Is the Tide Turning?

Feathers are flying at Broadcasting House. The BBC top management are in uproar about the public's reaction to the obscene phone calls made by Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross on the late night BBC Radio 2 show hosted by Brand. Over 30,000 complaints have been recorded and even the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition have called the jape outrageous and unacceptable.

As the result of the furore both Brand and Ross have apologised publicly and in person to Andrew Sachs, the elderly actor whose telephone answerring machine received the obscene messages. Now Russell Brand has resigned from the BBC and Jonathan Ross has been suspended without pay for 3 months as a sign of the Corporation's displeasure.

Is this an early sign that the tide of public opinion about indecency on the airwaves is turning? I think it is. Both artists are well known for their wild and wacky sense of humour, and for pushing back the boundaries of what is acceptable, but maybe the licence payers have had enough.

If one effect of the outburst of national rage is that producers and editors pay more serious regard to the nature and content of their output then well and good. I have found myself increasingly sickened by the fare served up by the BBC and others broadcasters even before the so-called watershed. So much programming is built around humiliating people, mocking decency, promoting violence, murder and abusive sex. The time has come for a sea-change in British broadcasting - in fact, it is long overdue.

Messrs Brand and Ross may well have done the British public a favour. They deserve no thanks for that, but it is amazing how some good can come out of the most perverse circumstances.

The Shack - a Warning

I know that by writing about the bestselling Christian novel The Shack I may possibly get more people reading it than would otherwise have done, but before you dash out and buy it as a Christmas present, I want to sound a warning.

As a writer I found the literary devices used by the author deeply dissatisfying and sometimes disturbing. The underlying idea of the kidnap and brutal murder of a Christian's little girl is distasteful. But it is in the image of God that the book presents that I have the most difficulty.

Despite the rave reviews by people like Eugene Petersen and Michael W Smith, there are those who share my deep unease with this work of fiction. A friend of mine, Pete Greasley, Senior Pastor of Christchurch, Newport, found this item on a radio broadcast from the renowned American theologian Dr. Albert Mohler, who dedicated a radio program to presenting his review of the book. He closed the radio program with these words:"...Whenever you have an issue in which you are dealing in a narrative-fictional context with theology, you need to be really, really careful. It's dangerous enough to write theology. But when you try to put it in the form of 'theological fiction,' or 'Christian fiction,' it gets all the more dangerous because you are inventing dialogue and inventing characters. And this is one of the grave, grave problems I have with this book [The Shack]. If you put God in some kind of character format-in this case as an African-American woman-you're going to be creative and create a fictional character. Now, is it responsible to do that with the God of the Bible? I have grave concerns about that, but the concerns grow more grave when you look at the dialogue imbedded within the book and the fact that this simply, by any measure, falls far short of biblical Christianity. There is very little in this book about salvation, but there is absolutely nothing in this book that would help you to understand how one comes to be made right with God through the atonement achieved by Jesus Christ, the Son. My main issue is not with the particulars of the story-in some sense a story is a story. My problem is with what is imbedded in the story and this is a danger regardless of whether the story is presented as Christian fiction or something else. Remember, everyone has a purpose in writing a story. In this case, regardless of intention (I cannot read the man's heart), I can tell you the effect of this book is deeply subversive of the Christian faith and I think inherently seductive as well."

In my view the book is not only built upon a literary device that is nothing short of trickery, but is in breech of the second commandment about creating false images of God. So - I won't be sending out free copies with my Christmas cards!

Meltdown

Our tiny island of Guernsey is feeling the heat of the meltdown in global finances. Landsbanki (Guernsey) Ltd was placed into court administration yesterday and all its assets were frozen. This means that savers and depositors cannot get their money out. This is particularly hard for them, as in Guernsey there is no depositor's rescue scheme such as exists elsewhere.

Bankers around the world are not yet throwing themselves out of upper storey windows but the situation is tough and getting worse. Guernsey is sheltered from the worst of all this because of the stability and independance of our financial institutions, but Landsbanki is, of course, an Icelandic bank.

