ago today I introduced ‘The Fellowship of the Secret’, an e-book by my namesake Richard Barker.
Even ‘funnier’ are the facts I’m uncovering whilst trying to continue from what I’d jotted as of last night. I was researching scripture and drafting a post to continue and conclude my current thoughts on the Kingdom, especially about the ‘mysteries’ Apostle Paul mentions. I’d previously checked last year’s piece and found the link to Richard’s book is no longer valid. Upon updating it yesterday I found his blog Fellowship of the Secret and decided to ‘follow’.
NOW, it’s getting much ‘funnier’ – even startlingly weird and very uncanny!…(and my email provider’s playing up and not failing to connect and download! So something’s afoot).:
Fellow WordPress bloggers are familiar with our administrative screen’s options of using either ‘My Site’ or ‘Reader’, which displays the latest posts of blogs we follow on WP.
For some purposeless reason I don’t recall, soon after starting this blog I went back into an open tab and opened up Reader – LO and behold, right at the top is one from Richard timed about the same time I started this post – UTTERLY EXTRAORDINARY. It reads:
‘The Fellowship of The Secret – Introductory Essay
‘Having completed my series of posts in which I have been commenting on Old Testament passages that particularly came to my attention during the writing of my book, I have composed an essay which will replace the preface in earlier editions of the e-book and the paperback version.
‘It sets out the background to the later edition and provides more insight into what I believe the process I am involved with is leading to. It will either whet your appetite for the book (e-version now free) or put you off entirely, since it challenges virtually everyone to review their current understanding of the Apostle Paul’s writings and that of their tradition.’ (emphasis added)
To read the latest from Richard click/tap Update for Revised Edition.
Finding it far from easy to think, because I’m ‘God-smacked at nature of this ‘coincidence’! The sheer serendipity demonstrates the LORD’s HAND MUST SURELY BE IN THIS – and is perhaps answering reservations and questions over what I propose writing on the ‘mysteries’ and recent posts. IN FACT, I extracted references on Richard’s book for this post from yesterday’s draft because the book seems especially significant at this time and needs announcing once again!
So, I’m SO stunned and left feeling sluggish with heavy limbs, like when Holy Spirit falls! Have had to take a break and share with Nina and visiting friend.
MOREOVER, a year ago my coverage of Richard’s book was surrounded with several God-incidents, as in God-incidents Validate Cycles… and Surprising Endorsement of ‘The Fellowship of the Secret’. The first introduces my namesake in some depth and then describes ‘The Fellowship of the Secret’ as follows:
‘(Richard) describes it as identifying, “the key that unlocks an age-enduring mystery surrounding the apparent disconnection between OT prophecy and the out-working of the Church/Gospel age.”
‘This claim, however, is not so new or surprising to those who study prophetic scripture outside the confines of the Catholic or Reformed churches, especially in view of the latter’s wide consensus on the cessation of Holy Spirit’s activity after the 1st Century.
‘In the overview of his e-book Richard focuses upon Paul’s statement in Ephesians 3:8-11 about his personal revelations. I especially appreciate this conclusion regarding the mutual failure in Jews and early Christians to understand one another:
“…Christendom’s part pertains to a failure to grasp the “the fellowship of the secret” – its implications to broader providence and God’s as yet unfulfilled terrestrial promises to the nation He first chose for Himself.”
‘Dipping into the extracts Richard’s put online, I like his hammering home on what the Church has lost and missed, and especially note the following from the first chapter ‘The Hidden Dispensation’ of ‘The Fellowship of the Secret’:
“The New Testament “elephant in the room”: the biblically unexplained and largely undebated non-fulfilment (or subversion) of scriptural prophecy regarding the terrestrial and political aspects of the Jewish apocalypse pertains to a secret disclosure, revealed to and through Paul of which I was previously unaware but now realise is the key to understanding Old Testament prophecy…”
‘Preceding that section Richard’s remarks are of direct relevance to recent posts on this blog about keys to and unsealing of the Book of Daniel, with emphasis added:
“In the religious sphere an on-going learning curve has been guaranteed through the intentionally cryptic profundity of Holy Scripture that was never intended to be entirely unravelled until the end of the age, for it contains at least one significant mystery (or secret) that was not to be disclosed until such a time (Dan 12:1-4 & 7; Rev 10:4,7)…”
‘I suspect that those who love to sink their teeth into a theological treatise topped by a prophetical icing will gain by reading my namesake’s e-book – especially in broadening our own understanding of End-times. I certainly will.’
