When The Nation Prayed

The Providential Hand of God in the Second World War

Dunkirk 1940

May 27th, The German High Command announced: "The British army is encircled and our troops are proceeding to its annihilation."

Churchill said: "I thought - and some good judges agreed with me - that perhaps 20,000 or 30,000 men might be re-embarked. …The whole root and core and brain of the British army … seemed about to perish upon the field or to be led into captivity."

But, the previous day, Sunday, May 26th, at the request of His Majesty King George VI, was observed as a National Day of Prayer. In a stirring broadcast, the King called the people of Britain and the Empire to commit their cause to God. The whole nation was at prayer. Three miracles then happened:

• Hitler stopped his general advance.
• A storm of extraordinary fury grounded the German Air Force on May 28th.
• A great calm settled over the English Channel for several days.

335,000 men of the British army were evacuated from Dunkirk!

The Battle of Britain - another miracle

Hitler did not follow on after Dunkirk to cross the Channel and invade Britain, whose army had lost all its weapons. He continued to hesitate all through June 1940, giving Britain a breathing space. Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding, Commander-in-Chief of Fighter Command, was asked: "What are your plans for defeating an overwhelming number of the German Air Force?" He replied: "I believe in God. And then there is radar."

Field Marshal Goering told his Air Commander that the way ahead for launching an invasion was to destroy the Royal Air Force.

On August 30th, 800 enemy aircraft darkened the skies of Southern England, flying in to put key airfields out of action. By September 6th, Fighter Command was in serious trouble. Aircraft and pilots were being lost at a rate far in excess of replacements. Defeat in the air appeared inevitable, and this would open the way to invasion.

Hitler suddenly ordered the Luftwaffe to switch its attack to London, and this saved Fighter Command. For the Germans it was a catastrophic blunder. Fighter Command built up its strength. Dowding later said: "By mid to late September, we were all right for aircraft. I think it was because we had faith."

The King, as if gifted with some foreknowledge, has expressed the wish that Sunday September 8th, should be fixed as a National Day of Prayer. There was a tremendous response. At a crowded service in Westminster Abbey, the final prayer began: "Remember, O God for good, these watchmen, who by day and night climb into the air. Let thy hand lead them, we beseech thee, and thy right hand hold them."

Germany had massed barges in ports from Ostend to Le Havre, sufficient to carry 50,000 men and much of their equipment. But by September 10th, the RAF had still not been destroyed and abnormally bad weather for the time of year caused Hitler to postpone his invasion plans.

Douglas Bader, DFC, later said: "The 15th September 1940 was the day that the battle was won. It was a Sunday." By the time Sunday worshippers were leaving their churches, the routed German air armada was in full flight. In the afternoon, Air Vice-Marshal Keith Park commanding 11 Group was asked what fighter reserves were available. Park replied: "There are none." Ten minutes later, the action ended. The Germans had cracked. The miracle had happened.

On September 17th, a tele-type message clacked out from the German Supreme Command postponing the invasion of Britain, "until further notice."

Malta

There were later divine overrulings in the Mediterranean, the outstanding example being Malta, which lay in the path of Italy’s vital supply lines to North Africa. With the fall of France and the entry of Italy into the war, Malta was hemmed in by enemy powers.

The island was virtually unarmed, having only 16 anti-aircraft guns and 4 Fleet Air Arm Gloster Gladiators in crates in store!

General Dobbie was appointed as Governor of Malta. He was a Christian, a man of faith who testified to the power of prayer. He issued an Order of the Day to the garrison which included the following: "I know that the courage and determination of all ranks will not falter, and that with God’s help we will maintain the security of the fortress."

General Ironside sent General Dobbie a personal telegram containing the Bible reference, Deuteronomy Ch 3:22. Looking up the text, Dobbie read:" Ye shall not fear them, for the Lord your God, he shall fight for you."

Miracles Followed One Another During the Two Following Years

Remarkably, Italy did not attempt invasion. God sustained all on the island through the devastating 2,000 aerial bombardments. Remarkably, the German General Rommel, on arrival in the Western desert in 1941, did not invade either, in spite of the island hindering his supply route. Brigadier Desmond Young noted later that the Germans were strangely blind in failing to see until it was too late that the key to all supply problems and indeed the key to the control of the Mediterranean, was the capture of Malta.

Rommel later wrote in his official ‘Papers’: "It had actually been intended that Malta should be taken by Italian and German parachute landing forces early in 1942 … but for some unaccountable reason our High Command abandoned the scheme." Surely this was a sign of the restraining hand of God resting on the German High Command.

At the end of April 1942, Brigadier Young recorded Hitler gave permission for a surprise attack on Malta - Operation Hercules. It was twice put off and finally postponed "until after the conquest of Egypt", which never happened.

General Dobbie later wrote: "The very fact that in spite of all her disadvantages, Malta has remained in British hands … that surely is a miracle which cannot be gainsaid. It is God who works such miracles."

At the Gate of Cairo

After the fall of Tobruk, the Eighth Army was in full retreat, reaching the El Alamein line of defence on Monday 29th June 1942. Rommel’s army came up to it next day. Alexandria was only 65 miles away. The German radio boasted that Rommel and the Afrika Korps would sleep in Alexandria on Saturday night. Suddenly the advance stopped, the panzer divisions rolled westward. This sudden receding of the tide remains a mystery. Rommel, in his ‘papers’ said "Our strength failed in front of El Alamein."

The Turning of the Tide

Two dedicated Christian men were appointed to the most responsible  position in the Middle East on August 15th 1942, Field Marshal Alexander as Commander-in-Chief and General Montgomery as Commander of the Eighth Army.

On September 3rd, according to the wish of King George Vl, there was held another National Day of Prayer. People flocked to the churches all over Britain.

On October 23rd, Montgomery issued this Order of the Day to the Eighth Army:"Let us pray that the Lord, mighty in battle, will give us the victory."

A succession of remarkable occurrences followed. When the attack on the German Forces was opened, Rommel was in Germany, sick for the first in his life. General Stumme, appointed to take his place, died of a heart attack next day, leaving the German High Command structure in a hopeless state of confusion. At the same time  Rommel’s Chief of Staff was actually on leave. And, due to faulty intelligence, the Afrika Korps was completely off its guard when the bombardment began. Then, too, Montgomery’s tremendous pre-offensive build up had remained completely hidden from the Germans, although it included the movement of 900 tanks. Finally, the German Military Attache` in Rome, responsible for ensuring that supplies of petrol reached the Afrika Korps, had been on leave and was unable to give sufficient attention to the problem.

By the time Rommel arrived back at his headquarters in North Africa on October 25th, the battle was already lost. As his General Cramer said: "Alamein was lost before it was fought. We didn’t have the petrol." Surely none of these things could have been due to coincidence.

Said Churchill afterwards, concerning the Battle of Alamein: "Before Alamein we never had a victory. After Alamein we never had a defeat."

A Bumper Harvest

During 1942, shipping normally used to bring food to these shores from overseas, was urgently required for carrying men and munitions. Yet Britain had to be fed. A supreme effort was made by British agriculture and a degree of co-operation and united labour was achieved as never before in our history. Added to this were the prayers of innumerable people that God would bless their efforts.

