The old cry “Watch out thieves about” is not much help in this day and age. Thieves have got a lot more sophisticated. Holiday-makers are especially vulnerable. With language difficulties you cannot be sure of the terms of the deal but you can be sure if it’s too good to be true – it usually is too good to be true! Smartphones produce smart thieves who can spot the latest versions at 100 metres. But the latest breed of ‘tecky’ thieves come from the orient. They are very plausible on the phone offering to make your computer work faster.  The treatment I got last week involved the use of the RUN facility on the Start menu of my computer climaxing in the entering of www.logmein123.com in the command line. The final task is for them to allocate you with a 6 digit code which when entered gives them access to your data files. It’s like giving away the keys of the safe! Challenging the person on the line that he is scamming initiates a dialogue which rapidly becomes vindictive as the scammer realised his prey is escaping from his trap!  In a week when the news has been full of phone tapping by journalists in search of salacious material to sell their newspapers we have all become perhaps a little more circumspect in the way we store information. The age of ‘Big Brother is watching you’ has moved to ‘reading your text messages’ and ‘searching for your bank account numbers’! What has the Bible to comment on all this? So what have we got that a thief might want and what have we hidden that a scammer might get his hands on? The prophet Isaiah looked at it from God’s perspective when he wrote about what went on in our minds. “Ah, you who hide deep from the LORD your counsel, whose deeds are in the dark, and who say, “Who sees us? Who knows us?” (Chapter 29 verse 15). When St Paul was being cross-examined in front of the Roman Governor he answered with what could have been his life’s motto. “I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.” (Acts Chapter 24 verse 16) The Governor could see his conscience was clear before men but we have to go to the Book of Hebrews to find the secret of his clear conscience before God. “ How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!” The scammers would have found nothing incriminating or of value in St Paul’s computer and the hackers could find his texts in the Bible! Perhaps that’s how we too should live?

There are two States in Ireland. One with its headquarters in Dail Eireann and the other in the Vatican in Rome. Most of the time this dichotomy is invisible but with the publication of the Cloyne Report into Clerical Sexual Abuse this week it surfaced. The Religious are appointed by Rome and have their primary duty to Canon law. The laity are largely citizens of Ireland and are subject to State law. Under Canon Law the protection of the Church seems paramount whereas under State law every citizen is held to be equal. When the Taoiseach was asked if Government legislation would override the secrecy of the confessional, with priests being obliged to pass on evidence of child abuse obtained in that context, Mr Kenny said: “The law of the land should not be stopped by a crozier or by a collar….bishops who were caught up in a situation where guilt applies here should be subject to the law of the land.” Pity the Bishops caught in this bind. One way out was to write two different reports on clerical abuse sending the true account to Rome and the false one to his Priests enabling them to ignore the Irish Church’s own guidelines. Astonishingly these guidelines have never received Vatican approval leaving the Bishops, with the one exception of Diarmuid Martin, in a ship without a rudder. What does the Bible have to say to all this? Jesus said His Kingdom was not of this world (St John Chapter 18 verse 36) – so we have separation of church from state. Rome’s answer to this is to create a Vatican State! Scripture says we are to confess our sins to one another. (James chapter 5 verse 16). Rome sets up the confessional and takes upon herself the notion that God dispenses forgiveness through her priesthood. The Bible says God only can forgive sins. (St Mark chapter 2 verse 5) Pity the penitent who wishes to confess clerical abuse. The “seal of the confessional” designed to protect the sinner, works against the victim as the many cases of continuing abuse demonstrates. The abused has nowhere to go, no one to turn to. Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” St Matthew Chapter 11 verse 28. It is only in Christ that forgiveness is to be found. He has the authority (St Matthew chapter 9 verse 6). That authority was delegated to all the disciples (St John 20 verse 23) and then to all believers in Jesus (1 John chapter 2 verse 1) who simply point the repentant sinner to the Saviour. The simplicity of the Gospel is hard to find in an institution or a State but by God’s grace it can be passed on by believers who themselves have received from Jesus, “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”