WOW!
What is the Lord saying to us and about to reveal? I suspect it may be quite startling and take the Church into greater depths of intimacy and of revelation upon re-instating its full nature and purpose. After writing this I note Richard’s remark in the first paragraph of his Update (emphasis mine):
‘A more serious consideration reflected on during the Christmas/New Year period (2015/16) is that whatever anyone else may currently think I perceive myself to be involved in a sacred task – to make known to as many Christians who will receive it, what I understand to be God’s intentions for the currently scattered assemblies of Jesus-followers in view of what (I merely surmise) He intends to bring about within our generation (cf. Acts3:21 Greek). So in effect, the book is an expansive “prophetic insight” in which its author came within a matter of a few days to a quite new understanding of certain biblical passages and events within Church history…’
We’re getting closer to the prophesied return of the Lord. Watch out world!
Unity across churches manifests God’s Kingdom
Here I share more insights gained since Holy Week, citing an example to prove this post’s title and looking at early church history. First, listen to Jesus in prayer:
“Father, I pray for those who will believe in Me..that they may all be one, as You Father are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent me.” (John 17:20-21 NKJV – emphasis added)
Is Jesus’ prayer about to be fully answered at long, long last? Especially for the sake of saving lost souls?
Sixty years ago many Christian denominations had scant tolerance for one another, even though a large percentage of Britons attended church regularly or, if not, would at least go for Easter and Christmas. Those who didn’t were religiously well-informed – unlike today’s spiritually unwashed masses who are religious illiterates! As a youngster I was subject to some most unexpected personal animosity between Protestants and Catholics – despite their claiming to believe in the same God!
Thus, disunity was one reason for my rejecting Churchianity and seeking truth beyond science and religion in metaphysics and mysticism (the Eastern and New Age variety).
As well as ignoring Jesus’ expressed desire for unity and command to love one another, believers weren’t doing what Jesus did – and more – as He foretold:
“Most assuredly I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do because I go to My Father.” (John 14:12 NKJV)
History demonstrates churches across the East and West hadn’t complied with Jesus’ desire. Moreover, it seems God didn’t answer His Son’s deep prayer request! Mankind’s free-will and Satan’s steering were determined to prevent its fulfillment at all costs.
Heavenly Father can ensure Jesus’ prayer gets met. No doubt He’s waiting for the right time and conditions for inspiring believers who are responsive to His Spirit; rather than to make them comply. He didn’t create robotic automatons. First, however, we need to want and allow Holy Spirit into our lives rather than deny, quench or grieve His gracious ways.
Re-born Into Christ
Consequently, it was an extremely pleasant surprise to find after being born again in 1989-90 those antagonisms had disappeared. When I was baptised in Holy Spirit in 1992 I saw Jesus healing people and so I wanted to associate with the group who’d organised that day’s event. That Circle of Prayer for Healing in the mid-Thames Valley was a mixture of Catholics, Anglicans, Baptists and independents – and all charismatics!
Thus, spiritual unity of that small group enabled Holy Spirit to flow in power and manifest the presence of the Kingdom of God – praise You Lord. Hopefully we may expect a much larger manifestation now we’re 25 years further down the road…
An increasing emphasis from those with prophetical voices and gifting is indicating Holy Spirit wants to inspire, infuse and direct our hearts and minds with Jesus’ love for fellow Christians, and to express that as a Unity of spirit and action – so the world no longer sees believers as squabbling hypocrites and realise who Jesus is and that we really do have the answers they’re desperately needing and seeking spiritually.
Hence my enthusiasm towards unity in belief and action (with the caveat of obedience to Jesus’ instructions) throughout Christendom – no doubt the intensification of secular and terrorist persecution is drawing us out of our shells and making us stand up!
So, let’s remind ourselves of recent ‘God-incidents’ focusing on Unity (as here and here).:
- Extraordinary vision: “I watched as these fiery, burning and anointed ones moved together in PERFECT UNITY”.
- Revelation from the Lord about angels of Revival being released and that “The body of Christ is coming alive in Jesus, in purity, in life, in love, in UNITY”.
- Obedient response to: “The Rhema Word God has had for me the past few months is UNITY”.
- Writing a new book for which “The major outcome theme…is Unity”.