There was a bumper harvest! It had become apparent to R.S. Hudson, the Minister of Agriculture, that God had been with us, for in a postscript to the BBC Nine O’Clock News on Old Michaelmas Night 1942, he said: "But this also I would say to you, in humility and seriousness. Much hard work and technical skill have played their part in these mighty yields, amongst the richest of all time. But I believe that we have a higher Power to thank as well, and from the depths of our hearts. Some Power has wrought a miracle in the English harvest fields this summer, for in this, our year of greatest need, the land has given us bread in greater abundance than we have ever known before."

D-Day 1944 - The Deliverance of a Continent

The task was a huge one. A massive instrument was needed and God had been preparing it and the men to lead it. King George Vl, General Montgomery, Admiral Cunningham, Admiral Tovey, General Sir Miles Dempsey (Commander of the British Second Army in the invasion of Europe and General Eisenhower (the Supreme Commander) - all these had a declared testimony of their faith in Almighty God.

There was also the preparation of the forces about to be involved in the coming invasion. The Deputy Chaplain-General, Canon Llewellyn Hughes, said: "The consecration of our armies has not been a last-minute effort. We were asked, and strongly asked, to make our men as Christian as we could, to preach the Word of Christ faithfully because it is true; to bring men to God that He might make them good. Most of the men are not regular churchgoing men but they are God-going men, and they have their picture of the King of Kings in the sanctuary of their hearts. And when General Eisenhower and General Montgomery in their final Orders of the Day asked us all to pray that God would prosper us, that prayer went up, and went up from honest hearts, freely and fully convinced that the business in hand was a liberation according to the will of God."

The Decision When to Invade

The Supreme Commander, his Commander-in-Chief and their Chiefs of Staff met at 4 a.m. on Monday June 5th for "the final and irrevocable decision". Messages went to all the vast forces concerned: the invasion of France would start on the morning of the next day. General Eisenhower gave testimony to the effect that this had on him, when he was speaking in Abilene, Kansas, his home town, on June 4th 1952 (‘Time’ magazine, June 16th 1952). "This day eight years ago, I made the most agonising decision of my life. I had to decide to postpone by at least 24 hours the most formidable array of fighting ships and of fighting men that was ever launched across the sea against a hostile shore. The consequences of that decision at that moment could not have been foreseen by anyone. If there was nothing else in my life to prove the existence of an Almighty and Merciful God, the events of the next 24 hours did it. The greatest break in a terrible outlay of weather occurred the next day and allowed the great invasion to proceed, with losses far below those we had anticipated."

V.E. Day 1945

The Rev. David E. Gardner, in his book ’The Trumpet Sounds for Britain’, Vol.2  (Christian Foundation Publications), from which the preceding material has been drawn (used by permission), writes: "I well remember V.E. Day. London was rejoicing. The Royal Family, the Prime Minister, the Service Chiefs and members of the Cabinet, all appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace before a joyful and tumultuous throng. It was a proud moment in our history. The Service Chiefs came to the microphone in turn, made short speeches, and paid tribute to the part which their respective arm of the Services had played in bringing about this great victory. The Prime Minister spoke - the one who had always been conscious of that overruling providence, that guiding, guardian hand. He must have come straight from the Thanksgiving Service in St. Margaret’s Westminster. His Majesty King George Vl then stepped quietly to the microphone. I can still hear his voice today, as he said with great emphasis: "We give thanks to Almighty God for the victory he has granted us in Europe." 

Written by Tremore Christian Fellowship, Tremore Manor, Bodmin.

Trust God with your life

Duan was stranded! It was the middle of winter and the engine of the bus had just given up its battle with the cold. He had been travelling south and was now stuck somewhere in the Chinese province of Henan. Duan was a pastor in northern China. He was now 77 years old and he still had no home to call his own. He prayed for guidance as to what to do next. The sun had already set so he trudged off in the darkness through fields covered with snow. As he walked his mind reflected on his long life as a Christian and the things he had experienced. He thought of his dear wife who had died long ago and then after a while a picture of their little son whom they lost floated into his tired mind.

Finally after what seemed like ages, Duan arrived at the next village. Again praying for guidance, he suddenly noticed a house with a little cross notched on the doorpost. Duan knocked on the door and was warmly welcomed by a Christian family. They were all very excited, because that  evening they were travelling to a neighbouring town to hear a dynamic Bible teacher  called brother Wang from one of the big cities. They asked Duan to accompany them.

On their way to the meeting the family told him all about brother Wang.  Duan then asked "How old is he?" When they told him that he was in his early forties, Duan commented "I once had a son. I knew him for only 2 months. Now he's dead, but had he lived he would have been 42 by now. We called him Isaac because like Abraham and Sarah we had despaired of ever having a child." The family listened intently as Duan revealed to them an amazing story.  "After ten years of marriage and many prayers, along he came just like we were Abraham and Sarah in the Book of Genesis!"

"My wife and I were evangelists in the 1950's and were often in danger of arrest by the communist authorities. An old school bully of mine called Wu kept accusing us of imperialism. When our son was born we became worried. What would happen to him if we were both killed or imprisoned. We were terrified for our new born child."

"One night something supernatural happened. My wife heard a Voice in a vision that said, "Give your son to your enemy." She said nothing about it to me, but the following day I happened to be reading   Genesis ch 22.  When I came to verse 2 ‘get Isaac your only son, the one whom you dearly love and sacrifice him to Me', I felt God say that there was something vital we needed to do with our son. I then shared this strong conviction with my wife who in turn told me about the vision she had been given the night before.  Knowing that the story of Isaac ended happily {foreshadowing that God Himself would sacrifice His own Son for us on the Cross}  and  knowing too  that God foreknows the future, we  obeyed and  offered our son to Wu and his wife who were childless."

"A few days later both of us were arrested on groundless charges and I was sentenced to life in prison. When I finally managed to get out of jail in 1978 I  was informed  by the authorities that  Wu, his  entire family and my son  had been  killed in an earthquake in 1975." The family listened in stunned silence, little realising that the events of the evening were about to become even more dramatic.

They finally arrived at the crowded church. When brother Wang began to speak Duan got a terrible shock.  It was like hearing himself preaching.  Even the preacher's phrases were similar and the physical resemblance was uncanny. Duan stood up to see better. Wang noticed him standing and after a moment stopped  talking. There was a minute of silence as both men looked at each other over the heads of the congregation. Finally Duan began to apologise "I am sorry brother for interrupting your excellent message. You see I had a son who would be your age now, and if he had lived he would have looked and sounded just like you."  You could have heard a pin drop in the church.

Tears came to Wang's eyes when he then asked "Are you daddy Duan?" In front of a packed church, father and son were reunited after 42 years.  When everyone had calmed down Wang explained to his father and the congregation what had happened to him after he had been adopted by Wu.

He explained that Wu had been so impressed by Duan's act of faithful giving that he decided to explore the Christian faith for himself and eventually became a strong and committed Christian. Wu brought up Wang as a Christian and regularly said to him "I am not your real father. He is a great man of God. He gave you to me and I give you all my love and the encouragement to put God first, just like your real father did." All but Wang had died in the earthquake and as he grew in his depth of faith God used him as an inspirational Bible teacher to help others find Christ.