Speaking to a Landsbanki investor yesterday he said to me that if I was preaching at the moment (I am not because of my recovery from surgery) I would certainly have plenty say! Well, that's not just because of my verbose nature, but because the Bible does say a lot about money. In fact Jesus himself spoke about finances quite a lot and there is some good advice in the scriptures for those of us feeling the pinch.

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal." (Matthew 6:19-20)

From the Old Testament book of Proverbs (11:28) "Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf." But of course, alongside these warnings there are some amazing promises for those who trust God for their finances and honour Him with their giving. "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus"(Phil. 4:19).

So, this is a time for turning over to the Lord our worries about our financial future and choosing to trust in Him. Clearly the meltdown has not yet bottomed out, but it will do, and God's Word and His promises will remain the same.

'Serious Financial Consequences'

One million people, mainly children under five and pregnant women, die every year of malaria, most of them in Africa. Now in a new development, world leaders have gathered and decided to do something about it. Result? They're going to give $3 Billion to end this scourge.

The largest slice of the new money comes from the Global Fund to fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which has approved $1.62bn in country grants over two years and then the World Bank, which is putting $1.1bn into Africa over three years.

The Bank is focusing especially on Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria, where 30-40% of all malaria deaths take place. Group president Robert B Zoellick said that endemic malaria also has serious financial consequences for families.

Ah - that must the key! 'Serious financial consequences'. Never mind that a million people die per year - what is this costing the global economy?

Maybe that is why there is all the action to bail out the US banking industry to the tune of $700 Billion! And it is amazing how quickly this has been resolved. 'Serious financial consequences'

Ask not how many people die of AIDS each year, or how many are starving. Don't enquire too closely where much of the existing foreign aid ends up anyway, as the people die in third world countries and their political leaders get fatter by the day. Ask only 'are there any serious financial consequences?' Going by the fugures involved in the twin bail-outs, that's all that really matters to us anyway.

Facing your Demons

It was the valley of death for me. If you have read my book Braving the Storm you will know about that. The Intensive Care Unit of my local hospital is where I have fought battles with the powers of death - and Hell! Last Wednesday I found myself there again.

The young nurse who welcomed me to the surgical ward could not have been kinder. It was her throw-away comment that gave me the eebie jeebies! 'Oh you won't be coming back here after the op, you'll be going to Intensive Care'. All at once the images of pain, humiliation, fear and near-death encounters rushed unbidden into my mind. ICU? I thought I would never have to set foot in the place again. Well, I didn't have to set foot there - my feet were firmly on the bed - but I did go there last week and I survived.

As the ICU nurse was leading my trolley back to the ward a couple of days later I said to him that the time there had been healing in more ways than one. Physically, of course, I needed to be there, and am grateful for their care after a painful big operation. Spiritually, and emotionally, my short time there taught me many lessons. Among them was the fact that sometimes, even after many years, you can't get completely free of some things until you face them.

I wouldn't have chosen to do so, especially at this low ebb in my illness. But God had other plans for me, and other business to transact in my soul. Back into the fiery furnace I needed to go. Back into the lions' den. And God was with me. He did bring me through, as He had done the first time. And you know what? I did feel His presence there, and His peace. 'Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for You are with me.'

I hadn't planned to face my demons last Wednesday morning, but it was in God's appointment book for me. Thanks to your prayers and His blessing, I am here to tell you about it.

Step up in Faith

I have been reading Mike Mason's book The Gospel According to Job. It has already proved to be a real inspiration - a great read. It is helpful to me that it comes in bite-sized chunks of just a couple of pages per chapter, which is just about all I can manage in one go at the moment. It quickly becomes clear in the reading that Mike has suffered, and he has a heart for those who suffer also.

Job speaks to me. As a Bible book it is remarkable for what it does not say. No mention of Israel, of temples or tabernacles, Law or prophet. That's what makes some scholars think it might be the oldest book in the Bible - pre Abraham even. Yet I find it bang up to date with what I am going through right now.

One early lesson from Job chapter 1 is the picture of the man with all the weight of his appalling suffering bearing down on him, on his face in worship before God. 'The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away' he said 'may the name of the Lord be praised'. The author of the book then makes the incredible statement 'In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing'.

