Keep Calm, The King Is Coming!

Amongst the multitude of 'Keep calm' posters circulating in gift shops, on line etc there was one recently which caught my eye that simply said: 'Keep calm, the King is Coming!' What a glorious summation, I thought, of the Christian faith. Embodied in that 'keep calm' statement was for me the word 'hope'. The gravitational pull of bad news, which effects even Christians, means we are in danger of being pulled down by world events and losing the sense of perspective the Bible gives. The King is coming! He's got to come. Only He can sort out the mess. Only He can destroy injustice and violence and war. Not taking into account the 'last things' and not meditating on the culmination of all of Biblical prophecy means we are caught in the swirling currents of the world's pessimism. Now we must add very quickly that we are not to be so heavenly minded that we are no earthly good; we must weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice. We must show empathy with this suffering world. But we must always keep the sense of perspective and fuel the hope that is within us. This world is not going to get any better. We must be salt and light in it whilst we have opportunity, but we must not succumb to the world's climate. The King is coming! The holiday brochure fires us up for the destination. What good is a holiday journey without a destination? Our feelings, our anticipations regarding that holiday, are supremely fired by the thought of the destination. The King is coming! That's our perspective. That causes us to raise our eyes. To see beyond this world and towards a Kingdom where every tear will be wiped away, where there is no more death, no more crying. That far-off country is getting nearer every day.

I remember as a young child making the journey from Essex all the way up to West Kirby near Liverpool. My grandparents owned a fish and chip shop, which had expanded to become a general store as well. I knew that a new world awaited me: sand and fresh horizons; ice cream and soda pop. Upon arrival my grandfather had always prepared for us fish and chips, mushy peas, lashings of tomato ketchup and the fizzy utopia of dandelion and burdock, all accompanied by delicious white bread and butter! After a few days it was on to Prestatyn on the North Wales coast and the excitement of a caravan holiday: a caravan hand-built by my grandfather.  I remember running through hot sand, racing over the top of the sand dunes to behold the sea. At night, after a long day in the sun and with sunburnt shoulders, I would look out of the caravan window at the pin-pricks of light from the houses huddled under the slopes of Fish Mountain.

Every good story has a good ending. Every journey has a destination. Every night has a new morning. This is what spurs us on. The hope that the King is coming. One day the King will come. This is our glorious ending and also our wonderful beginning. Keep calm, the King IS coming!

A Lesson in History (and the Future!)

 I got an un-graded mark in my GCE history when I was sixteen; it was my best subject and I was expected to get a high grade. I understand the examiner couldn't read my writing! What was the point of doing all that writing when it couldn't be understood?

As the years have gone by I've still got that deep love of history and important historical events. I remember standing by the Dakota building in New York City, feet from the place where John Lennon was murdered. In the same city we looked down from the South Tower of the World Trade Centre, two weeks before it was destroyed. In Paris I gazed down the tunnel that bore, on one of its columns, the still fresh scars of the place where Lady Diana's car had crashed. In Washington my wife Jenny and I stood at the graveside of President Kennedy, near to the simple cross that marked the grave of his murdered brother Bobby. Together we stood in the great rotunda of the Capitol building where President Kennedy's body had lain in state. In Cobh in southern Ireland we walked along the quayside that had been the departure point for small boats ferrying passengers out to the Titanic, anchored out in the deeper water of the estuary. In northern Germany I stood amongst the ice cold forests that surrounded the former death camp of Bergen-Belsen, flanked by a great number of mass graves, a testimony to the brutality of the Nazi regime. In Berlin, in the Olympic Stadium, I paused near the place where Hitler had encouraged the supremacy of the German race in the athletic field, only to see the great black athlete Jessie Owens win more than one gold medal. In Salem, U.S.A. we passed the place where the infamous witch trials had taken place; a town now hostage to those events, where even the police cars have witches on their doors.

Recently I travelled part of the coastline of southern Spain where one of my favourite authors, Laurie Lee, was rescued by a British warship and immortalised the event in the second part of his autobiography 'As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning'. In Barcelona we saw the still preserved bullet marks from that same Spanish civil war. In northern Belgium our train passed near to the great battlefields of the First World War. In Venice Jenny and I stood together in the great inner room of the Doge's Palace, the same room where Marco Polo had been given his commission to head East towards China. In Saltzburg, Austria, we sat and drank English tea below the plaque that marked the birthplace of Mozart.  Walking the ancient high street of the city of Ephesus in Turkey reminded me that the great apostle Paul had travelled this way. Visiting the remote island of Patmos, a tiny island in the Aegean Sea, we visited the cave where tradition says the apostle John wrote the book of Revelation. I remember clearly passing through the valley in central Israel where David slew Goliath and also standing at the well south of Beersheba, on the edge of the Negev desert, where Abraham had dug one of his wells.

And it's Israel that of all these places is the most exciting. I remember the first time looking out of the cabin window as the big bird began its slow descent to Tel Aviv and seeing for the first time a rather plain, featureless coastline appear out of the mist and realising for the first time that this place of history, Israel, really existed. No longer was it confined to the pages of a book, a very special Book, but here, like all the other places I had visited, reality checked in. It really existed! But this was a country that was unique. For not only had I had the pleasure and inspiration of studying its history, I knew its future - because its future is firmly linked to the final purposes of God!

