Political Ideals

I am not a politician and I have no real desire to be one... but I've been thinking a lot about politics lately because somebody close to me is considering standing for a political party at the next District Council Election.

They are probably going to stand for a Party I have no love of and certainly do not trust... and so comes the question - do I vote for the person despite the resentment I feel for the institution they represent. It's a hard choice and I don't yet know which way I will jump (I trust the person implicitly, but I in no way wish to be seen as endorsing a political party. Yes you can say nobody will know, however I will know... and that is enough.)

It brings me back to the old dilemma that I am trapped within. Being a slightly liberal leftist puts me in a position where I can't in good conscience vote for anyone in the area I live. The Conservatives, New "Labour" and the Liberal Democrats are all economically right wing. Incidentally, if you are American and reading this then I'm apparently classed as borderline strong democrat/socialist.

If I could spearhead a bloodless coup, a glorious revolution where the slate was wiped clean and we started all over again... and I had the power to create any political system I pleased, I would go for something like the following:

A series of elections take place to create a forum of independent representatives... no parties, no chief whips. The politicians would only be allowed to be governed by private conscience and the interests of their own constituency... they would not be answerable to a party line.

The forum would then meet and members would nominate, second and vote a maximum of say five, potential Prime Ministerial candidates. The five names would be put to the public (each with their own personal manifesto) and voted on in a second round.

The New Prime Minister would take office and interview potential cabinet ministers, based on their skills and experience. The cabinet team would build a framework of policies but would in know way have the authority to force an entire body to vote in accordance with their views (as is currently the case in the Party system). Any member could propose policy. Each issue would stand or fall on it's merit in the eyes of the entire assembly. The system I propose at heart would reflect a political system resembling Camelot, each member being equal. In fact I'd even go as far as to suggest meeting away from Westminster in a circular building that resembled the Round Table. It would avoid the notion that MP's have to oppose one another just because they sit facing each other in opposition.

It is a system that would probably never see the light of day. It is like asking turkeys to vote for Christmas. It's probably as close to a personal ideal as I'm going to get. I wonder how the experts would interpret my political persuasion on the basis of those ideas. If you have any comments or suggestions I'd love to hear them.

Dare I put this to a Downing Street petition? I'm seriously open to persuasion on that. What do you think?

A Day of Atonement

Today is the Jewish festival of Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), and although I'm not jewish... today has seen an atonement of sorts for me personally.

No, I didn't fast for 25 hours or follow any of the practices of modern Judaism... and I certainly didn't have any bulls or goats sacrificed on my behalf in Jerusalem... for as a Christian, I believe that Jesus' death outside Jerusalem has paid for my sin... or as Matt Redman once put it - the cross has said it all!

Anyway, I digress. The atonement I speak of today is a financial one. Today, the last direct debit on my penultimate loan came out... and siezing the moment, I took the opportunity to alter my final outstanding loan. I will no longer have to wait 18 months to be free... by God's grace I have reduced the timescale down to a maximum of 12 months... and I have changed the nature of my loan, so that I can pay extra amounts if I choose to. Optimistically I could well get the heck out of Dodge by late summer next year!

Glory to God!

OK, so you could argue that I'm ahead of myself here... I'm not free yet, after all. However, to cite an example:

In the United States of America, Independence Day is celebrated on the 4th
July... but the historical fact is that independence had not been secured on
that day. The war did not end... and my people did not recognise
the Declaration of Independence until over 7 years later.

In the same way as America's founding fathers served notice on Britain, I have served notice to my own tyrants... though my enemies are not flesh and blood... but fiscal.

"No dictator, no invader can hold an imprisoned population by force of arms forever. There is no greater power in the universe than the need for freedom. Against that power tyrants and dictators cannot stand. The Centauri learned that lesson once. We will teach it to them again. Though it take a thousand years, we will be free." - Citizen G'Kar (Babylon 5 Season 2: The Long Twilight Struggle)

Again I want to use this post as a rally cry to those struggling in sin, debt or any weakness. If I can be free, then any of you can be free... all of you can be free!

You don't have to write what your problem is here... but send me a comment with just your name in it... that can be YOUR signature in your own personal declaration of independence from whatever problems ail you. If your name goes in here... not only are you making your pledge to fight for yourself.... but you have my word that I will at the very least say a prayer for you.

If you want to be free of your chains then give them to Jesus, for this is why he came:

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

If you don't feel in a position to do that then lay them here at this door and be assured that those who follow Christ and read this blog... will take up your cause with you. I fundamentally believe that whatever weighs you down today... be it guilt, sin, hurt, fear, illness, bitterness, loss, rejection, neglect, abuse... whatever it is... God would have you be free of it and I offer you the chance to cry out for that freedom here and now!

