“As part of the Young Leaders of Yad Vashem, I find it imperative to spread
awareness to as many people as possible, Jew and non-Jew alike… We may
carry their names, we may tell their stories, but we can never forget their
sacrifice. It is Yad Vashem that has ignited the fire and it is up to us to spread
the flame.”
Rachel Shnay

All around the world today the awful and evil deeds of the Holocaust, perpetrated by the Nazis and their many collaborators, are being remembered. Chiefly the martyrs of this diabolical program of industrial killing are being remembered and honored just as they were last week at the sacred and solemn assembly that took place at Yad Vashem to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the liberation of those still held hostage in Auschwitz-Birkenau. As heads of state gathered to say, “Never again” the facts on the ground all over Europe, in America and beyond tell another story. Antisemitism is on the rise everywhere and again on the streets of Europe we hear the cry, “Kill the Jews”. In Belgium awful images of rat-like looking Orthodox Jews have been paraded through the streets and in Brooklyn New York, Jews are now routinely attacked and beaten up. Once again, the Jews are being discredited and delegitimized with the end goal being their destruction. We cry never again but in reality, this has to be coupled with action. Who do we think will stop these antisemitic attacks?

A recent study has found that much of the antisemitism in Europe is being driven by the huge Middle Eastern communities that have migrated to the continent. The same is true of America where we now have Muslim Congresswomen who routinely mainstream antisemitism, attack Israel and the local Jewish community and refuse to condemn acts of Islamic terrorism. For them, “Some people did something on 9/11.” All over the middle East the discredited book, “The elders of the Protocols of Zion” is still being published and sold, as is Hitler’s, “Mein Kampf.” In addition, the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, is a Holocaust Denier and continues to call for the killing of Jews while he honors those who actually do so. The danger signs are everywhere just as they were in the 1930s. If good people do nothing, then this evil will gather momentum and it is.

Yad Vashem in Jerusalem stands as a beacon of remembrance and warning and we should heed its message on this very important and solemn day. This should be coupled with a prayer that asks the God of Heaven what we can do to make good our declaration of, “Never Again.”

Malcolm Hedding

Mark Galli’s article of the 20th December in Christianity Today calling for the impeachment of Donald Trump on so called moral grounds was neither courageous nor biblical. In fact, it displayed a remarkable ignorance of the relationship between the Church and the State, as put forth by the New Testament scriptures.

There are two passages in the New Testament that outline the context in which we are to relate to national political leaders, Presidents, Prime Ministers and even Dictators. The first is 1 Timothy 2:1-4 and the second is Romans 13:1-5. The latter is infrequently referred to by most preachers and magazines because it contradicts much of their thinking and debunks their social justice gospel that has infiltrated much of the Church in our day. Both passages are very important because they harmonize and enable us to avoid the trap into which Galli has fallen.

The passage in the book of Romans reads as follows:

“Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority
except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore
whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror
to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what
is good and you will have praise from the same.

For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does
not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath
on him who practices evil. Therefore, you must be subject, not only because of
wrath but also for conscience sake.”

It is important to note that this passage was written by Paul in reference to the Roman Empire and the Caesars who governed it. They were ruthless, cruel tyrants and certainly by biblical standards had no “moral values” and yet Paul asserts that:

1. They are appointed by God.
2. Wield their authority only at God’s pleasure….and,
3. Are in fact the ministers of God.

Consequently, Christians are to obey them, do what is good in their sight and by so doing honor God. That is, to resist them is to resist God and it is for this reason that he calls them to submit for conscience sake. These rulers were evil, they laid waste the Church in every corner of the Empire and Paul did not call for Caesar’s impeachment!!! In fact, just the opposite, because he knew that in the end by love and good works the Church would triumph, and it did. Actually, in comparison to the leaders of Rome Donald Trump is a saint!

Also, the national or political leader is referred to by Paul as one raised up by God and as the minister of God. In what sense then is Donald Trump the minister of God? Definitely not in a saved or redeemed sense but, in the sense, that he is a secular ruler like Caesars of old. We, as Christians do not vote for a Pastor, Priest or Reverend to become President but for a leader who best expresses our values and who will provide space and opportunity for the Church to preach the gospel to the nation in which it resides. Some of the greatest leaders of our times were not Christian, including Winston Churchill. He embraced Christian values but was something of a drunkard and a political opportunist, as he flipped flopped between political parties and as Lord of the Admiralty was responsible for the deaths of thousands of Anzac troops at Gallipoli in the First World War. To add insult to injury, he was the master of insult and in this regard out did Donald Trump’s Tweets by far. Churchill was despised and rejected by almost all of the political elite, just as Trump is, and yet God raised him up, gave him authority and, as a minister of God most high, he saved Britain from the tyranny of Nazism. Today he is celebrated as the Greatest Britton and millions wept at his funeral including my father. Did anyone call for his impeachment on moral grounds in Britain’s darkest hour? The answer actually is yes, and history has now judged them to be fools!

It is then important to note that for Paul, the Church is to submit to the governing authority by prayer, good works, suffering and proclamation in the knowledge that God who sees will change the governing authority and in the end enable such an authority to make space for the Church to preach the saving message of the cross. This is why we submit for conscience sake because the message we have of eternal life in Jesus is more important than anything else and calling for Trump’s impeachment, as Mark Galli did, was in every way naïve and a contradiction of scripture.

In addition, it is to be noted that Donald Trump has done more to encourage and support the mission of the Church in America than any other President in recent years. He has supported Christian values, stood against abortion, rolled back the Johnson Law and has encouraged all Christians everywhere to come out from hiding and own their faith. So, the high biblical goal that Paul sets for leaders has been fulfilled in Donald Trump; and yes, hopefully by the grace of God he too one day will embrace the Savior sent from heaven to deliver us. For this too we should and must pray but to call for his impeachment is a contradiction of scripture.

