This was the week when the sun began to shine! It had had a couple of months off and so the Met office’s announcement of stable areas of high pressure was greeted by a mixture of relief and jubilation. The land, so long soaked in rain, began to firm up. Drains that had been blocked were now accessible and cleared to hasten the departure of the surface water. The sound of the combine harvesters could be heard as they gingerly made their way into the soft ground of the grain fields. The heads of the grain, threatening to sprout if left any longer, were speedily carted off in high sided trailers to be checked out for quality, moisture content, etc at the mill. In the meadows, where hopes of a late crop of hay had looked unlikely, the mowers were out and the hay bobs were spinning the wet grass in the autumn sunlight in an effort to have it dried for the bailer before the fine weather ended. Not that there is any sign of it ending as I write. The swallows, who were lining up on the wires getting ready for their long flight to Africa, seem to be putting off the departure date to enjoy the sunshine. We too can enjoy it remembering God’s promise, given after the global flood; “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.” The promise is confirmed by the rainbow, the covenant sign given by a covenant keeping God. But this is not the way it seems to be for a lot of people with famine and flood reported in many lands. The promise of seedtime and harvest gets overturned by vicious weather patterns. Some might put these down to global warming but the Bible says the over-arching reason is that God has subjected his creation to frustration and decay. Rusting cars, sick bodies and the universal aging process all testify to it. We are not here forever! St Paul, writing to the church at Rome, says there is a parallel between the struggle in creation and the struggle against sin in the life of the believer. He writes, ”We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies”. The awaited new heavens and new earth he sees as mirroring the believer who is described as “a new creation” awaiting the complete transformation when he will really be like his saviour Jesus Christ. As St John puts it:- “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” Seedtime and Harvest point us to that great harvest day when the angels will be the reapers and all those in Christ will be gathered in the heavenly home. Make sure you are there. Trust Jesus.

In an earlier era Castor Oil was deemed to be the panacea for all ills – at least those of the sore stomach variety. It tasted foul! But in those days this was evidence that it would do you good. “If it’s not hurting it’s not working” was the notion. The Castor Oil bottle was the most dreaded item in the medicine cupboard but it had one virtue – it worked! Following our years of profligacy, the Government has prescribed a dose of NAMA as the cure for our financial ills. It will not taste good. “No gain without pain” appears to be the appropriate slogan. The anticipation of it has sent the Government ratings down to an all time low and the naive media men wonder how this could be! The balancing act is due to begin in the middle of the month. On the one hand there has to be a realistic valuation of the loans made on foot of grossly overvalued assets; a valuation which will not put the taxpayer in hock for generations to come. On the other hand if the value of these assets is too low the banks will fail, business will grind to a halt, the International Monetary Fund will take over and we will become the serfs of Europe. In Bible times, Israel was under Roman occupation, taxes were heavy and unjustly applied. The Pharisees and the Herodians who were the religious separatists and politicians of their day, questioned Jesus on the vexed question of paying tax to Caesar. “Should we pay or shouldn’t we?” they asked. It was a loaded question. If Jesus answered “Pay your taxes” he would have been unpopular with the people. If he answered “Do not pay your taxes” he would have been in trouble with the Roman authorities. What would Jesus do? Jesus asked them to bring him a denarius – a Roman coin worth approximately a day’s wages – and asked, “whose likeness is this on the coin?” “Caesar’s they replied. Jesus said, “Give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” Jesus had two worlds in view. The one we call the “real” world where we have to pay taxes and bail out bad banks and the Kingdom of God. The question for you and me is “who is in God’s likeness?” The Bible says we are created in his image. The implication for us today is that we are to give our lives to God, who made us in his likeness, to live for him under his rule. Jesus invitation remains open today: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

There can be few examples of the misuse of power that exceed that of an adult kidnapping and abusing a child. The helplessness of the victim illustrated by Jaycee Dugard, kidnapped at age 11 on her way to school, contrasts strongly with the power of the kidnapper, Philip Garrido and his wife Nancy. Philip Garrido was first charged with kidnap and rape at the age of 20. He was convicted and appears to have been imprisoned from 1976 to1988 when he was released on parole. This did not deter him from kidnapping Jaycee in 1991, 3 years later. The case bears some resemblance to that of Josef Fritzel who went to elaborate lengths to imprison his captive in specially constructed cells under his house. Garrido appears to have relied less on incarceration and more on creating a physiological prison for his victim. Comparatively speaking Jaycee was permitted some liberty. She seems to have had access to fresh air and the “freedom” to move about the secured back garden. This has left her feeling guilty for “bonding” with her abductor and not attempting to escape. It is likely that the two daughters, now aged 11 and 15 fathered by Garrido, occupied her time and complicated any escape plans she might otherwise have made. Garrido has some sort of religious streak where, according to his blog, God had given him the ability “to speak in the tongue of angels in order to provide a wake-up call that will in time include the salvation of the entire world”. What is even more alarming is the reaction of the hundreds of “bloggers” who have left comments on the site in the last few days. This has become something of a lightning rod attracting vicious remarks of a uniformly merciless variety. What does the Word say? Let’s start with the portion Garrido partially quoted. It reads, “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.” The absence of love in Garrido’s actions and in the comments on his blog show that love is in short supply. The sort of love the Bible speaks of is seen most clearly in Jesus. St John defines it for us, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins”. Jesus had the ultimate power position on the cross. He could have come down from it as the priests suggested. Instead he showed the ultimate love for sinners in providing a way for all who repent to get right with God.  This is the message of salvation that has been already provided for the world.  It is for Garrido and it is for you.

Give something a bad name and it sticks! The more benign medical term H1N1 has been superseded by the user friendly but more sinister “swine”. It is as if the characteristics of the pig go along with the sneezes! The one who sneezes, without using a tissue and, as the HSE campaign shows in a lift full of people, has merited the name! Flu’s come and flu’s go but health is always a major topic. Our very salutation “How are you today” is a friendly way of expressing our interest. The phrase “Bless you” related to more ominous times when a sneeze often heralded the onslaught of the “Black death”. The articulating of the blessing was intended to enlist the protection of the Almighty. Indeed the Bible recounts the tragic story of King Asa who, when he took ill, did not seek the Lord but relied solely on his physicians. The fact of illness as a present reality in a fallen world is acknowledged in Scripture just as there is healing in Christ’s atonement. As Matthew, quoting Isaiah put it in Chapter 8 verses 16/17, “He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases.” The perfect health that Christ’s healing ministry points to will be the condition of the believers’ resurrected body. At present God is pleased to graciously grant, from time to time, a foretaste of the complete healing that awaits his people in the glory. These blessings come from answered prayer and themselves point to the complete healing, both spiritual and physical , that St Peter spoke about, in 1 Peter Chapter 2 verse 24, “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.” The wonderful message for those who place their faith in the work of Christ on the cross on their behalf is that H1N1 or any other ailment is temporary, may be cured here and now but certainly will be in the hereafter. For those who have not yet committed themselves to Christ, may I commend that you turn to him and commit your life, health and future to him in prayer. He will answer and the promises in his Word will be fulfilled.

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.