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The Summer Kingdom

“I have seen a land shining with goodness, where each man protects his brother's dignity as readily as his own, where war and want have ceased and all races live under the same law of love and honour.

I have seen a land bright with truth, where a man's word is his pledge and falsehood is banished, where children sleep safe in their mother's arms and never know fear or pain.

I have seen a land where kings extend their hands in justice rather than reach for the sword; where mercy, kindness, and compassion flow like deep water over the land, and men revere virtue, revere truth, revere beauty, above comfort, pleasure or selfish gain. A land where peace reigns in the hill, and love like a fire from every hearth; where the True God is worshipped and his ways acclaimed by all.”

The quote above is from Stephen Lawhead's  book Arthur in his wonderful Pendragon Cycle.

It captures and summarises the glorious vision we are about the business of fulfilling. It is a vision of a Christian Britain and is Kingdom-oriented in two ways. Firstly, it is a Kingdom of God vision and secondly, it is about Britain being a kingdom.

For those of us who have allegiance to the Throne of David in our midst it has added poignancy and is imbued with more potency.

By Christian Britain we do not mean the battlefield of tenet and dogma that much of Christendom has become but both a hearkening back to what could be called the Ancient Faith yet also a looking forward to and entering in to the Philadelphia Age of the Church.

The quote is, of course, about the Arthurian Vision for Britain and is thus distinctly Celtic for want of a better or more understandable expression.

There is no argument against it other than one of cynicism - it is an ideal to stretch for and aspire to even though our postmodern world would scream at its seeming futility.

For those who are more emboldened, it is a call to pray for God's Kingdom to come and be manifest in the midst.

By necessity it needs the intervention of YHWH in our nation's affairs. It needs the outpouring of His Spirit and a flooding of our world with the supernatural and miraculous.

It needs a shepherd king on the Throne of Britain and righteous ministers in our parliaments and councils.

It demands a turning back to God, not just a reverting back to old methods.

The vision is of an age where love of the brethren (Philadelphia) is hand-in-hand with honour to all men and both God and king are reverenced (see 1 Peter 2:17).

This is The Key Of David.

This is the purpose of God for our nation.

This is the answer for all ills.

This is the Word of the Living God to us at this hour.

The Message Britain Needs To Hear

Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things have passed away. Look, all things have become new.  All this is from God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation,  that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their sins against them, and has entrusted to us the message of reconciliation.  So we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us. We implore you in Christ’s stead: Be reconciled to God. God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
2 CORINTHIANS 5:17-21 Modern English Version

In this passage we see that God makes all things new.

This new life that is in Him includes reconciliation - we are reconciled to Him through Jesus Christ. Furthermore, He gives us the ministry of reconciliation.

We are tasked with spreading the message of reconciliation; it is our job to do. Such a task doesn't mean that we be wimpy about it. It is not peace on any terms but peace on God's terms. And yet as we see here, He is pleading through us for people to come to Him and receive Him.

It is clear that God is initiating a relationship with humanity. Yet it must be on His terms. Sad to say, some people find this too much of God to ask! However, reconciling with God is a no-brainer - it is we who get all the benefits.

Now this passage speaks of us as individuals. The most important and vital thing anybody has to address is his/her relationship with the One who created us.

But there is a family, community, national and global aspect to all this. God was in Christ reconciling THE WORLD to Himself. Too often we just focus on our own individual self - we need to get back to seeing the world much more from a collective point of view. Too many concentrate on the vertical i.e. their own relationship with God but they neglect the horizontal which is their relationship with others. How remarkable that in the age of social media, we have become more anti-social - like little islands separate from one another who communicate only through a plastic screen. We tweet people we have never met on the other side of the world but neglect our real friends who we used to meet regularly.

In Britain today we need the ministry of reconciliation more than ever - not just between God and man but between ourselves. Husbands and wives, parents and children, Yes voters and No voters, Scots and English. The list goes on...

The problem with separatism is it separates people and creates boundaries and divisions. It is the very opposite of reconciliation. Same with individuality. A selfish, "me first" attitude might work against some weak-willed people. But in the long run, the seeds of selfishness sown will reap a bitter harvest.

This doesn't mean that we have to agree with everybody about everything. For example, Protestants and Catholics can be friends without agreeing on matters of doctrine. Christians and Muslims can reach agreement on certain things without an atmosphere of rancid hate. We should be seeking peace as much as possible with all men - even those we feel we must confront and oppose in certain circumstances.

