As radicals try to blow up Israel-Jordan relations and ignite “Third Intifada”, Netanyahu heads to Amman for emergency talks.

Posted on Saturday, 15 November, 2014 by Richard Barker

UPDATE Mon 17 Nov: The Times of Israel quotes Hebrew news site NRG’s report on Thursday’s meeting that Jordan’s King Abdullah II expressed dissatisfaction regarding Jewish Knesset members who’d recently visited the Temple Mount…yet acknowledged President Reuven Rivlin and Prime Minister Netanyahu’s recent requests that right-wing MKs refrain from visiting the contested holy site, and noted last week’s decline in such visits…Netanyahu reiterated his commitment to Abdullah and Kerry that Israel has no intention of changing the delicate status quo at the Temple Mount, which includes the controversial Israeli policy of banning prayer by non-Muslim visitors…he reminded Abdullah that Jordan maintains administrative control of the holy site, and encouraged him to take a larger role in restoring quiet…also pointed out the recent clashes were carried out with the full knowledge of the Jerusalem Waqf (responsible for maintaining administrative charge of the holy site under the terms of the Israel-Jordan peace treaty).

Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog

“His Majesty King Abdullah holds talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Secretary of State John Kerry in Amman on Thursday.” (Photo courtesy of Royal Court/AFP/Jordan Times)

(Central Israel) — Radical Islamists are trying hard to ignite a “Third Intifada,” engulf Jerusalem in violence, and blow up relations between Israel and Jordan, twenty years after the two countries courageously signed a peace treaty.

A close look at events here in recent weeks suggest that without much prayer for the peace of Jerusalem, wise leadership, patient diplomacy, and the grace of God, the Radicals could very well succeed.

But they haven’t yet. With violence in and around Jerusalem spiking, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flew to Amman on Thursday evening for emergency talks with Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Secretary of State John Kerry. The goal: to find a way to de-escalate tensions — quickly and carefully.

The three leaders also held a conference call…

View original post 1,742 more words

46,000 churches called to “extraordinary prayer” for Great Awakening

Posted on Thursday, 13 November, 2014 by Richard Barker

A fascinating follow-on that acts as sequel to the last post can only be of the Lord. In asking whether an emerging corrective trend of a spiritual-political nature could link the USA to Britain, I noted a commonality and mused if it may be related to Charlie Shamp’s remarks about the UK.

“Whether we are discussing the First and Second Great Awakenings…God has always seemed to release the fresh movement of the Holy Spirit on these Islands that has gone on to affect the entire earth.”

We now have reference to a ‘Third Great Awakening’, as follows:

This morning (13th Nov) Joel Rosenberg’s latest email announced “something very exciting happening in the leadership of the Southern Baptist Convention”. In June he’d written about the SBC’s new President, Dr Ronnie Floyd’s, and Anne Graham Lotz’s urgent prayer call for July 4th and beyond.

Joel reminds us that Dr Floyd was making prayer for a Third Great Awakening a top priority inside one of the world’s largest evangelical Christian denominations. He now reports that, true to his word, this pastor has travelled all over the country preaching on the need for deep repentance and revival inside the SBC.

Now, Dr Floyd’s released a free 16-page e-book titled, Pleading With Southern Baptists And Beyond to come together in clear agreement before God and “in extraordinary prayer for the Next Great Awakening and for the world to be reached for Christ”. It is a clarion call for Southern Baptists — and all Christians in the United States — to become deeply focused and committed to pleading with God for revival. [Click to read in full.]

The Third Great Awakening

Joel’s item rang a bell about Dutch Sheets also having similarly called for prayer, about which I wrote in some depth here. It’s the most motivational call for prayer I’ve heard because of its foundation upon a supra-natural lesson: the existing effect of generations’ intercession since the American War of Independence.

Also, I was reminded of having encouraged friends in early 2011 to watch his inspiring account at The Bay Revival of the Lord speaking since 1991 about a new awakening (this email refers).

Recounting his experience this September at the grave of the great revivalist Charles Finney, Dutch reminded Holy Spirit about the First and Second Great Awakenings and appealed to Heaven for another,

As we prayed, God chose this time and place to meet with me in a powerful way. I was overcome, as I have been before, with God’s heart and love for America. I wept, as we all cried out for revival in our land. Why did God meet me there in such a strong way? Perhaps it was to honor the memory of Finney, a faithful son; or, since awakening and harvest is what Finney so powerfully represents, maybe it was a confirmation that God is, indeed, going to give us another great awakening; and it could have been to remind us that we are part of something bigger than ourselves – that the great cloud of witnesses is watching and cheering us on, knowing fully that we’re the continuation of their efforts (Hebrews 11:39-12:2). Whatever His reason for choosing this time and place, the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon me. I was re-mantled and re-anointed.

After explaining about mantles and anointing, Dutch concludes,

God is not finished with America. Don’t be moved by the naysayers, don’t give in to hope deferred. There is a third Great Awakening coming to our land. There is another broad and passionate “appeal to Heaven” occurring in our land, which will be honored, just as it was when our nation was born. There is a re-connecting to the covenants, promises and sacrifices of our forefathers. And there will be an answer from Heaven in the form of the greatest outpouring of the Holy Spirit the earth has ever experienced – in America, and around the world. You are part of this! Keep crying out for revival – and cry out for revivalists like Finney to be raised up in our day.

Be blessed as you read his full account here.

[Endless Bridge by Evgeni Denev, courtesy of Freedigitalphotos.net]

Does a spiritual yet political trend link USA to Britain?

Posted on Tuesday, 11 November, 2014 by Richard Barker

Are subtle changes in the British and American political scene afoot, and is there a spiritual link between them?

Could a positive trend relating to revival come from the ‘mother’ nation to its ‘adult child’? A trend that includes a rebellious, corrective ‘fight-back’ from Christians!

Reading a few remarks on the US mid-term election results, comments upon our fuel prices and on the Labour party leader’s about-face, a provocative notion popped into mind. Just like one of my loaves it began to rise, and my premise is submitted for what it may be worth. Now it’s out of the ‘oven’ and not half-baked, I’d value your tasting and opinion, so kindly bear with me.

Let’s bite and chew upon these facts as they emerged over weekend 7-9th November:

1. Rick Joyner’s prophetic bulletin arrived whilst I was drafting POTUS’ party pummelled and, although I’d only skimmed it, his careful consideration of the results was evident. He’s of the opinion the GOP now has a mandate from the people – but not necessarily so, because turn-out was low with Democrat supporters staying away in droves. One could, however, argue they couldn’t care less, or that their own president’s policies are so chronic his voters are against him. Moreover, the mandate comes from many who are sufficiently concerned about state of the Union to express this by their vote.

Rick suggests two main questions need answering very quickly with the new Congress:

Will Republican leaders lead with the resolution needed to fulfill their mandate?
Will President Obama now work with Congress to make the mandated changes or will he become an obstructionist President? (Do leopards change spots? RB)

He refers to Bill Clinton’s wise course of action after a mid-term rebuke as shown in his working with Republicans and their ‘Contract with America’. Incumbent Obama has the same choice but, “If he doesn’t get the message and act accordingly, it will get very ugly, and impeachment will not be off the table for the abundance of crimes committed by his Administration”. (Now where did I blog about that? – ah yes, on 4th June 2013.)

Rick comments upon voters’ main concerns as revealed in exit polls and I noted nearly half (45%) saw the American economy as an issue. In recommending how GOP should proceed, he refers to Joshua’s defeat at the battle of Ai and how he learned to prevail and concludes:

To effectively deal with the threats to our existence that are still gathering against us, it is imperative that we throw off the extreme devotion to political correctness that has blinded us from seeing or confronting some of the biggest threats…

After elections that seemed to go in our favor, Christians and conservatives have often relaxed. Some would just go back to sleep. If that happens now, it can prove fatal…

“This election was a great victory, but it is just the beginning of getting America back on course. This is no time to let up, and this is no time to become arrogant.

[FYI: Rick Joyner is a founder of ‘a grassroots movement to unite, mobilize, equip, and activate Christians to be the salt and light they are called to be by engaging in the great issues of our time from a sound biblical worldview’ known as The Oak Initiative. Its rise was rapid across all 50 states and over 50 nations worldwide, as well as attracting over 300 Christian leaders.]

2. Friday’s Eye View From The White House from William Koenig connected right into Rick’s remarks about Clinton. He opens from his personal, frontline coverage with header; Defiant Obama Completely Misses the Point of His Political Party’s Shellacking (transl: ‘thrashing’)

I was at President Obama’s White House press conference Wednesday afternoon. As I listened to him explain what happened in the 2014 mid-term election, I thought, “Does he really not understand that this election was a shellacking about him and his failed agenda? Is he that far removed from reality or in total denial?” This was one of the largest political defeats in modern election history at all levels of government, both national and state.

But Obama refuses to take responsibility despite the fact that his political party did not invite him to do any national or local political campaigning, which he said he loves to do…

As Obama’s yet to learn from the 2010 fiasco, as in this from BBC on ‘shellacking’, the chances of his now changing attitude seem negligible!

Bill’s review continues with quotations from leading left- and right-wing journalists who hammer Obama’s denial and defiance of sweeping GOP gains in the Senate, House and governorships. He also quotes National Review’s article on the Democrats in States Legislature sinking to levels only known prior to the Great Depression!!

3. The most surprising element of Bill Koenig’s ‘Eye View’ is on Christians’ decisive role in the Democrats’ demise! Political involvement by churches in the US is regarded by Brits as an American peculiarity, probably because of our centuries of politico-religious conflicts and state-established Anglican church presided over by the monarch. Yet we need to be aware and appreciate what’s happened…

The Faith & Foundation Coalition report upon a post-election survey showing, ‘Self-Identified Conservative Christians Comprised Record Share of the Electorate, Backed GOP Candidates by 8 to 1 Margin’. Bill quotes FFC founder Ralph Reed,

Their share of the electorate exceeded that of the African-American vote, Hispanic vote, and union vote combined. Religious conservative voters and the issues they care about are here to stay. They will be equally vital in 2016. Politicians of both parties ignore this constituency at their peril.

It’s instructive to note the Christian share of the vote was almost 1 in 3 and that those who identified themselves as believers voted as follows:

conservative – 82%:12% GOP:Dem (approx 52.4% GOP vote-share)
evangelical – 82%:18% GOP:Dem (constitute 23% electorate)
Catholic – 70%:30% GOP:Dem (constitute 9% electorate)

4. On Saturday I read about the reasons UK motorists are being ripped off and this cast doubt on claims about the state of the US economy being a major factor in the election results.