In 1 Timothy 2:1-4 Paul affirms all of this when he writes:

“Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions,
and giving of thanks be made for all men, for Kings and all who are in
authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness
and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our
Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge
of the truth.”

So, once again it is the first priority of the Church to pray for leaders and rulers because in doing so there is the expectation that God will change them and inspire them to bring order, stability, peace and quiet to a nation so that the Church may freely preach the Gospel. For the Apostle Paul the preaching of the Gospel was the greatest priority for a Christian and he considered even his sufferings to be working toward that end (Philippians 1:12). It is not our first responsibility to antagonize leaders by calling for their impeachment. This is counter productive to our great calling to fulfill the Great Commission. Again, can any of you demonstrate from scripture where Paul called for the impeachment of Caesar, a more wicked and cruel despot than Donald Trump will ever be? He was a Roman citizen by birth (Acts 16:37) and could have done so but he didn’t. Rather, he called the Church to a higher office and eventually by it he penetrated Caesar’s Household (Philippians 1:12-14) and finally the Christian Gospel triumphed over Rome and got a foothold in Europe and we have greatly benefited by it and are indebted to him for it. Mark Galli would have done well, in the light of his retirement, to call the Church in America to prayer and intercession for the President but he didn’t and rather opted to bring division to the people of God and to play into the arms of those who, if assuming power one day, will continue the immoral behavior of murdering babies in the womb! It is not surprising that these were the first people to receive his editorial with glee.

Malcolm Hedding

Notes:

For Paul the Church’s relationship with the State was governed by one thing only; that everything should be made subservient to the Church’s right to freely preach the Gospel. The right to preach the death, burial and resurrection of Christ was outside of the governing authority’s jurisdiction and consequently, if the state moved to curtail or prohibit this right, it had to be reasoned with (Acts 26:1-23) and even resisted and was (Acts 5:26-32). For this right the early Church leaders were prepared to die, and they did!

They well knew that it was not the “Social Gospel” or the “Social justice Gospel” or the “Prosperity Gospel” that saved people from their sins and gave them the gift of eternal life but only the Gospel that faithfully proclaims what Jesus did for the world on the cross. Evil cannot be out-smarted, out-thought or overcome by well thought out programs of one sort or another. No, it can only be overcome by the spilt blood of Jesus and having the right to preach this message governs our interactions with the State. Mark Galli could have re-enforced this, but he didn’t, opting rather to inject himself into the political squabbles of impeachment.

Dear Friends,

At this time of year, we should all pause to think of the things that really matter; especially since we will all be together with friends and family to celebrate Christmas and enjoy one another. Life is definitely more important than just getting on with it and living for our passions. If it were this simple then why do we have a guiding light called the Bible? Indeed, our lives are fragile and we each one only has one shot at it, and it may pass quicker than we think. I heard this very day of a father of 46, very active and very fit, who just fell down and before he reached the ground was dead leaving a wife and two beautiful young daughters. Eternity took him just as it will take us one day, don’t for a moment think that it will not. Your life, like mine, is but a vapor:

“Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For
what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little
while and then vanishes away.”
James 4:14

For Abraham, our spiritual father according to the flesh, life was a walk of faith with God. “He believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness” (Genesis 15:6). In fact, Abraham looked forward to Christ and believed in Him (John 8:56; Hebrews 11:13). Once his faith decision was made, he set out to pursue, with all his heart and strength, the God who had turned up in his workshop in Ur some 4000 years ago now. He would thereafter, by ongoing faith, appropriate righteousness and he would seek to impact others with a message of hope that in the end would touch billions of people all around the world. Just like the stars of the heavens and the sand of the seashore (Genesis 13:6; 15:5).

Abraham knew God, became His friend and walked with Him (2 Chronicles 20:7). Those who embark on this journey, as Paul correctly points out, have the assurance of eternal life beating in their hearts. Paul wrote that our spirits witness with God’s Spirit that we are children of God (Romans 8:16). I know of no greater blessing or pursuit on earth and I urge you, one and all, to think carefully on these things as we now come to one of the most joyous times of the year. I know that God loves you dearly but He wants you to look up and see more to life than ambition, career and success. To die in these things without faith in God is a tragedy and quite frankly a waste of one’s life. This is surely Abraham’s abiding message. We must become the friends of God.

How amazing that God sent a child to show us His light and by which to lead us all to eternal life (1 John 5:11-12). Let us take hold of it by welcoming Jesus into our lives (John 1:12).

Merry Christmas and much love,

Malcolm and Cheryl Hedding

“Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them!
Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the
Devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because
he knows that he has a short time.”
Revelation 12:12

“No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son,
Who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.”
John 1:18

“Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith.
Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus
Christ is in you.”
2 Corinthians 13:5

The Incarnation of evil

The Bible most certainly warns us of a demonic incarnation of dreadful proportions. Even now the ground work to make this possible is being built by powerful and evil principalities and scripture calls this “the spirit of antichrist” (1 John 4:3).This foundation of wickedness is becoming more brazen with every passing day in its attempt to delegitimize the Bible and attack those who hold dear its pages. Soon there will be an incarnation of the Devil himself whereby he will take on a bodily form and lead the world, and even possibly, the Church (Matthew 24:24) down a pathway of delusion.

