There is an undercurrent, seldom expressed but often implied, in our society that when a person “gets religion” he should do the decent thing and enter the church. The honest thing to do is surely to join with the like-minded. To be suitably labelled with reversed collar or other distinctive garb ensures the safety of normal people from dangerous trends in conversation. In fact not to become one of the “religious” is most disrespectful of ones fellow creatures. Without the dress code to give the game away normal decent people are at risk!  There is the possibility of them getting under the radar so to speak and ask the awkward question or go where no man has gone before and utter the startling words “are you saved?” Of course decent people don’t need to be saved – the very idea! Have we not been through the ceremonies? Has there not been a whole plethora of clergy involved to say nothing of the might of the church already?  Any notion of a possible lack in my religious armour is laughable. Let the “born again” ones bang their heads against the might of my defences! I have been conversion-proofed!  I have the certificates to prove it! So what to do when they bring up Jesus? I tell them my story. How I come from a long line of religious. I’ve been up the mountain, round the lough, down the catacombs and into the relics!  And don’t bring up that original sin business; I got rid of that long ago. But the Bible teaches that the reason we die has to do with sin[1]. The reason Jesus died proved that he was bearing our sin. The reason Jesus could rise from the grave proved that he had made atonement for our sin and was himself sinless[2].  To be saved from our sins, especially our unbelief[3] is why Jesus came to earth. Believers are called to be witnesses to Jesus[4]; who he is; why he came; what he did; and how simple faith in him, in God’s eyes makes a sinner into a saint[5]. So if you are a believer – be what you are, a witness. If you are not a believer trust in Jesus who calls you to your true vocation to witness for him where he has placed you. [1] Romans Chapter 6 verse 23. [2] 2 Corinthians Chapter 5 verse 21. [3] St John’s Gospel Chapter 8 verse 24. [4] Acts Chapter 1 verse 8. [5] Philippians Chapter 4 verse 21.

There is an incident in the Bible where things couldn’t have gotten much worse. The enemy had laid siege to the city; starvation was at the door and four leprous beggars reckoned that they might as well flee to the enemy as they were bound to die if they stayed put. When they reached the enemy camp they found all had fled leaving everything behind. They decided to help themselves but their consciences intervened and they said, “We’re not doing right. This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves”. 2 Kings chapter 7 verse 9. That was one sort of good news. Another occurs when the Apostles started preaching in Jerusalem after Jesus had risen from the dead. “They never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ. Acts chapter 5 verse 42. God had visited earth. St Paul said it was of first importance that Christ died for our sins. Now people have a hard time relating to that word “sins”. If you are Catholic you instinctively think of sex. If you are not a Catholic you think of the thing which currently bugs you! The net result, if anything, is that you embark on some self-improvement scheme. But the good news of the gospel requires you to look in the opposite direction. Not to yourself but to Christ. Not to your performance (or lack of it) but to the one who came to “save his people from their sins”. St Matthew’s Gospel chapter 1 verse 21. You must turn away from the tendency to sift through the erratic behaviour of your life looking for some evidence that might convince you that, just maybe, you are heaven bound. Some acts of kindness that might tip the balance in your favour? But such thinking implies the Jesus work on the cross in bearing all your sin was somehow inadequate! St Peter, speaking of the unique and exclusive nature of Jesus work put it like this; “Salvation is found in no-one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” Acts Chapter 4 verse 12. If you are not sure about your salvation you need to trust Christ completely. If you are sure you need to be like the beggars and share the good news with others.

