Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory!

It would be nice to be able to claim that the heading to this post is original! It isn't - but it surely sums up the results of Thursday's General Election from a Conservative Party perspective. When Mrs May(be; maybe not) decided (having constantly said that she would not do so) to go to the country, the Conservatives had a substantial lead, in the polls, over Labour. During the campaigning period, the PM seemed to work hard at reducing that lead - and, in that she did have considerable success! The result is that we have a minority government in Westminster, dependant upon the DUP to survive! Now, if "the big fella" (aka the Rev. Dr. Ian Paisley, decd.) was still in charge, that would be, in my opinion, a much more interesting situation!

So what went wrong? Well, political pundits have been speculating on that for more than 24 hours and, from the perspective of most (all?!) of them, their conclusions may have much validity. One could say, fairly, that the PM was badly advised. It might be claimed that she ought not to have called the General Election in the first place. Many believe that she is as dithering, and useless, a PM as she was Home Secretary. "She was a dreadful Home Secretary, she has been a dreadful Prime Minister and dreadful election party leader who ran a dreadful election campaign." (Melanie Phillips). There are those who claim that the Labour campaign was much better than anyone had expected - and, of course, the sudden "illness" of the Shadow Home Secretary, and her immediate replacement, was certainly a master-stroke!

However, if we step back, and seek to look at the situation from a different perspective, is it possible that we are simply seeing the hand of Almighty God in all of this? I believe that this is most certainly the case. The big question, in my mind, is: "Is it the hand of judgement on a nation that has turned its back upon Him, and departed so far from His ways?" As I read that the Episcopal Church (ought that word to be placed within quotation marks?!) in Scotland has joined the Kirk in its acceptance of so-called "marriage" for homosexuals and lesbians - with the Provost of St Mary’s Cathedral in Glasgow stating that: “it's time for the church to celebrate what is celebrated in secular society” (rather than seeking to challenge secular society with the full Gospel of the Lord Jesus, the Christ); as I see the increasing marginalisation of the Judaeo-Christian heritage that has shaped so much of our nation's history; as I watch, with great sadness, the deliberate corruption of children with "transgenderism" being introduced to even primary schools; as I am aware of the way in which Islam is constantly deferred to (not least by the current PM, especially when she was HS!); I am inclined to answer that question positively. 

So what do we do in such a situation? Thankfully, it is not without precedent. As we read the pages of the Tanakh (the "Old Testament") we discover that the nation of Israel often came under the judgement of Almighty God. (see, e.g. Isaiah 5:5-7). This should not have surprised them! Words that are often quoted out of context are "... if My people who are called by My name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." (II Chron.7:14). But, as always, context is important! So we read in the previous verse, the words of YHWH: "When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, ..." In other words, the promise is a response to a nation that has suffered judgement. 

The following verses are also important: "... if you turn aside and forsake my statutes and my commandments which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, then I will pluck you up from the land which I have given you; and this house, which I have consecrated for My name, I will cast out of My sight, and will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples. And at this house, which is exalted, every one passing by will be astonished, and say, ‘Why has YHWH done thus to this land and to this house?’ Then they will say, ‘Because they forsook YHWH, the God of their fathers, Who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods, and worshiped them and served them; therefore He has brought all this evil upon them.’” (vs.19-22).

In days past, we had leaders who were neither ashamed, nor afraid, to call for a national day of prayer for the nation. I know that, in a number of church buildings, on Thursday, people were gathering to pray - not for any particular party or individual, but that God's will might be fully accomplished. I choose to believe that His will is, indeed, being fulfilled in this day and age, as in any other.

In my personal devotions, every day, I pray for this nation and its leaders. I pray that the Lord will raise up men and women of faith and integrity to positions of secular power, and influence, and authority. I pray that the nation will be hauled back from the brink of godless disaster. I pray that it will become a nation in which the Name of Jesus is respected by all, and honoured and exalted, by many.

