Category Archives: News

The biased BBC doesn’t know about Jerusalem

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Further to my previous about the USA’s non-recognition of Jerusalem I offer a further point published in Bible Prophecy blog. Therein, Chad Groening reports upon the BBC’s ignorance of Israel as displayed in its Olympics website, as herein.

Furthermore, Britain’s own solidly sensible political blogger ‘Cranmer’ informs readers that:

His Grace has been following this story closely for the past week: The Commentator blog drew attention to the fact that the BBC’s online Olympic coverage was manifestly anti-Israel and pro-Palestine: every participating nation had its capital city listed, bar the state of Israel, which was left blank. Yet the non-state of Palestine had its capital listed as ‘East Jerusalem’. Despite Israel’s seat of government – the Knesset – being in Jerusalem, and despite a plethora of foreign embassies being located in Tel Aviv, the BBC opted to identify neither as Israel’s capital city. And yet, despite the Palestinian seat of government being in Ramallah, and despite Jerusalem not being divided, the BBC opted to carve the East away and hand it, lock, stock and barrel (Temple Mount, Western Wall and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre) to the self-proclaimed Palestinian Authority.
This was a blatant bias and factual inaccuracy…Yet the BBC summarily dismissed what Israel says of and claims for Jerusalem, while validating and authenticating what Palestine says and claims of the city.

As ever, Cranmer is facetious in his castigation of the outright bias in the BBC:

The changes to the BBC’s website are inadequate: they not only constitute an overt attempt to deny and de-legitimise Israel’s capital; they amount to a breach of the BBC’s own Charter which requires impartiality and factual accuracy (emphasis mine).

His single-page ripost, BBC Slams Pro-Israel Jewish Lobby and attendant discussion, is well-worth taking time to read.

Enjoy and be well informed.

About the status of Jerusalem

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If anyone isn’t sure why potential contender for the Oval Office Mitt Romney caused a stir by his remarks about Jerusalem made during his recent visit there, let’s consider the situation in more detail. Please refer to the brief previous post and watch its very short video-clip from Times of Israel. A short US news transcript on this may be read here.

First, let’s never forget the prophetic Word of God:

“I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling…On that day when all nations of the earth are gathered against her. I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to remove it will injure themselves…” (Zecharia 12:2-3, also referred to in earlier post here.)

Jerusalem is renowned for its place in religious history and since Israel liberated it from Jordan in the 1967 war it has changed from semi-dereliction to a thriving city.  Inter-nationally, however, it is regarded as a disputed territory with Israelis and Palestinians vying for eventual oversight through the supposed ‘peace process’.  It’s complicated, so let’s check what others more qualified than me say about Romney’s speech:

Experts’ Commentaries

1. Drew Zahn, a Christian columnist, explains:

The controversy over the nation’s capital exists because many Jews, as well as many of Israel’s supporters around the world, have long understood that Jerusalem is more than just the capital of the country, but the heart and soul of the Jewish people’s understanding of returning to the land of their forefathers.

And even though the presidential residence, government offices, supreme court and Knesset are located in Jerusalem – designated as the capital city by Jewish law – the United Nations doesn’t recognize Jerusalem’s place, and most nations’ embassies, therefore, are located in Israel’s northern city of Tel Aviv. In fact, not a single nation on earth diplomatically recognizes Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

Even the U.S., long considered one of Israel’s most faithful allies, has fudged its position on the capital controversy as incoherently as Carney answered the press corps. For example, in 1995 Congress adopted the Jerusalem Embassy Act, a resolution supporting recognition of a united Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and declaring “the United States Embassy in Israel should be established in Jerusalem no later than May 31, 1999.” But the act has yet to be carried out, as President Clinton’s administration believed the act was an unconstitutional invasion of presidential authority. No president has yet to act on the 1995 resolution.(Read full article Suddenly, All Eyes Are On Jerusalem.)

2. Deputy managing editor of the Jerusalem Post and senior fellow for Middle Eastern Affairs at the Center for Security Policy in Washington, DC, Carolyn Glick has served on the Israeli team during peace negotiations and is highly regarded for her incisive analysis. Thus, on this matter she provides the following insight before proceeding to deal with Palestinian complaints:

…The law granted the president a right to postpone the transfer of the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem on national security grounds. But the law’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital was unconditional (my emphasis).

In noting Romney’s very mild criticism of Palestinian society, Carolyn refers to their nonsensical attitude on several issues and cites how they bite the hand that feeds them:

The EU is the largest financial backer of the PA. Its policies towards Israel are in complete alignment with what the purportedly moderate Palestinians claim they want in a peace deal with Israel, including the partition of Jerusalem [….]  And yet…for simply upgrading EU trade ties with Israel, Palestinian for Dignity announced its members “will organize to protest the latest manifestation of EU complicity and to challenge its presence and operations in Palestine”.

