Farrah Fawcett - seeking a miracle.

Terminal cancer is never a pleasant subject about which to write – or even think. However, yesterday evening’s news told me of Farrah Fawcett, one of the stars of the 1970s series Charlie’s Angels, who is reportedly in the final stages of the condition. She has made a video diary that was intended to be something to look at after she had recovered. However, according to her sometime partner, the actor Ryan O’Neal, she is now reconciled to the fact that such a recovery is unlikely. It was just one sentence in the report that made me think – words spoken by the actress when she said that she needed a miracle, and “told” God that this was seriously the time to work one!

In yesterday morning’s thought in the UCB publication Word for Today (available free of charge – go through the link at the bottom of the blogsite) we were reminded to “Stop treating God like a caretaker you call when you’ve made a mess, and need someone to clean it up; or as your ‘go-for’ person, when you need something you can’t otherwise get. Don’t go to God for a miracle, go for a relationship; and you can walk in His miraculous provision every day.”

That’s a reminder that God is not there to be called upon in times of need – and ignored the rest of the time. It is those who have entered into a living relationship with Him, through the Son, who are in a position to seek His help. Those who do not have that relationship, do not have access to the Father Who, according to the Lord Jesus, may only be approached through Him (Jn.14:6).

I trust that Farrah Fawcett knows someone who is close enough to both the Lord, and her, to be able to bring these truths before her, that she might experience the greatest miracle of all – salvation from the consequences of her sinfulness, and a new life that goes beyond physical death, and that is founded on a living relationship with the Lord Jesus.

May that also be the experience of every individual who reads this blog.

Satan's Deadliest Strategy

The following is a slightly edited version of an e-mail that I received, today, from my wee cousin, Heather. It has a great deal of what J.B.Phillips would have called 'the ring of truth'. It also brings a considerable challenge to those of us who claim to be disciples of the Master, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Satan called a worldwide convention of demons.In his opening address he said,“We can't keep Christians from going to church. We can't keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth. We can't even keep them from forming an intimate relationship with their Saviour. Once they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken.So let them go to their churches; let them have their covered dish dinners BUT – steal their time, so they don't have time to develop a relationship with Jesus Christ. This is what I want you to do,” he continued, “Distract them from gaining hold of their Saviour and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!”

“How shall we do this?” his demons shouted.“Keep them busy in the non-essentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds," he answered. “Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow.Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their empty lifestyles. Keep them from spending time with their children. Soon, as their families fragment, their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of work! Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small, voice. Entice them to play the radio or CD player whenever they drive; to keep the TV, VCR, CDs and their PCs going constantly in their homes; and see to it that every store and restaurant in the world constantly plays non-biblical music. This will jam their minds, and break that union with Christ.

Fill their coffee-tables with magazines and newspapers. Pound their minds with the news, 24 hours a day. Invade their driving moments with billboards. Flood their letterboxes with junk mail, mail-order catalogues, sweepstakes, and every kind of newsletter and promotion offering free products and services, and false hopes. Keep skinny, beautiful models on the magazines and TV so the husbands will believe that outward beauty is what's important, and they'll become dissatisfied with their wives. Keep the wives too tired to love their husbands at night. Give them headaches too! If they don't give their husbands the love they need, the husbands will begin to look elsewhere. That will fragment their families quickly!

Give them Santa Claus to distract them from teaching their children the real meaning of Christmas. Give them an Easter bunny so they won't talk about his resurrection and power over sin and death. Even in their recreation, let them be excessive. Have them return from their recreation exhausted. Keep them too busy to go out in nature and reflect on God's creation. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, plays, concerts, and movies instead.

Keep them busy, busy, BUSY! And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences. Crowd their lives with so many good causes that they have no time to seek power from Jesus. Soon they will be working in their own strength; sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause.

It will work! It will work!"

It was quite a plan!

The demons went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get busier and more rushed, going here and there. They had little time for God or for their families. They had no time to tell others about the power of Jesus to change lives.

Does "BUSY" mean: B-eing U-nder S-atan's Y-oke?

I guess the question is: Has the devil been successful in his schemes in your life?

Politics, and the purposes of God

The news over recent days seesm to have been dominated by politics - whether it is the attitude of the present (British) government to ex-members of the Ghurka; the continuing revelations with regard to the way in which a large number of members of the British parliament appear to have abused the system of allowances and expenses (while always working "within the rules"!!); or the predicted melt-down of the Labour party at the local elections, in England and Wales, to be held at the same time as the European elections on June 4th.

It is little wonder that, in the light of such information, the general public seem to have lost what little faith in, and respect for, politicians they had managed to retain over the past decade.

The whole episode concerns me as a British taxpayer; as a constituency member; and as a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. It has often been said that we get the kind of government for which we vote - but I find it incredibly difficult to believe that even the most ardent Labour supporter voted for this state of affairs. One is reminded of George Orwell's Animal Farm in which Napoleon the Pig stated that "All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others" These words were written in 1945 as a criticism of the communist system and the greed that was obvious at the top. It would appear that too many of the current group of members of parliament (and of the European parliament) have taken this as some form of personal position vis-a-vis the general public.

However, I am also reminded that I serve the sovereign God, and that He is working His purposes out on a daily basis. Could it be that the current situation is paving the way for the election of men and women of honesty and integrity to the 'corridors of temporal power'? I certainly would not want to see the British National Party become the beneficiary of the electorate's disillusionment. I would hope, indeed, that the Christian Parties will be seen as having a basis that will satisfy the natural desire for fairness that is shared by so many. One of the arguments against the 'smaller' parties being considered in the past, has been their lack of political experience. However, it could be argued that we want to get away from current political experience, and acquire a freshness that looks to Almighty God for guidance and direction.