I loved my history lessons at school. But now I know and even greater future. Not one bone has been found of Jesus Christ! He's alive! The great I Am, the same yesterday, today and forever. He transcends history. He has no monument, no place. Yet He lives and His Life extends into His true Body, His Church. There are ruins, and places of battles and associations with famous people and events. But, given time all will pass into dust. But Christ remains and so does His true Church. Hallelujah!

The River Is Rising

How the world is changing! Since the last blog, the Middle East has erupted, scandals have affected those in the entertainment industry and in politics and this Friday (July 18th) the Assisted Dying Bill will be debated in the House of Lords. To my horror I read that a much-respected evangelical former Archbishop of Canterbury has come out in support of this Bill. Like an exponential equation the world is rapidly changing, faster than it has ever done. Bible believing people are becoming a remnant, just as Scripture promised. This should not come as a surprise; Paul writing to Timothy, two thousand years ago, said:

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God - having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

So Scripture again is proved true. What does it mean for us as Christians? It means we should “strengthen the things that remain”. Things are not going to get better and we should not been drawn in by false prophets who say there will be revival, when there’s no call to repentance. We are, and will remain, a Biblical remnant and we must strengthen one another in the faith. We must evangelise, yes, because that is the Great Commission, but we must also look out for one another. In Jesus' commission to Peter he told him to feed His lambs and sheep, those young in the faith and older ones too. The Bible is under attack in a way unknown in human history. We are dealing with a new heresy: “Did God say?” - the oldest, vilest lie, spoken first by the serpent in the Garden of Eden. This is the first generation that is seeking to undermine and reinterpret the Scriptures by using culture as a lever. Not for nothing did Jesus talk of those “who stand till the end”. He also says “in the last days the love of many will grow cold”. It is not being selfish to work out our own faith and seek to strengthen the faith of others. The time will come when some people within the church “will not put up with clear doctrine but will have itching ears to hear what they want to hear”. We are seeing this happen right before our eyes.

Yesterday Jenny and I took a boat trip up the Thames to Kew gardens. We were told of the difference in tide levels on the upriver and downriver journeys. As we returned in the beautiful light of the drowsing day we were amazed at just how much the tide had come up - some 15 feet! The river of godlessness is rising. In London, not far from Greenwich, is a place called Execution Dock. Here, pirates were executed by being tied to a post and having three tides pass over them. If you were that pirate you watched every inch of the creeping water; it was a matter of life and death. The Scriptures are like a tide gauge, predicting every inch as the water rises. We should not be surprised; indeed we should encourage ourselves that the Scripture is being proved true. We need to be vigilant, aware and Scripturally equipped. We should not just be able to quote the Scripture and know about it, but much more importantly we need to follow the Hebrew mindset, which is to know God and not be satisfied to know about Him. We need to cultivate, however imperfectly, a relationship with Him.

We must “guard the good deposit” that has been entrusted to us, the wonderful Gospel, uncorrupted by changing culture. We must encourage and build one another up, continually. It won't get better but we can be salt and we can be light, however insignificant we feel. The Master, our Saviour, our heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit are our constant companions. And with their strength, their guidance, their love, we will come through the darkness, to glory!

Of Tides and Jewels and Presidents

Along the banks of the River Thames there is a place once known as 'Execution Dock'. Here unfortunate criminals, usually pirates, were killed. They were tied to stakes and three tides were allowed to pass over them. One would have thought that one would have been enough! I guess if you were one of those being executed you would watch every inch of that tide as it progressed. It would be a measure of just how long you had to live. When I was a boy I use to enjoy holidays at Prestatyn on the North Wales coast. We spent hours in the sea. But you had to watch the tide or it would creep up silently behind you in channels that would finally cut you off from the shore. What had been safe sand was now under several feet of water. Watching the tide, either inch by inch or going away and returning some hours later, can be a matter of life or death. We guard our safety and take necessary measures to ensure self survival.

In the Tower of London, in the Jewel House, are the Crown Jewels, an incredible collection not only of crowns and orbs and swords, but also of dazzling gold tableware. It is an amazing collection, a veritable feast for the eyes - and it's well guarded! Soldiers, metal doors feet thick and everything alarmed. The collection is precious to England. Also I remember watching with my daughter Naomi President Obama being driven past after a visit to Westminster Abbey. His car looked like a limousine, but was built like a tank. His convoy consisted of a dummy presidential car, 6 other cars, no doubt full of secret service men, an ambulance and, bringing up the rear, a Range Rover bristling with men armed to the teeth with all sorts of aggressive hardware. The President was in town and great lengths were taken to ensure his safety!

Paul writes to Timothy telling him to guard the Gospel. Paul is reaching the end of his life; he has "run the race". Now he hands over to Timothy the charge of guarding the good deposit (the Gospel) that was handed to him. So it is today. But modern secular culture, with its intricate and pressurising webs of influence, is seeking to impose a new gospel on the Church, a gospel which does not prioritise the power of the Cross, the necessity for repentance, or cleansing by the precious Blood of Jesus. It seeks to influence the Church in such a way that the Gospel becomes user friendly: Find out what the people want (and don't want), then give them only what they want. In essence it moves towards being ashamed of the Gospel. The Gospel is embarrassing they say: Don't talk about sin and repentance, talk about feeling good, being blessed. Don't speak of discipleship. It's a subtle tide, coming in slowly, almost imperceptibly. We are in danger of sacrificing truth on the altar of love. But, as it says in Ecclesiastes, there is nothing new under the sun. So today we to must guard the gospel, in the power of the Holy Spirit, and hand it on, just as Paul did with Timothy.