For freedom's sake write down your name.

God bless you... whatever you decide

N

Selah

Just an update on the situation as I see it at my church lately.

We have been without a singular leader for some time. What has begun to happen in recent months is that various people in authority are having different ideas as to where the church is going. I think this is breeding mistrust.

There is an opportunity to grasp here... now things are getting "desperate" (only 10 people were present on Sunday... half of which were regular... not that I personally value a church's success by the numerical value of it's congregation). We need to take a moment to reflect... to pause and consider (this is what many people believe the Hebrew biblical word "Selah" means).

As many of you know, I have a big bee in my bonnet about the independent spirit of man... about our insistence on denying ourselves the benevolence of God... simply because of our desire to be in control and independent. Here we see clearly see that spirit at work. As soon as thing start to go off the rails or seem to need changing, people inevitably jump in and start trying to fix it... without properly understanding what the situation requires.

I believe God is calling us to listen. How can anyone presume to speak for God... if he first does not listen to God... or at least give God opportunity to speak?

At last we are giving him a proper opportunity.

Next week, we will have a time of prayer where we will simply ask God for direction... and then we will shut up. A time to listen... not to speak. Selah.

I hope it becomes a regular thing... but more importantly I pray that all those in attendance will learn to lean on God more... and will have a deeper experience of his presence. That people who have gifts will not be afraid to use them.

Several of us knew this time was coming... that the church would be stripped down to it's core members. Now the choice is simple... listen to God and let him work revival... or continue striving in disobedience and watch it all fall apart. Out of grace, the Lord continues to give us opportunities to hear him properly and respond... dare we test his patience any more?

Here are two examples from scripture which I believe are relevant:

The LORD Appears to Elijah

And the word of the LORD came to him: "What are you doing here, Elijah?" He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too." The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too."

The LORD said to him, "Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him."

and:

Jesus Calms the Storm

That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side." Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"

The point is in the first instance, it was only when Elijah was in the right place and right frame of mind to listen that he was able to discern between the noise of the terrible powers of nature and the soft voice of God. In the second instance, Jesus slept through the storm, secure in the knowledge that God would not bring doom upon him. The disciples, in contrast ran around like headless chickens "Don't Panic! Don't Panic Mr Mainwaring!!" Jesus rebuked them for being focused on the problem... rather than being focused on the solution.

There is a saying I have heard:

"Instead of telling God how big your problems are... tell your problems how big God is!" That is what I encourage us all to do. If no solution seems apparent... just praise God. Focus on him in worship, then let him do all the talking.

Hagar, Ishmael, the Israelites in the wilderness, Elijah, those who were among the 5,000 men who were fed by Jesus. None of them needed to strive in order to be blessed with nourishment. All they needed to do was to acknowledge God.

Selah.

(If you need any points expanding on or if there are things you do not understand... please feel free to comment and I will do my best to help you.)

Human Nature

I'd like to share my views on the controlling aspect of our human nature.

Firstly I'd like to take a look at Genesis chapter 3, principally the bit where man receives his "punishment":

"Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken;for dust you are and to dust you will return."

Sometimes I wonder, just how much of that is actually punishment, and just how much is consequence of what Man had become by taking the fruit of the tree and good and evil?

What do I mean?

Well, before the Fall, everything we received came from God. but when we begin thinking like God, start developing independence, we tend so start not to rely on him.... seeking instead to provide for our own needs and the needs of those around us. With this new found ability, you might think God would be pleased at the opportunity to put his feet up.

Yet clearly in the Bible, there are instances where God provides for his people when they call on his name. The Israelites in the wilderness, Hagar and Ishmael at death's door. Over and over, when a person's own resources are spent, they call upon God and he answers.

What is the key to this? I believe the answer lies in the following passage:

"But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

What does that mean? Well think about a little child for a moment. a child cannot fend for itself, it relies up on it's parents and benefactors to provide for it, until it is ready.

I think that's what Jesus is saying. That we need to stop thinking we have to do this in our strength. That instead we should rely upon his power, trust purely in him... easier said then done, I know. However, I still believe it should be our aim.

After all, all the major instances of revival in this nation have been when people in the Church get on their knees and say sorry for trying to run God's Kingdom for him.

God is sovereign, he alone knows whats best for us as individuals and in the Church as a whole.

We don't need to be INDEPENDENT, we need to be IN DEPENDENCE.

Blessings to you

Nick