Figure 1 Jerusalem
In 1985, when living in Harrow, I was made aware of the new magazine ‘Prophecy Today’ and still have every printed copy of the magazine from that year until 2005.
I have been on 13 tours to Israel and the “Seven Churches from Ephesus to Laodicia” with Cliff and Monica and was privileged to be one of the intercessors praying for the 153 prophets meeting near the summit of Mount Carmel. On my return to Felixstowe where I now live, I have preached on that momentous event in many local churches and at womens’ meetings throughout Suffolk.
I was privileged to be at Moggerhanger for its opening and recall the many prayer gatherings we had there.
“Where there is no vision the people perish” Cliff reminds us. I heard him and Monica and David Noakes speak at many London Meetings and at Swanwick on 6th January 1999, where I was given a prophecy concerning getting up on the highway, when the Almighty said “My Spirit is falling on you(plural)…in the midst of the turmoil. I am empowering you beyond any description…You are My princes and princesses… I have set My seal on you. I love you with a jealousy beyond all expectation” – words for today!
A group of us in Maidstone were led to start a Prayer for Israel meeting in 1985 and on one occasion someone brought a copy of the ‘Prophecy Today’ magazine with the invitation to come to the Jerusalem Gathering (It was the first edition printed in March/April 1985). I felt I should go and I went with a Prayer for Israel group. The Gathering was a life changing event and I felt led to become a Prophecy Today agent afterwards, giving out 5 copies every two months. I also became a prayer partner for Clifford and Monica’s ministry, knowing it was pivotal for the church to understand prophecy and what God is saying these days. I have been to Israel on various trips with Clifford and Monica and their team. An important visit was in April 1990 which was a follow-up visit and Prayer Conference after the Jerusalem Gathering and we visited the Elijah site on Mount Carmel in the north. The Holy Land Encounter held in 2018 and the One New Man conference held in Jerusalem in 2000 was also special. I remember after The Gathering in 1986, Issachar Ministries held yearly conferences in London for 15 years, teaching about the church’s history with the Jewish people. It came as a shock to me to hear of the awful history and I realised the church’s need to bless our roots and stand with Israel in these days and to especially support the body of Messiah in the Land. Issachar Ministries also set up Watchmen Groups around the country as New Age teaching started to come in the 1990s. It helped us in discernment and intercession and I belonged to a group in the Medway towns for a few years. A trip to Turkey in September 1991 was also another excellent trip with Clifford and Monica, going to the sites of the seven churches mentioned in the book of Revelation. I have many special memories and also friendships which have come from that trip, which have been a great blessing. We do thank God for Clifford and Monica’s ministry over the years with all the teaching and encouragement it has brought to the Body of Christ and continues to do so. I continue to pray for the present ministry as new folk join them.
After the death of Churchill I started to go back to church after an absence of 12 years , to give thanks for his life. It was to the only church I knew, the local Parish Church. Then for 5 years I went on a search for Truth exploring other faiths. I had always known about Jesus from my family.
Then in May 1980, the Light overwhelmed me during a Communion Service, and I was filled with The Holy Spirit and knew my Saviour The True Jesus! I was baptised in water at the local Baptist church and joined the fellowship there, and still am there to this day. I soon got introduced to the Lydia Fellowship under the guidance of Lou Sutherland, the Surrey leader, and began to take the ’Prophecy Today’ magazine where I first heard of Cliff and Monica. In 1986 I attended the Jerusalem Gathering that Cliff arranged, together with the Lydia Fellowship. I believe this gave such a foundation for what followed in my life. I earnestly desired to attend the prophetic seminars every day, but each day led to the seminars with Cecil Kerr on repentance, reconciliation and unity. I still look back on my notes and believe that what God did during that week and the days with the leaders on Mt Carmel, He is now fulfilling. That time had such an impact on me and I will never forget it.
