Month: April 2025

History repeats / rhymes

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by Martin Scott
Posted in Prophetic Perspectives

There are various quotes about history repeating itself. Here are two such quotes:

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. (George Santayana).
Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. (Winston Churchill).

And Mark Twain added a nice little nuance:

History does not repeat itself, but it often rhymes.

Not sure where this post will go but here are a few background elements that provoked me to write this morning.

  • I have been agitated over the various ‘again’ messages these past few years. ‘Again’ that looks back is not based in the eschatological vision of the New Testament. ‘I press on’ was one of my readings this very morning. Hence my seeking to understand how to align (chronological) time with heaven’s (‘kairotic’) time.
  • Late 1990s / early 2000s a major emphasis was the rolling up of the Roman way which culminated in Steve Lowton initiating a walk from Whitby (UK, where the Celtic church effectively submitted to the pattern and teaching of Rome in 664 AD/CE) to St Peter’s Square, Rome to bring that focus to a conclusion.
  • The strong belief that the Gospel is not from this world but is for this world. It is not political in the sense of ‘capitalism vs socialism’, or any other such supposed polarities but is deeply and essentially political with the language used being both explicitly and implicitly political.
  • Jesus was offered to become the Caesar of the then Roman world – he was offered the oikoumene, the term that was used of the Imperial territory.
  • Paul’s great desire, and understanding of ‘the gospel to the nations and then the end shall come’ was that of the Gospel from Jerusalem to Spain.
  • And of course my understanding of the book that shapes us is that we do not have within it ‘history written in advance’ (popularised as ‘the bible predicts…’) but as a provocative call to shape the future through our actions, relationships, prayer in the power of the Spirit.

There are other aspects I might wish to add, but the above will give a something of a window into any bias I carry!

I do not find it a great surprise that in our historical setting we have conflict within the Western world currently, as the conflict area is over the ‘offer of the oikoumene‘ – the offer to shape the territory that can express the Roman order with a ‘God-order’. Hence I respect those who are writing about how Judeo-Christian values are what has shaped European / Western culture but the conclusive appeal is normally that we need to revert to Christendom. ‘My kingdom is not of this world….’ The sword does not belong in that kingdom but as Paul points out (with great irony) in Romans 13 to the world of Imperial authority. Today the Italian PM (Giorgia Meloni) heads to Washington to represent the EU… I am not suggesting this is sinister but I do read it as a sign. Will the West be held together as ‘Christianised’ or will there be a division that will allow space for the radical followers of Jesus who are to be like the wind to manifest? (I have said for decades that the strength of Islamic ‘sharia’ law is that of Christendom. The very thing that is thought needs to be brought in place to hold the ground is the very thing that tills the ground for all levels of terrorism.)

At this critical point of history, in the shift from the West to the East, we have much work to do if we are going to find an increase of pace in the right direction. Jesus died in Jerusalem so that the Gospel could go West and bring down the Roman order – surely it is significant that Paul’s Gospel is best outlined in some detail in the letter to the ‘Romans’? – but there is nothing in the NT about the work to the East. Unfinished work.

I am no great student of history but the shift from Republic to Empire in Rome seems to carry a lens through which we can see what is happening currently. Rome was effectively an Empire before it became an Empire, but the shift came in a defined way through Julius Caesar and solidified with Augustus (in power 27BC/BCE – 14AD/CE). Jesus appeared at the ‘fullness of times’ into that era, hence what was happening in the world at that time is highly significant.

Augustus… The early signs in his reign was of the Senate allowing him to bend the rules without pushing back; of he introducing unelected people (including those of his own family) into decision-making roles, and the move was made effective through the support of the ultra-rich of Rome. (A simplified summary but one that can be expanded on should one choose to read a history on Rome.)

Through his actions Rome became what it always was – an empire in disguise. Honour was given to the god of peace (Pax) with the phrase the Pax Romana being held up as something awesome, but visit Rome and you would have seen that the temple to Pax was built on Mars field (Mars the god of war).

History repeats / rhymes.

We are in this critical period. My prayer is ‘Europe do not concede’, or better… come on those of you born from above and act like the wind. No one really knowing where you came from, or where you are going but influencing the future through helping to hold a shape for all kinds of wholesome aspects to come through.

