Books read in January

It has ben too many months since I last posted book review. I have been through yet another prolonged bipolar down phase. It reduced my reading and destroyed my desire to review. I read quite a number of books but cannot now review them. But new year, new reviewing zeal so here we go

1.  Veterans: The Last Survivors of the Great War by Richard Van Emden 

Over the past three years I have read quite a number of books on WWI. None has managed to so well narrate the lives of ordinary people of the period. It is not just combatants but civilians too.  Published in 1998, the authors saught out the last survivors with WWI memories, people aged 90 to 100+.The chapter headings give a good summary. Joining up. Leaving for the front. Trench life. Dreams of home. The Battle of the Somme. Saving the wounded. Death, bereavement and loss. Log-term recovery. Women and the home front. Prisoners of war. Road to victory. Armistice and aftermath. I think my only minor criticism is the absence of memories from sailors and airmen, The people who lived through the conflict are now gone. One may personally regret not having asked them more. Like the old lady, a customer in my pharmacy who told me about the Zeppelin raids and an ex-policeman who at the outbreak of war had the family holiday ruined by his police sergeant father being recalled from leave. I also remember an old Methodist who had suffered as a conscientious objector.  This book has harrowing tales from those who experienced horrors we shall never know.

2. Logic On Fire: The Life and Legacy of Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones by Paul D. Washer, Sinclair B. Ferguson, Ian Hamilton, Geoff Thomas, R.C. Sproul & John Macarthur. Amongs't the contributors are R.C. Sproul ....

Three DVDs, three photograph cards and a short book in this pack to commemorate the man generally regarded as the outstanding preacher in English in the last century. And English was his second language. A brilliant physician,assistant to the king’s doctor, a Harley Street practice, wealth and fame at his feet. The Doctor as he became known gave it all up, still in his twenties, to pastor a backwater mission church in South Wales. There he experienced such growth in response to plain preaching without gimmicks, that when his own Presbyterian denomination rejected him as principal of its theological college, he was invited by Campbell Morgan pastor of the prestigious West End Congregational church at Westminster Chapel, a short walk away from Buckingham Palace. When Campbell Morgan passed on, The Doctor was pastor until he retired. I heard him many times in my own London student years 1964 to 67. That was a formative part of my theological education. All his sermons were of the highest order and some, like the Sunday after the 1966 Aberfan disaster were unforgettable.

Most to the contributors here are family and friends, the latter mainly pastors influenced by the doctor. Hearing his voice again and these memories warms the heart and move one to desire to be a more spirit filled, prayerful preacher.

I have  four criticisms. The parts on the 1966 Evangelical Alliance meeting and the Doctor’s views the sealing and filling of the Spirit are not well handled. John Stott was at fault as chairman in the way he contradicted the Doctor at the meeting though I now believe there are reasons to perhaps show more sympathy for Stott’s views than the Doctor’s. On the filling of the Spirit I believe that Stott is right and the Doctor errs in calling the a sealing of the Spirit, a proper experience to be taught, which it is, but calling it the Baptism of the Spirit which it is not. The Doctor confuses terms which may end other, though not him, to confused theology. Thirdly,  nowhere are the Doctor's views on baptism stated. He seems to have moved away from a Presbyterian position on covenant children. My last criticism I have stated before. I am not happy hearing how wonderful the fellowship was on Sundays between services at the chapel. This lonely student was there three years and never offed so much as a cup tea. Nor did the Doctor encourage people to join in the body life of the church. He was happy to be the consultant physician of souls who did not do house visits.
"Defects through nature's best productions run, 
Our friend had spots, and spots are in the sun." - William Jay

3. How to be a Tudor: A Dawn-to-Dusk Guide to Everyday Life by Ruth Goodman

I would have given this five stars it is so good. But though she explore almost every area of Tudor life, she is very weak on one most important area. This was a time when life centered round religion. It was the time of Reformation. the time also of Bloody Mary and the burning of over 300 Protestant martyrs which promoted strong Protestant reaction afterwards. Christian faith was central to life.The reform of the church was often not popular, Holy days were lost so many holidays went. Prayers for the dead were banned so what could one do for the departed? Church attendance was compulsory. So I am afraid the author does not really give the reader a feel for this. She has it seems engaged in all things Tudor from ploughing to brewing but she does not seem have grasped Tudor Christianity. Hence my four star rating. But my one criticism apart it is a great read and wonderfully informative. Read and learn

4.Beware Beware by Susan Hill (Author), Angela Barrett (Illustrator)

A girl ventureson a wintry night only to find the wood is scary and home a great comfort. It will not take long to read to a child and you will both love it.

