Identification - it's so important!

So, the English and Welsh local council elections have come and gone!  The results appear to indicate that the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) is now a major force with which to be reckoned in British politics.  In my opinion, for what it's worth, this is no bad thing.  The three "major" parties - the Conservatives, the Labour Party, and the Liberal Democrats - have shown, over recent decades, to be increasingly separated from "ordinary" people.  They have been, overwhelmingly, filled with career politicians who seem to have personal conservation as their highest priority, and the serving of those who elected them delegated well down the list.  Now I know that there are honourable exceptions - the problem is that they are exceptions!

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, ..." Moses tells us. (Gen.1:1)  That amazing act of creation culminated in the creation of mankind - the only 'part' of creation made in the image of the Creator (Gen.1:26-27), and into which the Creator breathed His own life (Gen.2:7).  Mankind was created, we understand, to enjoy unbroken communion and fellowship with its Creator.  Regretfully, that same mankind allowed sin to enter the world that God had declared to be "... very good!" (Gen.1:31), and so was cut off from the Creator, and banished from the beautiful Garden in which they had been placed. (Gen.3:23).

That could, quite easily, have been the end of the story.  God had acted with perfect justice, in accordance with Gen.2:17.  However, His written Word assures us that the Almighty, creating God is not only perfect justice, but that He is also perfect Love!  Indeed, love is the very essence of His being (see I John 4:8, 16).  Because of this, he was not prepared to leave a sinful humanity with no escape from its predicament. In what is referred to as the "protoevangelium" ("first Gospel"), He makes clear that a single descendant of the woman will open the way for mankind to, once again, have a deep and personal relationship with its Maker. (see Gen.3:14-15).

In order to do that, this same Almighty God, the Creator and Sustainer of all that is, took upon Himself, in the Persona of the Son (see my book {details at top of blog} - chapter on the Trinity), human flesh and, unlike so many modern politicians, became one of us.  He was not separated from the "common man" but "... understands our weaknesses, for He faced the same testings we do, yet He did not sin." (Heb.4:15).  He lived among us, a man among men; He died for us, bearing "... our sins in His Body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness." (I Peter 2:24); He rose from the dead, victorious over sin, death, hell, and the grave. (see, e.g., I Cor.15:51ff).

He is also the One Who has promised that He will return (Jn.14:3) and, unlike the average politician, He keeps His promises - to the letter!  As I look about me, I am increasingly convinced that that coming again is not far off.  I am not so foolish as to join the ranks of those who have claimed to have predicted the very day on which the Rapture (chapter on the subject available in my book!!) will take place.  However, I am certain that it will - possibly during my own mortal lifetime!

The Rapture will be a truly earth-shattering event - but it will merely fore-shadow the coming again of the Lord Jesus in judgement.  It will be then that "... the kings of the earth and the great men and the generals and the rich and the strong, and every one, slave and free, [will hide] in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, 'Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him Who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand before it?'" (Rev 6:15-17).

May all who read this post be spared that terrible situation, by turning to Him now, in repentance and faith, and accepting Him as their personal Saviour and Lord - for your own good, and for His glory.  If you think that I may be of any further help, please do not hesitate to contact me, in order that I may respond at a personal level.

Dwelling in unity.

Well, it's now almost an hour since the polls closed - no more votes may be cast; the die is set!  By tomorrow afternoon, most of the results of the local Council elections will have been made public.

I suspect that I have been the most laid-back candidate in the country!  Well, I am certainly unaware of anyone else who went off on holiday two weeks before polling day, and only returned on the evening before the elections!  Of course, I have been in the happy position of not having to worry about whether or not I am elected.  As I have stated before, in simple human terms, I have absolutely no chance.  I did no real campaigning other than attend a couple of hustings (a late arrival at the first!); provide a short piece for each of the two local newspapers (as every candidate was invited to do); and pass out some home-printed leaflets to near neighbours and to some carefully selected friends.

