Category: The Word on the Week

It simply gets better and better! Imagine a win over England at Cricket – a game scarcely known in Ireland. Indeed the rules had to be described over the national broadcasting service! This was followed up by the best ever result at Cheltenham. With 13 winners, we clocked up the highest number of Irish victories ever. This equalled England’s total with far fewer horses at the races. Then we had our world champion female boxer, Katie Taylor, lead Dublin’s St Patrick’s Day parade. Even our politicians performed well! Despite the fact of only being a week in office they took the White House in Washington by storm, securing the promise of a visit from President Obama to Ireland in May. In exchange for the traditional gift of shamrock our Taoiseach’s wife received a bowl of Virginia Violets for her garden in Co Mayo. Could this be the start of Ireland trading its way out of recession? And to cap it all as I write this blog Ireland is beating England at rugby in our new stadium in Dublin thus denying her the six nations championship! What has all this athleticism to do with the Bible? St Paul did write to young Timothy, “Physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” Not much encouragement for those involved in the sporting life! In his first letter to the church in Corinth he explains how valuable training is for self discipline. Taking his cue from the love of athletic games in the Roman world – “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” So what did he preach? At the first opportunity after he met the risen Christ on the Road to Damascus he preached about Jesus. “At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God.” Acts chapter 9 verse 20. And what was this eternal crown? St John in his letter to the church in Smyrna (Izmir in today’s Turkey) referred to the believers suffering but afterwards they would receive the crown of life. This is the victors crown that St Paul looked forward to, “And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.” 2Timothy chapter 4 verse 8. So we conclude, ”Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us looking to Jesus … who endured the cross … and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

This week brought to a conclusion the double murder case which occurred in 1991. The long drawn out saga ended in Coleraine court with the conviction of Hazel Stewart who will follow her accomplice Colin Howell to prison. It is hard to find words to describe the devastation wreaked by the murder of their respective spouses to their families, their relations and friends and the Baptist communities to which all four belonged. In court on the final day the police Ombudsman summed up the scene when he said, “I don’t think I have really felt such tension or such emotion in a court with the deliverance of the verdict,” he added. It shows how deeply this has scarred absolutely everybody that is involved.” Their attempt to pull off the perfect crime might have succeeded if Colin Howell’s conscience had not been awakened by some personal crisis including the untimely death of his son. He confessed his crimes to his church elders in January 2009. The matter was subsequently reported to the police. Apparently he had previously convinced himself that, like King David who had been involved in murder, he would be forgiven overlooking the fact that public confession of his guilt was first required. What does the Bible have to say about all this. It seems that Howell was delusional in thinking that King David could be forgiven without confessing his sins. In addition there were consequences to forgiveness in that the King’s son, a product of their illicit union, did not live. Howell’s conscience may have been touched in 1998 when he confessed to his American wife who advised him to go to the police. Instead of obeying her instructions he claims to have had a “religious conviction” which enabled him to conceal his actions and quieten his conscience. When you ‘get away with murder’ there is no end to the multiplication of sin. A hardening of the hearts of both accomplices appears to have taken place as predicted in Saint Paul’s 1st letter to Timothy chapter 4, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith….speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron.” A calloused conscience is no longer tutored by the word of God and is silenced by the sinful nature. Fortunately for Howell and Stewart their deeds have been exposed. Their punishment, however inadequate it may seem, is a nothing when compared to an eternity in hell. Only the grace of God can save them. Should He grant repentance, and Howell’s daughter believes He has, then there is no sin however heinous that cannot be covered by the blood of Christ. (1 John chapter 1). The Gospel is not that I present God with a good record but that my faith is totally in the work of Jesus Christ in bearing my sins (all of them) on the cross and dressing me in His righteousness so that on the judgement day I am fit to appear before the living God. Every repentant sinner is a debtor to His mercy. His justice was satisfied at Calvary. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John chapter 3 verse 16).