This heart-warming incident from the persecuted   Chinese church teaches us a valuable lesson. In 1st Samuel ch 2v30 God promises "Those who honour Me I will honour." Duan and his wife trusted that when God instructed them to give up their son to their enemy He had profound reasons for asking such a thing and would mightily bless such a sacrifice. As a result of their obedience God indeed "honoured" them by their enemy turning to Christ and then ultimately by their son becoming a Bible teacher through whom the Lord was able to encourage and support thousands of persecuted followers.

If on the other hand, Duan and his wife had refused to obey God the outcome would have been very different. Their arrest would have taken place just the same but this time the authorities would have taken their son away just as they feared.  Most probably the authorities would have made sure the child was raised as an atheist and thousands of people enduring persecution would have been deprived of a great spiritual leader.

When God commands us to do some particular thing, follow some particular path, or perhaps give up something or someone, let us make sure we faithfully obey, because truly God will ultimately bless and honour those who honour Him.

The Mayan Prophecies 2012

In the days of the American "wild west" John Maher a reporter for the New York Herald came up with a novel way of promoting the newspaper's circulation. He decided to create a sensational deception which people would believe in, so that the paper could then in turn reveal the folly of that belief. This is what lay behind the amazing story of "The Petrified Man".

With the help of a friend and a very tall black soldier from the 9th cavalry John first made a plaster cast of the soldier. He then flattened the feet of the cast to make it seem that men of ancient times were flat footed. With a slight mixture of cement and plenty of Badlands sand and soil they then filled the cast to create the image of what appeared to be a "petrified man".

There was a team of archaeologists searching for fossils in Nebraska, so under the cover of darkness John and his friends placed the petrified man in the vicinity with only a hand showing above the ground. It was discovered by this team two days later and put on display for the press. A series of scientific tests were then conducted and an analysis was made of the geological formation in which it had been found. Finally, after weeks of tests the scientists declared it to be genuine and the petrified man was taken on a tour of the State so the public could see it on display.

Just at that moment the newspaper revealed the whole thing was one enormous hoax! The scientists had believed it and the public had believed it, yet it was just a trick to aid the newspapers circulation.

What I find so interesting and disturbing about this true story is that it shows how gullible and naive people are. They are so quick to believe something sensational and extraordinary. Little has changed!

If you haven't heard about it yet, you soon will. Incredibly there is a growing belief sweeping the globe that the world is going to end this year on 21st December. I have been aware of this view for sometime and was determined not to write about it lest it furthered its publicity. However, when I heard that these fears were now so widespread they were even being expressed by children of primary school age I felt I must address the issue. Vulnerable and sensitive individuals, children, teenagers and some adults are getting frightened.

So what is it all about? Well put simply, in the 1960's deep inside a secret room within an ancient stone temple in Mexico, archaeologists discovered what is called the "Mayan calendar". The Mayan civilisation (250-900AD) is infamous for being bloodthirsty and barbaric in widely using human sacrifices in their pagan rituals, however they are also noted for their extraordinary astronomical observations and mathematical powers. This calendar runs out on 21st December 2012 and the theory is that this must indicate the end of the world. Just like the incident of "The Petrified Man" many people are quick to believe this sensational view and sadly a growing number are genuinely frightened.

Explaining what the Bible predicts about the future of the human race should calm these fears. Those who study Bible prophecy know that Scripture has it's own "calendar of events" and it is very different from the Mayan "calendar". Bible prophecy clearly reveals that God will NOT permit the earth to be destroyed no matter what wars or troubles lie ahead.

One third of the Bible is prophetic in nature and it promises that some day Christ will return to this earth to establish peace and justice on a global basis. (In Isaiah ch 2v 4 it promises that Christ will "rebuke many nations and they shall turn their weapons into ploughs and nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore." Other verses state that under His world leadership, disease will be eradicated and climatic conditions will be altered so that droughts and famines will be a thing of the past. It will also be a time a judgment and recompense when the righteous will be rewarded,  the wicked punished, and those who have suffered unjustly, compensated. All wrongs will be redressed at His return. See articles entitled "Israel and the Middle East in Prophecy" and "What does the Bible Teach about Unjust Suffering").

Scripture teaches that no one knows when this glorious event will take place (Matt ch 24v36) so ever since the Ascension of Christ, the Christian Church has been looking forward to the return of it's Lord and King and living in hopeful  expectancy. To the Church and all who have sincerely turned away from their sins, His promised return is "like a light shining at the end of the tunnel" making these troubled times more bearable.

Although Bible prophecy reveals that before Christ returns, the earth will endure major troubles including an Armageddon like situation in the Middle East, it reassures us that God will not permit any of these events to become serious enough to destroy the earth or human civilisation. If the world was going to be destroyed by these events  then the return of Christ to a dead planet would be pointless! Instead, prophecy reveals that these future troubles will be curtailed by the Personal return of Christ in order not only to prevent  them escalating further but also to bring about global peace. (See Matt ch 24v22).

Whatever serious troubles may befall our planet this year, next year or whenever (and I am sure there will be many) and no matter what events may or may not happen on 21st December, on the authority of Scripture we can take comfort that it is most certainly not going to be the end of the world or the end of civilisation!

Biblical prophecies have a proven track record of being accurately fulfilled. Events in the earthly life of Christ, regarding the manner of His Birth, teaching, death and resurrection were all accurately foretold in Old Testament writings many hundreds of years before their fulfilment. Prophecies relating to the deliverance of Jerusalem  were fulfilled in 1917, predictions of the reestablishment of the Nation of Israel came to pass in 1948, and prophecies about the development of weapons of mass destruction have been fulfilled in our own age. (See Matt ch 24vs 21-22, Luke ch21v26 and the articles entitled "Amazing Prophecy Fulfilled" and "9/11 Predicted in Bible Prophecy"). The fulfilment of all these prophecies reassures us that what Scripture predicts about the future can be relied upon and trusted.

The growing fear people have concerning the Mayan prophecies is simply a symptom of what may be called "Bible poverty". Knowledge regarding what the Bible teaches is at an all time low and the less people know about what it teaches the greater will be their anxiety about the future of the human race. When people stop believing in the Bible and it's promises, they end up believing in anything and everything, no matter how weird and absurd. It creates fear and uncertainty and robs them of the opportunity to repent and prepare for that Appointment we must all one day keep, when we are called to give a personal account of our actions before the King of Kings.

Today Christian's across the world have a unique opportunity to address the fears people are expressing by pointing them to the glorious promise of Christ's return and the salvation He freely bestows upon those who have repented of their sins. Christ died for our sins so that we could have life in its fullest abundance (John ch 10v10). The real solution to fear, therefore, is to accept Christ's invitation to develop a close relationship with Him, by following and obeying Him in one's personal life. By actively turning away from our sins and actively obeying Him in our hearts we enter into "abundant life" so that when He returns to this world we will meet Him as our Best Friend and not as our Judge.

Are you ready to meet Christ?