That's what we as a Company seek to do in the summer, when we produce our musical 'Guard the Gospel'. Hand it on: Unpolluted; undiluted. For it is the power of God unto salvation!

Of Eagles and Bling

The heat of Malaga airport hit us as we disembarked from the aircraft. We were in Andalucia to record interviews with Revelation Television and to fulfil a televised preaching engagement. The hot dry landscape of Spain spread out before us, a chequered carpet of vineyards and small farms. Gaunt mountains wrinkled by the sun stood snowless above the plains. This is the land of one of my favourite authors, Laurie Lee, who had written of this place years ago in his book 'As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning'. He exchanged the enveloping green of a Gloucestershire England for the salty sea villages of southern Spain. 

A studio in a garage basement we were told. Some garage! It was a converted underground car park, with several studio sets rigged. We were most impressed with this professional set up and the opportunity it gave to raise the profile of the Company and its work. As well as the preaching session Jenny and I also had the opportunity to record two sessions in the 'In Conversation' series. We were able to talk not only about the musicals, but also about the work of the Bible School and other projects. This channel is doing a tremendous work, ranging from interviews, testimonies and services to profiling political and social issues with a spiritual perspective. Israel is strongly profiled. It is a unique station. We were so encouraged by the hospitality and kindness that we were shown. An added bonus was the use of a beautiful apartment that overlooked both the sea and the mountains.

We had opportunity for some down time. I can understand why Brits like to retire here. The beach was quiet. For two days we enjoyed the sea and sunshine as well as the numerous beach sellers with their hand-held cargoes of bright clothing, sun winking jewellery and bunches of watches, all guaranteed for life of course and accompanied by the comments 'bling bling, 'cheap cheap' and 'lovely jubbly’: Mediterranean Del Boys!

We also had opportunity to travel high into the mountains by cable car with the added bonus of being treated to a display of birds of prey, including two magnificent, majestic eagles and grand eagle owls with great round faces and deep staring eyes. This was followed by a display of Spanish horse riding with proud shining horses and gorgeous colours worn by the riders.

Back in wind-swept England we now look forward to the Mall Tour as we minister with the choir and tell the Christmas story through song and reading to spiritually hungry people in Bluewater and Beales. Next year we celebrate together 30 years of ministry with the choir. In the power of the Spirit our strength shall be renewed like the eagle's, those magnificent creatures that we saw gliding and diving in a clear, hard blue sky, catching the thermal winds. May we too, in the coming months of work for the Messiah, catch the wind of the Spirit.

That's An Awful Lot of Sheep!

Here we are, moving towards the end of September, having just celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles. We had as our special guest Bishop Mussa Magwela, from the diocese of Geita in Tanzania, an area near Lake Victoria. This giant of a man has 90 diocese and over 400 congregations to watch over, including 60 islands on Lake Victoria. That's a lot of sheep! It was a great privilege talking to this man of God. He told us about the plan to transport a ship from Mombasa to Lake Victoria - across land! I said that Noah had got there first. The project means sailing the ship to Mombasa, taking it apart and then transporting it across land to Lake Victoria, where it will be reassembled. This will cost £2 million pounds and they are well on the way to achieving the necessary funding. The ship will be a floating hospital, specialising in dentistry and eye treatment. The Bishop was so sad that this country appears to be losing its spiritual way; it's Africa and the South Americans who are seeing revival on an unprecedented scale.

This weekend Jenny and I will be flying to Spain to undertake an hour-long interview for Revelation Television. This will give us a wonderful opportunity to share with a world-wide audience the work of The Absolute Gospel Company and the plans we believe the Lord is leading us into. I will also have the opportunity to bring a 15-20 minute message, which again will allow me to share the prophetic message we believe we have been given as a Company.

The following week-end the choir will be travelling to The Park, Moggerhanger, near Bedford, to share in a week-end festival called 'Alight in the Park' where the theme will be the reconciliation of Jew and Gentile: One new man in Christ. Then, the following week, we shall be coming together for another Bible School session, when the theme will be 'Messianic prophecies in the book of Zephaniah'. We must work, as Jesus said, "whilst there is still light". We also have our first Christmas booking, an invitation to sing at Bluewater, a large shopping mall east of London.

We are also recording new music for a future musical based on the book of Job and a play about Dreyfus the Jew is also awaiting production. Busyness, though, is not necessarily spirituality. We, as a Company, need wisdom to what to say 'yes' and what to say 'no' to.

We need a Divine shepherd to keep the sheep in order and following Him, not wandering off doing their own thing, however green the grass looks. But, in faith, we work on, seeking to build the 'temple' that is the Lord's Kingdom.

If you're not the Queen are you a princess?

If you have the Queen in your car and a Union Jack flying from it, it's amazing how many people give way on the highway! Recently, as part of our publicity for our musical ‘Majesty’, we asked one of our choir members if she would mind impersonating the Queen and walking Tonbridge High Street, inviting shop managers and their staff to a performance. Hence the title of this blog: It was a remark made by a small girl walking with her mother on that Saturday morning.

