Breaking off the Greek mindset

Posted on Wednesday, 22 July, 2015 by Richard Barker

Any readers puzzled by my reference to the Greek mindset as a Fundamental flaw in Western society (re Humanism & Europe-Greece crisis) will find this brief summary from Freedom Apostolic Resources Centre to be very helpful. It is also background material for their latest post on our relationship with Jesus, By Personal Encounter and Experience.

Sons of Issachar

Mike Parsons –

Last time I shared with you a couple of PowerPoint slides relating to the Greek (Western) and Hebrew (Eastern) mindsets. This week I want to look just a little more closely at the contrast between them, and then I would like to pray for God to reveal where we are being robbed by our Western way of looking at things, and break it off us.

Separation vs unity

Here is the first of those slides again.

Let’s take these a line at a time.

In our Greek understanding, the goal of salvation is to escape this world and go to God’s dwelling place in heaven. So everything is focussed on what will be: very little about what is now. In Hebrew thought, the goal of salvation is to prepare a place fit for God’s dwelling here, among His people. He wants His kingdom to come on earth.

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Fundamental flaw in Western society – re. Greece-Europe crisis, Humanism

Posted on Wednesday, 15 July, 2015 by Richard Barker

“What qualifies you to comment on such a technically complex politico-economic topic?” you may ask. You could well think a hunch or mere coincidences, as in the preamble, to be just mere conjecture or insubstantial supposition.

Question Answered by Prophetic Word

More than being an informed observer, I humbly submit a qualification additional to that of being a biblical student of history. Admittedly, it’s of an immaterial nature: a Holy Spirit gifting! Six years ago Isabel Allum, the well-known teacher of prophecy, discerned it and thereby validated my decision 3 months earlier to write regularly because of an insight on the Bible (The ‘Endgame’ is now in play).

Forgive me for being so personal. It’s the first time of publicly sharing this, not to boast but to answer the above kind of question which readers’ may rightly entertain. In part, the prophetic insight Isabel brought us was as follows (with her emphases):

“…And I heard the Lord saying brother, you are a man of wisdom…He’s coming to release a new level of wisdom in you that far surpasses the wisdom of man and He’s going to make you a man of…

“And I heard the Lord say, an impartation like Daniel had is going to come into you and you will start understanding the ‘riddles’ of the Lord in a different way – the gift of interpretation itself as Daniel and Joseph had is going to come to you and God is going to open up your understanding to hear from heaven, not necessarily to understand the way men do but you will see; like Joseph said, interpreting dreams is God’s business not man’s business and dreams from the Lord cannot be interpreted through symbolism or analysis, only through revelation.

“And the Lord is going to give you the real thing and you will bring it and you will answer the questions of many. But I also heard the Lord saying He’s going to open up nations for you…”

Hence, my many references to sensing ‘God-incidents’ / ‘Invisible jigsaw’!

With that said, let’s turn our attention to the matter in hand:

A Niggling Notion

As stated in the preamble, this matter wouldn’t go away last week – it kept tapping within my spirit. Then along came inspiration in material hidden away ‘upstairs’. That post’s sandwich-style format applies here too: black text for first thoughts already drafted, as below; blue text relating to later ‘God-incidental’ finds; and black again for the conclusion, now expanded.

(Additionally, after writing both drafts yet another ‘confirmation’ came from the same source, but this time in a mailed letter!!)

Here are some brief thoughts on the financial collapse of Greece from a scriptural and spiritual perspective. In view of the direct historical relationship, this also applies to the pinnacle of Western civilisation in its supposedly advanced forms in Europe and North America.

The foundations of European and American civilisations are built upon ancient Greece, not on the later Roman Empire. All our scholastic, intellectual, scientific, literary and political history and institutions are modeled upon those of the ancient Greeks’ patterns of thought. And most importantly, our free, democratic self-government is styled upon the example set by ancient Greece.

Traditional and reformed churches so admired those ancient philosophers that theology got skewed away from the original, Hebraic foundations of our Christian faith. Greek ideas of the human constitution as being composed only of body and soul omitted the third part which, according to a Hebraic understanding, is our personal human spirit. We have a triune nature because we’re created in the Almighty’s image.

Hence, the importance of the discovery of notes from 2012 inserted into the preamble’s ‘taster’ on ‘Intellect or Revelation?’!!

The following quotations come from a paper I’d referred to during online discussion on Greek philosophy in December 2012 and ‘coincidentally’ found in our loft last week. It’s apposite to insert them in blue text (as explained above) into my remarks, between the drafted introduction and conclusion.

Humanism – Forerunner for Antichrist

As a consequence of the pre-reformation and reformed Church’s and the subsequent Enlightenment’s interest in ancient Greece, a subtle, misleading influence upon Western culture and religion developed through the introduction of humanism and its associated agnosticism and atheism.

Derek Prince was a fellow of King’s College Cambridge and a senior research student who specialised in the philosophy of Plato. Although highly qualified to comment upon the ancient Greeks and their subsequent influence, he had a life-changing encounter with the author of the Bible after being called up into military service in the Second World War. Derek was ‘born-again’ and became an very influential Christian teacher

Decades later, in 1993-4, he was given an insight into developments in USA and Israel and the conflict spanning both heaven and earth, as follows:

“The governments and the armies of this world, operating solely on the natural plane, have no understanding of the conflict and no power to deal with the satanic forces in the heavenlies. On the contrary, without realizing it, they themselves are manipulated and controlled by those forces. One essential requirement for victory is to identify the nature of the forces that are at work in any given situation.

“In recent months [in early 1990s] as I have been meditating on developments in the world—especially in the U.S.A. and Israel—and I believe that God has shown me the identity of the evil, deceptive power that Satan plans to use to consummate his purposes for the end of this age. It is HUMANISM.”

Derek had always thought humanism was “a comparatively harmless error” but upon consulting a dictionary he was taken aback by its definition, viz:

“…the denial of any power or moral value superior to that of humanity; the rejection of religion in favour of a belief in the advancement of humanity by its own efforts.

“I realized that humanism is not spiritually neutral. On the contrary, it is a deliberate denial and rejection of God’s power and authority. It is an anti-religious religion. For this reason, it can be—and often is—taught in educational systems, such as that of the USA, which prohibit the teaching of religion in its usual sense.” (Emphases added.)

In tracing this Greek concept back in time he noted its direct linkage in the dream image of Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar in chapter two of the Book of Daniel:

“I realised that it was Greece – more than any of the other empires – which, through its philosophy, reproduced itself in subsequent cultures“.

Beginning with their earliest philosopher they asserted that man is the highest authority in the universe and idolized the human mind, Derek writes,

“Aristotle’s concept of God was a perfect mind contemplating itself—because nothing less was worthy of its contemplation. Out of this the whole philosophy of rationalism has developed”.

With this idolatry came glorification of the male body and, “the Greeks also tended to downgrade the marriage relationship between a man and a woman, and to view a homosexual relationship between two men as being more “intellectually fulfilling”.

Derek continues by pointing out that the “so-called ‘gods’ of Greece exhibited all the moral failings of humanity…a complete absence, in fact, of any binding moral code. This left man free to be his own god, and to establish his own moral code. After all, no people can be expected to live above the level of its own gods“.

Spirit of Humanism’s Offensive

“In 1992 the spirit of humanism launched a major new offensive against both the USA and Israel. Almost simultaneously, a cloud of dense spiritual darkness descended upon both nations.

“In their national elections that year the spiritual force that brought to power both the Clinton administration in the USA and the Labor Coalition in Israel was blatant, undiluted humanism. Both administrations represent an open and deliberate rejection of God’s righteous laws and of the covenants He made with man, first through Moses and then through Jesus Christ. They have demonstrated that, carried to its ultimate, humanism will believe anything but the truth and will tolerate anything but righteousness.

“This exaltation of man is the force which will finally give rise to the Antichrist, whose name is the number of man (Rev. 13:18), the man of lawlessness, who opposes and exalts himself above everything that is called God or is worshiped, and even sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God (2 Thess 2:3–4).

With this he heads into a magnificent conclusion:

“Before this final period of tribulation, however, God still has tremendous purposes to work out for both Israel and the Church. A harvest of mercy will precede the harvest of judgment. God’s preparation for this is revealed in Zechariah 9:13: “I will raise up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece…” The “sons of Greece” are those who embrace the deception of humanism. The “sons of Zion” are those who take their stand upon the infallible Word of God, embracing both its promises and its covenants.”

It’s fascinating to dig this paper out of old folders for insertion herein only to find Derek’s conclusion is the same as that which was already in my mind! But a republished letter on its way to me from his ministry has him adding an incisive scripture. More soon…

[Quotations from Humanism: Forerunner for Antichrist pdf, by courtesy of Derek Prince Ministries. Also read brief biography, About Derek Prince.]

The Current Crisis

Several times the elected leaders of Greece have rejected legitimate demands for debt repayment by the nation’s European and IMF creditors. There’s been a massive run on the banks and the nation is completely bankrupt.

Telegraph Business front page today refers to a leaked IMF report saying “Greece will need drastic debt forgiveness” and warns that “Europe’s leaders must contemplate breaking EU treaty law to provide “Deep up-front haircuts” on Greece’s debt mountain”.

In IMF stuns Europe with call for massive debt relief, the leading financial journalist Ambrose Evans-Pritchard writes about the revolutionary nature of this report,

‘The International Monetary Fund has set off a political earthquake in Europe, warning that Greece may need a full moratorium on debt payments for 30 years and perhaps even long-term subsidies to claw its way out of depression.

“The dramatic deterioration in debt sustainability points to the need for debt relief on a scale that would need to go well beyond what has been under consideration to date,” said the IMF in a confidential report…

‘The findings are explosive. The document amounts to a warning that the IMF will not take part in any EMU-led rescue package for Greece unless Germany and the EMU creditor powers finally agree to sweeping debt relief…’

All this is especially interesting with 2014-2016 being Shemitah and Jubilee years, when ancient Israel cancelled all debts (see Wikipedia).

In tandem with financial turmoil, we’re also witnessing widespread rebellion in Europe and America against the moral and spiritual standards ordained by the Almighty. Those who once set the motto ‘In God We Trust’ (which is treated like a mascot!) have leaders who allow His commands to be treated with greatest contempt! That nation born out of Europe proudly claimed ‘exceptionalism’, when in fact it’s no longer exceptional but apostate!

And the state named after its warrior leader and first president, George Washington, has been experiencing unusual temperatures consistently over 100 degrees Fahrenheit!

To my mind, these combined events speak strongly about the state of our ‘evolved’ Western society and civilisation – its beginning and its end.

Hopefully, it’s a warning that both ends of Euro-American civilisation are bankrupt – one the ancient historic root, the other its modern descendants – one financially, the other morally and spiritually, with all the attendant consequences!!

Now it just so happens a couple of letters to one of the first churches planted in Europe are very instructive on this matter:

Apostasy and Deception

The Book of Acts records that, whilst on a mission in Asia Minor, the apostle Paul was supernaturally called to visit Macedonia over in mainland Europe (Acts 16). In about 49 AD he arrived in the port of Philippi in northern Greece and planted a house church led by a business woman known as Lydia. From there he and his companion Silas went south to Salonika (Thessalonica), found the Jewish synagogue and preached there. A thriving church of devout Greeks and some Jews was established, but they helped Paul to escape from his violent opponents. Within a couple of years he wrote from Corinth two concise letters to those new believers to clarify points arising from his teaching.

One of those themes was upon the expected return of the Lord Jesus Christ and Paul’s second letter clarified the brief reference made in the first, as follows.

Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, ²not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. ³Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, ⁴who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. [2 Thessalonians 2 NKJV per BibleGateway.com – Emphasis RB]

He proceeds at length to explain that the ‘mystery of lawlessness’ is already at work, but that someone who will be the very personification of evil will be revealed and come onto the world stage. Then the Lord will come from heaven and destroy him by the glory of His physical return to earth (2Thess 2:8)

Today – now – we’re well into that first stage, the ‘falling away’ from true faith in Jesus Christ, and which is also known as the ‘Great Apostasy’, as is so abundantly evident across the once-Christian Western world. (Eg. recent video clip on John Kilpatrick vision: ‘The United Apostates of America’.) Paul proceeds,

The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, ¹⁰and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

This means that those who fall away from the fullness of faith as originally taught by the Apostles will become so unrighteous in God’s sight that they will be wide open to being deceived by Satan and his agents. They bring a distortion and twisting of the Gospel to accommodate people’s preferences and desires instead of obeying God’s commands.

It is clear this deception is the consequential result of not loving the truth, who is the very Word of God in the person of Jesus Christ, and thus not desiring Him and the salvation He bought them by dying in their stead on the cross.

The next verse is extremely ominous. Paul explains that, because their attitude remains deliberately ungodly, the Almighty is not only allowing them to be strongly deceived but is sending an irresistible delusion, the consequences of which will condemn them:

And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, ¹²that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

By way of a careful caveat we need to note that a number of believers too readily quote verse 9 about some people through whom miracles, signs and wonders are displayed. As in my recent post on the accuser of the brethren attacking prophecies such self-appointed inquisitors claim all such demonstrations are deception. But upon reading and understanding the chapter in its entirety (as here) we find their claims to be rather judgemental.

Verse 12 gives the game away! Only those who despise the truth of the Gospel will be misled and suffer the consequences. Only a few years later Paul gave a full exposition on God’s wrath on unrighteousness in the early verses of his letter to the church in Rome – see Romans 1:18-32. (This too was written in Corinth, Greece.)

Conclusion

In my humble opinion this momentous economic crisis in the nation and continent which are the very roots of western civilisation is highly significant. It is not only a warning of economic but also of spiritual shaking.

Our leaders and fellow citizens who have chosen to rebel against the Holy One of Israel and His only begotten Son Jesus Christ, are now being warned of the consequences.

Soon there will no longer be any grace covering and blessing for reprobate, unrepentant hearts. Once they’re following the deceiver in his various guises, the Holy One Himself will let them stay deluded by their own lies and salvation will no longer be available! A truly terrible personal place!

In all these musings it is significant, therefore, to re-discover the above quoted paper by Derek Prince. Equally amazing is the fact that as I was drafting both posts last week, a copy of his teaching letter Taking God Seriously was on its way in the post from his ministry!

This letter opens,

…If a person speaks to us, but we ignore — or even reject — much of what he says to us, we certainly are not taking him seriously. In fact, we are guilty of disrespect.

The same applies to God. If we ignore or reject much of what He says to us through the scriptures, we are not taking Him seriously. We are, in fact, treating Him with disrespect.

Yet this is how many Christians are relating to God. They treat His Word like a smorgasbord, picking out those portions that appeal to their taste and passing the others by.

Also, it concludes in the same vein as my preceding thesis by focussing upon the above verses 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10.

If we consider chapter two of the second letter to ‘Salonika’ in a reverse sequence, like reading an email thread, it helps me to gain a clear understanding of what the Lord is allowing and why – and then what will happen. I submit to you, this may bring a different focus from a usual reading and helps us to see things from the Lord’s perspective.

Undoubtedly, we’re now in ‘The Great Apostasy’ and Paul’s letter to the early church in Greece tells us what’s happening, what’s coming and why – and what the end will be!

May the Lord bless you and keep you…

NB: see Addendum of prophetic words brought in April 2010 relating to this subject.

Monday M.A.S.H. – modern, amusing social history

Posted on Monday, 29 June, 2015 by Richard Barker

If the ‘Monday blues’ may be lingering here’s some light amusement. Those old enough to recall Britain coming out of 14 years’ real austerity (rationing of food) in 1954, as in Pat Cryer’s collections and Graeme Shimmin’s explanation about its duration, will smile nostalgically. Whatever you age, enjoy some ‘home truths’ from relatively recent times:

ALERT: suppression of free speech in UK and USA

Posted on Thursday, 25 June, 2015 by Richard Barker

Hand with News icon - Watcharakun THREE emails await me this morning on this subject!

Does this indicate the suppression of freedom to think and speak for oneself, especially in proclaiming Biblical truths, is being ramped up?

Only on Monday had I had occasion too refer to that when inserting a reference to Rev Dr Mike Ovey’s well-informed warning into the copy from Wilberforce Publications’ on Magna Carta Unravelled.

His concern is now repeated by the Coalition for Marriage. (C4M is an umbrella group of many individuals and organisations supporting traditional marriage and opposed to its redefinition. Click link for more details.)

In his email circular of Tuesday their campaign director Colin Hart writes,

NEW LAW COULD BRAND MARRIAGE SUPPORTERS AS ‘EXTREMISTS’!

Since the introduction of same-sex marriage we have drawn attention to ordinary people around the UK who have found their reputations and livelihoods attacked for standing by their beliefs.

Sadly the Government is about to make the situation much worse. The Home Secretary is seeking sweeping new powers to silence ‘extremists’ and disrupt their activities. We strongly support the Government’s fight against terrorism, but we don’t support plans which put basic free speech in jeopardy.

Vague laws will catch law-abiding people

The proposed Extremism Disruption Orders (EDOs) are set to be contained in the new counter-extremism Bill.

We back stopping jihadists, but these vague EDOs appear to be so broadly defined that even supporters of traditional marriage could be branded ‘extremists’. See our short briefing for more information.

Conservative MPs Dominic Grieve and David Davis have voiced alarm about the plans.

Before he became Justice Minister, Dominic Raab MP also said: “The public should certainly expect the security services to track terrorists online, but the broad powers of proposed Extremism Disruption Orders (EDO) could be abused. Those engaged in passionate debates – such as Christians objecting to gay marriage – could find themselves slapped down.”

Home Secretary Theresa May was recently challenged on just this point when the BBC’s John Humphrys asked her whether the “woolly” plans would still allow people to say that gay marriage was damaging to society. We’re not convinced by her answer.

Free speech under threat

People can call us bigots and extremists for believing in traditional marriage – that’s their point of view. But they must not be given power to use the force of law against us.

We have good reason to be concerned. We will be asking you to make your views known to your MP.

Yours sincerely,

Colin Hart

As an aside, look at what I learned a month ago:

THE LESSON OF TUDOR HISTORY

A series of high-profile cases in recent years, where Christians have been penalised for expressing and living out their beliefs in public discussion, led a top judge, Sir Michael Tugenhadt, to compare secularists to ‘Tudor tyrants’. He commented as follows,

“Those who are hostile to belief in a superhuman being or to religious practices, I am afraid, sometimes exhibit an attitude to freedom of religion and freedom of speech which is as restrictive of that of Elizabeth I or Burghley.

“They seek to limit those freedoms to the private sphere, but that is a denial of the rights that these freedoms enshrine.

“The terrible story of the Tudor-Stuart religious divisions should be a reminder that freedom which is confined entirely to the privacy of a person’s home is a form of oppression.” (Emphases added)

He added: “The fact that states recognise human rights and natural rights and even the fact that they may enshrine them in their laws doesn’t mean they always respect them”.

Sir Michael retired from the High Court last year and reminisced about the beginning of his professional career when, “Lawsuits involving religion were absolutely unknown”. In respect of the past 10 to 15 years, however, “they had become increasingly frequent”.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

The second email on this matter covers US Supreme Court’s rulings in America. In writing for The Legal Project, Johanna Markind outlines recent cases that potentially affect the right to discuss Islam openly and freely in The US Supreme Court, Speech Regulation and Islam.

The third email, Muting American Speech Through Politicised Television Theatre, was a brief note of RJ Dawson’s blog in which he lambasts TV broadcasters for brainwashing audiences into the fear of having or expressing an opinion, in contravention of the 1st Amendment.

His review of changes since the 60’s is informative for all who, in those days, were only twinkles in their mother’s (or grandmother’s) eyes. On this side of ‘the pond’, American TV was regarded as a very inferior product. RJ’s views make interesting reading and it’s noteworthy how our once, world-renowned but now Broadly Biased Corporation (BBC) has since descended to the moronic depths and spews out PC indoctrination.

So, RJ Dawson’s opinion is valid for Britain as well as the United States.

The ‘one-eyed god’ once resided in a box in the corner of the room but is now a window on a wall as well as a mirror on our knees, or even a spy in our pockets! It should come with a mental and spiritual health warning. So beware!

How to counter it will be covered in the next post…

[Hand With News Icon, credit Watcharakun at Freedigitalphotos.net]

Review – Magna Carta: Law, Liberty, Legacy

Posted on Tuesday, 23 June, 2015 by Richard Barker

D.C. Nesbitt’s excellent review of the Magna Carta exhibition takes my brief coverage full circle: from last-minute insertion on the charter to introduce observations and prophetical points on the general election results to this re-blog’s opening reference to David Cameron’s opinion in 2012. Also, I endorse the reader’s recommendation to watch David Starkey’s programme on iPlayer.

the Exhibitionologist

Whether or not David Cameron knew what he was letting himself in for when he appeared as a guest on The Late Show with David Letterman in 2012 is anyone’s guess. As anyone who watched the interview or subsequently read about it will know, there was at least one topic of conversation that he was not expecting to come up. Letterman was keen to see if he embarrass his guest by quizzing him on the history the country he was Prime Minister of, and much to the delight of the audience, he succeeded. When asked what the Latin name of the most famous document in British history – the ‘Magna Carta’ – meant in English, Mr Cameron could not muster an answer. Probably better than his lousy guess at who composed ‘Rule Britannia’ (“Edward Elgar”), but enough for many people in Britain to let out a great sigh, or to mumble something mocking about his Eton…

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Magna Carta Unravelled – a new book

Posted on Monday, 22 June, 2015 by Richard Barker

Regarding the previous posts on the 8th centenary of Magna Carta, anyone interested in its relevance in the suppression of freedom today may like to know about a recent book, Magna Carta Unravelled.

Only this past fortnight we have an example of the importance of this matter. A former lawyer, now Principal of Oak Hill Theological College in London, has stated the PM’s proposals for new “Extremism Disruption Orders” could be a “disaster area” for people from all mainstream religions, and none. In some settings, traditional Christian teaching could effectively be made a criminal offence!

No doubt Rev Dr Mike Ovey’s previous parliamentary experience drafting anti-terrorism legislation relating to the IRA has given him solid grounds for his deep reservations on this issue. (See Telegraph religious affairs editor John Bingham’s l atest – published on Magna Carta’s anniversary – and earlier posts.)

Magna Carta Unravelled

The ethos of Wilberforce Publications, is to put the spotlight on aspects of contemporary politics, society and culture in the light of Christian thinking and examine their impact on individuals and communities. Published jointly with Voice for Justice UK on the charter’s anniversary, this new book is available in paperback/e-book and is described as follows:

Magna Carta is not only one of the most celebrated documents in British history, but stands as a foundation of political and religious freedom throughout the world. Yet the liberties and freedoms fought for and heralded in Magna Carta are under severe attack as controversial issues of religious freedoms, human rights, equality legislation and freedom of speech present significant challenges for our society today.

In the year of its 800th anniversary ‘Magna Carta Unravelled’ traces the Christian origins and legacy of this great Charter of liberty, focusing on the current challenges to individual liberty examined by experts with unrivalled backgrounds in politics, academic philosophy, the law and the church.

