He played his ace and won the game. There was no need to revert to plan B which would have contested the result had Hillary won. If you are a bridge player, he won the rubber or if tennis is your game the match was over with a straight ace.
The appeal direct to the marginalised and largely ignored masses was heard and understood. This man was outside the political elite. He was a one-off. The defence mounted by the status quo i.e. Hillary was carrying the baggage of her husband’s history plus her blunders in office and it proved too heavy a burden.
Much has been written as to whether Donald will be different in office to the Donald who proved to be so adroit at handling the electioneering. I don’t think so. Will he be wise enough to surround himself with good advisers? I think he will. But will he take their advice? I am not so sure!
Self-made men find it hard to hear what they see as lesser mortals say, especially when it contradict their gut reaction. It is that gut reaction which, according to Donald, has served him so well in business which he brings with him into the political sphere. The difference is that in politics decisions can change the lives of millions for good or ill. It’s no accident that the Emperor was worshipped in the Roman world. Although that power today is hedged about by laws there is only one finger on the nuclear button!
So what controlling influences could be attributed to Donald? We have learned he went to the same church as Norman Vincent Peale and embraced the ideas in his book, “The Power of Positive Thinking”. Some of the results may be scene in his successful business deals. There is no evidence that Scripture is the controlling influence in his life whereas that may be the case with Mike Pence, his Vice President elect.
When Jesus was confronted by Pilot, the all-powerful Roman Governor of Israel, who explained in simple language that he had the power to have him killed, Jesus replied “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above” (St John Chapter 19 verse 11). Authority on earth comes from God. We are to obey the government and pray for those in authority and if you find that hard just think what it must have seemed like to those in 1st century Rome! (Romans Chapter 13 verses 1 – 5).
The most sublime example of ultimate power under total control is that of Christ on the Cross. The ability to pray for the forgiveness of those who were crucifying him (St Luke Chapter 23 verse 34). Power which does not acknowledge that it comes from God will always be defective being centred on man. Let us pray the America will remember the founding fathers motto and put into practice “In God we Trust”.

The visit of Pope Francis to Sweden earlier this week started the year of commemorating the 500th anniversary of the Reformation (usually reckoned to have commenced on 31st October 2017). Luther was the subject of his visit to the leaders of the Lutheran Church in the Swedish city of Lund.
So who was this Luther who faced down the might of the Catholic Church of his day? What drove him to attempt to right the corruption? But first he had to sort out his relationship, or lack of it, with God.
Luther’s personal problems came to a head when he read in the Bible that God requires righteousness. Luther saw no possibility of him ever pleasing this righteous God. It was at his first mass, as an Augustinian Monk, he felt utterly unworthy and realised that instead of loving this God he hated him. It seemed as if there was nothing he could do to span the gulf between this righteous God, who punished sin, and Luther, the sinner, who had tried all the Church had on offer to rid himself of his sin, including holy orders.
Luther had understood that this longed for righteousness was something which he had to achieve by his own efforts. The breakthrough came when he realised that the righteousness which St Paul refers to and which God requires is not something which you earn but comes from Jesus Christ whose righteousness it is. It is given as a gift to be received by faith. It is imputed to the repentant sinner who is then declared righteous in God’s sight (Philippians Chapter 3 verses 7-10).
Jesus accomplished all this on the cross. Not only is there forgiveness to cancel our guilt – this would leave us saved but naked. But the righteousness of our Saviour is imputed to us, it is our covering, so that we are robed appropriately as the redeemed people of God.
Thus our acceptance before a thrice holy God is totally dependent upon the work of the Saviour, Jesus Christ. St Paul puts it simply “This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe” (Romans Chapter 3 verse 22).
When it all came together for Luther he said, “Here I felt I was altogether born again and had entered paradise itself through open gates”. His conscience was no longer troubled. As he later said “My conscience is captive to the Word of God”. And that word was the light to his path (Psalm 119 verse 105).