For how the Republican contender’s policy statements compare with those of Barack Obama’s Administration, especially as applied to the re-election campaign, read her full article Israel – Obama’s ‘Wedge’ Issue.

Carolyn’s opinion on Romney’s speech is ever so brief and may been read here just before the speech’s video on her blog.

3. Founder of The Middle-East Forum who warned of the likelihood of the  911 attack, Daniel Pipes referred to Romney’s rousing political speech as follows:

(He) delivered a ‘stem-winder’ of a speech to the Jerusalem Foundation yesterday, packing emotional support with frank policy statements. The contrast with Obama could hardly be more dramatic. Indeed, one could go through the speech and note the many refutations of Obama….

Also, in contrast to the nonsensical Obama administration stance on Jerusalem being Israel’s capital — sneaking into change captions that mistakenly identified it as that and going through verbal gymnastics to avoid calling it that — Romney came out and plainly called Jerusalem “the capital of Israel”.

For Daniel’s concise summation of the speech see his article in National Review Online, The Corner.

4. Mike Evans, close personal friend of PM Netanyahu for many years, tells about the Israeli’s 35 year-long friendship with the Republican Romney in A Tale of Two Kings.

The two politicians are exceptional among today’s officials. It would be challenging to find two men of such prominence with a similar history. It would also be difficult to envision a world leader who would be more in tune with Israel’s welfare. Romney has already signified that he would be hesitant to make noteworthy determinations about the Jewish state without first conferring with Mr. Netanyahu. This would be an utter about-face from the lackadaisical policies displayed by current US President Barack Obama.

Has your mainstream news fully reported on this? See Not on the 10 o’clock News.

Iranian leader’s End-Times declaration

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[Publd 20 July 2012]  This serves to make my covering introduction to the previous reblogged post easier to read. The normal text format wasn’t available and this will also update the content.:

In that post Joel Rosenberg calls attention to a grave matter which many cannot grasp, especially politicians – the End-Times. Escalating events in the Middle-East are making Judeo-Christian prophetical scriptures increasingly apposite. Continue reading →

Iranian Leader: We must prepare for the “End Times”

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Best-selling author Joel is well known for organising Epicentre Conferences which focus upon the politics in the Middle-East, especially Israel, from a Biblical perspective (more here). In this post he calls attention to an important matter which many cannot yet grasp – the End-Times.

See my subsequent post Iranian leader’s End-Time declaration, and Joel’s Exclusive; Ahmadinejad’s End-Time speech to the UN in which the most detailed explanation of the Twelth Imam to date is given and UN leaders are told the Mahdi will “soon” reign over the world.

joelcrosenberg's avatarJoel C. Rosenberg's Blog

(Jerusalem, Israel) — My friend Reza Kahlili published this fascinating and sobering article this week and I commend it to your attention. Reza used to be an officer in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. Then he became a double agent for the CIA. Now he is an American citizen who is using his contacts and sources in Iran to gather information to expose the evil regime in Tehran and bring them down before they acquire nuclear weapons and try to usher in the reign of the Twelfth Imam. 

Excerpts:

  • Iran’s supreme leader, for the first time, is telling his nation that it must prepare for war and “the end of times” as it continues to develop nuclear weapons. State-owned media outlets, in a coordinated effort, all ran a similar story Friday highlighting Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s message on the coming of the last Islamic messiah. 
  • Until now, the Iranian…

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Cameron says “people can wear religious emblems at work”, so what’s bugging me?

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In this post, my friend Gillan Scott proffers a detailed, well-researched analysis of the issues and governmental confusion. It is well worth reading to gain a fuller consideration of the matter to which I recently drew readers’ attention (here).

A spiritual slant on the Olympic torch’s route

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Further to my earlier posting a very visual log of the Praise Bus’ journey is available on Facebook.  Especial appreciation goes to the exceptional skills of the drivers (see June 17 video on Fbook), whom we met in May in Kingsbridge, Devon (photo).

I was intrigued to learn from a fellow reader of an encouraging encounter with some Welsh Christians during his hike from Newport, Wales to the Lizard in Cornwall . This group been in contact with people involved in new age etc and had been told “such groups were aware something was going on in the spiritual realm”!!

Now if we overlook the media exuberance over what is in essence a pagan festivity and consider that this is being ‘converted’ by being blessed by daily prayers to the Living Lord, then we may appreciate what He could be doing in all this to change the nation’s hearts.

When seen on a map, the torch relay’s route across the UK seems quite haphazard but it actually resembles a vivid flash of forked lightning.  Now if one bears in mind the two-part vision Joan Darnall received, the latter part speaks of bolts of lightning hitting the scattered holy fires (like Queen’s Jubilee beacons??) across Britain.