A preacher visited an island church recently and challenged the congregation to 'step up to a higher level of faith and claim your healing'. Some who have survived appalling circumstances, like Job, without accusing God of wrongdoing were in that meeting and struggled to step up to the new mark being set for them by the earnest young (healthy) preacher. None of them were healed that day, but then none of them needed to step up any further than where they already stood.

It may take faith to receive a miracle or to heal the sick, but it takes an even higher level of faith to look God in the eye after losing your children, your wealth, your reputation and your health and say through cracked lips and choking cry 'May the name of the Lord be praised'.

Thanks Job, and thanks Mike Mason for reminding me of that.

Once more to the breach...

The open doors of the ambulance beckoned me once again. The concerned looks of the paramedics - the plastic smell of the oxygen - the disinfected cleanliness of the inside of the vehicle - here we go again! The journey to the hospital took only about 20 minutes but felt like 20 hours! Every bump and jolt made me wince with pain. Each corner left me strapped to the bed and suspended in midair as the ambulance leaned right over. I was so septic and sick that all I longed for was the hospital stay that lay ahead of me, sad eh?

Thankfully the word was getting around that I was in trouble again. As if the 46 visits to the hospital in the UK in the last four years were not enough I was being admitted as an emergency with a severe abdominal infection on top of chronic pancreatitis. People began to pray. Despite the fact that it took 3 hours of waiting in A & E and a good performance by Diane in 'tiger mode' on my behalf before the antibiotics were dripping their way into my arm, at last I had a chance to start fighting for myself.

For 24 hours I was 'on the danger list' as they say. I felt so desperately ill. Yet around the churches in Guernsey and much further afield - even as far as Australia and New Zealand - people were beginning to become aware of our great need and lift 'Eric and Diane' up once again in intercession and prayer.

Now, a week later, I am home again. Surgery awaits in the early part of September. Through it all can see the hand of God in mobilising the St John's ambulance and rescue service, and the Church of Jesus Christ emergency prayer warriors on my behalf.

Thankyou Lord!

It's Family First

When it comes to ministry if things are not working at home then they are not working at all. God's servants must learn to show integrity and wholeness in their family and sexual lives if they want us to take them seriously in the pulpit. Todd Bentley is learning that to his own awful cost at this time (see letter from the Board August 15th at http://www.freshfire.ca/).

What should our response to this tragedy be?

• Pray for the thousands who respectd Todd and who will be dreadfully disilliusioned


• Pray for the leaders of the churches who supported the Lakeland outpouring


• Pray for those who were healed during these events


• Pray for Shonnah Bentley and their children


• Pray for Todd to come to a sincere and godly repentance worked out in submission, humility, honesty and accountability.

And what of the Lakeland revival? Was it of God? Should we now write it off with all those 'revival police' who are gloating over Todd's fall?

I think not. Many were saved and healed through the Word and the worship. Before Todd fell I was among those saying 'don't focus on Todd Bentley, this is bigger than him'. I still say this now. God honours His Word. Healing gifts and other charismatic gifts are not an endorsement of character. Samson in the Old Testament and Corinth in the New teach us that. Thank God that this matter has come into the light so that it can be put right.

'But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us' (nor from TB).

Small but Beautiful!

Having offended cat lovers everywhere by my last post I thought I would show you the little doggy I mentioned then and reveal that I am an old softie at heart really.



Paprika is smaller than most cats at 2kg - the weight of a bag of sugar. But in her heart she is as big as a Great Dane and as brave as a Mastiff! Nothing worries her except fast traffic passing nearby or the sudden slam of a car door. When big dogs come near she shows them the door. And woe betide the neighbour's cats!



My involvement with small animals doesn't end there. I have been helping out an elderly lady who was being troubled by rats in her garden. Not wanting to poison anything else out there I offered to trap them for her. Each night I have diligently set out delectable menus of bacon, banana and cheese for their delight. So far I have had two customers in my traps - both hedgehogs! These lovely creatures are no problem, but I transported them alive to a nearby nature reserve. Aww! Impressive eh?



