Many scenes in my book “The Kingdom, Here Be Dragons, Here Be Dreams” take place in the Kingdom of God. What is the Kingdom of God? It’s hard to explain because the Kingdom is both personal and all-encompassing. It’s not about church – although church can be part of it. This short whiteboard explanation is worth watching.
How essential is it for a nation to know their identity, their DNA, who they are and what they stand for? What have we been taught about our origins from the academic and scientific establishment?
God says “my people perish for lack of knowledge”, Hosea 4:6. It’s followed by a solemn warning about the consequences of rejecting knowledge. Again, he says “people without knowledge will come to ruin.” In Proverbs he urges us “Whatever you do, get knowledge, get wisdom.”
I’ve just finished reading for the second time a book “After the Flood” by Bill Cooper, an English historian. This book shows how European history can be traced right back to the flood and the descendants of Japheth, the son of Noah, through contemporary accounts and the table of nations.
The third chapter opens with a quotation from Nennius, a Welsh monk from the 9th Century; “I Nennius, pupil of the holy Elvodug, have undertaken to write down some extracts that the stupidity of the British cast out; for the scholars of the Island of Britain had no skill … I have therefore made a heap of all that I have found …”‘
Bill Cooper suggested the word Nennius used for stupidity would have been better translated as “complacency” or “lethargy,” the mood of the Britons that followed in the wake of the massacre of the monks at Bangor.
You see, their knowledge had been taken away from them.
“The profound cultural shock of seeing their finest scholars and spiritual leaders massacred by supposedly fellow Christians at the instigation of a Roman Bishop no less, would have left a very deep wound indeed, and it is this state of mind amongst the British or Welsh that Nennius laments and which lead to the neglect and loss of many records and books.”
Christianity was already established in Britain before Rome arrived. “That Christianity was firmly established in even remote parts of Britain at the close of the second century is shown by Tertullian stating “the Britons in parts inaccessible to the Romans, Christ has truly subdued.”
British Bishops attended the Council of Arles in 314AD, before the Roman Catholic church was formed. When Augustine went to Britain in 601AD as a representative of Rome, he could not get them to convert. The Welsh already had the true faith, given to them by the early church, and they did not need any new innovations from Rome.
When the monks refused to accept the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church, he instigated the Saxon army to attack the monastery at Bangor-is-y-coed, killing 1200 monks and scholars.
Much was lost, including the history of the early British kings. To regain what was lost, I recommend you read the book “After the Flood.”
And now here we are at the end of the age. Has Britain abandoned its Christian heritage? Is Britain again in the grip of a culture shock following political correctness and imposed multiculturalism, with the resultant Islamic attacks in its cities?
Did you know that in World War 2 the nation, led by its King, prayed? When Britain stood on the brink of invasion, with 330,000 men trapped on the beach at Dunkirk, King George VI called for an unprecedented week of prayer. Throughout the country, people prayed on 26 May 1940 for a miraculous delivery.
May 29 was the day of the evacuation of Dunkirk. We know what happened. On the 28 May a storm of unprecedented fury grounded the German Luftwaffe – while the English channel became as still as a millpond, despite the storm in Flanders, enabling a vast armada of little ships, big ships, warships, privately owned motor-cruisers from British rivers and estuaries – in fact, almost anything that would float – to get the men off the beach.
The Queen has the title “Defender of the Faith.” Does she defend it? In 2014 she gave into political correctness, signing into law same-sex marriage, a law that the nation never gave the government a mandate for. Following that, Britain had a series of storms that were described by the British prime minister as “biblical.”
The flooded crypt at Winchester Cathedral, 2014
Who is going to the defend the faith now? British people, you do have a King … the same King as the Polish people.
Here is Poland the following year. In November of 2015 Poland marched in the streets and took a stand for Christianity. They declared boldly to the world “here, Jesus Christ is our King!” It was the biggest march in Poland’s history. The media were silent.
Is it time for the spirit of the nations to rise, to go to war again through intercessory prayer?
John R. Mott, Nobel Peace Prize winner, said “The Church has not yet touched the fringe of the possibilities of intercessory prayer. Her largest victories will be witnessed when individual Christians everywhere come to recognize their priesthood unto God and day by day give themselves unto prayer.”
Britain, as the sun sets in the west, may you remember who you are.
Link
Battles in the spiritual realm
Massacre at Bangor
After the Flood
Nennius and the Table of European Nations
Recently I attended a party in a beautiful spot near Leigh, a fishing village further up the coast. While we were all mingling and enjoying the view, I was asked about my book. “What’s it about?”