We’ve paid some Fulani to stop killings in Southern Kaduna – El-Rufai

© 2017 Vanguard Media Limited, Nigeria By Taboola December 3, 2016
'Kaduna State Governor Mallam Nasir el-Rufai has said his government has traced some violent, aggrieved Fulani to their countries and paid them to stop the killings of Southern Kaduna natives and the destruction of their communities saying that the renewed violence is carried out by bandits.
El-Rufai made this known while fielding questions from some select Journalists in his office in Kaduna.
Mallam El- Rufai
He said: “For southern Kaduna, we didn’t understand what was going on and we decided to set up a committee under Gen. Martin Luther Agwai (rtd) to find out what was going on there. What was established was that the root of the problem has a history starting from the 2011 post election violence.
“Fulani herdsmen from across Africa bring their cattle down towards Middle Belt and Southern Nigeria. The moment the rains starts around March, April, they start moving them up to go back to their various communities and countries.
“Unfortunately, it was when they were moving up with their cattle across Southern Kaduna that the elections of 2011 took place and the crisis trapped some of them.
“Some of them were from Niger, Cameroon, Chad, Mali and Senegal. Fulanis are in 14 African countries and they traverse this country with the cattle.
“So many of these people were killed, cattle lost and they organised themselves and came back to revenge.
“So a lot of what was happening in Southern Kaduna was actually from outside Nigeria. We got a hint that the late Governor Patrick Yakowa got this information and he sent someone to go round some of these Fulani communities, but of course after he died, the whole thing stopped. That is what we inherited. But the Agwai committee established that.
“We took certain steps. We got a group of people that were going round trying to trace some of these people in Cameroon, Niger republic and so on to tell them that there is a new governor who is Fulani like them and has no problem paying compensations for lives lost and he is begging them to stop killing.
“In most of the communities, once that appeal was made to them, they said they have forgiven. There are one or two that asked for monetary compensation. They said they have forgiven the death of human beings, but want compensation for cattle. We said no problem, and we paid some. As recently as two weeks ago, the team went to Niger republic to attend one Fulani gathering that they hold every year with a message from me.'

My friend says, 'The Governor albeit his forked tongue spokespeople have since issued lying rejoinders refuting the above...'Wanting compensation for cattle lost not people killed rings true. Fulani are known to stop their migration for a cow to calve but not for a child to be born. This seems to me a very one-sided report. Where is the report of Fulani cattle destroying Christian's crops?' Fulani governor takes action. Enough said.

Twelve Points That Show Christianity Is True

Personally I am more of a Van Tilian presuppositionalist in apologetics but Would also enlist this evidential approach.

By Brian Nixon, Special to ASSIST News Service

ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO (ANS – December 1, 2017) -- I don’t remember the first time I heard the name Norman Geisler (b. 1932). It must have been in the late 1980’s, connected to one of his books. But by the 1990’s Norman Geisler name was everywhere in my world of Modesto, California: friends were recommending his books, Pastor’s were making his books required reading for leadership, and folks began to drop his name and reference his thought process, particularly as it related to apologetics and ethics. If my memory serves me correctly, the first book by Norman Geisler I bought (sometime around 1992 or 1993) was When Critics Ask: A Handbook on Bible Difficulties.

And from that day forward, I’ve purchased dozens (to date there are roughly 100 books associated with Norman). As an example, on the shelf next to me I just counted 37 of his books -- and these don’t include the books I have elsewhere.

And now I can add one more book to my shelf: Twelve Points That Show Christianity Is True: A Handbook On Defending The Christian Faith released in 2016 by NGIM Press.

I’ll get to this particular book in a moment. But back to Norman’s influence.

As I continued to unpack Geisler’s philosophical and theological angle (Evangelical-Thomist), I began to appreciate the scope of his thought in regard to a host of topics: apologetics, theology, logic, ethics, law, Biblical scholarship, and the like. As a Christian thinker, there are few others that rival his extent and insight. I also came to realize that there are thousands of other people outside of my little world that have been influenced by the man and his thought, including Ravi Zacharias, Ed Hindson, William Lane Craig, and Walter Kaiser, Jr. And as a recent Festschrift (a book honoring his legacy) shows, many of these people are leaders in the current Evangelical movement [1].

For my part, I continued to read Geisler with great interest (I’m partial to his work on Aquinas and various tomes in theology), dialoging with people that studied under him, including Veritas Evangelical Seminary (VES) president, Dr. Joseph Holden. I was able to meet Dr. Geisler when Calvary Albuquerque hosted him via a Veritas Seminary conference [2], where he spoke on the problem of evil. Later, I was able to interview Geisler for a couple radio programs gaining more insight from his mind and ministry [3]. And when the opportunity arose for me to attend VES, I jumped at the chance, reveling in the courses I took with Dr. Geisler. I eventually finished up an MA in Theological Studies [4], and I proudly proclaim that Dr. Geisler was my theology professor.

And it’s here where I get back to Geisler’s recent publication.

Throughout the courses I took with Geisler there were common themes interwoven within his defense of the Christian faith. One of the exams I took -- I believe in apologetics -- was built around these points, 12-14 to be exact. And though the points can be found in his book, The Big Book of Apologetics, I remember saying to myself, “these arguments should be made into a stand-alone book.” Low and behold, the book came to fruition (others must have thought the same). And with the Twelve Points That Show Christianity Is True, Geisler’s apologetic approach is carefully and succinctly described in an enjoyable and high-impact read.

The points are as follows (even Wikipedia has them summarized [5]):

1) Truth about reality is knowable.

2) Opposites cannot both be true.

3) The theistic God exists.

4) Miracles are possible.

5) Miracles performed in connection with a truth claim are acts of God to confirm the truth of God through a messenger of God.

6) The New Testament documents are reliable.

7) As witnessed in the New Testament, Jesus claimed to be God.

8) Jesus’ claim to divinity was proven by a unique convergence of miracles.

9) Therefore, Jesus was God in human flesh.

10) Whatever Jesus affirmed as true, is true.

11) Jesus affirmed that the Bible is the Word of God.