The ministry of reconciliation is a reminder that our key task is to seek such peace and an ultimate reconciliation. It isn't always easy and can be a bit scary because it requires us to be humble and vulnerable.

In Northern Ireland a man who spent all his life in a confrontational mode switched in his latter years to a transformational one. Dr Ian Paisley was synonymous with "No Surrender!" but in the end realised that reconciliation was the only way forward. Ultimately, he called his arch enemy Martin McGuiness his friend.

I realise this is contentious stuff and many still feel that Dr Paisley went too far. Some would even say he capitulated. But the powerful argument is that no matter how much of a wretch anyone is, they can have the friendship of God through Jesus Christ in a millisecond. The Bible says we love Him because He first loved us i.e. He is the initiator of this friendship.

It is not a valid argument to say that some we seek to befriend will rebuff us so why bother? Or that they will see us as weak and naïve and take advantage of us. How the offer of friendship is received and reciprocated is not the important thing.

Offering the friendship as an ambassador for Christ is.

This is what is required of us - to be reconciled to God and then to be ministers of reconciliation to others.

Remember the words of The Master:

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God.

The UK - A God Thing

So the people of Scotland have spoken and the Union prevails.

More importantly, the Lord has spoken for the Most High rules in the kingdom of men and He it is who has made one of two men and two houses.

Let no-one be in any doubt that the threat the Union faced was real; however, that threat would not have been dissolution of the Union but a time of great travail more than we could bear. All praise to YHWH for sparing us this option.

The disappointing thing is how many believers - and leaders - voted Yes for change, despite the clear warnings of scripture in the matter. I didn't see many saying they sought the Lord's mind on the referendum but you have to wonder would they have heard Him anyway?

Those who did pray on both sides of the vote prayed that God's will be done. Given the prayer was sincere, we can conclude it has been and so the Union is God's purpose for us. Those who are disappointed at the result must therefore accept they have not aligned themselves with this purpose but with a rebellious movement.

Harsh words but I am not called to mince them. The truth frees and liberates and it is time we heard it.

The cross of Christ unites. The blood of Christ unites. Preaching of this in the Protestant Reformation is what directly brought about the Union. By abandoning that Union we would be acquiescing to the forces of secularism. We must revive the Union by reviving our proclamation of a heavenly Kingdom.

The sad thing is that Christians bought into the lie that the referendum is about the voice and will of the people of Scotland. These are carnal concerns. Our focus must be the will and Word of God.

Another lie is that the choice is between self-rule or Westminster rule. The reality is that there are two kingdoms - the Kingdom of God and that of mammon. The people of God who voted for independence took their eyes off the ball in this regard, taking petty grievances about Westminster rule to heart instead of the mind of God. 

We must remember that the Lord is more concerned with injustice than we are. Staying in the Union and being an agent for transformation is far better than leaving in protest and rancour.

Scotland's destiny is in the Union and that Union is God-ordained and forged in covenant.

You may rail against it but you cannot abrogate it. It is wise to align yourself with this truth and be part of what God is doing.

God save the Queen and throw down all rebellion against His anointed monarchy.

Scotland: Mutant Nation

There is significant prophetic importance in a Hebrew word with regards to the present attack on our nation.

That word is shanah, which means "rebel" in its simplest form. As we will see, it means so much more.

Let's look at it in Proverbs chapter 24:-

My son, fear Jehovah and the king; and do not fellowship with those who are given to change; 
PROVERBS 24:21 VW

The words "those who are given to change" here are sometimes translated as the word rebels. The Hebrew word is very interesting. And sobering.

It is the Hebrew word shanah and it means to duplicate but in a perverse or disguised way. It has the meaning to transmute i.e to make a mutant of the original! You could call it a perverse copy of the original.

The meaning is that a previously normal person of loyalty would change into a person not to be trusted - a rebel, in other words.

This change would be a mutation but from good to bad.

Sobering stuff.

Note how it applies to our way of life and how we are governed, as well as to our relationship with YHWH.

This verse in Proverbs is a clear scriptural warning to have nothing to do with those who want to change the form of government or way of life we live under. 

One aspect of this independence campaign in Scotland is that many believe it is stealth republicanism. This has become evident in the latter stages of the separatist campaign. 

It should be noted that Scotland has lived under a kingdom form of governance for literally millenia. A Yes vote could change this to a form of government that is alien to Scotland. This would be a mutation on a national level - and a massive rejection of the Queen.

Precisely what Proverbs 24:21 advises against.

