EXPOSE THE LIE

I enjoy going to the swimming pool here in Stornoway. Part of the pool is normally sectioned off for those who wish to just swim back and fore so that kids and the like don't get in their way. The pool attendants then place a sign at the end of the pool with directional arrows on it and the words 'swim clockwise'.

This may seem like a very innocuous and even useful rule. But it isn't. This is why.

If everyone following this instruction swims at the same speed then that's OK. But what if (like me and others) some wish to swim at a faster speed? If I am alone in this part of the pool it's OK, but as soon as anyone starts following this instruction things start to go wrong. Try to imagine one man obediently swimming round and round the pool and a faster swimmer doing lengths or even swimming clockwise like the other. To put it simply: it doesn't work - you unavoidably get in each other's way.

The answer is to simply not have the silly rule in the first place - people would just naturally sort themselves into lanes and avoid each other - problem solved.

Why am I saying this? Because the principle is exactly the same with regard to ordination of ministers. There is an un-biblical rule held to which is nothing but a barrier to many good and able men. This rule is based on a lie. This is the lie:

'God only wants those who have attained to a high level of academic education to be ministers.'

All I am trying to do is expose the lie, and then, we can all agree to drop the silly rule - problem solved.

WHY MINISTERS SO OFTEN SUFFER FROM INTELLECTUAL PRIDE

There is a part of my last post which I would like to enlarge upon. It is the part which describes the pride which ministers so often suffer from and seem to be completely blind to.

THE LIE

I believe the reason ministers suffer so much from this kind of pride is because the very things which they feel proud about (academic qualifications for instance) are the very things which are set down in the job description as being necessary for them to have if they are to be able to do the job.

As I have already pointed out, academic qualifications are nowhere to be found in scripture as a requirement for the ministry. In fact, if anything, quite the reverse is true (as previously quoted).

APOSTLE PAUL PARADED

The apostle Paul is usually dusted down and paraded as the chief example of why ministers must be highly educated. Another is all of 'the great, good and highly educated men which went before us and wrote such wonderful things etc.' Well, I would answer thus: as far as Paul is concerned, he was the exception rather than the rule when it comes these 'unlearned and ignorant men' whom Christ chose to use (Acts 4:13).

CURIOUS PRIDE

Many reading this will have come across at some point in their lives the curious pride which exists amongst 'academics' or 'intellectuals' or 'the learned' as they are sometimes termed. It can be quite obscene and outrageously arrogant, I mean, for example just watch the attached clip of Richard Dawkins:

Academics of the inferior kind (and by that I mean educated fools) are stuffed with pride and are continually blinded by the sense of their own importance. Though not for a moment would I argue that every highly educated man or woman is blinded by pride, I would argue that a very great number are.

Now, there is a text which is relevant here, it is this one:

'...THAT WHICH IS HIGHLY ESTEEMED AMONG MEN IS ABOMINATION IN THE SIGHT OF GOD.' (Luke 16: 15).

What does this verse mean? Here is my interpretation (for what it's worth): when Christ spoke these words he was rebuking the hypocritical pharisees (church leaders). The words preceeding this text are: '...you are they which justify yourselves before men...' This means that the things which the pharisees thought highly of and even used to justify their elevated positions before men were abominable to God.

Well, the one thing which the church leaders in Christ's time esteemed most highly and used to elevate themselves more than anything was their LEARNING.

The tradition is every bit as popular today as it ever has been.

Now, there is something which I must make clear, and it is what I am NOT saying. Because if I do not clarify this my opponents will predictably attempt to say that I am going to extremes and forbidding academics from entering the ministry. Well, I am not saying that at all. I am merely saying that Christ does not ask for what is highly esteemed amongst men from his ministers.

But he does ask for what is highly esteemed by God.

AND EVERY ONE THAT WAS IN DISTRESS, AND EVERY ONE THAT WAS IN DEBT, AND EVERY ONE THAT WAS DISCONTENTED, GATHERED THEMSELVES UNTO HIM; AND HE BECAME A CAPTAIN OVER THEM: AND THERE WERE WITH HIM ABOUT FOUR HUNDRED MEN. (1 Samuel 22:2).

This verse describes the men who joined themselves to David after he fled from the presence of King Saul who sought to kill him.

This verse is taken from the Old Testament, but it most certainly points us towards the New. The disadvantaged were drawn to David. Why?

David was a famous hero - he had slain Goliath the giant Philistine. But that was not the reason they sought for him. I would argue the reason was because he was righteous. They recognised that he was for God and that God was for him and in him. He had also been anointed by a prophet of God as the future king of Israel. The man of faith could read the writing on the wall, that there was no contest - the house of Saul was doomed and the house of David was set to prosper. If you fell in with David - you fell in with God. This, I would argue, is what motivated them - a desire for God. The same desire that drove Jonathan and David's powerful friendship - the same desire that drives everyone who truly seeks the Lord from the beginning of time to the end.

David is of course a clear type of Christ in these people being drawn to him. In Matthew Christ says: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." They fall into this category.

Another scripture this text brings me to is part of 1 Corinthians 1:

"FOR YE SEE YOUR CALLING, BRETHREN, HOW THAT NOT MANY WISE MEN AFTER THE FLESH, NOT MANY MIGHTY, NOT MANY NOBLE, ARE CALLED: BUT GOD HATH CHOSEN THE FOOLISH THINGS OF THE WORLD TO CONFOUND THE WISE; AND GOD HATH CHOSEN THE WEAK THINGS OF THE WORLD TO CONFOUND THE THINGS WHICH ARE MIGHTY; AND BASE THINGS OF THE WORLD, AND THINGS WHICH ARE DESPISED, HATH GOD CHOSEN, YEA, AND THINGS WHICH ARE NOT, TO BRING TO NOUGHT THINGS THAT ARE: THAT NO FLESH SHOULD GLORY IN HIS PRESENCE."

