Tag Archives: ASA

Advertising Standards Authority

Another End-time sign appears – another muslim messiah

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“Then, if anyone says to you’ ‘Look, here is the Christ’ [messiah] or ‘There!’ do not believe it, for false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. Therefore, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it…” (Matthew 24:23-26) 

When blogging a brief update on the Middle-East this-day last week I referred to Shiite Islamic expectation of the appearance of their ‘hidden twelfth Imam’ or ‘Mahdi’, or who’s also incorrectly referred to as a ‘messiah’ (Jewish term!).  Maybe I ‘sensed’ something was afoot?

Sure enough, in Monday’s Christian Today Harry Farley reports on the ASA (Arrogantly Stupid Atheists aka. Advertising Standards Agency) investigating complaints about a number of billboards placed by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community claiming that ‘The Messiah Has Come’. This peace-loving community, ‘a heavily persecuted minority Muslim sect (aims) to promote the idea, considered heretical by mainstream Islam, that the Messiah promised in the Qur’an has already come in the person of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad’.

A.S.A. SKULLDUGGERY

As I’d expect, fellow blogger Archbishop Cranmer takes issue over ASA involvement:

‘We like the ASA. They jump in with both feet; bark, intimidate, harass, bludgeon and hassle with reams of paperwork, and then they issue their decree and skulk off with their tail between their legs.

‘Farley reports that “the campaign has prompted outrage from Christians, Muslims and Jews who all have notions of a ‘messiah’ in their beliefs and find the billboards offensive.”

‘This is odd. Since when did religious advertisements have to conform to a particular interpretation of messianic eschatology? Since when was it the task of the ASA to discern between mythical symbols and promised realities? If the remit of the ASA now extends to determining theological orthodoxy, what hope is there for billboards proclaiming  ‘Jesus is Lord’? Don’t Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Sikhs and Jedi Knights all have notions of a ‘lord’ in their beliefs? Might not adherents of any non-Christian religion find such a declaration offensive?

‘Even odder is this:
  • ‘The Advertising Standards Agency confirmed to Christian Today it has received 33 complaints so far about the adverts. A spokesman said people have claimed the post is ‘misleading because they believe it is not consistent with the teachings of the Quran’.

‘Since when did religious advertisements have to be consistent with the teachings of the Qur’an?

‘But then we read: 
  • …the advert was being targeted in a coordinated campaign by other Muslim sects.
  • An email template seen by Christian Today and sent to Ahmadi opponents claimed ‘the billboard incites hatred, it is deeply offensive and hurtful to millions of British citizens’. The email urges other Muslims to write to the ASA, the Metropolitan Police and the Charity Commission asking them to take the billboards down.

‘Ah.’

Then follows His Grace’s thorough appraisal. Suffice to say, he and I dealt with ASA crass stupidity 6 years ago this month when they forbade prayers for healing on the streets in the city of Bath. My report Muhammed knows more than the ASA! starts my coverage of the saga which began when local BBC took up a young person’s grievance about the efficacy of prayer, but failed to check their background. I did and found the complainant not as impartial or honest an investigator of the ‘paranormal’ as pretended and took pride in claiming, because they bragged about their action and closed mind!

THE NUB OF THE MATTER

Be that as it may, we have the clear, undoubted prophecy from the One who is the Word of God and the Spirit of Prophecy of the appearance of so-called messiahs or ‘anointed ones’, whom people will believe as having an especial anointing from God as a ‘world teacher’ or saviour.

As covered earlier, in answering the disciples queries about His foretelling the ruination of Jerusalem’s holy Temple, Jesus went on to describe very much later times known as ‘The Day of The Lord’.  As the first prophecy got fulfilled 40 years later my analysis of the ‘signs’ Jesus spoke about omitted those comparatively early events.

Yet we need to note that both sections of disparate time periods begin with the identical warning!  After stating that the disciples sat and asked their questions, Matthew 24:4-6  records Jesus starting His discursive reply with:

“Take heed that no-one deceives you, for many will come in My name saying, ‘I am the Christ’ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumours of wars. See that you are not troubled for these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet…”

Those are ‘Signs Nos 3 and 4’ in this blog’s About Signs and, after alluding to the sack of their capital, Jesus begins the variety of signs indicative of End-times’ Tribulation with the very same warning, as given in this post’s opening lines! (‘Signs Nos 9, 10 & 11’)

Moreover, although we could infer Jesus was referring to such claimants from among Jewish people as liberators from the yoke of Roman oppression, as happened before and after His incarnation, it can in fact apply also to other religious beliefs; eg. Islam’s Shiite and Ahmadiyya sects, as mentioned above and earlier posts.