In his Business Comment, Allister Heath explains horrendous tax rates are the real reason why petrol is still so expensive and that international oil prices are directly connected to the petro-dollar. This is only one reason why falling prices are not quickly reflected in pump prices. A drop in price can be cancelled out by weak value of sterling against US dollar, as is happening today. “The value of the pound has slumped to a 14-month low against the dollar, partly as a result of strong employment figures from the US.”

Costs at the pump are hiked up by fuel duty and value-added tax totalling 63.4% of retail price. [At 1.60 £/$, petrol at just under £1.25/litre = $2.00. So 1 gallon here costs £5.68 = $9.10 : that is, $7.60/gallon (US).]

So, I thought this commentator’s remark ran contrary to US exit-poll reasons. Of course what really counts is voters’ personal perception and experience of economic realities. It is another thing for economists to look at leading indicators showing the US economy is now strengthening (eg. Guardian’s Trevor Williams, Calm down financial markets; the message on UK and US growth is good).

5. Then in the same paper I espied an op-ed’s strap-line ‘Sooner or later a line has to be drawn – and anti-Semitism is surely a good place to start’. Dan Hodges’ Politics has become detached from morality opens on Tory strategists’ ideas to counter UKIP’s poaching conservative voters. Apparently, UKIP Leader Farage did a deal with a notorious extremist leader of a far-right Polish party who admires Hitler and denies his involvement in the Holocaust. But the author changes tack, as follows…

After the week’s reports of challenges to Ed Miliband’s leadership of the Labour party, it is noteworthy that Dan writes, “This week a voice was raised against anti-Semitism. It was that of Ed Milibrand…on his Facebook page (he said) ‘We need a zero-tolerance approach to anti-Semitism in the UK and reaffirm our revulsion to it in all its forms’…”

Not so laudable as it seems, because its belies his 3-line whip preventing Labour MPs’ free vote in the motion favouring a Palestinian state (see MPs ignore Koranic scholar’s warning). Miliband’s ardent support for Palestinian goals seems mutually exclusive to any concerns over anti-Semitism and, by inference over anti-Israel sentiment.

Dan exposes the hypocrisy of Milband’s insistence upon a ‘zero-approach’:

A clear and principled statement. Except, it wasn’t a clear and principled statement, but a statement born of political calculation.

A week earlier, Miliband had received a high-profile rebuke from Labour supporter Maureen Lipman. “Just when the anti-Semitism in France, Denmark, Norway, Hungary is mounting savagely, just when our cemeteries and synagogues and shops are once again under threat”, she wrote in Standpoint magazine, “in steps Mr Miliband to demand that the government recognise the state of Palestine”.

Lipman’s comments, in particular her concern about the Labour leader’s silence over anti-Semitic attacks, were quickly echoed by other senior members of the Jewish community.

So 24 hours later that silence was suddenly broken. Reporters at the Jewish Chronicle and Jewish News were phoned with quotes condemning a recent attack on Luciana Berger, the Jewish Labour MP. And a couple of days later, Miliband’s Facebook article appeared.

H O L D O N – wot woz zat?

Suddenly, I sense an invisible jigsaw again taking shape…

A corrective trend?

I’d closed my previous post by quoting Apostle Paul on the futility of our mocking God’s ways and precepts, as in the earliest document of the New Testament. Also, I related it to the acceleration in applying that law as recently taught by Neville Johnson.

So now I’m suddenly struck, not by the Labour’s leader’s expedient about-turn, but by the fact of his leadership being challenged that week – see How Labour rebels turned on their leader. This isn’t at all surprising as a consequence of the party’s deep decline in Scotland.

But there may be another dimension to all this…a provocative notion springs to mind: I’m struck by the possibility he may be reaping what he’s sown against Israel.

Now, where did I note a similar party political upheaval before? Answer: Alex Salmond and his failed personal ambition to persuade Scotland to vote for leaving the UK! As a result, he stood down from leadership of the Scottish Nationalist Party.

Moreover, in blogging on Salmond’s possible Islamist stance, I noted he’s vociferously anti-Israel. Perhaps the Lord ensured he reaped his reward for what he’d sown against His people? And perhaps the most appropriate time was an election/referendum?

After the ground was shaken from under the Scottish First Minister, the notion popped into mind that this may the reason it’s starting to shake under Ed Miliband’s feet too?

And it’s happened in the very same week for POTUS and the Democrats! Obama mocked the Lord God throughout his tenure, has been against Israel and displays personal animosity towards its Prime Minister (click image to read why). As the renowned investigative journalist Daniel Greenfield now blogs at ‘Sultan Knish’, The Democratic Party’s Civil War is Here.

Also, lest we forget, two Christian leaders prophesied about Benjamin Netanyahu being elected into office for more than a single term, one as far back as 1980 (as told here). Therefore, he is the Lord’s man for this time in Israel’s history.

To summarise:

the above political leaders have made declarations and decisions in varying measure inimical to the well-being of the Jewish people and Israel and have then come a cropper. It’s quite possible the Lord is now taking them to task for that.

That this Galatians 6:7-8 action has started in the UK before the USA, where the sowing of defective seed has been extensive, may be related to the fulfilment of prophecies for the British Isles and what the Lord is already doing here.

That is, it’s necessary to correct UK’s ungodly situation first – or because the spiritual atmosphere is opening – in order for the harvest to ripen as people awaken to the Lord.

Whereas in the States, an enormous spiritual schism had opened up across the nation (as seen by Chuck Pierce in 2008) which will need extensive repair with repentance, or face an increase of the judgement that’s already come upon it. Comparatively, the USA may therefore be further down the line for revival than the UK yet be blessed by what he Lord will do here.

Hence, the mid-term elections and the possible consequential actions could be a vital corrective action for the sake of America’s spiritual well-being. Perhaps that trend has already started here in the UK and will come to affect the USA too?

That concept was voiced in March by Charles Shamp about the British Isles,

“Whether we are discussing the First and Second Great Awakenings…God has always seemed to release the fresh movement of the Holy Spirit on these Islands that has gone on to affect the entire earth.

“My love for Church history and the moves of the Spirit caused me to recognize that what took place within these nations directly affected America and the move of the Spirit in my nation.

“Although we are an ocean away, we are connected in the realm of the Spirit, and as the song of Heaven would arise over the UK, it would carry all the way to the shores of America and revival would begin to come forth in these United States….” (read full word here)

[Hand Pressing News Icon by Watcharakun and Puzzle in Sky by Idea Go are courtesy of Freedigitalphotos.net]

POTUS’ party pummelled – a Jerusalem connection

Posted on Thursday, 6 November, 2014 by Richard Barker

Political pundits over the ‘pond’ earned their pay on Tuesday and yesterday! (Potus = President Of The United States)

President Obama’s party – the Democrats – were trounced in mid-term elections by the Republicans (aka GOP, ‘Grand Old Party’). The GOP decisively won majority of seats to seize the Senate and gain full control of both chambers of Congress. CNN reports this empowers the GOP to pin down President Barack Obama during his last two years in office.

However, such swings with a low turn-out of voters aren’t unusual for mid-terms, as had happened for Republican GW Bush’s second term. It makes for a ‘lame-duck’ leader, but I leave it for my American readers to debate over whether that’s new for Obama.

Now I won’t pretend to know anything about USA’s governance, but want to point out later a coincidence of Biblical relevance. (Anyone like me needing to learn more will find this BBC briefing, or a fuller Wikipedia article, are helpful – as well as fictional The West Wing TV series!)

According to The Telegraph’s Washington reporter Raf Sanchez,

“Voters vented their frustration with Mr Obama’s six years in office on his Democrat political allies, giving the Republicans a majority in the Senate for the first time since 2006…In a particular snub to the President, voters in his home state of Illinois cast out their Democrat governor and replaced him with a Republican, despite Mr Obama campaigning on his behalf…

“Although Democrats had been braced for a bad night, the results were even worse than many had feared. The President’s party lost key races in North Carolina, Colorado and Iowa – all states that first propelled Mr Obama to the White House in 2008…”

I’d like to draw your attention to Rick Joyner’s assessment in his Prophetic Bulletin – Hope & Change.

A Jerusalem connection

Students of prophecy are only too aware of the significance of Jerusalem and its pivotal importance in international affairs and events, as in my recent post on William Koenig’s alert, Nations set on collision course with God.

William and John McTernan have followed developments since the mid-1990’s and 1986 respectively. In 1996, William published his work as Koenigs’ International News (now at Watch.org) and in 2001 he became an accredited White House correspondent. With John that year, he co-authored Israel: The Blessing or the Curse. They’ve written other works and their monitoring and correlating of events related to the US governments’ policies toward Israel and its biblical land have empirically tagged causative actions against Israel directly to consequential effects upon America. There’s so many instances I suspect they’d make a scientifically proven case!

Yesterday, John blogged the following observations with links to sources,

“Obama was humiliated as he was totally rejected by the American people at the very time of the statements about Jerusalem before the Supreme Court!” (…New political dynamic)

“The American people repudiate Obama at the very time he is attacking Jerusalem!” (…Smackdown to stop Obama)

He refers to Adam Kredo’s article, Solicitor General: Israel has no claim to Jerusalem, just as Russia has no claim to Crimea, in connecting the voting debacle with the Obama administration’s failure to recognise Jerusalem’s true status…

“…This is the most outrageous article that I ever read about a US president dealing with Israel. I was shocked, and it takes a real lot to shock me!
“God used this Supreme Court case to expose what is in the heart of this man for all to see…”

Adam’s account of both sides of the argument is well written and even-handed. It makes fascinating reading. John quotes Adam’s opening remarks,

“Lawyers for the Obama administration compared Israel’s control of Jerusalem to Russian claims over the Ukrainian territory of Crimea during oral arguments this week before the Supreme Court in a case concerning the rights of U.S. citizens to list Jerusalem as part of Israel on their passports. U.S. Solicitor General Donald Verrilli, who is rumored to be in the running to replace outgoing Attorney General Eric Holder, drew the comparison on Monday while he attempted to convince the Supreme Court that Jerusalem is not officially part of Israel.”

This historic case demonstrates the quandary produced by political ineptness and lack of Godly direction upon a nation.

Parents of a child born in Jerusalem wish to have the birthplace officially stated on the US passport as being in “Israel”. This has been denied because the administration’s policy is to disregard the city as a part of Israel.