For me, these verses sum up what is wrong in the professing church today. The problem is that they are ignored. Completely ignored. I have been attending church as a converted Christian for 20 years and I can only ever remember hearing the first sentence of these being preached on - and that only once. Considering these are some of the most important verses in the whole of scripture this is nothing short of scandalous. But it gets worse.

When I heard the sermon on the words, "For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called" (by a minister of my own denomination), the interpretation given was: "But it doesn't say none - it doesn't say none are called." Woah, I thought, talk about poor exegesis - that's as poor as it gets - completely reversing the emphasis. So now, the purpose of this vital piece of scripture is no longer to emphasise the fact that God focuses on the poor and disadvantaged - but to remind us to bear in mind that he does actually save some of the rich and privileged.

Far be it from me to deny that God saves some of the rich and privileged - but that is not the message of the verse.

So I would ask this question: Why are these verses never touched on in the church?

Is it because they condemn the attitude of the majority of ministers and professing Christians? For example, the professing church has been under the impression for centuries that only men that have attained a high level of academic learning can be accepted as ministers. This is not in the Bible - so where did it come from? Certainly not from John Bunyan and certainly not from the verses quoted. No, it came from nowhere but man's pride.

Ministers suffer from intellectual pride. They have a terrible weakness for thinking highly of their understanding of scripture, their ability to preach/expound, and of course, their personal academic attainments. I have come across this time and time again. It is also natural for men to want to be rich. There is a strong desire for this kind of prosperity in many professing Christians. These things are not compatible with the verses quoted. Hence the avoidance of them as they clearly proclaim an uncomfortable truth. A wonderfully efficient way of grieving the Spirit.

There are many verses which many professing Christians quietly wish were not in the Bible and these verses, I would argue, are high on the list.

If any of you were wondering why our churches are so devoid of spiritual life, I would offer this as a reason.

It all boils down to pride.

HE'S RIGHT

The following is a quote by Gene Simmons (member of rock band KISS) which I came across today:

'...he has little sympathy with the anti-capitalist protesters outside St. Paul's." What they're really arguing about is they don't have jobs - but there are plenty of jobs. It just may not be the job you want. Too bad. Start at the bottom, the way your mum and grandmother did, and work your way up... Never a lender or a borrower be. Avoid credit cards. Pay Cash. It's common sense. But people don't have common sense. They have greed."'

For those who don't know who he is, this is him:

Can you spot the 'leodhsach' coming through Donald Trump? If you didn't already know, his mum came from Lewis.

DAVID MILLIBAND REMINDS US HOW OUT OF TOUCH WITH REALITY HE IS

Link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15774291

Everyone and his dog knows how stupid it is to make a song-and-dance out of footballers being ignorant on the pitch, but what does David Milliband do? He paints this petty silliness as the cardinal sin. Talk about a wasted opportunity to show the sensible attitude and just dismiss it as the feckless nonsense that it is.

THE GREAT LEWIS FUEL RIP-OFF

Since moving back to the island in August after 10 years on the mainland, the first time I ever had to pay over £100.00 to fill my tank was my first fill-up back in SY.

Shocking. And again I say, Shocking.

LIKE THE BANKS

Everyone knows about the mercenary rapacity of the banks posting obscene profits while every one else suffers. Well, this is exactly the same.

CARTEL

It is obvious that the people selling the fuel have all agreed that it would work against them to compete with each other as the inevitable result would be that they would have to drop their prices - they would all lose out. Better to agree to keep them up.

It is common knowledge that fuel retailers make a very slim profit margin - that doesn't stop healthy competition on the mainland. But it does here. Why? GREED GREED GREED GREED GREED GREED GREED GREED GREED.

NO MORE INERTIA

People of Lewis - are you listening? NO MORE INERTIA.

No more shrugging of the shoulders and hoping someone else will bang on the doors of these robbers - yes - ROBBERS. These people are in collusion - agreement - aiding and abetting.

OK people, what are we going to do about it? Let's get organised.

ABUSE OF THE LAW

Recently, I met someone who described to me an experience he'd had with the law here in Stornoway.

He was doing contract work for the largest employer in the Outer Hebrides and was having trouble getting his money, so he phoned them. In the course of the call he lost his cool and called the man a f****** b******. The police were contacted and my friend was charged and fined £450 for breach of the peace.

Now, this is an easy one. We don't have to be Einstein to see how wrong this is - charged with breach of the peace for swearing down the phone? Do me a favour! Not that I'm condoning swearing or anything - but would you call the police because someone swore at you during an argument?

The person who reported him is not the only one at fault, so too is the justice of the peace that fined him - who should have just said, "ma chrech sa chanich (Gaelic) - off you go, and don't be swearing down the phone at any more petty minded people."

The blame for this kind of thing really lies with our silly legislators who have long since deemed the hurting of someone's feelings to be the cardinal sin.

Makes you wish you were a judge sometimes.

A WARNING

I Have just received an email out of the blue, claiming to be from Google, informing me that I am the "lucky" winner of £500,000.

Now, I don't want to insult your intelligence, but if you get one, do the sensible thing - DELETE - it's a scam.