There can be no doubt that the latest information on Hillary Clinton’s emails have filled her opponent in the US
Presidential race with delight. When our plane took off from Philadelphia this week Donald Trump was trailing
in the polls but by the time we landed in Dublin things looked a lot brighter for him.
What happened to bring about the change? The Federal Bureau of Investigation decided to open an investigation
into Mr Weiner, the husband of Hillary’s aide who, it is alleged, had been involved in correspondence of a sexual
nature with a 15 year old girl. Weiner’s computer, which the FBI seized, showed that Hillary had been using it for
her ‘classified’ emails.
As a former Secretary of State, Hillary would have been expected to use only the encrypted computers of the State
department when dealing with ‘classified’ material. Only 3 months ago the FBI reprimanded Hillary for a similar
offence which had been brought to light by ‘Wikileaks’ who released copies of emails produced on her home computer.
The FBI called her actions “extremely careless” which was mild compared to the words Donald Trump used to describe
her actions in his campaign speeches!
However all this may not be enough to erode the lead the polls show in Hillary’s favour so the focus over the
remaining days (election is 8th Nov.) is on the Senate where 34 seats (total is 100) are up for re-election.
There the Democrats (Hillary’s party) hope to gain 4 more seats which would give them a majority. It is thought
that Congress with its majority of 30 seats in favour of the Republicans (435 total) would be beyond the Democrat’s
grasp.
The only election mentioned in the Bible (a Book which favours no one type of political party) is that of the person
elected to salvation. It makes it clear that it is God who does the electing. It is His choice. It does not
depend on us (Romans chapter 9 verses 10-12). Our task is to make sure that we are in that number and the passage in
2 Peter Chapter 1 verses 3-11 is helpful.
The result of the US election pales in significance to our own election. It is not for 4 years but for eternity.

There is something far wrong with a country where its people clamour for the death of their young. It seldom happens in the animal world although there are one or two species where the male becomes murderous. But when the female of the species wants to destroy that which she has been given the power to create – that is a different league. That belongs to the so called evolution of modern western humankind.
The main change in the law in Ireland took place in 1983 with the inclusion of the 8th amendment to the Constitution which gave babies in the womb the same right to life as the mother. This unusually powerful step (the Constitution is for values which are considered to be ‘set in stone’) was seen to be necessary to quell the emotions of the campaigners and secure the welfare of the unborn.
There have been one or two small changes culminating with the 2013 Act which changed the wording from ‘life’ of the mother to ‘health’ of the mother. More recently we have been bombarded by statistics purporting to show a swing towards a more liberal abortion regime. The Government have responded by forming a Citizens Assembly to discuss the 8th amendment.
In the US for example abortion rates have been falling. There are probably a number of reasons for this but possibly longer acting contraceptive methods have had a significant impact on unwanted pregnancies. This has led to the closure of abortion clinics with their draconian suction and cutting tools.
On the more positive side adoption rates have been rising. Homes for unwanted children, especially those with so called abnormalities, can be places where great love is experienced. Whereas societies where the condition of Down’s syndrome has been almost eradicated due to abortion, as if it was an infectious disease, are depriving themselves of the essence of a caring society.
The Bible differentiates between man and animals. Man is made in God’s image which, although dreadfully marred is still in His image. This means to kill a human is murder whereas those who say killing whales is murder are wrong. It may be unwarranted slaughter but it is not murder. Humankind is intrinsically different from the rest of creation despite strenuous efforts to say we are evolved hominids.
Jesus came across many cases of people who would have been aborted because of their physical challenges. His remedy was not extermination but healing. In this he demonstrated his Messiah-ship and gave a foretaste of the life to come.
Take the case of the paraplegic. St Luke records his four friends had to carry him to Jesus. They would never have believed Jesus if he had simply said “Your sins are forgiven”. There would have been no verifiable proof. Jesus added the words “Rise, pick up your bed and walk”. The healing was complete the man walked (Chapter 5 verses 17 – 26).
This incident foreshadows the last supper where Jesus proclaims the cup to represent his blood which was to be “poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins”. No one would have believed that sins were forgiven. There would have been no verifiable proof. Then came the cross and resurrection. The dead walked. It was all true. Thomas exclaimed “My Lord and my God” (St John Chapter 20 verse 28). The Spirit came and millions believe!
This great salvation includes repentant bereaved mothers who have experienced abortion. There are no excluded categories.