I have read much of Cliff’s writing and joined Issachar Ministries during the Pandemic and have been blessed with the webinars and fellowship through the Zoom meetings.
It was a wonderful time in Israel - faith building and also fun. I will always remember the many experiences we shared. I remember sharing the seat next to you Monica on the flight to Israel. You were so gracious- it was my first trip to Israel. And I remember ministering to Cliff following the wasp attack. It was a once in a lifetime trip to be sure. You are both integral to the memories I have of that trip- kind and gracious teachers and leaders.”
My first Issachar ministries overseas tour I attended was in October 2017, once I had retired, to the Holy Land. This was life-changing and led to me a recommitment to the Lord following a full-immersion baptism in the Jordon. Since then my focus has been entirely different.
Guide book on The Seven Churches of Revelation
A memory worth sharing is going on a study tour of the seven churches of the book of Revelation with Cliff as leader. A lovely experience, he was always both a gracious host and gifted teacher as we went round the various sites in modern Turkey. I do remember that it was literally at the airport, waiting for a flight on return, that the idea of Handsel Press publishing 'Ephesus to Laodicea' came finally together, with Margaret doing the line drawings of various places, maps and bits and pieces in the book. She has a signed copy dated October 2005. There was a 'reunion' at Moggerhanger, and Cliff kindly showed us round the property - that whole Project showed many signs of God's blessing on it at that stage.
In April 2005 I was able to join the group visiting the Seven Churches in Turkey, led by Clifford and Monica, which as a wonderful experience. The history of the early church came alive to me as we read aloud relevant passages from Scripture and prayed together at each site that we visited.
Barry and I enjoyed 2 tours with Cliff and Monica. The first tour we took was in 2000 - to a conference "One New Man in Christ" in Israel. From a teenager I had had a love for the Jews and Israel, but never expected to be able to go to Israel, - and the only Jew I knew was Yeshua! The options were a tour, followed by the conference, or the conference followed by either a repeat of the pre-conference tour, or an archaeological tour. We decided, as it was to be a once in a lifetime visit, to do the pre-conference tour AND the post conference archaeological tour. During our time there the second Intifada started, when Shimon Peres went onto Temple Mount. We could hear gunshots and helicopter gunships from our Jerusalem hotel. We were not able to go to Bethlehem as there was a 3 day mourning period and it was not considered to be safe. We were very happy as we went to morning worship at Christchurch, had a lovely service and met some friends who were also visiting Israel! This tour was the beginning of a new chapter for us. We have been back many times and have taken several tours out. The conference was encouraging and inspiring, - it was so wonderful to be a part of Jews and Gentiles worshipping, praying and learning together.
The second tour was to Greece. One of my main memories of that tour, apart from enjoying seeing places mentioned in the Bible come to life, was laughter. On our travels by coach we were making up estate agents' blurb for many of the decrepit houses we were passing. Cliff was very good at it!! We were in Greece at the time of the Orthodox Easter, so were able to witness the way in which a different branch of the Church celebrated. The walking under a long cloth, on which was a painting of Yeshua, at a service on Friday night, was very different from anything we do. Easter Sunday morning we celebrated communion on the roof of our hotel and proclaimed "Christos Anesti", CHRIST IS RISEN. Wonderful!! We were blessed, not just by the tour, but also by Cliff's ministry throughout.
Other contacts we have had have been through other meetings we have attended, I did a few voluntary days at Moggerhanger, and I proof-read 3 of Cliff's books.
I cannot speak for others, but Cliff and Monica's ministry have been influential in my life. I have learned a lot, not always liked what I have heard, and have had my eyes opened to world events and their significance.
It’s difficult to say that this is a memory, because of the impact that what I am about to tell you has had on my life. This “memory” is integral to my every day life, my whole outlook, fashioned by how I now have a greater understanding of my Faith, and the way I read and understand my Bible.
Let me take you back to the turn of the millennium, spring of the year 2000.
