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I believe in prophecy. But the EU is not Babylon the Great - Premier Christianity
I believe in prophecy. But the EU is not Babylon the Great - Premier Christianity:
I believe in prophecy. But
the EU is not Babylon the Great
the EU is not Babylon the Great
May 2016
Is the seat numbered '666' in the EU parliament kept empty for dark
purposes? Martyn Whittock takes a closer look at biblical prophecy and the
EU
purposes? Martyn Whittock takes a closer look at biblical prophecy and the
EU
I'm a Bible-believing Christian, who believes in prophecy. But I am
depressed and dismayed by some of the allegedly ‘Bible-based discussions’
taking place around the EU Referendum in June.
depressed and dismayed by some of the allegedly ‘Bible-based discussions’
taking place around the EU Referendum in June.
While there are plenty of sensible issues of concern to Christians being
debated, I've also heard
debated, I've also heard
a number of people claim that a vote for remaining in
the EU amounts to a vote for Babylon and even the ‘mark of the beast’.
the EU amounts to a vote for Babylon and even the ‘mark of the beast’.
So can we inject some rigour and accuracy into our use of scripture when
discussing this extremely important issue? Lets start by taking a look at the
passages often used by some end-time enthusiasts to make their anti-EU case.
discussing this extremely important issue? Lets start by taking a look at the
passages often used by some end-time enthusiasts to make their anti-EU case.
The Lord's Prayer, Good, Good Father
Matthew 6New American
Standard Bible (NASB)
Giving to the Poor and Prayer
6 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed
by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.
2 “So when you [a]give to the
poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues
and in the streets, so that they may be honoured by men. Truly I say to you,
they have their reward in full. 3 But when you [b]give to the
poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so
that your [c]giving will
be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will
reward you.
5 “When you pray, you are not to be like the
hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street
corners [d]so that they
may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 6 But
you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your
Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret
will reward you.
7 “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless
repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for
their many words. 8 So do not be like them; for your Father
knows what you need before you ask Him.
9 “Pray, then, in this way:
‘Our Father who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 ‘Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 ‘Give us this day [e]our daily bread.
12 ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from [f]evil. [g][For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’]
Hallowed be Your name.
10 ‘Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 ‘Give us this day [e]our daily bread.
12 ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from [f]evil. [g][For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’]
14 For if you forgive [h]others for
their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But
if you do not forgive [i]others, then
your Father will not forgive your transgressions.
Fasting; The True Treasure; Wealth (Mammon)
16 “Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as
the hypocrites do, for they [j]neglect
their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting.
Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 17 But you,
when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face 18 so that
your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret;
and your Father who sees what is done
in secret will reward you.
19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and
rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But
store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust
destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21 for
where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your
eye is [k]clear, your
whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is [l]bad, your
whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is
darkness, how great is the darkness!
24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he
will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and [m]wealth.
The Cure for Anxiety
25 “For this reason I say to you, [n]do not be
worried about your [o]life, as
to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to
what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than
clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the [p]air, that
they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly
Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27 And
who of you by being worried can add a single [q]hour to his [r]life?
28 And
why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow;
they do not toil nor do they spin, 29 yet I say to you that not
even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30 But
if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and
tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe
you? You of little faith!
31 Do not worry then, saying, ‘What
will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ 32 For
the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that
you need all these things. 33 But [s]seek first [t]His kingdom
and His righteousness, and all these things will be [u]added to
you.
34 “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will [v]care for
itself. [w]Each day has
enough trouble of its own.
Dictionary of Bible Themes Back
8618 prayerfulness
An attitude by which a constant relationship between God and believers
is developed.