‘Magna Carta Unravelled’ is an invaluable resource, offering penetrating insights from a variety of perspectives for those seeking a thoughtful approach to issues of freedom in our nation today.

In the opinion of HH Judge David Turner QC.,

“Magna Carta continues to compel Christian people to fearlessly explore what makes for human flourishing in a liberal democracy. Any wake-up call – such as this book – is rarely comfortable, occasionally inconvenient, always unsettling; but the issues discussed, of conscience, belief and freedom, refuse to be silenced.”

Contributing authors include:

Baroness Cox
Professor Roger Trigg
Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali
Barrister Paul Diamond
Philip Quenby
John Scriven
Rev. Lynda Rose
Robert S. Harris

Magna Carta’s 8th centenary: a better perspective

Posted on Thursday, 18 June, 2015 by Richard Barker

Rather than negating a conclusion built upon the meaning of number 8 in the last post, correcting a maths mistake gives some credence to my conjecture.

In On 800th anniversary of Magna Carta I made a mistake over the passage of time that had elapsed and thank RJ Dawson for correcting me. (He’s author of Real Christianity, the Nature of the Church.)

In fact, this adjustment points us towards a better perspective on man-made laws and the related application of biblical numbers.

[Note: I’m not considering or advocating any unscriptural notions on numbers. Having been deeply involved in New Age I’m well aware of the differences between the Bible’s use of numbers and the claims of numerology.]

That post stated last Monday starts the 8th century since Magna Carta’s declaration in 1215 AD, whereas we’re now in its 9th century. After referring to the Bible’s meaning of number 8 I considered how that may give significance to some recent events.

That count was an elementary error against which I’d quickly checked, yet nevertheless I made the sort of mistake I’ve known about since school. When blogging about cycles it’s often been at the back of my mind. So I’ve given myself a dressing down! Criticism that it’s simply ‘confirmation bias’ (ie. wanting to see a related result) is understandable. It’s plausible that desiring things to tie neatly together would lead to noticing this 800th anniversary falls at a time of perceived changes in the church and society.

However, it’s more likely the issue arose because this week’s been busily interspersed with three half days’ of travelling, replying to correspondence and some meetings – not conducive to continuity or clarity in lengthy posts. Even so, we learn something even more pertinent through that maths mistake.

Let me explain: the first year of life isn’t completed until 12 months have passed. On the anniversary of baby’s birth (or something’s start) the person/thing is one year old – 1st birthday. So every number has two main uses, as an ‘integer’ or whole number counted in its own right, or else as an ‘ordinal’ having a position in a series (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.).

Thus, as regards the Magna Carta being 800 years old last Monday, its 800th year was from 16th June 2014 to 15th June 2015. Its first century was from 1215 to 1315 and so its 8×100 years or 8th century was 1915 to 2015. So we’re now in its 9th century. It’s the same reason for referring to 2015 as being in 21st and not 20th Century.

In correcting that post two points pop-up to bring a new perspective:

number 8’s meaning relating to centuries is more clearly demonstrated, and
the meaning of the newly started 9th 100-year cycle is even more significant!

The previous post has now been tidied and the two original short sections deleted. They are amended to read as follows:

The meaning of 9

Monday 15th June 2015 started the 9th century since the issue in 1215 of Magna Carta. Number ‘9’ appears 7×7 times in the Bible and, being symbolic of divine completeness, it conveys the meaning of finality and judgement.

During Jesus’ crucifixion ‘darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour’ (Luke 21:44). The Bible Study Site states He died at the 9th hour to make the way of salvation open to everybody. Also, Yom Kippur (Jewish Day of Atonement, in Sept-Oct) is the only one of God’s annual feast days of worship that requires believers to fast for one day. Considered by many Jews to be the holiest of the year, this special day begins at sunset on the 9th day of the seventh Hebrew month Tishri (Lev 23:32).

On the Hebrew Calendar, the total destruction of Jerusalem’s temple began on 9th Ab (July-August). Also on this day, the second temple (ie. Herod’s temple) was burned to the ground by the Romans in 70 AD. It continues to be regarded as a day of tragedy.

Also, according to Galatians 5:22 there are nine fruits of the Holy Spirit, which manifest as positive character traits.

9th cycle of centuries

Thus, the 9th cycle of 100 years is likely to be significant for finality and judgement. As for Britain, the following changes noted in this blog may be preparatory for drawing this Age to a close with the return of Jesus Christ:

improving spiritual atmosphere noted by visiting Christian leaders,
many prophetic words of promise delivered/declared over these lands,
increasing activity of the Holy Spirit within the British Isles.

If, as we believe, the Lord was acting behind the scenes at the general election, we can expect this to continue in the political realm and, hopefully, to bless this nation and its leaders with a real return to righteousness. This doesn’t negate the need to pray such change through to manifestation (Rev Dr Stone’s remarks at #4 of my post refer).

We’d expect this meaning of ‘9’ as ‘finality’ would incorporate the shaking and implicit, consequential exposure prophesied in Hebrews 12:26. As regards man-made laws it’s very pertinent to note that Britain’s judiciary and government offices have been accused of not having clean hands – ie. corruption!

Based upon findings reported by World Justice Project and Transparency International, The Commentator announced last Saturday in Shame and disgrace: UK 2nd tier nation on law, corruption:

We don’t even make the top 10, despite what we were all brought up to believe, in either the corruption or rule of law indices put out recently by the leading analytical organisations in the world. In some respects, the current reality is truly appalling.

By the close of that 8th century British law introduced a change to marriage contrary to the purpose defined by God. As the start of the 9th century since Magna Carta may be likened unto ‘as in the Days of Noah and Lot’, as foretold by Jesus, let’s look out for the consequential outcome of this legislative defiance.

According to the above biblical meaning of 9 we have additional grounds upon which to expect the Lord to bring about finality and judgement.

Further observations

The meaning of 8

Biblically ‘8’ signifies a new beginning, as in Genesis with the second week of creation continuing after the Almighty rested for a day, and in the new creation after the Flood with the survival of only 8 persons. There are not a few other significant references to that number – especially Jesus’ name in Greek – as in The Bible Study Site.

8th cycle of centuries: 1915 -2015

History shows how that symbolism of a refreshing, new beginning applies in respect of man-made law to the 8th cycle of 100 years since Magna Carta.

That ‘century’ began on 16th June 1915 at a time when women were not permitted to vote or to stand in elections for parliament in Britain even though our colonies of New Zealand and then Australia already had women’s suffrage since the turn of 19th/20th Century! Here, the Women’s Social and Political Union, or ‘Suffragettes’ as they were known, was founded in October 1903 by Mrs Emmeline Pankhurst and took a radical, militant approach to their gaining the right to vote because previous debate had failed.

The Great War, however, changed British perceptions of women when the government issued an urgent appeal for women to serve their country by signing up for vital work in agriculture, nursing, industry, especially in munitions factories, by setting up a Register of Women for War Service in March 1915.

This freed up more men for military service and was welcomed by the Suffragettes. Two years later the PM Lloyd George stated a bill to enfranchise women over the ago of 30 years would be introduced and in that June the House of Commons voted by a huge majority to give wives of that age the vote.

We should note that negotiations were also well under way for issuing the Balfour Declaration on 9th November 1917. This gave British support to the establishment of a permanent Jewish national homeland in Palestine after the fall of the Ottoman Empire.

Other Magna Carta centennials

The following centennials from my Pocket Book of Dates & Events by David Herman are noteworthy as regards the English crown and law:

1415 – Henry V revives English claim to French throne, invades France and defeats French at Agincourt.
(1517 Martin Luther issues his 95 Theses challenging Roman Church).
1715 – Jacobite rising in Scotland in support of son of James II.
1815 – Battle of Waterloo: French army under ex-Emperor Napoleon defeated by allied British, Prussian and Dutch armies. Also this year, Prussian and Austrian monarchies restored, German Confederation established and Kingdom of Netherlands unites Belgium and Holland.

Today marks 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo!

On 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta – or should it be 1,400th?

Posted on Monday, 15 June, 2015 by Richard Barker

Today marks the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta to which King John affixed his seal under the demands of his barons in order to limit his regal powers. There’s more I want to tell about this than was briefly covered in the preamble to prophetical points of last month’s general election.

Also, whilst writing I’m intrigued to have received a reader’s unwitting contribution that’s made me suspect some pieces of the Lord’s invisible jigsaw are falling into place!

[The section originally appearing here has been revised in the next post.]

To recap, I noted this medieval document, “Established for the first time the principle that everybody, including the king, was subject to the common law of the land. The British Library states that, although nearly a third of the text was deleted or substantially rewritten within ten years, and almost all its clauses have been repealed in modern times, Magna Carta still remains a cornerstone of the British constitution. I’d add that its great influence extends to the Commonwealth’s and to the United States of America’s legal systems.”

In view of this lengthy document’s importance in world history may I encourage you to consider a few more points gleaned from my weekend reading? (To read the articles in full and for more information then click the links shown.)

Member of the European Parliament for SE England Daniel Hannan refers to 18th Century PM William Pitt the Elder calling Magna Carta, “the Bible of the English Constitution”. He himself likens it to, “the Torah of the English-speaking peoples: the text that sets us apart while, at the same time speaking truths to the rest of humanity”.

Hannan also recognises the charter’s provisions had been prefigured to a small extent in earlier centuries, yet the document of 1215 AD was different in including an enforcement mechanism. “Instead of leaving it to the king to decide whether he had kept his word, it instituted a form of conciliar government which was to evolve directly into the Parliament that meets at Westminister today”. Of course, parliamentarians’ troubles with Charles I and subsequent civil war used Magna Carta’s provisions as an essential sledgehammer to crack and sever a brick-hard nut!

However, one of our Justices of the Supreme Court as well as distinguished medieval historian, Lord Sumpton, dismisses Magna Carta as being “far less significant in the development of modern rights than the French Revolution”! He argues,

“The modern perception of the Charter as the source of all our liberties was largely the invention of Sir Edward Coke, the seventeenth century lawyer, antiquarian and politician.

“Coke, who was widely regarded as the most learned lawyer of his day, rescued Magna Carta from obscurity and transformed it from a somewhat technical catalogue of feudal regulations, into the foundation document of the English constitution. It is really Coke’s idea of Magna Carta that has been exported to the world, and not the version that King John or his barons would have recognised.

“The libertarian tradition in England is one of this country’s great contributions to the development of the modern world. But its power does not depend on its antiquity.

“Our libertarian tradition actually dates from the constitutional settlement which followed the civil wars of the seventeenth century and the deposition of King James II in 1688. Magna Carta frankly has nothing to do with it.”

Click for the Key Points on differences between both Magna Carta and ‘Declaration des Droits de l’Homme et du Citoyen’, to compare the main difference between the British and the French, or Napoleonic, principles.

Nevertheless, those who praise the Great Charter as the published precursor of the rule of law, rather than the diktat of ruling executives, are right to do so.

1,400th anniversary (approx)

The earliest Anglo-Saxon law code is that of King Aethelbert of Kent after conversion to Christianity and issued between 597 and 616AD. The 12th Century manuscript known as Textus Roffensis is the only surviving copy of those codes:

Credit: Cambridge Historical Encylcopedia of Great Britain and Ireland – ed. Christopher Haigh (publ 1985)

Subsequent 7th century Kentish codes and laws of Ine of Wales mainly concerned payments for injury, infringement of property rights and breaches of public order. The 9th century King Alfred’s code synthesized elements from Kentish, Mercian and West Saxon codes. The influence of Anglo-Saxon law is apparent in legal measures of kings William I (‘The Conqueror’) and Henry I.

