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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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(Guest) |
16/02/2014 20:29 |
I made the pentecoatal/charismatic connection because it was through those channels that I heard this prayer being repeated continually through the years.
Is it possible that God knew that He was asking the Jews to do something which, by their own unregenerate human resource, they could not possiblly achieve?
Afterall repentance - true repentance is a gift from God and is not a resource which occurs naturally in the unregenerate human heart.
As for your idea of Christ's priceless gift - yes,indeed it is priceless - I was discussing this very matter with my wife last night.
And it is a gift, but the way you describe 'the choice' which people make over its acceptance or rejection, and therefore their eternal destiny makes it seem that salvation isn't fully and truly a gift of grace, and is more a question of a correct response from human will - which is really no gospel of grace at all.
I mean if we are both offered the gospel and our receiving it depends on intellectual prowess or discernment - or emotional receptivity - its not a matter of grace is it ?- it is a matter of genetic roulette - who's been born with a character that is more receptive to God's gift.
And none of us chose who we were going to be before we were born.
And on that same theme:
None of us choose whether we will be 'born again'
It is ALL OF GOD'S GRACE
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Colin Ford |
16/02/2014 22:15 |
I can quite understand why Penny quoted 2 Chronicles 7.14 KJV.
When reading this particular Scripture we can definitely believe that God would certainly heal our land if we as a nation corporately were to "humble" ourselves, and "pray and seek my face" etc. Romans 15.4 KJV informs us that "whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope."
But of course the Bible CLEARLY and UNEQUIVOCALLY teaches AGAINST any permanent national/worldwide repentance/revival.
2 Thessalonians 2.3 KJV teaches us that there will be a "falling away", or a great apostasy before the Lord's Second Advent.
Daniel 2.34-35 KJV, Daniel 2.44 KJV, Matthew 21.44 KJV and Luke 20.18 KJV also teach us that there will be no man-made revival or worldwide repentance toward God that will stay His judgment.
God will set up His Kingdom on earth as in heaven. This is God's work not man's; the social gospel will NOT convert the world to Christ.
But this is NOT to say that there won't be individuals saved before the "restitution of all things" Acts 3.21 KJV. The promise is to "as many as the Lord our God shall call" Acts 2.39 KJV.
Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that all the many recent so-called 'revivals' have been originated from those of the Pentecostal/Charismatic persuasion.
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Penny Lee |
16/02/2014 22:41 |
Guest - Forgive me if I don't pick up on your point about whether or not God's grace is in fact grace if we have the freedom of choice. This was the subject of another discussion recently on this forum here: http://www.christianstogether.net/Forums/Messages.aspx?ThreadID=234112#new
However, if we really had no choice in whether or not we came to Christ, then why would Christ have to die for the sins of all mankind? He would not be dying for all mankind - He would only be dying for those He predestined, as the rest would not have had an opportunity (or reason) to turn from their sin anyway.
Colin - I've never suggested that a permanent repentance would take place. The entire way through scripture proves time and time again that this isn't ever going to happen and, as you correctly say, there will be a major falling away as the end time approaches. However, who says whether or not we are now in the end times? We may be, and I'm inclined to believe more that we are, but I suppose our ancestors thought the same when society was in a dark place, as it is today. It is wrong for Christians to make these assumptions and hang up their hats thinking there's no point in actively witnessing to those around them. If we are to believe reports from other countries, the number of people being saved is phenomenal compared to what we are seeing in our own country. God clearly still has those who He will call and they may be in our own backyard. How sad if He cannot rely on our participation simply because we have already decided our ship is going down for the last time. Even if it is, can we not still reach out to those going down with it?
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(Guest) |
17/02/2014 09:21 |
Penny Lee,
But Christ did not die for the whole of mankind, He died for those whom He referred to as 'those you (The Father) have given me' /24
You may hasten to counter by quoting John 3/16, but this scripture is one of the most misused and misinterpreted scriptures in the entire New Testament - please, for truth's sake, seek an accurate commentary on this verse.
PS I tried looking at the link which you offered - but I note that it is only open to the membership.