Will you join with me in praying in such a way? Perhaps, if we do, we will discover that the Lord Who judges is also loving and merciful and gracious - and be, once again, the recipients of that love, and mercy, and grace. It will be for our good - and for His eternal glory.

May 7th - Why I won't be voting Conservative!

When I was in full-time pastoral ministry, and any election came about, I always encouraged my congregation to exercise their votes - but would never even hint at, let alone make, any suggestion as to which Party anyone ought to support.

However, as I am no longer in such a ministry, and as this is my personal blog, I am going to share where my own support is going to be on May 7th - if regular visitors to this blog haven't already worked that out!  Of course, I am doing so as a disciple of Jesus - believing that my chosen Party is the one that is closest to upholding the Judaeo/Christian heritage of this country.

Permit me, first of all, to explain why I am not going to vote for certain other Parties.  Not wanting this post to become as long as the average Party Election Manifesto, I'll deal with each of the traditional Parties over the next few posts.  We begin with the one that I believe will be the largest single Party in the new Parliament – but without the overall majority to form, on its own, a Government.

The Conservative (CONmerchant) Party.  This is the Party that introduced the legislation that led to the redefinition of marriage - in spite of the clear opposition in the country, and the fact that such a policy had not even been mentioned in their last manifesto!  However, the subject is mentioned in the current manifesto: "Our historic introduction of gay marriage has helped drive forward equality and strengthened the institution of marriage. But there is still more to do, and we will continue to champion equality for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people. We will build on the posthumous pardon of ... Alan Turing ... with a broader measure to lift the blight of outdated convictions of this nature" (p46).  So this is a Party that continues to champion the dismantling of traditional marriage and, at the same time, of the basic unit of society - the family.  

The current leader is also on record as saying, effectively, that there are too many white Christian faces in the UK; that he hopes to see a Muslim in 10 Downing Street; and that the British people should be adopting the Islamic culture and values!

Let us recall just some of Mr. Cameron's past comments - and his actions (or lack thereof!). 

• Shortly after taking office, Mr Cameron declared that the new Government would underline its commitment to the Armed Forces by putting it into law a new covenant - given legal force in a new Armed Services Bill - which would include rights to prioritised NHS treatment, decent housing and education for Service families’ children.

• Reality:  Thousands of ex-servicemen, and women, are living on the streets, unable to find housing.  More money spent on upgrading MoD offices than on assisting military veterans return to civilian life.  Of course, this doesn't deal with the steady cut-back in the UK Armed Services that has gone on under the Coalition Government - led by the Conservatives.

• Before the last General Election, Mr Cameron gave his (in)famous "cast-iron guarantee" to deliver a referendum on the Lisbon treaty during the lifetime of the ensuing Parliament.

•  Reality:   He actually 'whipped' (nothing physical!) his MPs to prevent private members' attempts to legislate for a referendum in that Parliament.

• Mr Cameron assured the electorate that the massive figure of net immigration would be brought down to "tens of thousands" each year.

• Reality:  Latest figures indicate that around 500,000 immigrants entered the UK in 2014 alone.  This included Romanian and Bulgarian Roma criminals - a convicted Latvian murderer as the chief suspect in the murder of a little English girl being amongst the most recent highlights.  This, of course, is because the UK Border Agency is simply "not fit for purpose".   We certainly travel, frequently, to and from France, with sometimes not even being stopped, let alone have our passports and luggage checked!

• The stated aim of the Coalition Government (senior partners, the Conservatives) was to deal with the economic deficit left by the previous Labour administration.  

• Reality:  The national debt has increased from £0.8 trillion to more than £1.4 trillion - almost double what was 'inherited'!   

I could go on - Welfare Reform that isn't; a promise to hold a National Referendum on the UK's continuing membership of the EU - in 2017 (by which time, he knows, we will not be permitted to hold one without the prior agreement of the other countries in that despicable organisation); the power of recall that would allow the electorate in a constituency to, effectively, sack their MP if sufficient of them believed that (s)he was not representing them properly - but that ended up depending on the support of the 'offending' member's parliamentary colleagues! However, that should be sufficient to enable anyone to understand why the Conservative Party is not, in my opinion, worthy of my support.