Intriguing God-incidence

Lastly, whilst drafting this I’ve been reading comments submitted by a fellow blogger in the States of whom I’ve known for a few years and today got re-connected. So what’s that got to do with this post? Quite a lot. In fact, I think you’ll be most surprised.

Tim Shey at HitchhikeAmerica adds this perspicuous comment to my Does a spiritual yet political trend link USA to Britain? without realising it’s directly related to this current post. In fact, he puts the whole subject into a Godly perspective:

‘George Bernard Shaw once said that the United States and Great Britain were divided by a common language. It is no accident that the United States is English-speaking and Great Britain is English-speaking. It is because of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The United States-Great Britain-English-speaking-Military-Industrial-Spiritual Complex is the great counterpoise to Satan’s Spiritual Babylon (confusion; confused languages because of the sin of the Tower of Babel).

‘Certain principalities and powers of darkness were taken out in England back in the 1600s (the rise of the King James Bible, the English Civil War, the Glorious Revolution) and similar principalities and powers of darkness were taken out in the 1700s in the American Colonies (the great revival before the Revolution, the Revolution itself, the Constitution of the United States). The slave trade was ended in England, I believe, in the 1790s and later the slave trade was ended in the United States; and of course, later the Lord judged the United States for slavery in the great Civil War of 1861-1865.

‘No doubt, the Lord set up this Anglo-American/Judaeo-Christian alliance to spread the Gospel and also to destroy tyranny in different parts of the world through military power: Naziism, Communism, Islamo-Fascism. The British Empire was no accident, the rise of American power and influence was no accident, but both nations must realize that the Lord God in Heaven can easily take down a nation or an empire, if they don’t put the Lord first in their lives. Look at what happened to Nebuchadnezzar: at one moment he was the greatest king on the planet, the same day the Lord humbled him and Nebuchadnezzar went crazy.’

Now is that spooky or just serendipity? Is it really coincidental?? Or, is the Lord in it???

I’m of the opinion it’s a superb example of ‘God-incidence’ as a ‘Bridge over the Pond‘! Wouldn’t you agree?

Is a similar but far greater ‘taking out’ about to happen in our day, as some prophetical voices are saying?

Keep watching, and gain a better perspective here!.

Intercessors note 70-year election significance too

Posted on Tuesday, 2 June, 2015 by Richard Barker

‘Twas just a hunch, but I went out on a limb after Ken Gott remarked, “Something of God happened in the election…” (as at #5 here). I asked him,

“Have you noticed the ‘coincidence’ of yesterday’s doubly historic events being related to a 70-year period? – possibly a Biblical one at that!” This was news to him.

It seemed significant to me that such unexpected results, ones which will change our government, fall on exactly the same day as the celebration of Victory in Europe (8th May 1945). Me being me, I’d spotted they were 70 years apart! So in closing that blog, I surmised:

“Now, 70 years after victory over a common foe, could Britain at long last have an opportunity to move out of its ‘Babylonian captivity’ (as in The Babylonian aspect of the Church’s ‘New Era’)? The ancient Jews were held captive there for 70 years after the fall of Jerusalem before being allowed to return to their holy city.”

That post was published mid-afternoon and so I started winding down for our usual long weekend. But within the hour a comment arrived from ‘Father’s House of Prayer’ with astonishing confirmation of my hunch! I was most pleasantly shocked – ‘God-smacked’ in fact!

LH at ‘Father’s House’ also emailed me with what she’d been working on for a couple of days. Of course, she had no way of knowing what I’d been thinking three weeks earlier.

With her kind permission – and emphases mine – this is what LH wrote:

“Hi Richard, I’m not sure how to put this on comments, I started to, but there seems a lot so thought I would email. I started this 2 days ago and have just received Stunning Election Results from you. All I can say is I believe what you have written is spot on and have set out below what happened with us.

“On the morning of 7th May, ‘J-1’, ‘J-2’ and myself met early at ‘B’ to pray regarding the leaders and the election. Pastor was at conference but had text the night before to pray Jeremiah 29.7 [as below], something which I had been drawn to all week.

As we prayed it out ‘J-1’ was reminded of the promise to Daniel and the fact that it was significant that the election result would coincide with the 70 years celebration of VE Day – as we continued to pray in line with what was in Daniel.

“Continuing, I ‘saw’ – was reminded of – the pictures of people praying outside Parliament the previous evening and immediately Father reminded me of the prophecy which had started me praying out the promises of revival for this nation. It was in a letter of July 1st 2009 from Kenneth Copeland and said,

2 Chronicles 7: 14 and 15

“It’s not going to happen until we do what we are called to do and O Lord

14 If My people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves, pray, seek, crave and require of necessity My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven forgive their sin and heal their land.

15 Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer offered in this place.

“This is the time that has been prophesied about, and at stake here is not only your welfare in the land, but also My move in the end times of a great awakening,” saith the Lord. “And it is that Awakening that will save this land and others like it. For it is the time of the coming of the Lord. And you will rise up, and you will be My Name and you will be My power. And I will manifest Myself through you, and many shall come and say, ‘Surely He is the God of all good’.” Hallelujah. Praise God. Whew! Whoa! Amen.

“Amen

“I hadn’t got this board [map and prophecies] out that morning, but I immediately ran for it and felt the Lord say this was done because we (the nation) very publicly the previous evening had done what we had been called to do and lined up with the very first part.

“What was particularly exciting when I read Cindy’s word was we (and I would imagine many others) had specifically prayed that the body of Christ would not back off in prayer once the election was over. We were also reminded of Smith’s 1947 and how important it was that it spread to Europe. [Dr Stone had also stressed this continuance in prayer. Wigglesworth’s vision may be read in latter part of this post.]

“Whilst away in Turkey, Father had been specifically speaking to me about governing in the spirit when seeking the welfare of the city […omitted]. That, just as Reece Howells’ people targeted specifics in the war, we were to do the same with those in authority.

“I hope this makes some sort of sense to you and really I just wanted to say thank you and I believed it tied in with what you have been posting, but I couldn’t really find a way of condensing it.”

Jeremiah 29:7 ….Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” 8 Yes, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. 9 They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them,” declares the Lord.

10 This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity.[b] I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”

Daniel 9 In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom— 2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. 3 So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.

Thank you so much my friend for confirmation that brings us all strong encouragement as well as great blessing…

UPDATE:

LH also informs me that Pastor Ray Kelly of Global Prayer Alert Network shared this from last Friday’s prayer summary about the above prophetic word (emphases added):

“I had this come to me. I love reading about men and women and what the Lord has done in their lives, like brother Hagin especially. I love to read and go over the prophecies that he declared. But I just felt the Spirit saying to me that those days are over and we’ve entered into new days, as we “turn the page.” These are not the old days, but these are the days that brother Hagin prophesied about. When he said “we are right on the verge of that glory”, these are the days that he was speaking about. Thank You, Father, for the flow of Your Spirit today. Thank You for enabling us to go out into the new, to pray it out and sing it out. We get it that these are new days. You’ve put Your Spirit within us, enabling us to press out ahead. These are glory days filled with Your presence enabling us to carry out Your plan and purpose.”

Stunning General Election results – is God behind them?

Posted on Thursday, 28 May, 2015 by Richard Barker

Three weeks ago today citizens of the United Kingdom voted for their representatives as Members of Parliament. Overnight exit polls and the next day’s final results shocked most analysts and pundits.

MAGNA CARTA

In fact, such a change is highly appropriate for this 800th anniversary year of a far more revolutionary political act: King John’s agreement to affix his seal to the Magna Carta. The gathering of his barons in a Thames-side meadow at Runnymede, a few miles outside Windsor, to present the large petitionary document to the king, will be commemorated in a civic ceremony on the actual anniversary,15th June, at a memorial built by our American cousins.

The world famous Magna Carta or ‘Great Charter’ was a practical solution to the political and financial crisis facing the king in 1215, yet it laid the foundation of liberty – of individual freedom, parliamentary democracy and subjection not to royalty, but to the supremacy of law.

That is, it established for the first time the principle that everybody, including the king, was subject to the common law of the land. The British Library states that, although nearly a third of the text was deleted or substantially rewritten within ten years, and almost all its clauses have been repealed in modern times, Magna Carta still remains a cornerstone of the British constitution. I’d add that its great influence extends to the Commonwealth’s and to the United States of America’s legal systems.

Now let’s consider some apolitical observations and possibly prophetical points. I’m rather ‘long in the tooth’ and therefore cynical about politics. At the time of the election we were preparing to go away for some rest and recuperation. Hence the delay in blogging. Even so, when I got around to starting this post’s draft last week I was directed to look up a special photo, as above, which sync’d into what I had in mind, as explained below.

ELECTION RESULTS

Three of UK’s main political parties got thrashed and trashed on 7th May 2015. Leaders of the coalition Liberal Democrats and opposition Labour parties resigned and the leader of the UK Independence Party lost his seat with ensuing furore over leadership. Astonishing wins of the Scottish Nationalist Party in taking its seats from 6 to 56 brought a wholesale change to politics north of the border, as indicated in this cartoon by Adams (click image for more). It was a night of shocking surprises for many well-known MPs in the loss of their seats.

Something unique happened and marked 8th May as a historic day – maybe a tipping point in not only Britain’s political but also spiritual status? It presages remarkable winds-of-change blowing right across and re-shaping the political spectrum. It stunned not only politicians but also pundits – and particularly in proving the latter unsound.

We’d taken scant notice of pre-election news and discussions for we loathe carping speculation of ‘talking heads’. As Christians, we have serious reservations about most parties’ policies, but the Prime Minister’s saving grace is that of not being anti-Israel. As the Lord was behind the changes, that point may well have helped David Cameron. AND, he is going to sort out the BBC at long last! (See Tories going to war with BBC.)

That said, here are my observations in sequential relevance:

1. Cloud Over Windsor 2011

Alan May’s above photo of a cloud taken from Windsor on Garter Day June 2011 seems prophetical. Does it hint at a separation between Scotland and mainland Britain? The fact it was taken there may be of profound significance. (More details in this post about prayers in Parliament and about Windsor – note reference to ringing of bell in the first. The link to the photo has been taken down because of overwhelming demand upon the source article – a newspaper in Newbury, Berks.)

2. Vision of Bells in Scotland

Does Tony Puccio’s vision in far away Tucson, Arizona, of bells ringing in Scotland relate to the great jubilation of the SNP and voters? It sure does! In early April Tony blogged:

“I’m going to go out on a limb here and post this. Earlier in the afternoon of 4/16/2015 I was driving home and I began to hear bells ringing. I saw and heard church bells in steeples ringing smaller bells as well were ringing. They were ringing over Scotland. I’m not sure as to their purpose but I just am posting what I was seeing and hearing.”

It attracted many comments and I remarked, “Ha bells again Tony – that’s how we linked up in 2012! (see ‘Get Ready’ – Paul Revere’s Ride and revival in UK) This time my first impression is of definite warning in view of next month’s elections…nationalist party strongly rocking the boat, probably going to trash Labour Party… There have been plenty of strong prophetic words for Scotland, however, and maybe it’s time to ‘ring out these changes’!” (eg see Dr Sharon Stone, Jane Hamon and the McKies – emphasis added)

Regarding deception over voting in Scotland and divisive power see Revd Dr Clifford Hill’s warning Call to pray for the UK.

