The Servant of All

Cap in hand?

2012-01-26T17:19:00.000+01:00

There’s an interesting article on the BBC website today (click here) in which the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Carey, criticises some bishops in the church of England because they have sought to prevent the government from introducing a benefits cap.

I haven’t read Lord Carey’s comments in full, but I agree with him inasmuch as the BBC report tells the story. It is scandalous that idleness, slothfulness, laziness – call it what you will, is encouraged through the benefit system. No family ought to be able to receive more in benefits than the average salaried family in the country, because that will encourage people to give up working and take the benefits instead.

Speaking as one whose salary is less than the national average (£26,000 p/a), I find it morally disturbing that people who do nothing can receive more than me, someone who works as best I can for the money I earn, contrasted with those who sit around doing nothing.

Its also disturbing that Church of England bishops would oppose setting limits on how much families can receive in funding from those who are working. Especially in light of God’s word which clearly states:

2Th. 3:6 Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is living in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us; we were not idle when we were with you, we did not eat any one’s bread without paying, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not burden any of you. It was not because we have not that right, but to give you in our conduct an example to imitate. For even when we were with you, we gave you this command: If any one will not work, let him not eat. For we hear that some of you are living in idleness, mere busybodies, not doing any work. Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work in quietness and to earn their own living.

The apostle says he was not idle when he was with them, they didn’t eat anything without paying for it, they toiled and laboured and expressly taught that ‘if any one will not work, let him not eat.’

We all agree that people who are unable to work ought to receive assistance in some form or another. But most men are able-bodied and ought to work at something. A welfare system must never encourage the sin of idleness, nor promiscuity (because it should be recognised that some girls specifically have babies in order to get the welfare cheque), because that leads to a lazy people and children without fathers.

As long as the state sponsors sin, sin will grow. As Christians we ought always to love our neighbours, but we’re not doing that if we actively encourage our neighbours pocket to be picked (by the tax-man) so that others can sit around and do nothing all day. A cap on the amount a family can get in benefits is not only practical, it strikes me as morally right. Who in their right mind would give someone money so they can squander it on themselves, without ever lifting a finger to earn the things they are enjoying?

Our Lord teaches that we will always have the poor with us, and we can help them whenever we want to. And that is very true. But there is a clear distinction between those who are poor because their circumstances have made them so, and those who are just plain idle.

Now such people we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work in quietness and to earn their own living.

Thanks for stopping by.

Make school longer?

2012-01-10T17:16:00.001+01:00

Should school-days be lengthened? That’s a suggestion made by Labour’s education spokesman, quoted in the BBC today (click here for the story).

It’s an interesting idea, and one which could, in theory, lift educational standards in the Kingdom. But the fundamental problem in classrooms is not the amount of time spent there, but the learning environment within the classroom. There is no point increasing the length of time a youngster spends in class, if the classroom is not conducive to learning.

And sadly, in too many cases, the classroom is not conducive to learning because discipline is not applied.

There is a fundamental problem which underlies many schools in the United Kingdom. This is the view that children do want to learn, and all they need to do is be shown how to learn, and what to learn, and they will learn it. But the reality is that human nature is fallen, the default position is ‘folly’ not ‘wisdom.’ Students would prefer to fool around than work hard writing essays or learning algebra. In their world such abilities are not necessary, (and in reality they won't be until later life). But this is a message they have to receive on faith – that "it will be for your good later in life, if you learn this (knowledge or skill) now."

The default human position is towards laziness. Students are no different. Only discipline can overcome our natural disposition to do as little as possible for as long as possible.

Therefore, I conclude that the place to begin improving education in her Majesty’s kingdom is not by lengthening the school day, but by re-introducing effective means of discipline (and yes, that includes the possibility of being ‘birched’ or ‘expelled’).

The Bible teaches us that fathers discipline the sons whom they love. And as long as schools are without discipline (starting with a fixed routine, better known as an effective timetable) children will not grow in knowledge or wisdom as they otherwise would. And the absence of discipline means an absence of love.

I’m all for improving educational standards in the Kingdom, but lengthening the school days is not the solution, because it is not the quantity but the quality of the classroom which is conducive to right and successful learning.

Prov. 3:11 My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.

Thanks for stopping by.

A prayer answered.

2012-01-01T22:05:00.003+01:00

Happy New Year to you!

Over the last seven years I have regularly read through the Bible in its entirety each year. On the 28th or 29th of December (i.e. 3 or 4 days ago) I prayed the Lord would make me learn something new from Jesus in 2012. I prayed that I would be a better disciple. The next day a book came through the post, it was a gift from the company my wife and I use as our home-school curriculum.

That book, which I read in less that 24 hours, has radically shaped my thinking on what it means to be a Christian. And if you will read the information below, and then click on the link, you might find your discipleship completely changed too. Because who wants to be a vanilla disciple of Jesus, when He is so great, and being in His kingdom is so fantastic?

I want to be obedient to Christ, and to see what a difference He can make in me.

So here's the blurb:

"What does it actually mean to follow Jesus? Simply put, it means to believe Jesus’ message and obey it. So, why is it we don’t obey more often than we do?

Years ago I noticed that during the course of my day I’d have an impression from the Holy Spirit to do something I was reasonably certain Jesus wanted me to do. It would be an impression to either do something good for someone or refrain from doing something wrong. It might be to stop for a car broken down on the highway, speak to a co-worker about Jesus, or simply turn off my computer before I ended up at a site where no Christian should go.

Almost simultaneously I would sense another voice whispering to discourage me. “You don’t have time to do that – helping that person could get messy – you can’t afford to help them right now – stand up for your rights – you deserve it – it’s okay, once more won’t kill you.” If I listened to this other voice and thought about it long enough, the moment for obedience would pass, often to my relief. It finally dawned on me that by procrastinating on being obedient to Jesus, I was unintentionally teaching myself the habit of disobedience. Why is that?

Why did I hesitate? Because I knew that most decisions to obey would cost me something – time, money, embarrassment, inconvenience, or a momentary pleasure denied. By choosing not to obey Jesus, I avoided all of that! So the reason I wasn’t more obedient to God? Without hardly thinking about it, I automatically counted the cost and the price seemed too high for me. Then a decade ago a lay pastor from China taught me a simple rule that could break that cycle:"

You can find out more here:

I can assure you, my life has changed already. I don't want to be just a Sunday Christian, I want to be a DISCIPLE of JESUS CHRIST.

“If you love me, you will obey what I command.”
-John 14:15

Thanks for stopping by!

Nature heralds the passing of a leader? No, but it heralded the birth of the true one.

2011-12-22T07:15:00.000+01:00

The BBC carries a story from North Korea today, in which the North Korean State News agency claims that there have been 'freak' natural events occurring in the wake of the death of Kim Jong-il's death (click here for more).

It is difficult of course to trust the news reports coming from North Korea, which is a despotic state. But it has made me think about the birth and death of a far greater, far more influential, far more powerful leader than Kim Jong-il. I refer of course to our Lord Jesus Christ.

When Jesus was born, Matthew records in his gospel that a star heralded his birth, and that wise men travelled from the east to find the new king as a result of this star. This of course, is absolutely remarkable - to think that a star would show the way to a young boy. However, the star had been prophesied years before Jesus was born, as we read in Numbers 24:17

I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not nigh: There shall come forth a star out of Jacob, And a sceptre shall rise out of Israel, And shall smite through the corners of Moab, And break down all the sons of tumult.

And then, thinking further on natural phenomena, we are told that at the death of our Lord, the sun was darkened for three hours and several earthquakes took place over the three days between Jesus' death and resurrection.

What then are we take make of this? Shall we conclude that the gospel writers fictionalised their accounts, to give Jesus more splendour than He actually deserves? Such a conclusion might be drawn, but only by someone wishing to deny the greatness of Jesus Christ and the historical evidence. The sign which stands above all others, as far as faith in Jesus Christ is concerned, is the sign of His resurrection.

Matt 12:39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given it but the sign of Jonah the prophet: for as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Three questions remain unanswered with respect to Jesus' resurrection, compelling me to believe He is risen from the dead.

i) What happened to Jesus' body?

ii) Whom did the disciples see?

iii) Why did the church begin?

I commend to you Frank Morrison's book 'Who moved the Stone?' (an online version is available here.) In his work, Morrison presents the evidence so clearly that the reader can only conclude that the one who moved the stone was none other than an angel of God. There can be no other credible explanation...

So we return the greatest sign of all. If it be true that Christ is risen, that the Lord Jesus really did rise from the grave, then we see that God has the power to raise the dead, He has the power to reverse and change the forces of nature. And if that be the case (and it is), then it is not hard to believe that God caused a star to shine, and the sun to darken, at Jesus' birth and death respectively.

So I do not conclude that the gospel writers fictionalised their accounts, to give Jesus more splendour than he actually deserved. No, I conclude that Kim Jong-il tried, throughout his life, to be a great man. He tried to be an object of worship. The state media have tried to make him out to be as great as Jesus Christ. But the difference between Jesus Christ and Kim Jong-il can hardly be measured, for the vastness of it is so great. Jesus Christ was God in the flesh - Kim Jong-il was a mere man, just like you and me. Kim Jong-il was a man who forced others to bow down to him, whereas Jesus Christ invites people into His Father's kingdom, and by his life and death makes it possible for us to enter in. Finally, Kim Jon-il is dead, and will soon be forgotten. But Jesus Christ is alive, and in a few days his birth will be remembered yet again, as it will be, no doubt, in 2012, 2013, 2014 and indeed, until He comes again.

I don't believe North Korean state media, it's notoriously unreliable. But I do believe the Bible - because it is, and always will be, completely trustworthy (as I blogged once before). Having looked into the question, I can be surer of no greater historical fact than that Jesus Christ rose from the dead some 1975 years ago (probably in the year A.D. 27). Of that I am certain, and that is why I have no trouble believing a star heralded His birth, and darkness His death.

May I take this opportunity to wish all my readers a very MERRY CHRISTMAS.

And thanks for stopping by today, and throughout the year.

Some Christmas reading.

2011-12-18T17:30:00.001+01:00

A few years back the lovely Mrs Cameron and I were reading a book together (this, of course, was before we had children!) The book in question was Tom Brown’s Schooldays, which is an excellent story in which the hero Tom Brown finds out how hard it is to become and continue as a Christian in an English public school - namely, Rugby. If your spouse is pestering you what to get you for Christmas, I commend to you this book. Well worth reading in 2012.

At the beginning of the final chapter, the author begins to reminisce on his own school days, and these paragraphs caught my eye. For some time I have wanted to blog on them, so here we are:

Not but what there has been a solemn and a sad side to [thinking on my schooldays]. As the old scenes became living, and the actors in them became living too, many a grave in Crimea and distant India, as well as in the quiet churchyards of our dear old country, seemed to open and send forth their dead, and their voices and looks and ways were again in one’s ears and eyes, as in the old School-days. But this was not sad; how should it be, if we believe as our Lord has taught us? How should it be, when one more turn of the wheel, and we shall be by their sides again, learning from them again, perhaps, as we did when we were new boys.

Then there were others of the old faces so dear to us once, who had somehow or another just gone clean out of sight - are they dead or living? We know not, but the thought of them brings no sadness with it. Wherever they are, we can well believe they are doing God’s work and getting His wages.

But are there not some, whom we still see sometimes in the streets, whose haunts and homes we know, whom we could probably find almost any day in the week if we were set to do it, yet from whom we are really farther than we are from the dead, and from those who have gone out of our ken? Yes, there are and must be such; and therein lies the sadness of old School memories. Yet of these our old comrades, from whom more than time and space separate us, there are some, by whose sides we can feel sure that we shall stand again when time shall be no more. We may think of one another now as dangerous fanatics or narrow bigots, with whom no truce is possible, from whom we shall only sever more and more to the end of our lives, whom it would be our respective duties to imprison or hang, if we had the power. We must go our way, and they theirs, as long as flesh and spirit hold together.

[But for these] we must mourn and pray without sure hope and without light; trusting only that He, in whose hands they as well as we are, who has died for them as well as for us, who sees all His creatures ... will, in His own way and at His own time, lead them also home.

Tis a funny thing, old friendships. People we were so close to once, like brothers perhaps, where are they now? Some dead, some we don’t know if they are still living, others perhaps close by, and yet we never stop to see them anymore. What has happened to all our old friends?