Penury. The introduction of Nama (National Asset Management Agency) has produced a new type of insurance. It covers the debts of banks to provide security for depositors, shareholders and bank staff. It will deal with dodgy loans, declining assets and make payments to the banks in the hope that they will lend more wisely in the future. Who underwrites the risks at this insurance company? Nama of course. But Nama is not Manna. It is not a heavenly source but it is you, if you pay taxes, who will provide! Piety There is a darkness that shrouds us. It is not just that sexual abuse reports are exposing the rot but that the perpetuators (state and church) are in charge of fixing it. Not much prospect for a “Truth and Reconciliation” commission here. Who would be on it? Who is left to bring justice to the victims? But worse than that unbelief stalks the land. It’s not just seen in the popularity of “new atheism” but in the laws being enacted which fly in the face of God’s law. The current Civil Union Bill capitulates to the gay lobby and fundamentally alters the definition of marriage. We sow to the wind and reap the whirlwind. Pandemic Just when we thought things could not get much worse we hear the sound of the whirlwind approaching. H1N1 (swine flu) started out in March from Mexico and has now visited 70 countries. It has hit the UK with more that 100,000 new cases weekly. Vaccines are being prepared and should be available around September. They should be successful in controlling the flu provided it does not mutate. Conclusion Destitution, godlessness and plagues, “we have had all these things before” you may say; and you would be right. But we are having them just now – and all together. Saint Peter, speaking of the time Jesus would return said that “in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” Jesus spoke of the suddenness and certainty of his return when things will be set in order and cautioned his hearers to “be ready”. Read St Matthew chapter 24 verses 42-44. Readiness comes by relating to him. Speak to him in prayer right now and ask him to make you ready.

It was this week that Ngema, a South African illegal immigrant, was sentenced in the High Court in Edinburgh for the abduction of a fellow country woman Magdeline Makola (38). Ngema barely knew his victim whom he beat up, blindfolded and bound hand and foot, taping her mouth so she could not call out. He then placed her in the boot of her car and drove to Drumgelloch Station car park. Having obtained a note of her credit card codes he then went off on a pre Christmas spending spree leaving her there in the car boot, in her night clothes, without food, water or heat in temperatures which, at times, fell below zero. The Edinburgh Royal Infirmary reported her missing when she did not turn up for work and eventually the police found her car, noticed some movement, and broke into it. This was on St Stephen’s Day – some 10 days after she had been abducted. At his trial Ngema claimed he carried out the crime because Magdeline had “dis-respected” him. The judge, Lord Menzies, was unimpressed, sentenced him to a minimum of eight years and imposed a life-long restriction order meaning that he will only be freed when the parole board decides it is safe. The judge added that it was particularly chilling that throughout the 10 days his victim was locked up Ngema continued to behave perfectly normally and calmly, enjoying the festive season. What makes this case unusual is not the amazing feat of survival of the victim or the cynical cruelty of the perpetuator but the Christian qualities shown by Magdeline. She decided that she could either panic and die in fear or she could remain calm and pray to God for a good outcome. She chose the latter knowing that her family in South Africa would also be praying as would her local Baptist church in Livingstone. When interviewed last week Magdeline said she felt nothing but pity for her kidnapper whom she forgave. Her prayer was now that, in prison, he would have time to repent and turn to the Lord. Let us praise God and pray that her ongoing prayers may also be answered.

“An Bord Snip Nua” has spoken! Apparently we cannot continue to borrow €400 million a week indefinitely! The Report deals with reality. Our Celtic tiger is dead and her cubs are running for court protection from overseas lenders. Our own banks, paralysed by debts and supported by the government’s life-line, can only hope and pray that things will get better through time. The Report reveals the astonishing growth of the Public Sector with its multiple Agencies, Boards and Commissions. Many of these will be destined to close or merge and for others the terms and conditions of work will be snipped. A painful procedure for all concerned which is sure to sharpen the focus of those contemplating early retirement. All this has taken the spotlight from our most heinous rapist who has just been sentenced to prison for 21 years. The man first achieved notoriety in what became known as the “C” case where the 13 year old girl was permitted by the court to travel to the UK for an abortion. She is now 25 and attended the court to hear sentence being passed on the same man, this time for the rape of an 86 year old woman. She said, on hearing the sentence “It kind of gave me a bit of relief when he got 21 years”. Relief has been in short supply over the last 12 years as she has tried to commit suicide on a number of occasions and still gets telephone death threats in the night. What does the Bible have to say to a man who has destroyed women’s lives? In Muslim countries rapists get short shift. The offender gets the snip or summary execution. The Bible sometimes used figurative language but does not sanction mutilation. The Good News of the Gospel is that Christ was mutilated for sinners – not the righteous. St Paul couldn’t have put it any more plainly when he wrote that “God justifies the wicked” Romans chapter 4 verse 5. But how?  When they repent is the answer. What does repentance look like for us caught up in the collective greed of the Celtic tiger or the rapist? The same as for any other sinner – a heartfelt grief leading to a 180 degree change of direction. It starts with an admission of guilt something which was absent from our rapist and probably from you reading this blog! It ends with a personal decision to renounce sin and to put your faith in God. Its not penance, which is man’s attempt to balance the books by making amends. It’s seeing God place your sins on Christ and He willingly bearing them. Christ’s blood then cleansing the repentant sinner and presenting him faultless before God – a forgiven person. St Paul’s 1st letter to the church at Corinth had rebuked them for their sins and in his 2nd letter he rejoiced in their repentance; “I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. Godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. Snips may be necessary in the short term but salvation is forever.