In the 14th chapter book of Isaiah the evil king of Babylon is described but it becomes clear that what is being portrayed is more than just the king of a region but the Devil himself. It is a picture indeed of demonic incarnation:

“How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!
How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the
nations. For you have said in your heart; I will ascend into heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the
mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I
will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most
High. Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the depths of the pit.”
Isaiah 14:12-15

The book of Ezekiel does the same thing in its 28th chapter when it describes the evil king of Tyre:

“You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your
covering………………The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was
prepared for you on the day you were created. You were the anointed
cherub who covers; I established you; you were on the holy mountain
of God; you walked back and forth in the midst of the fiery stones. You
were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity
was found in you.”
Ezekiel 28:11-15

So here again a human being is presented as an incarnation of the Devil himself and, just for the record, the Prophet Habakkuk writes of the proud man in similar terms:

“Indeed, because he transgresses by wine, he is a proud man, and he
does not stay at home. Because he enlarges his desire as hell and he
is like death, and cannot be satisfied, he gathers to himself all nations
and heaps up for himself all peoples.”
Habakkuk 2:5

These biblical references warn us of a day that is fast approaching when the Devil, having been pushed out of the second heaven, will descend to the earth (Revelation 12:9-12) and incarnate himself in a human body. This is the truth of God’s word and the book of Revelation clearly presents it to us and describes this individual as, “The Beast” (Revelation 13:1). Outwardly he will be a smooth-talking miracle working politician but inwardly he will be the Devil incarnate. In fact, the closest we have come to this reality can be seen in the rise and fall of Adolf Hitler; only this will be far worse in that all nations will follow after him and he will unleash a global persecution of the Church and Israel. The book of Revelation describes his reign of tyranny thus:

“Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme
His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. It was granted
to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority
was given to him over every tribe, tongue and nation. All who dwell on
the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the
Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If anyone
has an ear, let him hear.”
Revelation 13:6-9

The last refrain, “If anyone has an ear, let him hear”, is important because the Holy Spirit is calling us to attention and clearly warning us of things to come. Evil has advanced at a rapid pace in our world and the ease with which it is presently being accepted is providing the stepping stones by which the Devil can literally step into our world. We have been warned!

The incarnation of God

The Christmas story reminds us year by year that in Jesus God became man and dwelt among us in order to save us from our sins, ourselves and all that is wicked in the world. John’s Gospel speaks of this wondrous incarnation in these terms:

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld
His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of
grace and truth.”
John 1:14

These most beautiful words tell us that Jesus was not made or created but was “begotten”. That is, he was incarnated in the virgin’s womb having come from heaven (Luke 1:26-38)! He was perfect and sinless in every way and the holy light shining from Him could not in any way be contained in this world and so the darkness of sin and evil collided with Him and seemingly overcame Him in that He, being innocent, was cruelly crucified (John 3:19). However, in this wicked hour of darkness He thereby willingly bore the penalty of our sins and rose from the dead freeing us from the power of sin and of the Devil (Luke 22:53). He purchased on the Roman stake of execution, eternal life for all of us; that is, if we surrender our lives to Him, make Him king and follow Him all the days of our lives (John 1:12). What a marvelous incarnation. Paul, writing to the Corinthian Church puts it this way:

“Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through
Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is,
that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not imputing
their trespasses to them…”
2 Corinthians 5:18-19

This is truly the real message of Christmas and we must make sure that our children, gran-children and friends know it. There is nothing more wonderful and as we gaze again in wonder at the Manger Scene, the glory of Angels singing in the heavens on that first Christmas night and the arrival of three Kings from the east let us do so with gratitude and joy in our hearts.

The incarnation of salvation

More wondrous still is the fact that Jesus fills our hearts with His love and salvation by the Holy Spirit. This is an incarnation that regenerates, empowers and changes us forever. Paul refers to it in many parts of his letters but here are two examples:

“For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your
prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my
earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed,
but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified
in my body, whether by life or by death.”
Philippians 1:19-20

And,

“To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory
of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope
of glory.”
Colossians 1:27

Jesus has actually invaded our lives and thereby given us a real taste of heaven and enabling us, in all respects, to overcome the world and the Devil. We are truly and literally new creations in Him. John the Apostle puts it this way:

“Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in
Him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.”
1 John 3:9
And,

“You are of god, little children, and have overcome them, because
He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”
1 John 4:4

Dear friends, Christ incarnated in us means that we only have one goal in life and that is that Jesus may be magnified in our lives. This encompasses everything in that it calls us to total character transformation and change. This is why we attend a local Church, engage in fellowship, study the Bible, break bread and reach out to the world (Acts 2:42). We have a glorious message of incarnation.

Merry Christmas,

Malcolm Hedding

“Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. And I do not
permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but
to be in silence.”
1 Timothy 2:11-12

“For this reason, the woman ought to have a symbol of authority
on her head, because of the angels. Nevertheless, neither is man
independent of woman, nor woman independent of man, in the
Lord. For a woman came from man, even so man also comes
through woman, but all things are from God.”
1 Corinthians 11:10-12

“Obey those who rule over you and be submissive, for they watch
out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so
with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.”
Hebrews 13:17

No one serves, in any capacity in the world or in the Church for that matter, in isolation and free from authority structures. Human nature resents being told what to do because the very essence of sin is rooted in rebellion. This root is in all of us and we have to overcome it. There are then authority structures in our world that are the prerogative of men and others that are of women. For instance, women generally serve in nursing roles more than men do and they are exceptionally good at it. One does find male nurses within this field of activity, but they are generally required to submit to the authority of their female overseers.

The truth is, there are some roles in life where men have authority over women and others where women have authority over men because of the manner in which God constitutionally created them. Men generally serve in combatant roles because they are physically stronger than women. It was young men who stormed the beaches of Normandy on the 6th June 1944 and not young girls!

The Christian scriptures are clear about the fact that while men and women differ in their constitutional make up, they are equal in dignity and status before God their Creator. The one is not in anyway inferior to the other and shouldn’t be treated that way. Indeed, Paul affirms that in the believing community there is, “…neither male nor female (Galatians 3:28).” This means there should be no prejudice held when engaging men and women. They are equal in every way and should be afforded this dignity.

