Bartholomew's Notes

A website announces a “March of Repentance” beginning in London’s Hyde Park, to take place on 18 July. Here’s why:

When we look at our nation we see a society in a state of collapse. It’s just like the prophet Hosea observed about Israel all those years ago: no truth, no mercy, no knowledge of God in the land, just swearing and lying and stealing and committing adultery…Hosea said the land would mourn, he said God’s judgment would fall on agriculture, fishing and industry. He said if people forget the laws of God, He would forget their children. Corporate greed has brought judgment on our whole economy, just as the prophet said, family life is disintegrating, disrespect for civilised standards of behaviour and even for life itself is increasing.

…Since the Garden of Eden, unregenerate man has rebelled against God. But evil got a big boost in the 60’s. In 1969, fresh from driving through the laws which have devalued human life, destroyed the family and exalted ungodly sex, the then Home Secretary Roy Jenkins said ‘the permissive society is the civilised society’. It does not look very civilised to those who have fallen victim to it.

…We are repenting of our own inactivity and silence, our lack of courage and faith in His word, our unwillingness to speak out ‘in the great congregation’ and our failure to discharge our responsibility to pray and witness with the mind of God into our nation.

The website is registered to Christian Voice, although there’s no mention of Stephen Green anywhere – instead, the prime mover appears to be a certain Steve McCreery, of Cardiff, who gives some background in comments left at another website in November:

One thing dear brothers and sisters in Christ that is becoming increasingly apparent and echoed through a number of Prophetic words is the need for believers, the bride of Christ, to unite in humble repentance and agonise for mercy against the wind of judgement coming upon our nation. To reverse the curse of the prevalent jezebel spirit and come clean before God. There is a planned March of Repentance next July 18th 2009 in London; prayerfully consider joining…The march is being organised by Chris Rowley (Elim), Christian Voice and hosted by Christian Concern for our Nation. It is open cross denominationally to any believer who has a heart and passion to redeem this nation…

I blogged on Christian Concern for our Nation here. The “Jezebel Spirit” is supposedly a demonically-prompted attitude of rebellion against God, usually seen as working through women who take a leadership role over men. On a comment to another site again, McCreery adds:

…While the gods of this age are in their death throes and there is increasing despair, fear and hopelessness in the nation, believers are assured that our God is sovereign and in control. It could be anticipated that there will be growing opportunities for harvesting these searching souls; but the question is … is the church in it’s present state really ready? Knowing that indeed this country is reaping what it has been sowing over the decades especially since the Festival of Light then Gods judgment is evident. Surely in line with our belief that Judgment begins within the household of God (1.Peter4:17) then we need to unite in contrite and repentant hearts before His throne of Grace and plead for God to withhold and ‘hear our prayers and heal the land’ (2Chron7-14) A growing number of committed believers recognising this trumpet call for repentance and are joining with the saints in a planned National March next year Sat.11thJuly in Central London. It will not be a procession of an outward exhibition of any kind of extroversion but more a solemn gathering of sincere saints representing the wide body of Christ showing unity in repentance before God. Just imagine, 1000’s of silent folk, walking together and following a large wooden Cross, no fanfare. A representative delegation ( especially youth) will present a statement of repentance to No.10 Downing St… and the March will culminate a rally at the end. (possibly with a representative from the Festival of Light handing a baton over.) So ‘ if my people who are called by my name…’ (2Chron7:14) will heed the call for repentance, we on the planning committee of the March would welcome your comments,support and participation in this significant movement of Gods people in such a time as this.

The “Festival of Light” was a Christian rally against permissiveness in the early 1970s. It looks as though the “March of Repentance” seeks to be the heir both of this, and, in its Charismatic language, of the 1980s “March for Jesus” events. As the official website declares:

We believe a march is a public witness, a testimony, a territorial statement (yes we can do this here!), and a spiritual declaration rolled into one. The children of Israel laid claim to Jericho by marching before they blew the trumpets on the final day.

Curiously, despite the vision of “1000’s of silent folk”, the March of Repentance website carries in large red letters the bullish message “Silent no longer!” However, we’re promised that the event will not be “a pious or self-righteous exhibition”.

The website highlights the social problems of “violence”, “ungodly laws”, lawlessness”, and “immorality”, as well as the attitudes of  “compromise”, “lack of interest”, “misplaced hope” (illustrated by the famous Obama “Hope” picture), and “churchianity” (illustrated by a cathedral, and obviously a dig at mainline Christianity). A “Why Repent?” section adds contributions from several sources, including this list:

• Rejecting our Christian heritage
• Rejecting our laws that were based on Biblical standards and replacing them with laws directly opposed to Biblical principles
• Failing to uphold the value of the conventional family life and failing to raise our children with proper loving discipline
• The church being too ready to compromise with the world and to be influenced by its ways rather than taking a stand for Biblical principles and preaching them clearly and unapologetically
• A readiness to mock all the great institutions of our nation.

There’s also a reposting of Rev. Joe Wright’s famous 1996 Jeremiad, delivered in the Kansas House of Representatives:

…We’ve lost our spiritual equilibrium. We have inverted our values. We have ridiculed the absolute truth of your word in the name of moral pluralism. We have worshiped other gods and called it multiculturalism.

We have endorsed perversion and called it an alternative lifestyle.

We’ve exploited the poor and called it a lottery. We’ve neglected the needy and called it self-preservation. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. In the name of choice, we have killed our unborn. In the name of right to life, we have killed abortionists.

We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem. We have abused power and called it political savvy. We have coveted our neighbor’s possessions and called it taxes. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment…

Christian Zionism is also a theme:

We have a book about about a Jew, written by Jews, who through incarnation has fulfilled Jewish prophecies and is coming to rule and reign, not in London, Paris or New York but in Jerusalem. The Church must stand by the Jewish people.

Another part of the site has a list of supporters; George Hargreaves of the Christian Party (whom I blogged here and here, and who won’t be pleased by the Welsh flag  not far below his name) is near the top, and there are a couple of prominent American entries – none other than David Wilkerson (we’re still waiting for the imminent “earth-shattering calamity” he prophesied in March, by the way) and James M. Hutchens, who runs the JerUSAlem Connection. As I’ve blogged more than once, Hutchens’ Christian Zionism is particularly militant, and monomaniacal to the point that it’s semi-detached from historic forms of Christianity.

There’s also an “International” section, which tells us of “interest from a number of countries in doing their own marches”. So far there’s just one entry, which takes us to the website of Prophet Elmore Richmond Jr., of Revelation Of Jesus Christ Ministries, Jackson, Tennessee. According to his own site,

God revealed to Prophet Elmore Richmond Jr. the destruction of the World Trade Center before it happened and our preparation for war.  God has revealed to him the destruction to come if we fail to repent.  At the direction of God, Prophet Richmond recorded these revelations and warnings in a book, titled:  “America, America: A Checkup For the Body of Christ- the Church.”  The Book was published in October 2001.  All revelations have come to pass.

Besides publishing this book, Prophet Richmond has written President George W. Bush thirteen times and all revelations have come to pass.

However, despite faithfully passing on the messages for Bush and others given to him by God, the prophet “wonders if our country’s leaders are listening.”

(Hat tip: Joel’s Trumpet)

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