OH DEAR, OH DEAR, WHAT MADNESS IS THIS?

I have just read a report on the BBC News website that the police have arrested football fans in dawn raids for...wait for it: 'Breach of the peace aggravated by religious prejudice'. When did you last hear anything so stupid. It sounds like a dish on a cookery programme.

So religious prejudice is now a crime. And just in case we aren't aware of how heinous a crime it is, these dangerous individuals are apprehended at dawn by enough police to choke an elephant.

I remember being part of similar operations against terrorists in Northern Ireland.

Accompanied by the media for maximum publicity to send the message: 'We will not stand for this evil.'

In the good old days (not so long ago) people might give an idiot a piece of their mind, or failing that, just roll their eyes and move on. But nowadays, watch out - the Stasi's about - if you say anything naughty you'll get it - in spades.

What on earth has happened to our legislators, have they gone completely bonkers?

Yes. Absolutely. Long since.

It's common knowledge that murderers are allowed out of prison and secure mental institutions to murder all over again - it's been going on for years. There's so much of it in the media that people are becoming immune. But risk hurting someone's feelings - even the most wickedly depraved - and you'll feel the full force of the law.

Recently, Alex Salmond publicly proclaimed that the Lockerby bomber ought to be left to die in peace.

What, am I hearing correctly? Surely the man is mad?

Yes, mad - quite mad - beyond the pale.

Anyway, here's the link:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-15089088

This is what is happening to us:

"THEY WOULD NONE OF MY COUNSEL: THEY DESPISED ALL MY REPROOF. THEREFORE SHALL THEY EAT OF THE FRUIT OF THEIR OWN WAY, AND BE FILLED WITH THEIR OWN DEVICES." (Proverbs 1: 30-31).

The worst thing which can happen to us - to be abandoned by God to perish in our sins.

WILL CHRIST SHARE HIS GLORY?

I've been having some communication with a Muslim on my facebook page. He believes that the Koran is a continuation of the Bible. This is standard Islamic doctrine.

It is of course, impossible. The single biggest obstacle standing in the way of that idea is Jesus Christ.

In Matthew 1: 23 we read:

"BEHOLD, A VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD, AND SHALL BRING FORTH A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME EMMANUEL, WHICH BEING INTERPRETED IS, GOD WITH US."

The Bible gives Jesus the place of God himself. That he is the only begotten Son of God. It is vital we understand the relevance of this title. It means he is God.

"GOD, WHO AT SUNDRY TIMES AND IN DIVERS MANNERS SPAKE IN TIME PAST UNTO THE FATHERS BY THE PROPHETS, HATH IN THESE LAST DAYS SPOKEN UNTO US BY HIS SON, WHOM HE HATH APPOINTED HEIR OF ALL THINGS, BY WHOM ALSO HE MADE THE WORLDS; WHO BEING THE BRIGHTNESS OF HIS GLORY, AND THE EXPRESS IMAGE OF HIS PERSON, AND UPHOLDING ALL THINGS BY THE WORD OF HIS POWER, WHEN HE HAD BY HIMSELF PURGED OUR SINS, SAT DOWN ON THE RIGHT HAND OF THE MAJESTY ON HIGH..." (Hebrews 1: 2-3).

This doctrine of Christ is the one thing which clearly unveils the absurdity of the Muslim claim that the Koran is the continuation of Judaism and Christianity.

The Koran makes Jesus nothing but a man, a good man, a prophet even, but nonetheless - just a man - no different to you and me. How can this be, when the Bible states so clearly that he is God?

In 1Timothy 4: 1 we read of "doctrines of devils." Satan is a very bad theologian. This is typical of the kind of theology he has placed in the heads of poor unsuspecting sinners.

Why has God allowed him to do this?

"...BECAUSE THEY RECEIVED NOT THE LOVE OF THE TRUTH, THAT THEY MIGHT BE SAVED. AND FOR THIS CAUSE GOD SHALL SEND THEM STRONG DELUSION, THAT THEY SHOULD BELIEVE A LIE..." (2Thessalonians 2: 10-11).

What is the lie - I mean the really big one - the one big lie which Satan at all costs wants every one of us to believe? Isn't it obvious?

That Jesus is not God.

Nothing else - believe that one and he's dancing - on your grave - all the way to hell.

After the Christian is converted, God carries him as a new-born for a time. But only for a time.

In the natural world human infants are closely cosseted for many months.

Not so in the spiritual realm: the new Christian will shortly find himself tried: faith must be tried.

It is absurd to imagine faith without trials. It would be like raising an army during a war and leaving the soldiers to relax in their barracks while the battles raged around them.

After being converted on the Damascus road the apostle Paul soon found himself thrust well-and-truly in at the deep end, to the hazard of his life. He was happy about it.

Why was he happy about it?

The apostle Paul was happy about his afflictions in the gospel because he had his priorities right. If we have our priorities right we will also be happy if we suffer affliction for Christ's sake.

'...IF YE SUFFER FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS' SAKE, HAPPY ARE YE: AND BE NOT AFRAID OF THEIR TERROR, NEITHER BE TROUBLED.' (1Peter 3: 14).

In wars in this world men are awarded medals for valour. In the spiritual warfare we are also awarded medals, but not metal ones. If Christ had medals they were his stripes - his wounds and the experiences which gave them to him.

The apostles' awards and the awards of every suffering Christian are the persecutions themselves. They are gifts from a loving God.