12) Therefore, it is true that the Bible is the Word of God and whatever is opposed to any biblical truth is false.

In the VES classes, these points were expounded upon in various forms and ways, and are based on the principle of “undeniability) (meaning it is self-defeating to deny) which is summarized as the following (again, interestingly, found on Wikipedia):

1) There are self-evident truths (e.g., the existential undeniability of the premise “I exist," and logical undeniability of the premise “Logic applies to reality").

2) Truth corresponds to reality.

3) Truth is knowable (all other views are self-defeating).

4) One can proceed from self-evident truths to the existence of God.

         a) The argument from Creation (proceeds from “I exist")

         b) The argument from morals (proceeds from “Values are undeniable")

         c) The argument from design (proceeds from “Design implies a designer")

5) God is a necessary Being (argument from being).

6) My existence is not necessary (evident from the definition of a necessary Being).

7) Therefore, theism is true (there is a necessary Being beyond the world who has created the contingent things in the world and intervenes in the world [chap. 3]).

        a) The objection from the problem of evil can be solved.

        b) The objection to miracles can be solved.

 8) The Bible is a historically reliable document.

        a) History is an objective study of the past.

        b)There is great historical, archaeological, and scientific evidence to confirm the reliability of the Bible.(Corollary: The Bible gives a reliable record of the teaching of Jesus Christ.)

9) Jesus claimed to be both fully human and fully God.

10) He gave evidence to support this claim.

        a) The fulfillment of prophecy

        b) His miraculous and sinless life

        c) His resurrection

11) Therefore, Jesus is both fully human and fully God.

12) Whatever God teaches is true.

13) Jesus (God) taught that the Old Testament was the inspired Word of God and He promised the New Testament.

14) Therefore, both the Old and New Testaments are the inspired Word of God.

An article like this is no place to unpack the points. For that you’ll need to read the book or attend VES (which I thoroughly encourage: http://www.ves.edu/). But as I wrote in an email to fellow minsters at Calvary Albuquerque:

“Every now and then there's a book I think every Christian, especially a pastor, should own. Norman Geisler's newest book, Twelve Points That Show Christianity is True, is such a book. While I was studying with Norman these 12 points were woven throughout most of his material. The book is especially pertinent for skeptics or those struggling with their faith. And though the book tackles some academic areas (laws of logic, etc.) it does so in a very approachable and readable way. And the outline and summary at the beginning of each chapter is very helpful in bringing it all together. In short, I highly recommend it.”

What I wrote to the pastors I write to the public: Do yourself a favor, read the Twelve Points That Show Christianity is True in 2017. And in doing so, you’ll have a deeper understanding of the truth, reality, beauty, and goodness of Jesus Christ.

1) I Am Put Here For the Defense of the Gospel, Pickwick Publication, Eugene, Oregon: http://wipfandstock.com/i-am-put-here-for-the-defense-of-the-gospel.html 

2) http://www.sloppynoodle.com/wp/always-be-ready-a-conference-defending-biblical-truth/ 

3) http://star88.fm/media_archive.asp 

4) My first MA was in Pastoral Ministry with a concentration in Christian Education.

5) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Geisler 

Photo captions: Twelve Points That Show Christianity is True by Dr. Norman Geisler. 2) Dr. Norman Geisler at Calvary Albuquerque. 3) When Critics Ask, Geisler and Howe. 4) Brian Nixon.

About the writer: Brian Nixon is a writer, musician, artist, and minister. He's a graduate of California State University, Stanislaus (BA), Veritas Evangelical Seminary (MA), and is a Fellow at Oxford Graduate School (D.Phil.). To learn more, click here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Nixon.

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Transgenderism

I recently started quite a provocative thread on Facebook. 

Banned from Being Liberal's Page

20 December at 21:47 · 

There are two genders.

There isn't an argument.

 Amid the negative reactions from young men, a Christian friend has made some very good points.

No, I cannot agree with the artificial distinction you make between a person's sex and a person's gender, whatever you feel you have observed, and however your views lead you to interpret those observations. It is perfectly open to you and others to redefine terms to suit your own opinion or purposes if you wish; you can decide to call a chair a lamp-post (though in its present form it will still retain the intrinsic characteristics and functions of a chair, whatever you personally decide to call it); you could decide to perform major surgery on it in order to make it look a bit more like a lamp-post. You could perhaps persuade or bully others into calling your chair a lamp-post, by threatening them with legal proceedings if they do not, or accusing them of hatred towards chairs that want to be lamp-posts, and vice versa, or declaring them to be ignorant or unintelligent if they persist in calling a chair a chair and not a lamp-post. You could say that for many people, being a chair is about other things than something to sit on, and being a lamp-post is about other things than a means of lighting a street. In short, you can say what you like, but the fact remains that the words 'chair' and 'lamp-post' conjure up historically distinct objects with distinct functions in the minds of the majority.........even, metaphorically, in the minds of chairs that would for some reason like to be lamp-posts (or lamp-posts that would like to be chairs). If this were not so, then neither would hanker after being the other, because neither would have a clear idea of what the appearance and function of the other actually is. 'How people see themselves' is irrelevant. An anorexic sees him/herself as grossly overweight; onlookers see him/her as dangerously underweight; in this case the theory of the validity of 'how people see themselves' could lead to death or irrevocable damage if somebody does not attempt to correct the distorted vision of the anorexic. Why try to correct the distorted ideas of anorexics in order to stop them doing irrevocable damage to themselves whilst in the grip of their delusion, yet encourage those whose ideas about their true gender/sex are equally deluded - and even offer to pay for and perform the permanently damaging surgery that they wrongly think will give them what they seem to hanker after? That is extremely cruel, and there are a number of well-publicised cases of people who have undergone such radical procedures and later regretted it bitterly. In the book of Genesis we read 'Male and female created he them'. We should be seeking to restore that truth in human minds, not encouraging the damaged perceptions which have increasingly developed as a consequence and concomitant of sin.