Recently I was reading a fascinating article about the training of air force pilots. It stated “One flight condition a pilot must understand is hypoxia or ‘oxygen starvation’. Students are paired off in an altitude simulation chamber. With oxygen masks on, they are taken to simulated conditions of 30,000 feet. One student then removes his mask for a few minutes and begins to answer simple questions on a sheet of paper. Suddenly their partner will force the oxygen mask back on again. After a few gulps of normal air, the writer is astounded to discover the gibberish he has written. The first lines are legible, but the last few are unreadable. Remarkably, until the mask is replaced the participant will feel certain that he was still writing legibly. He will have been oblivious to the fact he was on the verge of losing total consciousness.”

As a pilot can be on the verge of blacking out, without being aware of his condition, so too, people can be spiritually starving without being aware of how far they are from God. In Matthew ch  7 vs 21-23 Jesus  stated  that  there are  a vast  number of people  who think they are  Christian’s  and who  wrongly imagine themselves to be close to God. In this passage He warns that although they may be involved in all sorts of good endeavours, because they refuse to place Him first in their hearts and lives they are still “practising iniquity”. They are as deceived and unaware of their true state as a pilot suffering from hypoxia.

In reality, what God wants more than anything else is  obedience to His wishes in our own personal lives not our busyness or “outward activities”. He wants our hearts not our works. The Gift of His Son Who suffered such Agony on the Cross for our sakes deserves nothing less than this devoted personal obedience. As important as church attendance, reading the Bible, praying   and giving to charity may be, these activities don’t as such make a person a Christian. What actually makes a person a follower of Christ is the wholehearted obedience and application of their own personal lives to God’s commandments  and wishes.

 Such personal obedience and commitment will of course sometimes involve sacrifice. Many years ago an American cowboy who was converted to Christianity described the kind of obedience God wanted with the following illustration. “Lots of folks think that being a Christian simply involves doing easy things such as shouting themselves hoarse praising His Name and helping the poor. Now I’ll tell you how I look at that. I am working for Jim here. If I do nothing but easy things like sitting around the house telling what a good fellow Jim is, singing songs to him and giving away money, I would not suit Jim. I am  only  really serving Jim as he wants to be served  if I obey him at a personal level  and am  willing to remain obedient to  his orders  no matter  what   the sacrifice  may be  to me. Jim  doesn’t want lazy and second rate field hands who only do the  easy things he asks, he wants ones  who obey him from the heart and remain obedient no matter  how difficult the  task  he calls upon them to do.”

That’s the kind of obedience God deserves; personal obedience from the heart whatever the cost!  The hallmark of a true Christian is one who is obedient to God in his or her   own personal life no matter what.  Many people imagine themselves belonging to God but are spiritually starving because  they are unwilling to personally obey Him.   In the depths of their being they are unwilling to deal with the sin in their own personal lives and so they busy themselves with “kindly activities” and “easy things” deceiving themselves into believing that God will accept these “good works” in place of an obedient heart. Like the pilot suffering from hypoxia they have no idea the dangerous state that they are in.

Scripture warns that because self deception or “spiritual hypoxia” is so easy to miss it is the responsibility of every individual to regularly examine their hearts and lives in the light of God’s Word. (See 2nd Corinthians ch13v5).  It is the responsibility of everyone to make sure they really are living in accordance with God’s will in every area of their personal lives. Reading and learning about His will concerning conduct and attitudes is like giving proper air to an oxygen starved pilot. The oxygen of Scripture makes us see things as they really are in God’s eyes.  Whatever we ourselves or others may think  about various kinds of behaviour,   absorbing the oxygen of Biblical  teaching,  instantly  reveals what is  permissible and what is not.

A famous incident took place in America during the presidency of Millard Fillmore. The story goes that a group of 20 politicians and businessmen met at Astor House in New York. Amongst them was Secretary of State Daniel Webster. During dinner the Secretary of State was asked “Mr Webster will you tell us what is the most important thought you ever had?” Those listening expected some sort of political reply, perhaps to do with foreign or social policy. How shaken they were when after a brief silence he confidently and thoughtfully replied “The most serious thought that ever occupied my mind was that of my individual responsibility to God.” Owing to the dangers of self deception Scripture states that it is the responsibility of every individual to regularly examine their lives in the light of Biblical teaching.

The behaviour God requires for someone to be a true follower of Christ is outlined  very plainly in Scripture and   a  true  Christian will take such teaching extremely  seriously. The Bible states that  the greatest need for  Mankind is the transformation of the human heart and so  it is in the heart  that  spiritual warfare takes place when an individual seeks to do things God’s way. When a person starts to bring their life into line with His will aided and helped by the Holy Spirit,   a great conflict often occurs within them. Are they really going to put God’s will fully first in their hearts and lives or not?

God has promised that in Christ, we will be given power over the sin in our hearts, but such supernatural power is conditional; it will only be granted if  we genuinely want to obey.  An American Indian convert movingly said “Now I am a Christian, every time I am faced with a choice between good and evil it is as though there are two dogs fighting in my chest, an evil black dog and a good white dog.” When he was then asked which dog wins he added “The dog I want to win will win!” Scripture does indeed promise Divine help and strength to resist sin in our hearts and lives but it is entirely conditional upon the genuineness and depth of our sincerity to want to obey. (See Romans ch 6v12 and ch 8v37, 1st Corinthians ch 10v13, 2nd Peter ch2 v 9, James ch4v7).

Scripture teaches that it is only the “pure in heart who will see God” (Matthew ch5v8) and that “without holiness no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews ch 12v14). Every time an individual has successfully resisted sin and proven faithful in obedience, as a reward, the Lord always reveals something more of Himself. They see more of Him. This may take the form of a greater awareness of His love, a deeper sense of His Fellowship, a greater understanding of some particular truth, an indescribable inner joy, or perhaps a feeling of inner peace which passes all understanding. (See James ch4v8 and John ch14v21-23).

Whatever form it takes, however, it will always make the effort to remain faithful worthwhile and worth the sacrifice.  This is why Scripture  states  that “ the joy of  the Lord is our strength”  in other words,  the  joy that comes from   experiencing  deeper fellowship with Him  is what  motivates us  and encourages us to remain faithful. (See Nehemiah ch 8v10,Genesis ch 15v1). “The Lord Himself is our exceedingly great reward” so our motive for obedience shouldn’t be just to escape the punishment of hell, but rather because the reward of righteousness is so exceedingly lovely. The reward for righteousness is Himself. He Himself is our Reward, in other words, the reward is none other   than personal and everlasting companionship and intimate fellowship with Him, the God of infinite Holiness and Love.

To be fit for such a special relationship we obviously need to become like Him in character, behaviour and attitude, so that we “may be partakers of His Holiness.” (Hebrews ch12v10).  His will is clearly and plainly taught in Scripture for all to see. Those who apply this teaching to their lives are promised everlasting life in fellowship with Him, while those who wilfully disobey will experience the punishment of hell; as it warns in Hebrews ch 2v 3 “How shall we escape if neglect so great a salvation.” (Also Galatians ch 6v7 “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will reap.”)

Personal Life Review based on God’s revealed will in Scripture.



So are we living our personal life in accordance with His will? Is our heart right before Him? Are we suffering self deception or “spiritual starvation”?  Do we need to deepen our relationship with Him?  Are we growing in our faith as we should be? Are we as motivated and enthusiastic as we should be about spiritual matters?  Is indifference and worldly compromise stifling our faith?  Are we persevering as we should or do we give up when the going gets tough? Am I open to, and listening out for, God’s guidance in my life.