I was a circuit Steward in the Methodist Church, and with that come certain obligations…It was the International Week of Prayer and there was a speaker booked for a circuit event. I had had a busy day at work and had to drag myself to that meeting.
The Speaker introduced himself to those gathered and announced that although we were expecting him to speak on prayer, the Lord had spoken to him whilst travelling to us, and he was now going to speak on Spirituality, he went on to mention that he believed that his talk was particularly for one person present. I immediately felt a quickening of my spirit, feeling that that one person was me, (let me add that this was a fairly unique experience for me). The talk was very good but not really anything that I hadn’t heard before, but my Spiritual antennae had been raised and so when he went on to say that if anyone was interested there was to be a study day on “Jewish Spirituality” in a local village the following Monday. By “Godincidence”, (I don’t believe in coincidence), I happened to have a day’s Annual Leave then, and felt that it was God’s will I attend, so the next morning I booked myself in.
The speaker was John Fieldsend, and I suppose, on hindsight, this was when the veil of replacement theology, (that I didn’t even realise I was wearing, and was clouding my vision), began to fall.
During the lunch-break I noticed above the resources, on the wall, a poster for a conference in Jerusalem, coupled with 3 separate tours of Israel, two of them were “pilgrimages” and the third was an Archaeological Tour. The latter attracted me instantly, and when I got home, I boldly told my husband, a non-believer, that I would love to go, and quite out of character for him, he said “go then”.
This conference and the tours were being organised by C&M Ministries, who I had never heard of. To cut a long story short in September, I found myself boarding a plane for Tel Aviv, Israel. A friend from church and also a neighbour of ours, had enthusiastically asked to go with me, it would be his first trip to Israel too.
Back then passengers disembarked from the plane onto the tarmac at Ben Gurian airport.
When I did so, the moment my feet were on the ground, I felt something Supernatural, the nearest description I can give is it felt like a thunderbolt going through me, and I audibly heard a voice saying “You are home”. Nothing like this had ever happened to me, but far from being fearful I was ecstatic, and excited to see what this meant in the forthcoming days. I kept quiet about it because Peter hadn’t had the same experience, and I was reticent to share it with others in case they thought me to be quite crazy!
The conference was amazing and God downloaded so much into me, I had never heard teaching like this, this clearly was Truth. Clifford continued to teach in the evenings.
Time visiting archaeological remains in Jerusalem was brought to an abrupt halt when the second intifada broke out. I didn’t fully understand the politics of it all, but the Spiritual battle for the Land, and particularly the Temple Mount was brought into sharp focus, God was teaching me so much in such a short time, but still I couldn’t get enough.
We were able to escape to the Galilee which was largely unaffected by the intifada except for a heightened awareness of the possibility of imminent danger. Clifford and Monica were wonderful, so wise, protective and aware of the spiritual dynamic. Because visits out were limited in Jerusalem, we had the privilege of teaching from Clifford and Monica and I learnt so much from them.
We had a Syrian Christian Guide and he opened up the Land of Israel to me visually and culturally, I suddenly understood that God still had a plan for His Land, His People and the One New Man Church spoken of in Ephesians.
Since then God has taken me to Israel almost every year, sometimes twice. Only a hip replacement, and the Pandemic has kept me away.
I know that God took me to Israel for a purpose, and I try to impart what he has taught me about what he is doing in and through Israel in regard to Biblical prophecy, opening up the full counsel of God to largely “New Testament Christians”.
I have to add that I remained a prayer partner with C&M, and served on the “Pardes Biblical and Hebraic Study Days” until the end of the Moggerhangerr years. Over the years I’ve been on more C&M tours, continuing to learn so much each time. I count myself blessed that I went along to that meeting at the beginning of the millennium, without which I might never have received the revelation of the significance of Israel, and I would have missed my calling. Part of my calling is a desire to take tours for people like me who had never received the revelation, to bring them to the place, with the desire in your heart to know our Lord better, He will show up and change your life.