Christmas always brings for me a time of reflection - particularly as I write Christmas cards and think on the person receiving the card. Each year I say a little prayer for him or her, that the recipient might know Him, and be known by Him, whose birth we are celebrating.

For me, although Christmas brings many cards to write, presents to buy, messages to script, parties to attend and sermons to preach, for me Christmas is a time to thank God for all his wonderful gifts, most especially for His Son, without whom all these others would ultimately be cruel jokes and passing shadows.

But with Christ as Lord, every good gift which has come down from the Father of lights, has the potential to be, permanently in our Father’s house - to be enjoyed forever.

I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. (John 10:9-11)

Spreading Christmas cheer

2011-12-12T17:31:00.001+01:00

I've been in New Zealand over the last month and blogging has been correspondingly light. But its good to be back in sunny Devon, and the time has come to start preparing in earnest for Christmas.

Next Wednesday (Dec 21st) our church is going Christmas carolling at the local supermarket. We trust the Lord will bless us with cold but dry weather and we’re going to sing his praises.

A while back I heard Chris Rea (pop singer) on Radio 4. He said when he was growing up people stopped fighting in Middlesborough on Christmas day – it was the one day of the year when people made a real effort to get along.

Christmas – it’s a great time of year.

Ok, Jesus wasn’t born on December 25^th, but he was born.

Ok carols have only been around since the 15^th century (so I learnt this morning), but singing praises to God has been happening since creation.

Ok, you can run into a lot of Scrooges at Christmas time – but God is generous.

We’re having carollers back to our place for mince pies after we’ve been singing. We’re having mulled wine. I’m looking forward to it…

And why is it all happening?

It’s happening because God sent his only son into the world.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. 18 He who believes in him is not condemned; he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

Well I can’t stop and dawdle. There's sermons to write and jet-lag to overcome. But perhaps we can conclude with a little carol.

Today’s Carol:

God Rest you merry Gentlemen

God rest you merry gentlemen,

Let nothing you dismay,

For Jesus Christ our saviour

Was born upon this day,

To save us from Satan’s power

When we were gone astray.

And its tidings of comfort and joy

Comfort and joy

And its tidings of comfort and joy.

On Robin Hood and St. Paul

2011-11-08T17:22:00.000+01:00

Recently my wife and I purchased Walt Disney’s ‘Robin Hood’ for our sons. The boys have thoroughly enjoyed watching it, as I did last Saturday. It’s good for the boys to learn something of the history of England, particularly the harsh taxation under Prince John (he of Magna Carta fame), and that Richard the Lionheart was away on the crusades during the alleged time of Robin Hood’s highwayman ways.

But I found myself grappling with a moral issue. In the movie, as in the books, Robin Hood is always presented as an hero. He was standing up for the little guy, redistributing wealth from the rich to the poor. But at the end of the day, one can’t get away from the fact that he was a thief.

Against that, we see that Prince John was also a thief. He taxed the people so heavily that they barely had enough money to buy their own food. The difference between Prince John and Robin Hood seems to come down to little more than one of them (John) plundering the population legally (legalised plunder), and one of them (Robin) plundering the population illegally (illegal plunder).

Ironically this seems to feed into the current debate going on outside St. Paul’s Cathedral. Many bankers are well paid – probably over-paid (although the same might be said of civil servants and football players). For them the lesson is ‘You cannot serve both God and Mammon’ and ‘How difficult it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.’

But I have little sympathy for the ‘occupiers’ at St. Paul’s. They need to learn the lesson that ‘you will always have the poor with you, and you can help them whenever you want.’ (Mark 14:7) The communists and socialists who are protesting outside St. Paul’s would have much greater moral authority if they could demonstrate that they are being generous to the poor with their own money. So often people claim to be speaking for the ‘poor’ (whoever they are), and are urging for higher taxes (just like Prince John), so that those who are working hard for what they have can be taxed all the more, while many lazy, fraudulent people are simply living off benefits. It is a tragedy that outside St. Paul’s people are not listening to something the apostle wrote:

2Th. 3:10 For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “If a man will not work, he shall not eat.”

2Th. 3:11 We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies. 12 Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat.

Thanks for stopping by.

On positive role models (fathers)

2011-11-05T20:58:00.002+01:00

A friend and his wife were visiting the other day and he asked me if I remembered any positive male role models in my childhood. I told him I didn't, but I neglected to think on the example of my father, who was, a very positive influence.

I mentioned in an earlier blog that I was convinced that part of the reason we had riots in the summer is because a number of people have grown up without fathers to show them right or wrong. I wrote to my Member of Parliament about it. Here is the text:

Dear Dr. Wollaston,

Thank you for taking the time to read my letter. I am sorry that your holidays have been cut short by the riots and criminal behaviour of last week. No doubt you will receive much correspondence from your constituents expressing their views on how the various criminals should be punished. That however, isn’t the purpose of my letter.

The media and various politicians on the political left like to speak of many youths (whether black or white) lacking ‘good, male role models.’ This is simply code for young boys and girls growing up without fathers, and could I urge you, when you speak in the House of Commons and elsewhere to be clear about this. Many young British children lack fathers. If we state the problem clearly, we will have a greater chance of solving it.

In my job as pastor of a Christian congregation in Paignton I have the privilege and pleasure of meeting many young mothers through our toddler group. I know of one woman who has had five children all by different fathers. I do not believe she is unusual in this regard; it is common to find women with many children by different fathers. Raising children is hard work, and a family with a loving father contributes greatly to well balanced children by helping discipline the children and teaching them right from wrong.

Tragically, over the last 30 or 40 years many ‘liberal’ ideas about the family have become public policy, including the payment to unmarried women of a regular income (as well as accommodation in many cases) if they have children. This has led to a welfare system which creates many children without fathers, because many a young girl with a poor education and little prospect of a good job or finding a loving husband simply has sex with somebody with a view of having a baby; not because she wants a baby but she wants the welfare cheque that comes with the child. As long as the state sponsors women to have children, we will have many illegitimate children born without fathers to teach them right from wrong (observe the case of Shannon Matthews and her mother, for example).

Please can I urge you to make a courageous stand and acknowledge that paying young unmarried women to have children is morally wrong. It is wrong for children to grow up unloved, without anyone showing them how to live, without a father to discipline them when they’re rude or ill-mannered; without a mother who genuinely loves them, since the woman who gave birth to them only did so for a benefit payment.

I urge you to introduce a private members’ bill with wording akin to the following:

‘As from 10 months from the passage of this bill, any unmarried woman who gives birth to a child will not receive any state benefits to support that child. Her family will be expected to provide for her needs.’ This would leave current single mothers with their benefits untouched but act as a strong deterrent for other girls from falling pregnant.

We reap what we sow Dr. Wollaston. If we encourage young girls to have children without fathers, by paying them to do so, we establish a society filled with people who have never been taught right from wrong, who have never known what it means to be properly loved, who have never known the guidance of a father who loves them. All children born into a family where there is no father present are born into a state of poverty. It is time for the state to dissuade this kind of child abuse by reforming the welfare system.

Dr. Wollaston, you could help bring about a positive reform in British society if you have the courage to introduce such a bill (or have Iain Duncan Smith do it). You also would massively improve your chances of getting my vote in the next election if you would take this step to eradicate child poverty by stopping unmarried women from having babies that grow up unloved, unwanted, and ill-disciplined.

With best wishes,

Ian Cameron

PS I suppose some of your coalition colleagues might say that my proposed bill (above) discriminates against the unmarried. Well of course it does. That is the whole point. We help youngsters by not allowing them to buy alcohol until they reach a certain maturity. And we will help the next generation by encouraging their parents to make a public commitment to each other before they have children. Law makers need to pass legislation that encourages people to be responsible adults, not irresponsible ones.

I fear I have written you a sermon, not a letter. Still, I pray you will think over what I have written, and conclude that actually, what I have written about state benefits to unmarried mothers does not alleviate poverty, but actively encourages it.

I would be most surprised if my letter has its desired effect and causes a bill to be passed which stops fatherless children from being born! But I do wish the people of this country would listen to God's word on the importance of marriage, and taking a spouse in a godly manner.

1Th. 4:1 Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

1Th. 4:3 It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, 5 not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; 6 and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. 7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 8 Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.

My weekend.

2011-10-31T17:46:00.002+01:00

It’s interesting to note that, even in New Testament times, the church wasn’t perfect. Of course, it would be silly to think that it was, because just like the church of today, it was filled with Christians who still had various sins to overcome, Christians who were slowly but surely being conformed into the image of Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul made it clear to the Christians in Rome that a Christian’s mind needs to be renewed so that his life could be transformed (Romans 12:2). Obviously that is going to take some time. And interestingly Titus was given the job of amending what was defective in the church in Crete (Titus 1:5). So there never has been a perfect church – although there will be one day, when our Lord returns.

The congregation I work for had its annual weekend away this weekend just past (although we didn't have one last year). We were thoroughly blessed by the ministry of Paul Blackham, and I’d like to encourage any Christians reading this site to consider using some of the teaching materials Paul has put together. Click here for more of the Book by Book ministry that Paul and Richard Bewes have been working on for some years now. Any church leaders may also want to take a close look at the material Paul’s produced, in order to strengthen Bible study groups within your own congregation. Paul's unique style and clear teaching is a great help for Christians to gain a true understanding of Christian doctrines.

Something that struck me in recent years is how great and merciful the Lord has been to me. 20 years ago I was herding sheep for my father in New Zealand, this past weekend I was learning more about what it means to follow Jesus by one of England’s most noted Bible teachers. In His mercy the Lord has strengthened my faith radically over the last 20 years. Praise Him! Praise Him!

And one of the things He has taught me is the importance of following the example Jesus set, and imitating those who do likewise. For instance, this weekend there was a man willing to give up his time to come to a town he didn’t know, to teach people he didn’t know, about his Lord - Jesus of Nazareth. It was an example of Christian love modelled on the example of our master himself. After all, Paul only gave up a weekend (this is not to decry Paul’s sacrifice – far from it), but the Word of God gave up the glories of heaven for some 30 years, to come amongst us and teach us how we can be reconciled to our heavenly Father.Would you leave your home to go and live in a place of abject poverty for 30 years? I wouldn’t – or at least, I wouldn’t have until I became a Christian. But Jesus’ example shows us how much He loves the world he created and just how much he can transform the minds of people within it. After all, how is that missionaries can give up all their home country has to offer to live in ‘poor’ places around the world? They do it by the transforming work of Jesus Christ and his Holy Spirit…

2 Cor. 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.

Phil 2:4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Obeying the king!

2011-10-26T17:25:00.000+02:00

Have you ever wondered at what point in British history the king stopped being present at Cabinet meetings? While on holiday in Ross-on-Wye I picked up a history book, published in 1939, which examined British history in the 1700s.

It may interest you to know that the king used to directly appoint cabinet ministers to advise him on how best to govern the country, but this stopped in the early 1700s during the reign of King George I. The reason King George stopped attending the meetings was because he didn’t speak English, having been invited to take up the crown from Hanover – and speaking only German (and French, I think, but the cabinet ministers could only speak English). So because he couldn’t understand the conversations, he didn’t attend. His son, George II, followed in his father’s footsteps (although he spoke English) and thereafter monarchs of Britain have not attended Cabinet meetings, preferring instead to hear the conclusions reached by their ministers, rather than sitting through the various debates.

Then, somewhere along the line (I haven’t got to this point in my history book yet) the Prime Minister was given the power to decide the members of his cabinet. We all know that, in reality, the power shifted from the Monarch to the Prime Minister some time ago.

I gather that it wasn’t until the 1800s that political parties came into being, before that, Members of Parliament represented their constituents, not their party’s interests to the constituency – which seems to be the case today.

What’s all this got to do with you and me? Well on Monday 111 Members of Parliament stood up and voted in the interests of their constituents. Most people in the United Kingdom support the idea of a referendum on our membership in the European Union. However, the 111 votes cast in favour of the referendum overwhelmed by those cast in opposition to the proposal. All the major political parties employed a three-line whip to make sure that such a referendum would not take place. This decision affects citizens in Britain (and perhaps others in democracies as well), because it asks the question ‘who’s in charge?’ Is it the elected representatives of the people (in this case the members of parliament) or is it the Prime Minister and his appointed cabinet? Put another way, is it the people who are in charge? or is it the Prime Minister and the members of his cabinet?