Last night (1^st June) was our first performance of ‘Majesty’. We were greatly encouraged by the large turn out of people and they all appeared to have really enjoyed the evening. The Mayor and Mayoress of Tonbridge were present, as was the Chairman of Tonbridge Council. All ages were represented and it was wonderful to hear the robust singing of the National Anthem at the end of the evening. We were greatly encouraged by the audience response and we look forward to two more performances in the next two weeks. Our three narrators consisted of a retired surgeon, a magazine editor and a retired J.P. The team of dancers exceeded themselves and the choir sang with fire and passion. It was a great evening, part of which had the audience guessing who certain individuals were on the screen: Characters who became famous during the Queen's reign. Our excellent technical team were kept busy and everything went smoothly - always a relief!

We shall be sending a copy of the script to Her Majesty together with a copy of the prayer that we prayed for her and the Royal Family. As the script says: “It is not the power she has, it’s the power she denies”.

It is a great shame that, in schools, our children are being denied the rich heritage of our nation and, particularly, the history of our unique monarchy. On a lighter note, I always remember a remark by George Harrison of the Beatles when asked who the female lead might be in their next film. He replied: “We're trying for the Queen: She sells!”.

I remember as a six year old pupil standing by the side of the A12 as the Queen's car sped through on its way to Harwich and the Hook of Holland. In a moment she was there and then gone. What a privilege it has been to help people honour this wonderful Christian lady. Long may she reign, not as a princess, but as the Queen!

The Last Word

Recently, at a Christian conference, I had the tremendous privilege of standing behind an orthodox Jewish man and watch him worship, name the Name of Yeshua, applaud the speakers and enter into the joy of the Lord. In addition to our worshiping Jewish brother, we also had a collection of Spirit-filled speakers, unafraid to speak out boldly with care, compassion and focus. It was like being in a warm swiftly moving prophetic stream, with issues being presented that were relevant and vital. There we received what we felt was the commission for the Company: Preach and guard the everlasting the Gospel - the real Gospel - support Israel, celebrate the feasts of the Lord, take the choir out into the highways and byways and declare and share the faith. The day after was a down day: Religion and discouragement; wheat and tares; a spiritual blow from the blue. It has to be expected when you come down from the mountain.

But it's been a good week in many respects: For example, sitting down round the most enormous kitchen table, the stone smooth and cold as glass, sharing with a couple about the feasts of the Lord and finding that I was evangelising at the same time. How do you explain the feasts without sharing about Jesus? No, we are not Orthodox Jews; we're not bound by the strict requirements of the Law, such as the separation of meat and dairy items in the kitchen and such like. We're just following the command: 'Celebrate the feasts of the Lord'. They're His feasts, not exclusively those of the Jews. I was handed a most delicious sounding menu: Honey roasted tomato lamb tagine, followed by baked apples filled with dates and dipped in honey. Jewish people certainly know how to eat!

I'd also found myself in conversation with that Jewish friend sitting just in front of us at the conference. Sadly, he told me about the anti-Semitism he had experienced in England. I told him about the Dreyfus play that I am waiting to stage. His quick eye and sharp humour was a joy; we must have spoken for about half and hour. He was so self-effacing; he apologised for being intense and talkative but framed his self-analysis by saying: "You'd be intense if you had God after you all your life!" I remembered someone once saying that the existence of God could be proved in two words: 'the Jew.' And Jesus, the Jew will have the last word. 'Come blessed of my Father and inherit the Kingdom.' Jew and Gentile together, one new man.

You Can't Go Into Heaven Yet!

Well, here we are at the beginning of a new year, looking over our shoulder at a Christmas period that took the choir on the 'Mall Tour', which included Beales in Tonbridge, Royal Victoria Place in Tunbridge Wells and Bluewater in north Kent. It was a most rewarding time and yet again we found people very open to the Christmas message that we proclaimed through Bible readings and singing. The dreaded health and safety rules raised their head at one venue, but in the end we were able to proclaim the Gospel and build good relationships with the management teams. Our first Bible School of the year got off to a very encouraging start, with excellent teaching once again from Mike Moore. We look now at the end of February to start rehearsals for the musical 'Majesty', celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Queen's Coronation. Doors will open this year and doors will close. "That's life", as someone once wrote in a lyric.                                     

I remember an occasion when I took part in a service in Maidstone prison. I shall never forget the sound of heavy keys and the firm click of doors unlocking and being locked as we moved deeper into the prison. Perhaps that's one way of looking at our work: Unlocking doors - the doors of circumstance and, most importantly, the locks on people's hearts. Freedom. No prison walls of guilt or fear. Like stepping out of the main door of a prison into the sunshine of liberty. That's our Gospel. I like the words of Jesus when he said: "I have come to bring them life, life in all its fullness". Marvellous, affirming words. Words to bring life and hope.

I also remember going in to Rochester prison and meeting a large number of Eastern European people, held there because they had fled from the fighting in Bosnia and had tried to find a safe refuge in this country. They weren't criminals; many were professional people, but they had nothing. All had been left behind and now their only home was a state prison, because the system couldn't accommodate them anywhere else. I often wonder what became of them. "Fear not, I go to prepare a place for you" says Jesus "so that where I am, you may be also". That's the Gospel hope and it is still an honour and a privilege to share it.