Having said this, it is true that the manner in which God made a woman means that she is ideally fitted to make up the deficiencies of her husband. She is made to help him be the man that God wants him to be and so she submits her wisdom, intellect, intuition and opinion to him. He needs help and God calls him to lead with her help (Genesis 2:18). Submission in the Bible is not one-way traffic. Meaning, that it is not only a man telling a woman what to do but also as a woman giving a man advice what to do in a spirit of gentleness (1 Peter 3:4-5). Men who turn this on its head and become authoritarian and abusive to their wives, and or to women in the Church, will not get their prayers answered (1 Peter 3:7). Men and women are “heirs together of the grace of life.” Men then have been equipped by God to lead and this is precisely why Jesus chose twelve men to be His Apostles. In fact, Jesus honored women, defended them, helped them and had them in His inner circle because He valued their spiritual intuition and appreciated their help and generosity, making possible His mission together with the disciples (Luke 8:2-3).

All this being true we should note the following:

1. That God has uniquely equipped men to assume teaching and leadership roles in the Church. However, the point of Paul’s statements in 1 Timothy is that women can teach and lead as long as they do so with male leadership recognition and support and do not usurp this authority structure. Just as a male nurse in a hospital ward must discharge all his duties in submission to the female leadership team. The male nurse is not allowed to do his own thing!

2. The Bible affirms and demonstrates that in Israel’s long journey there were always unique and strong female leaders who did great things for God; but always under authority. Deborah, Rahab, Miriam, Ruth, Esther and Mary easily come to mind in this respect.

3. The New Testament church was greatly blessed by male and female preaching teams such as Priscilla and Aquila (Romans 16:3-4). It is no doubt worth noting here that Priscilla is mentioned before her husband Aquila. Was she the dominant ministry gift? In fact, Paul refers to a woman called Junia, who together with her husband Andronicus, he calls “of note among the apostles” (Romans 16:7). (See footnote) Then there are the four daughters of Philip who were recognized as prophets (Acts 21:8-9). This of course means that they were part of the “gift ministries” of the ascended Christ recorded in Ephesians four verses eleven and twelve. Paul also writes about Euodia and Syntyche, two women who served with him in the preaching of the Gospel (Philippians4:2-3).Mary, the mother of Jesus, was continually in the company of the early leaders of the Church and the non-canonical writings of the early Church confirm that she played a very active role in the development and growth of the Church (Acts 1:14). To suggest then that women cannot share in the gift ministries of the Church and should not be preaching in our pulpits is just wrong and a contradiction of scripture.

It is certainly true that when women assert themselves without due recognition of the male authorities in the Church, they are disruptive, can be led into deception and more dangerous still, into a Jezebel spirit; all of which I have witnessed in my long years of Christian ministry (Revelation 2:20). But equally I have encountered deceived men in leadership who became authoritarian and dominating and they too brought a spirit of deception into the body of Christ (Titus 3:9-11). Diotrephes written about in 3 John was just such an individual as he loved the place of pre-eminence (3 John 9). The truth is, the abuse of God-given roles is rampant in the Church today and it all comes down to a problem with authority structures. According to Paul, Eve moved out of her covering of authority and instead of deferring to Adam she gave into the deception of the Devil. The original language of 1 Timothy 2:14 demonstrates that while Eve was deceived Adam sinned willfully because he knew better and consequently God held him accountable for the original sin and not Eve. Scripture then states, “As in Adam all die…” and not, “As in Eve all die” … (1 Corinthians 15:22).

4. In Paul’s day there were also cultural problems in that throughout the Roman Empire women who went around uncovered were actually prostitutes looking for business. Women in the Church, feeling the liberty that Christian teaching gave them, began to discard head coverings thus potentially bringing the church into conflict with the community. Paul writes to correct this as it would cause outsiders to stumble and bring the Church into disrepute. He urgently needs to rectify this matter and thus tells them that, though they may disagree, this is the “custom” that all the churches embrace (1 Corinthians 11:16). In fact, to reinforce this “custom” he notes that even angels recognize the divine sphere in which they live and appropriately respond to it by covering themselves (1 Corinthians 11:10). We sometimes have to submit to the culture to win it for Christ. Today head coverings are no longer an issue; thank God!

Also, the early Church adopted a Synagogue type of structure which meant that men and women were separated in the services. Consequently, the women would sometimes disrupt the meetings by calling out to their husbands for theological clarification. Paul brought this practice to an end (1 Corinthians 14:34-35) and so it is also important to point out that the command, given by Paul in 1 Timothy 2:11-12, that women should be silent in the Church, is in fact not the correct interpretation of the text. The original language is more correctly translated as “settle down” and not, “be silent”. That is, that women should not be disruptive in the meetings and settle down and, if we doubt it, then we should take note of the fact that the same word that is translated as “silent” in 1 Timothy 2:11-12 is used in 2 Thessalonians 3:12 where it is translated as “work in quietness” or “settle down.” Paul’s real concern was that all things in the gatherings of the local churches should be done “decently and in order” (1Corinthians 14:40).

5. It is thus worth noting that there have been and are great women ministries in the Church of Jesus. I have known and worked with such women and have been greatly enriched by their powerful pulpit and leadership ministries. Who can doubt that Corrie ten Boom was a huge blessing to the people of God and to the Jewish people and what of Kathryn Kuhlman, Ruth Ward Heflin, a powerful healing evangelist, Christine Darg, Gwen Shaw, Amy Carmichael, an extraordinary missionary to China, Joni Eareckson Tada who though disabled led thousands of people to Jesus, Christine Caine who rescued thousands of people from human trafficking, Francis Willard, Henrietta Mears, a great preacher in her own right who mentored great men like Bill Bright of Campus Crusade for Christ and of course Aimee Semple McPherson the founder of the Four Square Church of God and who led hundreds of thousands of people to Jesus. We could go on and on, the list is never ending.

