NORTHERN STYLE NEWSWATCH No.17
CREDO 'When the dust has settled'
Although it is difficult to remember that the UK national election was but a short time ago, the title of this Newswatch has it very much in mind. Readers of our Northern Style Newswatches will remember that at that time we said we had no intention of writing just for the sake of maintaining a presence, and so we have waited some 5 months for `the dust to settle' before picking up the pen again - only to find that very little has changed in what has been said previously! To be sure, terrible events occurred on September 11th in New York and Washington, the outworking of which now dominates the political scene so that very few people may remember what lies beneath the settled dust. But readers will recall that in Newswatch 16, which was issued just prior to the UK election, we spoke of a `powerful realignment of political forces - as seen in the 18th-19th centuries in the spent forces of Whigs and Tories. We went on to say:

" This leaves the `new' political party merely a `bridge', and not a realignment, as it increasingly reveals that it is at the mercy of powerful commercial interests that know no political or geographical boundaries, and it is these rising, powerful commercial elitist groups that are becoming the political force which will come to dominate the world scene."

In an earlier even more elitist political climate than we now have, Disraeli (a one-time British Prime Minister) said at the time that he could `consider well a Conservative Government made up of Tory men with Whig ideals'. He could not have foreseen that the realignment of political forces happening during that time could have been such a `strong bridge' over which the British populace would be taken - which leads on to where we are today, and in blowing away the settled dust we find that indeed nothing has changed.

The slogan of the successful political party in the recent UK election was `The work goes on', and the warning in Newswatch 16 was to remind us of what the outcome would be once the dust settled. Indeed, the slogan revealed what would happen if `the Tory men with Whig ideals' continued in power on the UK political stage. There would be no change, which clearly indicates that in carrying on as before the country would continue on its journey into deepening trouble, bringing the `world' to the events that occurred on September 11th. But in the slogan `The work goes on' was there also a warning to the Church in this country, that the Head of the Church was requiring a turning away from the path down which it has been walking as it increasingly aligns itself with other `faiths' on its journey into the politically correct `Age of Tolerance' which will not accept sharply defined idealogy or theology.

The Church in the West has not, in general or even specific terms, shone `the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ' (as the apostle Paul says) into the community in which it finds itself, thus leaving a blind and deaf populace to continue in its indifferent and self-indulgent life style, the country unchanged on its journey into increasing danger and distress. The established Church has increasingly taken the politically correct stance, and the muted voice of the remainder of the Church in the West can hardly be heard in the aftermath of the events of September 11th. But before the `Age of Tolerance' finally bursts upon us the Church urgently needs a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit in order for it to shake off the settling dust of assimilation and preach its unique message of `the knowledge of the glory of God (seen only) in the face of Christ' to a people who are now beginning at last to understand that (to use the media words) nothing will ever be the same again since September 11th. Islam, as a religious system is destructive, and Judaism is defective, for only in `the glory of God seen in the face of Christ Jesus' is there to be found salvation. Neither Politicians nor `Christian Assimilationists' may like to hear this message in an `Age of Tolerance', but we have no doubt that in a coming move of the Holy Spirit upon His Church the Lord will shake off the settled dust in order that His people can be equipped to speak to a people who are slowly becoming aware that they are indeed living in a `post September 11th' time.

However, lest we fall into empty rhetoric, perhaps we need to spell out more specifically the path on which this country is directed by its political masters. We wrote in Newswatch 11 in March 2001 of a political idealogy which is outworking itself in our time (although in reality it has been with us from the time of Adam) and which over the centuries has been given many titles. We quote:

" The common title re-emerging today is Communitarianism (an ugly word to be sure) which was in vogue several decades ago as a counter-idealogy against Communism. It is a political effort to bring together all streams of civic life, emphasising social responsibility and community projects, principally through voluntary groups, which people will be persuaded to join to work together for the greater good . . . . "

Now 8 months later we see a speedy outworking of that idealology, for in an editorial of a broadsheet newspaper on October 3rd of this year we find these words written in the context of `the war against terrorism' and Prime Minister Blair's hectic journeying:

" Some in the White House will however be surprised to discover that the United States is about to launch a war on behalf of Communitarian principles. "

In case this seems to be too large a canvas for us to fully comprehend, we can bring these `Communitarian Principles' nearer to home. Following the September 11th outrage, and in respect for the American people in their distress, the jingoistic finale of the Last Night of the Proms was dropped in favour of the music of an American composer, and quickly following on from that came an newsmedia article informing us that the words of `Land of Hope and glory' had been rewritten for the National Schools Musical Event because one of the sponsors, the National Union of Teachers complained about the words. The proposed re-written words include clear Communitarian principles, such as:

" Music and our voices unite us all as one . . . . .
Bring our world together, make us closer yet. "

There will be no room in this coming `Age of Tolerance' for the `sharply defined' salvation found only in Christ Jesus, and we need to remember that many of the well- intentioned, sincere politicians were spoon-fed in their formative years on the communitarian principles that we now see outworking in our political parties, and this country is on a dangerous journey which could lead to terrible consequences unless the Church rises up and shakes off the settled dust and proclaims `the glory of God found alone in the face of Christ Jesus'. However, we would finish this Newswatch on a note of hope, for in God's warnings of a coming judgement His mercy is always to be found following on from repentance. For that message of hope we turn to Scripture - our only bedrock of truth - and in particular Psalm 85.