Consequently, the appointed Supreme Justice seemed to argue several times it would be a “lie” for the US government to acknowledge on a passport that Jerusalem is in Israel. That is, the executive branch does not believe it to be true as a matter of policy. Therefore, the parents are asking the government to lie. [SEE PS comment below]

What is amusingly fatuous are contentions about POTUS’ foreign policy, viz:

“Obama administration lawyers argue that the case infringes on the president’s executive right to conduct foreign policy. By acknowledging Jerusalem as Israeli territory, the White House would lose its credibility in the peace process, as well as its jurisdiction to manage foreign affairs, the government maintains…”.

To the claim that adding ‘Israel’ to the passport isn’t official recognition and thus doesn’t breach policy announcement, the administration, “countered that such a declaration would harm President Obama’s “credibility” in global affairs. Foreign governments, foreign peoples will not be able to have complete confidence that the position that the president announces on behalf of the United States is, in fact, the position of the United States,”.

Credibility? LOL…Derisory!

Is the Solicitor General and legal team living in cloud-cuckoo land?

POTUS’ popularity has not only plummeted at home but he’s also lost any credibility he had, not only in the supposed ‘peace process’ but also in global affairs! (My blog done in August about attempts to bring a peace deal for the Gaza war was only one of many commentaries on this issue from more expert observers over recent years: eg. see the ‘Sultan Knish’ on Why Obama hates Netanyahu.)

This leader’s defiance of the Lord’s heart toward Jerusalem and intentions thereto have led to his humiliation – he’s only to look to himself!

Also, it may be an example what Neville Johnson said of the Lord shortening the time-lapse between sowing and reaping – see point 3 in Urgent prophetic words about a cut-off time in God’s timeline.

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. (Galatians 6:7-8 NKJV courtesy BibleGateway.com)

PostScript (10.11.14):

Dr Mike Evans writes as follows upon reading the Supreme Court transcript of Justice Sotomayor’s words:

“They’re asking the government to lie,” Sotomayor said. “How could you tell me it’s not a lie?” Sotomayor asked Alyza Lewin, the lawyer representing the Zivotofsky family. “You, the United States, are being asked to put on the passport that you believe the place of birth of this individual is Israel, and the government—and the executive has said, no, we don’t think it was Israel, we think it was Jerusalem.” (emphasis added)

You will never see a better example of the folly of men contrasted with the wisdom of God!!

[US Capitol building by Vichaya Kiatying-Angsulee; courtesy Freedigitalphotos.net]

BATH Spirit School – 14th Nov

Posted on Thursday, 6 November, 2014 by Richard Barker

Readers who liked my reports on the Days of Wonder gathering in Cardiff in August may be interested in this forthcoming event in Bath. Details of the School are in Justin’s initial announcement here, and we know its hosts Trevor and Ros Dunlup from their popular prophecy schools in Bath.

What have Paul Keith’s video and Mary Magdalene got in common?

Posted on Tuesday, 4 November, 2014 by Richard Barker

To God alone be the glory for this true story…

Join me as I meander along my musings and, as we wend our way, watch out for.:

a modern movie and its location
a medieval English abbey
a lost Renaissance painting
a legendary epic voyage
the earliest Christian letter
a new appreciation of prayer.

Except for the first, the rest took me by surprise the weekend before last. As pieces of an ‘invisible jigsaw’ they’d fallen into view like fresh snow.

Our long weekends off from weekday busy-ness start on Fridays, and a couple of Fridays ago we enjoyed strolling around Chichester city centre in warm sunshine. Eventide, we relaxed by catching up on an iPlayer movie recommended by our eldest daughter…

‘THE WAY’

This movie written and directed by Emilio Estevez is most engrossing and stars Martin Sheen (aka ‘West Wing’s US President Bartlett) as an irascible American doctor, Tom. He goes to southern France after losing his son (Emilio Estevez) who had an accidental death after having set out on “The Way of St. James” (see map).

Rather than returning to the States, Tom wants to honour his son by completing the journey on his behalf. But he doesn’t expect the profound impact this trip has on him. The Way tells the story of his near-500 miles hike to Santiago de Compostela in north-western Spain.

The route is one of many to one of the oldest of pilgrimages sites in Europe. I recalled learning about its connection with Reading Abbey upon researching the abbey’s history Founded in 1121 by king Henry I, this English abbey was also one starting place for the Camino de Santiago, and is reputed to have the remains of St James’ hand as a relic. (My researches began in my office overlooking the ruins of the abbey’s mill, and are as copied here.)

So this movie had a personal, albeit indirect, relevance – but more was to come on the ‘morrow…

LOST PAINTING FOUND

The very next morning I found buried inside Saturday’s paper some interesting facts about a ‘centuries-old art history mystery’ –

Caravaggio’s original ‘Mary Magdalene in Ecstasy’ has been discovered in a private European collection, the world’s leading expert on the Renaissance master has claimed.

The Telegraph: photo credit La Repubblica

Although the 1606 painting has been copied several times, historian Mina Gregori says the original has finally been found. The Telegraph’s Andrea Vogt says this expert won’t reveal which country it is in but can confirm that when she first saw the 100 by 90cm oil on canvas in the owners’ home, she had no doubt. Andrea reports, Gregori called the find a “marvellous addition” to the art world. The 80-year-old scholar and authenticator said seeing the original with her own eyes was a career highlight: “I think after all these years, I deserved it”.

This article rang a bell deep in long-forgotten memories of my pre-Christian interests because:

The painting refers to the legend in which Mary, living as a hermit in a cave in southern France near Aix-en-Provence after Christ’s death, was overcome seven times a day by “the delightful harmonies of the celestial choirs”.

That reference, especially about an ecstatic trance, would connect with remarks I was yet to hear on the third day, and thus start seeing a part of this ‘invisible puzzle’. But we should first consider the importance of this biblical person.

Mary Magdalene was the first to see Jesus alive after his burial in the garden tomb and so many, including Pope Benedict, regard her as an “Apostle to the Apostles”. She was the sister of Martha and Lazarus, whom Jesus brought back from the dead and was to later become Bishop of Cyprus. This family are reputed to have been of royal blood and owned estates in and around Jerusalem as well as at Magdala near the Sea of Galilee, where the younger sister Mary lived and is said to have fallen into a sinful life. Jesus is thought to have frequented one or other of their premises whilst travelling with dozens of disciples.

This blessed woman became deeply devoted to Jesus after deliverance – no wonder she later sat wrapt in His teaching instead of helping her sister. On that need Jesus remarked, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:38-42 emphasis added).

Hence, Mary Magdalene is patron of contemplatives and Caravaggio’s painting reflects an outcome of her desire and her Master’s promise.

(Thank you to ‘Joe Catholic’ for also pointing out Mary is a model for penitent sinners. Also see this informative rebuttal of modern Catholic biblical scholarship.)

Next, I dived into my library and dug out a book bought in 1971 during my investigations into early Church history.:

THE COMING OF THE SAINTS

This book by John Taylor, first published in 1906, is replete with source references and combines history and legend to portray the earliest Christian missions into western Europe (Spain, France and Britain). It helped me – a non-believer – learn about the early church’s transmission of Jesus’ original teachings. In my story, I explained my desire to find out why churches were not doing what Jesus had done, as promised in John 14:12, as well as how much of His teaching had been lost.

The editor of this book’s 1967 reprint answers complaints about mixing written records and local legend, saying the book shows they substantiate one another and dovetail together. “Of particular interest are the references culled from churches founded by the saints who were companions of our Lord during His ministry”, maintains Gladys Taylor.

She writes her namesake gathered evidence from a pilgrimage made to the French churches, and other countries, and thus produced impressive proof of their antiquity.

From top: grotto cave of St Mary Magdalene; church of Les Saintes Maries; crypt of St Martha at Tarascon (J Taylor 1901)

One chapter summarises the Life of St Mary Magdalene complied by Rabanus Maurus (776-856 AD) – a manuscript copy of which is lodged in Magdalen College Library, Oxford. In his closing years he was Archbishop of Mayence (Mainz, Germany).

First however, I needed to re-remind myself of the book’s main thesis. Its first chapters examine the known historical events, and those behind the scenes, at the close of and after Jesus’ life. Taylor thus adds detail to scripture’s narrative and he posits a list of disciples additional to the apostles, deacons and the family of Jesus. In addition to considering the ‘home-base’ of Capernaum, he lists names of followers from the house on Mont Zion and the city of Jerusalem, and towns of Bethany, Emmaus and Jericho.

Then Taylor covers some early missionary journeys not covered in Acts of the Apostles, noting Dr Luke’s historic account does not refer to the evangelical mission in Sardinia and Spain of John’s brother James. The only reference to James after Pentecost is his death at the hands of Herod in Jerusalem in 44 AD (Acts 12:2). His remains are said to have ended up centuries later back in Santiago de Compostela. Hence, pilgrimages to his shrine, as mentioned above.

Persecution following Apostle James’ martyrdom led to the dispersal of many disciples from Jerusalem. (This was about 10 years after that led by Saul of Tarsus.) Tradition of Provence, southern France, has a number of them being bundled into a boat without oars or sails somewhere near Mount Carmel and set adrift. They’re reputed to have been Lazarus, Joseph of Aramathea, Maximin (leader of disciples after the apostles, and friend committed to the care of the Magdalene) as well as a favoured four: Martha and Mary, Mary wife of Cleopas and a third Mary (Salome) and others.

However, I was interested in checking John Taylor’s reference to the correct James at Jerusalem. Was it John’s brother, or Jesus’ brother James who later led the Jerusalem church and wrote a brief epistle. It is James’ historic ruling at the first Church council that enabled non-Jews to associate with the Church without having to comply with the Mosaic laws their Jewish brethren had before coming to Christ.

So to clarify, I wasn’t so interested in Mary Magdalene as wanting to check out what Paul wrote to the Galatian churches about his post-conversion history. I recalled mention of church leaders he met when in Jerusalem, as well as Luke’s account of those meetings (Acts 15)

Written circa 50 AD Paul’s letter is the first and therefore the oldest, canonical Christian document and earlier than the Gospels. Therein Paul tells what he did, where he went and how he learned the Gospel of Jesus by direct, personal revelation; that is, not from any original disciple or apostle:

¹³For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it….¹⁵But when it pleased God…¹⁶to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood,¹⁷nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. ¹⁸Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and remained with him fifteen days. ¹⁹But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother. ²⁰(Now concerning the things which I write to you, indeed, before God, I do not lie.) ²¹Afterward I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. ²²And I was unknown by face to the churches of Judea which were in Christ. ²³But they were hearing only, “He who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith which he once tried to destroy.” ²⁴And they glorified God in me.

Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and also took Titus with me. ²And I went up by revelation, and communicated to them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to those who were of reputation, lest by any means I might run, or had run, in vain. (Emphases added)

SUNDAY VIDEO SESSION

The next day, Sunday, we wanted more teaching and chose to watch the Paul Keith Davis and James Levesque video discussion I’d blogged about.