It is worth noting here that when I studied theology, at a well-respected Reformed Theological establishment, half the student population were women. The majority of these became missionaries to Africa, Asia, the Middle East and the Indian Ocean Islands. The term missionary is a nice way to disguise the fact that they were actually Apostles going out into the world because the term missionaries means “those sent out”; the exact same definition of the term Apostle!

Conclusion

No paper like this would be complete without referring to the fact that scripture calls upon women to submit to their husbands (Ephesians 5:21-33). We have already noted what this means but it is certainly worth pointing out that God calls men to lay down their lives for their wives as Christ did for the church. This means that they must be given to extreme sacrifice for their wives and it is love like this that will encourage women to willingly and happily submit to their husbands.

All in all, then, Women can teach, preach and even become Apostles in the Church of Jesus but they do have to minister in a sphere that is mainly occupied by men. Hence, they must discharge their remarkable ministry gifts in recognition of this God-given authority structure. Most important of all is that male leadership teams should not be authoritarian, corrective and restrictive but rather encouraging, edifying and upbuilding. This is why God gives us positions of authority, to build up and edify (2 Corinthians 10:8). We rob the Church of a great blessing if we close our pulpits to godly women who have been called of God and anointed to preach.

The peace of Jesus be with you!

Malcolm Hedding

Contributing Editors:

Dr. Peter Watt-The General Chairman of the Assemblies of God of Southern Africa
Dr. David Elms-Founding Minister Emeritus of Kingsway Christian Fellowship, Liverpool England
Rev. Graham Jefferson- Minister Emeritus of Word of Life Baptist Church, Durrington England

Note; with reference to Romans 16:7:

Early church writers and scholars translated one of the persons referred to here by Paul as Junia, which is absolutely correct since the ending of the name is in the female designation. For 1900 years every translation that came out did the same but in the 20th Century, translators, all of which were mainly male, unilaterally and without textual basis, changed the name to a masculine ending meaning that it became Junias. This was wrong, in fact entirely wrong, and it was only done because they would not accept that a woman could be an Apostle. In other words, they arrogantly inserted their prejudice into the inspired text! In recent years this unjustified edit has been corrected in keeping with the original text, which is beyond dispute, and so Junia, the female “Apostle of note”, took her rightful place again in scripture.

……………………………………………………………

“But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with
the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God
who tests our hearts.”
1 Thessalonians 2:4

“Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer.
Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison,
that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days.
be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”
Revelation 2:10

The God of the bible has a great plan for your life since His word declares that in Jesus, He “created you for good works that He prepared beforehand that you should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). The truth is, we do not have the spiritual capacity to walk into our God-given destiny and so God has to teach us about our real spiritual capacity and through a process of testing strengthen us. Paul is clear that before he moved into his God-given destiny, he had to be approved by God who put his heart to the test.

So, there is no doubt that days of testing are upon us. God puts His people to the test as He did with Paul and Peter and even Jesus. These “tests” are designed to determine the nature of our commitment to truth and whether our characters are dependable, stable, and useful to God, even under fire. No one escapes this principle in the Christian life. The Lord God of Heaven knows exactly what’s in our hearts, but He brings it out into the open for our instruction by the process of testing. We always think that we are stronger spiritually than we in fact are. These times of testing invariably involve times of great difficulty and our response to them teaches us something about ourselves that we didn’t know! In fact, Paul writes that we are “appointed to this.”

“…that no one should be shaken by these afflictions, for you
yourselves know that you were appointed to this.”
1 Thessalonians 3:3

The “testings of God” always have to do with truth. That is, the truth of God revealed through His Word. This truth cannot be bent, changed or adapted to our liking. It remains forever and is above His name and must be built into our lives (James 1:21). And Paul stated that we must allow the Word of God to “richly dwell in us “(Colossians 3:16). Jesus said quite simply, “Thy word is truth” (John 17:17). It is up to us to live by it or reject it and we shall never fully enter into God’s plan for our lives if we do not live in the Bible day and night (Psalm 1:4). A good devotional exercise for us all to do would be to read, in one sitting, Psalm 119. This will give us a very good idea as to how important it is to know God’s Word. The grace and patience of God always leads us to its truth but there comes a time when we have to demonstrate, through a time of testing, that we have truly received the Word of God and have built it into our lives in such a way that our actions flow out from it . Actually, to be “put to the test” means to be tempted. The word temptation in the original language means to be “put to the proof”. This invariably involves being exposed to the Devil!!!

Jesus was “put to the proof” when He was led by the Spirit of God into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil:

“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted
by the devil.”
Matthew 4:1

Jesus’ temptations were not fictional or merely theoretical. No, as man he had to prove that He was perfect and sinless and therefore qualified to enter upon His God-given mission in life. He overcame the choices presented to him by the Devil by standing on the Word of God (Matthew 4:1-11).

Also, Jesus gave the Devil permission to prove Peter or “sift him like wheat”:
“And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you,
that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your
faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen
your brethren.”
Luke 22:31-32

Peter was a big mouth and therefore “cashed cheques with his mouth that his body could not pay.” Upon hearing that Jesus was going up to Jerusalem to die he loudly asserted that he would do the same. He was indeed sincere, but actually, sincerely wrong because he did not have the spiritual capacity to do what he boldly claimed. Through a process of testing he found out who he really was and was enabled to take stock, repent, be strengthened and then become what God wanted him to be. It will be the same for you and me.

Two things are clear from this:
1. The Devil cannot attack you when and how he pleases…and;
2. The Devil can be an instrument, in the hand of Jesus, to help you grow!!

When we are put to the test, or proved as Christians, the Devil can do nothing to you other than, as he did with Jesus, give you an option or choice; the decision will be entirely yours to make. Peter was presented with the same option and ended up cursing and denying that he even knew Jesus. What did he learn? That he wasn’t the strong Christian that he thought he was and was not ready for ministry. So, James writes:

“Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been
approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has
promised to those who love him.