For me to be elected would require nothing short of a miracle!  Of course, I do believe in miracles, and in the God of miracles.  If it is His will that I be a North Lanarkshire Councillor for the next four years, I will seek to fulfil my duties to the best of my ability.  But if I am not elected, I will not be shedding any tears!

This afternoon and early evening were spent in visiting each of the Polling Places within the Ward, and spending some time in each - talking with the helpers of other Candidates, and with a couple of the Candidates themselves.  We represented different political Parties - on certain issues, miles apart in policy - but we were able to chat in a friendly fashion, with not even a hint of rancour.

As I drove away from one Polling Place, I found myself thinking how different it sometimes is within the Body of Christ!  How often I have witnessed those who are supposed to share a common faith - belong to the same Party, in political terms - almost at each other's throats!  How quick we sometimes are to accentuate the things about which we differ, while setting to the side the things that we have in common.  How afraid we often seem to be to even appear to be compromising our own particular standpoint.

As I shook the hands of two young, Asian background, SNP supporters; as I chatted with Labour activists; as I listened to the tales of woe of a supporter of one of the Independent Candidates; I didn't, for one moment, compromise my own Christian beliefs and values.  Why is it so difficult to take the same attitude with those who claim to follow, and worship, and serve, the same Christ Who is my own Saviour and Lord?

The Psalmist wrote: "Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers (and sisters!) dwell in unity! ... ... For there the LORD has commanded the blessing, life for evermore." (Ps.133:1,3).

Could it be that the Church is missing out on blessing simply because we are not dwelling in unity?!

Nice work - if you can get it!

In the Broadway Musical show Crazy for You, is a number by George and Ira Gershwin entitled "Nice work if you can get it: and you can get it - if you try."  It came to mind as I read the news that former U.K. Prime Minster Gordon Brown had made his first speech in the House of Commons since his Labour Party lost the last General Election.  Indeed, he would appear to have seldom, if ever, set foot in the Chamber during the intervening months preferring, instead, to concentrate on writing a book about the financial crisis which, in the eyes of many, was largely of his personal making.  During those months he was, of course, drawing the full salary of a back-bench M.P. - £65,738 (before expenses!) - but, apparently, not representing the very people who, for reasons that I am unable to fathom, re-elected him as their Member of the U.K. Parliament!  It would seem that Mr Brown is still somewhat lacking in integrity, and has not yet found his famous "moral compass"!

I cannot help but wonder how many 'ordinary' employees, on any level of salary, would be able to retain their employment if they took as much time off to attend to a personal project!  Surely it is time for politicians to be required to be 'on duty' for a minimum number of hours each week - or lose a percentage of their salary for time taken off!  Of course, the problem is that the only people who are in a position to make any changes to the working conditions, and salaries, of politicians are - politicians.  As the last couple of years have shown, too many were (are??) more interested in feathering their own comfortable nests, and in toeing the party line,  than in finding out the views of the people who elected them, and representing those same people in the various debates and votes.  As the saying goes - "Turkeys don't vote for Christmas (or Thanksgiving, if you are reading this on the other side of 'the pond'!)."

Of course, the Body of Christ has much for which to answer in this situation!  For too many years, the majority of those who call themselves 'Christian' (a much devalued term, in our modern western society!) either ignored the political realm entirely - in spite of the fact that they were/are effected by it on a daily basis; or did no more than recite a written prayer for the Queen and her ministers of government!

I don't honestly know if I coined the phrase myself, or if I heard it from another, but I suspect that it is true to say that we get the government for which we failed to pray!  However, the promises of Almighty God stand above all of the fickleness, the self-centredness, and the spin doctoring of even politicians; and He has said "... 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; RSV - my emphasis).

As Scotland is already anticipating elections to both the Scottish Parliament and local Councils, in May of next year, may it be that those who are called by the name of the King of kings will take seriously the call to pray - that God might yet raise up an army of committed men and women who will serve Him, by their service of their constituents; and seek His wisdom in every decision that they make.