"It's not over until it's over"

As I type this post, I am on a MegaBus coach travelling from London to Glasgow - after a few days in Amsterdam to celebrate a Silver Wedding Anniversary, and a Graduation in the Randag family in Bloemendaal.

Of course, in my absence, much has happened in the UK.  The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland has voted to allow the ordination and induction of practising homosexuals.  This is a move that is designed, I understand, to please all sections of the Kirk - the "revisionists" and the "traditionalists"!  As in most such cases, it may end up pleasing no-one.  The question for many will now be, "For how long can I remain a part of what is rapidly becoming (some would claim, 'has already become') an apostate church?"  For what it's worth, they have my deepest sympathy.  I recall my own situation over the slightly less contentious matter of infant baptism.  I am one of those who may truly claim that "I know what you are going through"!

At the same time, the House of Commons has been debating in the Report Stage of the Marriage (same-sex couples) Bill.  A number of amendments were tabled but, as far as I can make out, all were defeated - even if the Prime Minister had to depend on the support of her Majesty's Opposition.  Even there, a number of Labour members (my own MP included) voted in support of at least one of the amendments, in principled defiance of the Party Whip.

Of course, the newspapers have been providing their usual headline, and article, commentaries.  I have read, on-line, "Gay marriage step closer as bill clears major hurdle" (The Independent); "... gay marriage, which is expected to clear a final Commons vote tonight, remains on track, and same-sex couples should be able to tie the knot as early as next summer." (The Metro);"... the marriage (same-sex couples) bill will now experience a safer journey through parliament." (The Observer).

Now, even although I have learned a lot about it, in recent months, I make no claim to be an expert in Parliamentary procedure.  However, even I know that, while it is likely that the Bill will be passed this evening, at its Third reading, it could well be with a reduced majority.  I know, too, that it then has to be laid before the House of Lords.  I am fully aware that all of the indications are that the Bill will face a much more difficult passage in the Upper House, and that it is by no means guaranteed to be passed there.  It is also my understanding that, because it was in neither the manifestos of the parties who are now so apparently keen to support it, nor in any Queen's Speech, the Parliament Act cannot be invoked.  This, for those who do not know, is a legislative procedure that ensures that the Lords are unable to totally defy the will of the Commons.  Certain newspaper opinion may yet prove to be wrong!  As the heading to this post states, "It's not over until it's over" - and it certainly isn't over yet!

One additional point.  Writing to his young friend, and son in the faith, Timothy, the apostle Paul warns that "... the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own likings, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths." (II Tim 4:3-4).

"For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they then commit apostasy, since they crucify the Son of God on their own account and hold him up to contempt. For land which has drunk the rain that often falls upon it, and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed; its end is to be burned." explains the author of the Letter to Hebrew disciples of Jesus. (6:4-8).

Could it be that the things that we see around us are the very signs that Jesus assured us would be visible for those with eyes to see - signs that Father God is about to wind up this dimension that we inhabit?

Certainly, as someone once said, if God does not come in judgement upon the world today, He would need to apologise to Sodom and Gomorrah!

"Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen." (Rev 22:20-21).

Truth will out!

There are few days in which some reference is not made, in the British media, to the situation in the Middle East.  This does not simply mean reports from the ongoing civil war in Syria; or to the continuing unrest in Egypt; or to the latest visit to one of the Middle eastern countries by some 'high-flying' diplomat/politician.  It invariably means that those nasty Israelis are, yet again, bullying the poor Palestinians.  At least that is what much of the media would have us believe! 

At the centre of the situation is the city of Jerusalem.  It is claimed to be holy (i.e. separated from, and different to, anything else) by both Judaism and Islam.  However, the way in which it is treated by both gives the lie to one of those claims!  Here's a clue - the "Holy City" of Islam is Makkah (Mecca) in Saudi Arabia!

This video gives some interesting information - as does the "Show More" button, just under the screen if you go to the YouTube page to view.   The sound doesn't commence until about 1m20s into the video - so don't adjust your volume!



sh’alu shalom yerushalayim.   (Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.)  Ps.122:6

Death in Ethiopia.

Yesterday's reference to the famine in Ethiopia, in the mid-80s, in which many people died, leads me to share about a death that occurred, in that country, much more recently.  When I returned from our latest trip to France, the mail that awaited me included a regular update from Open Doors - one of the organisations that we support in its work amongst those disciples of Jesus who suffer great persecution because of their faith in Him.  This is just one such situation:

Lalisa Lergesa had only been married for six months when her husband was killed. A 30-year-old teacher, church planter, and pastor, Debela Mergesa was hacked to death by three Muslim extremists.

The church he had planted had grown into a strong, independent congregation.  Many villagers in the region had come to Christ. However, Debela's 'success' soon attracted opposition, and numerous death threats.

On 1 October 2012, Debela was going to the village.  Before he left his wife he told her, "We need to remain faithful in the face of threats against our faith."  A few hours later, he was dead - a martyr to his faith.