“But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires
and enticed.”
James 1:12,14

So then, the “testings of God “always have to do with three things:
1. Materialism or things
2. Status or self-importance…and,
3. Cravings or self-indulgence

The Bible lists these as follows:
1. The lust of the eyes (materialism)
2. Lust of the flesh (self-indulgence) …and,
3. The boastful pride of life (self-importance)

Note: 1 John 2:16
In the wilderness “proving’s” Jesus faced the exact three things and responded according to the Word of God and thus proved that He was beyond sin and indeed perfect. Adam on the other hand faced the exact same three things in the Garden of Eden and failed because he doubted the Word of God. All that the Devil said to him was, “Has God said……? According to Jesus, the faithful Church is the one that keeps His Word (Revelation 3:8). That is, yes, God has said!

Note:
The extent of our ability to overcome the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life determines our usefulness to God. The testings of God then are designed to prove if our lives are built upon the Word of the Living God and that consequently our characters are dependable, stable and useful to Him. There are many Christians who have failed in this respect because, having not built the Word of God into their lives, they make huge decisions that contradict the Word of God, that are in all respects life changing and that sideline their usefulness to God for years. Remember Jacob!

So, Don’t be surprised at the fiery trial you are going through. Read carefully what Peter has to say about this:

“Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which
is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you.”
1 Peter 4:12

Be sure that you noted his refrain “to try you”, because God is putting you to the test through strange trials.
Don’t doubt that God is with you. Again, note what Peter has to say:

“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be,
you have been grieved by various trials.”
1 Peter 1:6

Once again, be sure to note the refrain, “if need be”. That is, your trials are needed so that God can test the nature of your faith and commitment to Him. He knows the nature of your commitment but you do not and so He will help you to find out!

Stand on the Word of God. That is, God is looking for men and women who will “under fire” always make decisions that flow out of the Word of God embedded deep within them. Jesus said:

“Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.”
Matthew 4:4

Stand in the place of prayer. In the Garden of Gethsemane, the Disciples were all over the place spiritually and Jesus saw their weakness and spiritual inability. He consequently responded by saying the following:

“When He came to the place, He said to them, “Pray that you
may not enter into temptation.”
Luke 22:40

What He actually meant was, “Pray that you may not enter into the trap of temptation.” That is, that you may not make the wrong choice or decision. We must be a praying people.

Conclusion
Above all remember that our confidence; in God’s loving care for us, and in His sovereignty, will get us safely through these times of testing. Because He will not allow us to be tempted beyond that which we are able to bear (1 Corinthians 10:13). Even though from time to time, like Peter, we will fail, He will pick us up, strengthen us and help us to fulfill our destiny. It all comes down to how much we love Him and our love for Him is measured by the degree to which we keep His word (John 14:15). Amen.

Malcolm Hedding

…………………………………………………………………

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…”
The Declaration of Independence July 4th, 1776

The New York Times just put out an article with a video questioning “American Exceptionalism.” They undermined this concept by seeking to point out that, as a people, Americans are no better, and indeed, are a lot worse than other peoples in the spheres of education, racial relations and science etc. For them then the concept of American Exceptionalism has to do with race as if this term asserts that Americans are just better than other people. This whole understanding of American Exceptionalism, as put forward by the New York Times, is actually based on a false narrative, is not based on historical fact and is just a lie! However, people believe this stuff because, quite simply put, they do not know their history.

It is to be noted that the Declaration of Independence clearly states that all men are created equal and therefore this undermines the notion that American Exceptionalism is based on race. It is this declaration that empowered Martin Luther King Jr in his fight for black civil rights in the 1960s and because of this he was guaranteed victory.

A plaque on the walls of the Holocaust Museum in Israel, called Yad Vashem, states, “Remembrance is the road to redemption, but forgetfulness is the road to exile.” How true this is, as a people who have forgotten their origins and history will eventually abandon them and lose the freedoms that were once purchased for them at a great price by their founders. This is happening in America today.

American Exceptionalism is to be understood by this; that by the grace and hand of God, and because of the Great Awakening (An amazing Christian revival led by George Whitfield and Jonathan Edwards in the original 13 States), the Founding Fathers crafted a form of governance, called the Constitution in 1787 that was unique to the world because it guaranteed freedom and equal dignity for everyone. This Constitution sets out three spheres of government and thereby puts checks and balances in place that would make it well nigh impossible for the freedoms won in the War of Independence with England to be taken away by a dictator. The Bill of Rights (The first Ten Amendments) re-enforced this idea and gave Americans additional protections from abuse by leaders. In fact, the idea of three houses of government; the Congress, Judiciary and the Executive, came directly from Isaiah 33:22:

“For the Lord is our Judge (Judiciary), the Lord is our Lawgiver (Congress),
the Lord is our King (President)…”

Also, Liberty Bell has inscribed upon it a verse of scripture taken from the book of Leviticus that states:

“…….Proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all
its inhabitants….”
Leviticus 25:10

It is because of this Constitution that Americans could build a nation that became a “shining light on a hill” since it freed a people, like none other on earth, to go forth and fully exploit their potential; free from government restraint and abuse. American Exceptionalism has nothing to do with race but everything to do with freedom; and the history of America proves it. It is for this reason that all those seeking high office in the Federal Government have to swear allegiance to the Constitution. A Constitution that is in every way Exceptional, but sadly today, continuously under attack.

So, don’t be fooled by the New York Times or anyone else as American Exceptionalism does exist, we have all been blessed by it and rightly do we rejoice in it on the fourth of July.

God bless America!

Malcolm Hedding
A soon-to-be-proud American Citizen

“I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you. I will give to you and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojourning, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”
Genesis 17:7-8

The debate that rages over Israel’s modern day restoration is undoubtedly a heated one and there are good, honest Christians on both sides of “the divide”. It is crucial and important for us to make this observation because it is highly dangerous to treat each other with disdain and disrespect because we do not agree on this issue. Our salvation is not regulated by issues like this, but by our personal repentance and acceptance of Jesus as Lord and Saviour, all based on His finished work on the cross.