In arguing for the supra-natural abilities and dimension required to bring in the harvest that meets the heart of God, “as it is defined in scripture”, Paul Keith maintains this is for those who walk with God in realms of glory and demonstrate the supra-natural. He defines and explains this relating it to Jesus’ own ability (from 27:00 on video).

Then he tells of his mis-perception of Jesus’ prayer life (at 30:35) and surmising what it had been like after a long day ministering and teaching and travelling on foot – and then go pray and spend hours in prayer…thinking,

“…what a disciplined life!” says Paul Keith.

“No, you totally misunderstood My prayer life!” the Lord said.

“He said, “My prayer life was My reward!”

“The Lord’s been showing me how, at the end of the day, after He did everything He was supposed to do, He went out into the wilderness and He was released into the Presence of the Father!

“Just think about that for a minute…after a hard day could you go pray 5 hours…? No? Think of it as this:

“James, go spend 5 hours standing before the throne of God, go spend 5 hours in the Presence of your Father – let Him download on you, let Him refresh you, restore you.

“That’s why Jesus could pray all night! He lived under an open heaven and when He went to pray – as soon as He quieted His flesh – He was standing in the Presence of His Father, standing before the throne of God, getting refreshed and learning what the Father wanted to reveal.”

An exceptionally instructional and fascinating teaching. At 41:30 he considers this was how apostle Paul spent lengthy periods with the Lord before he ever met any disciples and apostles and moved into any ministry.

Consequently, having considered that the day before I was ready for what he said!

CONCLUSION

This insight on Jesus’ prayer life is the common denominator between the discussion on video and Mary Magdalene, who spent lengthy periods immersed in God, as had Jesus.

Paul Keith’s insight doesn’t detract from but enhances the model prayer Jesus gave his disciples, as recorded in Matthew 6:5-15. And it magnifies Jesus’ personal prayer to our Father in John 17. It’s no wonder this Mary went so deep yet so high in contemplative ecstasy – will we?

(Remember to, “First seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness…” – Matt 6:33).

Furthermore, from apostle Paul’s explanation this kind of intimacy was the norm in the earliest years of “The Way”, as the fellowship was known before the term “Christian” was coined at Antioch. (See Acts chapters 18-24, especially vv 24:18 and 22.)

Also, Paul Keith later refers to the event on the road to Emmaus, about which and without any prior intention I’d inserted a remark just before publishing the latest blog before that weekend!

Therefore, that weekend is yet another example of ‘God-incidence’ (footnote refers).

By the way!

A couple of days later upon opening up my Bible to find where I’d got to, I found at the second turn the beginning of Luke chapter 8 staring up at me. There from the left-hand column just beside the volume’s spine I just couldn’t miss these words:

Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him, ²and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities — Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, ³and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance.

Later, upon reviewing and adjusting the draft of this piece, I decided to refer to the first name for the group of believers as followers of the way of Jesus Christ; the way of life He taught and demonstrated as “The Way, The Truth and The Life”.

Then when I’d done and re-read the draft I realised I’d gone FULL circle – starting with the movie ‘The Way’ I’d ended up by including scriptures on ‘The Way of Jesus’ !!

Furthermore, an email arrived about that time which opens as follows.:

Truth, we find, is stranger than fiction. Some things that happen to us when in relationship with Christ no writer could make up. And I am amazed continually at what our God does in my life and in this world…(continue here)

Could the Lord be getting our attention to pray the way He does?

+ + + + + + + + + + + +

Footnotes:

Image: Flying puzzles by Nokhoog Buchachon, courtesy of Freedigitalphotos.com

Jesus & Mary fable:

My pre-Christian activities made me well aware of stories around Le Tresor Maudit, the cursed treasure of the Knights Templars, said to have been hidden for centuries but discovered by a parish priest. He spent a fortune on re-decorating a church in Rennes-le-Chateau and building a tower, both of which were dedicated to St Mary Magdalene.

Readers may know of it through bestselling The Da Vinci Code, which is based on serious research published in 1980s as The Holy Blood and The Holy Grail. This source’s authors referred to fables about Jesus and Mary’s relationship, which I’m reliably told were then used as a deliberate advertising ploy for marketing purposes.

Consequently, that earlier book became a bestseller. The businessman who gave me The Invisible Hand (see Welcome) sold mail-order books and he told me his own copywriter had worked with HBHG authors and so he knew about its publisher’s sales slant.

Years later, I learned of another reference work by an expert on royal genealogy who claimed the fables were correct. But his analysis of scripture was unreliable, as I could demonstrate in his misquoting The Secret Gospel of Mark. Therefore, how could his claims hold water? (Details on this blog at The Magdalene Legacy – a Critique.)

God-incidence:

I refer to coincidences that are more than serendipity (happy, fortuitous chance events) as ‘God-incidences’, for they seem to have been arranged with a clear purpose in mind. We may not always know the reason but there’s a distinct thread connecting two or more events that are closely related in time: an “aha” moment

Frequently I’m amazed by those which involve scripture and occur one day after another and sometimes even 3 or 4 consecutive days, and always from different sources. I liken God-incidence to completing a jigsaw puzzle and it seems the Lord is stressing the importance or relevance of something. So they get my full attention, as happened in the above account. (See main menu for fuller exposition.)

If the Obama team is this hostile to Israel before the elections, how bad will things get after Tuesday?

Posted on Friday, 31 October, 2014 by Richard Barker

Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog

Obama v. Netanyahu and Israel — what happens after the mid-term elections?

Just days before the mid-term elections, with Democrats poised to suffer serious losses, tensions between the Obama White House and the Netanyahu government remain sky high.

A senior Obama administration official openly used vulgarity with a reporter to mock and disparage the Israeli leader.

And the administration appears set to cave in to Iranian demands over its nuclear program in talks to conclude at the end of November.

If the President and his team feel this comfortable being this hostile to an Israeli leader before an election, imagine how hostile the President could be when he’s a lame duck and not facing the voters again ever.

As I noted yesterday, a train wreck in U.S.-Israel relations is now in motion.

“Very publicly, very nastily, and very worryingly, we are witnessing the collapse of an alliance,”wrote a leading Israeli news editor.

The…

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Paul Keith Davis: Jesus’ prayer life for the ‘new season’

Posted on Wednesday, 29 October, 2014 by Richard Barker

“The Bride is making herself ready and we need to prepare the way of the Lord…”

I invite you to spend an hour watching another free webinar listening to men of God as they discuss fascinating topics. ‘Eavesdropping’, or sitting around the table with them as they chat, is an easier way of learning than hearing a sermon. ‘Steel sharpens steel’ as they share and develop their ideas – and our own understanding grows too!

After Paul Keith introduces his friend James Levesque, they open by talking about 18th Century Christian activities in New England, their relevance to God’s call upon James in his then dysfunctional life, and how the Church is to change for its ‘new season’.

One topic is the major harvest of souls Bob Jones prophesied and Paul Keith clarifies what he said, as well as expanding upon some material previously covered on this blog (see tag).

Half way through, Paul Keith shares an awesome personal insight from the Lord about what happened during His daily times with Father. It’s a profound lesson on getting into a deeper intimacy, one of the blessings of which should enable us to portray Jesus as He really is, as well as conveying His authority.

This discussion points the way for the Church to progress beyond its out-dated forms to demonstrate the supernatural gospel. In my humble opinion, these prophetic men bring insights that encourage believers in these increasingly difficult days.

Be mightily blessed as you watch and ruminate on these matters and much more…

Info: Paul Keith, WhiteDove Ministries – James Levesque, Engaging Heaven Church.

Blind and on the wrong path

Posted on Tuesday, 28 October, 2014 by Richard Barker

Wow – a remarkable God-incidence! After reading this on Monday we heard through a contact of something similar happening over the weekend, but there was a serious outcome for ministers who’d unwittingly chosen to be a ‘blindfolded bride’. They hadn’t heeded our contact’s advice to prepare with more than prayer (eg. communion, anointing, donning spiritual armour) before treading where angels wouldn’t tread (psychic fair organised by a coven). So they couldn’t grasp why things went wrong!
It recalled my deliverance ministry training when I realised crucial need for clergy and leaders to be competently trained and gifted in discerning spirits. Sadly, this wasn’t wanted in a church we once attended.

My Dreams and Visions

I had a dream/vision 10/26/2014 . In this dream/vision I saw a bride walking down what looked to be a dirt path. What was strange is that she was blindfolded so obviously she could not see where she was going. I then saw various people with sight trying to take her by the hand to guide her. However, each time anyone tried to guide her, because in this dream/vision I sensed in my spirit that she was heading down the wrong path, she would lash out at them in anger with a knife.

It’s my belief that the bride in this dream/vision represents the church, the bride of Christ. The people sent to guide her back to the right path that had sight are the prophets. In the dream, even though blind, she refused help and lashed out at anyone who tried.
The scriptures that come to mind are:
Matthew…

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2nd update to warning about loss of ‘British values’

Posted on Monday, 27 October, 2014 by Richard Barker

Last week I updated a post referring to a Muslim scholar’s warning to defend our British values. This was to note a possible reaction to the ‘Trojan Horse’ scandal of ‘Islamising’ state schools, by downgrading a school not complying with a new norm of ‘tolerance’.

I’ve now read a lot more about this skullduggery from Ofsted, the Office for Standards in Education. Its quasi-autonomous role in national government enables it to report direct to Parliament and is supposedly independent and impartial. Its function is the inspection and regulation of services that care for and provide education and skills for children and young people.

Today, the influential blog on ‘God & Politics: Christianity & Conservatism’ – Archbishop Cranmer – speaks out most strongly against the increasingly fascist stance of that ‘Non-ministerial Department’.

This reminds me of the arrogant political interference in the NHS of prosecuting nurses who prayed for the sick, as mentioned here, and attempts by the Advertising Standards Authority to prohibit praying for the sick in public spaces. These were high-profile issues I often wrote against only months after launching this blog (ASA tag refers).

Back to the matter in hand – for anyone who missed it here’s the post in full.:

On Monday 13th October I referred to the scholar known under the pen-name ‘Ibn Warraq’ and related his warning to Western intellectuals, “to cherish and defend their Western values and freedom”, to that day’s House of Commons motion in support of Palestinian aspirations of statehood.