This week I came across a word from the Lord received last August and which refers to such a combined possibility – The world will see a land where I Am glorified. You may, therefore, wish to read and weigh this and then read and watch the video posting for 7 July on the Praise Bus. (NB. need to open up ‘See more recent stories’ on Facebook’s timeline.)  Allow the music and imagery to set the scene for considering both words!

We’ll meet up with the bus team in Petersfield first thing Monday morning as the relay zigzags towards Guildford.

The Lord bless you and keep you.

Interesting remarks by the PM – “an absolutely vital freedom”

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PostScript Friday 20 June: see also reblog of Gillan Scott’s view and commendable interviews by Paul Burgin with the Rt Hon Gary Streeter MP about the group Christians in Parliament (of which he is chairman) and with Danny Webster, Parliamentary Officer with the Evangelical Alliance, mainly about the role of Christians in the media.

In today’s Telegraph Rosa Prince writes that during Prime Minister’s Question Time, David Davis MP asked about the case of Nadia Eweida. She is appealing to the European Court of Human Rights after  having been barred by her employer from wearing a crucifix whilst working at Heathrow Airport.

Mr Davis described British Airways refusal to allow Miss Eweida to wear her cross as a “disgraceful piece of political correctness”.  He asked the PM why the Government was opposing her appeal to complain that there are no protections under UK law for workers who wore religious symbols.

The Telegraph quotes Mr Cameron’s response: Continue reading →

What’s up with the weather?

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Taken in case of need, this holiday photo is now serving its purpose – to remind me what wall-to-wall, cloud-less sky is like!  And it’s not hard, but not easy, to recall what lies beneath this azure zenith!  But 8.30am today I walked in warm sunshine, yet a bank of cloud soon rolled over like a gray blanket – but at least it’s not raining and occasionally getting a bit brighter as cloud thins now and then.

Regarded as the wettest April to June (see report and video) since full detailed records for temperatures and rainfall across the UK began in 1910 – they’re forecasting over a month’s rain in 24hrs!  (In the night we heard it like never ever before – it fell so heavily and quickly it sounded like one long roar!)  Even now in July it’s unwise to stow away one’s winter wear!  There have been ‘exceptional’ torrential rains, stormforce winds, at least one small tornado and widespread flooding, sadly with loss of life – all as was anticipated in my dream reported in What’s prophetical about weather? )

But there’s a blessing, nationally and personally – although much earlier than usual, our holiday took place during a fine fortnight with cool winds, and only one wet day. Two winters of abnormally low rainfall left reservoirs and underground aquifers very dry but they’ve been replenished. Also, plans to ban the use hose-pipes have been scrapped. So thank you Lord – let the river of Your Holy Spirit flow…

Over the ‘pond’

On this side of the Atlantic we’ve got away with things very lightly!  Over in the States it’s been a very bad month indeed, as I’ve noted from a couple of blogs. My older cousin south of Tucson, Arizona, is hoping for the ‘monsoon’ as it’s hot and dry (temperatures over 100 degrees F daily) with only a trace of rain this year. The extreme heat then headed eastwards, to affect 25 states and 45 million people, for example:

Now, it’s an interesting and pertinent fact that President Obama had declared June as being devoted to ‘gay pride’, as well as having declared shortly beforehand his personal interest in changing the laws to allow ‘marriage’ for such folk. Many black pastors have challenged and registered strong objections to his actions.

Now, it’s been noted that Obama signed off his official declaration as follows,

“IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of the Indepen-dence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.” (emphasis added)

Now, is it not an extraordinarily contrary thing to mix this matter with a reference to the life of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour?  Can we not sense where His heart is in this matter and what His response is?  This president has surely put himself in an invidious position and I would not like to be in his shoes.  After all, isn’t it written that Sodom and Gomorrah suffered from intense fire? (Genesis 19:23)  Jesus indicated that those cities  would, however, have repented had they witnessed His mighty works. Furthermore, His statement implies that there is hope for all who do not reject Him (Matthew 11).

Could this be why the United States has been suffering such stupendously atrocious storms, and continues to reap the whirlwind of darker days? (For fuller discussion see  Dr John MrTernan’s Insights blog with journal of events: Defend & Proclaim the Faith.)

I criticised the content of President Obama’s speech in Cairo Speech and expressed reservations about the nature of his faith. After recent ‘clarifications’ on that issue and  his address during the National Prayer Breakfast, I have reviewed my reservations – especially the claim that he may be ‘born again’.  However, I’ve yet to be convinced.

The fact remains, that whomsoever President Obama is acountable to as his spiritual mentor or pastor seems to have ignored Jesus’ instruction to His Apostles, and hence to all those in spiritual authority, about how to make disciples of believers:

“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  19 Go therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

This is New King James text, but New International Version renders verse 20 as,

 “…teaching them to obey everything I have commanded…”

So just what did Jesus command?