The Heart of the Matter
Some Christians see no biblical significance in the modern day restoration of Israel. For them the State of Israel is just like any other. The national destiny of the Jewish people in the “Promised Land” has been lost since the time of Christ because of their rejection of His Messianic credentials. They believe this even though the Scriptures affirm that the promise to them in this regard is an everlasting one! Consequently the church is exclusively the “New Israel of God” (The new Promised Land) and the only hope for all men, be they Jew of Gentile, is the acceptance of the Gospel.

From a certain perspective I must say that the latter statement is true. There is indeed “no other name give among men, under heaven, by which we can be saved”. We cannot and should not be dual covenant by belief! (Acts 4:12)

But is this the whole truth? I think not. The heart of the matter or the real issue is; has the everlasting promises of God in the Abrahamic Covenant, bequeathing the land of Canaan to the Jewish people, been revoked by God Himself? And if so, what evidence of this “revoking” is in the Bible? In other words, the debate is about what one thinks of the Abrahamic Covenant. This alone is the heart of the matter!

The Nature of the Covenant
First mentioned in Genesis 12:1-3 and reinforced time and time again throughout all of Scripture mostly, in fact, in the New Covenant Scriptures, the Abrahamic Covenant sets aside a people and a land for the blessing of the nations. “In you all the nations of the earth will be blessed…” For the Apostle Paul this was one of the earliest proclamations of the Gospel (Galatians 3:8). Thus, the Abrahamic Covenant is that great covenant of the Bible that promises salvation to a world lost in sin. It is made with Abraham and his descendants after him (Genesis 17:7). It is, therefore, the covenant of God’s decision to save the world from sin and all the other great covenants of the Bible flow out of it. Consequently, John the Baptist and even Jesus come into the world because of the promises made to Abraham in this covenant (Luke 1:54-55; 72-75). The Jewish people, as Abraham’s descendants, are chosen as the servants of the covenant. In other words, the nation of Israel is not brought into existence as an end itself, but as a means to an end – the salvation of the world. They are the means by which God delivers His redemptive initiative to the world.

Jesus said, “salvation is of the Jews” (John 4:22). Paul wrote that “they are the custodians of the oracles of God” and from them come the prophets, the giving of the law, the covenants and the Messiah who is God blessed forever” (Romans 3:1-2; Romans 9:1-5).

It is truly hard to believe that the covenant has been replaced in the light of all this, because if it has, then the decision to bless the whole world with salvation has also been replaced!!

The Nature of the Debate
The debate over Israel’s modern day restoration is over the continuing power and existence of the Abrahamic Covenant. In other words, has this covenant been abolished or reconstructed and if so, what biblical evidence is there for it?

Firstly, the “abolitionist theory”, (the total removal of the covenant) is not possible because of the New Covenant. For instance, in Galatians 3 we are told that “if we are Christ’s, then we are Abraham’s children according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29). Moreover, Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law “so that the blessing of Abraham” might come upon us by faith (Galatians3:14). The writer of the book of Hebrews insists that the wavering messianic believers can trust God and His promises in the New Covenant because he is faithful, completely, to His promises made in the Abrahamic Covenant (Hebrews 6:13-20). Hence, there is absolutely no hint whatsoever that this covenant has been in any way disempowered, replaced, or abolished. On the contrary, it is affirmed and established, and this after Israel’s rejection of Jesus’ Messianic credentials! Indeed, in Galatians 3 Paul argues that it cannot be annulled (Galatians 3:17) and in Romans 3:3-4 Paul clearly states that Israel’s rejection of Jesus has not in any way altered the faithfulness of God to them. Finally, in Romans 11 he argues that Jewish unbelief has not removed from them God’s calling and purpose (Romans 11:11, 29).

Secondly, then there is the more popular “reconstructionist theory”, otherwise known as Replacement theology, that claims that the Abrahamic Covenant has been altered or adjusted because of Jewish unbelief. This is an argument from silence, but it must be made by those who see no significance in Israel’s modern day restoration to what was once called Palestine. Given the New Testament evidence, that is overwhelming, they inadvertently accuse God of lying (Romans 3:4)! A covenant that promises the world salvation and promises everlasting possession of the land of Canaan to the Jewish people is not trustworthy! This is truly amazing when one considers that John the Baptist and Jesus came into the world because of this covenant and that our embracing of the Lord Jesus as Lord and Saviour places us in the promises made in it. The God we serve does not lie (Titus 1:2; Numbers 23:9) Actually, according to Romans 15:8, Jesus came to confirm the promises made to the fathers and not to reconstruct or replace them. For the reconstructionists the words of Paul in Galatians three, attesting to the promise of God in Abraham, as applying to the “seed” (Christ) and not to the “seeds” (many) is taken to support their reconstructionist thesis. They are wrong because the Abrahamic Covenant makes a promise to both; the seed, who is Christ (Genesis 22:18) and the seeds, who are Abraham’s descendants (Genesis 17:7-8). David affirms this in Psalm 105:7-12. Paul’s point in Galatians three is that God’s ultimate plan of salvation, brought to the world by the people of Israel, is appropriated by faith in Jesus and not by the works of the law (Galatians 3:15-18).

