WHO OWNS THIS PLACE? or THE TALE OF A POSTAGE STAMP

An extraordinary piece of legislation is currently being processed through Parliament, and with some urgency. It is designed to make sure that our postage stamps will always retain their “royal” character and the monarch’s identity. Why the panic? It is simply because the Royal Mail will shortly be up for sale, and of course a foreign bidder may well buy it out. Foreigners are not likely to pay too much attention to upholding some of our cherished traditions! I hope it gets through, or else there is no knowing what sort of nonsense might decorate our stamps.

This all sounds a bit facetious. But actually it is yet another straw indicating which way the national wind is blowing. The government has long made it a matter of policy that we are not really going to prevent national assets from going abroad; we don’t mind being bought up by the rest of the world. The postage stamp sale is saying that we don’t mind the substance being sold off as long as maybe we can just salvage a little pride.It's the image that matters not the substance (that's the bottom line of all policy now).

The big picture that all this illustrates is really very serious. I quote from a leading newspaper: “From water and power stations to roads, airports and rubbish dumps, more than a third of British infrastructure is now owned by foreigners. The Office of Fair Trading has done the first national stocktaking of critical infrastructure assets and concluded that more are owned by foreign investors than by the British Government”. We don’t own our biggest airports, or our ports. Imagine that! Rule Britannia not owning its ports. The majority of our power generation capacity is in the hands of French, German and Spanish ownership. “Not to worry”, says the OFT, “it keeps our prices down”. But in an economic or national crisis, what then? Such companies are not really there for the benefit of Britain, but for what profits they can make.

One could add to this take over of our infrastructure the extraordinary rate at which much of the best and most expensive property in the country is being bought up by foreigners, especially in London. Real estate is more and more foreign owned. “Britain never, never shall be slaves”, - but it looks as though we will be owned by others none the less!

On the other side of the coin it seems that Britain for a couple of decades has systematically put more and more eggs in the basket of the City and financial services. That is a very unstable bubble (nest?) indeed. It seems that everything of real substance is leaking away while the rich continue to gamble.

Is this too hard a comment? I don’t think so. It's a clear message of rapidly decining status and power.Contrast China. It’s a dire, dire waring of real danger, divine danger! It is a classic finger of judgement.

Bob


To make a comment: click on word “comments” below, write your comment in the white box which appears and add your name and e mail address (if you wish), choose “select profile”, click “anonymous” and then continue.

2011 - AN UNKNOWN FUTURE

A recent cartoon depicted a man happily pushing away the last “0” of the date 2010. No sooner had he removed it than the figure “1” which was to replace it came down on him at great pace and completely flattened him! Welcome to the New Year! It could well be a difficult year.
One of the great mercies of God is to keep the future hidden from us. That means surprises really become surprises, and also that we are kept from fretting about the difficulties that lie ahead. How dull and threatening life would be if we knew exactly how it would pan out!


However, we can be aware of some very important things about the future, things that can give us a confidence and a hope. God very much wants us to be aware of those. They come in the form of promises and they are very positive.

For this seasonal New Year Column I thought I would list some of them (all of them would make a book!). We cannot do better than walk into the unknown future armed with God’s promises. They are certainly more assured than the promises we make to ourselves. They have certainly supported me in 2010 and are still there for 2011.

“No good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless” Ps 84:11 So make godliness the absolute prime aim of your life.

“He will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways” Ps91:11 Cling to this!

“The righteous will flourish like a palm tree…like a cedar… They will still bear fruit in old age; they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, ‘The Lord is upright, he is my rock.’” Ps. 92:15 Old age is no barrier to the blessing of God nor to a useful, helpful life; quite the contrary! Stay godly.

“Though you make me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again” Ps 71:20 Don’t forget this – God can restore from the very depths.

“Light is shed on the righteous and joy on the upright in heart” Ps 97:12 Here it is again; if you remain upright, you’ll understand where you are and where you’re going.

“Blessed is he who has regard for the weak … the Lord will preserve him and protect his life” Ps 41:1 Never forget those who are less fortunate than yourself – and give!

“For this God is our God for ever and ever. He will be our guide even unto the end.” Ps 48:14 God is totally loving, totally faithful and totally strong – you are safe with Him.

These are covenant promises – wear them like a ring, constantly, in the days ahead.


Bob


To make a comment: click on word “comments” below, write your comment in the white box which appears and add your name and e mail address (if you wish), choose “select profile”, click “anonymous” and then continue.

SON OF GOD

The Christmas story offers us some magnificent themes – if only we can get out of the seasonal rush and really think about them. There are two in particular: that Jesus is as human as I am (this is the essential lesson of the human baby in the manger), and that Jesus is none the less “My God”, or, as the angel described the baby to Mary, “That Holy One”.

His humanity was (and is) obvious to all – and it means that he knows where I’m coming from and what it feels like to be in this world; he is on the wave length of my fears and worries, my hopes and joys. He understands me, is deeply interested in me and can help me. He forgives and he heals. This is something millions have experienced in their lives, and need to go on experiencing.

His divinity was not so obvious, and when he lived in Galilee most missed it. How was it discerned? This is the challenging bit. John, the supremely thoughtful and discerning disciple, gives us an answer from the years he spent with the adult Jesus. Firstly he listened very carefully to what Jesus said about himself and how he identified himself with God. For example, Jesus simply was not afraid to use even the “I am” title of God for himself. John actually heard Jesus say to the Scribes and Pharisees, “Before Abraham came into being, I am”. He heard much more as Jesus made further use of the expression “I am” and said of himself, I am the Good Shepherd, the Resurrection, the Life, the Truth the Light of the World. All these descriptions blatantly and directly betokened divinity.

Secondly John watched very carefully what Jesus did. He took careful note of Jesus’ own comment that what he was doing in the way of miracles bore evidence to the truth of what he was saying. John saw the man blind from birth healed, the five thousand fed, Lazarus raised from the dead and the water turned into wine. These works that the Father was doing in him through the Spirit were a total vindication of the fact that Jesus spoke and taught the truth. “No man can do these works unless he come from God”, said Nicodemus.

All this perception was indelibly confirmed when he saw Jesus risen from the dead. Like his fellow disciple, Thomas, his own heart at that point breathed, “My Lord and My God!” It was time to worship.
In the later years of his life John's ever deepening perception was majestically underscored by two great prophetic visions of the exalted Jesus, one in which he saw the Lord in the midst of his church, the other in which he saw the glorified “Lamb” in the middle of the throne of God (recorded in The Revelation). They were out shone only by the brilliant revelation of the exalted Lord Jesus that converted Paul on the Damascus road.

Many, worldwide, even today, are finding the same exalted divine Jesus through powerful vision and prophetic revelation. This has not stopped! Many more know providentially of the miracle touch that comes into a life given over to Jesus, and so recognise the absolute validity of his recorded claims. Direct experience of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit particularly endorse the truth of what Jesus said and bring consciousness of his own presence.

May this Son of God enfold you, and may you see something of his glory this Christmas



Bob (N.B. THE NEXT “Column” WILL BE PUBLISHED ON JAN. 4th)

To make a comment: click on word “comments” below, write your comment in the white box which appears and add your name and e mail address (if you wish), choose “select profile”, click “anonymous” and then continue.