This is the PM who told us, at the beginning of the last Parliament: "Judge me on my record!"  That, Mr Cameron, is exactly what I intend to do!

God works in a mysterious way!

Not a Councillor - but still very much a "political animal", and keeping an eye on the situation here in the UK.  And there is much to watch!  The Local Council elections gave the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer some serious food for thought (or should that be "some food for serious thought"?!).  I suppose that the Deputy PM has some deep thinking to do as well - but let's not waste time and space on nonentities!

According to today's various news reports, Messrs Cameron and Osborne are taking a great deal of flak from both their back-benchers and their supporters around the country.  The very poor showing of the Conservative Party on Thursday is being blamed on the (Liberal) policies that the Coalition Government is seen as having espoused.  To many, it has been a case of the tail wagging the dog!

The response has been, to say the least, interesting. Speaking on the Andrew Marr Show, on BBC television, Mr Osborne indicated that  the controversial reforms of the House of Lords, and plans for homosexual/lesbian marriage were being kicked into the long grass. Yet, not so long ago, Mr Cameron was passionately supporting the latter - even at a meeting of senior clergy!

Personally, I am totally in favour of reforming the Upper Chamber in Westminster.  I would immediately throw out every single one of the jumped-up Prescotts, Kinnocks, and other so-called "Life Peers", and all of those who, regardless of their background, have been found guilty of fraud or any other crime.  I would then re-instate the hereditary Lords, on the one condition that no-one would be permitted to be connected to any political party.  In that way, I believe, we would achieve an independent Upper House, with all of the life experience that many of these noble Lords and Ladies are able to bring to debate.  I know that there have been many times, in the long and distant past, when I have been so glad to have an unelected Chamber of hereditary Peers who were able to inject what is, in our political circles, that most rare of commodities - common-sense - into debate, and frustrate the stupidity of the elected representatives (usually representing themselves!) in the House of Commoners!

As far as the proposals anent the redefinition of the God-ordained institution of marriage as between a man and a woman, to the exclusion of all others, for life, is concerned, I hope that the Scottish Government will take the hint as well.  I have already e-mailed Mr Salmond to inform him that the SNP support for this redefinition lost him my First Preference vote on Thursday.  Okay, so I would have given myself that vote in any case - but the SNP didn't even receive my Second Preference!

God does work in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform.  Could it be that the results on Thursday were actually His means of having this proposal taken out of play?  It will be interesting to hear the Queen's Speech (actually, the Government's Speech, read by HM!) on Wednesday!   I only know that He is the Sovereign God, Whose plans and purposes shall come to pass - regardless of political parties and/or personalities.  All praise and glory to His Name.

Political promises!!

It was the great apostle, Paul, who wrote  "I have become all things to all men,..." (I Cor 9:22).  I thought of those words as I read the reports of an Easter reception for Christian leaders, in Downing Street on Wednesday , at which the Prime Minister reportedly affirmed his belief that the nation needed Christian values.  He claimed that: “The greatest need we have in our country is to have strong values and to teach our children and to bring people up with strong values. The values of the Bible, the values of Christianity are the values that we need – values of compassion, of respect, of responsibility, of tolerance.”

This sounds to me - cynic that I am when it comes to the majority of contemporary politicians - a bit like Paul.  Mr Cameron seems to want to be "all things to all men".  Of course, Paul went on to say: "... that I might by all means save some."  His concern was the salvation of men, and women, and young people, and children, for whom Jesus the Christ hung and died on a cross.  Mr Cameron's concern would sometimes appear to be the survival of David Cameron and, possibly, of the Conservative Party!