The phone hacking of celebrities mobile phones brought an end to the tabloid paper, News of the World, this week. What had been suspected for some time was uncovered by the police investigating the disappearance of a young girl. At the murder trial it was discovered that she appeared to have used her phone after she had been killed misleading the investigation and giving false hope to the victim’s parents. The hunger for the scoop drove journalists to tap the phones of those mourning the death of their loved ones in the Afghanistan war. The potential threat of massive compensation awards to celebrities whose private lives had been exposed in the past by the paper is a colossal problem. But it was the cancellation of advertising contracts by large corporations who no longer wished to risk being associated with the sleaze that made the paper’s termination a good option for its owners. There has been a media chorus of condemnation of such journalistic methods which sounds a bit like the pot calling the kettle black! The attraction of 2.6 million readers without their usual Sunday paper must seem like a windfall unless Murdoch launches a Sunday version of his Sun to regain this market. No doubt in this battle the real victim will continue to be journalistic ethics. What has the Bible to say to all this? The fact is that reporting people’s bad behaviour sells newspapers! Reading of how others have fallen introduces gossip by the back door as the reader is drawn into the mire of others broken lives. It may be that the News of the World had reached new depths to dredge for information but its readership was not buying it for its moral principles! We are culpable. The Bible says we don’t need a lecture on morals but a power to overcome temptation. This does not come naturally but comes when the temptation is brought to the cross and the tempted receives the forgiveness and deliverance from a gracious God.  St Paul wrote about this in his second letter to the church at Corinth, “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” (Chapter 5 verse 19) The work of the Holy Spirit in the repentant sinner’s heart displaces the love for sleaze by a stronger affection – the love for the Saviour. This starts when, in faith, we take our temptations to the Lord in prayer.

As the Arab Spring gives way to the Arab Summer the momentum for change has slowed to a resolute resistance in most Middle-East countries. In Cairo the spectacle of the once all-powerful dictator Mubarak being wheeled into the courtroom on a hospital trolley, which was then parked in a steel cage, sent a potent message of people power throughout the region. The sight may have stiffened the resolve of Syrian’s President Assad whose family have dominated the country for the last 41 years, to fight on. Like Libya’s Col. Gadafy he has not many friends in neighbouring countries where he could go for refuge. So the Syrian slaughter continues; tanks and snipers against peaceful protest. Meanwhile in the Yemen tens of thousands gathered for protests both for and against President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s three-decade rule as the country slides ever nearer civil war. The fast of Ramadan commenced last Monday in which Muslims abstain from food and drinks from morning until after sunset. Many believe by observing this, it will help them to get closer to God and perhaps earn a place in heaven. One might have hoped this would have created a cooling off period but there has been no discernable lessening of the fighting. Has the Bible anything to say to this situation? The transition from dictatorship to democracy has never been easy and can take many years to complete. Freedoms are not easily won nor do those in authority find it easy to relinquish their grasp on power. Frequently internal wars cause people to regroup along ethnic and religious lines as they look around for security which is the first victim of the conflict. Friends who once trusted one another become fearful. Reconciliation seems impossible. What is the way back? Ramadan or repentance? The Bible says first there has to be reconciliation with God before we can look for His aid in being reconciled with each other. This happens when we admit we have sinned against God and recognise that Christ died in our place – “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us”. He was the perfect substitute – “our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation”. Romans Chapter 5 Verses 8-11. Secondly Jesus said that religious duties will not restore the friendship –“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.” St Matthew Chapter 5 verses 23/4. We need to go to the estranged one in the same way we went to God – recognising the sin and the need of forgiveness – “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.” St Matthew Chapter 18 verse 15. So whether or not the fault lies with us the way of forgiveness is the same.

All through the history of the Christian Church the offence of the cross has been a problem. There have been many ingenious ways to get around it, the most usual by removing the Bible’s game plan and substituting a sacramental system which, ironically, places the work of salvation into man’s hands. The week we have the World Council of Churches, the World Evangelical Alliance and the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue of the Catholic Church’s statement encouraging churches to reflect on their current practices in witness. The document, produced after 5 years work, claims to represent 90% of Christians on earth. It is long on how acts of service and justice, as well as Christian behavior are a witness and short on the necessity of the verbal expression of the gospel. There is also the notion that the God of other religions is the God of Christianity, and that’s something evangelicals cannot accept. It refers to “changing ones religion” as if it was a commodity and one could get a better fit. There is an attempt to equate this with conversion to Christ which is a supernatural work of the triune God in revealing sin and enabling the sinner to truly repent and trust the Saviour. What has all this to do with the task of making Christ known? Well it made it easier yesterday for the Authorities at Waterford to exclude any verbal expression of the Gospel at their superb “Tall Ships” Festival. The leaflet outlining John Newton’s testimony was distributed and no doubt some explanation would be given to anyone who asked what such “Amazing Grace” was all about.  St Peter wrote, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.” (1Pet.3:15-16) The Offence of the Cross is the stumbling block for many, “we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. (1Corinthians ch.1 v23-4.)