We are treated to a regular spectacle of destruction in Aleppo in our TV news bulletins as the combatants use their latest weapons on the population. At the present time Russia seems to have the freedom of the air which it uses to carry out daily bombing raids. On the ground the forces of President Bashar al-Assad plan to continue the offensive until “terrorists are wiped out”.
Part of the problem is the number of terrorist groups involved and after five years of fighting it becomes difficult to decide who to support and who the legitimate targets are. Apparently the US has equipped some of these groups with ground to air missiles similar to the one the Russians used to bring down Malaysian Flight MH17 over Ukraine. It’s becoming like a real life version of a digital kid’s game.
Of course the real victims are the civilian population. With two hospitals destroyed this week caring for the wounded gets harder. Access to food is becoming difficult as the siege of the city has not permitted the latest convoy of humanitarian aid to enter and some of its trucks were damaged by the fighting.
Cease-fire agreements have been broken as soon as they have been made. There is an intensity to the fighting perhaps to secure as many gains as possible before the US election when a new President, inaugurated next January, may not have such a detached attitude to Syria’s treatment of her own people.
Some who read their Bibles a certain way may say that we do not have that long. The Lord’s return is expected imminently. They have seen the signs of his coming and consider them to be, in the main, fulfilled. On the other hand scripture underlined the fact that no-one knows when Christ will return and rather humorously tells us to stay awake! (St Mark Chapter 13 verses 32-36).
Perhaps the most useful advice to follow is that given to Titus, a gentile, who was told how to occupy himself in the Gospel period between the first and second comings of Christ, “the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works” (Chapter 2 verses 11-14).
St Paul who passed on the advice seems to anticipate our multi ethnic, multi religious society when he says salvation is for all people. There are none excluded on the grounds of race or religion. This salvation cuts through all man made boundaries. It goes to the heart of the matter – the problem of the human heart with its inclination towards evil. It teaches us to renounce the evil and choose what is right. It can do it for the “Boys with Toys” and it can do it for you and me too if we are seriously anticipating his coming again.

Record crowds marked this year’s championship with the total attendance at 283,000 over the three days. 700 acres of land at Screggan, Co Offaly, were hired from local farms to cope with the 1,700 exhibitors. They were prepared to pay anything between €1,000 and €100,000 for their site, the latter figure locating you in the centre next to the Organisers.
It originated in 1931 when JJ Bergin of Athy challenged Dennis Allen of Gorey to produce the best drill. The resulting plough-off was the start of the annual competition which has become the biggest outdoor event in Europe. All this has been managed, as far back as one can remember, by Anna May McHugh and her family.
The President Michael D Higgins and his wife Sabina were there. Michael D can always be relied upon to produce a speech and in it he picturesquely described the Ploughing as the Olympics of the Land! Indeed he has just had published a book of the speeches he has delivered since he came to the office some 5 years ago. An answer to the Christmas gift problem perhaps!
One of the best laid out displays of old farm machinery and implements I have ever seen was on view. In addition to the re-creation of the farm kitchen and neighbouring shop etc. were the many original Ferguson tractors. These were the ‘little grey fergie’ TE20 model which popularised the three point hitch now used universally by tractors when operating machinery. Harry Ferguson who invented the machine was a Christian. The Ferguson was sold all over the world and continue to be sought after today.
Each year there is an innovation that catches the imagination. This year it was the use of drones to assist in crop-spraying on difficult to access areas of the farm. These carry up to 15 litres of fluid and can be programmed to recall where they finished spraying so as to avoid overlapping. They also were being used for stock control such as counting the cattle and incorporated a small sensor which gave a bio-feedback as to how the animal is doing. I think it may be some time before they replace the farmer as a herdsman!
Jesus used many agricultural terms when communicating truth. He referred his words as seeds which could be sown into good soil i.e. people to produce a harvest of righteousness. He knew that a seed is never going to reproduce itself unless it dies and is planted into good soil. “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit (St John Chapter 12 verse 24). This is the miracle of the new birth which takes the word of God and regenerates new life from those who are dead in sin. You see it in plants with seed and in people with the words of God.
“Jesus said, when I am lifted up from the earth I will draw all men to myself” He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die (verses 32-33). His death secures for the believer – life. The invitation is the same today as it was in times past – to look and live. The parallel Jesus said was with the serpent in the wilderness when the blood poisoning could be stopped by looking in faith to the symbol of death, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life (Chapter 3 verse 14 and Numbers Chapter 21 verse 9).
The only way to plough a straight furrow is to fix your eyes on a marker and go for it. The only way to plough a straight furrow through life is to look straight ahead to the cross and not take your eyes off it and follow Jesus. “I am the way, the truth and the life” (Chapter 14 verse 6).