3. Lord, Turn The Tide!

I was astonished the election results could show that my prayer request “Lord, turn the tide in the UK” seems to have been met in a promising way. Also in connection with the strongly anti-Christian policies dominating and contributing to the decay of society’s moral fibre, maybe it relates to the Rock (being Christ) I saw emerge through a tear in the rotten fabric of our national life, as in the open vision that confronted me in 2004. (For details read Comments upon the collapse of Society.)

4. Sharon Stone’s Remarks

At her Windsor mentoring day on 9th May Dr Sharon Stone taught on patterns and principles of developing a ‘forerunner’s heart’. She said on these occasions there is always a tug-of-war between disappointment and excitement but this shaking leaves a vulnerability because of people resigning and leaving their positions. So, there’s now an unexpected period of re-establishment and things manoeuvering around that the enemy can take advantage of.

Therefore, prophetic intercessors should be taking advantage of this to turn things around because, even though there have been significant changes, all these things need praying through. As a historical example, Sharon referred to the monarchy’s actions in Windsor of calling out the sick to line up for healing prayer! (Akin to Maunday Thursday practices?) She then said,

“God is shifting the church today. We all have to be more inclusive in all areas, we’ve got to ascend from the priestly area of worship and devotion to that of prophetic revelation and to the apostolic decree as well in both worship and prayer – (thus) we can proclaim what He says.”

Sharon taught on how the account in Acts 12 of Peter’s supra-natural release from prison can be applied to opening up civic and governmental places and situations to the Kingdom of God – keys to open and shut gates of our cities. We’re not just to watch and protect but open up our communities to the purposes of God, that Jesus be glorified in the midst of people, seen for who He really is and that He be loved and accepted there.

5. Revd Ken Gott

The next session on the power of Godly inheritance was delivered by Ken Gott of House of Prayer Europe in Sunderland. He gave an example of how this happened personally via the influence of a man, whose mother had been saved through a miraculous, re-creative healing at a meeting held by early 20th Century evangelist Stephen Jeffreys. That young son’s very first convert was Ken’s great-grandmother.

On the recent election, Ken remarked,

“Something of God happened in the election….I confirm that something of the Spirit moved in that election, moved in our nation. Political commentators got it drastically wrong, the commentators were shocked, the pollsters were amazed how wrong they got it – and everybody’s looking at each other saying we never saw this, we never saw it!

“I’m not saying I’m for the Tories, for a Tory government, for David Cameron, or whatever – but what we need is God. And God orchestrated it…

“I believe we will yet find out that God orchestrated something in the last couple of days! I’m 100% totally, totally convinced of it!”

“We’d been praying all day that we would have Godly men, men who were taught righteously, that they would be courageous in their decision-making and be Godly. We prayed and covered the whole election from the time the polling stations were opened to the time they closed and the ballot boxes were opened…and God heard…

“And yet when that exit poll came out I knew God had answered that prayer, not only of ours but of others too…”

6. 70-year Period

After his message I approached Ken and Michael Marcell, who was with him, and asked both if they’d noticed the ‘coincidence’ of the previous day’s doubly historic events being related to a 70-year period – and possibly a Biblical one at that!

The 8th May not only brought the amazing election results for a new government’s historic victory but also celebrated the 70th anniversary of VE-Day (1945 Victory in Europe over Nazi Germany). Also, that day’s VE-Day memorial service at the Cenotaph, Whitehall, was attended by all political leaders – The Telegraph’s sub-line: ‘Cruel quirk of timing throws defeated leaders Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg together with victors David Cameron and Nicola Sturgeon’.

7. Cindy Jacobs’ Word for UK

A few days later Michael met Cindy Jacobs, who too remarked upon the significance of the election and brought a greatly encouraging prophetic word for the UK, as copied in this earlier post.

HA, LOL – an unintentional 7 items yet again!!

Significance of 70-year cycle

Now, 70 years after victory over a common foe, could Britain at last have an opportunity to move out of ‘Babylonian captivity’ (as in The Babylonian aspect of the Church’s ‘New Era’)? The ancient Jews were held captive there for 70 years after the fall of Jerusalem in 586BC before being allowed by Persian king Cyrus to return to their holy city.

I will be making several points on this cycle in due course, as intimated in closing Lion Bites God-incidents:.

Meanwhile, read PS: legal-eagles’ opinion post-election as well as Intercessors note 70-year election significance too.

George Washington’s warning to modern Washington

Posted on Wednesday, 6 May, 2015 by Richard Barker

Last weekend author Jonathan Cahn came to my attention in connection with an event a week ago today in Washington, Wednesday 29 April.

And it so happens to involve someone whose work I’d been revisiting that same day in preparing changes to this blog’s menu – plus another personally relevant contact!

Many will be familiar with Jonathan’s bestseller The Harbinger, and The Mystery of the Shemitah. (See Prophetic points on 9/11 and Holy Shemitah Bible cycle...)

As usual, small regard is paid in Britain to events over ‘the pond’, especially in view of tomorrow’s general election. My awareness comes mainly from Christian correspondent Bill and various blogs rather than mainline media. I didn’t know about last Wednesday’s Washington: Man of Prayer event to commemorate the 226th anniversary of George Washington’s inauguration as first president of the United Sates of America.

This event on Capitol Hill was attended by Members of Congress and church leaders. Many Members ‘delivered special and anointed prayers’, but when Jonathan took the speaker’s podium the stern warnings became loud and clear.

I learned about this from Friday’s Koenig’s Eye View from the White House and of Bill’s conversation with messianic rabbi Cahn. He links it to World Net Daily’s report Follow Baal and go to Hell, which notes Jonathan,

…smacked down the Supreme Court’s assumption that it has the authority to redefine marriage. Cahn’s comments followed by only about 24 hours the hearing in the august courtroom where the justices heard arguments on whether or not the U.S. government would mandate recognition of homosexual “marriage” across the country.

“The justices of the Supreme Court took up their seats [in a hearing] on whether they should strike down the biblical and historic definition of marriage,” he said. “That the event should even take place is a sign this is America of [George] Washington’s warning … a nation at war against its own foundation.”

Washington warned the smiles of heaven can never be expected on a nation “that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which heaven itself hath ordained”.

He noted the Supreme Court opens sessions with the words, “God save the United States and this honorable court.”

“If this court should overrule the word of God and strike down the eternal rules of order and right that heaven itself ordained, how then will God save it?” he asked. “Justices, can you judge the ways of God? There is another court and there another judge, where all men and all judges will give account.

“If a nation’s high court should pass judgment on the Almighty, should you then be surprised God will pass judgment on the court and that nation? We are doing that which Israel did on the altars of Baal,” he said.

“We are exchanging our light for darkness.”

WND reports Jonathan went on to challenge President Obama: He questioned what happens when a leader places his left hand on the Bible to assume to highest office in the land, but with his right hand “enacts laws that violate the laws of God”.

Emphases above are mine. To read WND’s full article and watch Jonathan’s stirring 9 minute message click here. The full two hours may be watched here.

‘Connecting the Dots’

William Koenig closes his 12-page weekly report with notes on meeting Jonathan at the event. They shared thoughts about some of the big decisions on upcoming events that we’re all watching. They’ve known one another eleven years since Bill first heard the harbinger warning of judgement and call to repentance and salvation in Jesus.

I especially noted the reference to Obama having lied about his position on same-sex marriage in order to become president, as revealed by his former campaign manager, David Axelrod. This and several related serious issues show what a mess our cousins over the pond are facing.

Additionally, in this connection his report reprints one from 7 years ago (20 May 2008) referring to the “Babylonian Talmud” – the book of rabbis’ interpretation of the scriptures 1,000 years before Christ. This book can correlate present days with those recorded in Genesis. After interviewing Dr Jeffrey Satinover, Janet Porter quotes him on the Talmud statement about the only time in past history when men were given in marriage to men, and women given in marriage to women.

No, it wasn’t in Sodom and Gomorrah, or ancient Greece, Rome or Babylon but during the days of Noah. That’s what the “Babylonian Talmud” attributes as the final straw that led to the Flood and Janet states ‘America’s Rabbi’, Aryeh Spero, confirms that claim.

A personal enquiry

Also a week ago today, I received an enquiry from Minnesota in response to re-blogging Mark Davidson on a possible economic crash. Thinking I live in the States, ‘T’ asked if I could give any advice on preparing for such an eventuality. Unable to suggest anything more specific than basic measures, I felt I should include:

Also, you may wish to read John Kilpatrick’s ‘Blessing for this Shemitah Year’, as listed in http://churchofhispresence.org/media/downloads/. He says it came from the Holy Spirit during a conference hosted with Jonathan Cahn, Mark Biltz & Bill Salus.

I got a quick response that The Harbinger has ‘T’ in it and something special from the Lord was received at Ground Zero. T was privileged to have been the only one chosen out of a multitude by the fire chief to be allowed into that area very soon after 9/11.

I can but draw this inescapable conclusion: these ‘coincidental’ actions happening on two specific days on one subject – Jonathan Cahn – serve to validate his message.

[Note: for Washington’s and A.A. Allen’s prophecies for the USA see Tony Puccio’s comment below.]

Israel celebrates 67 years after its dramatic, prophetic rebirth. A few thoughts to mark the occasion.

Posted on Thursday, 23 April, 2015 by Richard Barker

A most informative post and Joel presents background details on the birth of Israel that are relevant to the 70-years period I intend writing about

Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog

(Central Israel) — Today, Israelis are celebrating our Independence Day. On the Western calendar, we remember May 14th, 1948. But on the Jewish calendar, today marks 67 years since the dramatic, prophetic rebirth of the Jewish State.

A few thoughts to mark the occasion:

It’s a very special time for our family as it’s our first time celebrating as new Israeli citizens (“Olim Chadashim”) and actually living here full-time in the epicenter. Today, Lynn showed me this video about some of the things new Israelis love about this country. Take a look — I hope you’re as moved as we were.

It’s a great time to see the Land with family and friends. We would love for you to make plans to come visit Israel — and Jordan — with us and The Joshua Fund this Octoberso we can show you the Promised Land and the people who live and minister here and help you see…

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Israeli scholar says 1st century Jews awaited Messiah who would die & rise again. Argues “third day resurrection” an idea that pre-dates Jesus.

Posted on Tuesday, 7 April, 2015 by Richard Barker

Fascinating, especially when we consider prominent rabbi Yitzak Kaduri’s reputed meeting with Yeshua before his passing in 2006 (this post refers).

Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog

“The Messiah Before Jesus: The Suffering Servant of the Dead Sea Scrolls,” a fascinating book by Dr. Israel Knohl of Hebrew University.

This is the week of Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the Feast of First Fruits. Millions of Jews in Israel and around the world are celebrating the story of how the Jewish people were saved from the “angel of death” in ancient times if they put the blood of a perfect slain lamb on the doorposts of their homes in Egypt.

This is also the week of Good Friday and Easter. Billions of Christians around the world are celebrating the death of Jesus of Nazareth, and His resurrection from the tomb three days later, and the belief that all mankind can be saved from the “angel of death” in our times if we, too, trust in the blood of a perfect slain Passover Lamb.

But did the Jews of the first century really believe the Messiah would one day come…

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3 of 3: US presidents’ actions relate to Daniel’s visions

Posted on Thursday, 2 April, 2015 by Richard Barker

Ancient Babylon’s king Nebuchadnezzar had a very disturbing dream and demanded that his ‘wise’ men tell him not only what it meant…but also what it actually was!

An impossible task! And they told him so, but in his fury he called for their executions. Questioning the urgency of this, captive Jew and king’s advisor Daniel sought a stay of execution in order to pray for the answer. With friends, Daniel petitioned the Lord and the secret was revealed in a night vision. So Daniel blessed the God of heaven as follows (as in Daniel 2 per NKJV, emphasis added):

“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
For wisdom and might are His.
And He changes the times and the seasons;
He removes kings and raises up kings;
He gives wisdom to the wise
And knowledge to those who have understanding.
He reveals deep and secret things;
He knows what is in the darkness,
And light dwells with Him.

