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Storms over Britain: who is to blame?
In the political domain the 'finger-pointing' of our blame-game culture has been much in evidence. Clifford Hill looks 'under the surface' of the deluge through a spiritual lens.
by Clifford Hill
Feb. 2014
The closing ceremony of the Olympic Games 2012 in London broadcast to the world a demonic incantation calling upon the spirits of the underworld to flood Britain. These are the words they used:
 "I call upon the spirit of Autumn. The spirit of water, of the ebb and flow of emotion; of open seas and running streams, of cleansing rain; spirit of the evening sun, of twilight and of Autumn. I call upon the spirit of Winter. The spirit of earth, of the womb of creation; of the night and the snows of winter, deep roots and ancient stones".
It was deeply offensive to Christians to hear words of pagan rites being broadcast to the world as representing the spiritual heritage of our nation. If it was offensive to Bible believing Christians how much more offensive it was to God!
For far too long we have allowed secularists, humanists and spiritists to speak out unchallenged as though they are representat ives of the spiritual and cultural heritage of this nation. When the closing Olympic ceremony was broadcast to 750 million viewers acro ss the world it was a deliberate insult to Christians and a serious denial of the God of Creation who has blessed this nation for hund reds of years and brought us through the 20th century - the most violent in world history - with two world wars that threatened our ver y existence as a nation.
In 1940 the whole nation was called to prayer at the time of the Battle of Britain when the remnant of our army was miraculousl y rescued from Dunkirk across the Channel: and a spirit of confusion caused Hitler and the German High Command to fail to follow up with their victory in France by an invasion of England. Winston Churchill, addressing Parliament, stated that this was a miracl e and an answer to prayer. Some three months later when the German air force had failed to defeat the RAF the nation was called once aga in to a day of prayer, thanking God for his protection of our small island.
The closing Olympic Ceremony 2012 was a disgrace and a deliberate insult to the God of our fathers. He would be fully justified in saying that we had invoked the spirits of the Earth to flood the nation and now we are suffering the consequences. It is time t o call the nation together for prayer once again - but this time in repentance and asking God's forgiveness that we have spat in his face and spurned the God who has loved us and protected us in times past and who is still calling out to us now and warning us of the gr eat danger that lies ahead.
The storms over Britain today are a foretaste of the tsunami of economic and social chaos that will descend upon us in the near future unless there is a spiritual change in the life of the nation
 The Rev Dr Clifford Hill MA BD PhD is a sociologist and theologian. His pastoral ministry has been in inner-city areas of London including a long ministry in the East End during which he also held a Senior Lectureship in the Sociology of Religion in London University.
He was the founder of the Newham Community Renewal Programme, one of the largest urban mission organisations in Britain. He also founded Prophetic Word Ministries which had an extensive international ministry from 1982 to 2005 with its flagship magazine, Prophecy Today. [The magazine continues now under a new title 'Sword', a new editor and the focus is on declaring God's Word into the church in the belief that the judgements which Dr. Hill warned of are now self-evident.]
Clifford is the author of more than 30 books, covering a range of subjects including race and community relations, socio-political studies, biblical commentaries and research studies on the family, as well as many journal papers, tapes, CDs and other resources, including some written jointly with his wife Monica. Their latest joint venture is a study guide of the Seven Churches of Revelation - Ephesus to Laodicea.
Other articles can be found at the Issachar Ministries web site. |
Clifford Hill, 14/02/2014
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Colin Ford |
15/02/2014 18:51 |
Vic,
The Bible is ONE continuous revelation from Genesis 1.1 KJV, right through to Revelation 22.21 KJV. Ofcourse the greatest event in His story (history) thus far occurred nearly 2000 years ago.
Law and Grace are one, they are NOT mutually exclusive, they cannot be separated. Old testament believers were only saved by the blood of Christ-they looked forward to the Redeemer, we look back to the cross, Acts 4.12 KJV. It was ONLY the ceremonial,sacrificial laws that were abolished after Christ was crucified, Ephesians 2.15 KJV, Colossians 2.14 KJV, the Ten Commandments ARE eternally binding on the believer-we SHOULD have a high view of God's Word.
What did the Saviour say in Matthew 22.37-40 KJV, in reply to the Pharisees? What are these two commandments? They ARE the Ten Commandments paraphrased into two "great commandments". The first four Commandments of the Decalogue are between God and man, the second six between man and man.
The Lord said in Matthew 5.17 KJV that He didn't come to abolish the law, and in the next verse in Matthew 5.18-19 KJV He confirms that the law will NOT "pass away". God writes His law into the believers minds and hearts, Hebrews 8.10-11 KJV. Jesus tells us "My sheep hear my voice", John 10.27 KJV?