I am so grateful to Clifford and Monica for facilitating that tour, and for in time giving me the opportunity to fulfil my dream to take tours to Israel. The last two being “Encounter with Israel” in 2017, and “Exploring the Covenants (1)” in 2019. I hope and pray that God will give an opportunity to continue with these tours after the Pandemic.
I wait faithfully to see what our Lord has in store for Issachar Ministries, now my Ekklesia, knowing that the memory making won’t stop, and there will be more opportunities to do exploits for the Glory of God!”
Personally I am so grateful to God for putting me in touch with you both when He did, my journey with Him has been greatly enhanced, my knowledge of the depth of His word has increased, and my personal faith in Him has been buoyed up by the many messages such as yesterday’s was, that I have heard you expound since then (September 2020).
Now I count it a privilege to serve God, helping in a small part to facilitate clear teaching to the supporters of Issachar Ministries which will continue to be a legacy of yours as you leave it in the very capable hands of Nick, Vanessa and Chris to take it forward into this challenging new season.
May God continue to bless you both double for your faithfulness and obedience for the last 70+ years, and for many more to come whilst you catalogue it all through your Heritage ministry, thus enabling your exploits and experiences to glorify God for generations to come.
In 1988 my husband went to Israel with Intercessors for Britain. Unfortunately, he suffered a psychotic breakdown while in Israel and although he eventually made a full recovery, the effects lasted for several years. As a result, I found it difficult to pray for Israel, when it had so devastated our family. Additionally, the wedding ring I had given my husband had been thrown down a toilet in Jerusalem. Such a blatant attack on our family demanded strong action. In 1993, I saw advertised in Prophecy Today, a trip to Israel with Cliff and Monica. I decided to go and try to make peace with Israel, since it was so valued by the Lord and so much part of his plan for salvation.
The kind and gentle way that Cliff and Monica bring God’s Word to life brought healing into my life. We were studying the Old Testament and retracing the steps of the Patriarchs, the Israelites and Moses. I treasure the memory of going through the desert, sharing rides with Monica and two others, on a camel that had just lost her baby to wolves in the night. The desert can be a cruel and frightening place, but I found it also to be a place of peace and silence, such silence. Towards lunchtime, our guide produced a metal dome, hidden in a crevice in the rocks and placed it over a fire. He then proceeded to make flatbreads with flour and oil that he had brought with him and showed us how to eat it, dipping it into olive oil and herbs. It was delicious and a reminder that God provides, even in the desert times.
In the desert of Paran, I experienced my own calling out of Egypt into the wilderness, which Cliff taught us was a place of revelation for the Israelites and also for me. In the Wilderness of Zin, a place of decision for the Israelites was also a place of decision for me. In Jerusalem, we were encouraged by Barry Segal to keep praying for all the Jews returning to Israel, many of whom were coming to know Jesus as Messiah. On the side of Mount Carmel, we sat where it is believed that Elijah confronted the prophets of Baal. Standing near a shepherds’ well, Cliff told us the story of a stone being found on the site, which when scientifically examined, was said to have been subjected to a heat equivalent to the force of an atomic fusion. The story of Elijah’s sacrifice being consumed with fire became very alive.
Then as we gazed out over the Jezreel valley, it was as if I was in a different time zone and the reality of the world’s armies converging for the last great battle became so vivid. It is so helpful when God links historical events with the present and the future. Jezreel was part of Issachar’s inheritance in the land and in the early 1990s, a ministry with the name Issachar had been introduced by PWM as a banner and a place of gathering for those watching and praying for our nation.
The following year I went again to Israel with Cliff and Monica, this time taking my 14 year old daughter and also my wedding dress, because a request had been made to bring wedding dresses for the new brides arriving in Israel. We studied the New Testament world of Jesus. The trip made a significant impact on my daughter, who is today a deeply committed Christian. It is so important to make the Bible come alive for young people. I am so grateful for the teaching and healing that Cliff and Monica have brought into our lives, to keep us in step with God and on board with God’s plans for Israel, while we were coming to terms with what Israel had done to our family life.