Amid the sporting triumphs of conquering Irish men and women in recent days the achievement of Gerry Duffy received scant attention. He won UK’s first Deca Ironman Challenge after 10 days of gruelling endurance events. The 20 entrants started each of the 10 days before 6 am, swam 2.4 miles, cycled 112 miles and ran a 26 mile marathon. All this had to be done within a daily time limit of 22 hours. He was so far ahead of the other competitors by the end of the 10 days that he had accumulated a lead of 19 hours over them. Not surprisingly only 3 of the original 20 finished the course! What makes Gerry’s feat even more remarkable was the fact that he went from being a chain smoker weighing 17 stone to a marathon runner who, last year, completed 32 marathons in 32 days and raised over €500,000 for charity. These achievements differ from those of Polar explorers or the endurance of climbers in the Himalayas caught in a storm. Gerry had the choice to pack it in at any time. The mental stamina required to keep going is of a different order. It is not replicated anywhere in the animal world but is a unique human characteristic. What does the Bible have to say on this matter? St Paul, writing to the church at Corinth on keeping fit, likens the Christian life to a race. “You’ve all been to the stadium and seen the athletes’ race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You’re after one that’s gold eternally. I don’t know about you, but I’m running hard for the finish line. I’m giving it everything I’ve got. No sloppy living for me! I’m staying alert and in top condition. I’m not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself.” (Paraphrase of 1Corinthians chapter 9 verses 25-27 from The Message). In advocating a disciplined lifestyle St Paul was simply following Jesus. There was no greater example of mental stamina that that required to go up the Jerusalem he knew that the cross awaited him. At any time Jesus could have opted out. Even on the cross the temptation continued. “Save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!” In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him.” St Matthew chapter 27 verses 40/42. But it was not himself he had come to save. The nature of his salvation was not to gain a few more years in this world but eternal life. This was more than duration but a transformed existence marked by a new reason for living. Gerry’s awesome achievement is a hard one to follow. What does he do next? For the follower of Christ the present and the future is with Him. As St Paul quoted, “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”— the things God has prepared for those who love him. And that love finds its source and centre in Christ.

When the cats away the mice do play – or should it be gamble? No sooner had the chairman of the Planning Appeals Board retired than the Board made the astonishing decision to grant permission to almost all the Casino promoters asked for. The 800-acre Tipperary Venue, close to the village of Two-Mile-Borris, will include a 500-bedroom five-star hotel; a 6,000sq m casino; an all-weather racecourse; a greyhound track and a golf course. In addition a full sized replica of the White House in Washington is to be built, presumably to make the gamblers from America feel at home! Only the 15,000 capacity underground entertainment facility was given the thumbs down by the planners. The enterprise, which is costed at €460 million, is being promoted by developer Richard Quirke, a former garda from Thurles who is best known for running Dr Quirkey’s Good Time Emporium gaming arcade on Dublin’s O’Connell Street. Independent TD Michael Lowry, no stranger to the licensing business, supports the project which will require Government to pass the proposed new legislation to enable the casino to be licensed. It was banker gambling that brought into our current financial mess and it looks like we are upping the stakes to casino gambling to get us out of it! Has the Bible to say to the matter? Casinos are really cathedrals of covetousness.. They are the last word in providing the excitement of losing or winning on a grand scale. The plush surroundings provide a heady stimulus to acting ‘big’ and very likely, losing your shirt! The 10th Commandment “You shall not covet” (Exodus chapter 20 verse 17) shows that God recognises our weakness and gives us the injunction to prevent us from harming ourselves. Perhaps the best known gambling incident in the Bible was when the Roman soldiers gambled away Christ’s clothes which they had stripped from him. Above their heads hung the only one who could save them, not just from the addiction of gambling but from all sin. Their boss, the centurion, came close to believing in Jesus when he recognised that he was the Son of God. (Matthew 27: 35 & 54) Like the Centurion we need to recognise who Jesus is and turn from trusting in lady luck to trusting the living God who has promised to live in all who love him. “If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. (John 14:15-17)

This Psalter which was found in a Tipperary bog in 2006 has now been meticulously restored and, this week, put on display in the National Museum. The book dates back to AD 800, about the same era as the Book of Kells. This book however is more intriguing regarding its origin as the velum cover was produced in Egypt and is identical to finds there. But whilst researchers may ponder how it got to Ireland its contents – the Psalms – have been restored and a replica of the original produced to enable us to see what it would have been like when first written.