- Three years’ preparation for church-wide act of unity across the UK.
The details of the last from Malcolm Duncan warrant brief re-iteration:
“I lead Spring Harvest and for three years I have been working on an act of unity across the United Kingdom that will see all…evangelical bible conventions and celebrations declaring that, whatever our theological differences are, we are one in Christ Jesus. It is going to involve 130,000 Christians from March (Spring Harvest) through to October next year with the Festival of Life…perhaps the biggest demonstration of Christian unity that we have seen in the evangelical church in the United Kingdom for almost two hundred years – and they’ve all said “Yes” – there’s the miracle! They’re all on board, and I am sure the Bible says,
“Where the brethren dwell together in unity, the Lord commands a blessing.”
Seventeen months ago Heidi Baker brought a word about ‘A New Move of God in the UK’ which prophesied about Unity as follows (underlining added):
“…There’s going to be a movement of unity in the UK that’s going to shake the world, says the Lord. I hear the prophetic word of the Lord. It’s going to flow through the universities and the colleges of the universities. It’s going to flow through denomination and the non-denominations. There’s going to be a move of unity within the Body of Christ.
“You’re going to fill Wembley Stadium. You’re going to fill stadiums, stadiums, with worshippers of the living God. And there’s going to be this holy affection where people come before the Lord. They’re not going to even know who’s speaking in the stadium, they’re not going to even know the name of the preachers, because they’re coming fixing their eyes on Jesus. It’s going to shake the nation, says the Lord.
“There’s going to be a unity even between Scotland and Ireland and the UK, that’s going to SHAKE, SHAKE, SHAKE, SHAKE. There’s going to be a shaking that’s going to bring a unity, says the Lord. There’s going to be something that the people of other faiths are going to see in this nation, as believers come together in radical love…”
Amen to all the above.
The Early Church on Jesus and Unity
My meditations have been based upon Apostle John’s understanding and revelations of the glory and nature of His dearly beloved rabbi, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. This meant musing upon, seeking the Lord and researching into what the disciples may have learned after the Resurrection; ‘To whom’, the physician and chronicler Dr Luke records that Jesus, ‘also presented Himself alive after His sufferings by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and (His) speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.’ (Acts 1:3 NKJV)
[THUS, after that privileged private teaching they logically concluded the Kingdom was going to be restored to Israel. That’s clearly the Lord’s action plan – they just wanted to know when to expect its execution. Had that not been a legitimate request they’d have been rebuked. But Jesus told them that’s not their – OR His – concern because it’s The Father’s prerogative! Jesus had another plan for them: transmitting the Gospel with all the consequential signs and wonders: ie. fulfillment of John 14:12 – see Acts1:6-8.]
Scriptural meditations encouraged me to re-read The Hidden Tradition of the Kingdom of God – an exceptionally informative book by the Methodist Bible scholar Margaret Barker, whose Doctorate in Divinity was conferred by the Archbishop of Canterbury, ‘in recognition of her work on the Jerusalem Temple and the origins of Christian Liturgy’. (It is designated, ‘Temple Theology’.)
Dr Barker’s significant new contribution to the understanding of the New Testament opened up important fields for research.
In checking out her website I found the paper ‘Jesus the Nazorean’ most illuminating and confirming my thoughts on Paul’s many references to the ‘mysteries’ of God. On page 9 therein lies a useful insight into our consideration of Unity in the Lord (emphases mine):
“Theodotus, the second century teacher whose work survives only as quotations in Clement of Alexandria, was condemned by later generations as a Gnostic. He taught about Jesus’ role in restoring the unity, just as John’s Jesus did in his final prayer after the last supper. This is what Theodotus said:
They say that our angels were put forth as a unity and are One in that they came out from the One.
Now since we existed in separation, Jesus was baptised that the undivided should be divided until he should unite us with them in the Fullness, that we, the many, having become one, might be mingled with the One which was divided for our sakes.’
“And this is what John’s Jesus said:
”[I pray] that they may all be one; even as Thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they may also be in us, so that the world may believe that thou hast sent me”. (John 17.21)
Restoring the unity was a sign of divinity. But John’s Jesus also brought judgement: ‘[The Father] has given all judgement to the Son’ (John 5.22).
“Theodotus is not telling us anything different from what Paul said in his message to the
Ephesians:
’For he has made known to us in all wisdom and insight the mystery of his will, according to his purpose which he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth’ (Eph.1.9-10).