When Christ returns we will have to account for every thought, word and deed we have ever committed.  Our attitudes and not just our outward behaviour will be judged.  With all this in mind let us now put on the oxygen mask of Scripture and deeply inhale the following teaching. All of God’s commandments are important so the following list is deliberately not in any special order and is by no means comprehensive. As we yield our hearts to His Word may God the Holy Spirit show us if we are doing anything amiss so it can be turned away from, fully repented of  and  then forgiven. One consequence of the Fall is brokenness in all areas of our lives.  The wounds arising from this inherent brokenness require God’s transforming touch. The promise of Scripture is that ongoing change in all area of our lives is possible through the work of the Holy Spirit within. Let us now see our life as God sees it and measure it against His will:

Luke ch 10v27. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbour as yourself.”
Matthew ch 7v12 “However you want men to treat you, do also to them.”(Do we always treat others the way we ourselves wish to be treated?)
Matthew ch 18v35 “So My Heavenly Father will do to you if each of you, from his heart does not forgive his brother his trespasses.” God wants our enemies to fully repent and be saved. See also ch 18 vs 21-35.
Romans ch 12vs 9-21. Here St Paul provides the template for Christian behaviour such as “Repay no one evil for evil” etc. (Eg Do we remain courteous towards those with whom we disagree?)
Galatians ch 5vs19-21. Here St Paul gives a list of behaviour forbidden by God, concluding with the statement, “Those who practise such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.” See also the further list in 1st Corinthians ch 6vs 9-11 where he warns people not to be deceived. Note what he says about sexual relationships, forbidding sex outside  marriage and forbidding the practice of homosexuality. In Ephesians ch 5vs 3-7 he adds “Let no one deceive you with empty words.”  Note also the mention of “coarse jokes”. (Spreading unsavoury gossip is also forbidden in Leviticus ch19v16).  Other important passages are; Colossians ch 3vs 5-11.  1st Timothy ch1 vs 9,10  and  Revelation ch 21 v8 and ch22v 15. Romans ch 1vs 18-ch2v18 and  Proverbs ch 6vs 16-19.
Matthew chs 5-7 The Sermon on the Mount should be gone through line by line. For instance, do we hunger to be righteous? (ch5v6). Do we earnestly desire a clean heart? (See Psalm 51v10).  Note also the condemnation of pornography in ch 5v28.
Exodus ch 20vs 1-17 The Ten Commandments.
Luke ch 12vs15-21 regarding our attitude towards possessions.
Luke ch 17vs 7-10 regarding humility of heart/pride
Matthew ch 10vs 37-39 regarding Who is deserving of the greatest love of our hearts.
Luke ch 18vs 1-8 regarding persevering in faith and prayer.
Luke ch 17vs 11-19 regarding gratitude.
Psalm 111v10  “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Do we fear God the way Scripture says we should? See also Proverbs ch 1v7, 2nd Corinthians ch5vs 10-11, Hebrews ch 10v31, James ch 2v19
The  entire Book of Proverbs is a useful guide to the way God wants us to think and  behave. 
James ch 4vs 19-27.  Don’t just be a hearer of the Word, be a doer.
Galatians ch 5vs 22-26.  Are we growing in these virtues? Note the mention of “self-control” in v23.
Matthew ch 25vs31-46. Do we really help those in trouble the way we should?
Matthew ch 25vs 14-30. Do we adequately use the gifts and talents God has given us? We are but custodians and stewards of these things.
Proverbs ch 3vs5,6. Do we seek God’s guidance “in all our ways”? Do we bring all our ideas and plans before Him for His approval and blessing? See also James ch4vs 13-17.
Colossians ch3vs12-17. Note “if anyone has a complaint against another …we must forgive.” See also Ephesians ch 4vs1-2, 19-32. Are we quick to taken offence? Are we harsh in our words or over critical of others?  Someone once remarked that as people get older they either “turn into vinegar or a fine wine”! Are we becoming more gracious and Christ-like as we get older or are we becoming bitter, stubborn and argumentative? When people look at us can they see Jesus in us? Remember, Jesus is to be the pattern of our life and the example we are to copy. It’s always helpful to ask ourselves in any given situation “WWJD” or “WWJS” ie “What would Jesus do/say”?
 2ndCorinthians ch 9v15. Do we really appreciate what God the Father did for us in the sending of His Son? He endured a gruesome death for us. It was no small thing. Do we adequately reflect on this Awesome Sacrificial Love? Do we think about it regularly and rejoice that we are loved so dearly?

If  this Personal Life Review has been of  help to your spiritual growth,  then please share it with others. I conclude this serious article with one final thought. 

In 1st Samuel ch2 v 30 God says “Those who honour Me I will honour (but  those who despise Me…”). This promise still stands.  God is Faithful. Honour God with your life and your heart, and He will honour you!

Divine intervention in times of conflict

Regular visitors to this website will know that it features many articles describing how God is active in today's world just as He was in Biblical times. When a person is in a right relationship with the Lord and prays to Him with a clean heart about some particular matter, they can expect their prayers to be heard and answered in some special way.

Recently, I came across an example of answered prayer which brings a special message of hope and encouragement to our troubled world. Although our world is full of conflict and strife, let us not despair, because God can and does answer faithful prayers in even the worst of situations and conditions. As we shall see, He answers prayers in a "conflict situation" just as easily as in times of peace and tranquillity.

This particular incident occurred during the Second World War, and took place amongst a stricken crew on board a submarine which was trapped on the seabed. The miracle of Divine Intervention which occurred would never have happened if it hadn't been for the Christian devotion of the subs commander, Rupert Lonsdale.

Both of Rupert's parents were devout Christians and with their help and guidance he too came to accept Jesus Christ as his Saviour during his teenage years. His personal relationship with God was based on repentance and faith in Christ and he firmly believed that through His Cross and Resurrection he had eternal life.

As a young man he joined the Royal Navy and in 1927 when he was 22 years old he volunteered for submarine service. Such were his gifts of leadership he was soon promoted and by 1934 was given his first command. Rupert did not fit the typical image of a submarine commander, swashbuckling and hard-drinking. Instead he was a quiet man with no wild ways. He was a man who took God and devotion to following God profoundly seriously. Shortly before the outbreak of war in 1939 he was further promoted and given command of a submarine called "Seal".

On Monday 29th April 1940, Seal sailed out from Immingham on a secret mission to lay mines where German shipping was pouring out of Northern Germany into the Atlantic. Unknown to Lonsdale and the crew it was regarded as a suicide mission by High Command and they weren't expected to return.

On the 4th May Seal successfully laid 50 mines across the appointed area and started to head for home. It was then that they were spotted by enemy aircraft. German UJ boats with underwater listening equipment were called in, and what followed was a deadly game of cat and mouse between the German Navy and Seal which went on for many hours. Finally, after an incredible 16 hours underwater, the crew sighed with relief feeling certain they had escaped death. The crew relaxed, and food was served. All of a sudden at about 19.00 a violent explosion rocked the sub and slowly it sank 90 feet to the seabed. Two rear compartments had been completely flooded with an estimated 130 tons of water entering the stern of the boat. There was no panic. Lonsdale was in the control room at the centre of the crisis. He remained calm, alert and focused. The weight of the crew's trust was on him. Their lives were in his hands. It was a crushingly lonely time for him.