There was also another directly connected item. It was mentioned in closing, as copied below, but is now in need of updating in view of a suspiciously related development.:

“By the way, let’s not overlook Islamist infiltration in British schools, as revealed by former police counter-terror chief Peter Clarke in Trojan Horse ‘just tip of the iceberg’!“

UPDATE: “Christian group warns ‘British values’ rules imposed after ‘Trojan Horse’ scandal leading to schools with a religious ethos being marked down by inspectors for failing to promote ‘tolerance’.”

That strap-line opens John Bingham’s (Telegraph’s Religious Affairs Editor) article, Christian school downgraded for failing to invite an imam to school assembly.

I hope the only connection may be my over-active imagination – but it’s certainly ‘fishy’! Does it smell to you?

Now the latest:

UPDATE 2

OFSTED go on the offensive against faith schools by Gillan Scott (deputy editor, Archbishop Cranmer blog) plus latest of 3 items this weekend from Adrian Warnock, Has UK government breached Human Rights Act in recent school regulations?

The latter makes a most crucial point about freedom in quoting the opinion of Queen’s Counsellor John Bowers:

In terms very reminiscent of George Orwell’s 1984, Bowers argues these regulations have as their goal “how children are to think and express themselves and how teachers should encourage them to do so.”

This is the root of why inspectors have been asking children questions about their own personal beliefs as a way of catching out schools. Schools should not be judged on what a random selection of their children privately think and believe. It seems outward demonstrations of love and respect towards others we disagree with is no longer enough. Children, and their teachers must toe the line and believe whatever the government tells us we should believe. There is nothing tolerant about that.

Be sure to read Adrian’s post in full, as well as UK Independent Christian school releases details of government closure threat posted on Saturday and this from Friday, Is UK government body harassing Jewish and Christian schools?

Hence, the great danger of Britain being steered into becoming a fascist state!

In his conclusion, teacher Gillan hits the nail right on the head:

This is not setting out the promotion of British values at all: it is bloody-minded, religiously-illiterate and insensitive bureaucrats forcing their ideas of how religion should bend to the will of an intolerant form of equality upon schools, the vast majority of which do an outstanding job of teaching their pupils to respect all people irrespective of race or beliefs. (Emphasis RB)

This news sheds light on the deep woes Ofsted caused a friend who was a diligent and highly respected governor of an excellent local Co’E primary school in Berkshire.

Lion Bites: I cover and shield you – burn for Me

Posted on Monday, 27 October, 2014 by Richard Barker

In view of rather awkward health issues this past week the following words brought for today and Friday are supportive and uplifting. With kind permission of Glasgow Prophetic Centre (click icon for website) I’m re-posting them for your encouragement too:

I COVER AND SHIELD YOU

“To those who feel as though you have been backed into a corner; to you who feel like there is no escape, as you anxiously look at what has backed you against a wall:

“Look up and round and see that I am behind you! I am the Lord your God, the one who covers your back and shields you. I am the one who loves you: find your security in me; find your salvation in me.

“When you see my love for you, when you hear what I say to you and about you, then your fears will start to melt away.

“It is then that I will give you solutions and strategies and I will provide the exit and escape for you. You are my beloved and you were not made to be backed into a corner because of fear. So look to me and see me. Let me be your security and great defender. Know my love for you and watch the fear disappear.”

Isaiah 41:10-13
Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. ‘Behold, all those who are angered at you will be shamed and dishonoured; Those who contend with you will be as nothing and will perish. You will seek those who quarrel with you, but will not find them, Those who war with you will be as nothing and non-existent. For I am the LORD your God, who upholds your right hand, Who says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you.’

BURN FOR ME

“Your asking for the more of me and my Kingdom has delighted my heart”, says the Lord.

“My Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom. It will never end and it is one marked with my abounding, unconditional love.

“If you seek me you will both find me and my Kingdom. If you know me you will know my Kingdom. This knowing is not just an intellectual knowing but a deep knowing, an understanding of me and my ways – and therefore the ways of my Kingdom. The key is in the knowing me and my heart. Seek after me and my face with all of your being, for I am a jealous God and I want every part of you. I want to be your last thought at night and your first thought in the morning; I want you to burn with a desire for my presence. My will is that you will be my burning ones, set ablaze for my glory. That in turn, as you burn for me, my Kingdom will be made manifest on the earth. I long to release more of myself and my Kingdom to my people… but are you ready for what I am about to do?”

People of God, there is a call from heaven to ready ourselves for what He is about to do.

You have heard His voice and felt Him drawing you into the deeper place with Him. You have felt challenged in recent times and even an urgency to steep yourself in His Presence.

Do not procrastinate any longer, sweep aside every distraction and stealer of time and respond to your God! He is calling you, He is wooing you and the time is now! Allow Him to pour into you, saturate you, burn you with His Holy Fire, as He readies you for the more of Him and His Kingdom!

Jeremiah 29:12-13
Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Matthew 6:33
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

[Burning Heart by Digitalart courtesy of Freedigitalphotos.net]

If Palestine becomes a state, will Christians return to Bethlehem? Part 1

Posted on Thursday, 23 October, 2014 by Richard Barker

“In 1992 Bethlehem was 92% Christian, now it is only 8% Christian.” (Mordechai Ben-Menachem 14 October 2014)

That surprising claim led to the header’s question. I’d put the lid down on blogging about the possibility of Palestinian statehood, but both new points need addressing after they cropped up over the weekend.

And another’s important: what’s the proper Christian perspective? This will cover some essential theology which, with my earlier post on the 1967 war, could give my readers, believer or not, some fresh insights.

The Church of the Nativity at Manger Square, the oldest standing church in the Holy Land ; courtesy Obethlehem.com

Bethlehem is, after all, the birth-place of Jesus Christ. His yet-again dispersed followers would need a special reason to take the immense trouble of returning home. Perhaps after a period of complete cessation of hostilities? That would need miraculous changes in human nature – not impossible – plus dismantling of extensive demonic strongholds.

Personal visitations of Jesus to individual Jews and Muslims continue and many more are becoming secret believers since this email of November 2010 about them, for God is pouring out His Spirit on all flesh in these latter days.

My answer to my question is, “No, I think not; not until Jesus returns!” – as He himself promised He will do. But as He’s already putting in private supra-natural appearances then one could suggest that, after a fashion, He’s already ‘returning’ (eg. the Emmaus road encounter of Jesus in ‘another form’ – Mark 16.12 and Luke 24:13-35).

I offer no apology for temporarily continuing with the Palestinian issue because it’s closely connected with ‘the apple’ of the Lord’s eye – Jerusalem – as revealed in His Word (see Zecharia 2:8) Also, major events over recent years point inescapably and unequivocally to prophetical scriptures foretelling what’s happening, or soon about to, in this ancient city sacred to three major faiths.

The Christian exodus

The opening quotation is from an in-depth interview with William Koenig, accredited Christian journalist at The White House and published in last week’s ‘Eye-View’ report.

As a scientist technologist, former researcher/lecturer at Ben-Gurion University who is professionally engaged in systems/software engineering, and prolific author of books and professional papers in various areas, Mordechai should be a well-informed person. His reference to Bethlehem was only one point in a wide-ranging conversation covering such topics as 1,400 years of Arab colonisation, ethnicity, Egypt, Europe, Iran, Iraq, Israel and Islam.

Nevertheless, his claim needs checking.

Wikipedia refers to 1948 and 1967 censuses showing Christian/Muslim demographic ratios as 85%:13% and dropping to 46%:54%. The Palestinian Authority’s 1997 census doesn’t distinguish between the religions but in 2005 and 2009 the Christian percentage falls to 40% and then 15% (sources uncited).

Referring also to Daniel Pipes’ wealth of knowledge, I found he started a report in 2001 with a specific reference to Bethlehem, viz:

“The ‘Middle East Quarterly’ begins its eighth year with its first issue devoted to a single topic—that of disappearing Christians in the Middle East.

“The transfer of power of Bethlehem from Israel to the Palestinian Authority just before Christmas 1995 inspired a spate of articles on Bethlehem’s diminishing Christian presence. They noted that a place not long ago 80 percent Christian is now but one-third Christian. For the first time in nearly two millennia, the most identifiably Christian town on earth has lost its Christian majority. The same changes have taken place in two other famously Christian towns, Nazareth and Jerusalem….”

His article has several updates to 2012, but perhaps the increasingly frequent news of persecution has made it difficult to incorporate subsequent events. Some posts on this blog tagged ‘persecution’ indicate the enormity of this issue.

On the other hand, last month in Christian Arab presence in Bethlehem in Crisis, Arab Daily News reported as follows:

“Today, according to Christian activists who are struggling to survive in Bethlehem, the Christian population there has been eclipsed by a growth of both Muslim refugees who are relocating to avoid the persecution by Israel in Hebron and by the increasing number of Israeli Jews who are taking Christian lands to build exclusively jewish-only settlements.”

After remarking about the hostility of Muslim Arabs and their activists and then quoting a Christian activist’s email, the reporter Ray Hanania writes,

“As both Israeli and Muslim activist groups grow, the Christian voice has remained stagnant and almost insignificant. Christian speakers are invited to speak at Muslim and Jewish organization events more as a political statement. Jews invite Christians to their conferences in order to use the Christians as a criticism against Islam while Muslims also invite Christians to their conferences in order to use the Christians as a criticism against Israel and Zionism.”

Ray’s well-balanced article is worth taking the time to read. He examines the issues in some depth, noting that the Christians are manipulated and muted by both Islamist and Jewish factions against their opponents. Also, the troubles and their significant effect upon tourism have made it very hard to sustain a living.

Consequently, he admires the campaign by George Sleibi to encourage support for the Christian community in the Holy Land, “in response to the growing regional Israeli-Palestinian conflict and decline of the Christian minority”. He is affiliated with a group of denominations’ informative website OBethlehem.com, which covers the challenges facing Christians. Ray quotes him as saying,

“The Christian presence in the Holy Land is declining daily. Currently, the Holy Land’s Christians comprise only 2% of the population. The continued emigration of Christians as a result of ongoing instability is having a negative impact on their presence in the land where Jesus was born, crucified and resurrected. Should this trend continue, an important spiritual destination, shared by billions throughout the world, will become nothing more than a museum, as the indigenous Christian community who represent the Christian presence in the Holy Land cease to exist.”

Alarming, yet in the light of a just-published study we appreciate the possibility of Ray being cautiously circumspect (see Study: self-censorship rife among Palestinian reporters).

Here’s one instance of the effect the Israeli-Palestinian troubles had upon the birth-place of Jesus Christ.

Bethlehem hostage crisis

Canon Andrew White was called by Yasser Arafat, and later by the Israeli government, to act as intermediary for the 39-day siege of The Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem, during April-May 2002. It was the result of homes in the predominantly Christian town of Beit Jala having been forcibly taken by Palestinians for firing rockets and mortars the short distance down and across a valley into the Jewish new town of Gilo.