'AND THEY DEPARTED FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE COUNCIL, REJOICING THAT THEY WERE COUNTED WORTHY TO SUFFER SHAME FOR HIS NAME.' (Acts 5:41).

There are two kinds of Christian: the kind that rejoices in persecution for Christ's sake, and the kind that doesn't.

The kind that doesn't rejoice in persecution has his eye and his affections set on this world.

The kind which does rejoice in persecution has his eye on eternity. On Christ.

Which kind are you?

Which kind am I?

One thing's for sure - the day will tell.

But don't be a fool: don't leave it till then to find out that you've been deceiving yourself for all eternity. Don't leave it till it's too late. Don't leave it till you find yourself like the rich man in hell cursing his stupidity - or even worse - after a life spent preaching to others find yourself burning in that very hell which you warned others of (or should have been).

Don't be a fool: don't presume - be sure - make sure.

HEADACHE ONGOING

Yes, it is ongoing. I arrived back in Edinburgh yesterday on the bus from Inverness as I have to drive my car to Stornoway.

I considered taking the train, but wait for this - bus: £13.50; train: £42.00 - no brainer. I said to the woman at the desk, "forty-two quid! I'll just leave it." They must hear that a lot.

I mean, how daft can you get! Spending money sending trains up and down the country with empty seats. Even if they only got a pound for filling them it would be better than that. As someone recently said to me: "The country's run by idiots."

So are the trains.

The ferry left Stornoway at 7.00am and I arrived at the house at about 6.00pm - the worst part of the journey was the final bus run from St. Andrew's Square to Balerno - stop, go, stop, go, stop, go...

Wonder if the train would have been quicker?

So here I am in the middle of a booroch again trying to decide what to keep and what to chuck.

I have definitely done more enjoyable things.

The worst part is that I have a time constraint because my kids are being looked after by others.

THE VAN WENT WELL, NO HICCUPS... EXCEPT...

Except that is for keeping the ferry waiting.

I had booked online. It was late at night, so when I saw that there was no option for a van - only cars and motorhomes - I thought, "Och it'll be all right to put it down as a motorhome (as you do when you're from Lewis).

As I was about to drive onto the ferry I heard the cry "hoi - that's not a motorhome!"

I tried to explain that there was no option on the website for a van. So I just clicked the nearest thing, which of course was motorhome (same size, OK, a bit smaller). I was then told that if I had a van I should have phoned.

Now, how logical is it to offer online booking to people in this day and age and expect them to know that you have to phone as well?

How logical is it to have to phone and use a website anyway?

I was told that I was driving a "commercial vehicle."

I was eager to get onto the ferry, so I just obeyed instructions and payed the extra on my ticket (from £60 to over £100 - I didn't want to run the risk of not getting on). I had to run back and fore between the car park and the office a couple of times while the ferry patiently waited for me.

Afterwards, upon reflection, I realized that even though my vehicle is a commercial kind of vehicle, I was not using it commercially - I was using it to carry my own private goods.

I'm going to have to get onto them about this - I think I should get a refund.

The boat arrived in Stornoway at about 2.30 am.

Later, as the day went by I met people I know. We would converse about general things, and then inevitably (my fault), the conversation would turn to the gospel.

I bumped into an old schoolmate who is now an accountant and a professed atheist. We said hello and exchanged the usual pleasantries before the conversation turned to the things of God (we meet briefly like this on a Stornoway street once every few years and the conversation always follows the same format). He told me that there is no evidence for the existence of God. I told him that I think what he really means is "proof", and though there may be no external proof of the reality of God, there is a superabundance of evidence. That every human being is the greatest evidence of the reality of God.

"Evidence of evolution you mean!"

I said to him, "look at these traffic lights. A very basic and simple design indeed. Yet you and I know perfectly well that they have been designed by someone. Can you honestly then look at a human being and behold the utter complexity of design and say it is evidence of evolution?"

Remembering that evolutionists preach that there is no intelligent design, that in fact there is no intelligence, supreme or otherwise involved in the creation of anything, living or not.

Strange, I thought the words "natural selection" meant decision making. That to "select" is the making of a choice - a decision, and decision making requires intelligence.

Hence: supreme being in control.

I told him I would argue that atheists are not so much people that don't believe, but more people who are determined not to believe and therefore make the conscious decision that they WILL NOT BELIEVE.

I would define atheism as: prejudice in its purest form.

We parted with our usual warm handshake.

I met another old school pal who was quite pleasant, friendly and even showed sorrow for my recent bereavement; but as soon as I mentioned the words, 'ah well, it's like the old saying: "those were the days." But y'know, there're better days to come...', he actually growled with rage - like a wild animal because he knew what subject I was beginning to touch on. I said to him, "do you not like preaching?"

He changed colour with rage, said, "no I don't!" and stalked off. End of conversation.

Challenges, they are good for us - we need them, that's why we're here - to meet them - so we can reap the rewards.

There is no greater work than the gospel - there is no greater challenge - there is no greater reward.

AT LAST...AT LAST.

At long last after much toil I am now leaving, finally hitting the road to Inversnecky, Hullapool and then the centre of the universe - The Lews.

The only ferry I could book the van onto was the one leaving at 11.00 tonight arriving at 1.45am - a well, another late night then.

MOVING HOUSE

Still haven't managed to leave. I'm a day overdue now. I was hoping to be in Stornoway for the kids starting school tomorrow, but I've given up on that. Sorry kids. Ah well, never mind.