So small animals are occupying unusual amounts of time just at the moment. Is this some kind of sign? Am I being called to join the RSPCA? Mind you, I am leaving the back door open a lot just in case those missing moggis are around! Mee-ow.

That's the price but what's the value?

What a surprise to read a couple of adverts in our local paper the Guernsey Press about missing cats. Don't get me wrong, we love our little dog and if she went missing we would make every effort to find her, but when I saw these ads I just wondered where this will end. £200 for a missing loved pet is one thing, but £750? I notice that in the blurb for Ginger, the more expensive of the two missing moggies, the cat has no tail. If he had one would the reward price be more - say £1000?

Diane and I were joking that now we have no salary we should get up to those areas with binoculars and a strong net and see if we could find them! It would be quite a good day's work wouldn't it? Mind you - if we found a ginger one with a tail - well we might have to make some alterations to get our money!!

Before you cat lovers get all huffy and cry 'foul!' just think for minute about the value we place on people not pets. Cats in Guernsey get fed a richer diet than children do in many parts of the world. If these two felines are worth one thousand pounds between them, how much is the Zimbabwean orphan bereaved by HIV worth?

In the heart of God even a sparrow is precious. (Sorry cats, but it's true - the Bible says so!). Yet the value of one human being, however big or small, whereever they were born, is beyond estimation. The price God was willing to pay was the death of his own dear Son. So, when He hears that one of His precious little ones is lost, He stops at nothing to redeem them. That's how much we matter to Him.

In the meantime, if you see us round the high parishes with a pair of binoculars - well, pray that we will have a 'word of knowledge' will you?

Weak but Indispensible

It came as quite a shock - and just the jolt that I needed. I was feeling sorry for myself, which is not an unusual thing when I am in pain. The morphine based drugs, including Fentanyl, that I need to take just to dull the pancreatic pain, can't remove it. They also have a slight depressive effect. So I turned to the scriptures for help and encouragement, but I wasn't expecting what I got!

'The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don’t need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don’t need you!" On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable' (1 Corinthians 12:21-22).

I have had some experience of parts of the body of Christ saying to me 'We don't need you' and it has been tremendously hard to bear, especially on top of the battle already going on. What struck me so forceably was the second and last parts of the passage. Christ is the head of the Church - and He cannot say to the lowest part of the body 'I don't need you'! That is so precious when you are feeling weak and vulnerable.

But what follows, and caused me to stop and take a deep breath, was that wonderful statement that those parts of the body of Christ that seem to be weaker are indispensible! Not just necessary, nor even important, but indispensible. So if you are feeling weak, or have experienced rejection yourself, hang on to these great facts

• Jesus says He needs you


• You are indispensible to Him and His church


• You deserve 'special honour' (vs 23)

Tragic Lesson

In some parts of the UK teenagers have been shocking their communities by taking their own lives. In Bridgend, a small town in South Wales, 22 youngsters have killed themselves in the last 18 months. Now, even here in Guernsey, a 14 year old boy, close friend of someone I know, has hanged himself in despair. Tragically, his death occurred at a local beauty spot, and it is so hard to understand how such misery could be doled out in such a lovely place.

On the coffin of this young man at his humanist funeral was the insignia of a dangerous new cult - Emo. Related to the Goth phenomenon it encourages members to characterise themselves as 'emotional' and wear dark, deathly, symbols and clothes. Here's how one reporter described the movement:
The Emos - short for Emotional - regard themselves as a cool, young sub-set of the Goths.
Although the look is similar, the point of distinction, frightening for schools and parents, is a celebration of self harm.
Emos exchange competitive messages on their teenage websites about the scars on their wrists and how best to display them. Girls' secondary schools have for some time been concerned about the increase in self harm.
One governor of a famous boarding school told me that it was as serious a problem as binge drinking, but rarely discussed for fear of encouraging more girls to do it.
Although it is invariably described as a 'secret shame', there is actually a streak of exhibitionism about it.
The internet has many sites dedicated to Emo fashion (dyed black hair brushed over your face, layering, black, black, black), Emo bands (Green Day, My Chemical Romance), Emo conversation (sighing, wailing, poetry).
The Instant Emo Kit site gives advice on identity... 'show your inner despair by looking like you are too sad to eat. Obesity and emocity do not mix.'