I thank You and praise You,

O God of my fathers;

You have given me wisdom and might,

And have now made known to me what we asked of You,

For You have made known to us the king’s demand.”
With this scripture setting the scene we’ll continue (and close) our consideration of the devil’s attempt to pre-empt the Bible’s ‘end-game’. This time we’ll look at how America may have become involved. As previously, it’s helpful for new readers to know why I’m engaged with this particular issue. (Confirmations it’s of the Lord have come and I may share that personal material soon.)
Quick recap
Writing got irregular throughout February and March. Nina’s sudden immobility meant time for blogging was available only as and when I was free to do so – yet I was blessed it didn’t detract from musing upon and insights into specific themes, especially satanic strategy. (Start reading here if you want the full story).
An avalanche of related material (which even allowed for the scheduling of my wife’s operation!) ‘nudged’ me into checking my earliest writings. Amazing to see how history cycles around in events I’d written about!
One month ago
First Monday in March brought synchronous, or ‘God-incidental’, information to my in-tray. And into the week I was deluged with physical and mental material. It began with Lion Bite: Watchmen Arise! and a post from Mark Davidson’s The Four Signposts.
[It’s ‘God-incidental’ that Tony Puccio out in Arizona has today posted a vision from last night about Watchmen on the Wall – please read, noting my associated comments. He certainly had no idea of what I was about to write today.]
What Mark published really caught my attention and set me ‘buzzing’ for the week, as though a ‘door’ or ‘gateway’ had opened up for me. When I started writing there was too much for one post and so it would be a 3-part mini-blog. I considered cycles, looked at specific events and their current equivalent.  I referred to what had set me off in the mid-1980s – that’s what amazed me about Mark’s post of Monday 2nd March.
The Invisible Hand
In 1 of 3: the ‘End-game’ gets ramped up another level I outlined how this book published in 1984 had ‘hit me between the yes’!  Later its importance got  ‘coincidentally’ reinforced, as in The Invisible Hand re-appears!

Yet again, it’s significance got flagged by Mark’s post going back to Saddam Hussein’s war with Iran and American involvement. Before we look at this there are some interesting points.

First, look at what author Victor Dunstan foresaw. He opens chapter 12, The Mark of the Beast – 666 which covers Daniel 7 and Revelation 12 & 13, as follows:

‘That we are about to witness some of the most traumatic political events the civilised world has seen is clear from the writings of the ancient seers [ie. OT prophets].

‘Within a few years, according to the prophets, the economy of the civilised world will be operable only by the consent of, and on the terms laid down by, an Islamic Empire which will rule a large part of the earth’s surface.

‘The oil producing nations will be swept by a wave of religious fervour such as not been seen since prophet Mohammed himself inspired the great upsurge of religious, political and militant Islam.’ [Emphases RB]

Doubtless, Dunstan had in mind the experience of outrageous hiking up in oil prices by OPEC in 1970s. Even so, he subsequently stresses,

‘Let us make no mistake; Islam is about to become the most powerful empire the world has EVER SEEN.

His chapter summary includes this accurate prophetic point, made 30 years ago:

‘Though we see the first signs of an Islamic revival, that revival has a long way to go but it’s going that ‘long way’ very quickly.’

Early Emails

That Monday 2nd March email alert from Mark opens with claims that President Obama had ordered Israeli aircraft to be shot down if overflying Iraq en-route to Iran. Now that reminded me I’d written something on that matter and dug into my records.

My contemporaneous email covering a likely attack on Iran’s not-yet operational nuclear reactor at Bushehr was entitled Could This Weekend Change the World? And the world did change, but not following an attack! The reactor’s production of material for nuclear weapons has led to global economic sanctions against Iran and prolonged discussions to allow its restricted operation. Also as my email of August 2010 stated, it eventually led to Saudi Arabia falling out with America.

But what is particularly amusing is what I found last week. It confirms Mark’s points! The next email, Update to…Change the World? closes by asking,

…perhaps the Lord may be using Obama to bring about His purposes?

To flag up the peculiarity of what I’m writing, that remark’s followed by:

Do I sense pieces of the Lord’s biblical ‘jigsaw puzzle’ falling into place? (At this very moment, as I write, my PC radio plays ‘Dies Irae’ (Day of Wrath) from Verdi’s Requiem Mass!! Now is that just coincidence or God-incidence? I’d stopped writing to get a coffee and share my thoughts with Nina before resuming with fresh idea about jigsaw. Had that not happened there’d have been no synchonicity – so I’m awestruck!)

From The Four Signposts

With that in mind, Mark’s illuminating observations on US presidential involvement in Daniel’s visions conclude as follows:

“So what’s next, courtesy the Obama administration? Engraved invitations to the IRGC to run amok all over the Mideast while being given free transportation by the American military? I’m joking of course. But by the time this is all over we might be quite surprised at the total contribution that U.S. leadership made so that God’s word is ultimately carried out.

“It is interesting and surprising to me that God has chosen the mightiest nation that ever existed – and the only nation dedicated as a Christian nation, the United States of America – to unwittingly orchestrate the execution of the Signposts one by one. The nation responsible for churches planted all over the dark places of the world and bringing the light of the Gospel to millions of the lost, is the same nation most helpful in allowing the Antichrist to emerge.

“How many Christians in the USA even realize that their country is being used by God to bring out the Antichrist? Who could even imagine such a thing on their own? The only reason I discovered this is because it is a consequence of the Signpost interpretation of Daniel 7 and 8. Truth can be definitely stranger than fiction.”

Amused, I commented that his opening quip may actually be what’s happening! Also, I’d add that from the outset of his presidency Obama opened up ‘back channel’ diplomatic communications with Iran and is said to have used them to seek permission to fly US troops to Afghanistan (email May 2009 Today’s Importance in History refers).

Now let’s continue by reading Mark’s account and discussion of how the USA fits into prophetic ‘signposts’ in Daniel’s book, by clicking on this linked-image:

The five living U.S. Presidents gathered at the White House in 2009, with their end-time accomplishments noted, per the Signposts. (Credit and courtesy of Mark Davidson)

Finally, it’s claimed USA is in the middle of ‘Jerusalem’. But that could also mean it’s either closely supportive or else divisive, as in ‘Jer-usa-lem’ ?

Critical Calendars Affecting Netanyahu’s Speech to Congress

Posted on Saturday, 7 March, 2015 by Richard Barker

Further to my recent posts, Dr Randall Price’s commentary Critical Calendars Affecting Netanyahu’s Speech to Congress published on Bible Prophecy Blog is most timely in discussing political (and potential nuclear deal), Purim, original Islamic ‘peace-deal’ and prophetic calendars.

Iran’s leaders reject Obama deal, calling it “unacceptable.” It’s been a bizarre few days. Here’s the latest.

Posted on Wednesday, 4 March, 2015 by Richard Barker

As one of my subscribers comments elsewhere, “It’s a reminder that the heart of the king is in God’s hands”!

Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog

US Secretary of State John Kerry meets with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, for a new round of nuclear negotiations on Monday, March 2, 2015. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

(Washington, D.C.) — Consider the odd developments of the past few days:

* The leader of our most faithful and trusted ally comes to Washington to warn of a mortal and rising threat from a dangerous and deceiving enemy.

* The President of the United States refuses to meet with him.

* The President sends his VP out of the country to avoid our ally.

* The President sends the Secretary of State out of the country to avoid our ally, and instead to meet with our enemy.

* The President refuses to allow any of his Cabinet Members attend the speech by our ally.

* The White House pressures Members of Congress to boycott the speech of our ally.

* The President’s…

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On eve of Purim, Netanyahu warns of new Persian threat to Israel & the world.

Posted on Wednesday, 4 March, 2015 by Richard Barker

A momentously significant day in world history; thank you Joel.

Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog

The Prime Minister of Israel addressing a Joint Session of Congress on March 3, 2015.

(Washington, D.C.) — That was one for the ages.

In 25 years living in or near the nation’s capital, I have never actually been to a Joint Session of Congress. But if there was ever a speech I wanted to hear, it was this one.

I wish you could have been there with me. It was so fascinating — and so humbling — to be in the House Chamber as the Prime Minister of Israel arrived to thunderous and continuous applause.

As I listened to him speak, I felt I was witnessing history being made, as if Winston Churchill himself were personally warning us of the gathering storm.

On the eve of Purim, the Jewish holiday remembering the Biblical book of Esther and the Persian plot to annihilate the Jewish people 2,500 years ago, Prime Minister…

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An insight into global satanic strategy – part 2

Posted on Saturday, 21 February, 2015 by Richard Barker

Timing in publishing this follow-on, 700th post is exceptionally fascinating not only for its confirmation in directly related news from Washington but also in other details. I will explain in next post; meanwhile, may you too be blessed with insights as you read:

Continuing from Part 1 let’s consider further the revelatory ‘jigsaw piece’ found whilst musing upon satan’s strategy to avoid the Lake of Fire. It came whilst reading specialist historian Paul Crawford’s Four Myths About The Crusades. His solid, illuminating essay on president Bill Clinton’s unsound premise to his remarks on the 9/11 attack also apply to Barack Obama’s recently equating Christianity to Islamist butchery of Christians. Paul’s paper exposes falsehoods behind and adroitly disposes of the following:

Myth #1: The Crusades represented an unprovoked attack by Western Christians on the Muslim world.
Myth #2: Western Christians went on crusade because their greed led them to plunder Muslims in order to get rich.
Myth #3: Crusaders were a cynical lot who did not really believe their own religious propaganda; rather, they had ulterior, materialistic motives.
Myth #4: The Crusades taught Muslims to hate and attack Christians.

Part 1 of this post briefly summarised Myth #3 and I concluded:

“The period of the Enlightenment with its liberal intellectual and philosophical attitudes nourished a growing rejection of religion, agnosticism and atheism. So a jaundiced view of Christian scripture and history developed. Thus, the Western intelligentsia began to put a twist upon the Crusades.”

His paper deserves to be studied in full and in view of its importance in this part I shall quote more extensively, adding emphases where appropriate:

The Muslim Attitude to the Crusades

Dr Crawford begins answering Myth #4 by stating part of the answer lies in that for Myth #1 – ie. Muslims had attacked Christians for centuries ever since the inception of Islam. His answer to the first myth succinctly summarises what was happening, as itemised on 7 pages by Dr Bill Warner on Political Islam, and which show that ‘jihadic’ attacks and strategic advances occurred on average every 5 years for 460 years!

Paul continues by stating Muslims “needed no further incentive to continue (jihad). But there’s a more complicated answer here…”.

“…until quite recently, Muslims remembered the crusades as an instance in which they had beaten back a puny western Christian attack…(One) of Lawrence of Arabia’s letters (describes) a confrontation during post-World War I negotiations (over) a case for French interest in Syria going back to the crusades, which Faisal (later Faisal I of Iraq). dismissed with a cutting remark: “But, pardon me, which of us won the crusades?”

He goes on to state that before WW1 most Muslims had a similar, if any, attitude to the Crusades,

“…that is, when Muslims bothered to remember them at all, which was not often. Most of the Arabic-language historical writing on the crusades before the mid-19th century was produced by Arab Christians, not Muslims, and most of that was positive…There was no Arabic word for “crusades” until that period, either…It had not seemed important to Muslims to distinguish the crusades from other conflicts between Christianity and Islam…As Carole Hillenbrand has noted, “The Muslim response to the coming of the Crusades was initially one of apathy, compromise and preoccupation with internal problems”.