One particular memory stays with me from Christmas. At Tonbridge Baptist Church we produced a Christmas musical called 'Angels', which involved a children's choir of some 30 angels seated in an area representing Heaven. Two angels were talking and one said: "I think I'll go and sit in the choir". The other rebuked her, saying: "You can't go into Heaven yet"!

That's our task: Getting people out of their personal prisons and into the Kingdom of Heaven. Instant membership: No locks; no doors.

Shopping For Souls

Well, soon we will be off again, to sing in the temples of mammon: i.e. shopping malls. A great feast of tempting displays, all seeking to part us from our money. Glory to God in the high street; bright lights; big city. Where is Christ in all of this? Where is the Christmas message amongst the Father Christmases, the reindeer, the decorations, the snowmen, the.........  Surely the Christmas spirit has left these places?

Yet for us as a choir, last year's 'Mall Tour', as it came to be known, was one of the most moving, emotional and uplifting that we had ever undertaken. There we were, singing material from our 'Stargifts' Christmas musical and interspersing the songs with Bible readings from the Gospels of Matthew and Luke and we were overwhelmed by the response. People stopping to listen, hanging over railings, suddenly standing still, all letting the music wash over them. Men moved to tears, people being overwhelmed by the message, knowing in a strange way they were being blessed by something larger than themselves. What a privilege to sing to these people. People with their ears full of shop 'muzak', surrounded by the trappings of a Christ-less Christmas, but listening to the timeless message that echoed in their hearts. It wasn't just the shoppers: At each of our three venues - Beales, Royal Victoria Place and Bluewater - we were treated with kindness, helpfulness and courtesy. No one objected, not even when some of our number were busy giving out tracts.

We realised that amongst all the commercial trappings, people were still willing to listen to the Gospel message. Their ears heard Scripture; for some, maybe, bringing back distant, untapped memories of that time when they went to church. We recognised that God was at work; the Spirit was moving upon people and no amount of 21st century secularism could stop it. There is still an ear of faith out there, an aching search begun by the Spirit. There is still a hunger in people's hearts for a Christ-shaped message of hope, blessing and, most importantly, loving forgiveness. We were humbled.

So, our rehearsing is nearly over and we move on with this Gospel adventure. Bilbo Baggins says in 'The Hobbit': "Adventures are disruptive and make you late for dinner". Well, it may be very intimidating singing surrounded by the enticing smells of coffee, warm bacon rolls and the other many assorted aromas that are carried on the air in these places but, you know, we don't seem to be hungry when we're singing. Afterwards, O yes! But thank you Lord for the opportunities you are going to give us as we sing on the 'Mall Tour'. May we bring You honour and may people be won for the Kingdom. Yes we're shopping.....for souls!

Busking for the Lord

It's amazing how a bus can change the sound of a choir. Singing outside Christ Church in Tonbridge High Street with the choir recently, we were also very near to a bus stop. Every time a bus pulled up our volume doubled, as the sound of the choir and the backing music reflected back at us from the side of the bus. It meant that those walking by and those in the bus queue got a double dose! It was a great afternoon. Our numbers were somewhat depleted due to colds and other ailments; nonetheless we had the right balance of parts and McDonald's opposite was once again treated to about an hour of our singing.

We were also able to give out many tracts and booklets. The old ice cream box in which these were stored was on the ground near the feet of the front row of the choir. Suddenly a young woman who had walked past returned and threw a pound coin into the box. We were now in the realm of buskers! It will be interesting to see how June our treasurer will enter that contribution in the books: income from busking?

We were so encouraged by people's response; they stopped on both sides of the road to listen and an ex-London Transport bus on wedding duty gave us a big hoot. We even had people dancing! People are open to the Gospel!

We are now rehearsing for the 'Mall Tour', plus an evening with an Israeli Messianic pastor who is touring this country. Once again we will be in the midst of Christmas shoppers, proclaiming the eternal message of hope to people laden down with shopping and cares. Perhaps, tho', we should be careful this time where we leave our little box!

The Eternal Sat-Nav

Having been dragged into the 21st century by two daughters persuading me that it is imperative that I have a mobile phone, I have been resisting the temptation to purchase another of those essential pieces of modern technology, the Sat-Nav. I enjoy studying maps and planning journeys. However, the success of these adventures depends on a kind gentleman ensuring that more obscure roads, such as the B6066, are adequately signposted from the A road. Such was the situation on a recent trip to Bournemouth. Duly planned using the mark 1 brain, everything was going fine until we reached the said turn-off for the B6066. Not signposted! It became evident as we made our way gradually west and began running out of town landscape that we had overshot. Back we went and turned towards Bournemouth city centre.

So there we were, surrounded by assorted buses, having tried to negotiate a bewildering one-way system. "Cars aren't allowed here" bellowed a rather officious voice, which I thought was rather stating the obvious, since we had stumbled into a bus station. To cut a long story short, had we turned right instead of left at a certain roundabout, we would have found ourselves yards from our hotel. "Most people get lost trying to find us" were the receptionist's comforting words.

I remember being in New York city in the back of a yellow cab, being taken down to visit the Twin Towers, two weeks before they were hit. Our confidence in the Puerto Rican driver was not helped when he stopped and started consulting the A to Z! I can also remember being on board a late night taxi bus climbing the winding roads of Mount Carmel in Israel, seeking to find an address after the driver had said he was lost. It's even worse when you're flying over the Lake District in a light plane and the pilot suddenly tells you he's lost! My father gave me good advice when he said: "If you find yourself lost, ask a local".