Those of us who are parents or who care about young people need to know about this movement and be warned. If we see signs of it we shouldn't be indifferent or see it as just another passing phase. You can't lock people away from danger but you can be there for them in their insecurity and look out for ways to share their pain. Most of all, as Christians we need to share the good news that Jesus knows our darkest thoughts and loves us more than we can know - just as we are. He also loves us too much to leave us that way.

If you know someone fascinated with Emo, pray for them and try to get alongside them - or encourage them to seek help. This virus is infecting more than just computers, and families need firewalls of faith and power to protect them.

Gems in Dark Places

I have been reading Job 28 recently. In this ancient explanation of mining techniques - possibly pre-Abramic - there is one clear message. Precious things come from dark places. "There is a mine for silver and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore... sapphires come from its rocks, and its dust contains nuggets of gold." None of the animals place any value on these things, or has any idea of the potential beneath their feet. Only man - made in the image of a creator God - sees the potential and has the will and the means to excavate it.

How does this affect me? Well, I am in a dark place at the moment. After high hopes that the dreadful pancreatic pain may finally have been defeated my old enemy is back. I enjoyed 10 weeks of freedom following the celiac plexus block of early April, but now the effects of that have worn off, and I am in need of opiates again. The word 'disappointment' may be long enough, but it's not deep enough to express my feelings.

But then - God's not finished with me yet. Nor with you. Our final chapter has not been written. And out of the dark places real gems can come. Diamonds are formed under immense pressure. They only exist where conditions are dark are hostile. Their beauty comes at a price, both for them and for the one who mines them. Those of you who know your Bibles know all this already. But when I feel discouraged, I like to remind myself of this great truth. God's promises do not depend on our feelings. "I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name."

Diamonds may be a girl's best friend, but it appears that the Almighty has an interest in them too.

Don't Write Off the Disappointed

She waved her arms enthusiastically in the air. Well, who could blame her? The healing evangelist had just called out her painful condition in front of nearly 2,000 people. He had said that there was a woman present with painful osteo arthritis affecting her knees and other joints and that God was going to heal her. This use of the charisma called 'a word of knowledge' (see 1 Corinthians 12:8) is common in the healing revivals going on around the world at the moment, and especially in America. When it happens, the sufferer must surely conclude that their moment has come. God is calling them out - He must be going to heal them!

We were standing right behind her in Bill Johnson's wonderful church in Redding, California. When Bill prayed for her she went down on the floor with a thump and stayed there for a good time. When she got up the meeting went on, but those who had been prayed for were encouraged to do something that they couldn't do before. This lady tried to flex her sore knees, and nearly stumbled once more to the floor. She struggled in obvious disappointment back to her seat. Later, when Bill asked 'who has been healed tonight?' many hands went up, but not hers.

As a pastor and a fellow sufferer of chronic pain I felt very keenly for her. I praise God for the many healings taking place right now, but I want to urge people not to neglect the need of the disappointed. We need a theology of suffering alongside our theology of healing.

• It will bring balance to our prayers and our comments
• It will assure the disappointed that they still matter to God and to us
• It will hold them in God's love while they wait for God's power

So, what was happening that night? Was God calling this lady out? What for if not for healing? Well, I suppose that in such a big crowd there may have been others who fitted the description given. It may not have been her time for healing, but it may well have been a test of her responsiveness and obedience to God. It may just have been a well-intentioned mistake. What it did do was make me determined not to neglect the disappointed in my ministry. I want to find ways of reaching out to them and to continue standing with them while they wait for God. After all, in this as in other aspects of the Christian life, whilst we may be disappointed in a ministry or a meeting or a man, Jesus should not be a disappointment. I have found that He is not, and even in the heat of the battle with pain, I have proved Him to be faithful and true.