Regular readers of Northern Style publications will recall our Scriptural understanding that the five Books of Psalms correspond with the first five Books of Torah, and so the principle theme conveyed in the five `Books of Moses' can be seen in detail in the corresponding five Books of Psalms, and are therefore relevant for today's disciples of Jesus in seeking understanding of world events. The setting of Psalm 85 in the Third Book of Psalms therefore corresponds with the principle seen in the Book of Leviticus regarding the Temple in the land of Israel, the Place wherein God is found, and in this particular Psalm, regarding the LORD of the Sanctuary. With this in mind, and with what we have set out earlier in this Newswatch, we can now look for what God is saying to His Church, who are in the Land of the Kingdom of God and who are the living Temple of the Lord through belief in and acceptance of Jesus. Keeping in mind that the superscriptions which head up most modern translations are actually part of the Hebrew Scriptures, and as such are part of the inspired Word of God (and that many of these `superscriptions' in modern translations are often in part subtitles) we find that Psalm 85 actually begins with the superscription `A Psalm (a Mizmor) for the Sons of Korah'. The Hebrew word `Mizmor' gives us the understanding that not only is the Psalm to be sung but it is also for meditation - joyful singing with a quiet meditative heart for God's mercy for the Sons of Korah.

This now brings us into a contemporary setting, for the Sons of Korah alluded to in this Psalm are those who followed on after the rebellion of the early tribe, as recorded in the Book of Numbers. Spoken of in the superscription of the Psalm are those who were birthed after the rebellion of the earlier tribe, reminding those who sang the Psalm in the time of the Psalmist of God's forgiveness and mercy for those who repent of rebellious acts, We see this in the opening verses of the Psalm:

" You showed favour to Your land, O LORD,
You brought back the captivity of Jacob.
You forgive the iniquity of Your people
and covered all their sins. "

Although it is a Psalm for the Sons of Korah, the Psalmist is referring here to the restoration of King David - following the nation's repentance of joining Absolom's rebellion against him - and by linking the Sons of Korah to `restoring the fortunes of Jacob', the Psalmist is asking the people to `Selah', to pause and meditate upon God's unfailing love for those who seek forgiveness. We can therefore take comfort in the knowledge that following repentance by His people today He will restore all those who have accepted Jesus as Lord and bring us back again into His will and purpose in the time and place where He has placed his Church. It is a meditative prayer to the LORD of the Sanctuary - the place where God dwells now in all His glory: `Restore us again, O God our Salvation', the Psalmist cries, `and put away Your anger towards us'.

Surely this is where the Lord has brought His people today, for as the Church in the West has moved steadily into apostacy, through continual assimilation into the cultures of the West, we have been brought to the place of understanding that the `world' will never be the same after the events of September 11th. Following the repentance the Psalmist urges the people to listen:

" I will listen to what God the LORD will say.
He promises peace to His people, His saints -
but let them not return to folly.
Surely His salvation (His deliverance) is near them who fear Him,
that His Glory may dwell in our land. "

As the Psalmist draws his words to the end he reveals the fulness of God's forgiveness to those who will turn in repentance and who listen to what He requires of us in a world which is realigning itself in its last acts of rebellion against God:

" Love and faithfulness meet together;
righteousness and peace kiss each other. "

revealing here an intimacy . . a joining . . a meeting . . a touch of God's Presence . . seen in the intimacy of a kiss as He `restores the fortunes of Israel'.

Finally, turning to the words of Paul in his Letter to the Colossians, we see the reality of `the kiss of righteousness and peace' for all those in Christ Jesus: Colossians 2:6-10

" So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no-one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. For in Christ all the fulness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fulness in Christ, who is the Head over every power and authority. "

The Psalmist completes the Song for the Sons of Korah with a cry for repentance by God's people that He may not only restore Jacob's people, and so fulfil His purpose in and through them so that the surrounding peoples may `see the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus' but also `Your land, O LORD' (in verse 1) is joined and becomes `our land' in the concluding verse. In the days that lie ahead, as the political forces draw up their final battle lines for the outworking of the world's final rebellion against God, we need to pay careful attention to the Psalmist's words in the Song for the Sons of Korah, and to what is meant by `Your land' changing to `our land'. (Has the Church assimilated into a secular land so deeply that it has forgotten that we are subjects of another Kingdom whilst living out our natural lives in this land?) As we give thanks for His mercy concerning our own rebellion, let us pause and listen to what He has to say to His people brought out of the captivity of rebellion.

October 2001

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