The suspects have been arrested but, for Lalisa, the pain and the grief are still obvious, and her psychological wounds are still raw.  "She is mourning, day and night." said her father-in-law. "I lost my son, but I am scared that I am also going to lose my daughter-in-law as a result of this grief.  Please pray for her."

Lalisa and her late husband were from a small town in Oromia, a region in western Ethiopia.  There was a time when this region had the second largest Christian population in the country, but a former regional state president resettled the area with thousands of Islamic families from eastern Ethiopia, resulting in the region becoming a Muslim-majority area.  It was the arrival of majority Islam that started the opposition that is experienced by Christian churches - especially those that are involved in outreach and evangelism.

These are the realities for so many disciples of Jesus in the world today.  If you would like to know more, and find out how you may best offer support, please use the links to some of the relevant organisations, that may be accessed by scrolling down this page, and clicking on one of the names in the right-hand-side column. 

Spiritual hunger.

In Wishaw Baptist Church, this year, the pastor is preaching through "The Sermon on the Mount" - apart from 'special' Sundays such as Resurrection [aka Easter] Day - and has now moved on from the Beatitudes, which are found at the beginning of that sermon (Matt.5:3ff).

One of the Beatitudes (or, as we were reminded, "beautiful attitudes") states: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." (Matt 5:6).  During my private devotions, this morning, I found myself thinking of those words.  I then recalled the famine in Ethiopia in the mid-1980s, and the work of the singer, Bob Geldof, in establishing "Live Aid" (I believe that it was footage of a BBC news report, in 1984, in which Red Cross nurse Claire Bertschinger was featured, that was the catalyst that moved him to begin his fund-raising).

I recalled television pictures of children with distended stomachs - the result of eating grass in an attempt to satisfy their extreme hunger.  I recalled scenes of even adults fighting over individual grains of rice that fell from sacks being unloaded from aid lorries.  These were people who had a gnawing hunger, and they were seeking to satisfy it even with that which provided no nutrition, or was totally inadequate.

I realised that there are so many in the world, today, who recognise a deep spiritual hunger.  They are seeking to satisfy that yearning that is in the very depths of their beings.  However, so many turn to that which is unable to provide true spiritual nutrition.  They find, as the Rolling Stones' song put it, that they "can't get no satisfaction"!

Last evening, the pastor directed us to, among other passages, Isaiah 55:1-2: "Ho, every one who thirsts,
come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.  Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which does not satisfy?  Hearken diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in fatness."

We might say that the prophet was looking forward to the Gospel, and to the One Who could say, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst." (John 6:35).

Of course, we need to have, spiritually, the same hunger and thirst that was experience by those Ethiopians almost thirty years ago.  But, if we do, and we come to Him, we will certainly find both spiritual nourishment, and satisfaction!

Time to be totally reactive?

As we travelled north, on Saturday, my wife and I listened to the Radio 4 programme Any Questions.  There were a number of topics covered, but one that particularly caught my attention had to do with the new rules that are being introduced to the child-minding sector regarding the number of children an individual minder may look after.  If my memory serves me well, this was a maximum of two up to one year of age, with the number increasing as the age group was raised.  The main concern seemed to be that, rather than such a move making nursery care less expensive, it would only serve to increase profits.

The panellists all had there opinions (or party dogmas), but no-one seemed to consider the obvious!  Why not close all nursery establishments, and allow mothers to do the natural thing and look after their own children, in their own homes, kept by a working husband and father?!  It certainly worked with  my own parents and their six surviving children - and my dad was not in a highly-paid job.  I would also claim that my own childhood was much happier than that of many children today - who do not have both of their biological parents at home, and who often appear to have no restrictions placed upon them, and no sense of personal responsibility instilled into them.

Of course, I already know the objections.  People, today, cannot get by on just one income.  Yes they can, if they adopt the old-fashioned virtue of living within one's means - of not having to have the latest wide-screen TV; the latest iPhone; a new car every three years; a couple of holidays every year; expensive carry-out meals; etc.   Perhaps it would be claimed that many do not even have one income.  Could it not be that, if mothers were at home, then there would be more jobs available for men?  What about equality?  Well that, it seems to me, is the root of the problem.  It was so-called 'equality', quickly combined with consumerism, that took mum out of the house and gave us the first generation of what were called "latch-key kids".

The problem with 'equality' is that it is a pipe-dream!  It has also come to mean 'equivalence'.  They are not the same!  My wife and I are equal as human beings.  I am not a more important person than she; and she is not a more important person than I.  However, we have different functions; abilities; talents; and so on.  When, as a young married couple, we decided that it was time to start a family, we didn't debate as to who would bear our children!  In spite of films like "Junior", the male of the human species is incapable of conceiving and bearing a child.  My wife and I are most certainly not 'equivalent'!

Another popular film was entitled "Back to the future".  Could it be that to have a future, we need to go back?  Back to the family unit as designed by a loving heavenly Father.  Back to the provider-father, and the carer-mother.  I am convinced that, if some political party were to "take the bull by the horns" and adopt policies that would lead to a return to what used to be called "old-fashioned values", we would actually see a positive difference in the society, and culture, in which we live.