=========================

Back to the blue sky…aaahhh.  And what was beneath it?  A favourite beach….

 

Further update re. free speech

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ASA Adjudication in complaint about the Coalition For Marriage

This morning blogger Archbishop Cranmer announced that the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ruled on four counts against complaints that the Coalition’s press advert featuring married couples is offensive.  He provides the judgement report in its entirety but questions its closing ‘No further action required’ comment.

The complaint cited his blog amongst four displays of the supposedly offensive advert, which now heads his post. As I wrote here yesterday, His Grace has been tenaciously investigating the issue from another aspect.  He has now received a reply to his enquiry of the ASA and which,

His Grace finds this disingenuous, if not deceitful. Is the ASA really saying, in the 21st century, that they have no means of knowing what a document contained prior to an update? If amendments are made by means of paper forms, there will be an audit trail. If they are carried out online, there will be electronic footprints. If changes are made by email correspondence, these are easily traceable. It is, frankly, inconceivable that the ASA do not know what Lord Smith’s declarations were prior to May 2012, not least because he himself must know what changes he made. Unless, of course, they have something to hide…

The problems starting to beset ASA are hardly suprising for let’s not forget the shaking that was prophesied for this year in accordance with the following scripture.:

“Yet once more I shake not only the earth but also the heaven.” (Heb 13:26 NKJV)

To understand what the Lord means and the reason behind it see Hebrews 13:25-29 .  For the prophecies see A Promise of Revival by Dr Clifford Hill and Dr Sharon Stone    A Ripening Season.  It is also implicit in what Nathan Morris received after New Year – see An important word for 2012 .

May the Lord reveal more to you.

Update to ‘Welcome victory for freedom of speech…’

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Further to my post about the ASA adjudication against Healing On The Streets in Bath there is some unrelated news about another injudicious ASA action.

Regular readers will be aware of my opinion on political attempts to suppress Christian beliefs (eg. as here, here, here, here). So, it was extremely interesting to learn about the widely read political blogger Archbishop Cranmer’s confrontation with Lord Smith,  Chairman of the ASA, over his unwarranted interference with his blog:

…the ASA seeks to harass and bully those who carry perfectly innocuous advertisements promoting the traditional view of marriage, and enter-tain that such advertisements might be ‘offensive and homophobic’.

This other ‘saga’ with the ASA reveals a distinct lack of integrity and impartiality within its top echelons!  It also provides yet more evidence of its ulterior political motives, and is well worth reading and following the links provided by His Grace to grasp the whole story.

With regard to HOTS, Christians Together in the Highlands provides a summary of  the nature and significance of this issue for churches within the United Kingdom.

A welcome victory for freedom of speech – and commonsense!

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Paul Skelton of Healing On The Streets Bath, has updated me with welcome news of a substantial flaw in the ASA dictat against statements and testimonies of healing on  his website. The ruling has been officially reviewed and over-ruled and thus vindicates HOTS’ stance and their claims about ulterior motives to this issue, which many others could discern too – see previous update, and ASA tags in this blog for more.

The official statement has yet to be appear but it seems to confirm HOTS’ concerns,  which the original complainant described as, ‘bizarre’. This young lady claims to be a ‘paranormal investigator’ and yet admits to not having spoken to anyone or to making enquires other than visiting the website, or having done any open-minded research.  Her reasons arise from personal medical experiences, which is understandable, and so wishes to protect vulnerable people – but they’re mixed motives. Consequently, a very  strong ‘crusading’ bias contributed to a hasty, incomplete assessment and conclusion. When I presented her with undeniable evidence of my wife’s healing the ‘lady’ didn’t want to accept its validity. Her claims to being an objective investigator are thereby shown as being, at best, delusion or, at worst, downright fraudulent.

[I was once on her side of the ‘fence’ – even having contempt for contemporary Christian belief – but how utterly shocked I was to discover I was ‘gravely’ wrong (deliberate pun) and that the Gospel really IS wholly true – see Death of Destiny?.  I was devasted but what could I do but acknowledge the Truth Himself as my personal Lord and Saviour?]

Now, after my aside, here’s Paul’s published announcement.:

Advertising Standards Authority admit there was

 a substantial flaw in their judgement

Early this year the ASA ruled that HOTS Bath was in breach of advertising standards in expressing our belief that God can heal physically as well as spiritually and emotionally.

However, the official review process has now been completed and has identified a substantial flaw in the ASA’s Adjudication.

The ASA has subsequently accepted the official reviewers recommendation that the HOTS Bath website is actually outside of their remit and therefore beyond their jurisdiction.

This is great news and sets a clear precedent for Christian websites to be able to share testimonies of Gods goodness through physical healing with out opposition from official bodies.
Below is our official statement regarding this news :-

We are grateful to the ASA’s Independent Reviewer and the ASA Council for reviewing and amending this decision, and confirming that there was a fundamental flaw in the original assessment of the complaint about our website.