The smell of freedom blowing across the Mediterranean has reached Libya. To those rulers who have ruled by force it awakened their animal instincts for survival but to their subjects it has subdued terror and replaced it with the hope of victory. Gadafy’s 42 year rule draws to a close. In his stage managed appearance before the media this week he blew kisses to those remaining loyal him and urged them to fight to the death. “Every individual will be armed,” he said. “Libya will become a hell.” With reserves of mustard gas, that Iraq’s ‘Chemical Ali’ would have coveted, he has the capability to fulfill his own prophecy. The dream he cherished in 2008 of a unified Muslim Africa, when he invited 200 African kings and tribal chiefs to celebrations marking his coronation as the continents ‘King of Kings’, has gone. His oil money which funded and armed many African dissident groups was not limited to his own continent. He shared his weaponry with rebels in the Middle East, Colombia and even our IRA. Now that the rescue of those Americans wishing to leave Libya has taken place, the danger of hostage taking has receded enabling the US to impose financial sanctions. These may not bother Gadafy but the US is also going after the assets of his aides. This is likely to increase the number of defectors hastening the end of the dictatorship. What has the Bible to comment on all this? St Paul, writing to the Church at Corinth, used the illustration of a returning Roman legion entering the city with their captives in chains. The smell of the incense meant two different things. To the conquering soldiers it spelled victory. To the prisoners it was the smell of death. “But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life.” 2 Corinthians chapter 2 verses 14 to 16. In Libya the smell of freedom means two things. To the Libyan people it spells victory. To Gadafy and those loyal to him it is the smell of death. His African notion of King of Kings is a title better suited to the One to whom one day “every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord”. Freedom from a dictator’s rule is precious but does not compare with the freedom from the power of sin in the heart of the individual. It would be a tragedy if, on gaining one sort of freedom they were to remain mastered by a worse bondage. Only faith in the work of Christ on the cross can give true liberty: – “If the Son shall set you free you will be free indeed”. St John Chapter 8 verse 36. This freedom from sins guilt and power is available to all who put their trust in Jesus whether we are Libyan, you or me.

“The powers that be are ordained by God” writes St Paul in Romans chapter 13 but, in this country, we are given the job of electing them. By what criteria should we exercise choice? Let’s look at the Constitution. In it’s preamble it states; In the Name of the Most Holy Trinity, from Whom is all authority and to Whom, as our final end, all actions both of men and States must be referred, We, the people of Éire, humbly acknowledging all our obligations to our Divine Lord, Jesus Christ, Who sustained our fathers…” So we have a recognition of where authority comes from and an acknowledgement of accountability. There is also mention of duty owed to the Lord Jesus Christ and recognition of his help in times past. The “powers that be” have been somewhat negligent in recent years and we are now in the biggest financial hole of any country in the developed world. Their God-given responsibility has not been exercised well. Those hoping to be their successors you would imagine would take cognisance of the accountability thing and at least seek divine approval on their manifestoes. But you would be wrong. Perhaps it is because they all contain elements which contradict God’s laws and so we continue to set our course towards the abyss. Has the Bible any wisdom on the matter. Believers in New Testament times never lived under a government with a Christian Constitution! Indeed they lived under persecution and laws which enacted injustices but they did believe in the Trinity and their faith was in Jesus Christ. They realised that Jesus had paid for their sins on the cross was buried and rose again: 1Corinthians Chapter 15 verses 3 and 4. They had experienced the Holy Spirit cleaning up their lives enabling them to fulfill the laws of the land and show love for even their enemies: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control against such things there is no law.”(Galatians Chapter 5 v 23/4) When the candidates come to the door looking for your vote ask them if they believe the Constitution when it says their authority comes from God. If they answer in the affirmative ask how this will influence them in their task of government. Do they pray for help with decisions? Are they guided by His word, the Bible? Do they know that both the Constitution and the Bible says they will be called to account? But above all tell them that it’s only faith in Jesus that will fully equip them for service.

The growing unrest in the Middle East has dominated the news over the last few weeks as the domino effect awakened countries who were shackled for years by dictatorships. One country after another seized their moment to strike out against their authorities who, in many cases, had been propped up by Western aid. This aid promoted stability in the region and ensured low oil prices for the West but disregarded the welfare of the Arab citizens who were kept under control by state controlled forces loyal to the government. The Egyptian crisis has played out live on television minute by minute, hour after hour, in an incongruous clash of the modern and the ancient: the opponents fought with stones and on horse and camel, while the watching world looks on via satellite, skype, twitter and cell phone. This same technology helped organise the stone-throwers until the authorities turned off the networks last Friday. In the absence of clear leadership the Muslim Brotherhood (whose European HQ is said to be in Dublin) are waiting in the wings. Iran, with an eye on the destruction of Israel, thinks their moment has come. Their spokesman likened the situation to a volcano erupting and said “this time there would be no second chance for Israel”. What comment can the Bible offer this week? A Muslim intellectual said recently that he had read both the Koran and the New Testament. In the Koran he found no advice as to how a Muslim should live in a non-Muslim country. In the New Testament he found no instructions for a Christian living in a Christian country! This intellectual had missed the fact that Christians are living for another country and are not there yet! The writer to the Hebrews, writing historically, put it well in Chapter 11. “All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own…. they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one.” The other factor, which is absent from the Koran, is the concept that God is love. St John in his 1st letter chapter 4 summarises the Christian relationship: “this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” It is only by seeing what Jesus has accomplished on the cross on behalf of sinners such as us that we can begin to comprehend the vastness of the love of the God we have come to adore. Dictatorships, democracies, wealth and armies are all part of what is passing. St Peter at the end of his 2nd letter recognised their transitory nature; “Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.” And that can best be done by enlisting for life in Jesus army.