You see this is the same David Cameron who is currently backing the U.K. Government consultation - not on whether or not marriage should be redefined, but simply on how the Government might go about achieving such a redefinition!  This is the same David Cameron who refused to back disciples of Jesus who are currently having their appeals heard by the European Court of Human Rights with regard to, for example, wearing a cross at work.  This is the same David Cameron who promised special income tax breaks to married couples, as a means of supporting and encouraging marriage, but who has (to date) totally reneged on that promise.  This is the same David Cameron who had backed the relaxation of Sunday trading laws for the duration of the 2012 Olympiad - with the distinct possibility that such relaxation could become permanent.

So I remain somewhat cynical!  Perhaps someone close to him will point him to those places in the New Testament in which it is made clear that it is our actions that count, not merely our words. It would be good if the Prime Minister were to match his fine words with political action.

I, for one, am not holding my breath!

Marriage of love, or of convenience?

Through the mouth of His prophet, Amos, YHWH asked the question "Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction?" (3:3)

Those words came to my mind as the post-election saga slowly came to an end. The U.K. has a government again. But who would have guessed, even a week ago, that the Conservatives would have joined forces with the Liberal Democrats - almost the old Tories and Whigs coming together!

Like a lot of folks, I am pleased with the eventual outcome - but concerned about the longer-term implications! Is this really a marriage of love - or is it simply one of convenience? There are a number of Liberal Democratic policies with which I have real problems. In the past, the House of Lords has proved to be a bulwark against some of the more extreme legislative proposals brought forward by the last administration. I would be loathe to see it changed, as the LibDems would want. Although I am a lover of Europe, and have dear friends in a number of European countries, I am totally opposed to the E.U., and would gladly see the U.K. withdraw from it. The LibDems are very pro-E.U. I find it difficult to forget that it was a Liberal - David Steel - who introduced the Abortion Act (1970), responsible for the deaths of countless unborn children. And when the new Scottish Executive (as it then was) decided to abolish Section 2A (Clause 28 in England/Wales), the Liberals were right there supporting its abolition - in spite of repeated polls that showed that some two-thirds of the Scottish population wanted it to be retained.

Still, as I have written elsewhere, "the proof of the pudding is in the eating", and we shall now just have to wait to see how events transpire. Once again, I return to my favourite theme - the sovereignty of Almighty God. There is more than a little truth in the old saying that "Man proposes, but God disposes"! He is still on the throne, and I take comfort in that. The hymnwriter got it absolutely right when he wrote "God is working His purpose out, as year succeeds to year" (Basil Harwood). May we be found co-operating with Him as much as we hope that the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats will co-operate in the government of the U.K.

The waiting continues!

So, Mr Brown has finally 'got the message', and has given a public assurance that he will resign as soon as a new government is formed. And there, as Shakespeare's Hamlet would say, is the rub! Because, as I type, there seems to be no sign of any firm agreement coming out of the lengthy, cross-party, discussions that are going on. Indeed, the water might be said to have been muddied by the news that, after however many hours of talking with the Conservatives, Mr Clegg's LibDems are also holding conversations with the Labour Party. There are those who are suggesting that Mr Brown's announced departure from the leadership of the Labour Party is a calculated move to enable the LibDems - whose leader was so public about not propping up Mr Brown, in government - to cosy up to the Labour Party.

It is all a bit of a mess! Yet, what can we expect from those who appear to be so determined, in spite of all of the evidence of past failures, to depend on their own perceived wisdom, and ability.

The Bible has a great deal to say about wisdom - which, by the way, is not totally synonymous with knowledge and understanding! Almost every chapter of the Old Testament book of Proverbs has a number of references to it. It is seen as something that: comes from the Lord (2:6 inter al); is of great importance (4:7); is a characteristic of those who do have understanding (10:13); and is of more value than even gold (16:16).

It is seen as just as important in the New Testament writings. It was to be one of the attributes of the earliest deacons (Acts 6:3); it is linked with 'spiritual understanding' (Col.1:9); it is differentiated from worldy 'wisdom', being "... first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy." (James 3:17, NKJV).

It must surely be our prayer that those most directly involved in this ongoing situation be filled with that wisdom - the wisdom that comes from God alone.