The ASA has now confirmed that our website is not within its remit because the statements made on it reflects our beliefs and relate to a cause or idea – the website explains our belief that God can heal and provides information about prayer offered by our volunteers and therefore the ASA has confirmed that nothing on the website is in breach of the advertising regulations.

The ASA still considered that leaflets handed out could be in breach of the advertising regulations, however we changed the leaflets several months ago to reflect the concerns which the ASA had previously expressed.

The ASA is due to re-publish the adjudication confirming its views on the leaflets, but the revised adjudication does not apply to what is on our website, meaning we can continue to express our beliefs that God can and does heal, as well as providing information and testimonies explaining all about Healing on the Streets.

HOTS Bath will continue to fulfill its commitment to demonstrate the love of God through healing of body, mind and spirit on the streets of Bath and elsewhere.

Visit our website at www.hotsbath.org

See update for recent news about ASA Chairman’s unwarranted political interference.

The especial significance of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee bells: part 1

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SERENDIPITY STRIKES AGAIN !! (Definition: the happy occurrence of chance events.) But when such events are laden with surprising illumination of a spiritual and intellectual nature, they’re regarded as from the Living God; that is, ‘God-incidents’.

This time it’s all about the Queen’s bells!  Or more particularly, the especially significant role and effect they have upon our nation and of which only a few folk have been aware.

Those who attended or watched yesterday’s grand spectacle of Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee pageant on the River Thames saw – and heard – a huge flotilla of 1,000 vessels (click to see selection of photos, courtesy Daily Mail Online).

The Belfry barge carrying eight enormous church bells led the procession in one of the most spectacular nautical events seen in London for over 350 years.   They pealed all along the 7 mile route and were joined by church bells ringing out in reply across the City of London as the pageant regally proceeded to Tower Bridge. (Daily Telegraph’s video-article on the rehearsal for bell-ringing gives a feel for their sound. I had hoped the BBC’s live coverage would have returned to their on-board presenter, showman John Barrowman, but his personal video blog conveys a sense of the very deep impact those bells can make.) Continue reading →

“I asked God to protect me…He didn’t let me down”

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Thus ran yesterday’s Sun on Sunday ‘world exclusive’ front-page headline about Fabrice Muamba’s recovery from ‘death’ after a heart attack. Click here to read his down-to-earth personal account of being grateful not to be left brain damaged. The follow-up story of who inspired Fabrice’s recovery is on this link.

I’d previously mused in the email below as to whether God’s hand could be discerned in this event as it followed upon the heels of the ASA’s decision to ban any statements about our Lord’s healing power.  We can rejoice in His ‘cocking a snook’ at the thought control behind authoritiarian political correctness.

As before, Gillan Scott quickly reported upon this news and sensitively discusses its appearance in this particular journal. His own conclusion is well worth noting:

This weekend God’s greatest evangelist was a footballer who used a tabloid to tell the world just how amazing God is. God knows what He’s doing and we need to learn to follow His lead.

Amen.

Copy of earlier email:

From: Richard Barker
Sent: Tuesday, March 27, 2012 4:05 PM
To: Undisclosed Recipients
Subject: Fw: Christians in Parliament challenge ASA’s ‘God can heal’ ban

…Thank you to Paul for having alerted me, to Gillan for this news, and to three Christian MPs dealing with this important issue. (You may recall my emails of early February and  my blog’s post on this issue.)

Gillan reports (link) that the All-Party Parliamentary Group, Christians in Parliament, has asked the Chairman of the Advertising Standards Authority to provide scientific substantiation for the ASA ruling against Healing On The Streets, failing which the matter will be raised in Parliament. The ASA decision sought NOT ONLY to ban claims that God can and does heal physically, BUT ALSO TO SUPPRESS PUBLICATION OF TESTIMONIES of such healings!!

In case you may not understand the footballer reference, see Gillan’s post God is in control and Peter Kirk’s post about the BBC’s suggesting prayers for him!  Is the Lord using that unfortunate incident to state, “Who says I cannot heal?”..?

Are we clutching at straws?

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The personal blessing of Resurrection Sunday, listening to inspirational preaching and ministry on the breaking point of Gethsemane, watching believers come ‘out of their tombs’ during anointed preaching, reading a couple of excellent blogs on Easter have made it an intellectually and spiritually active fortnight. On top of which I’ve been involved with some interesting discussions on-line:

Thank you to Archbishop Cranmer and Peter Kirk for your several Easter articles, especially when a non-believer sought to divert the latter. A supporter of the ASA had caught up with an old posting that I’d commented upon and he claimed, “Richard and HOTS are grasping at anecdotal straws”. He then proceeded to distract the blogger from his inspirational jottings with lengthy arguments on scientific procedure for testing healing. So I waded in with the irrefutable factual testimony of a redundant carer! Enjoy the long thread here.