“So too in his letter to the Colossians, Paul said that Christ holds all things together (Col.1.17).
“The secret of the kingdom was the secret of unity, restoring all things to their unity with God, and so Paul saw the future as the Son of God bringing all things into the kingdom – he called it subduing all things, the judgement – ‘that God may be all in all’ (1 Cor.15.28).”
Therefore, in my humble opinion, this information is well-worth mulling over. I’m especially pleased Dr Barker refers to and stresses Ephesians 1:9 (see my covering intro to God’s Eternal Purpose – and reference to Unity therein). This reinforces my interest in what Paul knew by personal revelation from Jesus Himself, as well as gained when he was caught up into heaven.
Thank you Lord that Your Spirit of Wisdom and of Revelation brings knowledge of You (Eph 1:17).
Footnote:
In discussion with a leader at a local church we visited recently I queried his opinion upon the source of Paul’s knowledge of the Last Supper and the Resurrection. He was keenly recommending a new devotional book, 40 Days With Jesus by Dave Smith of New Frontiers church. In considering the evidence for Jesus’ resurrection, the leader echoed Smith’s citing ‘compelling evidence from 1 Corinthians 15 (as) important because not only was it…written early [in 55AD] but (also) Paul’s evidence would have come from meetings with the other apostles that took place only a few years after the resurrection itself’.
This book’s a useful adjunct to my meditations, but the above remark may be playing fast and loose with scriptural data!!
Paul’s letter to the Galatians may be dated 6 years earlier, depending upon which of two groups he was addressing, or else contemporary with that sent to the church in Corinth. In stating how he changed from being a severe persecutor of believers to becoming an on-fire believer and preacher, Paul writes (Gal 1:15-16 NKJV):
“When it pleased God…to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went to Arabia and returned again to Damascus.”
In about 62 AD, Dr Luke completed his careful investigations of early church history. He wrote, ‘In his account to King Agrippa Paul states, “I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision but declared first to those in Damascus…(to) repent, turn to God and do works befitting repentance” (Acts 26:19-20). Earlier, in recording post-conversion events of Paul in that city, where Paul regained his sight through Ananias, Luke states ‘Then Saul spent some days with the disciples in Damascus. Immediately he preached the Christ in synagogues…’ (Acts 9:19-20).
Therefore, if Saul didn’t receive full revelation personally about the Last Supper and the Resurrection whilst blind, then wouldn’t he have got the basics from Ananias’ group?
Further reading:
[Credit: ‘Puzzle Globe and Book’ by Thanunkorn, courtesy Freedigitalphotos.net ]
Coming soon: Living Letters
Intriguing timing here! This was posted the day before the original of my re-blog ‘How the Church Lost The Way’ on the need to reclaim our Hebrew heritage. So this makes a suitable follow-on – thanks Justin.
7th April: The Four Faces of God and Unity
A week ago today things happened that have since made me think, “Could Jesus’ prayer for all believers, as in John 17, at last be answered in our day?” Perhaps Father is already releasing indicators on this by scattering pieces of a puzzle for us to complete. As with most jigsaws it’s best to find and lay corner pieces and edges before tackling the larger picture, especially when the full picture isn’t as clear as we’d like it to be. But we can at least make a start on this ‘invisible jigsaw’…
After days of enquiring about overseas deliveries and as told in my footnote to this post, I was informed on 7th April that a copy of the out-of-print book ‘The Four Faces of God’ had been dispatched. It so happens – definitely not a coincidence – last Thursday, the 7th day of the 4th month of 2016, brought a quadruple focus upon a very specific theme.
First, two sisters in the Lord published related prophetic words from the Lord on 7th April.:
1 > Veronika West on the ‘Emerald Isle’ had a vision of ‘A Firestorm, Four Whirlwinds and Four Faces of God’ and in which she describes how it progressed:
“…I watched as these FIERY, BURNING AND ANOINTED ONES MOVED TOGETHER IN PERFECT UNITY, there were none greater than the other, shoulder to shoulder, and shield to shield they advanced and moved forward as ONE MIGHTY ARMY…” (emboldening added).
(Upon learning about the ‘God-incidence’ between the date she posted it on Facebook and the book’s despatch, which was absolutely nothing to do with her, she wrote that she was “truly blown away”.)