Suicide is a man thing. Well not entirely but the numbers are weighted in favour of young males. The coroner in Co Offaly called it “rampant” after he had dealt with his fifth case this week. At St Patrick’s hospital in Dublin they recorded a 25% increase last year. The new type of person at risk is said to be the male driven entrepreneur who sees himself as a financial failure. But for many any attempt at analysis is trying to make sense of the senseless. The suicide note may give some clues as to the person’s frame of mind but frequently reveals misguided thinking arriving at the conclusion that death is better than life. The stigma may have lessened but it and its younger relative self harm are seldom spoken about. Just how can we create a culture of openness is the big question? So many try to preserve their “image” faking a lifestyle of having it all together when what they really need someone to speak to who they can trust. What does the Bible say? Suicide is sin. In no way does it ever glorify God. Instead it assumes the godly role of determining the end of life on earth. It is the ultimate expression of self-centredness and, unless the balance of the mind is disturbed, can never be justified. The evolutionary environment we are in sees humans as evolved animals rather than the pinnacle of creation. This equating of mankind with creatures lends itself to lowering our worth, which is infinite in God’s eyes, to that of say a well trained dog. As the playwright remarked “every dog has had its day” and then it is put down! The Bible says mankind was created in God’s image and though marred by the fall, has the potential, by God’s grace to reflect Him to others. There may be similarities in the way we have been created but we are not animals. We alone have consciousness, language, civilisation, literature – in fact dominion over the earth. Above all we have been created to be re-created, born to be re-born. We are here for a purpose thanks to Jesus death and resurrection. As St John recorded Jesus, “A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also” (Chapter 14 verse 19). Jesus Lordship straddles the grave, “To this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living” (Romans chapter 14 Verse 9). Bill Gaither’s song captures something of the believer’s joy: – Because he lives, I can face tomorrow, Because he lives, all fear is gone; Because I know He holds the future, And life is worth the living, Just because He lives!

This has been a wonderful week for journalists. With the government lurching from crisis to crisis there has been no shortage of stories to fill up their column inches. Extended news bulletins have ground out tales of woe befalling the government as the Taoiseach, flushed by the success of his party’s vote of confidence in him, forgot he was in a coalition situation. In an excess of zeal to preserve his party he sought to replace the resigning Cabinet ministers with fresh blood from the rank and file, thereby increasing their election prospects in 7 weeks time. The partners in Government, the Greens showed him the red card and the Taoiseach woke up to the fact that he is not in control. He has now resigned as leader of his party! The drama was spiced up by the resignation of a number of TD’s and Cabinet members. These saw the writing on the wall and preferred to lift their pensions rather than suffer the ignominy of being dumped out of office at the next election. At a loss for words to adequately express her astonishment at the meltdown happening before our eyes the leader writer of a National daily descended into blasphemy. Her article commenced with the words “God almighty” as she aligned herself with the vast majority of her readers who think nothing of breaking the 3rd commandment. Perhaps that is part of the reason “we are where we are” (to quote the Taoiseach)? What does the Bible have to say? El Shaddai was the name God used to reveal one of his attributes to Abraham. He is almighty as he controls the powers of nature, in this case opening the womb of barren Sarah. (Genesis 17 verse 1) What is it in the human physic that retains some vestiges of optimism when there are no grounds for it? The editorial which started with blasphemy ended the sentence with false hopefulness, “no one thought it could have got worse”. The cynics may well have thought it could get worse thereby aligning themselves with anyone who reads the Bible to get God’s verdict for the reason “we are where we are”. Our ill-founded optimism withers in the face of “there is none righteous – no not one” and “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God”. (Romans chapter 3 Verses 10 & 23) God’s verdict on Mankind since the fall is “every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis chapter 6 verse 5). Our view is “there is some good in everyone” as we judge them by our own standard playing at “god”. It is much more realistic to start with the fact of universal sin starting with you and me! Acknowledge that we have left God out of our reckoning, repent and listen to Him for a change. “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” and it is faith in that act of God almighty that gives solid grounds for hope in a world that continually gets worse. Neither the optimist nor the cynic can see it because they omit to listen to the voice of God. We need to get real and put our faith in Christ – the only one who will never let you down.