There have also been several well-written critiques, comparisons and discussion of PM Cameron’s and President Obama’s Easter messages (see Cranmer, Peter Kirk, Gillan Scott), which I would recommend to those who may have time to read. I’ve found them to be most instructive and enabled me to reconsider my views.

Yet more – I was encouraged that Jarrod Cooper in Hull had also noticed what I’d reported about Cameron’s support for ‘a Christian fight-back’!

Should you want to read more on that, see Charles Moore’s A society that persecutes Christ is heading for trouble, wherein he writes:

“If you start extirpating Christianity, it will start fighting back.  And even if – highly unlikely – you beat it down, behind it will come the more implacable, much more shamelessly political adherents of Islam.”

Also, reporting today about a new advertising campaign on London buses, Cranmer writes,

”…these plucky Christians are merely doing what the Prime Minister exhorted them to do: ‘ fight back‘.”

Having taken up our whole armour, let’s stand in the Lord…

If in you’re London this Good Friday afternoon…

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…then perhaps you could go to Trafalgar Square by midday for a couple of open performances which have our highest personal recommendation: The Passion of Jesus.  We’ve booked for a third trip to ‘partake’ in this modern rendition of The Life of Christ, as well as an amazing Nativity, in open fields on the North Downs, south of Guildford. There, the actors mingle among the audience and it seems as though we travel back in time.  It’s as though one’s there alongside Jesus and the disciples, watching and listening to all they say and do.

Continue reading →

The PM’s Surprising Easter Message

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News from Downing Street yesterday is encouraging in the light of previous events and the spiritual power play in the ‘heavenlies’ for our nation. I’m grateful to Gillan Scott for spotting this and for recognising that its significance warranted his interrupting his break by posting the entire transcript on God and Politics in the UK.

Mr Cameron’s reference to a “Christian fight-back” is especially revealing after many believers have been calling for a stand to be taken against evil that has encroached upon this land. (Readers may recall some of my earlier posts on this here and here,     the latter now having some new links to prophetical material.)

Also, this development suggests prayers for the Prime Minister are in the process of being answered.  Let’s keep praying, especially for Godly men to draw close and that they may encourage and direct Mr Cameron towards our Lord and Saviour (whom he does not deny or reject – Matthew 10:32-33).

Post-holydays update:

Over the break for the holydays there have been a number of posts, some critical, by well-respected Christian bloggers on the PM’s message but which overlook my point. Not so much by coincidence but more the Lord’s quick nudge did I discover that Jarrod Cooper was struck by the ‘remarkable!’ slant of the message and posted its full text on his personal blog as Cameron praises the Christian fight-back!.

Maybe it needs an gifted appreciation of the prophetic to discern what’s going on?

E-petition and minister of healing on ASA’s ruling on HOTS-Bath

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Please consider joining me in signing an official e-petition ‘I believe that God can heal’, which reads as follows:

Whether or not we believe that God can heal, we call on the Government to ensure that publishing statements of faith is not banned. This petition is put forward following cases where the Advertising Standards Agency has banned Christian groups from publishing material with the words ‘God can heal’, for example in Bath.

Just a reminder: the issue is not over HOTS compliance with 8 requirements of an advertising code but is about the ASA’s refusal to allow statements of faith. Furthermore, as previously mentioned and now confirmed at point 3 below, this could be construed as the ‘militant secularism’ which the Conservative party’s chairwoman Baroness Warsi referred to in her recent speech.

Thank you Peter for this tip, and pointing out overseas residents may sign too. Thank you also to Martin for drawing attention to a report on The New Street Preachers from Reachout Trust (connected to RevelationTV) and which includes a scriptural assessment of HOTS activity.

Secondly, whilst taking a friend to the airport last night I mentioned this matter to him. As he directs an Anglican healing ministry you may like to know the drift of his remarks, which were as follows: Continue reading →

Muhammed knows more than the ASA!

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Radiologist Muhammed knows what the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) cannot comprehend – GOD REALLY DOES PHYSICAL HEALING!

How come?  Nina needed a checkup with a 3D scanner recently and, trying to lie back-wards onto the scanner table, she asked the radiologist for assistance because of her spine’s lack of flexibility.  She told him this was due to a vertebroplasty performed at that hospital.  (This procedure inserts bone cement into one of the spine’s vertebrae.) Whilst two cameras slowly orbited Nina’s chest the radiologist delved into her large, paper file.

So I took the opportunity to explain briefly what had miraculously happened 6 years ago after the procedure had left her as officially registered ‘disabled’.  (As she couldn’t walk across a room, a wheelchair plus ‘blue badge’ parking facility was necessary outdoors.)  I told Muhammed that God healed her immediately after Nina had forgiven the surgeon – thereupon she could dance and walk and, thus, fully praise the Lord!