Currently it’s the Prime Minister and his cabinet. In other words, what we have is a system whereby we elect potential tyrants for five years and then, if we don’t like their tyranny, we can throw them out at the next election, in order to be tyrannised by the next lot! Once we've elected our overlords, we're at their mercy, because if they don't want to fulfill a pre-election pledge (like a referendum on European Union membership), they won't and there's nothing you and I can do about it.

It seems to me the best system of government is one where the Monarch is not threatened with removal by bullets or ballots (ie He is permanently in power); and where said Monarch has the best interests of his people at heart. It would be great to have an all-wise, all-powerful king who gave directions to his people and they followed them immediately, full of faith and confidence that the instructions were perfect for that particular situation. It would be great to have a king who didn’t need to rely on ministers for advice, because he knew what needed to be done anyway. The ministers role in such a government would not be to formulate policy, but to ensure that it was carried out.

The good news is that such a kingdom exists. It’s called the kingdom of God. The King, Jesus Christ, is in charge, and if we are to be good citizens, we will quickly and obediently follow his commands. If you’re not a Christian, part of the good news of Jesus Christ is that there is a government which works to bring you blessing, there is a governor who knows your needs and fulfils them. If you are a Christian, we’re part of that kingdom already, and we’re called to live out heaven’s policies here on earth (May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven).

Living in the United Kingdom is a great blessing for most of us, but living in the Kingdom of God is the greatest blessing that any man or woman can experience. You see Christianity not just a Sunday thing, being a Christian changes everything about a person, even the way he views politics.

Jesus said ‘Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.’ (Mark 1)

And Paul wrote:

Phil. 3:19 [The world’s] destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

On false gods...

2011-10-19T17:27:00.001+02:00

In ancient Israel the people were called to worship the living God, the one who had promised them the land they lived in and who had delivered them from slavery in Egypt.The nations around them served and worshipped Baal – a god of their own making.Sadly, the unfaithfulness of the Israelite kings caused the Israelites to abandon their worship of the true and living God, and they began to worship Baal too. You can see this charge brought against them in Hosea 2:8-9.

And she [Israel] did not know that it was I who gave her the grain, the wine, and the oil, and who lavished upon her silver and gold which they used for Baal. Therefore I will take back my grain in its time, and my wine in its season; and I will take away my wool and my flax, which were to cover her nakedness.

The Israelites forgot that it was from the Lord himself that they received the silver, gold, wine etc which they happily took, and spent on their own gods. So it was fun, food, fitness, friendship that they took, but you Lord, you go away. That was their approach. That was their attitude.

May it not be the approach nor the attitude of Christ’s people today. It seems to me Christians need to be vigilant not to worship the gods of the people around us, because it’s easy enough to do. But what are the false gods of the people around us?

For humanists, their Baal is the state. Lets make a state, an authority of our own, and lets give it lots of money (through taxes), and lets work for it, and obey its commands.Let us give it the power to enter people’s homes and interrogate their children without the parents’ present, let us trust the state to provide us with all things, including jobs, good health and everything else we might need. In Europe we’ve even tried to set up a big state of our own to pay money to, and to have an unelected president tell us how we should live. For humanists, the Baal is the state.

For atheists, their Baal is evolution. I believe in evolution, they say. Substitute the word ‘Baal’ for evolution and you see how clearly evolution has become a false god.Ask them who made man, they reply ‘evolution did.’ For atheists, their Baal is evolution, and Charles Darwin and Richard Dawkins are the high priests whose word must be exalted and believed at all costs (click here for more).

For workaholics, their Baal is their career. "I can’t have dinner with you and the kids tonight honey, I’ve got to get this project finished." The underlying belief is that my career [Baal] will provide me with all the satisfaction I need.

For environmentalists, their Baal is the earth. We must stop pumping carbon into the earth’s [Baal’s] atmosphere. We must not fly anywhere. The earth must be preserved and worshipped at all costs. For environmentalists, their Baal is the earth (even though climate change is fiercely debated and not proven to be caused by mankind at all, click here or here for more).

If you’re a Christian, watch out that you’re not tempted away from worshipping the living Lord to worshipping a Baal. Here’s what God says about the state:

Rom. 13:1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.

The state gets its authority from God. We must always, therefore, be obedient to the state, as long as the state is obedient to God. Christians however, if faced between obeying God or obeying the state, must obey God. See Exodus 1:17, 20 to see a clear example of this.

Here’s what God says about evolution.

Ex. 20:11 “For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.

Unless God was lying when he spoke the 10 commandments, it is clear that He made the world in six days. So evolution is not to be praised for bringing life onto this planet. Nor should we be wasting money trying to find life in outer space, because God makes life come into being – it doesn’t occur by chance.

Here’s what God says about work:

Deut. 8:17 Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ 18 You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth;

Eccl. 2:24 There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God;

Work is a gift from God, however it has been cursed since Adam disobeyed the Lord. Nevertheless, work can still bring a blessing. But we mustn’t forget that our jobs are not to be worshipped. Note the warning:

Eccl. 4:7 Again, I saw vanity under the sun: 8 a person who has no one, either son or brother, yet there is no end to all his toil, and his eyes are never satisfied with riches, so that he never asks, “For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?” This also is vanity and an unhappy business.

Here’s what God says about the earth:

Gen. 1:28 And God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.”

Psa. 50:10 For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills.11 I know all the birds of the air, and all that moves in the field is mine.

The earth’s resources are to be use wisely by mankind. They are part of God’s gift to us. He owns them but has allowed us to be the stewards and managers. But the creation is not to be worshipped, for Jesus taught us:

Mark 12:30 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’

In short, neither the state; nor the theory of evolution; nor the career, nor the earth, are to be worshipped. They are not to be considered infallible. The state gets its authority from God. The theory of evolution is false. The career is a gift from a generous giver. And the earth is part of God's creation. Therefore, worship the creator, not the created thing. Worship the Lord, not Baal.

Ex. 20:1 And God spoke all these words, saying,

Ex. 20:3 “You shall have no other gods before me.

Climate change - why I'm not concerned.

2011-10-13T17:20:00.000+02:00

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the phrase now used by politicians is ‘climate change’ not‘global warming.’ This is because many scientists are now recognising that the planet isn’t getting warmer. The hottest year on record was 1998, since then the planet has been gettingcooler. (Read this for more information).

2,600 years ago the most influential politician in the world made a statement that our Prime Minister would do well to recognise. King Nebuchadnezzar, ruler of the Babylonian empire (and creator of the famous Hanging Gardens) stated that Almighty God was to be praised because:

His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation.35 All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: “What have you done?” (Dan 4)

God does as he pleases with the powers of heaven. In other words, he controls the seasons and makes the sun shine wherever he wants. I suggest to you that anyone who truly believes in God’s sovereignty and power will not be frightened that this world is going to be destroyed by man’s industrial efforts. A number of scientists are saying that the influence of the sun has a far greater impact on our weather than our puny carbon emissions. And if you think about it, that makes sense. If carbon emissions have been increasing over the last 10 years (which I gather is the case) then they can’t be very greatly linked to global warming, because temperatures are getting cooler.

I thoroughly recommend watching this online video which helps present a Christian view of climate change by a number of well educated scientists. (And for more thoughts on the environment, click here.)

So , how does this all affect you and me?

Simply this. When people abandon belief in God, when we try to define for ourselves what is happening on this planet while ignoring what He has revealed, we pay for it in the long run.Because the British government (not that the Conservative party nor the Liberal Democrats seem much different) falsely believes it can alter the world’s climate, we will end up spending much more in electricity and other utility bills. We will be more inclined to make power stations that don’t work properly or cost more than they need to, simply because we have not listened to the Lord and done things as he directs us to.

Christians need to be wary of ‘going green.’ The ‘green’ movement is becoming pantheistic, with the earth becoming a ‘god’ that must be worshipped. The Lord has given us resources to use wisely and for his glory (so that counts out belching smoke stacks), but they are also given to us to be used. It is completely nonsensical to build wind turbines that don’t work when the wind isn’t blowing (and the wind doesn’t blow when its frosty or snowy) while deep underground there’s coal to be burnt and unemployed men who would be prepared to dig for it.

The Lord is in charge of the climate on this planet. If he weren’t, how could he have answered Elijah’s prayer for rain? (James 5:17-18)

And for further evidence, listen to Jesus:

Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. (Matt 5:44)

Do you remember the story of the king who set his throne at the edge of the sea and commanded that the tide not turn and the water not rise? Everybody reading that story concludes ‘how could he have been so stupid as to think he could stop the tide?’

Generations to come will be saying the same thing about us. How on earth did these people think they could change the weather by building windmills and not flying aeroplanes?

If you’re concerned about the weather, climate change and all that stuff, maybe you should consider these words of the Lord.

2Chr. 7:13 “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, 14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

Ahhh, so its humbling ourselves and prayer and seeking God's face and repenting of sins that will lead to the land being healed. Prime Minister, people of Britain, here is the solution to the 'problem' of climate change. But when will we listen?

On Godly Offspring

2011-10-05T17:21:00.000+02:00

I had the privilege of speaking on Malachi 2 last Sunday evening.

Malachi 2:15 Has not the one God made and sustained for us the spirit of life? And what does he desire? Godly offspring. So take heed to yourselves, and let none be faithless to the wife of his youth.

It would be great, wouldn't it, to live in a country where people returned to you your wallet if you left it on the bus, or returned to the shop that you worked in to pay the correct amount if they were under-charged at the check-out. It would be fantastic to live amongst people who kept their word, who returned phone calls like they said they would; who kept their promises, from the small ones ('I'll meet you at 10 o'clock') to the big ones ('I promise to love and cherish you in sickness and in health ... until death us do part).

If we want our children to live in a land like that, we need to teach them to be people like that.

Christians have a great opportunity to change the world for better through the way we bring up our children. The Lord tells us plainly that he desires husbands and wives to bring up children so that they are godly. What does he desire? Godly offspring. God wants children to be loving, obedient, patient, peaceful (not stressed and anxious), joyful and a whole host of other good qualities. I want that for my sons too. If my boys grow up to be MPs, I want them to be honest in their expense claims, and I want them to be quick to forgive others their sins, if they are sinned against. I want them to be very slow to cast the first stone.

What do you want for your children?

Do you want them to grow up knowing and respecting their creator?

Do you want them to love their neighbour because their neighbour is made in God's image, and sent his Son to die for them?

Do you want them to have faith that Jesus Christ is God's Son - the perfect man - who died for their sins, so that they need not fear being found guilty on judgement day, but rather stand forgiven?

If you're a parent, consider the end product of your child. How do you want him or her to be when the 21st birthday comes? If we want our children to be goldy (and that's what the Lord wants), we will have to teach them how to be godly, we will have to model them godly behaviour, faithfulness, hard work, honesty, forgiveness etc...

Our children will not think honesty is important, unless we're honest.

They will not think Jesus is important, unless we show them he is.

They will not think going to church to worship God is important, unless we go.

It was a privilege to dedicate our third son's life to the Lord recently. My wife and I are grateful to God for his generous gift to us. But now the work begins.

Deut. 6:4 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD; and you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. And these words which I command you this day shall be upon your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

Mark 10:13 And they were bringing children to him, that he might touch them; and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it he was indignant, and said to them, “Let the children come to me, do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands upon them.

O that we would bring our children to Jesus every day, not just once a week, or at Christmas and Easter. Because when we bring our little ones to Jesus, he blesses them.

O that we would do our Father's will, and raise godly offspring.

Thanks for stopping by.

On being content...

2011-09-29T17:25:00.000+02:00

1 Tim. 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.

People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

In the passage above we see that coveting money (the love of, or desire for, money) is a root of all kinds of evil. Why do we all want money so much? Is it for more expensive holidays, bigger houses, newer cars? Or is it for security? I suspect it’s often the latter. If I have a million pounds in the bank, I can retire, and live out the dream of relaxing on the beach. I believe I can be secure. I think this is why money becomes such an idol, and why it causes so many Christians to wander from the faith, and why it makes it hard for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. And that’s probably why Paul goes on to say, just a few verses later, that we ought not put our trust in riches.

1Tim. 6:17 As for the rich in this world, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on uncertain riches but on God who richly furnishes us with everything to enjoy. 18 They are to do good, to be rich in good deeds, liberal and generous, 19 thus laying up for themselves a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life which is life indeed.

No matter whether we be rich or poor, the truth is, we need to set our hopes on God, who ‘richly furnishes us with everything to enjoy.’