My reading this morning was in Philippians… a city that Rome had named as being Imperial. Those who lived there were to work to make sure that Rome’s values prevailed. Into that Paul wrote that their citizenship was in heaven (nothing to do with going to heaven when we die) and therefore in that context to ‘stand firm’ in a way that was consistent with those who were waiting for a Saviour to come from heaven to earth.

Many aspects are converging. Global crises. History rhymes. Fullness of times. West and East. Christendom or Jesus.

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No king… please, no king!

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by Martin Scott
Posted in Personal Perspectives

I am currently reading the desire of Israel for a king (1 Sam. 8), and clearly something so deeply disturbing going on. The request is so that they might become as one of the nations (ta ethne – the Gentiles) and that the king might go before them and fight their battles for them. Even if we removed ‘God’ from our world view the alternative to there being a monarch (or dictator) is an awesome vision. (I think there are some keys in the ‘meals’ of the New Testament where they take place at so many different levels – another post, another day.)

Jump forward to the NT and we have the ‘we have no king but Caesar’ proclamation in that first Easter week; on the cross is nailed ‘king of the Jews’; Paul seeks to release in city after city an ekklesia when there already was an ekklesia present there. The city ekklesia being more than a city council as it had more powers than any current council and was mandated to implement Roman values and Roman culture into the territory where it held jurisdiction. To suggest that the Gospel at heart is not political is surely to miss how Paul’s proclamation was heard – ‘these people are proclaiming another Caesar’!

I am deeply troubled by our global crisis and without something that arrests its direction we will in a few short years be living in a world that has a few kings that seek to subjugate other lands.

Europe. Those who have been touched by heaven’s grace within this continent. I guess for some 25+ years many of us have been calling for something fresh in Europe, for something to appear that knows that we can learn a lot from the past but that the past cannot shape us as we move forward. I am deeply grateful for the advancements of the Gospel within this continent in the past, but we also need to understand that those were contextualised. The Reformation was not the final word! Theology and practice has to be revised; what it means to be Christian community and what it means to be community likewise has to be revisited.

We do not need a king; truth is no country needs a king / dictator, the result of such a move will only be oppression and we should not be surprised when such a person exhibits demonic behaviour… the story of Saul. We should not look (in the body of Christ) to where there are great claims of success (though there is much we have to learn). What can we do? Where will we go?

The history books will tell us what we chose when we look back post-2040. I sincerely hope that it will not be a few political voices that seek to call for a new order within Europe. Let the body of Christ in Europe stop following the kings we anoint (when we do we come under that ‘anointing’) and be brave enough to dream, pray, and eat our meals that demonstrate the Roman way has indeed been rolled up.

The future of the globe as is means that Europe will be sidelined. The globe will be carved up 3-way and those who centre on technology will at some levels transcend the carve-up. On both counts Europe will be sidelined and become irrelevant. Seems like a wonderful context for those who want to live out their lives for something this world needs.

Not a king to be like the other nations; but let us move away from our dictators (king) and learn from Europe where the old way of dividing people has diminished. I do see a ‘new Europe’.

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Release unto us Cain

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by Martin Scott
Posted in Theology

Well they actually asked for Barabbas but there is a strong narratival echo in the story that pushes us back to think about Cain and Abel.

Although I am not one who follows the ‘church’ calendar I am aware that the two festivals of Christmas and Easter come round every year (don’t think I will earn any brownie points for that!). I have posted, in a previous ‘holy week’ about the contrast of Pilate’s entry to Jerusalem with full military show each year and Jesus’ entry on a donkey (thanks to Crossan and Borg). I don’t know if others see the parallel between Jesus and Barabbas and Cain and Abel but I do believe there is a deliberate echoing in the biblical narrative.

In some manuscripts (for Matthew’s Gospel) we have the name ‘Jesus’ added to Barabbas – original or not it seemingly underlies that there are 2 possible ‘Jesus-es’ we can choose to follow, and if we tie it to John 19 Pilate is persuaded that he cannot release Jesus the Messiah and continue to be a friend of Caesar. So here we have yet another time when the Imperial aspect comes through again in the Gospels, and for sure it is there with Pilate describing Jesus as ‘the king of the Jews’ (cynical or otherwise).