Er, um. “It’s about a journey through two worlds – the outside world, and a hidden, inner world called “The Kingdom.” The main character, the King, is Jesus.”
I study my listeners face as I try to explain my counter-cultural book. I’m relieved to see she hasn’t shown any antagonism at His name. I never know what kind of reaction I’m going to get.
“Are you religious?” she asks.
That’s a tricky question. To me, religion is a lot of man-made rules and structures in man’s attempt to reach God, which doesn’t interest me. Jesus is different. He is God’s attempt to reach man. Jesus said “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.” With Jesus there are only two rules – to love God with all our heart and all our soul and all our strength and with all our mind, and love others as we love ourselves. I believe and try to live by those rules.
“I am a believer” I answer.
“Where is your book sold?” she asked.
“Right now, as an eBook on Amazon. It’s a bit hard to market the book because Jesus lacks credibility in the world’s eyes. And my book doesn’t fit in a niche.”
How can I promote the King in a world full of disinformation and lies?
It’s a shame because I know Him from experience, but it’s MY experience. How can I convince people He is real? Or of His worth? Or talk about all the proof there is for Him? I can’t offer any of that unless I have permission to. And a party is not the place.
“I’ll check it out” she said.
I am surprised. I think people can be more open-minded than I give them credit or.
Nicola was one such reader. She wrote “I didn’t expect God to play such a huge role in the book or for there to be quite as many bible quotes, I am ashamed to admit if I had read the info sent to me better I wouldn’t have read the book. That being said I am grateful if misread my info as I would have missed out on a truly original book.”
Willing to overcome her bias and consider new ideas; she kept reading and found she liked my main character; “I really liked that God was a real character in this story and I think he would be very happy at the way he was portrayed, we saw things from Joanna’s view and also from God’s.
Lucifer was also portrayed, his voice at least. I liked the way that Lucifer was portrayed, not as his cloven, evil personal as he usually is, in fact I found him quite funny the way he heckles, scoffs and laughs, all the while whispering in Joanna’s ear how God doesn’t love her, how she doesn’t deserve his love. His role is to put doubt in people’s minds, convince them they are not good enough, not liked etc… etc… I found him more believable than the fire and brimstone totally evil role he usually plays, in this I found him more real his turning people from God by deceit.
God on the other hand is constantly assuring Joanna and others of his love for them, that he has always loved them and always will, and his sadness at those who turn their backs on him. I felt he was a very human God who had all of our good points amplified and more, with none of our bad.”
So I am seeking open-minded readers for “The Kingdom, Here Be Dragons, Here Be Dreams.” Come and read a one of a kind book where God actually replies and converses with the characters. At some points you can even see the story from His perspective. This story is written with a different mind.
Can we understand something of the mind of God? I hope you will read and decide for yourself.
Shortly after my last post where I asked “Who wants to live forever?” my mother passed away. For most of her life she grappled with the highs and lows of bipolar disease. She’s free of her demons at last.
My memories of her when she was bipolar aren’t good, but in between times she had a happy, sunny nature. And that’s how I want to remember her.
I’ve made a youtube video of the powerpoint I prepared for the funeral, showing scenes from her life, which I and my family feature in.
It’s here if you want to see it. The music is “Who am I?” by Casting Crowns.
It brings to mind the scripture that God has compassion on us mortals – who are here today and gone tomorrow, just like the grass and flowers. That’s why Jesus wept at the grief of Lazarus’s sisters.
“As a father has compassion on his children
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.
The life of mortals is like grass,
they flourish like a flower of the field;
the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.
But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children’s children—with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.
The Lord has established his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom rules over all.” Psalm 103:13-19
I wasn’t sure of how things were with her and God. He gave me a story to tell her on the last occasion she had a serious heart attack, which I wrote here.
God gave us a sign that she’d gone to be with him. Seven is the number of rest, and she’d entered his rest, dying at 7pm on the 7th day of the 7th month, aged 77.
He explains about that rest in Hebrews 4;
There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest … Hebrews 4:9
I recommend reading the whole passage from Hebrews 4:1-11.
So now I know what can go on my mother’s headstone; “At rest.” Two simple words that say so much.
When Jesus wanted to communicate truth, he used stories and said it was “for those who had ears.” How many of us are deaf to God because of unbelief? It shuts us down because we can’t believe God would want to have a real conversation with us. And when we do, we don’t always hear in the same manner – or we doubt what we’re hearing. We’ll trot out our objections with “Yes, but …”
We have to test the spirits. Because Lucifer can pretend to be an angel of light. He is completely deceptive. Don’t go near him.