“The first Muslim crusade history did not appear until 1899. By that time, the Muslim world was rediscovering the crusades — but it was rediscovering them with a twist learned from Westerners.”

At this point our author has introduced a new angle: the influence of modern European schools of thought. This was covered in Part 1 of this post for the purpose of leading into an appreciation of how Muslims’ attitudes towards the Crusades changed radically in the early decades of the 20th Century. As Crawford explains:

“At the same time, nationalism began to take root in the Muslim world. Arab nationalists borrowed the idea of a long-standing European campaign against them from the former European school of thought – missing the fact this was a serious mischaracterization of the crusades and using this distorted understanding as a way to generate support for their own agendas.

“This remained the case until the mid-20th century, when, in Riley-Smith’s words, “a renewed and militant Pan-Islamism” applied the more narrow goals of the Arab nationalists to a worldwide revival of what was then called Islamic fundamentalism and is now sometimes referred to, a bit clumsily, as jihadism.

“This led rather seamlessly to the rise of Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda, offering a view of the crusades so bizarre as to allow bin Laden to consider all Jews to be crusaders and the crusades to be a permanent and continuous feature of the West’s response to Islam.

“Bin Laden…is no more accurate in his view about the crusades than he is about the supposed perfect Islamic unity which he thinks Islam enjoyed before the baleful influence of Christianity intruded. But the irony is that he, and those millions of Muslims who accept his message, received that message originally from their perceived enemies: the West.

“So it was not the crusades that taught Islam to attack and hate Christians. Far from it. Those activities had preceded the crusades by a very long time, and stretch back to the inception of Islam. Rather, it was the West which taught Islam to hate the crusades. The irony is rich.”

Conclusion

The last leads Paul Crawford ‘back to the present’ in asking how much of president Bill Clinton’s Georgetown speech of 2001 was accurate, especially his emphatic assertion that the story of the Crusades was “still being told today in the Middle East and we are still paying for it!”.

“This is the most serious misstatement of the whole passage. What we are paying for is not the First Crusade, but western distortions of the crusades in the nineteenth century which were taught to, and taken up by, an insufficiently critical Muslim world.

In drawing everything together, this specialist in the history of the Crusades offers his opinion:

“The problems with Mr Clinton’s remarks indicate the pitfalls that await those who would attempt to explicate ancient or medieval texts without adequate historical awareness, and they illustrate very well what happens when one sets out to pick through the historical record for bits—distorted or merely selectively presented—which support one’s current political agenda. This sort of abuse of history has been distressingly familiar where the crusades are concerned.

Thank you Paul Crawford for such an excellent examination and clarification of a crucial current issue. (Paul is an Associate Professor at California University of Pennsylvania – also see his bio at Queen Mary University of London, and The Intercollegiate Review.)

The Diabolical Spin

Clearly, as shown above, the “Father of Lies” has been spinning his worldwide web of deceit, to which a surprising confirmation has been given this week and will be revealed in the next post.

Out of the post-Reformation intellectual freedom that eventually led to the rejection of most Judeo-Christian values, was born an anti-Christian mind-set that deliberately warps any spiritual understanding. It eventually affected not only traditional Christian beliefs but also associated historical facts.

Into his engineered ungodliness Satan could sow seeds of disbelief to twist and poison intellectual integrity. This serves his strategy to disunite and weaken Christianity further by falsified history harnessed to intellectual dishonesty and arrogance to belittle, blame and persecute the church of Jesus Christ.

“But Jesus…”

UPDATE: current security concerns led to a relevant development upon this thesis, as revealed in Anti-terrorism summit confirms this week’s insight.

MORE: this theme develops further in 1 of 3: the ‘End-game’ gets ramped up a level.

[‘Hand Holding Puzzle Piece’ by Ponsulak, courtesy Freedigitalphotos.net]

An insight into a global satanic strategy – part 1

Posted on Thursday, 19 February, 2015 by Richard Barker

A nuance new to me of our enemy’s tactics has come to light which seriously affects politicians’ and public’s perceptions. As in the caveat to Paws 4 thought, it’s a topic I’d much rather not blog about, but current events require this information to be shared. It should help you to understand the huge, beguiling deception blinding national leaders.

An “aha!” moment instigated continuation of those musings. Long-standing readers may recall, like my friend and fellow End-times teacher-author ‘Neil Mac’, that ‘jigsaw pieces’ occasionally bring revelation ‘out-of-the-blue’.

After popping a small ‘piece’, the last link, into my brief comment to the re-blog of Joel Rosenberg’s post on the war against Christianity, it struck me that link is part of an ‘invisible’ jigsaw. Not exactly as depicted in this photo by Ponsulak, it seemed like I’d inserted a ‘piece’ into a large puzzle, part of which covers Islamist actions.

To the first ‘puzzle pieces’, or links to comments on US National Prayer Breakfast, I added two more on the Crusades. It was upon later reading the last of these four at leisure that I was struck by it’s being like a piece connecting one area to another (rather like Salvatore Vuono’s picture here).

That ‘piece’ connects the modern revival of Islam in all its original barbarity that overflowed from Arabia 1,500 years ago with my musings on the Devil’s plot to avoid the Lake of Fire. Now, it’s not the fact that this phenomena is part (5) of my historical evidence, but more the facts emerging from further analysis that brought a better perspective.

Historical Evidence cont’d

In those musings we considered just a few events to support my thesis that satan is the source of anti-Semitism and Christian disunity. There’s a ‘rationale’ to such a strategy. Nowadays,we’re brainwashed into ignoring the historical facts behind Christianity’s massive reaction 920 years ago to 460 years of jihad – widespread strategic attacks and invasions. That is, it all started 1,380 years ago – and ISIS/ISIL want the whole world to regress not improve! (Hence, my re-blog’s link to Dr Warner’s itemised listing.)

Also, militant Muslims, backed by mendacious academics in Western universities, use that twisting of historical facts to pretend they’re victims of the Crusades: but in actual fact, Muslims came out as the winners!!

What is deeply disturbing is the fact that presidents Clinton and Obama were duped, or else wallowed in self-imposed ignorance, about the Crusades – and displayed this in public! My readers in the States will be aware of the outcry following Remarks by the President at National Prayer Breakfast in Washington on 5th February when Mr Obama said, and I underscore the cause of the issue:

“…we have seen violence and terror perpetrated by those who profess to stand up for faith, their faith, professed to stand up for Islam, but, in fact, are betraying it. We see ISIL, a brutal, vicious death cult that, in the name of religion, carries out unspeakable acts of barbarism…and claiming the mantle of religious authority for such actions…[examples of sectarian wars] a rising tide of anti-Semitism and hate crimes in Europe, so often perpetrated in the name of religion

“So how do we, as people of faith, reconcile these realities…operating alongside those who seek to hijack religious for their own murderous ends?

“Humanity has been grappling with these questions throughout human history. And lest we get on our high horse and think this is unique to some other place, remember that during the Crusades and the Inquisition, people committed terrible deeds in the name of Christ. In our home country, slavery and Jim Crow all too often was justified in the name of Christ…”

To his credit the President didn’t refer to deep anti-Semitism that had riddled European churches since the ‘early Church fathers’ and led up to the Holocaust. (Reformer Martin Luther was renowned for his strident, ungodly dislike of Jews!)

Even so, cluelessness masks deep disingenuity over the recent anti-Semitic murders of French and Danish Jews, as Elliot Abrams (Senior Fellow at the CFR and just one among myriad experts) pointedly questions and explains, Why can’t the White House see Terrorism and anti-Semitism? (see his linked lead-in post too).

Franklin Graham, outspoken son of Billy Graham, took issue with Obama’s comments, as emphasised above. On his Facebook page the evangelist sought to correct them:

“Today at the National Prayer Breakfast, the President implied that what ISIS is doing is equivalent to what happened over 1000 years ago during the Crusades and the Inquisition. Mr. President–Many people in history have used the name of Jesus Christ to accomplish evil things for their own desires. But Jesus taught peace, love and forgiveness. He came to give His life for the sins of mankind, not to take life. Mohammad on the contrary was a warrior and killed many innocent people. True followers of Christ emulate Christ—true followers of Mohammed emulate Mohammed.”

A fortnight later Franklin asks about the butchery in Libya,

“…In a statement the White House even called the 21 Christians who were beheaded “Egyptian citizens,” refusing to identify them as Christians. The truth is–their barbaric murderers openly said they killed them because they were “people of the cross.” Why is the President seemingly continuing to protect Islam and refusing to open his eyes to the truth?” (emphasis added)

The essential point, as in several earlier posts, is to compare the founders of both faiths – that of Islam just doesn’t, and cannot, bare comparison with Jesus.

William Koenig’s perspective on this as an accredited journalist at the White House and editor-in-chief of World Watch Daily is worth noting too:

“An important point to remember is that President Obama’s speeches have a specific audience or audiences in mind. At the National Prayer Breakfast…he equated the Christian (ie. Catholic) Crusades with radical Islam’s brutality. Moreover, he neglected to contrast the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ, who came as the Savior to the world, with the brutality of Mohammed, who attempted to dominate and terrorize the world…

“What did Muslims hear? A Muslim apologist who happens to be the President of the United States, and who calls himself a Christian, lectured Christians not to be on a “high horse”. He equated horrific Muslim violence with Christians who resorted to violence in two specific periods in history.”

This furore comes as no surprise. I questioned the President’s claims to be “a student of history” in his 2009 Cairo speech, which benefitted the Muslim Brotherhood. To the very deep disquiet and legitimate suspicion of many Americans, the MB since infiltrated and became too influential within the US administration, as lawyer and author Joseph Klein recently maintained in Obama Bolsters the Brotherhood.

Also refer to Tuesday’s article by Ephraim Karsh, professor emeritus of Kings College London, on White House Delusions, Islamist Realities, wherein he tells what happened after Cairo. UK readers will find relevant material by searching on ‘Cordoba foundation’ and ‘UK islam and democracy conference’ by Global MB Watch.

‘Four Myths About The Crusades’

Historian Paul Crawford’s above-titled article is the revelatory ‘jigsaw piece’ referred to above. It was first published by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute in 2011, but I found it through the Catholic News Agency. It gave me a new perspective into another tactic used by the Devil against Christianity. This scholarly paper should be recommended reading for every serious student of history; click to read in full.

The author, a specialist teacher of medieval history, opens by referring to Bill Clinton’s speech in 2001 where he, like Obama, excused the perpetrators of 9/11 by comparing them to medieval crusaders!

Crawford’s well-reasoned and illuminating essay exposes the falsehoods behind and adroitly disposes of:

Myth #1: The crusades represented an unprovoked attack by Western Christians on the Muslim world.
Myth #2: Western Christians went on crusade because their greed led them to plunder Muslims in order to get rich.
Myth #3: Crusaders were a cynical lot who did not really believe their own religious propaganda; rather, they had ulterior, materialistic motives.
Myth #4: The crusades taught Muslims to hate and attack Christians.