The 500th anniversary of Calvin’s birth on Friday has added to the recent focus there has been on the teachings that bear his name. His theological writings, especially his seminal work “Institutes of the Christian Religion” have majorly impacted on the course of church history to this day. Calvin’s thought exerted considerable influence over the other religious figures of the Reformation and even entire religious movements, such as Puritanism. His ideas have been cited as contributing to the rise of capitalism, individualism, and representative democracy in the West. His teaching on the sovereignty of God in Creation have found general acceptance, with the exception of some intellectuals who would deny the God who made them, but it’s his teaching on Redemption which has created the most controversy. Anyone who taught the salvation comes through faith alone in Jesus and not through anything we do directly attacks the pride of man and produces a negative reaction bearing out the text that says “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God”. Calvin maintained that God’s actions were free and that his grace (meaning God giving us what we do not deserve) was included in the freedom. The implication of free grace is that our destiny is in God’s hands. He is the one who decides who will be saved and that is a decision which God need not make in any single case. When we sing “It’s all about you Jesus” you’re on the road of saying it’s not about your actions, your choosing, your resolve. Instead our faith needs to be centred on Jesus death, his bearing of sin and his resurrection demonstrating that the new way to God is now open through him. If you are not staggered by the grace of God, is it because you have lost sight of it or never fully grasped where you would be without it? If this is so perhaps you should pray along these lines: – Lord, you freely choose, at great cost to yourself, to show mercy and grace to every repentant sinner. Lord Jesus Christ, be merciful to me, a sinner.

Michael was a performer whose musicianship and agility put him in a class of his own. Self-styled the “King of Pop” he broke many records and created many incidents in a life hounded by the media. Even his death last Thursday is shrouded in intrigue. His professional career started at age 11 with other members of his family and at 13 his talent was such that he went solo. He missed out on childhood and tried in vain to regain it through his “Neverland” ranch, pet zoos and children’s playgrounds. His brilliant footwork when he “moon walked” in “Billie Jean” incurred many a sprained ankle as fans tried to copy him. Fortunately the fans didn’t try to copy his many facial makeovers! Financial pressures are thought to have been behind his planned London concert in July. This was the first big event for a long time and all the 750,000 tickets for the 5 nights had been sold. The pressure on this perfectionist must have been intense and with the stress his emaciated body seems to have succumbed. He was not known to look after himself and despite the attendance of his private doctor it seems that his heart gave up. What can we learn from this talented life lived largely in the media spotlight? Perhaps the first thing is the lesson Moses learned that glory fades. The radiance on his mountaintop experience did not last. Likewise talents are not intended to last forever. Comeback concerts rarely work. The question is how to make the most of talents while we’ve got them? The Bible’s view is that we were designed to be under authority. We lack the power to control ourselves. Even Jesus when on earth submitted to the Father’s will – “for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me”. When we acknowledge Jesus as our Lord we are simply recognising the need to turn from our own ways and surrender the control of our life to his ways. The psalmist put it simply “The Lord is my shepherd”. Hand your talents back to God in prayer that he may use them to his glory. Your life of service will truly satisfy as you submit to his word and his ways.