2 > For some ‘strange’ reason I got TWO copies of an email notification of what had been written earlier that day around the world and ‘down under’ by Lana Vawser:
‘While I was in the USA the Lord spoke to me about the visitation of a REVIVAL ANGEL that is being released across the earth that is marking the season we are in. We are in a season of revival and it is beginning to build and sweep across the earth. The Lord was certainly highlighting the magnitude of the revival that will be seen on a global scale, yet I felt a real emphasis from the Lord on the body of Christ and individuals. As I sat with the Lord pondering what He spoke about this angel of revival, I was surrounded by the need for reviving, refreshment and rejuvenation within the body of Christ. As I sat with the Lord He spoke to me about encounters with the angel/s of revival that is going to increase more and more in this season, where the Lord is going to send these angelic hosts to minister to the people of God. “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” (Hebrews 1:14) We do not worship angels, we worship Jesus, but we must recognise that angels are ministering spirits that are sent to us. As I saw this angel of revival that had been sent to the earth, there were many, many other angels who were accompanying him and they all had clocks in their hands. When I looked at the clocks all of them were at the same time “midnight”. As they came into the lives of believers they all sang in one accord “It’s time! It’s time! It’s time! It’s time for the GREAT REVIVE! It’s time! It’s time! It’s time for the GREAT REVIVE!”...'(read ‘Here it Is…The Angel of Revival!!’)
I noticed the full message’s closing words have this line
‘The body of Christ is coming alive in Jesus, in purity, in life, in love, in UNITY.‘
3 > A regular reader of this blog emailed on 7th April about the Lord awakening her in the middle of the night on Easter Sunday about the church she and her husband are to attend:
‘He woke me, and said: “It’s time to GO!”…(email closes) The Rhema Word God has had for me the past few months is UNITY.’
4 > Did you notice ‘Unity’ is the focus of Malcolm Duncan’s March Message, ‘Watching What’s Happening in the Church’? – about which I blogged on 7th April:
“I lead Spring Harvest and for three years I have been working on an act of unity across the United Kingdom that will see all of the evangelical bible conventions and celebrations declaring that whatever our theological differences are, we are one in Christ Jesus.”
NEXT (and fifth instance), upon his return from Spring Harvest my Dorset friend and author William Smith caught up with those blogs and emailed me about Malcolm,
“…The theme of Spring Harvest next year is unity. Unity, as you know, is the major outcome theme of my new book. I love such confirmation.” (emphases added)
SO we have ‘four corner pieces’ of a jigsaw puzzle displaying ‘UNITY’ in the Lord. Could they in any way be related to the four faces of God? I humbly submit how this may be so:
- dramatic vision of fire, whirlwinds and God – symbolic of the Eagle’s vision
- word from the Lord about angelic release – symbolic of the Lion’s rulership
- act of obedience to Lord and pastor – symbolic of Bull’s sacrificial service
- noticing and writing about theme – symbolic of Man’s anointing and calling.
Lastly but not least, lest we may forget, there’s this blog’s ‘blockbuster’! – the prophetic word Heidi Baker brought in late 2014 on Unity in ‘A New Move of God in the UK’ (the statistics of that post blasted through the ceiling!).
FOR SOMETHING TO BE STRESSED 5 TIMES ON THE SAME DAY MUST MEAN THE LORD WANTS OUR ATTENTION, AND IS POINTING OUT UNITY IS VITAL!
Next, we’ll look at scripture on this and an illuminating insight from early church history.
[Credit: ‘Flying puzzles’ by Nokhoog Buchachon, courtesy Freedigitalphotos.net ]
2017, the significance of 70 years and Smith-Wigglesworth’s vision
Upon reading the full transcript of Malcolm Duncan’s message it resonated deeply within my spirit – as well as directly relating to personal experiences. Please bear with me as some of it necessitates reiteration.
We should note Malcolm’s reservations mirror those of Wigglesworth’s contemporaries over his unorthodox, questionable ministry methods – but whatever the Lord wanted to heal or expel got accomplished. (Bobby Conner recounts his astonishment at seeing a dubious church leader in Jesus’ presence but being rebuked because he’s the Lord’s servant!) Malcolm’s remarks upon weighing what the Lord may be saying is an object lesson in the prophetic. NB:
“…Denis shouted “And brother I came into the kingdom in 1947” and the minute he said it I thought, “I think God is saying something to me”.