“As expected”, writes Canon White, “The Israelis responded by sending in helicopters to destroy the homes (the militants’ positions) from which the missiles were fired. Once again Christians were caught in the middle“ (emphasis RB).

The militants then retreated to Manger Square, took control of the Church of the Nativity and took hostage of clergy and worshippers. PM Ariel Sharon and Arafat refused to climb down and international diplomacy was brought to bear in finding countries which would accept 13 leaders into permanent exile and 26 others for trial. (As they went to Gaza no trial was held.)

Again in that November 2010, I referred to this event and quoted Canon Andrew on the difficulties in the three faiths agreeing on the historic Alexandria Declaration, as coming from

“…the Christians who often feel they have to be even more Palestinian than the Muslims, to show they are committed to the cause.”

This declaration was one of the first initiatives to bring together Christians, Jews and Muslims in pursuit of peace in the region and the first major event of 2002 in which Andrew took a leading and pivotal role.

Andrew had no wish to be ordained because he’d qualified and was practising as an anaesthetist, yet felt God was calling him into the Church of England – and it was later confirmed by a prophetic word, as below!

He became very interested in Judaism and rabbinical studies during his theological education. This gave him the opportunity to take further his interest in international affairs, especially in the Middle-East. So he travelled around those parts and became acquainted with various leaders, as well as in Cambridge.

Although ordination in 1990 involved London parish work, his involvement in Jewish-Christian relations continued along with a new interest in Islam. To the surprise of his vicar, Andrew even had regular audiences with the Pope to brief him on his work and contacts in the political and diplomatic areas soon developed.

An aside: I was going to describe Andrew White as Archbishop of Canterbury Carey’s emissary in the Middle-East. But upon checking his biographical The Vicar of Baghdad, I was surprised to find a mutual connection with one of our church leader’s mentors.:

“On a second visit to Jerusalem, between graduation from Cambridge and my ordination, I was instructed by an ultra-Orthodox rabbi to go and see a woman known as Sister Ruth Heflin, who ran a very charismatic and rather American church called the Mount Zion fellowship. She proved to be the most forceful person I have ever met. Indeed I was scared of her. At the end of the first meeting I attended, at her house in East Jerusalem, she came up to me and started to prophesy over me.

“She had never met me before and knew nothing about me, but she declared that my calling in life was, “to seek the peace of Jerusalem and the Middle East”.

“At that stage, I couldn’t make any sense of this (and I certainly had no idea that ‘the Middle East’ might include Iraq) but what I did understand was that her home was filled with the glory of God as I had never experienced before.” (As our local sister can verify!)

To be continued in Part 2 with interesting references to several Palestinian Christians.

Update to Koranic scholar’s warning re. ‘British values’

Posted on Tuesday, 21 October, 2014 by Richard Barker

On Monday 13th October I referred to the scholar known under the pen-name ‘Ibn Warraq’ and related his warning to Western intellectuals “to cherish and defend their Western values and freedom” to that day’s House of Commons motion in support of Palestinian aspirations of statehood.

There was also another directly connected item. It was mentioned in closing, as copied below, but is now in need of updating in view of a suspiciously related development.:

“By the way, let’s not overlook Islamist infiltration in British schools, as revealed by former police counter-terror chief Peter Clarke in Trojan Horse ‘just tip of the iceberg’!”

UPDATE: “Christian group warns ‘British values’ rules imposed after ‘Trojan Horse’ scandal leading to schools with a religious ethos being marked down by inspectors for failing to promote ‘tolerance’.”

That strap-line opens John Bingham’s (Telegraph’s Religious Affairs Editor) article, Christian school downgraded for failing to invite an imam to school assembly.

I hope the only connection may be my over-active imagination – but it’s certainly ‘fishy’! Does it smell to you?

Banish Monday ‘blues’ with ‘Euro-English’

Posted on Monday, 20 October, 2014 by Richard Barker

A little light relief is welcome after last week’s heavy topics. In case you’re unaware of developments towards linguistic harmony across the European Union, here’s a copy of the latest news, courtesy Bob in Southampton:

The building of a European Union language!

The European Commission has just announced an agreement whereby English will be the official language of the European Union rather than German, which was the other possibility. This is issued in recognition of the friendship and deep respect which both nations have for one another.

As part of the negotiations, the British Government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a 5-year phased introduction of what would become known as “Euro-English”.

Year 1

In the first year, “s” will replace the soft “c”. Sertainly, this will make all sivil servants jump with joy. Also, hard “c” will be dropped in favour of “k”. This should klear up all konfusion, and keyboards kan have one less letter.

Year 2

There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year when the troublesome “ph” will be replaced with “f”. This will make words like fotograf 20% shorter.

Year 3

In the 3rd year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reach the stage where more komplikated changes are possible. Governments will enkourage the removal of double letters which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling. Also, al wil agre that the horibl mes of the silent “e” in the languag is disgrasful and it should go away.

Year 4

By the 4th yer peopl wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing “th” with “z” and “w” with “v”.

Year 5

During ze fifz yer, ze unesesary “o” kan be dropd from vords kontaining “ou” and after ziz fifz yer, ve vil hav a reil sensi bl riten styl.

Zer vil be no mor trubl or difikultis and evrivun vil find it ezi tu understand ech oza. Ze drem of a united urop vil finali kum tru.

Und efter ze fifz yer, ve vil al be speking German like zey vunted in ze forst plas!

If zis mad you smil, pleas pas on to oza pepl 🙂

[Am grateful to the originator of this joke altho’ years old; for example as in Translatum Forum (2006), English Forum Switzerland (2004), Toytown Germany (1996) threads.]

The real reason for the Israel-Palestine issue and anti-Semitism

Posted on Thursday, 16 October, 2014 by Richard Barker

Then the Lord will go forth
And fight against those nations,
As He fights in the day of battle.
And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives,
Which faces Jerusalem on the east. (Zecharia 14:3-4 NKJV)

Only 12 MPs were wise enough to vote in the House of Commons against an opposing 274 (not a full House). As recorded in the Hansard transcript, they voted just before 10pm on 13th October 2014,

“That this House believes that the Government should recognise the state of Palestine alongside the state of Israel, as a contribution to securing a negotiated two state solution”.

That’s fine and all well and good on the face of it BUT it’s utterly farcical. As with many thousands elsewhere, these 274 have been well and truly fooled.

The factual evidence follows below.

This blog’s totally unplanned focus this week is on what’s, in essence, a critical issue.

Few in my opinion know why it’s critical, or the real reason for the prolonged hostility over Israel’s existence and complete lack of a solution to the territorial disputes.

The real reason is; it’s Satan’s objective to thwart God’s purpose, as stated in His above Word given to Zecharia 2,500 years ago. That is, Satan seeks his own self-preservation!

In Zecharia’s prophecy the Lord is to appear in that Middle-Eastern location and thereby bring about the next phase of Satan’s downfall. (The first was when Jesus died and rose from the dead, thereby redeeming humanity from Satan’s authority and thus enabling us to be reconciled to God, our Father.)

The foretold scenario is ‘The Day of The Lord’; the start of which is described in the 12th chapter of the book of Zecharia, as mentioned in Exactly as prophesied….

The Lord foretells in verse 10,

“And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.

In A Rabbi Looks at the Last Days, Messianic rabbi Jonathan Bernis explains how the feast of Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) relates to Jesus’ return and then exclaims,

The clarity of this prophecy is astounding! It declares in detail the day when Jewish people, and specifically the inhabitants of a Jerusalem under Jewish control, recognise that Jesus, whom they previously understood to be the God of the Christians and whom they denied since the days of their ancestors two thousand years ago, is in fact Yeshua, the promised Messiah of Israel. (Page 215)

That is, the Jewish people will have to have returned to live in as well as have control of Jerusalem and thus be in place for Jesus to visit. Chapter 14 answers any question that this event may be just a supra-natural, spiritual or subjective vision by referring explicitly to an objective, tangible presence. That is, Jesus will have physically descended onto the Mount of Olives.

To avoid this happening Satan must therefore ensure there are no Jews in Jerusalem, or its vicinity. In the absence of Jews, Jesus’ return would be pointless and thus not happen. So Satan could possibly avoid his decreed fate, remain ‘safe and sound’ on earth and not imprisoned to be eventually thrown into the ‘lake of fire’. As Jonathan states,

I cannot reiterate enough that anti-Semitism is nothing more or less than Satan’s attempt at self-preservation.

So, Satan is the source of all Jew-hatred, whether it comes from any biblical or modern nation; or from historic Christian churches, as it has for centuries; or from ancient Islam and its modern terrorists. All have been duped and used by the enemy of mankind.

To show the validity of my thesis we need only to look at the history of anti-Semitism and global hatred of the modern state of Israel; especially the disingenuous tactics of the Palestinian leadership, as indicated in Nick Gray and Joel Rosenberg’s reports here and here. But there’s even more tangible evidence for my claim.:

Map of Palestine

Three years ago, in blogging on PM Netanyahu’s address to the UN General Assembly, I referred to Palestinian leader Abbas’ visit to the UN seeking recognition of Palestine as an observer state to the UN. That post shows the model of the land of Palestine Abbas brought to them. I wrote,

When the PLO were permitted to open up diplomatic missions the map displayed on their flags and literature depicts their proposed state as being the whole territory between the Mediterranean, Lebanon, Egypt and the river Jordan – ie. excluding Israel… (emphasis added)

Now they have official Observer Mission status, its website’s ‘About Palestine’ displays a Declaration of Independence which claims Jerusalem as their capital. Deeper down that menu is the ‘PLO’ entry which shows the map of Palestine and Israel as Palestinian territory.

A few days ago I cited Michel Gurfinkiel’s statement that the Oslo Accords and ‘Road Map’ of 2003 explicitly requested the Palestinian Authority to direct its public education towards a pro-peace attitude. Abbas has never complied with that requirement.

Here’s the latest evidence that Palestinians have not – and will never – change what they teach about their supposed state:

Thank you to Palestine Media Watch for publishing this item from Fatah Facebook that shows children learning “Palestine cannot be divided”. It heads a page of documented examples, PA depicts a world without Israel, and explains this one as follows:

‘The text was accompanied by a photo of a teacher pointing to a map of “Palestine” replacing all of Israel drawn on the blackboard, with the explanatory text rejecting Israeli jurisdiction over Israeli cities: “Acre, Haifa, Jaffa, Ramle, Safed, Beit Shean, were and will remain Palestinian cities”.’