I can feel very frustrated if I don’t get a raise, or if someone in the same job is getting paid more than I am. But God says he will give me my daily bread, and furnish me with every good thing. At the end of the day, if you and I can train ourselves to be content with our food and clothes, then everything else we have is a generous gift to be enjoyed from our great God and Saviour.

In terms of application:

a) how much do you want to get rich? How important is it that you get a raise, and how much of a raise would be ‘enough’ (and what would be an insult)?

b) if you be a Christian, what are the odds that ‘love for money’ will cause you to wander away from the faith (as opposed to another temptation)?

c) if you aren’t a Christian, to what extent does money stop you from submitting your life to the authority of Jesus Christ?

d) Finally, to what extent would you be happy to have your bank accounts, your areas of expense, published for all in the church to see? And if there be things that would make you embarrassed, doesn’t that indicate the need for a change in priorities, (because the Lord knows what you are spending your money on).

1Tim. 6:20 O [put your name here], guard what has been entrusted to you.

Avoid the godless chatter and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge, 21 for by professing it some have missed the mark as regards the faith.

Grace be with you.

What can I expect from my government?

2011-09-21T18:07:00.004+02:00

What do you expect from a government?

More importantly, what does God expect of a government?

The Bible teaches that we all have certain rights given to us by the Lord God Almighty. These rights should not be taken from us, and if they are, the individual or government taking them away will be sinning against us and against the Lord. Three rights granted to us from God are:

a) The right to life. Life is a gift from God and only He has the right to take your life from you, nobody else has that right. This is clear from the commandment ‘You shall not murder’, which could be rephrased as ‘you have the right to live, nobody has the right to take your life.’

b) We have the right to property. God has made us stewards of all that is around us, and things that we earn or build we are entitled to keep, sell or give away. This is again clear from the commandment ‘You shall not steal’, which could be rephrased as ‘you have the right to own property, nobody has the right to take your property.’

c) We have the right to work and to rest. From the beginning, the Lord gave our ancestors work to do, but he also provided rest for them. Again, the Ten Commandments state this clearly, ‘You shall labour six days of the week, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day, a day of rest.’

It’s important that every individual respect these rights, given to us by the Lord, because if they are not respected, injustice quickly follows. It’s also important that governments respect these rights, (because governments have often been the worst at taking God-given rights from the very citizens they are supposed to serve). For example, in Communist countries the right to own property has been taken away – everything belongs to the state. Similarly, in Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe’s government is taking away many citizens’ right to life.

Sadly, no government has ever fully respected those rights given to us by our creator. Even n Britain the right to retain what you have earned is disregarded as you are taxed pretty severely so that others may be idle. In other words, the government plunders your money through taxation.

However, there is a kingdom where these rights are respected. That is the kingdom of Jesus Christ, and you can find his ambassadors at your local church. Amongst Christians you will find people who respect your right to live (that’s why Christians oppose abortion and euthanasia), your right to property (that’s why you can leave property unattended among Christians and it won’t be stolen); and your right to work (that’s why Christians aren’t idle).

Do you want a government that respects your God-given rights? You’ve got one already, if you’re a Christian. If you're not a Christian, why not enter the kingdom of Jesus Christ – his embassies are open on Sunday, but chances are there's an ambassador for Christ in your workplace - (he's one of those Christians).

On the separation of church and state...

2011-09-08T17:20:00.000+02:00

People have differing views about the role of the church within and alongside the state. Some people want ‘the church’ to have nothing to do with politics. Others think there should be a special place for ‘the church’ (ie the Bishops’ seats in the House of Lords).

I have to give credit to Thomas Arnold for helping me come to the position which I outline below. Arnold pointed out that the whole question becomes very vexed because of our connotations with the word ‘church.’ Very often, whenever we think of church, we think of clergy, men in robes, blokes like me pontificating every Sunday!

BUT

that isn’t the Biblical definition of church. The church is those who are called to be saints together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: (1 Cor 1)

We fall into the old catholic error of equating church with the priests, of thinking the church is ‘priest-craft.’

The Bible makes it clear what the church is. The church is Christians, collectively. When we understand church as it is defined in the Bible, the question becomes ‘what is the role of Christians and the state’? Should Christians be kept separate from the state?

The answer is no. The simple fact is, that as the good news of Jesus Christ is faithfully proclaimed in this country, more and more people will (by God’s grace) become Christians. And then, more and more Christians will run for office, and committed Christians who want to be governed by committed Christians will vote for them. (It’s worth noting that not all who call Jesus ‘Lord, Lord’ are truly committed to Him - my point being an elected Christian representative will need to be loyal to Jesus ahead of being loyal to the political party he belongs to - he can't serve two masters).

In other words, as the church grows (the number of people bowing their knee before Jesus Christ), so too will the influence of Christian thinking within the state.

All of which leads me to conclude we need more Christians in politics, both as MPs and in government departments. And those who are Christians need to stand up for Christ when the party or department they work for crosses a line which, if they cross too, effectively becomes a betrayal of our Lord.

I note with interest that the city treasurer of Rome was a Christian (Rom 16:23) – too bad the treasury department of Great Britain hasn’t had Christians running it in recent years. It seems the great state of Rome didn’t find it necessary to exclude Erastus from his position, nor did the 'church' suggest he should give up his job.

In short, if we want the church to be more influential in the state, the state needs to become ‘the church’ (that is to say, the state needs to become filled with Christians – at every level, citizen and representative). When that happens, when the nation’s heart is turned back to God, then Britain will enjoy the peace and prosperity it once had, as well as wise government by people who know the source of wisdom (James 1:5-7). At the moment of course, we’re walking the broad path to destruction.

Matt. 6:24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

Matt. 28:18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.”

Thanks for stopping by.

Dead Men do tell tales

2011-09-01T21:58:00.002+02:00

Prov. 10:7 The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot.

Dr. Arnold was the Headmaster of Rugby, the famous public school in England. Although he has been dead for over 165 years, the life and teaching of Dr. Thomas Arnold still influences me - through his life's example and his sermons. He left a legacy to his students, his family, and even to me - someone who has never even been to Rugby. I first became aware of him while reading Tom Brown's Schooldays, in which the author records with affection this man who taught so many the Christian faith.

In their book Raising Godly Children in an Ungodly world, Ken and Steve Ham argue persuasively that everyone leaves a legacy. The only question is what kind of legacy it will be.

So it could be:

Brian was a good rugby player, but he abandoned his kids when they were young.

Sally was popular with everybody, but died alone in her home.

My mum was an alcoholic.

Dad used to hit us.

But it would be a better legacy if it were:

My father taught me the importance of listening to God's word and showed me how to love the Lord with all my heart.

Mum taught me what real beauty is. (1 Peter 3)

Ken and Steve Ham argue that a godly legacy is built on the authority and sufficiency of the Bible.

A godly legacy begins with a decision, and may require waiting for answers to certain questions.

Leaving a legacy is important. Our children, grandchildren, and the world will be eternally impacted by it.

Jesus Christ left the world a wonderful legacy. Here is the one who can save people from their corrupt human nature, the one who can save people from the grave, and the one who can save people from God's judgement. A faithful Christian will leave a legacy that points people to HIM.

I urge all Christian readers of this post to make a decision today. Decide to leave for your friends and family the legacy of a godly man or woman; the legacy of a person who lived his life following the commandments of our Lord; the legacy of a Christian who loved God with all his heart and soul and mind and strength. For we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, who, although dead, still speak. (Heb 12:1-2) Thomas Arnold was one of them, and we can be too.

Heb. 13:7 Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith. (NASB)

Why Britain is not a Christian country…

2011-08-18T20:05:00.002+02:00

A few years back, when we first ran a Christianity Explored course at the church I work for, one of the participants was very angry at the then Prime-Minister, Tony Blair, because he had said that Britain was no longer a Christian country.

Sadly, it is obvious that Tony Blair was right. Great Britain could only be described as a Christian country if:

a) The majority of it’s citizens listened to, and obeyed Jesus Christ, and;

b) the majority of our laws were based on God’s moral laws – specifically the Ten Commandments.

Now the fact that far fewer of her Majesty’s subjects acknowledge Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour contrasted with those who deny him as their Lord and Saviour stands as testimony to the truth of Jesus Christ, and his remarkable ability to see into the future. For he clearly said:

Matt. 7:13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Few British subjects are walking the path to eternal life. Very few are following Christ with unswerving faith and complete confidence in Him.

And this is reflected in our legislation. If we consider the Ten Commandments as a good legal code for a civilised society, it is to our deep and lasting shame that only one of those commandments is recognised in our statute books. The only command the British Parliament recognises as being worthy of upholding is ‘Thou shalt not steal.’

Stealing is still considered a crime in Britain, although police action will only be taken if the theft is of a certain value.

Lets look at the others:

Thou shalt have no gods before me. In Britain all religions are encouraged, and all are said to have equal value.

Thou shalt make no graven images. In Britain this is perfectly acceptable – certainly not illegal.

Thou shalt not take the Lord’s name in vain. Well, one only needs watch a TV show or walk the streets or in the supermarket to hear ‘Christ’ used as a blasphemy. And recently the blasphemy laws were repealed.

Thou shalt work six days and rest on the seventh. Many people think it’s perfectly acceptable not to work and expect the tax-payer to pay for their upkeep. As for resting one day in seven, the pursuit of business now means that shops are open seven days a week.

Thou shalt honour thy mother and father. The British state does not believe that a family unit needs to comprise a mother and a father. It is said that ‘two loving people’ will do. Indeed, there need not even be two, as the state pays young women to have children and raise them without fathers.

Thou shalt not murder. But abortion is legal and euthanasia is paraded as glorious on various BBC documentaries. There appears to be a push in some sectors to allow the killing of the aged.

Thou shalt not commit adultery. Clearly this is not illegal, but if it were the divorce rates would be much lower.

Thou shalt not steal. This is still upheld in some respects, although taxation is so high in Britain now that most employed people are having their pockets picked by the state long before they get home.

Thou shalt not bear false witness. The current Murdoch case and News of the World suggests many people are happy to lie, and on a regular basis.

Thou shalt not covet. What is the purpose of TV advertising, if not to encourage us to covet things we do not have?

So Britain is a non-Christian country, and becoming increasingly hostile towards those who openly acknowledge Christ as Lord. All of which just goes to show us, yet again the importance of listening to Jesus:

Matt. 16:24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.

God’s kingdom is still coming, it’s certainly not here yet.

But it is definitely coming. Are you ready?

On riots and the spawning of criminals...

2011-08-10T07:57:00.000+02:00

The violence in London and other areas of England over the last four nights shows us how quickly and easily mob-rule can break out.

There are two issues to be dealt with. The first (and easiest) is to ensure this kind of violence is stopped immediately in its tracks. This will have to be done by ‘robust policing’ which should involve, in my view, water canons, tear gas and rubber bullets.

Furthermore, punishments for crimes should be re-instated (much of our legal system tries to deter crime, but a better way, and certainly a more Biblical way is to punish people). There is also a case to be heard for re-introducing the death penalty (but that will have to be a subject for a later blog).

The second issue is to change the welfare system so that this doesn’t happen again. A serious problem for Great Britain, especially evident in London, is the vast number of young men who have no fathers. The state welfare system is responsible for this, because it pays young women to have babies. If you’re uneducated and have little chance of finding a well-paying job (or a man to marry), it is no surprise that young girls decide to have sex outside marriage in order to garner the state money that comes from having a child (and when that child is a little bit older, to have another one, so the money keeps rolling in).

This inevitably leads to children growing up without fathers. It is the role of fathers to discipline their children, and absent fathers mean discipline is not applied. Where discipline is not applied, children run amok, and later, youths run wild. It will be interesting to find out, when these violent thugs are brought to trial, how many did not have a father while they were growing up.

Discipline is one very important form of loving a child. Children who are not disciplined aren’t loved.

Prov. 13:24 He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him.

Heb. 12:7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8 If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! 10 Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

The Bible teaches us that we reap what we sow. If we pay women to have children (and the British welfare system does this) then inevitably large numbers of children grow up without fathers. The girl has had the child, not because she wanted to start a family, but because she wanted the state’s money.

If a girl gets pregnant, she should not receive welfare from tax-payers, she should be provided for by her family. If having children made you poor (instead of seemingly wealthy), if it meant you ended up on the street because your family home couldn’t contain you and your expanding brood anymore, then fewer children would be born without fathers. If this were to happen, very quickly the problem of young boys without fathers would go away.

