Thursday, February 9, 2012

Ian Paisley.From firebrand to Lord Bannside



Word this week that Ian Paisley has been taken to hospital and is not expected to recover from heart failure.

If this be so we have seen the termination of a remarkable life.

During the 1960's and the subsequent troubles in Northern Ireland, Paisley was a constant voice against dealing with the I.R.A. and the re-unification of Ireland.

Frequent threats were made upon his life, and in a culture of violence where assasinations were a daily affair, he never employed a body guard believing that angels could do the job far better.

He was a great preacher and in 1970 founded the Free Presbyterian Church.

Stories abound about this colourful character.

 One that comes to mind was an incident that occurred on Paisley's weekly air trip home from London to Belfast. Mid way across the Irish Sea there was a problem with the engines of the aircraft. Both cut out and at that point Paisley stood to his feet and in his booming voice prayed that the Lord would keep safe every soul on board and preserve his servant to continue his work on earth. Instantly the engines coughed back to life and the plane landed safely in Belfast.
Jerry Fitt, the catholic member of parliament, was on board the flight. In an interview with the press after this close call he said:

"I hate everything that Ian Paisley stands for, but today I stand witness that God answers his prayers."

The best is yet to be Lord Bannside.


Jubilate .
Ian

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Charles Dickens: A bicentenary 1812 - 2012





No doubt about it Charles Dickens was a  Rock Star in  his generation. His life spanned sixty years of the Victorian era when the most astounding changes were taking place as Britain moved from an agrarian to an industrial society.

Many of his novels were published in serial form in the London Newspapers and each installment was awaited with ' great expectation'.

Dickens was contemporary with such christian reformers as Charles Kingsley,(chimney sweeps) Lord Shaftesbury,(foreign missions) Elizabeth Fry(Prisons) and William Wilberforce (Slavery)

Together they aroused the Nation's conscience that was slumbering in the new found wealth and smugness of the mighty British Empire.

Dickens' genius gave birth to such novels as "Christmas Carol" "Oliver Twist" "Bleak House" "Great Expectations" and "Hard Times" which were brilliant in their advocacy for the poor and underprivileged classes of Great Britain.

Charles Spurgeon was the celebrated preacher of Victorian England
but Dickens also helped "Build Jerusalem among those dark Satanic mills."

Jubilate.
Ian

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Queen Elizabeth: The Diamond Jubilee.



Yesterday was an auspicious day in the chronicle of the monarchs of England. Queen Elizabeth 2nd celebrated her 60th year as reigning monarch and, in 2016, her reign will become the longest in British history.

Her full title that was bestowed upon her at her coronation ran thus:

"Queen Elizabeth 2nd by the grace of God, queen of this realm and all other realms and territories, head of the commonwealth, Defender of the Faith."

It is this latter title that should interest us. Queen Elizabeth has done a sterling job of maintaining her Christian witness, always in attendance at public worship and making frequent mention of her faith in her many speeches and engagements.

She is acutely conscious, however, that her son Prince Charles, among his other infidelities, intends to alter the title Defender of the Faith upon his accession. He has made it clear that he will become
"Defender of the Faiths" and will elevate Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism to rank alongside Christianity when he becomes King Charles 3rd.

This being the case we might well sing. "Send her victorious, happy and glorious LONG to reign over us God SAVE the queen."

Jubilate.
Ian

Monday, February 6, 2012

2012 phenomenum




If you have not already heard of it , you will. It is being termed the "2012 Phenomenon"

The Hollywood Block Buster "2012" started the notion of the Year of Doom, which in turn gave fresh fervour to colonies of inter-net geeks, astrologers and survivalists that the End is indeed nigh.

They have connected 2012 with the conclusion of the 5125 year Mayan Calendar and are predicting that this year will see some sort of earth shattering event that will bring about the destruction of mankind.

If you add Nancy Lieder's prophecy that  a rogue planet called NIBIRU is headed in our direction,calamity becomes absolutely certain.
Nancy should know. She was given the secret by way of an implant in her brain by aliens from the star system Zeta Reticuli.

When asked what HE would do if he knew the end of the world would be the next day, John Wesley, the evangelist replied:

"I would rise for prayer, and later breakfast with my brother, Charles. Then I would address the Church leaders at Walsall. After this I would take coach for Derby and having preached to the bands in that place retire at 10:00 PM as has been my habit these past thirty years."

Planet NIBIRU is coming! 

Make sure it's business as usual for Jesus.

Ian

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Strike force Iran

 




Did we ever really believe that Iran's vast nuclear program was for peaceful purposes?

News broke at the weekend, from the American defence department, that Israel is planning an air-strike on Iran's atomic kitchen where they have been cooking yellow cake to produce a nuclear bomb.

Already the hand-wringing is beginning, forebodings of a nuclear war, yet another conflict that will pull in the West, the threat to half the world oil supplies in the Persian gulf, the spectre of the whole of the Middle East erupting into violent conflict. Where will it all end?

While the Bible does not supply specific answers, it does tell us that

1)  the area of the final battle of the ages will be in the Middle East.

2)  Israel will be ultimately victorious.

3) these events, called the "signs of the last days", will herald the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

All in all a reason for believers everywhere to rejoice!

Jubilate.

Ian