NORTHERN STYLE NEWSWATCH 7
As we have repeatedly said, all secular news needs to be stood against - sieved through - Scripture before we can hear what God is saying through natural events. The Word of God reveals His will and purpose and is unchanging in a changing world! Neither is He a God who changes His mind or who is ever caught in a crisis! Therefore in a rapidly changing world situation we need to be quiet, certain of what Scripture says concerning these days, lest we too enter into the confusion that has been apparent throughout the year 2000. We have set out in our booklet entitled `So Judah Went Into Captivity' a Scriptural reason as to why the year 2000 - which was brought in with such great expectation - turned into a year of confusion and anxiety. And we now face another year during which we shall see this confusion intensify, reaching out into ever-widening areas of national and inter-national affairs.

It is with some distress, therefore, that we see this confusion of thought entering into the life- stream of some Christian ministries, which were raised up and have been greatly used for intercession and prophetic insight. One such mature ministry has been recorded as saying, `It is no good wasting time in praying against what we know is going to happen' - only to find several weeks later the same ministry entreating prayer for what it knows is going to happen according to the Scriptures! If our life is not firmly grounded in and standing firm upon what Scripture has stated as God's unchanging will and purpose, then we too will be caught up in increasing anxiety and confusion, leading us into a form of stoicism - the salt indeed losing its flavour. And so with the world's eyes at this time of year turning to nostalgia, hoping for a Happy New Year, we would turn instead to the Lord our God, trusting for a sure and certain New Year as we look for His Coming, seen in today's events unfolding exactly as He said they would.

In Peter's First Letter he reminds the readers that they are `God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered . . .' (and there is no need for a comma to be inserted in

between `elect' and `strangers'). We need to be constantly reminded that we are `elect strangers' and citizens of another kingdom, lest we become drawn into a post-Christianized, nationalistic identity. Now, in his Second Letter, he turns our thoughts to the unchanging Word of God, saying: (2 Peter 1:19)

"And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. "

Clearly it is said here that to be able to avoid confusion, which will lead to anxiety, we need to heed what the prophetic Word of God has to say concerning the times we constantly say we are in. If these are indeed the End Times referred to we must expect certain things to unfold exactly as foretold by the prophets of old. To do otherwise becomes merely speaking pseudo-spiritual rhetoric and will lead to confusion and anxiety in the flocks of the Lord. These comments are not intended to be judgemental. We are merely recording what we said earlier was our distress at the increasing confusion of thought coming out of some respected ministries. At the same time it is well understood that there is a growing feeling of frustration at not being able to `do the works that God intended us to do', which therefore should lead us to a position of rest in the knowledge that what is unfolding is through the direct intervention of God. As such, He does not want us to do more than wait, seeking understanding of what He requires through prayer and study of His Word.

To return to Peter: He tells us that we would do well to pay attention to what is spoken through the prophets, and with that we would turn to the Book of Joel, in particular chapter 3. In an earlier translation the chapter opens with the word `for', an indication that this is a progression of prophecy: `For in those days, and at that time'. What follows is therefore clearly linked into what preceeded it, and for too long we have majored on the words in an earlier chapter in order to justify a certain `pentecostal' doctrine. Within the context of the chapter we find the setting of a `Court of Law' - a judicial situation, where we would expect to find events moving exactly as determined by laws under the direction and control of a Judge. Advocates, barristers and witnesses may take their place, but all is under the direct control of the Judge. Once again we turn to an earlier translation in order to find more meaningful words employed. (This is not to disparage the many and excellent modern translations, but certainly there are times when earlier translations bring out a sense of the awesome majesty of God.) The Book of Joel is one such place. The opening words of chapter 3 state:

"For in those days, and at that time, when I bring again into captivity Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather also all nations, and will bring them down into the Valley of Jehoshaphat (a place of judgement) and will plead with them there (a judicial pleading leading to judgement) concerning My inheritance, My people (My Ammi) Israel, for they scattered My people amongst the nations and divided up My land . . . . " As Joel continues we find the words clearly spoken: (verses 9-17) "Proclaim this amongst the nations; Prepare for war, let all the fighting men draw near and attack. Beat your ploughshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say, `I am strong'. Come quickly, all you nations from every side and assemble there. Bring down your warriors there. "

There seems little doubt as to what the prophet is saying here. If we believe that we are indeed in the run-up to the `last days', no matter what is written above the United Nations Headquarters we shall find wars increasing, and distress and confusion appearing in the nations of the world as God assembles them in the `Valley of Jeshosaphat' for what they have done to His people - which must include what we have seen happening recently in Israel! If we also accept and believe that the `Church' and Israel are on a parallel journey, through the Gentile believers being grafted into the Olive Tree of Israel, with whom the `New Covenant', spoken of by the prophet Jeremiah, was made, through the finished work of Jesus, then so, too, will the `Church' be brought into the `judicial court' setting that Joel spoke of - which is directly in the hands of God.

Here we need to retrieve our steps, for Peter wrote of `the morning star rising in your hearts' and we are reminded that in the east immediately before the glory of a new dawn appears, just before the sun rises, there appears a bright morning star which brings hope to those who watched patiently through the long, dark night. The word of the prophets in Scripture is likened to this bright morning star heralding the new day, and we need to catch hold of this and hold it close in our thoughts and actions as we too go through the long, dark night before He comes. In the opening words of Joel 3, where we used an earlier translation in order to bring out the judicial court setting, we need to be reminded of the unusual form of words that are spoken by God, where He says:

"For in those days, and at that time, when I bring again into captivity Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather also all nations, and will bring them down into the Valley of Judgement (Jehoshaphat). "

As the words continue we find God speaking of Israel as `My inheritance, My people (My Ammi)', revealing an intimacy, a loving hand, bringing His people once again into captivity. And for an understanding of the intensity of that intimacy we need to briefly remind ourselves of the `first' captivity the LORD brought Israel into - which is set out so beautifully in the Book of Deuteronomy, just before they were taken into the Promised Land of their inheritance. Deuteronomy is written in the form of a Marriage Covenant, bringing a willing people into a covenant with God as tender and loving as any natural marriage covenant, and here Joel is reminding us of the reason for what is to follow, `For in those days and at that time . . . concerning My inheritance, My Ammi Israel', and because of the New Covenant this also means the Bride of Christ, who is waiting for the consummation. Although judgement is spoken of concerning the nations of the world for their conduct towards `His inheritance', within that judgement there is also to be seen the captivity of love for God's inheritance - Israel and the Bride of Christ. Then, as Joel says:

"You will know that I, the LORD your God dwell in Zion, My holy hill, Jerusalem will be holy, never again will foreigners invade her. "

As we enter into `those days and at that time', we need to pay attention to the words of the prophets and allow the morning star to arise in our hearts until the day dawns, and as we wait:

"Proclaim this amongst the nations; Prepare for war . . . . . . . . for there I will sit in judgement on all the nations round about . . . "

knowing for certain: `The LORD dwells in Zion'!

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* Note:
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