 There is a logical problem with the idea that a person 'knows' themselves to be 'born in the wrong body' in terms of sex/gender. What really defines a man or a woman? It goes way beyond choice of clothing, playthings, interests, career etc., or even emotional response. One can only know what being a man/woman really feels like by actually being one. Saying that you 'have always felt you were a woman', when in fact you have only ever have been a biological man, has to be self-deception. You cannot know what a woman experiences from infancy which defines her womanhood to her. Even she herself might have difficulty in establishing it. Third party observation can only be a very superficial and often misleading guide, and it is interesting that those who are thus confused often go overboard on what they think of as visible evidences of femininity/masculinity. However outward characteristics change. Ladies now wear trousers and become mechanics. Men use make-up and wheel their children around supermarkets. Whilst human customs and desires can, and do, change, the above simple *equation does not. It was established in creation. You say that you are interested in why such people have such desires, since they say that these are not matters of choice. There can be a number of explanations, and they themselves may not know why, but God does, and he has provided both answers, and a solution in Christ. I find that the Bible answers any and every such question if I am diligent to study it and look for the principles contained therein. You, apparently, depend on the opinions of secular philosophers (Mill) and your own observations to shape your thinking. I trust in what I believe to be the wisdom of my Creator, as transmitted through the Bible. We are not going to agree because our criteria for discussion are fundamentally opposed. However there will come a time when the truth will be made evident to all, and in the meantime I think that compassionate Christian friendship, despite such firm disagreement, will do more to alleviate the suffering of confused humanity than any amount of sycophantic political pandering to unnatural desires.

I wonder, if I were a school child who was convinced that I was a monarch, and wanted to be addressed and referred to as 'Your Majesty', whether staff would be instructed to sanction anyone who refused to do this? Actually, according to your reasoning, I would not even have to be convinced of my 'queenliness'. I would simply need to experience and express a desire to be addressed as 'Your Majesty'. if I wore some kind of crown, should that entitle me to use the special toilet facilities that are provided for the Queen when she carries out official duties?

Another friend has written  For a thoughtful and informed review of this subject see http://www.wsj.com/.../paul-mchugh-transgender-surgery...

. Paul McHugh is a distinguished psychiatrist formerly at Johns Hopkins University Medical Center. There is another aspect to this question, referred to obliquely by Professor McHugh. This is the tendency in some contemporary discussion to consider mental phenomena as definitive, even when there are contravening physical conditions. So, regarding gender identity without regard to physical reality. This is an ancient philosophy called gnosticism which reappears periodically in history. Gnosticism is not compatible with Christianity, nor actually with living in the real world.

Transgender Surgery Isn't the Solution

In The Wall Street Journal, Dr. Paul McHugh writes that a drastic physical change doesn't address underlying…

WSJ.COM|BY PAUL MCHUGH

The Twelve Days of Cumberland Turkey

On the first day of Christmas my true love said to me I'm glad we've 
bought a turkey and a Whitehaven Christmas tree.
On the second day of Christmas much laughter could be heard As we tucked 
into our turkey - a most delicious bird.
On the third day of Christmas we had friends in from Cleater Moor The 
turkey tasted just as good as on the day before.
On the fourth day of Christmas, Gran came from Kirkoswald. We finished 
up the Christmas pud and ate the turkey cold.
On the fifth day of Christmas, outside the snowflakes flurried But we 
were nice and warm inside--we ate the turkey, curried.
On the sixth day of Christmas the turkey spirit died. The children 
fought and bickered and we ate the turkey--fried.
On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love gave a wince When he sat 
down to dinner and was given turkey mince.
On the eighth day of Christmas, the dog ran off for shelter I served up 
Cumberland turkey sausage and a glass of Alka-Seltzer.
On the ninth day of Christmas, poor Dad began to cry He said he couldn't 
stand the strain of eating turkey pie.
On the tenth day of Christmas, the air was rather blue And everybody 
grumbled at eating turkey stew.
On the eleventh day of Christmas, the Christmas tree was moulting Mince 
pies hard as rock and the turkey quite revolting.
On the twelfth day of Christmas at last Dad smacked his lips The guests 
had gone, the turkey, too - we dined on Workington fish and chips

HB THOMAS GRAY 26 Dec 1716

The boast of heraldry, the pomp of power,
And all that beauty, all that wealth e'er gave,
Await alike the inevitable hour.
The paths of glory lead but to the grave.
Gray's Elegy

To each his suff'rings: all are men,
Condemn'd alike to groan,
The tender for another's pain;
Th' unfeeling for his own.
Yet ah! why should they know their fate?
Since sorrow never comes too late,
And happiness too swiftly flies.
Thought would destroy their paradise.
No more; where ignorance is bliss,
'Tis folly to be wise.
THOMAS GRAY (1716-1771) An Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College (London: R. Dodsley, 1747)

The hues of bliss more brightly glow,
Chastised by sabler tints of woe. --- Thomas Gray, Ode on the Pleasure arising from Vicissitude. Line 45.