We reap what we sow. For years now we have been paying girls to be sexually immoral. Undisciplined youths are the harvest we have reaped.

Don’t mishear me, I’m not saying any of these criminals should not be held responsible for their actions, just because they had no fathers showing them how to live or disciplining them for being rude to their mothers and teachers. I’m simply saying that if we don’t want this to happen again, then the welfare state will have to be transformed. We shouldn’t reward girls for bringing into this world children without dads. Because those children often grow up to be violent, angry young men, who think that violence is the answer to their problems.

It isn’t. Knowing Christ as Lord is the only way for life to have any real, long-term meaning.

The wickedness we’ve seen on English streets is not going to go away while the state continues to rebel against the commands of God Almighty. Children need fathers to show them what is right and wrong. As the Lord Jesus put it affirmatively:

John 5:19 Jesus gave them this answer: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does.

Jesus imitated God, because God was his father. My sons imitate me. But boys without fathers imitate other boys – invariably other boys without fathers. Boys with fathers have someone to show them how to live, illegitimate boys do not have that role model.

The apostle Paul said the same thing as the Lord, but expressed it slightly differently.

Eph. 6:4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

I encourage British readers of this blog to contact their MPs and advise them you will not cast votes for any party which continues to support the birth of illegitimate children by financially rewarding their mothers.

As long as tax-payers continue to fund children born out of wedlock, as long as women receive money for having illegitimate children, this problem will not go away. Every family needs a father who acts, amongst other things, as the responsible adult instructing his children in the way to go.

Thanks for stopping by.

I see a bad moon rising...

2011-08-08T17:11:00.002+02:00

'A storm gaining strength off Britain's coast?'

The criminal violence committed in London over the weekend is not the greatest of Great Britain's problems at the moment. There is a severe economic storm on its way for most Western economies, and Great Britain is as likely as the next country to suffer. For those who have an interest in economic matters, I commend to you this article in today's Daily Telegraph.

But there is still time for people to think about their position. Two of the earliest articles I wrote on this blog foresaw this crisis coming. The advice I gave then is still what I would give now. Interested readers may wish to look at:

'Books are banned in California' and

'You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow'

In the meantime, consider these words from Psalm 146.

Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no help.

When his breath departs he returns to his earth; on that very day his plans perish.

Happy is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God.

(Psalm 146:3-5)

Thanks for stopping by.

300 not out!

2011-08-02T22:01:00.005+02:00

England defeated India in their second cricket match yesterday, so you might think this post is about cricket. This impression could also be drawn from the title of my book ‘The First Eleven’ and the picture on the front, which is of men playing cricket on a village green in front of a church. (Click here for details of my book).

However, regular readers of this blog will know my book isn’t about cricket, nor is this post. This post is actually about the number of articles I have written since I started ‘blogging’, two and a half years ago. Today’s post is number 300! Hurray. I am grateful to the Lord for allowing me to write this many.

A little while back I posted a list of the top ten most visited articles I had written. (Click here to see the list in April). The list has changed however, and the most popular articles are now:

On Going to Oxford

Forgiving and forgetting

Planet in Peril – Part I

Raising Godly Children in an ungodly world

Unless the Lord builds the house…

On the NHS…

Be sure your sins will find you out.

Stream of consciousness.

Here’s why people won’t listen to Jesus.

On eavesdropping and news of the world.

Click on any you're interested in reading. Additionally, you might like to know that visitors have come to this site from all over the world, the leading countries being:

United Kingdom

United States

Canada

Ukraine

Russia

South Korea

Norway

Germany

Australia

France

Many thanks to all of you who have read my blog. I shall not be retiring just yet, however the ‘run rate’ is definitely slowing down. If you’ve found anything I’ve written helpful, I’d be pleased if you could share it with others. In the meantime, Christian readers can take heart that even a little blog like this can contribute to the growth of the good news of the Kingdom of God. As Paul wrote to the Colossians:

All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth.

And as Jesus commanded his disciples:

Matt. 28:18 “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations...”

Thanks for stopping by.

On husbands who abandon their wives and children.

2011-07-27T07:43:00.004+02:00

An interesting blog on the Daily Telegraph today raises the question of where was Anders Breivik's father during his childhood and youth? (Click here to read it).

Anders' father abandoned him and his mother when he was one year old.

My job means that I often see the effects of marriage break-down, particularly amongst children. It is appalling the level of sadness that is inflicted on the ex-wife and the children. Even in my own family, the adultery of my uncle 20 years ago led to a divorce, which caused a nervous break-down for my cousin, alcoholism for another cousin, and the eldest I have not seen for nigh on 20 years. One of my cousins refuses to refer to his father as Dad, constantly referring to him by his first name. When he speaks to his father I don’t think he calls him ‘dad’ either – in other words, my adulterous uncle is still punished by his son even 20 years later.

Can I urge any husbands reading this post who are contemplating abandoning their wives for another woman to think on these three points:

1) If you leave your wife and children for another woman, you are effectively saying ‘my hatred for your mother is greater than my love for you.’ And the children will grow up thinking (at least sublimely) ‘Dad didn’t really love us, because if he did, he would have done everything possible to make things work with mum.’ No matter how much you tell your children you love them, they will never fully believe you, because actions speak louder than words. You have abandoned them.

2) If you abandon your wife for another woman, you are telling the world that your word is not to be trusted. For how can you be considered trustworthy if you publicly declare yourself to love a woman through poverty and sickness, for better or worse, to stick with her come what may – and yet you do not keep that promise? The way people perceive you will be altered permanently if you divorce. Your decision, if you make it, to break your vows will alter the way your boss views you, the way your friends view you, the way your family views you. Be aware of that.

3) If you abandon your wife (and children) for another woman, you are saying to your creator that you do not care that he hates divorce and calls the marriage bed to be undefiled.

Heb. 13:4 Let marriage be held in honour among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled; for God will judge the immoral and adulterous.

If there be readers of this post who have already sinned against God, their spouses and their children in this way, take heart that Jesus Christ came to rescue sinners. He died that you may be forgiven. He calls you to repent and confess your sin. But if there are readers of this post who are contemplating divorce, I say to you, do not do it! If your arm were broken and causing you pain, you’d get it attended to, you wouldn’t amputate it! And if your marriage is in trouble, seek to have it healed, don’t end it.

Thanks for stopping by. (For more thoughts on marriage, as Biblically described, click here.)

On assisted suicide...

2011-07-19T21:15:00.003+02:00

The BBC carries a story today not related to the News of the World and phone hacking. Instead it brings to our attention the difficulties presented by modern medical science in keeping people alive artificially when in times past the patient would have died. You can read the story here. Naturally this brings to the fore the question of assisted suicide and euthanasia.

There is a strong strand of thought in post-modern Britain which says I will decide what’s right and wrong. Nobody has the right to tell me how to live my life. I’m free, I have my rights, so since I don’t inflict my views on you, please don’t inflict yours on me.

Of course, the absurdity of this line of thinking becomes apparent when I ask the check out girl to give me £10 change when I’ve given her a £5 note for a 1 pound item. I could say, ‘Stop inflicting your views about money on me. In my world, £10 change is what I should receive after paying for a 1 pound item with a £5 note.’ But the reality is, when it comes to money, we have an agreed system of mathematics. Nobody seriously thinks £10 change should come from a £5 note after paying for a 1 pound item – we can’t each have our own beliefs about the value of money, if we did, normal life would become impossible.

Or take sport for example. A game doesn’t function unless everyone agrees on the rules and there’s a referee to enforce the rules. If everybody plays a different off-side rule in rugby, or if some play a ‘you-can-tackle-a-man-without-the-ball’ rule while others don’t, the game quickly becomes chaos and unplayable.

Put putting money and sport aside, it's obvious that as far as morality is concerned western society is breaking down because people do not agree on the rules. Most people are self-centred – we want to define right and wrong for ourselves.

‘I’m the captain of my ship’, we say. We forget that we are sailing in a convoy, and if someone doesn’t take proper care of his ‘ship’ then that affects the whole fleet (those who choose to smoke, for example, affect everybody through increased health costs). Furthermore, he who insists on his own rights all the time forgets that for the voyage to be a success, we must not only take care of our ship and not sail into others, but we must also agree where we are headed. If we disagree on where we are headed, inevitably there will be chaos. This debate is increasingly apparent in ‘the right to end life – dying with dignity’ debate.

Invariably, humanists (those who believe in themselves as the highest authority, those who deny the existence of God) argue they should be able to take their own lives when they want. This view is centred on the basic premise that their lives belong to them.

This view contrasts with what the Bible teaches. The Bible teaches that all life actually belongs to God.

Ps 104: 24 How many are your works, O LORD! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.

Psa. 50:12 If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it.

Because everything belongs to God, it follows that we belong to God. And that means God alone has the right to say when we live and when we die. If someone takes that right from God (say by murdering me), they will have to give an account for their sin. If I take that right from God (say by going to Switzerland and having people kill me there), I will have to give an account to God for taking my life and ending it (ie my sin), because He alone has the right to decide when it should be taken.

Ultimately readers of this blog will need to make up their own minds about this question:

Am I a creation of God, and if so, what are my responsibilities towards him?

Those who, like me, have come to the conclusion that all the evidence shows that God does exist (and that he did make me) can find answers to the following questions.

Why is there death and suffering?

What happened to the dinosaurs?

Is there life in outer space?

Is there life after death?

Does my life have purpose? Plus many more.

Those who choose to deny the existence of God will have no answers to those questions and they will continue to try and persuade others to ‘tackle without the ball’; they’ll deny that the referee does exist and he will call us to account. But in the end, death will catch up with them too. Which is why I would urge all readers of this blog to turn to Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins, that we might look forward to his coming, instead of dreading it. If people want to die with dignity, the only way to do it, is to die forgiven.

Heb 9: 27 Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

Thanks for stopping by.

On pride...

2011-07-12T22:53:00.001+02:00

Jer. 9:23 This is what the LORD says: “Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, 24 but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the LORD.

Regular readers of this blog will know that I have been helped in my thinking by Dr. Thomas Arnold, the former headmaster of Rugby who died in 1842. While reading through some notes the other day, I saw Dr. Arnold had made the following observation:

"Pride stops exertion by causing us to look back, instead of looking forward to what must still be achieved."

His observation is worth meditating on. When I look back over the last five years of my life I see a number of achievements. As pastor of a Christian congregation I have preached from some 30 books of the Bible, including all the gospels. Some 350 sermons have been preached, Bible Studies formed, baptisms have taken place.

On a personal note, with respect to this blog over 3,200 visits were made last year. Readers have read various articles from countries as far away as Russia, Canada, the Philippines and Argentina.

Yes, quite a lot has been achieved in the last five years. However, as Dr. Arnold reminds me, pride will cause me to look back and stop working as I should, blinding me to all the work that lies ahead. And this is true for all of us. For the student receiving his GCSE results this summer, however well he does, he still needs to look ahead and exert himself for the study yet to come. For the office worker, yesterday's projects have been completed, yet there remains more to be done. For the gardener, the weeds may be gone, but more need to be pulled up.

And for the Christian, we can look back and see how much we've grown in the knowledge and fear of the Lord. But how much more there remains for us to learn of the Lord Jesus, how many more people there are to help and serve and love, whether they be Christian or not, simply because we are called to love our neighbour. Yes, there remain many kindnesses to be given, injustices to be made right, righteous decisions and acts to be performed. Lets read the Lord's words again:

“Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,”

On eavesdropping and news of the world.

2011-07-06T17:19:00.002+02:00

There is much furore in Britain today over allegations that News of the World reporters have hacked into people’s voice-mail, to listen to their private conversations. Apparently they even did this to families who had lost people in the July 7 bombings.

But I’m sceptical of the BBC’s extensive coverage of this story. I suspect they have a vested interest to run down a newspaper owned by Rupert Murdoch. The BBC knows that the ‘Murdoch Empire’ is a real threat to its own hegemony of news and sport stories in the UK. The BBC effectively gets its money through ‘compulsion’ (a tv licence) whereas other broadcasters must advertise in order to pay their staff. And for some time now I have doubted the BBC’s impartiality. Take for example their constant reference to those who believe abortion should not be permitted in the UK as anti-abortionists instead of the much more positive term ‘pro-life’ supporters.