Cain and Abel. Two brothers, two sons of the same father. Jesus and Barabbas, two sons of the father (the meaning of Barabbas is son of the father). Do they have the same father? One in submission to the Father, one not dealing with ‘sin that crouches at the door’ and thus being controlled by it (Gen. 4:7).

Abel’s blood crying out for a justice that punishes, God hearing the ‘blood’ but in spite of his own law that there was to be the death penalty for those who murdered he covered Cain; there is no reciprocal penalty. Redemption does not demand payment; redemption is not even as the result of someone else being punished; redemption offers forgiveness for a sin that there is no sacrifice to cover (‘You shall not pollute the land in which you live, for blood pollutes the land, and no expiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed in it, except by the blood of the one who shed it.’ (Num. 35:33)) . In the light of our choice Barabbas goes free; in the light of our God Barabbas goes free. The Gospel’s real offence is not in who is excluded but with respect to who is included.

How strong is that prayer for forgiveness for ‘them’ (us) who have no idea what we are doing!

I ponder many times as to the cosmic significance of what unfolded in that first Easter week. I don’t think I will ever get it because I still have a ‘god’ that is too much in my image. Little wonder Paul in summarising ‘sin’ says it is to fall short of the glory of God. Glory is revealed in the cross with a wonderful invitation to enter new life the other side. An invitation that extends to Barabbas, Cain and to Martin. For that I am very grateful for the reminder.

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This time next year

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by Martin Scott
Posted in Prophetic Perspectives

During Passover for the Jews of the Diaspora there would be a toast ‘next year Jerusalem’. What about us in a year’s time? Tough decisions are made by politicians and from the arm chair they can be easy to critique. My focus (and not necessarily one for everyone) is of a new Europe that might point a way toward the future. We await a Saviour from heaven (not we wait to go to heaven!) and not till then will there be the end of death, destruction, sin etc; not till then will the powers (sin, death and mammon?) be finally defeated but as we align ourselves with that eschaton we pray, work and hope (give an answer for the hope that is in you) for manifestations in the here and now of what will take place universally then. I don’t think I am being melodramatic to suggest that we are seeing an increase in pace of a new global matrix.

Around 2 years ago I was praying, looking at a map of the world and suddenly the American southern hemisphere (what we term ‘Latin America’) moved eastward and was located under Europe replacing where Africa is currently, and at the same time the African continent moved east and relocated under China. India did not move. All three aspects struck me and I suspect that in some way we are about to see re-alignments play out over the next – who knows – 2-3 years.

There is a move to the East with some kind of new world order coming into play. All the attempts to ‘go back’ or to redefine our futures simply along the ‘Christianity got us here’ so we must resist all change does not carry the weight to bring in a good future… reason being is it is more dependent on Christianity than on Christ.

Understanding ‘trade wars’ is beyond me, but for sure trade is no small theme in Scripture so I am not surprised that for now conflict over trade is central.

So what are you looking for? We have got to see way beyond ‘my investments are decreasing’. Please!!! John said he ‘saw a new heaven and a new earth’; Martin Luther King said ‘I have a dream’. Both spoke into situations that were not looking too promising. One locked up on the Island of Patmos; the other soon to be assassinated. But eyes that saw. The powers were not in agreement with them – how things were was going to be what was maintained… but those two saw.

As those Jews outside the land raised their glass at Passover with ‘Next year Jerusalem’ we are about to come to our ‘Passover’ where we focus on proclaiming his death (victory over all powers that resist the future) until he comes.

The hope that is within me is so key. Not a hope that is outside but within, that cannot be squashed.

This is why I am focusing on ‘reconciliation’ in every aspect of life. And if we focus on life for sure Jesus will be present at some level. His death is probably better understood from the ‘other side’ – it is a presentation of a perfect human life to heaven… representative life, for me, for you, for the world.

In this time of global flux and resultant change we learn not to simply hold on to what has brought us thus far (and probably served us well) but to embrace uncertainty of what we hold / held firm to (what not who). I know since the beginning of this year Gayle and I have been raising many issues as we know transition is here. ‘Next year…’ might be a change of location, maybe not, but each year we proclaim ‘next year more of the kingdom of heaven’ not a greater meeting but greater shalom in our streets.