So how can any two-state solution ever be negotiated? Parliament’s motion, therefore, is rendered meaningless and needs flushing down the pan, where it belongs!

France

On Tuesday French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius was reported as saying that Paris would recognize a Palestinian state if negotiations between the Palestinians and Israel fail. However, French MP Meir Habib responded by stating France is making a grave mistake,

“Europe and France specifically refuse to recognize the reality and think that if they recognize a Palestinian state, the conflict will end. When will they wake up? The free world must unite and realize that recognizing a Palestinian state without negotiations at this time is a grave mistake that will be costly for Europe”.

Israel

A priest has appealed to the UN and told them to ‘end the witch hunt’ against Israel, as reported by religio-political blogger Archbishop Cranmer,

‘Father Gabriel Naddaf, a Greek Orthodox Priest in Yafia, near Nazareth, appealed to the UN Human Rights Council last month, urging them to end their “witch hunt” on Israel: “In the Middle East today, there is one country where Christianity is not only not persecuted, but affectionately granted freedom of expression, freedom of worship and security,” he testified. “It is Israel, the Jewish state. Israel is the only place where Christians in the Middle East are safe.”

‘And he testified further, confirming that some 120,000 Christians have been killed in the Middle East every year for the past decade: “That means that every five minutes a Christian is killed because of his faith,” he said. “Those who can escape persecution at the hands of Muslim extremists have fled. Those who remain, exist as second – if not third-class citizens to their Muslim rulers.” And he warned: “It is time the world woke up to the fact that those who want to destroy the Jewish state are signing the death warrant on the last free Christians in the Holy Land”. (Emphasis added)

Anti-Semitism in Church

Hold onto your seat here. I’ll be brief and assume you are aware of the Church’s stance against Jewry, especially since the time of Constantine and the Council of Nicea in 4th Century. This was soon followed by the false doctrine of Replacement Theology which originated in Augustine’s seminal work ‘City of God’. This doctrine assumes the Church has replaced the Jews as God’s chosen people and that He’s turned His back on them. This teaching opened the door for over 1,500 years of harsh persecution from so-called Christians.

Proper recognition of the Jews special relationship with God came from Puritans and Non-conformists of Cromwell’s time in 17th Century. They recognised the importance of the Jews returning to their home land and eventual acceptance of Jesus as Messiah, as foretold in Zecharia.

Today, however, anti-Semitism is continued by the World Council of Churches. It also has a key role in mobilizing the BDS (Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions) movement in churches. The WCC promotes and works closely with Palestinian Liberation Theology, and it founded the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI).

William Koenig’s Eye View From The White House dated 20 June 2016 gives a wealth of detail on this deeply disturbing anti-Semitism within so-called churches:

“By claiming that the Jewish people “occupied” Judea, Samaria, and East Jerusalem the global Christian organizations have sided with the Islamic worldview”.

Of many indictments, he cites:

EAPPI frequently uses inflammatory and demonizing rhetoric against Israel and engages in (BDS) campaigns. It presents a one-sided Palestinian narrative, promotes the “right of return,” ignores terror attacks against Israelis, and blames Israel entirely for the conflict.
EAPPI is an important resource for pro-Palestinian activists in various denominations worldwide as “sending organizations (several US/UK examples!!)
A number of European governments, plus the US and Canada, provide funds for these church-based efforts to delegitimize Israel. These tax-payer funds are disbursed as grants to church-based humanitarian NGOs, which then transfer these funds to highly politicized pro-Palestinian NGOs — including Christian groups that promote BDS, the one-state solution and, in many cases, anti-Semitic supercessionist, or replacement, theologies within mainline churches worldwide.
The WCC, an ecumenical body, which claims to represent 590 million Christians worldwide and based in Switzerland, sponsored an event supporting the partition and Islamization of Jerusalem. The “World Week for Peace in Palestine Israel” [began] 22 Sept 2013. (See EXPOSE: Christian Fatwa Against Israel).

Thank the Lord that His shaking and sifting of churches will deal with this falsehood.

[Awaken Your Might – credit; James Nesbit www.jamesnart.com]

British MPs ‘recognise’ a non-existent state!

Posted on Thursday, 16 October, 2014 by Richard Barker

Published also as ‘How Britain Harms Israel-Palestine Peace Prospects’ in The Commentator, this post by Nick Gray, Director of Christian Middle East Watch, expands upon my previous posts to explain why Parliament’s vote is not only irrational but is also futile for furthering peace.

Christian Middle East Watch

Monday’s vote in Britain’s parliament to recognise an as yet non-existent Palestinian state may not change government policy but it sends a negative message way beyond London. This despite the fact that less than half of the House of Commons was present for the debate

The vote to recognise “Palestine” will encourage Israel’s detractors (of which there are many in Britain) and, in the words of Britain’s ambassador to Israel Matthew Gould, “This Parliamentary vote is a sign of the way the wind is blowing, and will continue to blow without any progress towards peace.”

Sweden’s new government has made a similar declaration of support for the “state of Palestine”. Palestinian emissaries have been busy and other governments will follow, adding to the more than one hundred already recognising “Palestine”.

This is all part of Mr Abbas’ plan for formal recognition of his “state” at the UN and to join…

View original post 860 more words

Exactly as prophesied: nations set on collision course with God

Posted on Tuesday, 14 October, 2014 by Richard Barker

After yesterday’s vote in Parliament recognising Palestine, as in The Independent, it’s time to recall the Lord’s opinion about the heart of that land. Then we’ll consider a news round-up indicative of our whereabouts on His prophetic timetable.

First, here’s what the prophet Zecharia was told about the future ‘Day of the Lord’ – ie. a specific period in which the Lord deals with humanity’s rejection of and rebellion against Him, and its focal locality in and around Jerusalem:

Thus says the LORD, who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him:

“Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it. In that day”, says the LORD, “I shall strike…

“It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.” (Zecharia 12:1-3, 12, NKJV courtesy Blue Letter Bible)

Let me quote examples of relevant current events so we can check this out.

First, the header to Bill Koenig’s World Watch Daily this morning:

The nations of the world are on a collision course with the God of Israel.

Bill’s website provides the following subheads with brief covering comments, followed by some on the conflict with ISIS:

Koenig’s fellow watcher and past co-author, John McTernan, reports on these Biblical issues and unequivocally states his opinion in yesterday’s posting. Under the header The Battle for Jerusalem Has Begun, he quotes Zechariah 14:2 “For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle…” and comments:

“The world is now gearing up to force a Palestinian state upon Israel with Jerusalem as its capital. November 16, 2016, is the target date set for this.

“Based on this, there is NO doubt, in my mind, that awesome wars are upon us, and God is about to unleash incredible judgments upon the earth. Look how this threat to Israel is taking place at the exact time Ebola is loose amongst the nations! (Emphasis RB)

“The judgments will match the pressure and attack on Israel. This is not off in the future it is here NOW. The time to judge the nations is about to begin.”

John covers the latest material under As the Nations Have Done to Israel and refers to the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s call to scrap settlements, plus his claim that the ‘occupation’ of territories led to the recent Gaza war!

He also blogs As the EU Has Done to Israel stating,

“The European Union is aggressive against Israel as Jew hating seems to be in most of the Europeans’ DNA. They are now following the path of the Nazis in the 1930s while this time it is the Hard Left united with the Muslims.

“Europe right now is on the verge of an economic meltdown at the very time the EU is trying to economically destroy Israel.” (Emphasis RB)

To back-up his claims John cites:

Readers keeping abreast of these matters will recall I often quote Elliott Abrams’ take on the Middle-East. He’d supervised US policy there under the Bush administration and served as the president’s deputy advisor on the region.

Elliott’s latest blog, A word from Mr Erekat, ably demonstrates that the top Palestinian negotiator with Israel, Saeb Ereket, cannot get his facts straight – not the first time his integrity has been called into question.

The Independent’s report upon yesterday’s parliamentary vote is well-balanced and covers some important points, but the completely clueless naivety of UK politicians is mind-boggling. It is utter folly!

Sweden

There again, as Michel Gurfinkiel taunts in an article on Sweden’s vote, maybe it’s, “far-fetched to expect most political leaders to be thoroughly knowledgeable of the issues… of international affairs; or to expect them to be particularly rational and ethical”.

Michel is founder and president of a French think-tank, the Jean-Jacques Rousseau Institute, and his paper came to my attention through the same source as yesterday’s post on Phyllis Chesler’s interview with Ibn Waaraq – Middle-East Forum.

He makes valid points about the nature of this ‘state’ that all parliamentarians should have born in mind (emphases added):

To be recognized, a state needs a clearly defined population, a clearly defined territory, and an effective government that can maintain law and order. None of the above is true of “Palestine,” whatever the current meaning of that word.
The Palestinian Authority (PA) — an autonomous authority established in 1994 according to a Declaration of Principles between the state of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (the Oslo Accords), and the closest thing to a “state of Palestine” – does not effectively rule the West Bank and Gaza, the two distinct territories that pass as “Palestinian territory.” As an effective government, the PA should be able to maintain law and order there. Everybody knows this is not the case in Gaza, which has been controlled by Hamas and Islamic Jihad since 2007. Yet this is hardly the case in the West Bank, either.
One must ask how the two-state solution can work if one of the considered states – the Palestinian state-to-be — is openly opposed to it. Hamas and Islamic Jihad clearly say they will never recognize Israel. The nominal PA government and Fatah say they will not recognize Israel as a Jewish state – implying their strategy is to turn Israel into a bi-national state.
Abbas’ PA has never directed education towards a pro-peace attitude. The PA was explicitly requested to do so by the Oslo Accords and the subsequent road map to peace in 2003.

His short paper also looks at the pivotal effects of an increasing Muslim population in Sweden and he concludes,

“Doubtlessly, similar situations will arise in more EU countries, including major countries like France, bringing about further confusion and further political and geopolitical nonsense.”

The United States

The once world-leading nation has sown its own undoing through the anti-Israel stance of its president Barack Obama. With her adroit analysis Caroline Glick surgically dissects Netanyahu’s statements and policies. After extracting and revealing Obama’s game-plan with Iran as inimical to Israel’s best interests, she looks at Secretary-of-State John Kerry’s continuing treachery.

Machiavellian Kerry, as ever dangerously incompetent, ignores and seeks to scuttle the new Middle-Eastern alliance of Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and other anti-jihadist Sunni states established to protect themselves. Deaf to what Netanyahu repeatedly stressed at the UN General Assembly (as here), according to ‘ne-plus ultra’ analyst Caroline,

“…by bringing Qatar, Hamas’s principal Sunni state-sponsor, into the mix. Kerry is reportedly trying to organize a regional peace conference that would coerce Israel into accepting the so-called Saudi Peace Initiative from 2002. That initiative would require Israel to surrender to all the PLO’s territorial demands and accept millions of foreign, hostile Arabs into its shrunken, indefensible territory.