Hacking into phone conversations seems to me to be nothing more than the deliberate practice of eavesdropping. Eavesdropping is terribly impolite, and potentially destructive to communities, particularly when accompanied by its sibling, gossip. For what is the purpose, after all, of eavesdropping but to gossip?

Here is some counsel from the Bible about eavesdropping and gossip.

Prov. 11:13 A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret.

Prov. 16:28 A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends.

In addition, the Israelites had this injunction in Leviticus:

Lev. 19:16 “‘Do not go about spreading slander [ie gossip or falsehoods] among your people.

But the key verse for us to consider is this one below, from Proverbs 20. It asks the question whether we will stop buying the ‘News of the World’, or even other Murdoch newspapers if they're guilty of the same thing.

Prov. 20:19 A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid a man who talks too much.

If I were a News of the World reader I’d stop reading it - if it is certain these allegations are true. It strikes me as immoral to feed off another’s grief, both in the July 7 bombings and in the Milly Dowler case. Because at the end of the day, if I’m willing to pay for people to eavesdrop and spread gossip, I’m no better than they are.

In the meantime though, let him who is without sin cast the first stone.

Thanks for stopping by.

England in the summer.

2011-07-04T17:18:00.002+02:00

Oh to be in England

Now that [summer’s] there.

Ok, I know that isn’t quite what Robert Browning wrote, but after three cloudless, clear, classic summer days, it behoves us (well, English readers of this blog anyway) to thank God for such glorious weather.

But for you who fear my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings. You shall go forth leaping like calves from the stall.

It is critical I think, that we take time out to appreciate all the different blessings God sends.

How wonderful to witness a baptism at church yesterday.

How great to enjoy a BBQ in the sun with friends afterwards.

How delightful to feel the breeze in my face as I cycled to work this morning.

Earlier today, as I read a sermon outside the chapel building where I work, the sun was lifting my spirits with every minute. In the background I could hear sheep baa-ing.

Even as I write this I can see pretty flowers blooming in our garden.

A lesson my children have been teaching me, is that we must live for the moment. How much of my life has been wasted wishing for events still distant, or wishing I could return to events long past.

Yes there’s trouble in Greece (and Europe generally).

Yes wage cuts or freezes are inevitable for public sector workers.

Yes, civil servants and teachers may strike (I predicted this some time ago).

But:

The sun is shining, and God is still in control of the world.

Enjoy the weather, wherever you be, it’s God’s gift to you.

Phil. 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, do; and the God of peace will be with you.

Thanks for stopping by.

On Greece and the break-up of the European Union.

2011-06-28T17:10:00.002+02:00

Hear me, O men of Athens

Do you think God is in favour of nation states, or supra-national empires with one homogenous set of laws, taxes and values?

I suppose how you answer that question depends in part whether you are thinking of the kingdom of God, or the kingdom of men. It is the case that in the kingdom of God there is only one king, only one law, only one mediator between God and men. As the Bible tells us:

Gal. 3:26 For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.

But if we are speaking of the kingdoms of men, it is clear that the Lord expects there to be different countries and cultures. As the people of Greece suffer under new austerity measures, as we find that the Greeks are unable to pay interest on their loans - let alone the salaries of their workers, lets hear the voice of the apostle Paul as he addressed the people of Athens so long ago.

Acts 17:22 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.

Acts 17:24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. 27 God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.

Is it God’s will that nations should exist? Or should they cease to exist and we should be in one big community where we use the same money and have the same taxation and have the same laws?

I think it’s pretty clear that God wants individuals countries to exist. This was made clear at the Tower of Babel, when the Lord confused our languages, so that we would spread out over the globe and tend it and look after it, instead of congregating in one place. It is also made clear in Paul’s address to the people of Athens (above).

It was God’s will that from one man, Adam, He should make every nation of men. God determines when we should live and how long a country should exist for, as well as the exact places where we should live. In other words, He determines national boundaries. Why does He do this? He does it so that men would seek him.

‘Hang on’ a man might think, ‘why are their different languages in this world?’ Evolution provides no answer to that question. Could the Bible be true?’

‘Hang on’ a man might think, ‘why is living in Britain so much better than living in Pakistan? Could it be that because their laws have been founded on the words of Jesus Christ that their society has prospered.’

As long as humanity lives outside of God’s will, there will be unrest. There will not be peace nor satisfaction. This is why the European Union is doomed to fail. The Eurocrats who want a super-state with one government, one money, one tax are actively opposed to what God has decided. God has decided there should be nations – no wonder Greece is in such a bad way. Their politicians have given up on being Greeks and have tried to become Europeans – pretending to be something they are not nor ever can be because Europeans don’t exist. Europeans are like unicorns, everybody’s heard of them but nobody’s seen one. We can be English, Scottish, French, German or Greek, but we can’t be European, because Europe is not a nation.

So if its unity we want, then we need to know that unity can only be found in Christ, as we submit to him as Lord and Saviour we become united with each other in a true family called the church.

I wrote more about this in my book, in the 10^th chapter on the Tower of Babel. Interested readers can buy a copy (for only £4.99 including postage) here.

Thanks for stopping by.

On watching sport...

2011-06-16T21:37:00.003+02:00

There is a story on the BBC today about a riot that broke out in Vancouver because the local team lost it’s hockey game (ok, it was the NHL final). This reminds me of something Jesus said which led me to avoid watching All Black rugby games, a decision I found very difficult because I am a big fan of the national New Zealand rugby team.

What happened was this. In 2003 the All Blacks thrashed the Australian rugby team (the Wallabies) something like 56 – 5 early in the season, so when the two teams met later in the year in the Rugby World Cup semi-final I was confident that the All Blacks would win easily. Unfortunately the Australians won, causing me to be extremely angry and upset. I remember going out of my way to ensure I didn’t cross paths with the principal of Oak Hill Bible College (where I was studying) because I couldn’t bring myself to congratulate him (he was an Australian).

This made me realise that the All Blacks and the rugby world cup had become something of an idol and that I was completely wrong to be angry at my Australian brother in Christ just because my team had lost a rugby game.

After all, Jesus said:

Mark 9:47 “If your eye causes you to stumble, throw it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than, having two eyes, to be cast into hell.

So from 2003 I have not followed the All Blacks ‘live.’ It’s been quite a sacrifice, but one I felt I had to make. And you know what, it’s led to a lack of frustration when they lose! And I do believe it’s helped me grow in faith as a Christian.

To conclude, following Christ even influences how a man watches his sport. Of course not all Christians suffer from this problem (idolising their sports’ team), but for me it was one way I had to change and repent.

And it means that I will never be involved in a riot.

Thanks for stopping by.

On the Archbishop of Canterbury...

2011-06-09T17:18:00.006+02:00

Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, has drawn both praise and criticism today for expressing his views on the current government’s policies, particularly with regard to health, education and welfare.

Now it seems to me that a man in a free country ought to be able to speak his mind whenever he wants, and therefore I am not going to criticise the Archbishop for any of his comments – all the less so since I’ve not read them myself. You can read what the BBC has to say here.

But it does seem to me that there is a difference between the Bible’s definition of who should get charity (or aid), and the Archbishop's. Laziness is never commended in the Bible.

Prov. 19:15 Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger.

2Th. 3:6 Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is living in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. 7 For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us; we were not idle when we were with you, 8 we did not eat any one’s bread without paying, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not burden any of you. 9 It was not because we have not that right, but to give you in our conduct an example to imitate. 10 For even when we were with you, we gave you this command: If any one will not work, let him not eat.

Clearly there’s a difference between those who cannot work and those who will not work. This was, I gather, the difference the Victorians made between the deserving poor and the undeserving poor. Some people are thieves, not in any way concerned about the poor, but only in helping themselves to someone else’s purse. Judas Iscariot was happy to betray Jesus for money, and was also a thief (see John 12:1-8), happy to take another person’s wealth under the guise of caring for the poor. A number of socialists are like that I think – otherwise they would give away their own money voluntarily instead of trying to pick another man’s pocket through taxation.

I’ve blogged before on the subject of education (see here and here).

For taking care of the elderly, see here.

On the role of government, look here.

God loves this world and everyone in it, but love involves discipline (Hebrews 12:6). And when it comes to work, Jesus sets the example.

John 5:15 The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him. 16 And this was why the Jews persecuted Jesus, because he did this on the sabbath. 17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working still, and I am working.” 18 This was why the Jews sought all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the sabbath but also called God his Father, making himself equal with God.

Whatever the Archbishop says, he will be condemned by some and applauded by others. The important thing is not what he says, nor what I say, but what the Lord says. At the end of the day, it is his judgement that matters.

Thanks for stopping by.

On growing old...

2011-06-07T17:17:00.002+02:00

Eccl. 12:1 Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw nigh, when you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”.

Many years ago, when I lived in Cordoba, Argentina, I had a neighbour who was, I guess, in his seventies. Whenever I saw him in the hallway I would ask him how he was and he’d often reply ‘Why doesn’t the Lord take me? I don’t know why he leaves me here.’ My neighbour had a son who never visited him, and it was clear that he was lonely. As he aged, he questioned the purpose of his own existence.

The Bible urges us to remember our creator in the days of our youth, but unfortunately most of us are unaware of this warning. Even if we know it, we tend to ignore it, thinking the meaning of life can be found in working hard, or raising children. Work, marriage and children are blessings from the Lord, don’t get me wrong, but the meaning of life isn’t found there. Which is a good thing, for one day we will stop working and retire (God willing); and one day the children will leave home and establish their own lives – quite possibly living on the other side of the country; or in the case of my parents, living on the other side of the world.

But there is a reason, I think, why God is patient with people, including my neighbour. There is a reason why he doesn’t take us straight away, once the things we used to find value in satisfy us no more. That reason is perhaps best expressed in Peter’s second epistle.

2Pet. 3:9 The Lord is not slow about his promise as some count slowness, but is forbearing toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

The Lord, in his mercy, gives many people time to repent from their sins and come to him for forgiveness and the promise of eternal life. We often think we’ve lived good lives, but increasingly I’m coming to see that sin pervades our lives more than we think. For sin is not just disobedience to God – blaspheming his name or disrespecting our parents, but it is also failing to do the good we should do, when we have opportunity to do it. One of Jesus’ parables, about the sheep and the goats reminds us that the kind things we didn’t do, but could have done, will stand against us on judgement day – unless we’ve come to Jesus Christ for forgiveness.

Matt. 25:41 Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to thee?’ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.’

It is good news indeed that the Lord is merciful, not wanting us to perish but all to have eternal life. But if we want mercy, we need to acknowledge sin, confessing it and asking for forgiveness.

And as for life’s purpose, this will not be found in having children, or setting goals and achieving them, or being successful at work. A quick read of Ecclesiastes will show us that. These are good things but life’s meaning can only be found in knowing God’s Son for ourselves, and finding in Him the answers to all our questions, the food to feed our souls, the water to quench our thirst. When we know who Jesus Christ is, and what he has done for us, and how calls us to live for him – then, and only then, do we find the meaning of life.

John 6:35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.

1Cor. 10:31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Thanks for stopping by.

On asylum seekers...

2011-06-02T17:28:00.007+02:00

It is true, and has always been thus, that there are powerful people in other countries who want to kill men and women whom they consider to be threats. Classically, we see that before Jesus was three Joseph and Mary fled to Egypt with Jesus, because King Herod wanted him killed. And only as recently as March a Christian politician was killed in Pakistan because he was a Christian (click here for my thoughts on that).

Today it has been revealed that many people continue to seek asylum in this United Kingdom of Great Britain, and the agency which is to assess their cases has lost track of many of them (click here for the BBC's report). I imagine the work must be difficult, in many cases people turning up with no identification – where should they be returned to? How should they be housed in the interim? But while there is obviously a place for compassion in British society, there must also be justice. If people are entering the country illegally, they need to be deported.

The question of whom should be allowed into England continues to be a hot political issue, and as an immigrant myself (being from New Zealand) I also have views on the subject. It does seems to me that the key question regarding whether someone should be permitted into Great Britain is if he will recognise the government’s authority and be prepared to obey it. It would be no good for Britain if I were to live here not recognising the authority of the British government and continuing to live my life under the laws of New Zealand.

And the greater the difference between the two countries the more important this question of recognising governmental authority becomes. In many countries, particularly Islamic ones, it is permissible to have more than one wife, yet I trust this is something English citizens would not want continued here.

The issue then, in terms of immigration, is whether the immigrant is prepared to obey the rules of the government he now lives in, or if he wishes to continue living exactly as he did in his home country.