Seek the shalom of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its shalom you will find your shalom.

Next year then is not ‘next year Jerusalem’ but ‘next year here’.

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A Kingdom of Heaven for Victims

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by Simon Swift
Posted in Justice

Simon Swift’s latest guest post. A bit of heaven here, and in the wider scheme a challenge to any views as to the value of ‘good’. If we leave ‘final destinies’ to God we can then get on with, endorse, support all genuinely good works… and surely they are kingdom activities. Simon lets the article speak for itself.

Last night I was at an event celebrating ten years of a local charity: *WORTH, helping Women On the Road To Healing. They provide help to women who are recovering from being in an abusive relationship. We heard stories from victims of abuse who are being helped by this charity. They where stories both harrowing and inspiring as we heard their journey to recovery and healing. Interestingly the methods used to help them in the process were all creative ones. Things like gardening and flower arranging, nature and mindfulness, writing including poetry and reflection, painting and creative crafts, and dance. All enabling the women to find self expression.

It’s not surprising that the woman who started it all is a christian, because what she is doing for these women is bring down a little bit of heaven to earth. Helping to plant a seed into women who lost their self worth and even their identity in an abusive and controlling relationship. By creatively giving them a sense of self worth and identity, they begin to recover, getting their life back and a hope for the future.

At the heart of abuse is control. It can be found anywhere, not just in marriage, relationships and family, but in the work place, in religions and other institutions including governments. At its worse, it strips the victims of their identity and they loose their self worth because they are often blamed for all the abuse they receive; it’s always the victims fault.

When a victim of such an abusive situation escapes, they need to recover from the trauma of they experience. They need to be able to leave it behind and start to find a new life. That is where charities like WORTH can help. Using creativity to give them a vehicle to rediscover their own self expression. Creativity helps to develop their own sense of identity and value which gives them hope.

For me I see that this charity is bringing down heaven to earth whether they realise that or not. Perhaps we can even go as far as to say that this charity expresses, in action, the beatitudes of Jesus.

There is a place in this world for our faith because it should be our lived out expression of the kingdom of heaven. The world tries to convinces us that our faith is only to be expressed in private, behind closed doors. But that is a lie. Our faith is about freedom. Living out our hope expressed in our daily lives as love. Faith that takes delight in seeing life grow in both our selves and in others, and in doing so we discover we are partnering with the one who is love.

*If you want to know more about WORTH and what they do, here is their web site: https://www.worth-charity.co.uk/

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The clock never lies

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by Martin Scott
Posted in Updates

In Europe this past weekend the clocks were advanced an hour… personally I like the artificial time with lighter evenings ahead, and in Spain we are actually 2 hours ahead of solar time due to small aspect of Spain being aligned to a certain dictator in Germany’s past! Not a good reason but the outcome sits well with me!

For the past 2 years I have been seeking to understand the relationship of the clock that never lies, tick tock, what we can call chronological time, and the timings of heaven when there is an inbreaking – what we might term ‘kairotic’ time (made up word). Time and space are related both scientifically and also biblically, so I am aware that those two elements – boundaries and time – will always be under threat. And right now they are seriously being threatened at a global scale. Compounded by voices that call for a return to ‘Christian’ values, so often meaning back to christendom, rather than a return to Christ. We do not need nor desire a return to Christianity but a return to Jesus, with many of needing a new birth experience in order to perceive the kingdom.

We see issues of timing in the encounter at the wedding (John 2) with Jesus seemingly needing to adjust his view about it being his hour; we have the classic regarding the Isacchar clan who understood the times (kairos in the LXX) and what Israel should do; we read that Jesus came in the fullness of time…

Without some kind of shift and alignment of the clock / calendar to heaven’s agenda we are into a protracted season of conflict and darkness. We might be headed there anyway, but if there can be an alignment we will get through this time. All goes to say I plan to put out a video in the next days that might take this further – and with all the wisdom I have(!!!!) what more do we need? (Please no answers to that as I am only too aware that my middle name is not ‘wisdom’… but if we all have a little bit of sight we might just see a little more than we did yesterday – maybe).

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