The next few weeks will be very interesting to 'politico-watchers'. Praise God that He is still in control; that He still rules the nations; and that, in the Persona of the Lord Jesus (listen to my audio-message on The Trinity, at www.revcbross.blogspot.com), He will soon return to bring true justice and integrity to a renewed earth.

Signs of the times?

I can barely believe that it is almost a fortnight since I posted on this blog! My only excuse is that I have been unusually busy – but I guess that I could have made some time if I had wanted to say anything that I thought to be of some importance. :-)

One of the major items of news this week, concerns Philip Nitschke, an Australian medical doctor, and proponent of assisted suicide (euthanasia) who was interviewed under the Immigration and Asylum Act after arriving from Australia on Saturday. Dr Nitschke held a workshop in Bournemouth, Dorset, today, to talk about his “area of expertise”. The U.K. Home Office had already confirmed he had been interviewed and had been granted permission to enter the UK.

Well, I am totally in favour of people being able to express their personal point of view – provided that it is done politely, and that they will permit those who hold an opposite/alternative viewpoint to express their opinions. So, as far as it goes, I have no particular problem with this gentleman’s ideas, or his desire to share them with those who wish to know. However, I will continue to argue that human life is unique and special, and that only Almighty God has the right to take the life that He created.

However, I am reminded of other decisions of the British Home Office, and the Department of Immigration in particular. I think of those – usually claiming to be devout Muslims – who come to the U.K. with the sole intention of encouraging others to work against this country and its inhabitants, and often doing so whilst claiming as many state benefits as they can! Even when arrested, tried, and convicted, it would appear that it is impossible to deport them as this, it is claimed, would infringe upon their human rights!

I am also reminded that a Christian musician and a team of missionaries from the United States were recently denied entry into the United Kingdom under complex new immigration rules, that were quietly introduced late last year, and that require religious workers to pay a fee to obtain a visa. Well-known Christian singer, Don Francisco, arrived at Heathrow Airport on March 2nd and was detained, fingerprinted and escorted onto a flight back to the U.S.

On the previous day, a team from Arkansas, who would have volunteered in soup kitchens with Assemblies of God churches in Edinburgh, was denied entrance into Scotland, having been told that they had to have a work visa!

Christian leaders inside the U.K. said few ministries are fully aware of the work visa regulations, which were introduced late last year, and under which religious workers must be sponsored by a U.K. government registered organisation. Also, applicants must pay a fee to obtain a work visa. Essentially, one may stay in the U.K. as a tourist for six months, but if one wishes to volunteer some of one’s time working in a soup kitchen, a work visa is required!

Putting it all together, we seem to have arrived at a situation in which it is acceptable to promote the taking of human life, but not to seek to enhance it. I am not sure that the rejection of either Don Francisco, or the team from Arkansas, may be interpreted as specifically anti-Christian. However, it is a strange coincidence that, apparently, the first people to fall foul of the new regulations are those who are disciples of the Lord Jesus! Certainly, even if the legislation isn’t aimed, specifically, at Christians, they are the ones it's going to affect because they're going to be honest. If Don Francisco had said he was a singer, he probably would have been welcomed but, because he said ‘gospel singer,' he was deported.

These are sad days in the U.K. – but, could it be that they are heralding the return of the One Who will act with perfect justice and integrity, even Jesus, King of kings, and Lord of lords?

Intelligent Design

Earlier this evening, I caught a little bit of a TV show in which we were informed that a shark can reach speeds of 50 mph (80 kph) in the open sea. Marine scientists are apparently aware that what slows human beings down, in the water, is “drag” – the way in which the water swirls around and along the body (and here I was, thinking that it had something to do with my advancing years!!)

So, the obvious answer was to examine the shark and, when sharkskin was placed under a powerful microscope, it was seen to be composed of what were described as small “teeth” with clear channels running between them. The next move was to copy this design in the form of swimwear in order that speed records might be broken and, indeed, in a very simple test, a champion swimmer knocked almost a full second off her time for just a single length of the pool!

Two thoughts occurred to me. One was that, nowadays, sporting records seem to be broken more by improved technology than by physical prowess! Specially designed swimsuits; tennis rackets; bicycles; golf clubs (and even golf balls); etc. have enabled many long-standing records for speed and/or distance to be totally destroyed. One wonders what some of the sportsmen and women of an earlier generation might have achieved if they had had access to such hi-tech equipment!

The other thought was that there was apparently no question about how the shark arrived at this amazingly precise, and highly effective, design. The dyed-in-the-wool evolutionist – of the ilk of David Attenborough and Richard Dawkins – will insist that it is all the product of chance mutations that took place over millions (if not billions) of years. I honestly find that just too silly for words! The evolutionists seem to take some initial stage, and the final stage; add some exceptionally long time-scale; mix well; and state that “science has proved” their point. The fact of the matter is, of course, that it has done no such thing! Real science depends, for its verification, on both demonstration and repetition. That means that whatever my hypothesis (my “idea/speculation”), I must be able to demonstrate it to my peers, and repeat the successful experiment on a number of occasions. No evolutionist can do either – as, indeed, no creationist can do with the alternative. Both are beliefs, by which we may live and direct our lives. But neither is a “scientific fact”!

The Bible gives an equally plausible, and true-to-ALL-of-the-evidence, explanation: “And God said, ‘Let the waters swarm with fish and other life. Let the skies be filled with birds of every kind.’ So God created great sea creatures and every sort of fish and every kind of bird. And God saw that it was good.” (Gen.1:20-21)

What we believe effects how we behave. Society, in general, is the strongest evidence against the Godless teaching of the past 150 years!