The Nature of Evidence
It has to be acknowledged by all in this debate that Jesus returns visibly and physically to Jerusalem (Acts 1:11; Zechariah 14:4). That is, in terms of the context of scripture, to the Old City of Jerusalem. Indeed, in a clear forthright manner, Jesus links this return to Jerusalem and to Jewish acceptance of His Messianic credentials (Matthew 23:39). He also Himself stated, in His Olivet Discourse, that one of the signs of His return is the return of the Jews to East Jerusalem after a global exile (Luke 21:24). When we add to this the interesting conversation that He had with His disciples on the Mt. of Olives concerning the restoration of the Kingdom to Israel, as recorded in Acts one and verse six, the picture becomes clear. To be honest the theological gymnastics that some theologians perform in their quest to negate the plain meaning of this text are indeed nothing short of bizarre. When scripture obviously and plainly challenges our positions, our response should be to honour it and adjust our thinking and not to attempt to negate the text. It is thus abundantly clear to me that a latter day return of the Jews, after 70 A.D. to Jerusalem, is envisaged by scripture! On what grounds? Clearly as the New Testament everywhere affirms, on the grounds of an everlasting promise made to them in Abraham (Hebrews 6:13-20).

Those embracing the “reconstructionist”, or a replacement view of the Abrahamic Covenant not only have to grapple with the weight of evidence in the New Treatment, but also with the weight of evidence in the Old Treatment. Exile and correction are always followed up with a promise of restoration (Amos 9:9-15). On what grounds? The answer is the promises of God given in the Abrahamic Covenant. (Haggai 3:14-15; Psalms 105:7-15; Deuteronomy 30:1-10)

It is precisely here that the “reconstructionists” misuse Scripture. That is, in contradiction of the context of the Old Testament Scriptures, which in most cases, in this regard, is literal they affirm that the passages, in this regard, have to be read allegorically. In short, they wrest from scripture its own authority and they assume to themselves this authority and therefore they will decide what Scripture means. As a consequence they debunk any literal interpretation of scripture pointing to a physical restoration of the Jews to the land of Canaan and instead assert that the Church is now the new Promised Land or Canaan. This assertion is totally unacceptable as a method of exegesis. The truth is; we are not literalists or spiritualists (the allegorical method of interpretation) but “contextualists.” The context of Scripture will alone decide our exegesis of it. If we follow this erroneous method of exegesis to its logical end we can ¬¬¬equally assume that Jesus’ death on the cross was not literal! In fact an early church heresy did precisely this. There is nothing new.

The Nature of the Divide
While the Abrahamic Covenant promises salvation to the world (Galatians 3:8) and land to Israel as an everlasting possession, the Mosaic Covenant (Moral Law), that flows out of it, demands from Israel that:

1. She lives out the light, revelation and blessing of God that she gives to the world (Exodus 19:1-6).
2. She lives out the heavenly demands of dispensing justice and righteousness to those living in her land (Micah 6:5-8; Exodus 23:11; Isaiah 5:7).

Failure in these two areas would lead to correction, judgment and exile, but not loss of possession, only loss of domicile! In all honesty, Christian Zionists fail in these areas. That is, they stress the promises of the Abrahamic Covenant but ignore the commands of the Mosaic Covenant or Moral Law. They thus stray into political Zionism. Israel’s spiritual condition matters to God and determines her borders.

How sad it is that the church can never find balance. We always think that “the other side” is wrong when in reality we are both wrong and both right. Scripture is therefore clear that Israel’s possession of the land of Canaan is unconditional and everlasting (Exodus 32:13) but her domicile (privilege of living on the land of Canaan) is conditional. That is, conditional upon her righteous behaviour. This includes treating the stranger with respect and justice (Jeremiah 22:1-5). Two devastating exiles in her history have proved this point well. In this regard the Church and the Christian Zionist world should find its voice. For Arabs, Palestinians, Christians and other minorities living in the Holy Land this is the major issue they have with Christian Zionists. The failure of Christian Zionists to address these issues has prevented these minority groups from hearing their message about Israel. But equally, the failure of Christians who champion these issues to address the consequences of the Abrahamic Covenant adequately has diminished their voice in the Jewish world. The truth is; we all need to “grow up” and be more balanced.

In the End
In the end Scripture affirms that Israel will exist forever as a nation before God and He will not cut her off because of all that she has done (Jeremiah 31:35-37). Scripture clearly implies that her long historical journey will be characterised by two exiles and two returns (Isaiah11:11). She will finally return a second time in unbelief (Ezekiel 36:24-28) and, through a process of affliction and correction, be spiritually recovered (Hosea 5:14-15; 6:1-3). Paul saw Israel’s interlude of unbelief as partial and as a time of bringing God’s salvation in Christ to the Gentiles. When this full number of Gentiles have come in then all Israel will be saved and the Deliverer (Saviour) will “come out of Zion” (Romans 11:25-27). It is surely no co-incidence that we have now witnessed the second return of the Jewish people from exile. We are all “caught” in this unique transition point in history trying to make sense of it all. This is much like the early Church trying to make sense of Gentile inclusion in the Church. It is a challenging process requiring grace and much love from those who tackle it. It is deeply troubling when Christians use Scripture as a weapon against each other. I do not write in this vain. I believe that in the end we must all acknowledge that there are great Christians on both sides of this debate. I have set forth my position in this devotional paper. A position I believe to be true. More true than all of this however, is faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these is love.

Malcolm Hedding

Notes:
(1) Given the emphasis in this paper on the Abrahamic Covenant it should be clear to the reader that most mainstream Christian Zionists do not support the modern day restoration of Israel because of eschatological consideration but because of promises that God made to Abraham 4,000 years ago. Christian Zionists are not “thirsting for Armageddon”, as some assert, but rather affirming the efficacy of a Covenant that holds a significant place in all of scripture.

(2) A well know theologian that spends much of his life and ministry seeking to debunk the position of Christian Zionists recently stated, in reference to Israel’s modern day restoration, that the “jury is still out” concerning whether this restoration has biblical significance or not. Quite honestly then, given his doubt, he should stay out of this area of ministry altogether because if the “jury comes in” and affirms the biblical significance of Israel’s modern day restoration, he will be caught out having resisted God on this matter. This is a highly challenging area of ministry and we should all remember that we, who have mounted this stage as teachers, will incur a greater judgment (James 3:1).