“In light of Obama’s absolute commitment to the anti-Israel, PLO-centric policy model for dealing with the Palestinian rejection of Israel, for the next two years there will be no change in US policy on the issue.”

Readers who are particularly interested in the finer nuances of the Israel-Palestinian issues will find her article is well worth reading.

It will be interesting to see how USA’s plans for the ‘peace process’ will unravel – even so far as the US falling away and being excluded as its authority and power vanishes – for I believe the Lord will bless and encourage the new regional alliance as a means not only of protection from ISIS, but also of peacefully resolving the Palestinian situation.

These events get even more interesting in the light of scripture and the urgency of the words given to Neville Johnson about changes for this new Jewish year over 2014 to 2015 (see point 7 here).

Indubitably, we’re living in Biblical days as they accelerate to fulfil holy prophecy.

MPs ignore Koranic scholar’s warning to the West

Posted on Monday, 13 October, 2014 by Richard Barker

An outspoken and renowned American feminist and an Emerita Professor of Psychology and Women’s Studies at City University of New York, Phyllis Chesler, chaired the opening panel at the first Secular Islam Summit in March 2007. In an article for The Times, How my eyes were opened to the barbarity of Islam, she writes,

“…my views have found favour with the bravest and most enlightened people alive. Leading secular Muslim and ex-Muslim dissidents — from Egypt, Bangladesh, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Pakistan, Syria and exiles from Europe and North America — assembled for the landmark Islamic Summit Conference in Florida and invited me to chair the opening panel…”

The meetings were chaired by the Indian Muslim scholar and intellectual Ibn Warraq. The previous year he and ten other Muslim and ex-Muslim intellectuals, journalists and authors (including Salman Rushdie) had co-signed a ‘Manifesto: Together Facing the New Totalitarianism’, which strongly opposed blasphemy laws and customs.

In an exclusive interview published a fortnight ago Phyllis describes her friend,

Ibn Warraq is known for having dared to summarize the history of Islam as one of imperialism, colonialism, gender and religious apartheid, anti-black racism, and slavery – and for having dared to point out that, far from being odious, imperial, “Orientalists”, European scholars, not Muslim invaders, saved, recorded, painted, preserved, and restored the narratives, scholarship, sculpture, artifacts, languages, customs, and architecture of the Islamic, pre-Islamic, and Christian Middle East, and of Asia, and India.

Therefore, at the Secular Islam Summit he declared,

“What we need now is an age of enlightenment in the Islamic world. Without critical examination of Islam, it will remain dogmatic, fanatical and intolerant and will continue to stifle thought, human rights, individuality, originality and truth.”

The conference issued a declaration calling for such an “Enlightenment” which views “Islamophobia” as a false allegation, sees a “noble future for Islam as a personal faith, not a political doctrine” and “demands the release of Islam from its captivity to the ambitions of power-hungry men”. (All emphases added)

In the interview Phyllis notes the summit published,

“a declaration urging world governments to reject Sharia law, fatwa courts, state-sanctioned religion, to oppose the penalties for apostasy and blasphemy as a violation of Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”

and that her friend has urged Western intellectuals to cherish and defend their Western values and freedom.

With statements such as those above we can grasp the importance and significance of his sound recommendations to international concerns over the Israel-Palestine situation and any possibility of a peace settlement.

Phyllis Chesler’s recent interview of her friend continues,

“Although Ibn Warraq believes that “moderate Muslims” do exist, he does not believe that “Islam is moderate” and he is not optimistic about how quickly moderate Muslim theologians will be able to bring about a religious reformation that will be acceptable. Nevertheless, for years now, my scholarly friend would disappear to Europe, mainly to Germany to “do Koranic research.” I had no idea why he kept returning to work with these German scholars. Now, I begin to understand the importance of this research with the publication of his new book, Christmas in the Koran: Luxenberg, Syriac, and the Near Eastern and Judeo-Christian Background of Islam (2014).”

Amazon describes this textbook as, ‘an anthology of scholarly yet accessible studies of the Koran (and which) makes a convincing case that Islam’s holy book borrowed heavily from Christian texts in Syriac and other Near Eastern sources’.

Today in Parliament

The Guardian’s political correspondent Rowena Mason noted on Friday that the House of Commons is likely to recognise Palestine as a state. MPs are debating a motion on its right to independence even though the government’s position is supportive of Israeli-Palestinian talks for two independent states.

But The Commentator’s editorial has a grasp of the deep issues and problems:

“(Today’s) vote…aiming at recognising a Palestinian state is certainly historic, and in several senses. It’s a historic mistake; a historic instance of ignorance and bigotry at the heart of the British political system; and a historic gift to Islamist terrorism…

“The more you think about it, the worse it gets. Britain is sending people into battle to stop one Islamist terror state emerging in Syria/Iraq, and now wants to give its imprimatur to the creation of another one in Israel/ Palestine.

After reminding readers of the evil that is Hamas and that Britain’s Parliament would reward them still further with a vote that can only help them, the editor concludes:

“The vote itself is motivated by ignorance and bigotry. A vote in favour is a vote to turn the Mother of Parliaments into the Mother of all Stupidity; and a friend of terrorism to boot. This might be a time for British MPs to drop the prejudice, and start thinking about what they are doing.”

Adrian Hilton, aka blogger ‘His Grace Archbishop Cranmer’, is scathing on The hypocrisy of Labour’s three-line whip tactics:

As the British Parliament votes on a motion of support for the establishment of the State of Palestine, it is noteworthy that Conservative backbenchers have been granted a free vote, while Labour MPs are subject to a three-line whip. If you happen to be a pro-Israel Labour MP, you have been asked to stay away from the Chamber.

In all honesty, I suppose it’s too much to expect our Parliamentary Clowns to begin to appreciate Ibn Warraq’s warnings??

By the way, let’s not overlook Islamist infiltration in British schools, as revealed by former police counter-terror chief Peter Clarke in Trojan Horse ‘just tip of the iceberg’!

UPDATE >> Christian group warns ‘British values’ rules imposed after ‘Trojan Horse’ scandal leading to schools with a religious ethos being marked down by inspectors for failing to promote ‘tolerance’ (See Christian school downgraded for failing to invite an imam to school assembly – John Bingham, Telegraph 19 October)

PS. read about the vote’s possible prophetical relevance in the next post >>

[Houses of Parliament photo courtesy Freeedigitalphotos.net]

PS to Saturday morning news re. UK security

Posted on Monday, 13 October, 2014 by Richard Barker

It was fascinating after my references last week (here and here) to the 7/7/05 terrorist attack to watch a brief video Three things we learnt from the head of GCHQ by Charles Moore on Saturday. He says,

“7/7 was THE key moment for GCHQ because it really woke them up – plus the fact British citizens were involved on our own soil;

“And secondly, that it was the world of the internet and, of course, this is the prime group of communications that GCHQ deals with.

“And so they had to crack the DNA of that and suddenly moved into gear and got on top of these networks – this was water if you like, in which the terrorists swim.

The textual version of this unprecedented interview with GCHQ’s departing director Sir Iain Lobban reads:

‘On 7/7, the day in July 2005 when British Islamists blew themselves and others to pieces on a London bus and Tube, some staff were playing frisbee on this grass. As the news came through, people rushed out and told them to stop. This was the shocking day – “I remember the nausea,” says Lobban. It was also the moment GCHQ had to seize: “It was about the internet. We started to identify the DNA of the networks the terrorists used.”

‘One lesson of 7/7 was speed. Lobban leads me to the “24/7/365” area, in which small 12-hour shifts monitor GCHQ systems and news bulletins. Through something called Action On, they can act so quickly and freely…’

If you should wish to watch/read these brief 3-part items click here. The first part covers fallout from the Snowden disclosures and the last covers GCHQ being run by ‘geeks’ as successors to Bletchley Park, of WW2 signals intelligence and code-breaking fame.

Saturday morning news related to ‘battle stations’

Posted on Saturday, 11 October, 2014 by Richard Barker

A rare opportunity in the midst of another outbreak of heavy rain to be quickly online and post links to some of this morning’s news that may have a bearing upon recent prayer calls. Perhaps you could join me in digging into these over the weekend?

Charles Moore talks to retiring GCHQ director Inside GCHQ: This is not blitz Britain but...

Boris Johnson: “Thousands of terror suspects being monitored on our streets…”

The Commentator: Iran, ISIS & Britain: weakness at a cost

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

	Sid Cordle on Best video of the year –…
	Richard Barker on Prophetic signs in the Strait…
	kittypinkad4b2ad340 on Prophetic signs in the Strait…
	Paul Morris on ‘God-incidental’ I…
	Richard Barker on Clarification on Bible prophec…
	Richard Barker on The Rowboat Prophecy – M…
	Tony on The Rowboat Prophecy – M…
	Tony on The Rowboat Prophecy – M…
	MARY K. DULLFORCE on Clarification on Bible prophec…
	MARY K. DULLFORCE on Clarification on Bible prophec…

Richard's Watch

Looking for the signs of Jesus' return

As radicals try to blow up Israel-Jordan relations and ignite “Third Intifada”, Netanyahu heads to Amman for emergency talks.

46,000 churches called to “extraordinary prayer” for Great Awakening

Does a spiritual yet political trend link USA to Britain?

POTUS’ party pummelled – a Jerusalem connection

BATH Spirit School – 14th Nov

What have Paul Keith’s video and Mary Magdalene got in common?

Footnotes:

Jesus & Mary fable:

God-incidence:

If the Obama team is this hostile to Israel before the elections, how bad will things get after Tuesday?

Paul Keith Davis: Jesus’ prayer life for the ‘new season’

Blind and on the wrong path

2nd update to warning about loss of ‘British values’

Lion Bites: I cover and shield you – burn for Me

I COVER AND SHIELD YOU

BURN FOR ME

If Palestine becomes a state, will Christians return to Bethlehem? Part 1

Update to Koranic scholar’s warning re. ‘British values’

Banish Monday ‘blues’ with ‘Euro-English’

The real reason for the Israel-Palestine issue and anti-Semitism

British MPs ‘recognise’ a non-existent state!

Exactly as prophesied: nations set on collision course with God

MPs ignore Koranic scholar’s warning to the West

PS to Saturday morning news re. UK security

Saturday morning news related to ‘battle stations’

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Jesus & Mary fable:

God-incidence:

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I COVER AND SHIELD YOU

BURN FOR ME

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