In our decisions we are either influenced by the word of God or by the world order in which we live. In his prayer to his father Jesus said “I have given them your word” (St John Chapter 17 verse 14). He had faithfully delivered all that the Father had given him. The Holy Spirit would remind us of what Jesus said (St John Chapter 14 verse 26). He would take our conscience and, tutored by the word of God, be our guide. This is our defence against the world order with its strident voice demanding that we “get a life”!
As a small church in the centre of Dublin Grace has been in the valley of decision for the last 10 years. Two separate attempts have been made to purchase the airspace above our Hall, the second has just been successful. The deal was simple; the developer would get the airspace above the Hall to extend their Hotel and we would get a new church facility free of charge.
Too good to be true you say – where is the catch? We are so much more accustomed to financial struggles that their absence makes one cautious.
Some have hinted that the money used to finance it may be tainted. They would only use monies raised from the Christian fraternity. You are getting into bed with the world. Life is never that easy – the devil must be at work!
These ideas kept floating around my head till last Sunday when we were having our last service in the old hall. It was a light-bulb moment. Similar perhaps to the Psalmist in Psalm 73 when he saw with the eye of faith the fate of the ungodly (Verse 17). This is not a new thing. God has done it before!
The Promised Land came complete. It was free of charge. It was not deserved. It was an act of grace to a people who deserved the opposite. “when the Lord your God brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you—with great and good cities that you did not build, and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant—” (Deuteronomy Chapter 6 verses 10 – 11).
Again the Psalmist reminds them “He gave them the lands of the nations, and they fell heir to what others had toiled for – that they might keep his precepts and observe his laws” (Chapter 105 verses 43 – 45).
The law finds it’s fulfillment in the Gospel – “So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith” (Galatians Chapter 3 verse 24).
We too are conscious of being recipients of God’s grace. We too deserve the opposite. The injunction that follows the blessing will be worked out in our temporary accommodation almost next door, provided by the Hotel.
Our “Promised Land” is still on an architect’s drawing board! In the meantime we press on with the task of proclaiming the word to the world.

One of the most moving sights of the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games this week was the struggle of the Brazilian Torchbearer. She required a stick to help her walk and with the torch in her other hand made her way across the open space towards the ignition point. The rain had made the ground wet and slippery and she fell in front of the vast stadium of people. A couple of attendants rushed to her aid and helped her up. She had retained her grip on the torch and with stick in the other hand proceeded onwards to light the flame with the cheers of the crowd echoing in her ears.
This encapsulated something of the sheer grit and determination that goes into the making of Paralympic athletes. It was an inspirational moment.
Since the Seoul Games in 1988 the Paralympics have followed the Olympics using the same facilities. Originally it was confined to wheelchair users but it now includes many disabilities. It can be said to have changed societies’ attitude towards physically challenged people. This was seen most dramatically perhaps in China where after the 2010 games there was an increase in hiring people with disability.
Technology has played its part with the advent of the carbon fibre running blade which, when mastered, can propel its owner at amazing speeds. There is the “athletics of prosthetics” where an assortment of aids has opened up many events to their owners. In fact there are three events that have been developed for the Paralympics and are unique to these games.
Of course because it’s the Paralympics this does not mean there is no room for cheating! They have their troubles with competitors overstating their disability to gain advantage. Others fall prey to the temptation of performance enhancing drugs. On the other hand it is wonderful for a runner like Jason Smyth from Derry who has just won his 5th Gold medal having won two at each of the previous two games. A true Olympian!
Whilst winning is the goal competing is the essence of what the games are about. St Paul uses the Games as a metaphor of the Christian life. Having used his considerable powers to engage those he met with the Gospel of Christ he explains his training regime, “Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified – i.e. disqualified from the rewards (1 Corinthians Chapter 9 verses 25 to 27).
Like the Torchbearer in the opening ceremony we too operate before an unseen multitude who are silently cheering us on to victory. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and the sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews Chapter 12 verses 1 – 2). Run to Him and when you have been found by Him – run for Him!