For Christians, another dimension that must be pondered is the Union in relation to God's will and purpose in the earth. If the Union is God-ordained, then voting to break it up is rebellion against Him. It cannot be said any simpler.

If there is any uncertainty over this matter i.e. if you cannot say you are 100% convinced the Union of Scotland and England is not the will of God, then you cannot in good conscience vote Yes. Perhaps this explains why many who profess Christ are happy to study and research and ponder the matter but are reluctant to ask their Master what He wants them to do.

God's will is the only consideration for the Christian in this business of the referendum. 

The Hebrew word shanah is also used in the Word to describe the process of division and separation, particularly by deceitful means:-

He who covers a transgression seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates friends. 

PROVERBS 17:9 VW

The phrase "he who repeats" here is shanah in Hebrew. It means to duplicate but in a twisted, perverse way. In other words, to change the meaning.

We have seen this a lot in the independence campaign as the separatists have twisted facts and statements to suit their purpose. At a human level, it sounds clever in a political argument but it is not the wisdom from above that we are hearing; it is demonic wisdom.

Repeating a matter in this verse is to change and twist things to suit one's purpose.

Look at the effect of this: it SEPARATES very friends.

The shanah are divisive and bring separation. Their very words ("matter" in Hebrew is dabar, meaning word, command, promise) are designed to create splits and factions.

As they disseminate their message, it causes firm friends to be estranged from each other. The effect is the very opposite of God's Word, which brings unity and kinship.

We see this in Ephesians 4:16, speaking of the Body of Christ:-

From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. 

EPHESIANS 4:16 KJV

The word "compacted" here also means to reduplicate but means to drive together forcefully rather than separate.

In other words, the effect of the shanah is to mutate that which is of God i.e. the union and interdependence of the Body into something which is separate and independent.

God brings people into oneness through principles of unity, union and harmony. But the principle of shanah is to rebel against this process. It is the spirit of the loner, the rebel and independent-minded. It is also the spirit of contention, which has its root in pride.

The shanah are arrogantly self-sufficient and brook no disagreement with their pronouncements. What they say goes and no amount of logic or rationale will sway them.

Sound familiar?

To summarise, the shanah are those who want to change our nation's way of life as a Christian kingdom. In the case of the separatist movement, they want to eradicate our status as a Christian kingdom and replace it with a secular republic. Proverbs 24:21 is a powerful argument to reject this utterly.

And the shanah are divisive and separate the closest of friends Proverbs 17:9).

There are many Christians who believe that our British Royal family are descended from the biblical King David. Not all of these Christians are British Israelites, with whom the belief is a key tenet of faith.

You don't have to believe this about the British Monarchy in order to form a compelling Bible-based conviction that messing with our kingdom way of life and the structure of that kingdom is not a wise thing to do.

The words of the Master are enough in themselves to make us steer clear of separation ideologies:-

Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand.

MATTHEW 12:25 KJV

This stark and sober warning should be enough to make us shun the break-up of our United Kingdom.

Desolation and ruin are down the path of separation.

The shanah are among us. Have nothing to do with their poisonous lies and devilish ideology.

And certainly pray that they may be delivered from their condition and brought into unity once more.

Those who have ears to hear, let them hear.

Doomsday - A Prophetic Warning

The 2008 film Doomsday, about a Scotland walled-off from the rest of the world, is a prophetic pointer towards the forthcoming referendum, I believe.

In the film, Scotland is separated from the rest of the UK - and the world - by a high wall. The reason is that Scots have contracted what comes to be called the Reaper Virus. This virus turns people into savage animals and makes them mad before killing them.

The plot was partly inspired by the concept of the Roman walls separating north Britain and, interestingly, this featured in a couple of recent films as well.

A separated Scotland is the counterfeit destiny of the country.

In reference to the Hadrian and Antonine Walls, it was presumed for many years that these were built to keep the barbaric hosts of the north from going south. Some scholars believe in an alternate theory, however, based on the Romans known veneration of the British Isles as a holy place.

The concept of Ultima Thule - the end of the world - applied more and more as you travelled further north. In other words, to the Romans, the northern regions of the British Isles were so holy that they were not to be trod on by common people.

According to this line of thought, some believe that the walls the Romans built were constructed to keep people out of the north, leaving it sanctified and undefiled for a great divine purpose.

We see this in the ancient idea of Albion - the white island - white depicting holiness.

Although the origins of this concept have pre-Christian roots, the Celtic and Culdee saints certainly believed in it. 