TRIP TO ISRAEL 1993
Figure 2 Monica on Levana the camel, With David and Norah and Cliff taking a photo
Figure 3 Angela on Levana with David leading
Figure 4 Camel Train, Monica in the rear
Figure 5 Tushe, our desert guide making pitta bread
Figure 6 We stayed in a Bedouin tent and this was our loo with a view!
Figure 7 Cliff leading morning worship outside the Bedouin tent
Figure 8 Our more usual form of transport, on our way to Jericho
Figure 9 At Wadi Kelt, David and Jenny Forbes making good progress
Figure 10 Cliff teaching on the slopes of Mount Carmel
Figure 11 Looking over the Jezreel Valley from Mount Carmel
Figure 12 Making our way down from the shepherd's well on Mount Carmel
Figure 13 At the Garden Tomb
Figure 14 Cliff and Monica relaxing in Banias
Figure 15 Angela in Banias, Norma and Bert behind
Figure 16 Cliff outside Christchurch with Raphael, our Guide and David
Figure 17 Cliff with Cecil and Myrtle Kerr and Margaret
We had no desire to go to Israel as we had seen the slides of so many people who had visited the Land - many of them had no idea where they had been and so often had difficulty identifying their photos. They were glad they had been but there seemed to be no real excitement about it and no desire to do any follow up.
However, in 1992 a member of our congregation told us that a work colleague was urging him to go and hear a man called Lance Lambert from Israel speaking in Derby. Would we like to go with him? So we did. Well Lance started telling us about what God was doing and how Prophecy was being fulfilled now. He made it all sound so exciting that we really began to feel a great desire to visit Israel. Not knowing what kind of tour would be best we thought we would ask the advice of Clifford Hill of ‘Prophecy Today’. Much to our delight he said they were doing a tour next year and suggested we went with them. So in April 1993 we set off for the Old Testament study tour “From Dan to Beersheba”. Not everything went smoothly on that tour and it must have been a nightmare for the organisers, but we all had a wonderful time. There were two coaches - we were on the blue coach with David and Jenny Forbes, but of course always met up with Cliff and Monica and those on the red coach at each destination. We have many happy memories of that tour - not least acting out the story of Gideon defeating the Midianites at the spring of Harod. Also we are thankful that Cliff had organised
Barry and Batya Segal to be after-dinner speakers one evening. They shared their vision for the Joseph Store House and we signed up as supporters. What an amazing couple and what a tremendous work they are doing. I think Cliff had lined up other after dinner speakers but soon realised that after a day’s intense teaching we just couldn’t keep awake for anything in the evening.
When visiting the Elijah site, on Mount Carmel, I well remember Cliff telling us about the stone that had been found there.
We didn’t venture forth on the camel to spend the night in the Bedouin tent. (To tell you the truth it was quite a rare treat for us to stay in a hotel, so we opted for that rather than the tent!!!)
(While volunteering at Christ Church, we had a “volunteers day out” when amongst other things we were taken to Genesis Land where we “met Abraham” in his home and we made bread there which we consumed with olive oil and Zataar.)
Another thing I remember about the 1993 tour was “no room at the Inn”, when the poor organisers tried to get us all accommodated in Jerusalem, but the only other place they could find was the Dan Panorama in Tel Aviv so we had to pair up with two others on the other coach and have half our time in Jerusalem and half in Tel Aviv. I also remember our visit to the copper mine area - Tinmar Park - in Southern Israel not far from Eilat.
We were not able to visit Israel again until 2007 and then again in 2010. Since then we have been blessed by visiting Jerusalem each year until Len’s health and Covid prevented us going in 2020. (Our best ever time was as volunteers at Christ Church in 2011 - hard work but the best time of our whole lives).