After nightfall, Lonsdale gave the order to surface. Momentarily the sub began to rise but then it slowly sank back to the sea floor. The problem was that the weight of the water inside the boat was pressing the damaged stern into the mud. The bow was pointing upwards to the water's surface at an angle of 25degrees. They made several more attempts to surface but the stern would not budge. Every man onboard knew that they faced death. There was no ventilation and the air was becoming foul. Even in a sitting position they were gasping for air. To take 3 paces had the same effect as a 100 yard sprint under normal conditions. Seal had now become their metal coffin.

23 hours had now passed since Seal had dived and they had reached the end of all human resources. What happened next was God's part of the story and has been officially documented. Lonsdale turned to those around him in the control room and said "We have tried everything we can think of to get to the surface, but without result. None of us can think of anything else. I am going to call the crew together and we shall say some simple prayers. Our object will be to ask God to help us".

The very idea of praying stirred the crew. It is recorded that only 2 men out of the 59 refused to pray. This is how he began. "We have been in some tight spots before and we've come through. With God's help we shall do so again. I think it is time we said the Lord's Prayer together, but first I want to ask God to help us. "Dear God" he prayed, "we have tried everything in our power to save ourselves and we have failed. Yet we believe that You can do things that are impossible to men. Please, O Lord, deliver us. "Lonsdale started the Lord's Prayer and found himself joined with a lot of voices more full of reverence and feeling than he had ever believed possible. The sounds of praying eventually stopped. Lonsdale continued, "And now I think we should all quietly say our own prayers to God." He stood silent, head bowed. Finally the impromptu service was over.

The answer to their prayers came almost immediately when it flashed into Lonsdale's mind what they were to

do. He calmly explained to the crew that he had an idea but it would require the cooperation of them all to put it into action. Although they were feeling half dead, they rallied to his orders. First, he ordered a rope to be rigged up along the length of the slopping submarine. Then he ordered every man to climb up the slope to the forward part of Seal, by holding on to the rope. Lonsdale was using his men as human ballast in the hope that their combined weight at the front of the sub would provide enough leverage to loosen the stern. The forward compartments filled with men too weak to talk and Lonsdale gave final orders to surface. The last two tanks were blown and the engines were put on full power. Slowly, agonizingly, Seal shuddered from end to end. Then she broke free from the seabed and levelled out. Ever so slowly she then rose to the surface.

Lonsdale's lifestyle of prayer had long included brief "arrow" prayers that nobody knew about. Now he whispered "Thank you Lord". Most of the crew both then and upon later reflection were convinced that they had experienced Divine guidance and many of them came to a real faith in Christ as a result of it. Even one of the two men who had refused to pray was spiritually changed.

In order to save the lives of his crew Lonsdale surrendered Seal to the Germans and he and his men became prisoners of war. As a prisoner of war, Lonsdale helped conduct church services in the camps to which he was sent and after the war became an ordained minister in the Church of England.

Lonsdale witnessed for Christ in submarines, in prisoner of war camps and in more than half a dozen churches where he was a minister. He died in Bournemouth in 1999 aged 93 survived by his wife Ethne and son John. Over his study desk hung a painting with the words "Faith sees through tears written below it. "When I am down" he said "I find that kneeling and giving my life and problems to God enables me to find Him and His grace."

Rupert Lonsdale experienced many moving and tragic events in his life but his personal relationship with God grew closer each time. He was no "fair weather Christian" and his faith and trust in God is an example to us all. Having experienced and witnessed so much suffering he was once asked to define his basic beliefs. What he stated should be an encouragement to anyone who has, or is going through a time of suffering or loss.

This is what he wrote:

"I don't see how anyone cannot believe that there is a Power who created the universe. Some Mind must have created the orderliness of the stars and the solar system. Consider the phases of the moon; the regularity of the tides and seasons; the implanting of a magnetic North Pole; the fact of gravity. All these point to an infinite Master Mind beyond our understanding in greatness.

The Bible tells us that evil has entered into this creation. I believe in the everlasting mercy and patience of God, though if people carry on being rebels against God, it must end in being put out of His Kingdom.

I believe in Christ as the Son of God. No man ever spoke or acted as he did. His power over evil, His wisdom and love show that He was above all other men. He was the true image of God. Yet He was a man knowing weariness, frustration and suffering—tempted like us, yet without sin. Those around Him knew these truths.

The Bible tells us all this and I believe the Bible is true. Christ showed us what God is like. By faith in Christ, Christians have forgiveness and eternal life. Heaven is unspoilt by evil. Those who have never received God's forgiveness may not take their unforgiven sin into God's holy presence after death. During this life real believers grow more into Christ's likeness.

I also believe in the Devil, cunning, strong, and always ready to draw us away from being fashioned by God. The Devil can be successfully resisted when we ask for God's help.

Nothing will ever shake me from my belief that God is Love, despite the things I have seen happen to other people in war, not to mention the things that have happened to me. [Editor: Rupert's first wife died giving birth to his only child, his second wife died of cancer in 1961, and his third wife died of a brain tumour in 1986]. I believe that God has a plan for each one of us and we must put our lives in His hands. More needs to be written about the Holy Spirit, the Cross and the fact of the Resurrection which are the heart of my faith..."

When we watch the news and see tragic events unfold before our eyes, let us remember that God is there in the midst of it all, supporting, sustaining and strengthening. He is right there in the middle of such suffering ever ready and ever able to answer the prayers of the faithful no matter how great their particular difficulty may be - even the prayers of a submarine crew trapped on the seabed in war time!

Getting your priorities right

I recently came across this amusing anecdote which teaches a profound spiritual truth. Once upon a time a woman bought a parrot, but then returned him to the pet store the next day complaining that he wouldn’t talk. The pet shop owner asked “Does he have a mirror? Parrots love mirrors because they see themselves and start up a conversation.” The woman bought a mirror and went home. A few days later she returned
again. The bird still wasn’t talking. “How about a ladder? Parrots love walking up and down a ladder.  A    happy parrot is more likely to talk.” The woman bought a ladder. Two days later she was back again. The bird was still silent. “Does your parrot have a swing? If not, that’s your problem. He needs one to relax and then he will talk.” The woman reluctantly bought a swing and left.

When she walked into the pet shop three days later her countenance had changed. “The parrot died” she sobbed. The store owner was shocked. “I’m so sorry. Tell me, did he ever say a word?” “Yes” said the woman “just before he died he asked “Don’t they sell food at that pet store?”

The moral of this story is particularly important for today’s generation. The mirror is a warning to people not to spend their lives focusing on “appearance”, either their personal outward appearance or the  outward appearance of their life style. All too often people spend too much time trying to impress others by the life they lead, how they look, what they wear, the car they drive and the house they live in.