I am reminded of the poem quoted by King George the Sixth during his Christmas broadcast in 1939, just after Britain had entered the Second World War:

I said to the man who stood at the Gate of the Year, "Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown".

And he replied, "Go out into the darkness, and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be to you better than light, and safer than a known way".

  As a Company, we go into the future putting our hand into the hand of God, seeking through our ministry to speak to those who are lost on life's highway. The Bible, life's Sat-Nav to eternity, is there for all: timeless, eternal words of hope. As we go into our autumn programme, we pray that God will allow us to proclaim the Light who is safer than a known way.

Be Careful Who You Sit Next To!

This coming Saturday Jenny and I, together with two friends, will have the rare luxury of sitting in an audience for one of our musicals, without having to do anything but watch! As I think about it, I cast my mind back to the chain of events that led to this....

We were sitting on a bench looking out to sea, taking in the view that included the graceful sweep of Tintagel Head. Jenny and I are great fans of the television series Doc Martin, which is set in the sleepy, quaint Cornish fishing village of Port Isaac (called Portwen in the programme). Gazing to my right I noticed another couple; the man was reading a copy of the Times. I try to read this newspaper daily, since I believe it always contains a better class of weather, but there you go. My eyes were drawn to the headline that had something to do with the Archbishop of Canterbury. Leaning across to this stranger, I commented about the headline. "He's my boss" came the reply. The stranger turned out to be a vicar, David Haigh by name. Within a few minutes we were talking about the Last Things and Israel. We mentioned our latest musical Yeshua Messiah. The trail then continued with David inviting us to perform the musical in Romford, which then led to a performance in Loughton, which then led to a Messianic fellowship asking if they could perform another of our musicals called The Olive Tree - the musical we are going to see on Saturday. Be careful who you sit next to!

It reminded me of a further occasion when we were flying down to Barcelona. Approaching the Pyrenees, we began to experience turbulence. A man opposite me looked across and said: "Do I look frightened?" Not wishing to send this man into a pit of despair I replied: "You do just a little." I then went on to say that it was only in the summer that Europe really started to cook and send warm thermals upwards to contribute to unstable air. "Are you a pilot?" he asked. I replied in the negative. He continued to look very worried as the turbulence got worse. I decided to change the subject slightly and asked him what job he did. I was amazed buy his reply: "An air steward" he said. Be careful who you sit next to!

I remember some years ago flying over the Lake District in a light aircraft. As we took off, I found that I could not close the door. Frantically I kept pulling until finally I got the pilot's attention, having beheld Carlisle, some 2000 feet below, through the large gap in the door. "Don't worry - we'll level out at three thousand feet and then you won't have any wind resistance" he said stoically. Thankfully he did and I pulled the offending tail of my coat from the bottom of the door! We continued on into the heart of Lakeland, sweeping over the plunging edge of Wastwater with the famous Screes diving almost vertically into the dark depths of England's deepest lake. At that point, having got some great photos, the pilot calmly announced: "I'm lost!" I looked at him incredulously. You see, as you rise high above the lakes, they disappear into the valleys, so that all you see are peaks and ridges. "Right" I said, "let's find a lake I can recognise and we'll navigate from there". Sure enough, the great ribbon of Windermere soon appeared. "Turn left" I said "and follow it to its head, then we'll find Rydal Water, then Grasmere, then Thirlmere and then Derwent Water, where we turn north west towards Carlisle". We landed safely, but it cost me more because of the diversion! Be careful who you sit next to!

But I'm glad I sat next to a vicar called David Haigh. Roll on Saturday!

It's Time

It had been a sad day. We'd just got home from a memorial service for Rev Michael Cohen, who collapsed and died in Israel at the beginning of May, to discover that our dear friend and previous Chairman of The Absolute Gospel Company had passed away this morning. Then also in May, we'd lost another great Christian friend, Brian, who lived in Germany; and it was only just over a year ago that that great man of God, David WIlkerson, was killed. It started to feel as though a whole 'layer' of Christian leaders was being stripped away.

Mulling it all over, the thought came, quite simply, that for too long other Christians - and I can hold my own hand up to this one - have been content to bask in the reflected glory of these men of God, whilst merely cheering from the sidelines. It is time for a new team to step forward, take up the baton and contend for the faith.

69p Per Week!

"I dread to think how much this lot is costing." This was the remark I heard from a workman at the site of the Jubilee concert outside Buckingham Palace. I was surrounded by cables, rigging and all sorts of paraphenalia as great efforts were being made to have the venue ready. The Victoria memorial was encased in a great crown-like structure: would she have been amused, I wonder? There was a great sense of anticipation in the air. Flags and bunting and giant pictures by the Thames: red white and blue everywhere. In a few days time these relatively sedate streets would throng with the voices of thousands of people with many millions watching on television.

I remember watching the Coronation on a giant screen in glorious black and white, watching Meteor jets whizz across as part of a mass flypast - my first introduction to a fascination with flying. Then there were the weddings: Princess Ann, Charles, Andrew, Edward. I remember being in the Lake District pulling into a pub car park as part of the Lower 6th on a geography field trip and listening to the wedding of Princess Alexander. I confess to being a Royalist. As someone wisely said it's not the power the Queen has, it's the power she denies. Gary Barlow, he of 'Take That', remarked in a recent article that the Queen's power is a warm, benevolent power, unlike some leaders he has met where he has detected an aura at times of darkness that goes with the abuse of power.