“I think Denis…he used you as a prophetic voice…So what came into my head was “the Smith Wigglesworth prophecy of 1947”.
“I turned to Pauline and said, “Did Smith Wigglesworth prophesy his prophecy in 1947?”, and she said, “I don’t know but I was born in 1947”.
“But as soon as I heard Denis I thought of the Smith Wigglesworth prophecy, which was very unusual for me and made me think, “What are you saying Lord?” I went back and I read it again and thought – “There is something stirring in my spirit here.” (Emphasis added)
Pauline’s reaction is mine too for I always recall that vision’s year is my birth year. Also, the timing of 50 years until my witnessing his prayer partner’s ecstatic joy at also seeing what will be happening across the British Isles is etched in my memory, as told in the previous post.
Yet there’s another reason – and it connects into Malcolm’s thoughts on 70 years as being significant. AND I can offer what he doesn’t – a confirmatory explanation! He said,
“2017 is 70 years after the prophecy was given. 2017 is also 50 years after Jean Darnall’s prophecy, which was given in 1967, when she saw little fires across the UK ablaze and then a river flowing through the UK and into Europe…
“Is God saying something with these two things? The 50th year after Jean Darnall’s prophecy, a year of jubilee. The 70th year after Smith Wigglesworth prophecy, just like there were 70 years of captivity for Israel…I feel like Daniel must have felt like when he found Jeremiah’s promise after 70 years and said, after 70 years I am going to do something.
NOW, this leads into something I’d intended to finish relating to revelations upon timings received last April. I will be more concise than when I was trying to formulate and clarify what I was learning.:
On Good Friday 2015 Charles Shamp taught on the coming September’s fourth blood-moon as marking the beginning of the time of the Army of God. He believes it starts a two-year period that’s open for all believers, but especially for a glorious company praying things from the Age to Come. Thus, the two years until September 2017 will be an extra-special period, not judgmental and destructive.
The details are recounted in A Scriptural context of…the Blood-Moon Tetrad; and under ‘2015 Feast of Tabernacles Blood-Moon’ header in its follow-up post I reported Charlie’s reasons. Those posts were written last September, but the first ones on that Passover-Easter conference appeared a year ago this month. Furthermore, I blogged about the personal significance of 40 and 55 year periods in ‘God-incidents’ Validate Cycles and Point to Near-Future.
70-Years Period
I didn’t, however, explain the personal relevance of 70 years to 23rd September 2017.
As in those posts, Charlie relates that date to the prophet Daniel’s forecast and bequest to the Magi of his revelation on ‘The Star of Bethlehem’; a reappearance of which is expected in astronomical stellar and planetary alignments of 23.9.2017 (note: not astrology!). More specifically, this future event relates to Revelation 12:1 – John’s vision of the woman clothed with the sun. (For more read Nelson Walters Who Is the Woman of Rev.12?)
My reaction was – “My 70th birthday’s the day before!”. So the 23rd September 2017 will start a new 70-year period for me.
70 is a biblically sacred number the two factors of which are perfect numbers, 7 and 10 representing perfection and completeness respectively. As such, it symbolizes perfect spiritual order carried out with all power, and can also represent a period of judgment (courtesy BibleStudy.org, which gives other examples to those Malcolm cites). Also, Jewish scholars teach that ‘The Torah has 70 Faces’, or levels of interpretation!
Last year saw 70th anniversary celebrations over the end of World War II, and other occasions. 2017 will be the 70th anniversary of crucial events in the birth of the state of Israel. In A Few Thoughts To Mark the Occasion of the 67th birthday of that state, Joel Rosenberg writes about a critical occasion in 1947 on the UN Partition Plan for Palestine upon the British withdrawal from that Mandated Territory, as follows:
‘To succeed, the Partition Plan needed a two-thirds majority vote of the U.N. General Assembly. With just days to go before that historic vote on November 29, 1947, however, supporters of the plan were still three votes short. Some have suggested that President Truman personally called leaders of other nations to encourage them to support the American position. Others say he didn’t but that staff in his administration did; the record is not clear. Either way, most historians—including David McCullough, who won the Pulitzer Prize for his extraordinary biography Truman—acknowledge that Truman wanted the plan to pass and played a role behind the scenes. In the end, Truman got his way. The Partition Plan dramatically passed at the last moment, thirty-three to thirteen, with ten abstentions’.