The AV or, as our American cousins prefer to call it, the King James Version maintains its popularity despite the proliferation of versions available today. Supporters of the AV would stoutly maintain that if it was good enough for St Paul it is good enough for me! It is the Bible which many a Bride clutched on her wedding day. It has been the standard presentation gift to new preachers for centuries. It has made many court appearances as successive witnesses took an oath with their right hand on its cover. Proclaimed by sceptics as the world’s least read best seller it has outlived many of its detractors who predicted its demise. Voltaire was one of these. After his death the Bible Society purchased his house in Paris for use as a store for Bibles. For many who became Christian in the last century the A V is still the texts they think in despite using other translations. It reads well by contrast with the more stilted English of its modern counterparts. Under the instructions of King James it is slanted towards the ecclesiology of the Church of England. The translation for all its faults largely achieved the vision of its predecessor William Tyndale who aimed with his translation to enable “the boy that driveth the plough” to understand what God has said as well as any clergyman. Unlike its successors the cover of the A V has carried the words “The Holy Bible” since it was first published. It was without rival for at least three centuries. Holy means that it is set apart from other books. It does not mean that the book itself is to be worshipped but rather that the triune God whom it reveals is the one we worship. But the Bible can speak for itself! The Psalmists view; “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Chapter 119 verse 105. Where do we find the truth written down? “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” St John chapter 17 verse 17. Timothy was reared in a godly home on a diet of scripture! “But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” Timothy chapter 3 verses 14-17. May God grant us many more Timothy’s to match the needs of this day and generation.

Now there is a rare piece of news! More normal would be “profits up €x million” but these are not normal times. “They’re off” and so is the “Bookie!” may apply to the “on course” Bookmaker who wants to maximise his gains but not to this gambler who had 64 betting shops across Ireland. The old adage that the good guy comes second may fit Celtic Bookmakers owner, Ivan Yates. So how did it come to this? Ivan had an impeccable farming background. He had a good schooling and election to Government at age 21 gave him a flying start. (It was said of his preparation for politics that he was going to funerals when other lads were going to discos!) What lured Ivan into the betting game? Was it the fallacy that gambling is a good bet? Did he fail to move into the more high tech betting methods relying on the traditional scene which had every town in the country served by the betting shop? Whatever it was the bank now effectively owns the chain of shops on the foot of a €6 million debt, the funding of which is likely to leave Ivan penniless. At age 50 he is a comparatively young man with plenty of talents and, to use his favourite expression will “just have to get on with it”. What comment does the Bible have to make on all this? Gambling is covetousness. It is prohibited by the 10th commandment. It differs from other types of investment where people lend money so that they may mutually benefit. In gambling I want to take your money and you want to take mine. It has been described as stealing by mutual consent! Gambling fosters greed and greed grows. It may start off small, “I bought the raffle ticket because it was for a good cause”. But people do not buy raffle tickets to support good causes. If they did the same amount of money could be raised by asking for donations. They want to win the prize. The good cause sanitizes the greed of wanting to win a prise or money. Greed grows from one betting shop to 64 betting shops! Any church which adopts gambling soon turns a house of prayer into a house of cards. Sadly it legitimises the gambler and loses its voice. It has nothing to say to a needy culture. When it tries to speak it lacks creditability. Soon people stop listening. When St Paul listed the things which the new Christians at Colossae had put behind them following their conversion he said, “For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. (Chapter 3 v 3/5) And that advice holds good for anyone who wants to follow Christ today.

The repetitive cry emanating, usually from the back seat of the car, is guaranteed to test the patience of the most tolerant parent. It speaks of the desire for the tedium of the journey to be over and the destination reached. It is full of hope that the future will be better and that the present ordeal will soon be over. The phrase underlies the Moriarty Tribunal as it seeks to root out corruption. It has been attacked by those it is investigating and the war of words continues into its 14th year. We are not there yet! There has been a move to stop the investigations into clerical sex abuse after the report on the Cloynes dioceses. The length of time and the pain produced by the Murphy Report on the Dublin dioceses has prompted some to cry “enough”. The hope is that lessons have been learned by the church without the need of further exposures. But we are not there yet! The repeated underestimating of the banking bailout has rattled the money market. Despite Governmental assurances that the astronomical amounts now pledged are sufficient we may not be at the bottom of the debt yet. It seems that the only certainty is that today we have entered a New Year and we can say with some confidence that we are in 2011! Those reading the Bible for a motto text for the year will be conscious that we are not there yet. Even looking at the world through rose tinted spectacles there is a long way to go before we can speak about peace and justice. The all prevailing sin that puts man instead of God at the centre of our decisions empties lives of their real purpose and meaning. Instead of having a reason for living we end up with the flat earth view that excludes the God dimension and the tedium of life’s journey is exacerbated by the absence of having any destination. For many the universe is empty; there is no place to go to. The words of Jesus to questioning Thomas gave him point and purpose for living; “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (Saint John Chapter 14 verse 6) The Bible catalogues many who took that advise and encourages us to; “lay aside every weight, and 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 1/3) Are we there yet? Not quite but for those who trust in Jesus ability to “save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him” the journey is as good as over.