What opened my eyes to a nuance in the devilish scheme to avoid the fiery lake was a scenario cloaked within the facts underlying Myths #3 and #4, for which the scholar’s opening gambit to the first (#3) reads:

“This has been a very popular argument, at least from Voltaire on. It seems credible and even compelling to modern people, steeped as they are in materialist worldviews. And certainly there were cynics and hypocrites in the Middle Ages…

“In the modern period, there were two main European schools of thought about the crusades. One school, epitomized by people like Voltaire, Gibbon, and Sir Walter Scott, and in the twentieth century Sir Steven Runciman, saw the crusaders as crude, greedy, aggressive barbarians who attacked civilized, peace-loving Muslims to improve their own lot. The other school, more romantic…saw the crusades as a glorious episode in a long-standing struggle in which Christian chivalry had driven back Muslim hordes. In addition, Western imperialists began to view the crusaders as predecessors, adapting their activities in a secularized way that the original crusaders would not have recognized or found very congenial…”

Free from church controls, the Enlightenment’s intellectual and philosophical liberality nourished a growing rejection of religion, agnosticism and atheism. So a jaundiced view of Christian scripture and history developed. Consequently, Western intelligentsia put their own twist upon the Crusades.

Part 2 will look at how this diabolical spin generated Myth #4; that the Crusades taught Muslims to hate and attack Christians – and the implicit activity of the “Father of Lies” in avoiding his ultimate demise.

[‘Hand Holding Puzzle Piece’ and ‘Puzzle’ courtesy Freedigitalphotos.net]

Paws-4-thought: devilish plot to avoid the Lake of Fire

Posted on Wednesday, 11 February, 2015 by Richard Barker

“…for we are not unaware of Satan’s schemes”. (Apostle Paul’s second letter to the early church in Corinth, Greece)

It isn’t a popular topic and is one I’d rather overlook, but this has to be said in view of recent and current events. The notions behind my musings may not be new to some of my readers.

The enemy of our souls, that ancient dragon and deceiver, will eventually be thrown into a fiery lake along with his false prophet, the beast, death and Hades, plus anyone whose name isn’t recorded in the Book of Life, as is foretold in the twentieth chapter of The Apocalypse.

Afterwards, a new earth will appear and the new Jerusalem will descend from a new heaven, because the old ones have passed away. But before all that, those evil ones will have been defeated upon the return to earth of “The Word of God”, as described in part of an end-time vision Jesus gave Apostle John:

¹¹Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. ¹²His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. ¹³He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. ¹⁴And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. ¹⁵Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. ¹⁶And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:

KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. (Rev 19:11 NKJV)

Satan’s Strategy?

It may be presumptuous of me, but it seems there’s a verse in each of the Old and New Testaments that Satan could be using to thwart God’s plan for his eventual demise.

Could his strategy be to prevent Jesus’ prophesied return? If he were to achieve that, then what’s foretold in scripture just wouldn’t be able to happen!

However, in view of the facts that Jesus defeated him at Calvary and then ascended to sit at God’s side as His only begotten Son, how could Satan achieve such a goal?

Answer: by ensuring the reasons for Jesus Christ’s promised return have been nullified; that is, no longer exist.

OT Aspect

When Jesus ascended to heaven from the Mount of Olives the gathered disciples were told by two men in white linen that He’d return in the same fashion (Acts 1:9-12). This would comply with the prophecy of the Day of the Lord given to Zechariah, which states in part…

For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem…^³Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. ⁴And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east….Thus the Lord my God will come, and all the saints with You. (Zech 14:2-5 NKJV courtesy BibleGateway.com)

Therefore, which people will be there? The descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – the Jews, with whom God has an everlasting Covenant. So, to prevent that Satan could cause people to eradicate them by genocide; that is, by wars, massacres, pogroms, holocaust, politico-religious ethnic cleansing. Hence, Islamist regimes’ goal of wiping the Jewish state of Israel from the map. (Some mullahs want all Jews to be gathered there so they can be more easily destroyed!)

Thus, once all Jews are removed from the land there’d be no point at all in Jesus returning for a people that don’t live there!

NT Aspect

But Jesus could return to snatch away, or ‘rapture’, the Christians into heaven anyway, as Paul foresaw, for that above OT verse says He will return with all His saints. But if all the followers of Jesus are no longer fit to be His bride then they’d be useless and He wouldn’t be able to use them. Hence, the snake insinuated itself into Christendom, got churches to unwittingly promulgate false teachings and lose the Holy Spirit’s anointing and powerful inheritance of the first disciples.

Better still, the devil could scheme to destroy and wipe them out too! Then there’d be neither Jew nor Christian left for Jesus to return to earth. He might as well stay up in heaven and let Satan continue to rule the roost on earth

So, as stated in Revelation 12:17, Satan immediately began “to make war on those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus”.

Perhaps the easiest and most subtly unseen way of doing that is the Machiavellian strategy of ‘divide and rule’; that is, disunity. Get these ‘little anointed ones’ to fall out and dispute doctrine, let them build and rule over man-made institutions instead of being filled by the Holy Spirit and led by Him.

But even better, get them to hate and turn on one another, then wage war upon and kill fellow believers and thus disobey not only Jesus’ own command to them to love one another (John 13:34-35), but also His prayer to Father that they be one in them both (John 17:20-26) so the world would believe God had sent Him. And so Satan’s tactic is to render these foundational points of Christian discipleship null and void.

And on top of that, if Satan can get Christians to despise and turn against the Jews then he’s laughing, he’s ‘home and dry’ – we will have done his job for him!! And better still, why not make everyone else in the world hate Jews too? Even better, create a religious scripture that justifies, commands and honours killing them.

Doubtless, the Devil thinks prevention of the fulfilment of holy writ is practically guaranteed! Let’s consider some evidence for these claims:

Historical Evidence

1. The opening quotation refers to a matter on which Paul was advising church leaders. About 20 year after Jesus’ ascension a rebellious conflict grieved leaders and believers of that early assembly in Greece. They reacted severely but Paul cautioned forgiveness and comfort. Otherwise it would allow Satan to take advantage of the discord within the church (New Spirit-filled Life Bible notes). NKJV has Paul’s guidance; “…I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, lest Satan should take advantage of us, for we are not ignorant of his devices“. (2 Cor 2:11)

2. Another devilish tactic that has persisted is mentioned by the author of the Book to the Hebrews: “Exercise foresight and be on the watch to look [after one another], to see that no one falls back from and fails to secure God’s grace (His unmerited favor and spiritual blessing), in order that no root of resentment (rancor, bitterness, or hatred) shoots forth and causes trouble and bitter torment, and the many become contaminated and defiled by it (Heb 12:15 Amplified Bible).

3. 300 years later, in post-conversion zeal, Emperor Constantine turned against Jewish opposition to Christianity. Being empowered as the official religion it dominated that empire’s territory and Sylvester, the bishop of the Catholic church in Rome, withdrew its long-standing brotherly support of churches led by the ‘desposyni’ (“the Lord’s blood-kindred”). Thus began centuries of official anti-Semitic indoctrination and persecution, the fruit of which appalled me when a child upon hearing my devout Catholic mother referring to Jews as “Christ killers”. So we can understand how the strong undercurrent of anti-Semitism in Europe enabled Satan to complete one phase of his strategy: the infamous Holocaust.

4. Yet the Bible calls Christians to live as peacemakers (Matthew 5:9), and we are to pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6).

5. 1,500 years ago along comes a new religion that invades other lands, tramples upon their culture and persecutes and kills anyone who thinks differently; including Jews and Christians. (Other than refer you to website The Religion of ‘Peace’, I’m not citing any details because those familiar with the subject will already be well informed.)

6. Britain has a mixed history of treating Jewish residents, including persecution during 12th-13th Centuries. After returning in 16th Century they integrated well into one of the most tolerant countries in Europe (Virtual Jewish Library). However, during the last century there’s been noticeable anti-Semitism in diplomatic circles, and in the military during the British mandate to govern the Palestinian territories. However, of the latter, honourable mention must be given to two distinguished British officers:

Lt. Colonel John Henry Patterson, commander of the British Army’s Zion Mule Corps at Gallipoli in 1915 and in 1918, after becoming 38th Kings Fusiliers, they served under Gen. Allenby in driving the Turks out of Palestine (source). Israeli PM Netanyahu personally presided at the re-interment of his ashes last year. Patterson had been a very close friend of his late father, as well as of Israel’s first two Prime Ministers Ben-Gurion and Eshkol. (Click image for more)
Major General Orde Charles Wingate DSO, creator of special behind-the-lines WW2 units (later became the SAS) operating in Abyssinia, North Africa and Burma, where he formed the famed ‘Chindits’. His template for this had been in training the Haganah during 1936-39, which later became the IDF (source).

7. Anti-Semitism in todays’ media and traditional churches in Britain, as in Archbishop Welby’s speech against it and silencing of anti-Zionist Stephen Sizer.

These musings soon developed further as An Insight into a Global Satanic Strategy and then into a 3-part mini-series on the biblical ‘End-game’ (click for Part 1).

“…the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.” (Rev 12:12)

[All Bible quotations courtesy of Bible Gateway.com]

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Richard's Watch

Looking for the signs of Jesus' return

Category Archives: History

Breaking off the Greek mindset

Separation vs unity

Fundamental flaw in Western society – re. Greece-Europe crisis, Humanism

Monday M.A.S.H. – modern, amusing social history

ALERT: suppression of free speech in UK and USA

Vague laws will catch law-abiding people

Review – Magna Carta: Law, Liberty, Legacy

Magna Carta Unravelled – a new book

Magna Carta’s 8th centenary: a better perspective

On 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta – or should it be 1,400th?

Intercessors note 70-year election significance too

Stunning General Election results – is God behind them?

MAGNA CARTA

ELECTION RESULTS

1. Cloud Over Windsor 2011

2. Vision of Bells in Scotland

3. Lord, Turn The Tide!

4. Sharon Stone’s Remarks

5. Revd Ken Gott

6. 70-year Period

7. Cindy Jacobs’ Word for UK

Significance of 70-year cycle

George Washington’s warning to modern Washington

Israel celebrates 67 years after its dramatic, prophetic rebirth. A few thoughts to mark the occasion.

Israeli scholar says 1st century Jews awaited Messiah who would die & rise again. Argues “third day resurrection” an idea that pre-dates Jesus.

3 of 3: US presidents’ actions relate to Daniel’s visions

‘That we are about to witness some of the most traumatic political events the civilised world has seen is clear from the writings of the ancient seers [ie. OT prophets].

‘Within a few years, according to the prophets, the economy of the civilised world will be operable only by the consent of, and on the terms laid down by, an Islamic Empire which will rule a large part of the earth’s surface.

‘The oil producing nations will be swept by a wave of religious fervour such as not been seen since prophet Mohammed himself inspired the great upsurge of religious, political and militant Islam.’ [Emphases RB]

Critical Calendars Affecting Netanyahu’s Speech to Congress

Iran’s leaders reject Obama deal, calling it “unacceptable.” It’s been a bizarre few days. Here’s the latest.

On eve of Purim, Netanyahu warns of new Persian threat to Israel & the world.

An insight into global satanic strategy – part 2

An insight into a global satanic strategy – part 1

Paws-4-thought: devilish plot to avoid the Lake of Fire

Separation vs unity

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Vague laws will catch law-abiding people

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MAGNA CARTA

ELECTION RESULTS

1. Cloud Over Windsor 2011

2. Vision of Bells in Scotland

3. Lord, Turn The Tide!

4. Sharon Stone’s Remarks

5. Revd Ken Gott

6. 70-year Period

7. Cindy Jacobs’ Word for UK

Significance of 70-year cycle

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‘That we are about to witness some of the most traumatic political events the civilised world has seen is clear from the writings of the ancient seers [ie. OT prophets].

‘Within a few years, according to the prophets, the economy of the civilised world will be operable only by the consent of, and on the terms laid down by, an Islamic Empire which will rule a large part of the earth’s surface.

‘The oil producing nations will be swept by a wave of religious fervour such as not been seen since prophet Mohammed himself inspired the great upsurge of religious, political and militant Islam.’ [Emphases RB]

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