The age-old dilemma of what to do when you find something valuable got some publicity this week when a winning lottery ticket was left behind in the shop where it was sold. “Finders keepers, Losers weepers!” – is the children’s version of morality but would it become the adult’s version also if the ticket is worth €350,000? To be honest or not to be honest is the question. Of course to be dishonest and keep the ticket would involve lying but the escalation of wrongdoing did not seem to enter into the thinking of those interviewed by the journalist as to what they would do. The majority said they would keep the ticket. They reasoned that the Lotto was all about luck and they were lucky to find the ticket. In answer to the question, “What would you give to the owner of the ticket?” the answer varied from €500 to half the prize money! Of those who would return the ticket, superstition played a large part in their motivation. “It wouldn’t be lucky to keep it.” One claimed his conscience wouldn’t let him keep it. “I’d be guilt ridden for the rest of my life.” Another inadvertently illustrated the elasticity of his conscience by asking for his name to be withheld as he was working and signing on the dole! His justification when told that he was stealing? “That’s different, it’s not my fault the Government made the mess they did!” It is perhaps unfair to use this episode as a litmus test of national morality! Those who excused dishonesty on the basis that we are talking about a Lottery, which itself has been described as “stealing by mutual consent” could be said to have a point! With 3 of the 10 commandments in tatters the Bible is unlikely to give its blessing to the shenanigans. However it is more likely to commend the Indian immigrant who, when interviewed, said his soul wouldn’t let him keep it. There would not have been a story if the shop assistant who found the ticket hadn’t been honest and tracked down the owner and returned it to him. Perhaps like the Indian he too had regard for his soul…as Jesus said “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? As St Peter put it referring to Jesus: He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. Follow Jesus.

The effect of a church calendar is to bring into prominence certain events of a religious nature on an annual basis. Tomorrow, the feast of the body of Christ will be celebrated in many places throughout the land. In some countries much festivity attends the procession which always has as its focal point the Eucharist. This is said to represents the presence of Christ in the form of the blessed sacrament being carried through the community. The feast goes back to the 13th Century when it was attested to by miracle and so entered the church calendar. It may come as a surprise to learn that the Bible is distrustful of holy objects even ones that have been a blessing to God’s people. The only case it records was in Moses time when a bronze snake fastened to a pole (a symbol adopted today by the medical profession to denote healing) healed all those who looked to it in faith from the blood-poisoning caused by a plague of snakes. This pole was carried around for a few hundred years until the reign of Hezekiah. By this time it had become a snare to the people who were burning incense to it and the king, who had been removing the idols in the land, had it smashed to pieces. Jesus referred to the pole in his talk to Nicodemus which St John records in chapter 3 of his gospel. There Jesus does not attribute any miraculous powers to the pole but to the faith of the sick people. As they looked in obedience to the wooden pole and believed they were healed. Jesus told Nicodemus that a similar belief in himself could cure everyone from the blood poisoning of sin. More particularly this belief was to be directed to Jesus on the cross where as the bearer of sin he offers them eternal life. Jesus’s body is now in heaven but the Holy Spirit is present in every believer ministering the forgiveness and love to others that they have received from him. Christ’s body on earth now consists of assemblies of believers who bring the good news of a new life in Jesus to others as they live it out daily in their own lives.

In a week of continuing bad news, Mother Ireland made some attempt to clean the filth from her garments. Justice was a long time in coming since the first evidence of bribery came to light in 1992. On Wednesday the press made much of Frank Dunlop’s arrival at Court for sentencing in a silver Mercedes and departing in the back of a prison van. The 18 months handed down to the former Government Press Secretary and manipulator of Dublin County Councillors was the longest sentence for corruption in the history of the State. In many ways Dunlop’s demise is a cipher for understanding the way we are. There is an endemic attraction to get around laws which are designed for the common good by tempting those whose job it is to uphold them to do wrong. The taking of short-cuts, ignoring accountability and multiplying companies and bank accounts took years to unravel and the task is ongoing. The standard approach to the courts or tribunals when called to answer for their behaviour has alternated between being forgetful and lying to avoid detection. The turning point came when a previously hidden account of Dunlop’s was unearthed, with dates and amounts matching his accusers statements, the judge him to go home and reflect on his position. The poacher turned gamekeeper and the dirty washing is still being laundered. The Bible tells us that God is well used to his laws being broken. Our fallen natures require the introduction the themes of justice for the oppressed and judgement for the guilty. Our religious system offers penance which can never atone for sin. Our legal system is modelled on the Bible in order to take into account that this is the way we are. However justice in man’s court will always be imperfect. The judge has to adjudicate on the information presented which is often skewed and incomplete. Justice in God’s court has no such limitations. St Paul writing to the Church at Rome forecast “the day when God will judge men’s secrets”. It will be a day when all will be revealed. Everything that we thought we had got away with. The things that no one knows and no one has seen. For that day we need to hire the best advocate we can get! St John, in his first letter, says we have one. It is Jesus Christ who specialises in cleaning up all those who are desperate enough to bring their dirty washing to him. My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. Put your faith in Jesus.