O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,

 "O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant, . . ."

We sang little above a whisper, our eyes darting
anxiously up to the barred windows for any sign of
the guards.

"Joyful and triumphant?"  Clad in tattered
prisoner-of-war clothes, I looked around at the two
dozen men huddled in a North Vietnamese prison cell.
Light bulbs hanging from the ceiling illuminated a
gaunt and wretched group of men--grotesque
caricatures of what had once been clean-shaven,
superbly fit Air Force, Navy and Marine pilots and
navigators.

We shivered from the damp night air and the fevers
that plagued a number of us.  Some men were
permanently stooped from the effects of torture;
others limped or leaned on makeshift crutches.

    "O come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem.  Come and
     behold him, born the King of angels. . . ."

What a pathetic sight we were.  Yet here, this
Christmas Eve 1971, we were together for the first
time, some after seven years of harrowing isolation
and mistreatment at the hands of a cruel enemy.  We
were keeping Christmas--the most special Christmas
any of us ever would observe.

There had been Christmas services in North Vietnam
in previous years, but they had been spiritless,
ludicrous stage shows, orchestrated by the
Vietnamese for propaganda purposes.  This was our
Christmas service, the only one we had ever been
allowed to hold--though we feared that, at any
moment, our captors might change their minds.

I had been designated chaplain by our senior-ranking
P.O.W. officer, Colonel George "Bud" Day, USAF.  As
we sang "O Come, All Ye Faithful," I looked down at
the few sheets of paper upon which I had penciled
the Bible verses that tell the story of Christ's birth.

I recalled how, a week earlier, Colonel Day had
asked the camp commander for a Bible.  No, he was
told, there were no Bibles in North Vietnam.  But
four days later, the camp commander had come into
our communal cell to announce, "We have found one
Bible in Hanoi, and you can designate one person to
copy from it for a few minutes."

Colonel Day had requested that I perform the task.
Hastily, I leafed through the worn book the
Vietnamese had placed on a table just outside our
cell door in the prison yard.  I furiously copied
the Christmas passages until a guard approached and
took the Bible away.

The service was simple.  After saying the Lord's
Prayer, we sang Christmas carols, some of us
mouthing the words until our pain-clouded memories
caught up with our voices.  Between each hymn I
would read a portion of the story of Jesus' birth.

    "And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for,
     behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy,
     which shall be to all people.  For unto you is
     born this day, in the city of David, a Savior,
     which is Christ the Lord."

Captain Quincy Collins, a former choir director from
the Air Force Academy, led the hymns.  At first, we
were nervous and stilted in our singing.  Still
burning in our memories was the time, almost a year
before when North Vietnamese guards had burst in on
our church service, beaten the three men leading the
prayers, and dragged them away to confinement.  The
rest of us were locked away for 11 months in three-
by-five-foot cells.  Indeed, this Christmas service
was in part a defiant celebration of the return to
our regular prison in Hanoi.

And as the service progressed, our boldness
increased, the singing swelled.  "O Little Town of
Bethlehem," "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing," "It Came
Upon the Midnight Clear."  Our voices filled the
cell, bound together as we shared the story of the
Babe "away in a manger, no crib for a bed."

Finally it came time to sing perhaps the most
beloved hymn:

    "Silent night, Holy night!  All is calm, all is bright, . . . "

A half-dozen of the men were too sick to stand.
They sat on the raised concrete sleeping platform
that ran down the middle of the cell.  Our few
blankets were placed around the shaking shoulders
of the sickest men to protect them against the
cold.  Even these men looked up transfixed as we
sang that hymn.

    "Round yon virgin mother and child.  Holy infant so
     tender and mild, . . . "

Tears rolled down our unshaven faces.  Suddenly we
were 2000 years and a half a world away in a village
called Bethlehem.  And neither war, nor torture, nor
imprisonment, nor the centuries themselves had dimmed
the hope born on that silent night so long before.

    "Sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace."

We had forgotten our wounds, our hunger, our pain.
We raised prayers of thanks for the Christ child,
for our families and homes, for our country.  There
was an absolutely exquisite feeling that all our
burdens had been lifted.  In a place designed to
turn men into vicious animals, we clung to one
another, sharing what comfort we had.

Some of us had managed to make crude gifts.  One
fellow had a precious commodity--a cotton washcloth.
Somewhere he had found needle and thread and fashioned
the cloth into a hat, which he gave to Bud Day.  Some
men exchanged dog tags.  Others had used prison spoons
to scratch out an IOU on bits of paper--some imaginary
thing we wished another to have.  We exchanged those
chits with smiles and tearful thanks.

The Vietnamese guards did not disturb us.  But as I
looked up at the barred windows, I wished they had
been looking in.  I wanted them to see us--faithful,
joyful and, yes, triumphant.
     --John McCain
      (A U.S. Arizona senator, former U.S. Navy pilot and
       five-year POW in the Hoa Lo "Hanoi Hilton" prison after
       his plane was shot down over Hanoi on October 26, 1967.
      _Reader's Digest_ [December 1984], "Joyful and Triumphant")

Christmas tide. 2016

71 Lee Road, Greenford, UB6 7DA, 02082480579, gweeks@btinternet.com

Greetings from the Weeks family this blessed Christmas tide. 2016 has not been a very eventful year but here is the news. Our health continues to be reasonably good considering we have both reached the three score years and ten.We enjoyed two overseas holidays this year. In April we flew to Germany to visit our Ealing friends in Essen.  2017 marks 500 years since the start of Luther’s reformation. It would be good to find a suitable church history tour.