Thinking Muhammed is probably a Muslim, I stressed that forgiveness was key to her healing and twice that ‘God is good’.  He must have been impressed because he said on our departure, “It’s good to meet people of faith – there aren’t many around!”.

‘God moves in a mysterious way his wonders to perform’ – as averred by the opening lines of William Cowper’s hymn.  Indeed He does, for had Nina’s vertebra been fully restored, or even replaced, then she would not have needed Mohammed’s help, but he would have been the poorer for not seeing first-hand an example of God’s goodness!

1. ASA Adjudication against Healing On The Streets – Bath

A team from many churches across Bath city has been setting up ‘shop’ near the Abbey for three years. As in several towns and cities across Britain, they offer to pray in Jesus’ name for passers by and hand out leaflets listing a variety of medical conditions and  stating the team believes God loves everyone and can heal sickness.  As my friend Gillan Scott reports in God and Politics in the UK:

Their leaflets and website caught the attention of the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) last summer after a complaint was made by a single member of the public.   The complaint centred around the claim that God could heal the named conditions as a result of the prayer offered and also that the claims were irresponsible and could lead to false hope to those suffering from those conditions.

[For more see: Complainant – Christian wisdom – secular journalist – political columnist.]

The ASA noted, ‘We acknowledged that HOTS volunteers believed that prayer could treat illness and medical conditions, and that therefore the ads did not promote false hope. However, we noted we had not seen evidence that people had been healed through the prayer of HOTS volunteers, and concluded that the ads could encourage false hope in those suffering from the named conditions and therefore were irrespons-ible.’

They ruled: ‘The ads must not appear again in their current form. We told HOTS not to make claims which stated or implied that, by receiving prayer from their volunteers, people could be healed of medical conditions. We also told them not to refer in their ads to medical conditions for which medical supervision should be sought.’ (My emphasis)

Although one can be rather stirred up over their banning the HOTS-Bath’s adverts of  prayers for healing, some of the reasoning seems sensible.  However, some elements give cause for concern because they belie not so much an apparent rejection of God but suggest an over-arching policy of political control.

First, on casting my eye over the ASA assessment there clearly is a bias in favour of the complainant’s claim that HOTS-Bath volunteers themselves heal medical conditions, and that HOTS’ testimonials are misleading.  Although the ASA discussed the issues with HOTS and their responses are reported upon, an unreasonableness is evident in a close reading of the adjudication document itself: no leeway whatsoever is entertained.  All four complaints are upheld.  No compromise is allowed – isn’t this dictatorship?

Also, there appears to have been outrageous demands to kowtow to ASA’s denial of God’s ability to heal sickness, as may be inferred from HOTS-Bath’s initial response     (also, see here for later and here for latest news):

We are disappointed with the ASA’s decision, and will appeal against it because it seems very odd to us that the ASA wants to prevent us from stating on our website the basic Christian belief that God can heal illness.

The ASA has even demanded that we sign a document agreeing not to say this, which is unacceptable to us – as it no doubt would be for anyone ordered not to make certain statements about their conventional religious or philosophical beliefs. (My emphases)

2. Proof of Political Direction

This issue has unsettling similarities with my own experience with the North Somerset Primary Care Trust three years ago this month.  I wrote to its CEO objecting over the decision to suspend a nurse on the grounds of having prayed for a patient.  Nurses were then ordered not to pray for patients and so I wrote that this directive could put lives in jeopardy, and gave a real-life example, as follows:

Had such an edict been in force during my wife’s emergency admittance to hospital in 2005 she would possibly have lost her life!!

Nina had been in a life-threatening situation where she could suffer an anaphylactic attack at any time and her immunologist was trying to get this under control by means of an extremely high, and thereby dangerous, dose of steroids. But one night her throat closed up and the staff had quickly made preparations for a possible emergency trache-otomy to open her up in order to breathe – a dangerous situation!

A nurse who’d not served in that unit asked Nina if she could pray and Nina nodded as an orderly hooked up the heart monitor. The nurse began praying and right away Nina’s throat opened up and she could breath properly again: wildly oscillating readings quickly calmed down and stabilised.  Afterwards, over an early morning tea the night nurse confided she was there only for that night and had been asking the Lord who she should help – an angel indeed. Thank you Lord.

My concern over the PCT’s directive was ignored by the CEO’s standard reply for he proudly proclaimed adherence to diversity and equality policies – THAT SAYS IT ALL!

Furthermore, since publishing this post I’ve heard that another national Christian body has also been unable to agree to the ASA’s demands over statements of physical healing. Thus, on the face of it, I ask: is the ASA deliberately trying to gag the Gospel of Christ?

