Just as long as you were drunk!!!

It was more than a year ago that the news media reported that a six-year-old girl, who is both blind and deaf, had been left overnight in near freezing temperatures, after a bonfire and fireworks display.  Her carer - who may, or may not, be her mother, had taken her there, with the child dressed only in socks and a dressing gown.  My immediate question, at the time, was "Why take a deaf, blind, child to such an event in the first case?"!

However, the woman then realised that she did not have her keys, and so left the child, unattended, while she went to her sister's home to obtain spare keys.  Being, apparently, under the influence of alcohol, she then fell asleep - with the child still strapped into a pram!

It was the next morning that a classroom assistant came to take the girl to school - and found her tipped over in the pram, shivering and with blue lips.  The fact that she had survived the night may be seen as something of a miracle.  She was later given hospital treatment for hypothermia, and bruising.

Today, the carer was admonished, and walked free from court - the sheriff having deferred sentence for almost a year in order that she might display good behaviour!  Her lawyer claimed that she is "entirely remorseful, ashamed, and embarrassed".  Unfortunately, the accompanying newspaper photograph shows someone who gives no appearance of displaying any of those feelings!

I know that I am taking the words out of context, but I could hear Jesus say, "I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these My brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help Me."  (Matt 25:45; NLT).  How sad that the courts should, in my opinion, take the maltreatment of an extremely vulnerable child so lightly.  Perhaps, in today's Scotland, drunkenness is now an acceptable excuse for any form of child abuse!

Signs of Hope

Every so often, as regular visitors to this blog are aware, I make mention of the persecuted church and, usually, provide a specific instance of what my brothers and sisters in Christ are suffering for His name's sake.
However, while there is, sadly, much that could be reported on a daily basis, it is also good to know that there are positive reports that may be made.  I received some of them just today, and want to share some of the good, and encouraging, news with a wider audience.

China and the Far East
For centuries, Asia seemed to be almost impenetrable to the Gospel.  However, in the midst of sacrifice and martyrdom, the Spirit of God is moving powerfully in China, India, Vietnam, North Korea, and many other Asian nations.  In China, the Gospel is being eagerly received by university students, businessmen, and professionals.  North Korea is, once again, at the top of the list of those countries in which persecution of disciples of Jesus is most intense.  Indeed, one is open to arrest and imprisonment for nothing more than owning a Bible!  Yet even there, God is moving.  By the way, if you wish to sign a petition that Release will be sending to the North Korean authorities, you may do so at http://www.releaseinternational.org/petition/
The Muslim World
The Middle East and North Africa - so much in the news at present - were areas in which the Gospel of Christ had little or nothing to celebrate.  Today, we are seeing a turning of the tide.  Satellite television and radio are saturating the whole area.  It is estimated that more Muslims have come to Christ in the last ten years, than in all of the time since missionary endeavour to Muslims began!  In Iran, in spite of persecution directed specifically at the house church movement, the number of such house churches is doubling every six months.
The Latin-American Church
Fifty years ago, Chile and Brazil were the only nations in Central and South America with any meaningful evangelical presence (between 2% and 5%).  Today, there is a continent-wide explosion!  Some central American nations have become 40% Bible-believing.
Sub-Saharan Africa
Huge inroads are being made by the Gospel in sub-Saharan Africa.  Africans are taking on the mantles of men such as Moses, the Wesley brothers, and Lord Shaftesbury, as they lead the continent in the ways of God's righteousness.
The UK and the 'western' world
Secular humanism, amorality, and the curse of 'political correctness' have blighted the spiritual landscape of the West and, in many places, Biblical Christians are a small minority.  However, there are growing signs of life - prayer initiatives, and a new awareness by the church of the need for evangelism; together with surveys that indicate a growing interest in the Person of the Lord Jesus, particularly among younger people, are an encouragement to those of us who have sometimes felt like crying out with Elijah, "... I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too." (I Kings 19:14; NLT)

So those of us who own His Name, remember the words of the prophet: "And YHWH will be King over all the earth. On that day there will be YHWH - His Name alone will be worshipped." (Zech 14:9; NLT); and also the words of Jesus, Himself: "... I will build My church, and all the powers of hell shall not conquer it." (Matt 16:18; NLT)

Marriage!

It is my contention that, for many years, the word 'love' has been greatly devalued.  In the English language, it covers such a wide range, from 'like' to 'lust', with every possible shade in between!  At least the Greeks of New Testament times (and, possibly, today!) used four separate words that allowed some clarification to be provided.

The word 'Christian' has also, in my opinion, been devalued, certainly in the so-called 'western world', and possibly since the early 4th century A.D. when the Roman Emperor Constantine made Christianity 'legal' and 'respectable'.  As to the Emperor's own conversion - there is considerable doubt as to the reality of it!