In August, ten Weeks and Littles went on a family cruise suggested by Adrian’s parents.  So our party was Adrian’s parents and sister, Adrian, Rachel, Ethan and Elissa, we two and Debbie.  We had two weeks cruising from Southampton to the Canary Islands and back via Lisbon and Spain - very relaxing.

Katy continues to be very busy with her cello and piano in church and cello in various outside groups.  She is also very active in our Church’s English class helping women with their communication skills.  Graham continues to preach at the Heathrow Immigration Removal Centre.  He continues to convene two specialist groups for the local University of the Third Age as well as volunteering at the Evangelical Library. He is now in his 34th year as an elder in our church.  Adrian is among four men about to commence an elder’s training course at our church. Our building plans have once again been delayed over costings but we are about to appoint a contractor and we hope building will start in January and be completed this time next year.

Debbie still lives with us. She helps in the church mother and toddlers group and also a weeknight club for children in school years 1 to 6. Her craft and design skills are much in demand. Her work is still child minding three days a week caring for our pastor’s three children including one year old Phoebe who has Down’s Syndrome. Rachel now is freelance in her occupational therapy working part time in two local schools. Near Cambridge, Jonathan has found some temporary employment in the warehouse of the Cambridge Examinations Board. Bethany and Hannah are now teenagers. Bethany was baptised last month. It was a very encouraging service for her and all the church members were very supportive.  We had a lovely bring and share lunch together afterwards.  In Canterbury Zac has followed sister Sahara with good marks in the 11 plus. So next year he will enter a boys’ grammar school there.

One major event we would pray for in 2017 is to move house. We have been here over 32 years and would like to downsize a little. We want to be no further from church but cannot afford to be nearer. We would like a smaller garden (Katy can’t cope with ours any more), a downstairs toilet, two reception and at least thee bedrooms.  We are praying for God’s guidance in this and trusting in His goodness.  

With our love and prayers for 2017,

Graham and Katy

My reasons for voting BREXIT

The morning of 24 June 2016 was one of the happiest and surprising of my seventy years. The night before I had retired to bed after seeing Nigel Farage more or less admit defeat when polls closed in the EU referendum. To wake up and hear we were leaving the EU, or EUSSR as I call it, was bliss. To hear Cameron was resigning was added euphoria. I have detested him ever since the fiasco of same sex 'marriage' for which he had no electoral mandate.
    Since the vote, the minority who voted to remain (the remoaners)have slandered us, the Brexiteers as old, poorly educated, xenophobic little Englanders. I merely say the remoaners are bad losers like the USA's Democrats.
    So why do I want out? First of all I shall refute the slanders. Yes I am old by the standards of a younger generation. But it means I can remember when I lived in an independent, sovereign United Kingdom-It was not inequitably devolved nor encumbered by laws not of our making. It was a representative democracy where I was a happy subject of the Crown, not a citizen of an undemocratic union of foreign nations.
     As to my level of education, a 2:1 honours and I declined the offer of a Ph.D course. So like most people I class myself as of above education and intelligence :-)
     Xenophobic? As my many friends from diverse nations. I am in some ways ambivalent on immigration. I enjoy culinary diversity but not multiculturalism. I believe the levels of immigration in my lifetime are something not envisaged nor welcomed by many. But I defy anyone to say I have been less than welcoming personally. Immigration, on the positive side for Christians means you can engage in cross-cultural witness at home. You do not need to go the thousands of miles that we did in 1970. I do believe we have suffered from a sloppy Home Office failing to control our borders. They count people in after a fashion but fail to count then out when visas expire. I do object to free access for citizens of EU nations when life is made difficult for our Commonwealth allies, often kith and kin to come here. But I never questioned the right of EU nationals now here, to remain if they wish.
     Little Englander? That is not what the bathroom scales say. They almost cry,'One at a time please.' Englander? When I was young I would say I was British. Now I am English. That is what devolution, noisy nationalists and immigration have done to me.
     But let me leave the slander and give positive reasons. I object first and foremost to the loss of sovereignty from parliament and our courts.The decision had no real electoral mandate then, back in 1969 or 70, we had a general election prior to Heath taking us into the Common Market. We were offered no electoral choice. The main parties wanted in. In my constituency all the candidates were for joining. In my father's constituency the candidates were against the Common Market. So we had no choice and the majority of people were happy to be led astray by the repeated lies from all sides telling us this was a solely economic matter, nothing political. Heath et al lied. They knew it was political, not least to keep peace in Europe, stopping the Germans and French fighting for a third time in the century. When Heath fell and Wilson offered a referendum it was questioning about the stable door after the horse has bolted. Or to put it better, it was like asking the young mother some time after the shotgun wedding and birth of the baby, 'You didn't mind ,did you?'. Everyone now says Wilson only did it to unite his divided party.
 So parliament has ever since voted to reduce its own powers and have us governed from Brussels The whole EU is undemocratic. Laws are not parliament made like at Westminster. We have been tied into a continental legal system based on Roman law and not one ancient common law. In the EU the citizen can do nothing unless permitted by law. Here the subject can do anything unless prohibited by law.
     So for me I want out for sovereignty, democracy, rule of law by our courts and control of our borders. I do not wish to expel anyone except law breakers and those who are a threat to national security. I do not need to spell out who most of the last mentioned are.