Like Eve Ireland has taken the forbidden fruit (Genesis Chapter 3 verse 6). We broke no laws says the Minister of Finance. You had bad laws because they favoured Apple says the European Commissioner. We will appeal your decision because you are interfering with our sovereign right to run our own tax system responded our Minister. We will also appeal says Apple as we can show we pay 26.1% tax globally.
And so the scene is set to run and run with enthusiastic lawyers welcoming the distraction from Brexit, which is adding to the European economic and refugee crises, while they gather up the windfall in fees!
Just as one bad apple can contaminate the crop there is some consternation that other multi-nationals domiciled here may be examined. The EU Commission ruling came from their 800 strong staff which tackles unfair competition. It maintains that we favoured Apple over other fruit!
The calculation of back-tax at €13 billion (plus penalties) includes all its European profits and locates them in their Cork ‘Head Office’. The Commissioner mentioned that other European countries may look for a slice representing the profit on sales in their domain. The only sure thing is that we will be lucky if we ever get a slice of the Apple pie!
In 2011 our Finance Department published our Tax three “R’s” – Rate, Regime and Reputation. The Corporation Tax Rate is not under threat we are told and will remain at 12.5%. They pruned the Tax Regime to some extent in 2013 but by then the probe into Apple was under way and lasted till its findings were made known last Tuesday. As for cultivating a Reputation it’s downhill all the way. Having been called the “Liechtenstein on the Liffey” and more recently accused of “Leprechaun Economics” we have now become the “Bad Apple” of Europe!
A lot has to do with image. In the beginning the pair that took the forbidden fruit in the garden were made in the image of God (Genesis Chapter 1 verse 27).
When asked to pay taxes Jesus affirmed the rightness of paying the Denarius to Caesar as his image was on the coin. He added that in a similar manner we should pay to God what is God’s. Of course he was referring to us being made in His image, one which was marred by sin but restored by those who embraced the Gospel.
This prompt St Paul writing to those thus restored in the Church in Rome to encourage them “…to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans Chapter 12 verses 1-2). Thus imagining our Creator/Redeemer – Jesus.
Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, referring to Ireland said “It’s all about people”. That’s only half the story. There needs to be an act of redemption before people act aright, collect the taxes and put the Apple back in the box along with the other fruit!

There was plenty to be anxious about this week from the missing of the closing date of a multi-million project to the finalising of the many details of a very important church wedding! Perhaps it would be appropriate to listen to what Jesus had to say on the subject!
The basic instruction is “Do not be anxious”. It comes in the Sermon on the Mount and St Matthew records it in Chapter 6 verses 25 to 34. The enabling idea is that God knows your needs and if you put what He considers important first in your life, He will look after what you need (verse 33).
Jesus had been saying in his sermon that if we make the right choices there is no need to be anxious and uses birds and lilies to illustrate this fact. The birds find some of their food on our bird table. Life is not a picnic for them as a cock Robin considers it his territory and drives other birds away. He has his family to feed but so have the various Tits and Finches as well as the Flycatcher and Dunnock.
This morning to underline his dominance he took a bath in the birds drinking water! However despite the difficulties he creates there is no trace of anxiety or despair in the flock but simply a persistence which pays off in due course with a share of the seed.
Lilies are centre stage in the wedding pedestals. Indeed Solomon could not compete with their splendour. They neither toil nor spin nor did they evolve but God clothed the fields with beauty as a gift to us reflecting his own nature. Perhaps this is what St Peter had in mind when he listed some of God’s gifts and referred to them as the multi-coloured grace of God (1 Peter 4 verse 10).
Weddings can be a testing time with anxieties creeping in; “what shall we eat? or what shall we drink? or what shall we wear?” (Verse 31) What matters in the end of the day is whether we have fed on the Lamb and are clothed with the robe of His righteousness (Verse 33).
Jesus puts the whole anxiety thing into perspective and holds the mirror of his word up to us so that we might see who we are living for – God or self? If the latter it need not be so – trust the One who feeds the birds!