But, "There is none righteous, no not one..." Romans 3.10-12 KJV, we are all sinners, even the best of us,whoever they are. Only the sinless Son of God could keep, and kept the law perfectly, that is why He came! To "redeem us from the curse of the law" Galatians 3.13 KJV. There can be no forgiveness or "remission" without the "shedding of blood" Hebrews 9.22 KJV. Jesus purchased His believing people with His own blood, a thrice Holy God will accept NO other price or payment other than the precious blood of the "lamb slain from the foundation of the world" Revelation 13.3 KJV.
We live by God's commandments, not in order to be saved by the keeping of them, but because we are a redeemed people. Yes we will stumble and fall, read 1 John 1.9 KJV....
Editor, sorry for this 'digression', but, I believe judgment is coming on this nation, and the unbelieving world because of unbelief? So is this a digression?
And yes there are many that believe in a false Jesus, who believe He abolished the law. Even "the devils also believe and tremble" James 2.19 KJV, we know that they didn't obey, yet even they are believers?
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Colin Ford |
15/02/2014 18:56 |
In the above comment I should have entered Revelation 13.8 KJV not Revelation 13.3 KJV.
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Realist (Guest) |
15/02/2014 19:25 |
Colin,
True believers such as yourself are cleansed from all unrighteousness - you are a new creation - and all of the sins which you have committed or might still commit (in the flesh) have already been forgiven at Calvary.
In 1 John 1/9 Peter is not addressing believers but agnostics who believed that Jesus did not come in the flesh and did not accept the concept of sin and therefore rejected the need for forgiveness.
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Colin Ford |
15/02/2014 20:00 |
Realist,
I think you mean John, not Peter? A sinner I was born, a sinner I will die (a sinner saved by the grace of God), unless the Lord comes first.
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Realist (Guest) |
15/02/2014 20:27 |
Sorry Colin,
Of course I meant John - sorry.
And yes, you were born a sinner - as everyone is, but according to God's word you are (in Christ and) a new creation.
True believers are one with Christ - He is in them - and they are in Him and so - with their new (eternal) identity in Christ maintained by and through the Spirit, they are eternal and sinless.
That's the good news. The bad news is that the true believer's old unregenerate nature was not 'born again' - it is still wired to the spirit of the world - and it is through this connection and influence that the true believer can still be moved and tempted, conciously or otherwise, to sin.
So yes, the true believer can still sin through his/her flesh, but his/her spirit remains eternally pure IN CHRIST.
And that's basically why the true believer can never lose his/her salvation....because eternal is eternal is eternal - or 'it' derived from a false conversion and was never eternal in the first place.
Ooops, I've digressed, but what true believer would attempt to thwart the spontaneity of the Spirit?
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John Miller |
16/02/2014 16:54 |
Storms over Britain: who is to blame? Blame is not the issue. God has absolute and complete dominion of the wind, the waves and all other manifestations of disturbances in His creation. Only once in the record of scripture have I been able to find an instance where he allowed Satan to have a hand in the making of weather.
Do we presume to blame the High and Holy One whose dwelling is eternity?
God has the absolute creatorial, sovereign right to use the weather to draw His creatures' attention to His presence.
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Colin Ford |
16/02/2014 17:47 |
If only they would take notice, and STOP giving the glory to mother nature/climate change?
God is in TOTAL control, He doesn't play dice.
Creation speaks to every man, Romans 1.20 KJV, Psalm 19.1-4 KJV.
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Penny Lee |
16/02/2014 18:26 |
To anyone who thinks that all sin has already been forgiven by Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, the following verse would confirm otherwise. The penalty required for all sin has been paid in full but we have to show true repentance before it will be forgiven. It also confirms that God allows natural disasters to befall us but will step in and prevent them if we are repentant and obedient to Him:
"if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
2 Chronicles 7:14
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(Guest) |
16/02/2014 19:08 |
"if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land."......
How many times has this scripture been used by pentecostals and charismatics alike throughout the last half century - and yet, this country maintains its ever quickening descent into godlessnes ?
And it can't be God's word which is at fault - so that leaves three other factors:
Either the people praying are not really God's people or,
The people praying are God's people but are not humbling themselves or,
This scripture should only be applied to the Jews in Israel.
PS As a born again believer I know that all my sins have been forgiven - for the Bible tells me so.
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Penny Lee |
16/02/2014 19:50 |
Guest - I can assure you I am neither a pentecostal or charismatic. and I don't know why you have even made the connection. However, let's continue...
The verse in Chronicles clearly refers to the people of Israel, and in particular, those at the time of King Solomon. Therefore, they would be an entire community with a mixture of people of all persuasions, rather like our own nation today. God was calling on them - as a nation - to repent and turn to Him and I believe the same applies to us today. If we did, He would hear the collective act of repentance, forgive our collective sins, and heal our land.
Although Jesus' death paid the penalty for all sin from then on, those who refuse His offer of reconciliation will not have their sins forgiven unless they repent. We can offer someone a priceless gift but it is of no use to them unless they accept it. Neither does their refusal lessen the value or significance of the gift. The price was paid regardless, and in full, and it is only the one who refuses to accept it who loses out.
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