December 22: Hugh McKail Martyred (1666)

He Gained the Martyr’s Crown

by David T. Myers

The enemies of the Covenanters had very long memories. Long after sermons were preached or actions taken, the authorities in Scotland remembered words and actions against them. Such was the case with a young minister by the name of Hugh McKail.

A child of the manse, from Bothwell, Scotland, his pastor father was one of those forced out of his pulpit and parish when he refused to conform to Prelacy.  Little is known of young Hugh’s early days, but he did go to Edinburgh for education. There he was soon marked out as a young man of exceptional ability. For that, upon graduation, he was chosen to be a chaplain and tutor of the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, Sir James Stewart. In that Covenanter home, he would sit at the feet of those in leadership positions in the church and learn of the dire situation facing both the church and the state.

In 1661, he applied to the Presbytery for licensure in the ministry. Preaching in a variety of situations, he was quickly recognized by his hearers for his great ability in the Word of God. However, his ministry soon came to an end as it became obvious that he wouldn’t compromise his convictions, just as his father before him.  Preaching his last sermon in a church in Edinburgh, he had a sentence in it which marked him for remembrance by the Prelate forces of his day. He said, “the Church is persecuted by a Pharaoh on the throne, a Haman in the State, and a Judas in the Church.” The identification was obvious to all in the pews that day.

Forced to leave his beloved Scotland, the young twenty-six year old would spend the next three years in Holland. On his return to Scotland, the situation had not improved any and there was a spark of rebellion in the air. That spark was ignited, as a prior post here, one November 28th indicated, at the Battle of Rullion Green. Hugh McKail was among the nine hundred in the Covenanter ranks that day. But his own physical weakness removed him before that great battle arrived, and he traveled to Edinburgh instead. There he was arrested by the authorities, not so much for his Covenanter attachments as for his statement made in that Edinburgh church some years before.

Interrogated in prison, he was placed in the Boot, a fearful torture device which all but crushed his leg while he remained silent in voice. He was ordered to die by hanging on December 22, 1666. His exact words that day of death have been preserved through the ages. They were:

Farewell father, mother, friends, and relations; Farewell the world and its delights; farewell meat and drink; farewell sun, moon, and starts; Welcome God and Father; welcome sweet Jesus Christ the mediator of the New Covenant; welcome blessed Spirit of grace, the God of all consolation; welcome glory, welcome eternal life; welcome death!  Into Thy Hands I commit my spirit.”

Words to Live By:
Could Hugh McKail have compromised his convictions and avoided suffering and death? Certainly, and many did. But this young man  was reared by a parent who by his example remained steadfast to the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. With such an example like that, it is no wonder the young minister was given over to sacrifice, in loyalty to both the Living and Written Word, come what may to his physical body. Addressing all parents reading these posts on Presbyterian history: Your life preaches all the week. Are those in your family being helped or hindered to follow the Living and Written Word?

The Battle of Rullion Green November 28, 1666

The Time Was Not Ripe

This mysterious phrase is found on a stone memorial on the grounds of the Battle of Rullion Green which is located eight miles south of Edinburgh, Scotland. It tells the tragic story of defeat in the first battle of the Scot Covenanters—Presbyterians all—against the English government of Charles II.

This battle was part of the Killing Times era of Scottish Covenanters. In essence, the Anglican government had declared war against the Presbyterians of Scotland, asking for unconditional surrender on their part. Their pastors—some 400 of them—had been ejected from their pulpits, their manses, and their parishes. When some of them began to preach to their people in the fields and moors, that whole scene became a dangerous practice, with fines leveled against the attenders, and imprisonment and death as well. All that was needed was a spark to ignite the smoldering indignation of the Scottish people of God.

That spark occurred on November 13, 1666 when an old man by the name of John Grier was accosted by the soldiers of the English government. Unable to pay a fine for his absence from his church with its Anglican curate in the pulpit, he was beaten severely that day. Four local Covenanters  happened upon the scene, and tried first to reason with the soldiers. When that failed, words turned to actions, and one of the soldiers was shot. Other villagers joined in the fray and took the solders prisoners. At this point, the Covenanters numbered ninety people.

Aware of the danger posed by their actions, they marched to Dunfries, Scotland, where they attacked other soldiers, killing one in the process. By this time, their numbers had reached two hundred and fifty. On the way, they captured Sir James Turner, the overall military commander in the area. Continuing further, they encountered a soldier friend by the name of James Wallace, who had experience in warfare. He and his military subordinates joined the Covenanter crowd. They then headed to Edinburgh, the capital city, to find more support for their actions to stop “the killing times,” though to their surprise, the weapons of the citizens were turned against them. The time was not ripe for a rebellion against English rule, evidently, despite their numbers having reached some three thousand or more by this time.