The ladder is a warning to those who focus too much on “career success”. Every day I come across individuals who are continually pushing themselves to “go higher up the tree”. In many cases they will achieve their goal. One day, however, they will discover the harsh reality that they have spent their entire lives “climbing the wrong tree.” Jesus warned in Luke ch 12 v 15 “that a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” The reality is that God is not interested in what a person earns or how high they have climbed up the corporate ladder. What He wants is for people to strive to develop their spiritual maturity and moral character which leads to a close personal relationship with Him.

The swing is a warning to those who focus too much on “entertainment”. Entertainment can take many forms depending on individual taste. From reading to music, cinema going to gardening, and from sports to hobbies, there is a myriad of things to choose from which can all too easily distract a person from spiritual issues. It seems today, that every waking moment has to be filled with some activity. Reading something, watching something, listening to something! It appears that modern man has lost the ability to walk without the aid of headphones. What has happened to silence? What has happened to taking time out to think and reflect, to marvel and to ponder?

And the death of the parrot? This is a warning that those who focus on these trivial matters, are spiritually starving and in due time will die unprepared to meet Almighty God. Such people have failed to understand  “the meaning of  life” and the purpose of our time here.

The message of Christianity is that we have all disobeyed God and that after physical death will be required to give an account of our actions before Him. Owing to His infinite love and mercy He offers forgiveness and cleansing to any who repent and turn to Him in this mortal life. Christ died for our sins so as to make this Gift of forgiveness possible but it is conditional upon a person’s repentance and true state of heart. This explains why Jesus constantly called upon people to repent and turn back to God, it explains why it was the dominant message of the Disciples, and it explains why it remains the main message of the Church today. This modern day “parable” warns people not to stifle their God given conscience by focusing on trivial things. It warns them not to get distracted from what matters most of all, namely; developing through repentance and obedience, a personal relationship with God.

The authenticity of this serious message is confirmed by the double “witnesses” of science and fulfilled Bible prophecy. The main purpose of science is to demonstrate the way God makes things work and it constantly reveals the complexity of life. It has recently been discovered that DNA as small as a pinhead is so packed with information that if it was written out in book form, the pages would reach to the moon and back 200 times. Yes, two hundred times! Science gives clear evidence of life having been “designed” and provides ample proof of the existence of a Great Designer.

The main purpose of fulfilled Bible prophecy is to demonstrate which religion accurately describes this Creator and Designer. It authenticates which religious message has really come from Him. This explains why the Bible is unique amongst ancient literature by having a third of it written in the form of predictions and prophecies. As these predictions comes to pass it is a constant witness to each new generation that God’s offer of life and warning of punishment is to be taken seriously.

The sending of God’s Son to die for us, was no small or minor event but an indescribable Act of Love of the most profound nature. It was an act of mercy of such magnitude it should melt the hardest of hearts. Those who accept this amazing Gift by repenting of their sins, enter into a personal and intimate relationship with God. Those however, who spurn such a profound Gift, condemn themselves by rejecting a loving and wonderful relationship of such depth. As it warns in Hebrews ch 2v3 “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?”

The tragic story is told of how Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881) bitterly regretted ignoring the love and devotion of his wife until it was too late. When she became ill with cancer and confined to bed, he was too preoccupied with writing to pay her much attention. Rarely did he go and sit with her.

Immediately after her funeral he felt burdened by guilt at how he had failed to spend time at her bedside. He went into her room and sat down. From her bedside table he picked up her diary and began to read. The words cut like a knife into his soul. One line went “Yesterday he spent an hour with me and it was like being in heaven. I love him so.” He turned the page and read “I have listened all day to hear his steps in the hall, but now it is late and I guess he won’t come today.” He could bear it no more. He threw the diary to the floor and rushed to her graveside. Friends found him face down in the mud weeping over and over again, “If I had only known! If I had only known”!

If failing and letting down a loving wife led to such a profound response, imagine what it will be like for those who fail and reject a Loving God after their conscience comes to life. “I went to the Cross for you, I did all this for you. I waited for you but you never came. You were too busy with your appearance, your career, your entertainment…..All this I did for you, now what did you do for Me?”

What's all this talk of Noah's ark?

Those who have an interest in current affairs will have noticed that articles about Noah’s Ark keep appearing every so often in the world’s media.  The subject first became topical in the late 1950’s after high altitude aerial photographs revealed a boat-shaped structure in the mountains of Ararat region, in Eastern Turkey. The precise location was 10 miles ESE of Dogubayazit in the province of Agri. In 1960 Life Magazine published this photo as did the Australian Pix Magazine. Over the next two decades archaeological research was conducted on this boat shaped structure by various groups of scientists including researchers from Ataturk University. (On British television in 1996, Channel 4 broadcast a documentary entitled “Quest for the Ark” which followed the six year investigation  of one of these teams led by  David Fasold).

 In 1977 the Turkish Government officially declared it to be the decayed remains of Noah’s Ark and in June 1987 established the “Noah’s Ark National Park” with a Visitors Centre overlooking the site. Since then tourists and church groups have been able to visit the site for themselves although it is far off the beaten track and expensive to reach. (For the less intrepid a summary of all this research  is publicised by Anchor Stone International and may be viewed on www.anchorstone.com).

But what do you see if you actually manage to get there?  Well, to answer that question really depends on ones expectations. Those who had  hoped that when the Ark was found,  it would be found  preserved in ice and almost intact are often disappointed by what they see. Those however who are more concerned about simply proving the authenticity of Scripture often come away inspired.

Two curious visitors, Leigh Winsbury and Surinder Panesar   went to the site in October 2009. Leigh wrote the following description of what they saw and feelings it generated.

“Well then it’s real”, I said, with a silly grin on my face. Surinder looked back at me, still trying to be logical and dispassionate. “I don’t see what else it could be” he conceded. We had been on the remains of Noah’s Ark for about an hour and we were convinced. We had travelled for two days to get to this remote part of easternmost Turkey, right on the Iranian border, to satisfy a curiosity which had burned in me throughout a much longer journey.

I had been a young teenager when a TV documentary had announced the finding of Noah’s Ark. I had watched fascinated as Ron Wyatt and David Fasold had trailed over this enormous boat-shaped heap with metal detection equipment marking out buried bulkheads and beams from decomposed iron deposits. I wasn’t yet a Christian but this was monumental; a discovery like this should change the way we think about everything.

So what had we actually gone to see? Ten to twelve miles south of Ararat, across the plain and back up into the mountain range which becomes Iran, there is a shape in the hills. A huge boat shape, like a drawn-out speedboat, pointed at the uphill southern end, rounded at the downhill northern end. The eroded remains of walls projecting up from the ground can be seen, in some places merely a foot or two in height but most of the way around much higher, anything up to 35 feet. Imagine a giant, stretched out  wooden rowing boat  laid on uneven  ground with sand heaped  up around it mostly to the gunwales and sand heaped inside it and piled up to the bottom left causing that quarter to bow out. The whole thing is pierced through the side as it hangs on to a massive limestone rock intrusion  and it appears to be this which keeps it in place as the surrounding valley, one huge alluvial mudflow, travels continually along past the ship with each wet season and earth tremor.

The sceptics said it was just a freak natural formation, the enthusiasts said it was remains of the Ark. I wanted to know for myself, so long before I left England I did research into what exactly I should look out for. To begin with the dimensions fitted the Biblical description.  But could it still be a coincidental natural formation? My mission was to look for convincing evidence that this was a man made structure.