We know that there are sacred sites and objects in Scotland. There is Mount Zion in the far north, where God will destroy the vail that is over all nations brought about by the so-called Scottish Enlightenment.

We also have the Stone of Destiny, the Rock that followed Israel in the wilderness and upon which Jacob dreamed of a heavenly portal.

So there is no doubt that Scotland is a holy place. The word holy simply means separated unto.

It was always the purpose of God for Scotland to be a separate land - separate unto Him, that is.

That is not the kind of separation that nationalists are clamouring for in this referendum.

Their separation is the counterfeit one.

They have contracted the Reaper Virus and it is turning them into wild animals.

We see this in God's Word.

My son, fear Jehovah and the king; and do not fellowship with those who are given to change; 
PROVERBS 24:21 VW

This is a clear scriptural warning to have nothing to do with those who want to change the form of government or way of life we live under. One aspect of this independence campaign is that many believe it is stealth republicanism. Scotland has lived under a kingdom form of governance for literally millenia. 

A Yes vote could change this to a form of government that is alien to Scotland.

The words "those who are given to change" here are sometimes translated as rebels. The Hebrew word is very interesting. And sobering.

It is the Hebrew word shanah and it means to duplicate but in a perverse or disguised way. It has the meaning to transmute i.e to make a mutant of the original!

The meaning is that a previously normal person of loyalty would change into a person not to be trusted.

In Daniel chapter 4, King Nebuchadnezzar was given a dream in which he saw himself changed from the king he was - a mighty man in charge of the world's then superpower - to a beast and animal. This lasted for seven years until Nebuchadnezzar understood that the Most High ruled in the kingdom of men.

In Daniel 4:16 the word "changed" is shna in Hebrew - to alter, change.

Let his heart be changed from that of a man, and let him be given the heart of a beast. And let seven times pass over him. 
DANIEL 4:16 VW

It is interesting that many Christians who have said they intend to vote for Yes in this campaign have spoken about having given it much thought and research and study prior to making a decision.

What they haven't said much about is asking the Lord for His will in the matter. Whether it be an absolute dictatorship or a modern democracy, we must learn that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men.

His will is all that is important - not our politics, our ideas, our pet topics or our cultural leanings.

You might find it astonishing that a dear friend and brother of mine was labelled demonic for simply suggesting that people ask the Lord in prayer for guidance in how to vote.

I don't.

I have seen the effects of the Shannah Syndrome or the Reaper Virus in people.

Let us hope that we don't face seven years of living like wild animals virtually cut off from the rest of the world to learn the lesson that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men.

God's purpose for Scotland as the Land of Destiny is separation UNTO Him, not separation that will act as a political, cultural and geographic obstacle to His mighty work in Scotland - a work destined to flow unhindered from the far north.

The separation men are planning will indeed hinder this move.

We must not let the Doomsday scenario happen.

The Holy Island of Albion

The Word Of The Lord To Scotland

A prophetic word from Bill McMurdo

O Scotland

How oft would I have held you to My bosom

And sheltered you under the canopy of My wings

But you would not, preferring instead comforts of your own making

And seeking shelter in your vanities

For I would have drenched you with My glory

But you sought your own glories and basked in the pride of your achievements

Even now you boast in your conceit

And seek your own vainglory

Many times I have reached out My hand to you

Yet you turned your back on Me and shunned the help of The Holy One

You chose to forget MY Name and neglect My Word

I would have fed you with the Bread of Life

But you chose to be the sick man, eating that which does not satisfy

Your forefathers knew Me and I was their boast

You, on the other hand, seek to forge your own destiny

You have been Enlightened with wisdom, yet not that from above

And you plan a future with no place for the One who made you and formed you

I ordained you, Scotland, as chief of the nations

Yet you have abused and misused My trust

You have gone the path of the rebellious

And followed those who praise themselves

The destiny I have for you, you disdain as dung

You prefer instead to follow fancies and fill your life with futile things

You have made idols of blessings

And profaned that which is holy

Yours was a land of bloodshed and tyranny

Therefore I brought peace and security to you

Yet now you seek to be your own

And no longer want to be My covenanted nation and people

You seek to break covenant with Me

And My holy purpose for you

Come back to Me, My land

I, The Lord, do weep for you

And my prophets cry out in anguish

Be the people of The Lord once more

Be the people of The Book once more

And I will crown you with greatness

And engulf you in My glory

Glory is your purpose, My beloved Scotland

Turn not from it, says your God

William McMurdo, Emrys