The English government dispatched General Thomas Daiziel against them, who with an army of 3000 (some sources say 5000 soldiers), marched after them. The Covenanter force, with their inadequate weapons and supplies, began to fail, with many deserting the force, leaving some 900 left to do battle. On the afternoon of Wednesday, November 28, 1666, on a long slope in the country side south of Edinburgh, three thrusts by the government forces eventually brought a crushing of the valiant forces of the Covenanters. Some fifty were killed, including two Presbyterian ministers from Ulster. But that was only the beginning of the killing done that day. A bloody retribution was exacted upon the prisoners, including starvation, death by handing, and sending many on prison ships to the American colonies and the West Indies.

Words to Life By:
On the monument which marks the battlefield, there is carved a biblical text from Revelation 12:11, which reads, “And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.”  Another inscription reads,

“A cloud of witnesses lyes here,
who for Christ’s interest did not appear,
For to restore true Liberty
Overturned then by Tyrany
and by Proud Prelates who did rage
Against the Lord’s own heritage.
Their sacrifices were for the Laws
of Christ their king,  his noble cause,
These heroes fought with great renown,
By falling got the Martyr’ Crown.”

Tribute to David Barnes November2015

Late on Saturday night I received a call from our pastor Paul. His voice was troubled as he said, ‘There is no easy way to say this. David Barnes has died from a massive heart attack.’ He had been watching Finchley play Harrow. Viewing local football was David’s usual Saturday afternoon pastime. On Sunday I had a message from Lesley asking me not to put anything on Facebook as the family would tell people. Last night seeing how many friends were posting messages I decidedI should write this short tribute. I had known David for over 33 years end counted him one of my closest friends. Christian friendship triumphed over differing sporting and political allegiances. If asked for one phrase to sum up David it has to be “full of good works”. If heaven were attained on good deeds, David would be at the front of the queue for both his public and private life. Of course we know David is in heaven now, not because of what he did but because of the work of the Saviour in whom he trusted and in whose resurrection we know David will share for David died firm in the faith. That Saturday morning he had been witnessing at our church book table in Greenford. In public life David the solicitor specialised in family law advocating the cause of disadvantaged children and parents in the courts. In private life he was passionate in prayer, evangelism, for the unborn child and mothers and for the homeless. He appeared to me to have an amazing ability to show a cheerful disposition even when undergoing major problems in work and home. He served for some years as an elder in our church and I think he had been a deacon too. He was a very affectionate brother to me and a faithful one when counsel or rebuke was needed. I will end with a little humour. David reminded me of the television portrayal of Rumpole of the Bailey, a lovable clever and able advocate. I think they both appeared at the Uxbridge Magistrates Court. David of course was a solicitor not a barrister. His labours now as a lawyer are ended. I mourn his loss with tears. Mourning is for those of us left behind. For David, troubles are over. He is with Christ which is far better The trumpets have sounded for David on the other side. My thoughts, love and prayers are with Lesley, Rosie, Pete, Tom and Elaine.

Militants kill 40 to ‘rid Kaduna of Christianity’

From Release International, PO Box 54, Orpington, BR5 4RT, UK  Pastor Akut and his community are in mourning after Fulani herdsmen raided their town in northern Nigeria and killed more than 40 people. Nearly all the homes in Godogodo have been burned down and crops destroyed. Thousands have fled the area. Please pray for all those who survived the brutal attack on this mainly Christian community in Kaduna.   The attack began at about 5pm on Saturday. Pastor Akut and his family were among many people who fled into the bush. They slept rough until they felt safe enough to seek refuge in a nearby town the next day. ‘The attackers were in their hundreds and were well armed,’ said Pastor Akut. Many wore police and army uniform, he added. The assault follows closely an assault on the town in late-September in which eight people died. A total of 16 church buildings and worship centres were damaged in both attacks.    Pastor Akut sees this as part of a concerted campaign to rid the area of Christianity. ‘It is an Islamic holy war against Christians in the southern part of Kaduna state,’ he said. Pray for all those who are grieving loved ones or recovering from injuries in Godogodo. Pray that God will heal them. Ask God to provide for all those who have lost their homes, belongings and crops. Pray for wisdom for state and national officials in tackling violence by Fulani herdsmen. Pray that they will have fresh resolve to end this crisis and protect vulnerable Christian communities. (Source: Morning Star News)

Lloyd-Jones on the Aberfan disaster

I was at Westminster Chapel on the evening of Sunday 23rd October 1966. It was two days after the disaster at Aberfan. On the morning of 21st October 1966 in the small mining village of Aberfan an avalanche of colliery waste slipped down the mountainside, swept through houses, and overwhelmed Pantglas Junior School.  It killed 144 people, 116 of them children. Here is an excerpt from my notes on the sermon.
"Creation groaned in Aberfan. Creation subjected to vanity because man sinned and all creation was involved in the punishment for his crime. There were no calamities in paradise. Part of the explanation for Aberfan was greed of man for moneymaking. Why does God allow war? Man produced it. God allows him to reap the consequences of his rebellion and sin against God. Why did man ever sin and destroy a perfect world in which such suffering could not happen? God's permissive will is seen in this.He is the God of providence, in control yet allowing certain things to happen. God allows coal tips to fall because man built them in greed. They have turned their backs upon God.The cause of the church in Aberfan has declined since the war. God allows the consequences."
This was a most forthright reflexion.It was also remarkably prescient as to the physical cause of the disaster.  The subsequent public enquiry said the National Coal Board had knowingly built the slag heap over a spring of water