This time of rejoicing came round every 50 years and proclaimed liberty for both the inhabitants and the land. The inhabitants who had sold themselves into servitude were released and made free to make a fresh start. The land which had been sold was restored to the original family. This prevented permanent slavery and the amassing of large estates which would have reduced many Israelites to be tenants on their ancestral land. (Leviticus 25) Today this writer and his wife can identify with the rejoicing bit as this last week marked their Golden Jubilee! In the providence of God 50 years of married life were celebrated with friends and relatives, some of whom were present at the original event. The ancient Israelite laws of restoration of status and property mercifully did not need to be applied! Instead there was an opportunity to sing the praise of marriage in an age which has largely denigrated this God given institution. Throughout scripture there are many illustrations of a bridal nature. Invariably Christ is seen as the groom and the church as his bride. (Ephesians chapter 5 verses 25/32) The emphasis is on the lifelong monogamous nature of the marriage union reflecting the indissolubility of Christ’s relationship with his church. His promises to love her forever are inviolable. But it is at Pentecost that we see the fulfillment of Jubilee with the coming of the Holy Spirit into the world “without measure”. This event recorded by St Luke in Acts chapter 2 occurred 50 days after the crucifixion of Christ. It brought great joy to the disciples, so much so as to make them appear to be drunk. The confusion of language which occurred at Babel was temporarily reversed so that every one present could hear the good news of Christ in their own language. Other miracles marked the start of the Gospel age as St Peter proclaimed the good news that came from the death of Christ: “And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” The day climaxed with the baptism of 3,000 converts. The good news is that the Jubilee is still on.

“Yes we can” the victory motif of the US Liberals rang out loud and clear in College Green this week as the master wordsmith worked the crowd of enthusiastic supporters. President Obama (of the Moneygall O’Bamas) was in town! He had met our president, shaken the hands of half the population of Moneygall and, along with Michelle, drunk the mandatory pint of Guinness proving without any doubt he was Irish. He didn’t kiss the Blarney Stone. He didn’t need to! He left us all feeling 10 feet tall. His summary of Irish history confirmed that there is nothing we cannot survive and the pride of race he engendered was only slightly dimmed when he claimed English ancestry in the UK the next day! But it was the display of power that was most impressive. Airforce 1, a jumbo no less, had been preceded by a massive plane which disgorged a fleet of cars and 5 helicopters onto the runway. Among the cars was “the beast”. This armour plated monster of a stretch limousine got itself stuck on the US Embassy ramp requiring three hours work by a local contractor to lift the brute over the obstacle! One of the helicopters was blown over by the strong winds and had to be left behind when the dust cloud from the Icelandic volcano threatened our airspace and the Obama’s made a hasty departure for the relative safety of the UK. What has the Bible to say about all this? The scriptures record many instances of temporal power being wielded by kings and emperors. Some acted justly and tempered justice with mercy as in the case of King David with Mephibosheth (2 Samuel chapter 9). Others like the Roman army of occupation used public execution as a means of asserting authority. The greater the exercise of power the more likely they were to be worshipped as god (Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel chapter 3). The one thing about temporal power is that it is transitory. It does not last. It is contrasted with spiritual power, Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.” When St Peter used the sword to cut off Malchus’s ear in Gethsemane the pathetic nature of the gesture brought the rebuke from Jesus “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?” (St Matthew chapter 26 verse 53) But it was on the cross that we see Jesus exhibit all power under total control. This is not the power of might but of right. This is not the ability to do what you want but to do what you ought. This is what Jesus came to do – to die for his people bearing their sin and thus enabling them to be presented faultless before the throne of God. That power is the opposite of worldly power – it starts with a bowing of the knee to the one who died for you and a set of the will to follow Him as Lord all the days of your life on earth and then forever more.