Belgian Waffles

What an absolute delight! Crunchy sweet Belgian waffles with syrup. Yum yum! Deadly but delicious. Mind you - my diet means that I could only sample one or two during my visit to Antwerp last weekend, but that was a joy. 'More Lord!' Hee hee.

The sweetness of the waffles was only matched by the fellowship I enjoyed with some wonderful people. Leo and Hazel, the pastor and his wife, are the most precious servants of God you could hope to meet. Real and loving, gentle yet determined, they have led the church through a difficult year or so. The work of the Evangelical churches in Belgium is not easy - partly due to the remnant of Catholicism in the culture, but also to the spread of secularism and materialism - but the congregation at the Philadelphia church in Antwerp is large and thriving.

I had the privilege of spending time with the leaders and also with the church. I was deeply moved by some of the great needs among the people, who are choosing to trust God in spite of their pain and disappointment. They are an example of their New Testament namesake, the Philadelphia church in Revelation 3. Jesus said of them that they had kept his commands and endured patiently. I feel that a great future is before this church, just like the 'open door' of Rev 3:8. Pray for them and for all who serve God in the challenging spiritual atmosphere of modern Belgium.

God zegene U!

Fresh Fire in Florida?

Since returning from California two weeks ago I have been watching the events taking place at Lakeland Florida under the leadership of Todd Bentley. This is being televised nightly on the GOD channel via both satellite and the internet (http://www.god.tv/). Whilst I share the concerns of some who have been put off by certain aspects of the revival, it does seem to me that this is a genuine expression of the outpouring of God's Holy Spirit, and the emphasis is on healing and the manifest presence of God (they refer to it as 'the Glory'). One pastor friend of mine in Northern Ireland took his leadership team to the meetings.

'The place was immediately filled with an awesome sense of the presence of God as a team of young men began to dance to a worship song. The leader explained that the team (dancers and singers) was made up of young people whose lives had been messed because of drugs and rape etc. We then went into a time of worship that I would defy anyone to even suggest was not of God! It was truly amazing as we worshipped a truly amazing God.'

My visit to Bethel Church in Redding, California, served by Bill Johnson as Pastor, showed me the same phenomenon in a different setting. There, the revival has become systemic and is rooted in the local church. 'Seldom a week goes by' said Bill ' when we don't see at least one hundred miracles in this church'. There I could see the final outworking of what is going on in the Lakeland arena and being taken, it seems, by visitors back to churches around the globe. Local churches burning with revival fire - all of God's people full of passion for Jesus - many getting healed and saved on a regular basis - missionary teams going out from these centres with mercy missions empowered by the Spirit and God's love - the supernatural as a part of the normal Christian life.

So, I cringe at some of the things I see in Lakeland, but I refuse to throw out the baby with the bathwater. I choose instead to remember:

• that Todd's obvious shortcomings are a real reminder that he is not God
• that I am not his judge (neither am I God!)
• that television is a very poor medium for communicating spiritual experiences, being focussed on the carnal and the outward
• that I long for the presence of God however disturbing or different that may be.

As my Irish Pastor friend put it, 'As a Leadership Team we are all in total agreement that our visit to Lakeland was an awesome Spirit filled experience. It made me feel that it was better being inside the Upper Room than standing outside.' I am sure that he's right, so I pray for 'More Lord!' 'More fire, more power, more healings, more glory'!

Everything's Bigger in California!

My recent silence on this site has been due to our wonderful two week visit to California! What amazing people and what a fantastic place. We have always been a bit dubious of Hollywood glitz and the image of America that it casts, but this trip has changed all that. We were enchanted by the welcome and hospitality we received, and awed by the mountain views and the natural splendour of northern California. And yes, everything does seem so much bigger there - from beefsteak to bras and from watermelons to wildernesses.

We spent the second week mostly up the mountain around Mt Shasta. At 14,000 feet, one of the high peaks of the USA and a fabulous view. The lakes and valleys of that area, together with the clean air and majestic waterfalls, make it a place probably second only to Switzerland for beauty and charm. Here it was a little cooler than in nearby Redding, where the temperatures were in the 90's F and are now well over 100.