My spiritual hearing wasn’t that great. That’s why I constructed my story, so I could keep a record of the things that God told me and check it against the Bible. God became the main character in “The Kingdom” through me doing that!
My husband hears God’s voice differently from me and wants to hear from him better. He’s a bit goofy at times, as you can see with these ‘ears.’
We spend our day solving technical problems on computers and computer networks. He has to think on his feet. Sometimes he arrives at an answer so quickly I go “How did you get that?”
He doesn’t know whether his decision speed is from his thought processes or God’s voice.
Early one morning he was thinking about the day ahead. “God, the other day I asked you about my decision speed getting in the way. Is it my thought processes, or is it you? I never heard an answer. So what is it?” he asked.
“John 3″ was the instantaneous reply. In John 3, Jesus was explaining to a religious ruler what people have to do to see the Kingdom of God. The verses that spoke the most to my husband were 3:8 and 3:29.
“8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
The same month I watched kite surfers on the beach at the end of my street, as they were borne along by invisible wind currents. It was on a hot Sunday afternoon a couple of weeks ago. I didn’t even notice the breeze but they were finding it offshore. It was a beautiful sight to see them glide across the water.
So it is with us when we are born of the Spirit and are able to hear God, the Holy Spirit’s voice. When we realise we can hear him, we can actually hear God, it brings joy – and hope. Our morale and spirits soar.
If we hope in the LORD we will renew our strength. We will soar on wings like eagles; we will run and not grow weary, we will walk and not be faint.
That’s a promise from Isaiah 40:31.
Snells Beach, Feb 2016. This is my picture which you are free to use.
The other verse that spoke to my husband, verse 29, was where John the Baptist, the cousin of Jesus exalts the King. John is comparing himself as the best man at Christ’s wedding. 29″ The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.”
I can’t find a picture for that – but look at the joy this dog is showing to hear his master’s voice. It sums it up for me.
My book “The Kingdom, Here Be Dragons, Here Be Dreams” starts with my great-great grandmother Anna, a deaf woman who lost her hearing soon after her arrival in New Zealand in 1875. Anna spoke German and never did learn English.
Her hearing and language difficulties must have impeded her relationship with others, and NZ would have been a horrible country for a German to be in during World War 1 in 1914-18. She would have gone through that period with the mute button on.
How many of us go through our spiritual journey with God with the mute button pressed? Not because we’re in hostile territory – but from a lack of belief. I mean how many of us believe we can have a back and forth conversation with God?
I’ve recently finished reading a book at the moment by Mark Holloway called “The Freedom Diaries, God Speaks Back.” It’s true. He does. I learned that for myself on the 2nd Jan 1994. That was the day my life changed.
When God first started talking to me, I wasn’t on “the right path.” Some people who knew my situation doubted I could hear God. They believed I had to “get right with God” before hearing him like I was doing. Some couldn’t hear him for themselves and believed it was just wishful thinking on my part.
Doubt can creep in after he speaks. Did God really say that? Listening to them made me question things. Why would God speak to me when I wasn’t right with Him?
God likens his word as seed for the sower (Isaiah 55:10-11). He said it shall not return to Him void.
But the birds can scoop up the seed. Jesus told a story in Matthew 13:3 of a farmer who went out to sow his seed. “As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.” He explained that “when anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path.” Matthew 13:19.
The birds are often a symbol for demonic forces. Jesus likened the mustard tree which grew from the smallest seed planted in the field to the Kingdom of Heaven, or Kingdom of God. And the birds come and nest in it’s branches. (Matthew 13:31).
How could I stop the birds from snatching my seed? God headed that one off by inspiring me to write down the message about the Kingdom. He inspired me to write about a King, a Princess and a Kingdom, and to record the conversations the Princess had with the King.
So I created a world where it was safe for me to hear him, and the King started guiding “the Princess.” Wonder of wonders, when I was writing in my epic journal I could hear Him. God became a real character in my story. He actually replied and conversed with me. At some points we even see the story from His perspective.
Within a year of writing about “The Kingdom”, my life began to change and eventually the things the Princess heard “in the Kingdom” started to happen in real life.
I invite you to come and read what happened. If you contact me I’ll offer the eBook free for a review.
Are you interested in hearing from God yourself? Here’s a helpful sermon by Pastor David Wilkerson of Ttimes Square Church, Hearing and Knowing the Voice of the Lord.
I wish you all a very happy Christmas.