When we first approached the steep cliff-like north western side, the first thing that struck us was a pattern of vertical lines running down about 3 feet apart. I had seen photos of this feature with claims that it showed the planking on the side of the Ark. We climbed inside the walls. I had read about and seen pictures of the claimed remains of petrified wooden beam ends projecting through the walls. The pictures I had seen always seemed to show the same two lumps so nothing prepared me for the vast number of these projections. They were everywhere, easy to see and easy to measure. This was celebration time. What we discovered was a continuous row of vertical beams all along the wall tops at roughly  5 foot intervals. This row was echoed by a double row inside the structure, visible at the north end but then disappearing into the heap of infill. Horizontal beams could be seen anywhere the wall was high enough and clear of debris, at the same intervals. At one point a section of the wall had broken right away and is in the process of collapse, but on this part three levels of rows of beams are visible, revealing the height between the decks to have been around 10’6”.

So, can I now prove that this was the Ark? Well, this is what I learned.
1.    It is the remains of a giant man-made object.
2.    It is definitely boat-shaped and isn’t a castle, barn, town wall or anything else I can think of.
4.    Its position is   in the mountains of Ararat as stated Scripture.
5.    Most of the place names in the area relate to the story of the Ark. For instance, Al judi is the name of the whole mountain. This is the name given in the Qu’ran as the landing place of the Ark. Nisir is the ancient name of Uzengili the village 500 yards from the site. This is named in the Epic of Gilgamesh as the landing site. Yigityatagi is the name of the cliff at the top of the mountain. It means “anchor place of heroes”. And my favourite, the village two miles away is called “crow won’t land”. Marvellous.

Well if that wasn’t enough, we also travelled out to a small village called Arzep in the middle of a wide valley plain called “the region of eight” named after the eight survivors from the Ark. Here we were shown around by our guide Zafer Onay and a village elder called Faizal. This plain is home to several massive stone monuments. What is special about them is that they have a whole drilled right through them near the top, large enough to take a rope about as thick as my arm. Apart from their size they follow the same general design as drogue stones which have been recovered from the Nile and the Mediterranean. These stones were lowered from vessels into the water to act as stabilisers in rough weather and to slow the passage of a vessel in fast water. The question is, what are these giant versions doing in the middle of nowhere, hundreds of miles from the nearest navigable water? The connection was obvious to us as it was obvious to the Crusaders who came this way on pilgrimage and carved eight crosses on everything they could find which related to the Ark.

Needless to say we came home quite happy that we had indeed been on board the ship that saved Mankind by God’s design and I don’t mind confessing that it was quite an emotional experience once we were certain.
Leigh Winsbury

Stories of a worldwide flood abound in legends and folklore. It has been estimated that there are 200 or more separate   “flood accounts” from around the world, each telling much the same thing; a global flood, a Noah like figure, a giant ship and a handful of survivors. French archaeologist Andre Parrot stated that with so many separate accounts it was difficult to deny that there must be some factual basis to these stories.  He wrote “There can be no question that the flood marked a clean break in history. The memory of it remained vividly in men’s minds. The cataclysm was accompanied by destruction on such a scale and made such an impression that it became one of the themes of cuneiform literature.”

According to Scripture, the Flood was accompanied by unprecedented volcanic and seismic upheavals on a global scale. The first recorded event of the Flood is in fact a reference to movements of the earth’s crust.  In Genesis ch 7 v 11 it states “on the same day all the fountains of the great deep were broken up.” Oceanic basins would have been fractured and uplifted and these prolonged geologic upheavals continued for five months. There would have been volcanic explosions, earthquakes, the rising and sinking of land masses and mountain ranges and   the disappearance of entire continents under water. The disturbing thing about the blockbuster film 2012 is that some of the scenes shown provide an all too  vivid picture of what it must have been like.

Genesis ch 1v 7 refers to “waters above the firmament” surrounding the planet.   This water vapour canopy in the outer atmosphere collapsed at the time of these seismic upheavals and today’s oceans are composed  of  much of this water, the earth still being 70% submerged. During this time numerous living creatures were quickly buried in the swirling sediments to produce fossils. This explains the existence of vast fossil beds lying across various parts of the world. Under the ordinary processes of nature, fossilisation rarely occurs   because bones   first require quick burial   in order to preserve them from scavenging and decay.  The quick burial occurring at the time of the Flood, therefore, provided ideal conditions for the process of fossilisation to take place and explains why there are millions of fossils in the world today.

In pre-flood times the existence of this water vapour canopy would have made the earth’s climate and environment dramatically different from what we have now. The resulting “greenhouse effect” would have made the planet an ideal habitation. It wouldn’t have been cold in the polar regions nor overly hot at the equator.  The discovery of plant and animal remains in the Arctic supports this, by revealing that at one time the area was warm enough for wheat and barley to grow, likewise cave paintings in the Sahara desert demonstrate that this area was at one time fertile and green.

Those inhabiting the earth at this time were living in a perfect environment with their DNA and their entire physical bodies being fully protected from the sun’s damaging radiation. According to Scripture the process of degeneration or aging of the human body was so slow under these conditions that people lived for hundreds of years. All this changed dramatically after the Flood. It is fascinating to plot the ages of those who lived in pre-flood times and compare it with the ages of those who lived afterwards. After the Flood the process of aging and degeneration becomes   so rapid we now survive but three score years and ten. (Psalm 90 v10)
The common perception of ancient Man is that he was simple, primitive and lacking knowledge but the real truth is very different. The pyramids of Egypt with their alignment to the stars, their complex structure and  precise construction  is testimony that  ancient Man had  great technological  skills, understanding and motivation, to build  vast structures.  Indeed, it is debatable as to whether or not we could build the same kind of structures today. To the Ancients the construction of an Ark the size and length of an ocean liner would have been well within their technical abilities.

Jesus referred to the Flood as being a real, literal and terrifying event rather than being some kind of metaphorical story. (Luke ch 17vs26-27).  There is abundant evidence to show that the remains of the Ark have indeed been found and   that the Flood was a real event so whether or not an individual accepts this evidence is actually a spiritual issue rather than anything else. The problem is that many people don’t   want to believe in either the Ark or the Flood because of what it stands for. The existence of Noah’s Ark is a sobering reminder that God is not mocked and that He won’t tolerate evil behaviour.  It is an inconvenient and uncomfortable reminder that God judges sin and wickedness and is calling on us all to repent and turn to righteousness. It is sometimes more comfortable to ignore evidence rather than acknowledge the truth of God’s reality.

The site of Noah’s Ark only became visible and exposed   in 1948 due to an earthquake breaking up and lowering   the surrounding mud flow.  1948 also saw the official rebirth of Israel as a nation which had long been predicted in Bible prophecy. (See the article entitled Israel and the Middle East in Prophecy). The discovery of the Ark and the rebirth of the Jewish nation in the same year are reminders that God’s timing is perfect.  They are two profoundly significant events for those who have “eyes to see and ears to hear”.  May these events encourage us all towards a closer walk with God that when Jesus Christ returns we are ready and prepared to meet Him.