Also, ‘New Agers’ expected the reincarnation of a ‘cosmic master’ to come as a ‘world teacher’ known as the ‘Cosmic Christ’. In my pre-Christian days I was aware of such a claim about a Krishnamurti in 1950s, someone in London’s East End in 1960-70s, and in the early 1980s a whole page advertisement was placed in broadsheet newspapers to say ‘Christ has come’ and showed a photo of an Australian guy.

But Jesus reveals how the whole world will unquestionably know that He, the one and only true Messiah, is here (Matthew 24:27):

“As the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.”

Selah!

Party politicians ‘Do God’

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liberal-democrats-do-godMy attention has been drawn to a new book about Christians within politics, Liberal Democrats Do God. (NB: I don’t support any party.)

There have been many reviews, but  I would suggest your reading Gillan Scott’s attempt to get beyond all the sensationalist headlines on his well-informed blog here.

This reminded me that the Lib Dems president, Tim Farron, took a lot of stick last year in supporting Healing On The Streets against the Advertising Standards Authority. They were determined to prevent churches in Bath offering to pray in public for anyone who wished to receive prayers for healing. Eventually this reached Parliament, where HOTS  Bath gave a presentation to MPs, as I reported in Healing in Parliament.  For personal reasons, the early months of this blog were spent supporting my friend Paul Skelton’s struggle, which eventually resulted in victory (here, also see tags below).

As regards the book, Gillan is of the opinion,

The greatest achievement of this book is to give Christians in the Liberal Democrat party an opportunity to confidently stand tall without being ashamed of their faith. It says, ‘Look we’re Christians, we’re not embarrassed and we have nothing to hide. We believe our politics is better for it and not worse. We believe we have something that is of great value and we’re not going to water it down.’

and he concludes with a challenge:

What surely ought to follow from this is a similar exercise from Christians in other parties. David Cameron has made it be known that Conservatives ‘do God’. Are others willing to publicly join this declaration that Christianity should be firmly at the centre of politics and not just an onlooker from the sidelines?

Hopefully, we will see many more believers standing on the Rock in this ‘new season’  (open vision refers)! In respect of which, Glasgow Prophetic Centre delivered this ‘Lion Bite’ on Monday.:

The Rock

Come to Me – I am all that you need.

Though people and circumstances shift all around you, I am your Rock.

I am steadfast and I am faithful.

Come stand upon Me child and you will feel safe and secure.

As you stand upon The Rock you will gain a heavenly perspective of yourself, your circumstances and your life and it will become clear that I am all that you need.

Psalm 18:2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my saviour; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.

Amen.

Healing in Parliament

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In view of developments in Christian activity in Parliament (eg. see Listening to Jesus in the Palace of Westminster), my weekend was blessed upon receipt of news from Paul Skelton of a presentation in Parliament upon the work of Healing On The Streets. He mentions the intriguing fact that Prime Minister’s Question Time had just taken place – thank you Paul for linking to my post for this. (See also reblog of Gillan Scott’s in-depth analysis.)

(Regular readers may recall my recent report of Christen Forster’s comment upon the growth of HOTS being faster than that of the Alpha course – see latest announcement.)

HOTS’ full update is as follows:

HOTS becomes ‘HIP’ – Healings inside Parliament

“Following on from the many opportunities that have opened up as a result of the recent promotion of Hots Bath by the ASA, this week both our Chair (Rev Steve Hughes) and myself had an incredible chance to both give a presentation about the work in Bath and also to release healing within the four walls of Parliament itself.

“This God-given invitation had come via Timothy Webb on behalf of Prayer for Parlia-ment and is key in building relationships with Christian MPs and equipping the body at large in an informed way, to help us pray for our leaders and be a voice in our land.

“It is fascinating to me to see how Jesus can take any situation which at first glance may look daunting and to see what He brings out of it.