2017 – Unity
Malcolm Duncan gives his reasons for 2017 being a significant year and seeing a move of God in the UK, for which he believes God is asking us to get ready in many ways. I will cover this essential aspect in another post…
By the way, Erik Hadik, the financial analyst I occasionally blog about, gave this forecast last June on 2017:
‘The culmination of so many diverse cycle in 2017 keeps receiving powerful validation. For instance, the convergence of 8-year, 17-year and 40-year cycles – all related to China – have been forecast to accelerate into 2017.’
We shall see what we shall see…
Smith Wigglesworth visions of 1939, 1947 and 1997(!) plus related ones of 2015, 2018
To continue from the previous post on Malcolm Duncan’s reference to Wigglesworth this post expands upon the entry in Library of Prophecies for UK and my email of May 2011.:
Born in 1859, Smith Wigglesworth was an unschooled plumber by trade living in Bradford, England. In Great Revivalists my friend John Peters writes,
‘While in purely human terms he would be viewed as entirely unimportant and insignificant, he was spiritually a giant in every sense o this word…
‘All that mattered to Wigglesworth was listening for and to the voice of God’s Holy Spirit: it is hardly any wonder this ministry had such powerful anointing…
‘He conceived of revival in typically robust terms: that it can only come when we are prepared to die to self and human striving. Alongside this was his teaching that Jesus must occupy the foremost place in our hearts and lives.’
For a brief background see Jonas Clark’s Smith Wigglesworth: The Apostle of Faith, or visit the Revival Library’s dedicated website for full biographical accounts and materials.
Before ‘going home’ on 12 March 1947, Wigglesworth prophesied about major moves of the Holy Spirit coming to the UK.:
TWO DISTINCT MOVES
‘During the next few decades there will be two distinct moves of the Holy Spirit across the church in Great Britain. The first move will affect every church that is open to receive it and will be characterized by a restoration of the baptism and gifts of the Holy Spirit. The second move of the Holy Spirit will result in people leaving historic churches and planting new churches. In the duration of each of these moves, the people who are involved will say “This is the great revival”. But the Lord says “No, neither is this the great revival but both are steps towards it”.’
[Both have started happening for we know many have left churches that were not teaching and moving more fully in what’s promised and expected in the New Testament.]
WORD AND SPIRIT
‘When the new church phase is on the wane, there will be evidenced in the churches something that has not been seen before: a coming together of those with an emphasis on the Word and those with an emphasis on the Spirit.
‘When the Word and the Spirit come together, there will be the biggest movement of the Holy Spirit that the nation, and indeed the world, has ever seen. It will mark the beginning of a revival that will eclipse anything that has been witnessed within these shores, even the Wesleyan and the Welsh revivals of former years. The outpouring of God’s Spirit will flow over from the UK to the mainland of Europe, and from there will begin a missionary move to the ends of the earth.’
[It should be noted that in recent years the Baptist Union of Great Britain recognised the necessity of working with the Word with the Spirit and His gifts in equal measure. See, for example, their Vice-President’s Daring Greatly Through Spirituality AND Malcolm’s own sensitivity as a theologian to the Spirit’s directing his response.]
A THIRD WAVE
According to Revival Prophecies for the British Isles, more insight on the above was to come later from one of his disciples, American evangelist Lester Sumrall (known as ‘Father of Christian TV’, who died 1996). Gary Carpenter’s website reports Sumrall’s meeting as taking place in 1939, the essence of which he reports as follows:
‘Wigglesworth cried saying, “I probably won’t see you again now. My job is almost finished.” As he continued to pray, he cried “I see it, I see it!”
‘Brother Sumrall asked, “What do you see, what do you see? He said, “I see a healing revival coming right after World War II. It’ll be so easy to get people healed. I see it! I see it! I won’t be here for it, but you will be.” And there was a healing revival right after the war.
‘He continued to prophesy, “I see another one. I see people of all different denominations being filled with the Holy Ghost.” That was the Charismatic Revival. God raised up people during that era, like the Full Gospel Businessmen.
‘Then Brother Wigglesworth continued, “I see another move of God. I see auditoriums full of people, coming with notebooks. There will be a wave of teaching on faith and healing.” We did experience that wave he saw, and we call it the Word of Faith movement.
