Global Warming / Climate Change – The Lies Continue

Now that various Western Governments have been duped so far down the Catastrophic Climate Change road, it seems that no depth is too low to stoop to in order to perpetuate the myth.

Check out this article and if you’ve an open and enquiring kind, Google “The Manhattan Declaration” and do some research – then aske a few pointed questions of your local councillor, mp and any other greenie.

We need Conservation NOT Consternation!

As if we could trust politicians and bankers with our money, can we trust the politicians with our climate responsibilities. We need to develop strategies to assist and support the Third World through the coming cycles on natural climate change rather than waste more billions on carbon capture /reduction/credit/panic/copying of eco-panicmongers.

Man Overboard!

It seems a long while since my last post, and it is really. I’ve not been on Facebook very much either other than to quickly look over what’s been going on.

I’ve been very saddened at some recent ‘goings-on’ in the area but have managed to get a sense of peace about them now.

Even though I’ve felt as though I’ve been a tad adrift, I’ve been blessed that the Lord has been close to me in all these things, patiently waiting for me to turn up in the study, that favourite lay-by, viewpoint or secret place and with a heart wanting and needing Him more than anything else.

The Mem Sahib and I had also been working very hard towards our recent performance with the Buckie Choral Union. How wonderful it is to be involved in performing a work of worship with several other believers and declaring the Creed in such a creative way. Praise God that he has given us as part of our spirit – conscience, connectedness and creativity. When you really know what you are singing [ even if it is in Latin ! ] and you can sing with love in your heart it really does become worship and is so uplifting and fun. I’m really getting in to choral stuff and not only rate Handel and Dvorak but also a bod called Poulenc who has written an equally glorious work.

Thank you Lord that music moves us but You LIFT us as we praise by the virtue of Your presence.

Freedom ? Indeed!

I am just SO loving freedom. I suppose it’s one of those things that you don’t appreciate till you realise you can really explore it, really enjoy it, really bask in being free.

The last few weeks I’ve been spending my days either at work and chatting with some folks  there about Kingdom matters during coffee breaks or in corridors. Or I’ve been spending quality time with a lovely and loving christian brother just talking and praying about matters that concern us or light us up. Or I’ve been meeting with friends on Sundays in what I affectionately call the Asdafarian Temple aka the cafe at Asda’s. One of these friends is a very new christian but has struggled with many hard knocks in life but now has begun to get his head and heart into Jesus – and He’s making such a difference. There’s no way this friend would go anywhere near a conventional church but he loves to talk about Jesus and Kingdom things.  He’s blossoming and learning how to take the knocks and come out smiling and it’s a beautiful thing to watch. If I had remained in ‘ministry’ there’s a strong chance that we wouldn’t have developed the friendship and relationship that we have and our lives would never have crossed and I’d have been all the poorer. We share our freedoms and I believe we are both richer and the Lord is getting some glory in the life and testimony of this man. Fancy ‘christians’ spending Sundays in a cafe !

I’m also continuing to be drawn to some wonderful, inspiring and challenging books. Some are old stuff brought freshly to mind and life, others newer and radical yet conventionally biblical. Of course the Bible remains a wannaread and I’m loving The Message.

We’ve been busy these last weeks  what with buying a vehicle to replace the Audi, so that we can drive up to Miriam and John’s house off the beaten track and also get my ailing parents easily aboard. All those boxes ticked with Esther the X-Trail. So needless to say we’ve also put about 1200 miles on the clock with going to and from Glasgow, Aberdeen and Peterhead along with usual work and social mileages, and Esther is the perfect lady for all these trips…smoooth and comfy.

I continue to enjoy exploring the emergent church scene. You either get it or you don’t but if you do get it..here’s a quote from the Missio Dei blog….

“ The Top 50 Possible Reasons why you’re not Emergent

50. They’re all a bunch of false prophets. Really, that’s what they told me

49. My mother will disown me.

48. I just don’t like Doug Pagitt. He scares me.

47. I heard from a famous pastor that Emergent is from the debil.

46. I don’t like Rob Bell’s hair.

45. The word Emergent is not in the Bible.

44. It’s just not allowed in the Vanderhoeven family.

43. I heard Calvin would simply not approve

42. Mark Driscoll told me I couldn’t.

41. I’m just not “certain” yet it’s the right way to go.

40. I heard from this guy who knew this lady who had a brother who was Emergent and he went blind doing it.

39. I enjoy being a skeptic.

38. I didn’t learn about Emergent in seminary so I’m not going to start now.

37. I like being on the bigger team.

36. I heard you had to take yoga.

35. I’ve heard from a famous prison ministry guy they don’t believe in the Bible.

34. Where would I be without absolute truth.

33. Tony Jones went to Princeton Theological Seminary…that liberal.

32. They didn’t teach this in Alpha.

31. I’m not white.

30. I’m over 40.

29. I don’t have any cool, black eyeglasses.

28. I don’t like coffee or Guinness.

27. It’s immoral to smoke pipes or cigars.

26. They haven’t yet come up with my denomination of Presbymergent

25. Emergents read unapproved books.

24. I’m allergic to candles.

23. I like Jesus but not Emergent.

22. Brian McLaren’s books are not theologically correct. I’m not sure why, I just know they aren’t.

21. I like my Christianity strong and hot.

20. The orthodoxy police will bust me.

19. I’m not uber-cool. In fact, I don’t even know what “uber” means.

18. I don’t understand it and I don’t want to.

17. If it doesn’t have the letters SBC in it, I’m not interested.

16. All they want to do is love. Where’s the truth in that?

15. I’m a bullhorn type of guy.

14. I prefer Joel Osteen.

13. I just finally bought into fundamentalism and you want me to shift?

12. I don’t really want a generous orthodoxy.

11. I refuse to switch to Apple

10. I can’t. I go to John MacArthur’s church.

9. My friends will think I’m a heretic.

8. I already was a New (Kind of) Christian.

7. I refuse to grow a soul patch

6. Hell fire and brimstone works just fine, thank you.

5. I don’t like loud, rock music at church. It’s a sin.

4. Their hermeneutic of ecclesiology is unorthodox, fundamentally esoteric and meandering. It borders on epistemological ambiguity that is really troublesome. I’m afraid it will lead to heretical uncertainty of the most pernicious kind.

3. But then I might have to really have faith.

2. Brian McLaren is the debil.

And the number one possible reason Why You’re Not Emergent is:

1. The emerging church is so yesterday.

——————————————————

Just in case you were wondering. The answer is yes, this is humor.“

It made me laugh for sure…… I have heard a few of those things levelled at myself before now by ‘well meaning friends’. Check out Missio Dei and the link blocks to the right of the page especially “Pastor abandons church” . It’d make a good conversation starter next time you’re in a house group…..

Must dash – time to wash up…for free!