Similarly, the question of whom will be allowed into God’s Kingdom also depends on whether one has agreed to the authority of God’s appointed king - Jesus Christ. As God himself said:

“This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” (Mark 9:7)

A central aspect of the Christian faith is the conviction that Jesus Christ will return from heaven and fully establish his kingdom on earth. The dead will be raised and all shall be judged. Jesus goes on to say that on judgement day those who have obeyed him will enter the kingdom, while those who have denied him will not (John 3:36).

John 3:36 He who believes in the Son has eternal life; he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God rests upon him.

The reason for this is clear, any kingdom wishing to have peace will need citizens who are obedient to its king. Nobody should assume automatic right of entry without first agreeing to the authority of the king there.

Christians implore people to be reconciled to God because the Bible’s message is plain; Christ is King, and we are his ambassadors. If you haven’t been to church for a while, why not stop by the embassy on Sunday? There is probably a Bible teaching church near you. I recommend you click on the Christianity Explored website (click here) and type in your home town to see where your nearest Bible teaching church is.

Thanks for stopping by!

On MPs expenses.

2011-06-01T17:15:00.001+02:00

Today there are reports from the BBC about an ex-tory peer who stole thousands from the tax-payer. (Click here for the story). This reminds me of something I wrote over two years ago, republished here below.

In John's gospel we read of scribes and Pharisees condemning a woman who was caught in the act of adultery. They asked Jesus his opinion of her sin, wherein we read that Jesus told them 'let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.' (John 8:1-11)

It seems to me that we could all learn much from this statement, in light of the recent scandal of politicians expenses. If you have ever taken a sick day when you weren't really sick, if you ever claimed maternity leave from your employer (especially if the employer was the state), knowing that you weren't going to return to work, if you've ever been overpaid a benefit and not reported it to the tax office, then you shouldn't get on your moral high horse now.

'Let him who is without sin be the first to throw a stone.'

The simple fact is that in the United Kingdom we have developed a culture of depending on the state for hand-outs and benefits. And we are very quick to jump up and down if somebody gets a benefit and we don't.

Take child benefits for example.

How would you feel if your neighbour's children got benefits from the state, and yours didn't?

Angry? Upset? Would you think 'my children deserve child benefit just as much as theirs?'

But:

Is it right for a Christian to claim child benefits for his children if he can provide for them through his own job or investments?

Hasn't God given the child to the parents, not the state?

Why should Mr and Mrs Smith at number 7 have to pay extra tax so our children can receive an extra £20 a week?

Or what about state pensions?

If a Christian can provide for himself in retirement, without drawing a state pension, wouldn't it be right for him to do so?

Why should Mr and Mrs Jones at number 15, or the young couple at number 3, have to pay extra tax to allow a Christian not to work, especially if he can pay for his retirement himself?

When it comes to benefits we all tend to think as follows:

- well the benefits there, so I'd be crazy not to take it.

- I pay too much tax anyway, so I'm just recovering some of what I pay.

These arguments seem to me precisely what our politicians are using in their defence. And to my mind, as a Christian, the arguments simply aren't good enough. Do I really believe that my God will richly provide for my needs (Phil 4:19)? If I have food and clothing, will I not be content with that (1 Tim 6:8)?

Here's a suggestion for Christians to think about when it comes to claiming benefits.

1) Will my taking this benefit bring glory to God?

2) Would Jesus take this 'benefit' or would he decline it?

3) What does God's word say on this subject?

4) Does my taking this benefit increase my dependence on the state, or on God?

God has given us the ability to create wealth to improve our lives and bring him glory. If you think the state takes too much of your hard earned money in taxes (its hard not to feel that way!), why not tell the state you don't want any of its money?

If enough Christians did it, one day our taxes would come down. In the meantime, you will be able to say, along with Abraham to the king of Sodom, that you did not take anything from the state, lest the state should say 'I have made you rich.' (Genesis 14:22-24)

1 Tim. 6:6 There is great gain in godliness with contentment; for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world; but if we have food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and hurtful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all evils; it is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced their hearts with many pangs.

Today’s Bible readings:

Deuteronomy 5;

Psalm 88;

Isaiah 33;

Revelation 3.

On cowardice and courage.

2011-05-25T18:15:00.004+02:00

I wasn’t there, so I don’t know for sure, but when Peter denied knowing Jesus; denied being his friend; denied being his follower; I suspect one of the reasons he was so upset when the cock crowed was not just because he had let his friend down, but also because he had been a coward.

Lets face it, when we don’t do what we know we should do, because we’re frightened of the consequences, we’re cowards.

In the 21^st century though, we have a (new) phrase for cowardice. We call it ‘succumbing to peer pressure.’ When we don’t stand up for our Lord when we know we should, we say 'I couldn't resist the peer pressure.' Usually we feel pretty rubbish afterwards. I suggest to you that is because we have been cowards.

If your job causes you to ‘come under peer pressure’ today; this week; or even from time to time, don’t see it as ‘causing stress.’ Don’t worry about what you will do when so and so happens. Just see it as this, ‘will I be courageous here, or will I be a coward’?

Decide which you want to be, and behave accordingly.

Where there is no fear, there can be no courage. For who shows courage if the situation isn’t dangerous? A soldier doesn’t show courage on parade but on the battlefield. A preacher doesn't show courage in his study but in the pulpit. A Christian doesn't show courage in his quiet time, but in his workplace. A schoolboy doesn't show courage by saying his prayers in bed with the lights out, but by kneeling down in front of the other boys in his dormitory (viz-a-viz Tom Brown's Schooldays).

1Cor. 16:13 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.

2Tim. 1:8 Do not be ashamed then of testifying to our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel in the power of God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not in virtue of our works but in virtue of his own purpose and the grace which he gave us in Christ Jesus ages ago, and now has manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

Today’s Bible readings:

Numbers 34;

Psalm 78:38-72;

Isaiah 26;

1 John 4

Be sure your sins will find you out.

2011-05-23T20:44:00.000+02:00

There is a furore in the United Kingdom at the moment, because news agencies have defied a court order to keep the identity of a football player secret. The order was given (I understand) to protect the player’s privacy and the privacy of his family. It seems he took out the court order in order to keep his personal ‘affairs’ secret. And ‘affairs’ is the operative word, because it is alleged that this player, a married man, was having an affair with a model.

The case raises interesting legal questions because the player’s identity was revealed by a Scottish newspaper, arguing that the English court had no jurisdiction in Scotland. In England the player’s identity was revealed by a Liberal Democrat MP who mentioned his name in Parliament, using parliamentary privilege. Where does this leave UK law? Is there no such thing anymore? In what sense are we a united kingdom? Is it right for newspapers and Twitter users to defy a court order? Isn’t this simply a form of anarchy?

But what interests me is the moral question. Is it morally right to try and cover up your own sins? We all try to do it, Adam and Eve tried to cover up their nakedness with fig leaves in the garden. People tell lies to try and conceal what they’ve done.

At the end of the day, I think we’ll agree that ultimately it’s impossible to cover up our sins. They are revealed for all to see, if not in this life, certainly in the life to come. Two Biblical teachings proclaim this truth.

Numbers 32:23 Be sure your sin will find you out.

Heb. 4:13 And before him [God] no creature is hidden, but all are open and laid bare to the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

Thank God for his mercy, who in the person of his Son has provided an atonement for our sins. This is why Jesus Christ died, that our sins might be covered, once and for all, that our debts to God might be cancelled.

Heb 9:26 But as it is, Jesus has appeared once for all at the end of the age to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

Thanks for stopping by.

Today’s Bible Readings:

Numbers 32;

Psalms 75 & 76;

Isaiah 24;

1 John 2.

Leaving a Legacy for Christ.

2011-05-15T17:01:00.004+02:00

A couple of years ago I read an excellent book entitled ‘Raising Godly Children in an ungodly world.’ There was a chapter in the book discussing the importance of leaving a legacy for our children. Not a pearl necklace or a wad of cash, but a legacy of character and memories. How will people remember you (and me) after we have died? What kind of legacy will we leave? Will it be:

‘Dad was a grumpy man who often smacked us.’

‘Martha sought love in all the wrong places, she died unhappy.’

Or:

‘My father taught me much about this world, and in particular, the importance of knowing Jesus Christ.’

I must admit that one of the reasons I had some of my sermons published (click here) was because I thought that, perhaps, maybe 100 years from now, a grand-child of mine will be rummaging around in the loft and find my book and think – “I wonder what grand-dad wrote.” Perhaps, in some way unbeknown to me, something I’ve written, said or done, will have a profound effect on those who come after. And if I am to have a profound effect, I want it to be a positive one.

Christians everywhere, and especially Christian parents and leaders are called to set an example to those around them. There is a verse at the close of the Biblical letter to the Hebrews which says:

Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God; consider the outcome of their life, and imitate their faith. (Heb. 13:7)

And the apostle Paul wrote:

Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. (Phil. 3:17)

We are told that even Abel’s sacrifice still speaks to us (Hebrews 11:4).

So how will I be remembered after I am ‘gathered to my fathers?’ And how will people remember you? What legacy will you leave?

Many years ago (in the 1830s to be precise) the Lord raised up Dr. Thomas Arnold to be headmaster of Rugby School. I first heard of him when reading the novel ‘Tom Brown’s Schooldays’ (one of my favourite pieces of 19^th century literature). Through Arnold, Rugby became a school with a strong Christian ethos. (Years later John Stott was converted there, I think.) One of Arnold’s students, Thomas Hughes, became a Christian.

Hughes later wrote ‘Tom Brown’s Schooldays’ and went on to be a Member of the British Parliament. Much later he also wrote a book called ‘the Manliness of Christ’, a copy of which I read online. It was this book that was the inspiration for a sermon series we did at Great Parks Chapel in 2010.

My point is this. Thomas Arnold left a legacy for Christ, a legacy which still influences the world today. Through Arnold, Hughes became a Christian. Through Hughes’ book, Great Parks Chapel got a sermon series.

We’ll all leave a legacy of one form or another, the only question is, will it be a positive one that brings glory to God; or a negative one that is quickly forgotten (or worse, bitterly remembered)?

Only one life, it will soon be past;

Only that which is done for Jesus - only that will last. (1 Cor 3:10-15)

Thanks for stopping by.

Bible readings for today:

Numbers 24;

Psalm 66, 67;

Isaiah 14;

1 Peter 2.

On Bin Laden.

2011-05-05T16:59:00.003+02:00

In his epistle to the Christians in Rome, the apostle Paul wrote this about the role of governments.:

Rom. 13:3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of him who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain; he is the servant of God to execute his wrath on the wrongdoer.

Over the last 72 hours we have heard much about the killing of Bin Laden. It seems to me the US government was operating exactly as God expects governments to operate – bearing the sword against evil-doers. Because we live in a fallen, sinful world, with wicked men carrying out terrible sins and crimes, there need to be authorities in place to stop anarchy and lawlessness abounding. In my view the killing of Bin Laden will stop a number of evil killings that would have taken even more lives than the ones he was already responsible for taking. I have no criticism of the US President for the decision he made.

However, I don’t think the jubilation expressed by those who had lost loved ones in the 9/11 attacks does them much credit. To be fair, maybe I would have reacted the same way. But the fact is that the sins of this man, Bin Laden, have now been moved to a higher court. Jesus Christ himself will judge Bin Laden on that great and final day. And the more I learn and see of Jesus Christ, the more I see his words to be the truth that sets us free. If my loved ones were ever killed through a terrible, murderous act, I hope that I would not seek revenge myself (strong though that temptation must be). Rather, I would hope that the authorities captured and punished the person responsible, and trust that even if they did not, that on judgement day God would judge the murderer and punish him rightly - knowing all the facts of the case. This is part of the good news of Jesus Christ, that God will judge everyone with right judgement. As the apostle Paul explained to the Greeks in Athens:

The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all men everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all men by raising him from the dead.” (Acts 17:30-31)

Jesus teaches us that those who live by the sword will die by the sword (Matthew 26:52). We see the truth of his words in the death of this outlaw. Bin Laden lived by the sword, and so he died by it.

But God has forgiven me much, and I find true peace comes when I forgive others their sins against me. The bitterness and the grudges just fall away as I trust my Lord to bring about justice; while at the same time offering all people mercy (see here for more thoughts on forgiving and forgetting). In the meantime I thank him for the governments we have that seek to restrain evil. That is what governments are for, as I believe I’ve mentioned before.