However, I am becoming increasingly aware of the devaluation of the word 'marriage'.  Marriage, certainly in the Christian understanding of it, was ordained by God, and given a blessing by the presence of Jesus at the marriage in Cana of Galilee (see John 2:1 ff).  It was given, according to the words of the marriage service that I used, "... for the sake of the life-long companionship, help, and comfort that husband and wife ought to have of each other. ... so that family life may continue, and that children, who are a gift from God, may be brought up in the love and security of a stable and happy home. ... for the welfare of human society, that can be strong and happy only where the marriage commitment is kept and honoured."

So I am unhappy when I hear of moves to introduce homosexual 'marriages', able to be conducted within buildings that have been dedicated to the worship of Almighty God.  And I am unhappy when I learn, in this evening's news bulletin, of the rise in 'sham' marriages, in which foreign nationals pay a great deal of cash in order to have a 'legal' marriage arranged with someone whom they have only met, and hired, for that purpose.  Where is the "life-long companionship"?   When will there ever be any children of such a union?  How can any such 'marriage' be a commitment to be "kept and honoured"?

Of course, there are a number of measures that are designed to make it as difficult as possible (although still not particularly difficult!) for these 'marriages' to be arranged.  Yet the present UK government is apparently bowing to a ruling by the Law Lords in July 2008 that Home Office rules that stated that foreign nationals needed official permission to marry, breached their "human rights".

According to Article 16 of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights,

• (1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.
• (2) Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.
• (3) The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.

I read nothing there that makes it a 'human right' to abuse the institution of marriage simply in order to make it easier to remain in a country to which one is not native, and to which one may be making no positive contribution.  The Immigration Minister, Mr Damien Green, did give an assurance that if any suspicious activities were to be reported, they would be followed through, and dealt with by the immigration authorities.  This, it seems to me, is saying "Commit the crime; and just hope that you're not caught"!  Surely prevention is much better than cure!

It is to be hoped - however vainly - that new procedures will be introduced, with all haste, to put an end to this fraudulent abuse of a God-given institution.

An E.U. referendum!

According to news reports today, the European Parliament has passed legislation that will permit "EU funding" (which, of course, like all 'government funding' is supplied by the taxpayer!) to be used by political parties to publicise their campaigns even in national referenda!

This could mean that, if the British people are eventually given the right to vote in a referendum regarding continuing membership of the discredited, disastrous, debacle that is called the EU, then their own cash could be used to support the campaigns of those with vested interests (aka overly-generous salaries, gold-plated pensions, exorbitant expenses, etc., etc.) in keeping the United Kingdom in!

Of course, there has to be the opportunity for such a referendum in the first case.  Unfortunately, while it would appear that Prime Minister Cameron is all for allowing the people of Libya to determine their own national future - and, as earlier posts would indicate, I am with him on that - he is not as willing to allow the British people to determine theirs!

It would appear that there is only one credible political party within the UK that would be willing to permit the British people to have their say.  It is my hope, therefore, that in the forthcoming elections at various levels of government around the UK, the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) will see a great surge in support.  It is unlikely that they will end up in control of even a smaller Council, but a good result for them might just increase the pressure on Mr Cameron sufficiently that he would bow to the demands of many of his own back-benchers (supported, I understand, by a fair number from the Labour opposition) to allow a referendum.  It is unfortunate that he is not prepared to save considerable expense by holding such a vote on the same day in May as the other elections are taking place.  But of course, as usual, spending other people's money is just too easy!

A blesséd Sunday

It's been a great day - sharing the Word of God in two different fellowships.  In the morning, I was back with my former congregation in Bellshill: St Andrew's.  It's always good to meet up with them, and they always give me such a warm welcome.  The message, there, was based on Leviticus 6:13 - and I hope to be able to bring a further message based on that verse, next Sunday morning.

In the evening, I was back with the folk in the Dykehead (Shotts) Mission, where I was also warmly welcomed. The message there was on the unanswerable question that is found in Hebrews 3:2 and, as that message was recorded, I have uploaded it to my "audio blog" - hotlink in the right-hand side-bar (that means that you only need to click on the address, and you should be taken straight to the site!) where it says "We've moved!".  Some might think that it would be worth listening to!  It's the message at the top of the selection offered, and is headed The Unanswerable Question.  There are a number of other messages there - most of them, at this time, studio recordings - and I would suggest that they are worth listening to as well!  (No point in false modesty.  I believe, and others have confirmed, that preaching is a gifting that I have received from the Lord - He gets any praise that is due!)

What is that question?  Well, you'll just have to look it up in a Bible - and then listen to the message online, to discover more about it!