Yes you are quite right about “lukewarm and wimpish Christianity” and how it differs from the very public, very vocal, and very bold true church of Christ thoughout the ages.

Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch

Re. the above story, you must be aware that, prophetically speaking, God will, and does, remove the sceptre from the nation that turns away from Him. He will gives warnings and chances, but if that nation continues to go their own way, doing what is ‘right in their own eyes’, God will lose patience and, well, that’s when the trouble begins.

It is only that we are still in the Age of Grace, and the Holy Spirit is not yet removed as Restrainer, and the prayers of the saints (US!!), that things have not yet succumbed fully to the spirit of antichrist, but it’s not far off…

Since 1948, we have lost our major sea gates, as as delineated in the prophetic books of Daniel and Ezekiel, as well as ‘our’ Empire, and are coming under the authority of the EU(SSR). These are the last of the Last Days and the True Christian Church – NOT any given denomination – needs to wake up to the urgency of the days that are coming, as all of the prophetic indicators, as given by Yeshua to the disciples and, later, to John on Patmos, are almost in place.

I may be telling you the ‘bleedin’ obvious’, so to speak, but not many Christians in the world outside of, mainly, the USA, and especially in the UK, don’t know, realise, or understand, due to the non-, poor or woolly level of Biblical teaching, and at a level where people understand – non jargonised or technical/overspiritual in nature. Yeshua used everyday vernacular, allegories and illustration that the people He spoke to understood. The worldwide church necessarily doesn’t, by and large. And it confuses the issues.

Still, the sun is setting on England? We’re down to near twilight.

Chris Maguire, UK

Yes the Lord loves us first even whilst we were still in our sins and He died for us on Calvary. That however is only the beginning. We are not puppets or play actors upon the stage an God doesn’t keep slaves. What God also has done as well as die for us is to give us freedom to love each other and to love Him. The Lord says “if you love me you will keep my commandments”. Now many people takes these as ‘rules’ and say the commandments are not necessary but the Lord also said that He came NOT to ‘remove one jot or tittle’ and in another place the Lord says ‘those who relax the law will be the least in the Kingdom of Heaven’. So I know that the Catholic Church teaches thse things, along with many of the mainstream denominations more or less. There is a “prescriptive sense” in following the Lord and for the yoke to be light we follow the commandments in the new Spirit of discipleship as shown to us by Our Lord Jesus in His words and example.

Michael Webb

I think God is allowing Britain to come under the yoke of the Arabs because she dealt treacherously with Isreal after the war. It seems to be God’s way of dealing with nations that work against Him but He will strengthen His Church in these trying times and She will shine like a jewel in the midst of all this darkness. Keith Lewis, Ballarat

For example, as the Prince family hold on in Jerusalem during early 1948 the sectarian fighting over the establishment of the State of Israel brought home to Derek some startling truths about his own country’s culpability.

One day a piece of shrapnel flew through their window and buried itself in their wall. Derek examined it and found that it was from a British-made shell! He wrote “An Open Letter From Jerusalem” challenging the hypocrisy of British policies concerning the region.

The biography goes on to say (p166)

“By favouring the Arabs, Britain had betrayed the Jews, betrayed the UN, and betrayed her own citizens, he believed…He began to believe that if England did not repent of her treatment of the Jews, she would lose her empire and, worse, lose the blessing of God.”

Point to ponder: The Empire is certainly gone, and the Commonwealth is a hollow shell. Is Britain now suffering the consequences of policies put in place long ago which, despite the liberation of the land in WW1 and the Balfour Declaration, have been most often against the Jews, rather than for them?

Whilst everyone has had to deal with the Arab nations too, it is clear that US policies declare them to be a friend to Israel, in a way that Britain’s policies don’t.

John Angelico

Alrighty. Are we allowed to doubt Darwin though?

Tristan Ingle, Sydney.

And Ewan, you said “A backslidden and lukewarm church is our problem and a revived and on-fire church is the solution.”

Therein lies the truth. Friends, Australia needs to be spiritually revived and *that* will change the course of this country. Not discounting or minimising the importance of political involvement for the Christian, I believe that the answer lies in us truly taking up the Cross and following Christ – throwing our hats entirely into the Kingdom ring – burning our bridges with a worldy life and self interest and being consumed with passion for reaching people with the Good News, in whatever form that takes for what we are called to by God.

“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 will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14.

Garth Penglase

If the Liberals cared about conservatism, they would have made someone other than Malcolm Turnbull leader.

The 07 election was ironic, since both leaders represented the most conservative sectors of their party. But the implication is – Howard is gone and there is no one to take his place. So when the Prime Minister loses either an election or the ALP leadership…what happens then…

The Left of both parties hold hands and walk down the aisle in a political marriage and invisible coalition?

Yarran Johnston