Thanks for stopping by.

Today’s Bible readings:

Numbers 12, 13;

Psalm 49;

Isaiah 2;

Hebrews 10.

Why I am a monarchist - part II.

2011-04-28T23:14:00.001+02:00

With the royal wedding tomorrow I have turned my thoughts to the place of our head of state, and particularly I have been wondering whether I would prefer to live in a republic with an elected President. As it happens, I have lived in countries where the president is elected (the USA and Argentina) and I cannot say that a presidential system is superior to a constitutional monarchy. In Argentina there was always much corruption associated with the presidency, in the USA the corruption was less obvious, but at the end of the day it seems to me that presidential candidates chose a series of views which they say they believe in, but when in office often don’t pursue. President Obama’s inability to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay shows how easy it is to promise one thing, but then either have to change one’s position or have it changed for you after the election. Either case leads to a loss of trust amongst the voters.

People in favour of electing a president usually argue ‘that I alone have the right to say who rules over me.’ But what if you vote for candidate A and candidate B gets elected? Then you will have four or five years living in a country with a head of state you didn’t choose. How is that any different from living under a monarchy?

In any case, at least as far as the United Kingdom goes, if you don’t like your king, you can always emigrate. To France if needs be.

It seems to me that the best head of state will be one who has trained for the position, grown up seeing diplomats and other dignitaries entering his parents’ house. It also seems to me that the monarch can be, as far as is humanly possible, politically neutral. This can’t be said of presidents, who typically represent either a conservative or liberal perspective. In addition, there is considerable benefit in having a permanent head of state, rather than having to change ‘heads’ every so often, with staff being dismissed and new staff appointed.

Interestingly, when we look at Jesus, we see that he wasn’t elected king. Indeed the crowd that cheered him on his entry into Jerusalem sought to have him killed a week later. But he was appointed king by God Himself, as the angels heralded at his birth.

Luke 2:10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; 11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.

Rev. 17:14 “These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful.”

There is much to be said about living in a democracy, but for all its merits, there could well be a better political system. It would be hard to know that for sure, of course, as I have only ever lived in democratic countries. But it does seem to me that a monarchy with the following characteristics would be better than a democracy.

1) A monarchy filled with loyal subjects wouldn't need a massive civil service to have His commandments obeyed.

2) A monarch committed to the welfare of his subjects, even to the extent of dying for them, would be better than having self-interested political leaders who often (it seems to me) make unwise decisions because they are popular decisions, rather than because they are right.

3) A king who was all wise and knowing would be better than an inexperienced Member of Parliament being taken for a ride by his colleagues or lobby groups.

4) A king who had his own land wouldn't need to tax people for his upkeep, which would mean lower taxes for his subjects.

5) A king who always keeps his promises is easier to trust than any politician in a democracy - especially when he has absolute power.

It seems to me that there is a kingdom which has a king like this, and he invites anyone who wants to to join it. That king is Jesus Christ. He has a kingdom filled with loyal subjects - subjects who love him and are eager to obey him. In Jesus we have a king who was prepared to die for his people, so that we may not face God's judgement for all the sins we've committed. In Jesus we have a king who knows the best way for humans to live together peaceably. And we have a king who doesn't expect people to pay taxes for his upkeep - for he always lives (and the cattle on a thousand hills are his anyway). Finally, His promises are always trustworthy.

That's why I am a monarchist. And my king invites all people into his kingdom, but he does so with a warning - one day the door will be closed.

Luke 13:22 And He was passing through from one city and village to another, teaching, and proceeding on His way to Jerusalem. 23 And someone said to Him, “Lord, are there just a few who are being saved?” And He said to them, 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 “Once the head of the house gets up and shuts the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock on the door, saying, ‘Lord, open up to us!’ then He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know where you are from.’ 26 “Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets’; 27 and He will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you are from; DEPART FROM ME, ALL YOU EVILDOERS.’ 28 “In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves being thrown out. 29 “And they will come from east and west and from north and south, and will recline at the table in the kingdom of God. 30 “And behold, some are last who will be first and some are first who will be last.”

Are you in the kingdom yet?

Thanks for stopping by.

Today’s Bible Readings:

Numbers 5;

Psalm 39;

Song of Songs 3;

Hebrews 3;

On the Resurrection.

2011-04-26T17:19:00.003+02:00

I learnt a lesson from a sermon of Dr. Arnold once, in which he had said to the boys at Rugby ‘if you want to see the future, look at us, your masters.’ He meant that if anyone wants to see the future, he should look at people older than himself. In Arnold's case, in 20 years or so the schoolboys would be the same age as he was, some of them doing the work he did.

In this sense we see the future in our parents, and it was in this sense I saw my future when I met with an elderly couple last week. I asked them what it was like to grow old, and even though they are a lovely Christian couple, married for more than 60 years, and filled with the joy of knowing the Lord, they said:

When one grows older one’s circle of friends gets smaller and smaller. Old friends die and cannot be replaced. The world is no longer the world we knew, all has changed. The prospect of losing one’s spouse becomes increasingly real and terrible to imagine. Whereas one used to attend many weddings and then the occasional funeral, now it was attending many funerals and only the occasional wedding. Life is lonelier now.

On a similar theme, last night Linda and I watched Shadowlands, the very powerful movie based on the life of C.S. Lewis and his marriage to Joy Gresham. Richard Attenborough does a very good job of portraying the horror of death and the devastation that it causes.

These thoughts, contrasted with thinking on Jesus’ resurrection on Sunday, brings me to a great sense of joy as I think on the resurrection to come, when Christ returns from heaven.

What a day that will be!

For I shall be like Jesus, as far as a new body is concerned. No more weary legs after a long bike ride, no more coughs and colds or health worries. No more pain or death.

And I shall be reunited with family members who died in the Lord. Granddad and grandma. Aunty Iona. Uncle John.

And my circle of friends shall be ever increasing, not decreasing. There they will be – Stuart, Herbert, Marilyn.

Not to mention opportunities to meet other Christians, now long dead, but to God, still alive (for He has the power of the resurrection in his hands).

Stop and think how wonderful this will be. All things made new. No pain; no sadness; no boredom; no crime; no sin; no tiredness; no death. No more locksmiths. No more butchers. No more nurses nor doctors. No more needing to pray - because the Lord will be right there to converse with. No more feeling this world isn’t ours, because it will all be ours, if we are Christ’s, for all things belong to Him.

1Cor. 15:42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable. 43 It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 But it is not the spiritual which is first but the physical, and then the spiritual. 47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so are those who are of the dust; and as is the man of heaven, so are those who are of heaven. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.

STOP FOR A MINUTE.

Think on it. Resurrection morning. How wonderful it will be for those who have died ‘in the Lord.’ I can’t wait.

Thanks for stopping by.

Today’s Bible Reading:

Numbers 3;

Psalm 37;

Song of songs 1;

Hebrews 1.

On worrying...

2011-04-24T23:34:00.001+02:00

Psa. 37:1 Fret not yourself because of the wicked, be not envious of wrongdoers! 2 For they will soon fade like the grass, and wither like the green herb.

I think one of the reasons we like to worry, to fret, is because it gives us something to do. When situations are out of our control, we feel the need to do something, anything. And so we worry. Then at least it feels like we’re contributing to the situation.

But if we think about this rationally, we can see that worrying is completely unhelpful and can’t influence the outcome of a situation in any way whatsoever. A better response to a crisis, to the uprising of wicked people, is to trust our heavenly father to look after us. This is, of course, exactly what Jesus tells us to do.

Matt. 6:31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.

Matt. 6:34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day’s own trouble be sufficient for the day.

Maybe the Lord was thinking of Psalm 37 when he taught his disciples not to be anxious. No doubt we would be much better off following the instruction in Psalm 37, which teaches us to replace fretting withtrusting.

Psa. 37:3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so you will dwell in the land, and enjoy security. 4 Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

If we think about this earnestly and take it to heart, if we really trust in the Lord, then we will have great peace. Nothing that happens to me today can happen without my heavenly father allowing it. And if he allows it, it must ultimately be the right thing, the best thing to bring him glory, and to make me more like his Son.

Is a relationship failing? Fret not – the Lord knows about it.

Are you worried you’ll lose your job? Fret not – the Lord knows what you need.

Are you ill to the point of death? Fear not, the Lord will raise his people from the dead.

Are you worried about who is governing your country?

The decline in moral standards?

Our Lord tells us – ‘Fret not!’

‘Trust in Me!’

‘Do good!’

It’s all there in Psalm 37. I urge you to read it.

Thanks for stopping by:

Today’s Bible Readings:

Numbers 1;

Psalm 35;

Ecclesiastes 11;

Titus 3

The top ten.

2011-04-20T17:19:00.006+02:00

Regular readers of this blog may be interested to know that the website that hosts this blog keeps track of how many hits a particular blog receives. They have done this for the last 11 months, and the most read blogs (as of April 20, 2011) are:

On going to Oxford...

1 Feb 2011, 1 comment

116 Pageviews

Forgiving and forgetting?

8 Aug 2010

54 Pageviews

Raising Godly Children in an ungodly world

8 Jul 2010

43 Pageviews

Unless the Lord builds the house...

1 Jul 2009

31 Pageviews

On the NHS...

18 Aug 2009, 1 comment

29 Pageviews

Stream of consciousness.

21 Sep 2010, 1 comment

27 Pageviews

Fruit in due season

28 Jan 2010

24 Pageviews

Why does God allow tsunamis?

13 Mar 2011

22 Pageviews

Down the mine!

20 Nov 2010

21 Pageviews

God our ever-present help in times of trouble.

3 May 2010

20 Pageviews

If you're interested in reading some of them, simply click on the link.

Thanks for stopping by.

Today's Bible Readings:
Leviticus 24
Psalm 31;
Ecclesiastes 7;
2 Timothy 3.

On Easter....

2011-04-14T17:02:00.003+02:00

"I just love it when a plan comes together." Those were the famous words of Colonel John “Hannibal” Smith, uttered at the end of every episode of the classic American TV show ‘The A-Team’! Like latter day Robin Hoods this band of former marine commandos fought to bring justice to the downtrodden, while trying to avoid capture by the authorities. It was terrific stuff. “Hannibal’s” plans were never simple, and they never worked out quite as they were supposed to, but somehow, they got the job done. Similarly, many people see the Cross as the result of God’s rather haphazard planning. His experiments in the Garden of Eden and with the people of Israel hadn’t worked out, so in desperation, God asked Jesus to go to the cross. But nothing could be further from the truth. The truth is that at the beginning of time, before even the world was created, God knew that mankind would disobey him and would need a Saviour (see 1 Corinthians 2:7-9). In numerous places the Old Testament speaks time and again of Jesus’ coming.

We get the first glimpse of this in Genesis 3:15, when God tells the serpent that one of the woman’s offspring would crush his head. This serpent crusher would be the Lord Jesus Christ. When God promised Abraham that the world would be blessed by one of his descendants, it is Jesus who fulfils that promise. And when Abraham, taking Isaac up the mountain as if to sacrifice him tells his son that ‘the Lord himself will provide the lamb’ – again it is Jesus whom we see in the distance.

God’s plan of salvation by sending Jesus as the sacrifice for our sins is not some second or third draft. God doesn’t make mistakes. The wonder of Easter is that despite the fact that God knew we would disobey and rebel against him, ruining his creation, he always planned a way to save us. Even in the darkest days of sin and rebellion, there was always hope, a light in the darkness, a way back to God.

There still is.

The truth of the Christian faith hangs or falls on the resurrection of Jesus Christ? Richard Dawkins, in his book ‘The God Delusion’ is unable to present any coherent explanation of what happened that first Easter, approximately 1980 years ago. Being unable to refute the historical certainty of Christ’s resurrection, Dawkins chooses to ignore it. But you don’t have to be ignorant of the evidence. Click here for your almost free booklet ‘Jesus – Dead or Alive?’ In it you’ll see why the Bible can be trusted and how the Christian faith can change your life forever.

Why make wrong choices when someone can show you the right way to live?

Why be ignorant of your purpose in life when someone can show you why life has meaning?

Why fear death when someone has conquered it?

May we know afresh the wonder of God’s salvation this Easter, as we marvel at the way God’s perfect plan came together.

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Today's Bible Reading:

Leviticus 18

Psalm 22;

Ecclesiastes 1;

1 Timothy 3