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(Guest) |
17/02/2014 09:22 |
Sorry the scripture ref should read John 17/24
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Colin Ford |
17/02/2014 10:56 |
Penny,
As this thread is about "Who is to blame?" for the weather, clearly to 'blame' anyone or anything else other than the Almighty God would be denying His Sovereign power?
We do have Scriptural warrant for believing that we are in the "last days". Hebrews 1.2 KJV confirms this. And we know that "one day is with the Lord as a thousand years" 2 Peter 3.8 KJV. There are many OT Scriptures that teach us Christ's Kingdom on earth has not yet been established/fulfilled and the establishment of Israel back in the land is of MOMENTOUS prophetic significance, plus the fact that we are nearing the seventieth anniversary of this event. We can certainly agree that there is widespread apostasy and heretical teachings being advanced in the name of Christianity, so I believe the "falling away" in 2 Thessalonians 2.3 KJV cannot be far away, and thus the "man of sin" or the Antichrist cannot be far behind; Daniel 7.25 KJV, Daniel 9.27 KJV, Daniel 11.36 KJV, Matthew 24 KJV? And it is a well known fact that the temple authorities in Israel have all the plans in place to build a fully functioning temple. With the untold and fabulous wealth these Jews have plus modern building techniques, I think a temple could practically be erected overnight, remember it only took Israel 52 days to rebuild the wall of the old city in Nehemiah 6.15 KJV!
Added to this, as I believe that the pre-tribulation rapture is unbiblical, I am not one of those Christians that 'set dates', I believe that certain events MUST come to pass first, even the literal rebuilding of Babylon. So we are near the end, but how many years hence, I cannot say! The Lord only says "no man knows the day or hour" Matthew 24.36 KJV, He tells us to "watch" Matthew 25.13 KJV, so His people will know His Advent is very near?
I didn't suggest that you believed that a "permanent repentance would take place", only that there are many Christians who do, through the ecumenical social gospel/kingdom now movement, who believe that by preaching the gospel, we will convert the world to Christ-utter nonsense. We are to be "witnesses" Acts 1.8 KJV. We don't do any 'converting', God alone does that! However I do believe that we should have a missionary endevour.
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Colin Ford |
17/02/2014 10:58 |
It should read Matthew 24.15 KJV.
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Penny Lee |
17/02/2014 12:46 |
Guest - I think we will just have to agree to differ on whether Christ died for everyone or just those who were predestined. We will always be able to find scripture which supports our own particular understanding of it.
Colin - "Who is to blame" indeed! Blame though can be apportioned in different ways. It is easy to blame God by saying that since He is in control of everything then He must be to blame for bad things which happen out with our control. But are they out with our control? Physically speaking, they may well be but if our behaviour leads to the withdrawal of God's protective hand, then are we not to blame? As a parent, I had to warn my children not to go near the open coal fire or they would get burned. If they had ignored that warning, they would have got burned and it would have been their fault, not mine. Yes, I lit the fire but they were told (for their own good) what would happen if they disobeyed me.
In 1 Chronicles 22:9, God told David, "I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side. His name will be Solomon, and I will grant Israel peace and quiet during his reign." and in verse 13, "Then you will have success if you are careful to observe the decrees and laws that the Lord gave to Moses for Israel". Success and peace was only promised if Solomon obeyed God and followed all His decrees and laws. Why should we imagine that we are not in the same position today? I am certain that we would be largely protected from natural disasters if we would only, as a nation, follow God as we once did, and give Him His place in our society. It is too easy to say God is to blame for all the recent flooding but we are the ones to blame if we refuse to honour Him.
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(Guest) |
17/02/2014 17:04 |
Guest - I think we will just have to agree to differ on whether Christ died for everyone or just those who were predestined. We will always be able to find scripture which supports our own particular understanding of it......
But we should not mould scripture to conveniently meet our understanding of what is right or wrong, rather we should allow our impartial and selfless reading of scripture to shape our beliefs......
Below is a link which explores a true exposition of John 3/16
http://members.toast.net/puritan/Articles/_16_f.htm
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Editor |
17/02/2014 20:28 |
Penny (and others) just to 'alert you', I have a strong suspicion that 'Guest' is a hyper-critical hyper-Calvinist anti-Charismatic who has a very narrow and pious viewpoint. I would tend to avoid being drawn into debate with such a person.
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