Islamic Terrorism
Recent news reports have revealed that Islamic extremism is spreading its tentacles throughout Asia and North Africa at a terrifying rate. There is great instability in many countries, including Afghanistan, Nigeria, Mali, Iraq and Algeria. In Algeria, tragically, several hostages, some of them British, were killed when terrorists attacked a BP oil plant in January. In Egypt, where there is now a Muslim Brotherhood President and an Islamist majority in Parliament, a widow and her seven children were sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment for converting from Islam to Christianity. In Saudi Arabia, the penalty for converting to Christianity can be death by beheading. Professing Christians are facing increasing persecution in these countries.
Radical Islamists consider Western countries their sworn enemies. Those in the West, especially Christians and Jews, they class as “unbelievers” and “infidels” and view them as “under Satan”, deserving death. A Jihad, or “holy war”, is waged against all “unbelievers”. Several Muslim preachers have stated that this is an all-encompassing duty for all Muslims, whether men or women, young or old – that “all infidels without exception be fought and annihilated: no weapons or types of warfare are barred”.
In 2011 there were 2.8 million Muslims in the UK (4.4% of the population), a figure which, it is anticipated, will almost double by 2030 making a possible total of 5.5 million (7.7% of the population). According to census statistics it is the second largest religion in the country. While many may be nominal Muslims not directly involved in terrorism, it is out of this corrupt womb that Satan brings forth those whom he uses to promote bloodshed and carnage in our land and elsewhere. Truly he is “the thief [who] cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy” (John 10:10).
An example of how this radical extremism is propagated in Britain is the Islamic book shop, Maktaban, in Birmingham. Its manager, Ahmed Faraz, was convicted in early 2012 on seven charges of distributing terrorist books. However, the Court of Appeal overturned his conviction in December, ruling
it was not enough to prove that Faraz sold terrorist books to terrorists; there had to be proof that the books had actually encouraged those terrorists to commit their crimes. It is worrying to think that the decision opens up the way for this man to continue selling evil works under the protection of “freedom of speech and expression”. One of these books, Milestones is said to be “a polemic in favour of the Jihadist movement encouraging violence to non-believers”; another, Defence of Muslim Lands includes “a discussion upon the justification for suicide operations in Chechnya”. Three books traced back to the shop were found in a bag left by suicide bomber Sidique Khan after he and three others carried out the fearful atrocity of 7 July 2005 in London, resulting in the deaths of 52 people and the bombers themselves.
With the all-pervasive threat of terrorism, our world is becoming an increasingly dangerous place. Followers of the false prophet are determined to persecute the true people of God and would overthrow them if they could. Britain continues to be vulnerable to these attacks and, sadly, as we depart from God we are further removing ourselves from His protection. But the Bible promises God’s people that, however powerful Satan and his agents are, “the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly” (Rom 16:20). The time is coming when God’s Word will be fulfilled: “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ: and He shall reign for ever and ever” (Rev 11:15). KHM
The Human Body
One of the many wonderful things about the human body is the number of chemical elements that compose it. There are 98 naturally-occurring elements on earth and of these more than 30 are commonly found in humans. Some of them serve no known purpose (for example, caesium and titanium), and others appear to be harmful in significant quantities (for example, cadmium and mercury), but so far 21 have been identified as necessary for life, or at least as playing an active role in maintaining health. For example, fluorine hardens dental enamel, but otherwise has no known function at present.
Among the elements which are essential in trace quantities are nickel, which occurs in the protein urease; manganese, which occurs in many enzymes; molybdenum, which is used in rather fewer enzymes; selenium, which is necessary for the functioning of the thyroid gland; and cobalt, which is found in Vitamin B12. Even our bodies are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Ps 139:14) and the evidence for this is becoming more abundant all the time. The refusal even to consider this evidence for our creation by God, and the fierce opposition to the teaching of creation in schools, is a sign of a foolish and evil nation ripening for judgement. DWBS
Same-Sex Marriage
The downward march towards same-sex marriage continued when a bill legalising it passed its second reading in the House of Commons – although a majority of Conservative MP’s voted against. Humanly speaking, it seems very likely that the Bill will become law. But nothing is impossible with God. Jesus said, “Verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith ” (Mark 11:23). Legislation to change marriage is indeed a mountain; God can remove it; but do God’s people today have the faith Jesus spoke about? Yet such faith is in God’s gift.
Church Information
Needs of Eastern Europe Mission
There is cause for thankfulness to the Most High that our Church’s gospel work in the Ukraine continues. A report by Rev Neil Ross of his visit last June to our congregation in Odessa appeared in the August issue of this Magazine, and full reports of the Church’s work in Eastern Europe in 2012-13 will, God willing, be presented to the Synod. Meantime, the purpose of this article is to emphasise the great need to remember our Eastern Europe mission in prayer, as well as to support it financially. In Odessa, our congregation is very small and contains few wage earners, and will therefore have to continue receiving financial support for the foreseeable future.
It is no small matter that, in the providence of the Lord, our Church has been able to spread the Word of God in lands which not so long ago were infested with Communism and where the Scriptures were classed along with pornographic literature. Now we are able to distribute Bibles and Bible-based literature more or less unhindered and, because we have willing workers in Odessa, this important work continues unabated. One theme in Deborah’s and Barak’s song of praise to the Lord was that the Children of Israel willingly offered themselves to the work of the Lord – to fight His battles (Jdg 5:2).
Furthermore, the fact that we now have, in Odessa, an excellent mission building, incorporating a church (which some of us at one time saw as a very distant prospect) is cause for deep thankfulness to the Lord – as is His raising up a man from there to study for the ministry of the gospel in the Free Presbyterian Church. These and other matters, not least the willingness of so many to take the mission and its needs to the throne of grace and to support it financially, are all reasons to bless the name of God.
It has always been regarded as a great favour from the Lord to the visible Church when He opens the way for places of Christian worship to be established in lands where idolatry was rife. It is no less a favour from the Lord when He opens a door in a land where Communism prevailed and intense persecution of Christians was common. An elderly member of the Odessa congregation recalled how under Communism he was persecuted for being a Jew and, when he became a Christian, was persecuted for being a Christian. We miss him from the congregation since he went to live with his son in a neighbouring country, because he is no longer able to look after himself.
It is important therefore that we continue to pray that God would maintain and even expand our mission in Eastern Europe. It is also important that we do our utmost, as the Lord may enable us, to support the work, looking to Him for the blessing, which He alone can command. “Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the Lord” (1 Chr 29:9). (Rev) D A Ross
Meetings of Presbytery (DV)
Northern: At Dingwall, on Tuesday, March 19, at 2 pm.
Southern: At Glasgow, on Tuesday, March 26, at 3 pm.
Committee Meetings
These meetings have had to be rescheduled to March 12. (Rev) J MacLeod
Jewish and Foreign Missions Fund
By appointment of Synod, the first of the year’s two special collections for the Jewish and Foreign Missions Fund is due to be taken in congregations during March. W Campbell, General Treasurer