3. Proof of Healing

The ASA Adjudication noted, ‘testimonials on the website and in the video…were insufficient as evidence for claims of healing. We therefore concluded the ads were misleading.’ I assume this would have been because there was no ‘proper’ medical evidence.

Paucity of documentary proof has admittedly been a weakness of various ministries involved with Christian healing, yet such documentation compiled by New Age practi-tioners has enabled them to be permitted to work in recognised medical facilities.

In order for Christians to gain better recognition by the medical profession the renowned Randy Clark has launched a Christian Healing Certification Program.  No doubt this will include their astounding videos of a number of people from whom surgically implanted metal rods, pins and screws have miraculously disappeared!!  As there was no ill effect then their bodies were sufficiently healed to enable full physical activity!

At last September’s Revival Alliance Gathering John Arnott of Catch The Fire spoke about dvds he’s produced of medically verified accounts of healings in services.  As Nina’s healing was during one she agreed to go on video. Unfortunately however, no footage was available because her ministry took place off-camera.

In The Bay of The Holy Spirit Revival most healings are evident in their ‘before’ and ‘after’ manifestation, and a number people have returned with medical confirmation of their healing. For example, Crystal Caro brought a medical statement to there being  ’no known medical explanation’ for her miracle!!  Her surgically constructed bladder had been replaced by a real one after prayer at the revival meeting.

One mother spoke about the disappearance of a tumour the size of a golf ball from her son Caleb’s brain!  ‘Before’ and ‘after’ scans were shown on a later broadcast. Don’t we have a good God?

In the revival’s early days 18 months ago, the first to receive sight was a man who’d had eight operations to restore his sight, but all failed. He went home from the revival and returned with his whole family of unbelievers who ackowledged that God does heal and wanted to get right with him!  Then there’s the young lady who could only hear through  a digital box on her skull but which is no longer needed.  An older lady who’d had five strokes and whose family were thus unable to look after her, was collected by her sister and driven 500 miles to the revival – she returned home healed, and to save her family!

Have you wept with a young boy upon regaining sight in a blind eye?  Or seen Alanna’s tears at being the butt of kid’s jokes at her limp? She cried, “I can’t take it any more” but upon receiving prayer was healed of cerebral palsy, then walked properly and was soon to run and use a trampoline. Praise you Lord!

We’ll NEVER forget Delia Knox, getting out of a wheelchair after 22 yrs of paralysis and learning to walk again into her healing, which was seen around the world by satellite tv – what an awesome, MIGHTY testimony! (Evangelist Nathan Morris and her husband, a bishop, said they both felt an immense power surge around them during the service.)   This miracle was also reported in the UK press’ tabloid Daily Mail – but they twisted its truth by failing to acknowledge it was done through Jesus Christ!  Did they not realise the high cost of refusing to acknowledge him before men? (See Matthew 10:32-33)

So take your pick from many more testimonies on The Bay website. Would the ASA be able to watch anyone being deeply moved upon their receiving God’s healing grace?

Also, let’s be aware that local doctors occasionally send patients to revival services in Mobile, who then testify to receiving a healing.

PRAISE THE LORD THAT WE HAVE DOCUMENTARY PROOF OF NINA’S HEALING FROM PERMANENT DISABILITY!

Click here to read her full story

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It’s nearly 4 years since a few folk in Hampshire were emailing one another about the Florida Outpouring and which resulted in my keeping friends updated on events, the Middle East in particular. Funnily enough both places are again ‘hotting up’ – but more on that later.

Currently, I’m preparing Nina’s published testimony of healing for this blog. This is sooner than planned but is in response to the ruling by the Advertising Standards Authority against pamphlets for Healing On The Streets – as announced in Bath, where Nina received her healing. (This issue surfaced last week; see below).

One of my aims is to encourage believers to become more well-informed and take a stand against the encroaching antichrist culture in our nation. Hence, my occasional references to the work of Christian Concern, Barnabas Fund, ‘His Grace’ Cranmer here and to several other Christian and secular sources overseas. Continue reading →

Points to ponder: update 2

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‘Turkey Turns Around’ could be today’s headlines on the Middle East military build-up.

Apparently Ankara’s ‘blind eye’ has had the bandage removed and can now see the consequences of having tacitly allowed Iran to supply truckloads of weapons to Syria through Turkey.  It is claimed this is because Iran has failed to give the required assurances over its development of nuclear weapons:

In fact, as debkafile’s military and intelligence sources report exclusively, Ankara changed course against Iran after Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu visited Tehran on Jan. 5. His mission was to warn Iranian leaders including President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad whom he met that Turkey will not stand for Iran acquiring a nuclear bomb and would act to disrupt its program.

The full report makes intriging reading for those who follow developments.

I suspect this action may indicate PM Erdogan is indisposed on health grounds, as reported in the closing paragraphs of my posting We Are A Christian Country.

ALSO, for some more background see copy email here and here.