“So, in a packed parliamentary committee room of around 80 people which included a couple of MPs, we shared on God’s Goodness and told stories of the Healings that we are seeing in our City and beyond, as well as Father’s desire to encounter those on the streets of our nation.

“I had written out a few notes that I thought I would use, but in true Luke 12 style, I can now say that He clearly gave the words as He promised He would in these situations, as well as the ability to make prophetic declarations about revival for our Nation and for us to release Healing into the atmosphere.

“As we did so, there were 2 reports immediate (sic) of backs which had been healed when we took Authority and a lady testified to something happening in her knee.

“Due to the shortness of time, it was hard to get feedback to the fullness of what the Holy Spirit was doing in that moment, but it was evident to all in the room that God had just healed people and was continuing to do so.

“We were also encouraged that only just 2 hours earlier, when David Cameron was questioned in PM Question Time about the case of the lady sacked because she had worn a cross to work, he had announced – “then we will change the law and make clear that people can wear religious symbols at work.”

“As Beni Jenson would say “Shift happens”. [Intercessor i/c Bethel Prayer House.]

Releasing Healing to the Nations
“This has been a busy year for us internationally with already 3 mission trips undertaken:- one to Africa (by invitation of David and Faith Dalley), India and Slovakia,  as well as a brief explosion of healing while on holiday in Spain recently in the local church there.
“We are also training in Switzerland and in Venezuela (by invitation of  In-courage), and are in the process of lining up potential trips to Turkey and Amsterdam.
“It has always been our policy not to fundraise but instead to let Father bring the resources to fulfil what He has called us to. If you feel you would like to be part of this resourcing and become a Benefactor of Hots Bath, please do contact us or simply clickhere.”

Further update re. free speech

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ASA Adjudication in complaint about the Coalition For Marriage

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

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

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

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

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

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

May the Lord reveal more to you.

Update to ‘Welcome victory for freedom of speech…’

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

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

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

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

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

A welcome victory for freedom of speech – and commonsense!

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

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

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

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

Advertising Standards Authority admit there was

 a substantial flaw in their judgement

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Visit our website at www.hotsbath.org

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

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

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

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

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

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

Amen.

Copy of earlier email:

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

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

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

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

Healing versus Human Rights ??

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Dear Friends – a couple of today’s news items may seem unconnected, but probably not so from the Lord’s perspective:

The Blind ARE Healed – UPDATED in posting 28 March

On Sunday we heard Rev John Kilpatrick speaking excitedly about 8 year old Ashton Parker who received his sight last Friday during a revival service in Dallas and showed a photo of the boy between him and Nathan Morris. Continue reading →

Special Update from HOTS

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Thank you to Paul Skelton, founder of Healing On The Streets in Bath, for permission to post his recent Special E-News Update, which reads as follows:

HOTS_Bath_Logo_2

The facts behind the story

Over the last few weeks “HOTS Bath” has been thrust into the media spotlight after the ASA ruling against our website and down-loadable leaflet in which we say that God can heal, physically as well as emotionally and spiritually.
Today, we met as a Trust to discuss where we felt Father was leading us from here and feel that it is important for us to do three things at this time.

1. To clarify the facts behind the story.
2. To clearly communicate our own position and response.
3. To give some guidance as to how the Christian community could respond.

We are therefore sending out this special E-News Update to cover these three areas: Continue reading →

Open letter to the editor of the Daily Telegraph

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It’s very interesting how momentum is gathering pace to make this a special year, not only for Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee but also for the whole well-being of our nation. I’m no monarchist but would highly recommend the BBC’s informative documentary, The Diamond Queen.

Headlines and articles within the Daily Telegraph, one of our leading newspapers, are increasingly focussed upon the importance of Christianity in the UK.  (See links at the foot of this post.)  In view of previous posts you’ll no doubt realise my keen interest, and so I wrote today to the editor regarding a fellow reader’s published letter : Continue reading →

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

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

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

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

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

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

Muhammed knows more than the ASA!

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

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

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

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

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

1. ASA Adjudication against Healing On The Streets – Bath

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2. Proof of Political Direction

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

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

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

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

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

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

3. Proof of Healing

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Click here to read her full story