Last Sunday, in our local parish church there was a combined thanksgiving service celebrating the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. The vicar spoke using two chess pieces, a king and a queen. The king of course represented King Jesus and the queen our monarch. He drew comparisons between the two, the most striking being that King Jesus' Kingdom will never end and will be characterized by justice, peace and love.

Our Queen is a very shrewd and wise lady with a strong Christian faith. It is often forgotten that at her Coronation she made a solemn promise to the King of Kings that she would defend the protestant faith and her Christmas broadcast last year reminded us that we all need a Saviour.

The workman I mentioned at the beginning of this piece had missed the point. "Have you thought how much in billions she contributes to the national purse through tourism?" I had replied. Apparently (goodness knows who works these things out) the Royal Family costs the taxpayer 69p per household per week. There's bit of trivia for you!

The word of God says:

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; all you who have no money, come buy and eat. Come buy wine and milk, without money and without cost." Isaiah 55:1

Our salvation is free, but it will cost us our whole lives. May God bless our Queen, A lady who has given 60 years of continuous public service with a quiet but strong Christian witness.

Payment Please!

It was so embarrassing! The queue was quite long; the diesel was in the car. Out came the wallet. The wallet was opened. No card. Or rather, the wallet was full of cards, but not THE card - the one I needed for payment. There were all sorts of other cards which, for purposes of payment, were useless. Not valid. Membership of the Vulcan to the Sky Club; Teacher's Theatre Preview Club; library card; swimming pool card. There may have even been an old rail ticket and possibly a receipt.

As I stood there waiting for the floor to swallow me up and waiting for the faint murmur of frustration from the innocent, card carrying, cash carrying people behind, I tried to put together a reason why I couldn't pay. None came! Limply I stumbled out some words that loosely meant I would park the car at the garage and summon help. I felt totally impotent as I went out the door head lowered so as not to make eye contact with a queue of honest people.

Parking the car in a position that would not block all traffic, I frantically tried to think of where that pesky card might be. I was well and truly stumped. I left the door of the car open as I sat in the seat, aware that the cashier was watching me out of the window, perhaps thinking I might do a runner! I felt like one stupid boy!

I started to pray. Who could I ask to pay a £48 fuel bill, in the words of Tommy Cooper: 'Just like that!' I rang our neighbour; She had just arrived at work. Half an hour earlier she could have helped, she said. After several minutes I thought of another friend. I was about to dial when my neighbour rang back. She had got release from work and would be with me in half an hour. Half an hour in which to look innocent - and honest!. How do you look honest, guv?

So, thirty minutes later, thanks to the kindness of my neighbour who popped her wonderful working card into the machine and saved my bacon, I was able to pursue the hunt for the card. It turned out I had left it in a machine in a large department store whilst buying a present.

The moral of the story? One day we will all stand before the Lord. A payment will have been needed to enter Heaven. No wallets; no cards. Just our heart decision will be all that is necessary. Have we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Saviour?  If we answer positively it will allow us to enjoy His presence forever and the endless wonders of Heaven. He is still the friend of sinners, the One who is always there in an emergency. The One who rescues. No embarrasment for us, just deep joy and thankfulness. His precious Blood has been the payment. Bless the Name of the Lord.

Forgiven - Too Poor to Pay

Recently a dear friend sent me one of those slips from a tear off calendar with a verse and comment. The verse was from Peter's first letter, chapter 1 verses 18-19:

"For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down from your forefathers but with the precious Blood of Christ, a Lamb without blemish or defect."

What a marvellous verse! The comment that went with it was headed: 'Forgiven - too poor to pay.' and was illustrated by the story of a Christian surgeon who lived some 100 years ago in the United States. Each patient he treated was, at the end of the treatment, handed a bill for his services.

When he died, his account book was opened and the readers were intrigued to see that across a number of the bills, some of which were very substantial, was written in red ink: 'Forgiven - too poor to pay.' His wife decided that she would take matters to court, where she would endeavour to recover these unpaid bills. The Judge opened her case and, examining the evidence, threw the case out saying: "There is no facility in American law that requires the paying of a bill once the word 'forgiven' has been written across it."

What a wonderful illustration to show that we, sinners, unable to pay the cost of our redemption, have a Saviour who has purchased it with His precious Blood: 'Forgiven - too poor to pay'. What an encouragement to share the Gospel! We shall continue to pray the Lord in His good time will open doors for us that we may proclaim the Good News.

Incidentally, we are very excited about a Messianic fellowship in Essex producing one of our past musicals: The Olive Tree'. This will be performed in July and it will be a wonderful privilege to sit in the audience, without having to be a part of the production!

Tin Hat Time

One of the classic remarks to come out of World War 1 was from a Royal Flying Corps pilot who had his aircraft badly shot up by the Germans, forcing him to crash-land on a beach, not far from Ostend. After he and his observer had extricated themselves from the wreckage, fortunately no more than badly bruised, he remarked:

“The trouble with this war is that it’s so b***** dangerous!”