The highlight of our time there were the two weekends we spent with Bethel church, Redding, where Bill Johnson is the pastor, and where a healing revival is taking place. There was a dynamic sense of the presence of God and definite healing miracles taking place including cancers and open wounds being healed. I received powerful prayer in their 'healing rooms' and am looking forward to seeing the outcome in my own precarious health situation.

So - things are big in the US of A - but their God is still my God, and their Bible is in my hands. The size of our bras - or our mountains - may not be as great, but Jesus said that if you have faith as small as a grain of mustard seed you can actually move mountains. So I am not discouraged, just grateful and blessed.

Election Fever

On April 23rd the good citizens of Guernsey go to the polls to elect their new government. The general election takes place every four years and each candidate stands as an indepenedent, there being no political parties. Election fever is all around us now, with hustings and manifestos making bold promises and grand statements, so different from the record of achievement during the last administration. It is a bit of a big yawn, really, but it has to be done.

Sadly, in this election the turnout will not be high. I say sadly because the privilege of casting your vote is one that was dearly won by our predecessors. In Britain women chained themselves to lamposts and threw themselves under racehorses, just to win the right to vote. Elsewhere in the world the ballot box has only just replaced the bullet as the way of deciding political outcomes. The turnout in Iraqi elections was nothing hort of staggering given the amount of danger and intimidation.

So, I shall cast my vote and believe that I am making a difference - and even if not I will be honouring those who have paid the price. And speaking of paying the price - I am really praying that in another so-called election, Mugabe will go!

Now that would cure any election fever!

The Gift of Pain

London was crazy! Every time we go there (and there have been a lot of times in the last four years) we come away amazed at the stress it must put on its inhabitants. Never are we more grateful to arrive back in Guernsey than we are when we have been in Central London for medical treatment. But things went well, and London is where the expertise is, so that's where we go for help.

My battle now is to overcome exhaustion and other symptoms of pancreatitis but that will be so much easier without the dreadful pain, at least for the next while. While we pray for the procedure to keep working for as long as possible, what we really long for, of course, is the healing and eradication of the underlying disease. We know God can do this, and we await His touch and timing.

In a sense there is another lesson here. Extreme pain can become your whole focus, making it diffiult to pray, to write and to even think straight. Yet the pain itself is only a symptom. Sometimes it is a very important signal that all is not well within. Leprosy sufferers lose their fingers and toes because they have no nerve endings in them to warn them of the danger caused by heat or injury. Pain can be a gift - though one that I certainly don't enjoy!

If your life is marked by pain, physical, mental, emotional, or family pain, try to look beyond it and see what God is saying about underlying issues like your relationship with Him and His love for you. I have written more about this in my book Braving the Storm, and will come to it again in the follow-up Storm Force due out later this year or early next. This is not an easy process, and one which cannot be achieved alone. But let's try to look beyond our pain and address the issues that lie within.

We may be able to see pain as a gift then. Maybe!

Relief on the Horizon

Apparently the joy of banging your head against a brick wall is the relief it gives you when you stop! Relief can be exquisite and I am really praying for some. I will travel next week to the University College Hospital in London where the doctors will perform a celiac plexus block in an attempt to give me some relief from pancreatic pain. I am looking forward to it with great anticipation, as you can imagine.



My relief, however, will be as nothing compared to the great sigh of relief that would go up from millions of Zimbabweans if Mr Mugabe should actually stand down this week. After 28 years of misrule he has finally reduced his country to ruin. Despite the riches of the goldmines and the millions of acres of lush arable land that now stand idle, Zimbabwe has been transformed from being the bread basket of Southern Africa to being its begging bowl. We pray for relief for that land and for its people. It will take generations to undo the damage that he and his cronies have done.



I can only speak for the Shona people, never having worked among the Matabele (though they have suffered even more under Mr Mugabe who is a Shona). They are a wonderfully warm and kind people, well-mannered and not easily provoked, who deserve so much better than the rulers they have had in the past. We must pray that the new government, if it is gven a chance, will show a new face in African politics and turn away from the choking stench of corruption and hypocrisy that has sullied the leadership so far.



Now that would be a relief.