Prayerfulness is a way of life
Lk 2:37 See also Ps 5:3; Ps 55:17; Ps 109:4; Da 6:10-11,13
Prayerfulness arises from a desire to be with God
Ps 130:5-6 See also Ps 42:1-4; Ps 84:1-2
Prayerfulness arises from an awareness of need that can only be met by
God
1Ti 5:5 See also Ps 86:1; Ps 105:4
Prayerfulness demonstrates a continuing trust in God
Jn 15:5-8 See also Ps 63:1-8
Prayerfulness involves a heart that is right with God
Isa 1:15-17 See also Mt 6:7; Mk 12:40 pp Lk 20:47
Prayerfulness involves the need to be alert
Mt 26:41 pp Mk 14:38 pp Lk 22:40 See also Mic 7:7; Lk 21:36; Col 4:2
Prayerfulness needs to be maintained especially in difficult
circumstances
Lk 18:1 See also Hab 3:16-19; Ac 16:25; 1Th 5:17; 1Pe 4:7
Examples of people whose prayerfulness proved effective
Hannah, who prayed for a child 1Sa 1:20 See also Isa 1:10-18
Elijah, an ordinary man who prayed Jas 5:17-18 See also 1Ki 17:1; 1Ki
18:41-46
Nehemiah, a man who discovered God’s plan through prayer Ne 1:4 See also
Ne 1:5-11; Ne 2:4-5
David, sustained through trials 1Sa 30:6 See also 2Sa 22:1-4 pp Ps
18:1-3; Ps 3:1-8
Daniel, whose patience in prayer was rewarded Da 10:12 See also Da
9:1-19
Jesus Christ, who perfectly trusted his Father Heb 5:7 See also Lk 5:16;
Jn 11:41-42
The early church, which was founded upon prayer Ac 1:14 See also Ac
2:42; Ac 4:23-31; Ac 6:4; Ac 12:5
Paul, who prayed for all the churches which he founded or visited Col
1:9 See also Ro 1:9-10; Eph 1:16; Php 1:4; 1Th 3:10; 2Th 1:11; 2Ti 1:3; Phm 4
Dictionary of Bible Themes Back
8605 prayer, and God’s will
Prayer is concerned not only with the well-being of the one who prays. A
vital aspect of its purpose is to allow the will of God to be done, and to
bring glory and honour to his name.
True motives for prayer
The desire that God’s name be honoured Mt 6:9-13 pp Lk 11:2-4 See also
Nu 14:13-16; Jos 7:7-9; 2Sa 7:25-26; 1Ki 18:36-37; Ps 115:1; Jn 17:1
The desire that God’s will be fulfilled Mt 6:9-13 pp Lk 11:2-4 See also
Mt 26:39 pp Mk 14:36 pp Lk 22:42; Mt 26:42; Heb 10:7 Submission to God’s will
characterised Jesus Christ’s prayer life.
God answers prayer that accords with his will
1Jn 5:14-15
Petitioners may enquire of God to discover his will Ps 143:10 See also
Ge 25:22-23; Jdg 1:1-2; 2Sa 2:1; 1Ch 14:14-15
The Holy Spirit helps believers to pray in God’s will Ro 8:26-27
God’s response to prayers allows believers to discern his will
2Co 12:7-9 See also Ex 33:18-20; 2Sa 12:15-18; Job 19:7-8; Ps 35:13-14
God does not respond to the prayers of the wicked
Jn 9:31 See also Ps 66:18; Pr 15:8; Isa 1:15; Isa 59:1-2; La 3:44; 1Pe
3:12
Encyclopedia of The Bible Back
PRAYER (תְּפִלָּה, H9525, prayer; פָּלַל֮, H7137, to intervene, interpose, arbitrate, mediate,
intercede, pray; προσευχή, G4666, prayer,
place for prayer, chapel; προσεύχομαι, G4667, to pray).
The doctrine of prayer is no appendix added on after one has completed
his doctrines of God and man. A view of prayer is implicit in one’s view of
God’s relation to the world and man’s relation to God. Therefore a Biblical
doctrine of prayer is most meaningfully integrated with an entire theology that
is Scriptural.
C. S. Lewis has suggested some helpful illustrations. Ask a neighbour to
feed the cat while you are away, an employer for a raise, or a woman to marry
you. What is the connection between the asking and the receiving? C. S. Lewis
wrote:
Your neighbour may be a humane person who would not have let your cat
starve even if you had forgotten to make arrangements. Your employer is never
so likely to grant your request for a raise as when he is aware that you could
get better money from a rival firm, and he is quite possibly intending to
secure you by a raise in any case. As for the lady who consents to marry
you—are you sure she had not decided to do so already? Your proposal, you know,
might have been the result, not the cause, of her decision. A certain important
conversation might never have taken place unless she had intended that it
should (“The Efficacy of Prayer” in His [May, 1959], 7).
What confirmation have Christians that their requests have been
significant? Assurance arises, not from the manipulation of circumstances, but
from knowing the persons involved. Those who best know an individual know
whether their request to him was answered by coincidence or because they asked.
Those who best know the God of the Bible can assess the efficacy of prayer as
request to Him.
Every Blessing
Blair Humphreys
Southport, Merseyside, England
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