And so is spiritual warfare but, with the casual way some Christians approach it, you could be forgiven for thinking otherwise. We may not be able to see the bullets and bombs raining down around us, or the rows of body bags, but things are no less deadly.

In his letter to the Ephesian church, Paul highlights a believer’s spiritual armour, using the image of a Roman soldier. Many believers pray through this passage: “I put on the belt…I put on the breastplate…” etc., but it’s worth looking at these from a slightly different angle.

The belt of truth. If you’re not living in a truthful and transparent way, if you are living a lie, then you have no belt to stop your clothing flapping open, getting in your way and exposing you to embarrassment.

The breastplate of righteousness. None of us is perfect and our true righteousness comes from our position in Jesus, not in what we do but, if you are knowingly behaving in an unrighteous way, you can step out from under His protection and leave your vital organs at risk.

The shoes of the Gospel. Jesus said to his disciples:

“Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).

So, if you’re standing back, unwilling to do as the Master has commanded, your own walk could end up being pretty uncomfortable!

The shield of faith. Faith itself is a gift from God but, if you’re not exercising it, you’ve nothing to deflect all the missiles that the enemy will throw at you. Lack of faith leaves holes in your shield.

The helmet of salvation. If you haven’t repented and sought God’s salvation, your mind is wide open to anything and everything that comes along.

So what matters is not so much what you say, but how you live. I believe Paul is really saying: “Be honest; behave with righteousness and integrity; be prepared to share the Good News; have faith; and above all, seek salvation; for in these things you will find your spiritual protection”.

War isn’t a game and it’s foolishness to go around looking for trouble; it’ll come looking for you soon enough! But whilst you’re waiting, it would be sensible to check over your armour and remedy any deficiencies.

First Things First

So our PM, David Cameron, thinks we should return to Biblical values. When I heard of his comments, rather than jumping up and cheering, I felt vaguely uneasy and I’ve spent the last couple of weeks trying to work out why.

What does he really mean? I doubt that he’d champion the repeal of all those un-Godly laws that have been enacted over the years in the name of ‘human rights’, so I can only assume the ‘return’ goes no further than being ‘awfully nice’ to all and sundry, even if they’d wipe you out, given half a chance! But that’s treating the Bible as just a book of rules for an arcane Sunday club. Unless those rules carry authority, we’re down to arguing one group of people’s good ideas against those of another. To be relevant, the Bible - all of it - must either be the Word of God, or it’s not worth the paper it’s printed on. And if it is the Word of God, it has ultimate authority, which means you can’t treat it as a ‘pick ‘n mix’ counter, only selecting the ‘sweeties’ you fancy.

When questioned about the commandments, Jesus said:

“‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Torah and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22v37-40)

Note the order: Love God first, then you’ll be in a proper state to love those around you. But there’s another aspect to all this: The reformer John Calvin said:

“Though indeed God alone is sufficient witness to himself in his word, nevertheless that word will obtain no credence in the heart of man if it be not sealed by the interior witness of the Spirit…”

In other words the Bible, without the illumination and interpretation of the Holy Spirit, is just a dead letter and attempts to follow it will soon result in legalism. However, the indwelling of the Spirit is only granted to those that have repented and accepted Jesus as Lord and Saviour. So, the only way to truly return to Biblical values is to return to the One who inspired those values. Then they are lived out from an intimate relationship with Him, not as a set of rules applied like a sticking plaster to try healing a sick society.

His Master's Voice

In the end we called it 'The Mall Tour' and what an amazing and humbling experience it was. We had the honour and privilege to sing to hundreds of people in three different locations during the run up to Christmas. A previous blog has already mentioned our first experience, which was at Bluewater. Following this, we spent a Saturday afternoon singing in the Royal Victoria Place in Tunbridge Wells. We witnessed the 'miracle' of 'no power' from the designated power point, with the result that we had to transfer all the gear to another location higher up the mall, which gave us the opportunity to broadcast the sound of the choir and the readings to a much greater area. One of the conditions of our singing was to raise money for two local charities. Whilst we felt that our primary calling was to spread the Christmas story in words and music, we were very happy to also seek to raise money for Hospice in the Weald and for the Bridge Trust, a charity dedicated to helping the homeless. Our programme consisted of four 30 minute slots; during that time people generously gave us over £350 towards the two charities.

Then, the following Saturday found us at Beales Department store, strategically situated near the entrance to Sainsbury's, so we were really performing to two stores! This time we were working with the Rotary Club of Tonbridge, who were raising money for 6 local charities. Again, we were so encouraged by people's response to the singing and the readings. Now, at this last presentation, Bluewater seemed such a long time ago; the weeks had passed so quickly. The experience showed us what a deep spiritual hunger there is and that people do respond to the Gospel. At all three venues we had the opportunity to distribute material to adults and children. Steve, our artist in residence, had a number of opportunities to talk with people about his picture which strikingly adorned our two 6 foot high Absolute Gospel Company banners which stood erect on either side of the choir.

As we have written before, it was highly significant that we should find ourselves at the beginning of the tour outside 'His Master's Voice'. That's what, in the power of the Holy Spirit, we have tried to do: speak with the Master's Voice. We pray that it has brought Him glory and in so doing, opened up hearts to spiritual values and invitations. We look forward to the New Year and what we believe are God-given opportunities to speak out the Words of the Master. As someone challengingly said: "Wise men and women still seek Him".