‘Then he prophesied, “After that, after the third wave,” he started sobbing. “I see the last day revival that’s going to usher in the precious fruit of the earth. It will be the greatest revival this world has ever seen! It’s going to be a wave of the gifts of the Spirit. The ministry gifts will be flowing on this planet earth. I see hospitals being emptied out, and they will bring the sick to the churches where they allow the Holy Ghost to move”.’
[For full copy of the above visions, including those of Jean Darnall, see WPC file.]
1997 – NORMAN JAMES’ VISION
In April 1997 I was privileged to meet 80 years old Revd Norman James from the North Yorkshire resort of Scarborough. Norman had been the prayer partner of Wigglesworth. This occasion was a weekend meeting convened at Hothorpe Hall in Leicestershire to celebrate the Welsh Revival and pray for revival.
When this small group stood in a close circle to pray, Norman was less than a yard in front of me. As he was quite short my eyes opened to gaze fully into his face and so I couldn’t help but notice his eyes alight with excitement. A huge, beaming smile – he was radiant!
Norman could hardly speak, save to whisper, “I’ve just seen what Wigglesworth saw – Britain in revival, on fire for the Lord!”
Ever so briefly he explained that in Wigglesworth’s 88th year the Lord had given him a vision of a future revival in Britain. He knew it would happen decades ahead but he so desperately desired to see such days. Thus Norman confided, “No wonder he wanted the Lord to keep him alive!“. But he couldn’t find the words to describe its wonder.
WOW! Something for us all to pray into and look forward to. The timing of this prophetic impression upon Malcolm Duncan follows enquiries via LinkedIn about this event from a reader researching Wigglesworth’s vision.
2015 – ‘ENGLAND ABLAZE’
The theme from those visions of the 20th Century for the 21st Century have been carried ‘beyond the Pond’. Tony Puccio of Tucson, Arizona, blogged in My Dreams and Visions:
I saw a vision of the country of England as I was driving today 08/16/2015 (16th August). What I saw was a topographical map of England. In what looked like the uppermost right hand corner of the county I saw a small fire begin. What came to mind here is what the Lord told me a while ago which was don’t despise small beginnings. I saw a mouth blow on the small flame and the flame grew to a fire and the fire eventually engulfed the whole of England.
Along with this vision I saw a country(ies) in the same way I saw England which was a topographical map. I saw deep cracks which I saw as division in the Land and got the sense that healing will be forthcoming as well of these lands. The lands were related to England.
This morning, 08/17/2015 (17th August), am adding to the vision I saw yesterday. In today’s vision I saw many many row boats, note that I said row boats and not ocean liners, leaving the shores of England for other parts of the world. Each of the boats had a small crew and I only saw one person rowing.
See also Bobby Conner (2008) “A holy, unstoppable firestorm is coming to the UK” and Lydia Stanley on 2 July 2016, “Epicenters of rivers of God’s glory”.
Next, in 2017, The Significance of 70 Years and Smith-Wigglesworth Vision we’ll look into a couple of Malcolm Duncan’s other points of his reminiscence upon the visions…
PS: 2018 – THE CROSS VISIBLE IN ENGLAND
Tony Puccio reports again on 21st November 2018:
‘I had a dream where I saw a huge cross that seemed to have been buried for a while unearthed. When it was unearthed and placed upright I could see the imprint it from whence it had been unearthed. When stood up you could see it for miles. In fact, I saw a ship out at see coming towards England and the cross was visible to those in the ship.
‘This means that England will be a beacon of Christianity as the cross in my dream was a beacon.’
This Friday night watch CHP’s Special Service by live streaming
Tap/click above image for direct link into Church of His Presence media page, from where archived material may also be accessed.
7PM start is Central Daylight Time in USA (1.00 AM BST Saturday morning in UK). Check your local time difference with Alabama’s CDT by using Time & Date’s Worldclock.
At the close of Sunday’s enthusiastic worship, CHP’s senior pastor Revd John Kilpatrick remarked,
“If you’re looking for a dead church there’s plenty of them BUT I want you to know you’re in Church of His Presence today and I want God to move and have His way.
“Whenever I leave here and I face the world I know I need something under the hood (ie. car bonnet). I need the Word in my life – I need the Spirit of God in my life – BUT I need to feel and know that the Lord is there!
“Man, I had a great experience with the Lord this morning and can’t wait for Friday night! It’s going to be good!”
Be mightily blessed…
Richard's Watch 