Faith Money

Genesis 15

After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision:

“Do not be afraid, Abram.

    I am your shield,

    your very great reward.”

2 But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.”

4 Then the word of the Lord came to him: 

“This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” 5 He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”

6 Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

Faith, Abram believed God, a God he hardly knew but did understand he was God and was in control of his life.  He had brought him a couple of thousand miles into this land, how could he do anything but believe?

We read this today, listened to John attempt to expound this faith.   Jesus saying trust the father to provide, don't worry about clothes and money, the father is with you.

Straight forward stuff.

However, As we sang 'Be bold, be strong,' and 'All to Jesus I surrender,' I could not get away from the man I found on Twitter the other day.  Here was a man pastoring a small church in an area where Christians were not protected or favoured.  I am unaware of the country, possibly a former Soviet area in Asia, but clearly not ne where Christians are popular.

We sing such songs so easily then go home to our peaceful homes, the kitchen well stocked, plenty of luxuries around, and fail to see how fat we are!  We speak of it, we say we will change, but never do.  

Men such as this pastor leads his church and will continue to lead his church to promote the glory of Jesus Christ among the locals, even though his life may be lost.  We occasionally get rejected by friends and family, he might lose his job, his income, his home, his wife and children and his life.

How fat we are.  

Luke

12:29. And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

32. ‘Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 33.  Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Boring, Cloudy Bank Holiday Monday

Being the August Bank Holiday it is inevitable that the weather would be dreich.  Cloud covers the land, warm cloud but dreich nontheless, and so I remain inside in the dim light.  Nothing exciting has been laid on for kids or else.  The results of Covid I suppose, all are afraid to organise anything.  Those that have gathered at music festivals and the like appear to be happily catching Covid!  Could this be because they have not bothered, nor had the chance to get a jab?  I wonder.  It is the younger folks, as well as the now well advertised anti-maskers who are dying from this virus.  Why do people not listen?

 

 

It is amazing what people will believe without factual confirmation.  Some happily believe in aliens and UFOs from distant planets, even though astronomers, both professional and amatuer say no such thing has been discovered.  Others accept social media statements that the vaccine is harmful or an attempt by Bill Gates to control you.  I read somewhere that a third of the US population thought they had been lifted up into a spacecraft by light ray and, er, investigated by aliens.  A third sounds a great number, but there must be quite a few who believe this in the US, some in the UK also I bet.  People will believe what they wish to believe whether it is true or not.  This covers religions, historic patriotic events, usually propaganda rather than fact, aliens, beliefs about incoming foreigners, and stories about that woman down the road, the one with the funny headwear.  Once a belief gets into someone facts may be difficult to insert, just ask a Brexiteer.  

In fact I had similar arguments at the weekend with Celtic fans.  After the match Rangers fans, all in black, marched through the streets singing 'The famine is over, why don't you go home.'  Having a dig at Celtic fans and their Irish origin.  When I pointed out correctly that sectarian behaviour arises from both Celtic and Rangers fans I met a barrage of disbelief - all from Celtic fans.  It is woven into them that the fault is all 'over there.'  They are not sectarian, and anyway it is anti-Irish racism, not sectarianism.  As if that made a difference.  'Racism' is the new, trendy, word, it was never used in the past, only sectarianism, and it certainly comes from both sides.  The 'famine song' by the way has one small problem with it, the 'protestant' ethos espoused by the rangers fans comes from the early Rangers fans who came from Northern Ireland.  These men came, with their 'Orange Order' parades from Belfast, so if that lot ought to go 'back home,' I suggest the choir we saw on the streets could go 'back home,' also.

Nothing of course will be done.

 

A book: 'Break Up,' the story of the fall out between Nicola Sturgeon and Alex Salmond, is about to be published.  Alex is not pleased.  He knows this is just another step in Nicola's desperate attempt to remove the threat he offers to her position.  She fears him as he is the only man who can truly bring independence.  Alex has reported the 'Times' for printing elections of the book, these detail information banned from publication by a Scots judge.  He will be bringing action soon, well, probably in two or three years, you know how slow the courts are these days, and then we may find out more of the infighting within the SNP.  

Interestingly the writer is one David Clegg, once editor of the 'Daily Record,' and known to be well in with the Scottish government.  It is thought he has obtained information from a source, known to some, within the SNP government and included this, and this in spite of legal rulings.

Nicola is desperate to lose the threat of Alex, he is however, still a far better, more devious, politician than she.  We may see an end to her cabal before long.

Where Does Your Belief Come From?

 

ITV

The dafties are out again.  

Several things are noticeable.  For one they are once again almost entirely white, and this in the centre of London. Only one or two non white faces appear.  

For another thing the posters are all self made.  If you watch demonstrations you will find the 'Socialist Workers Party' printing presses have been hard at work furnishing posters for 'the people on the street!'  That middle class led 'workers' movement is not to be seen here, and that is interesting.

Bill Gates, 5G and the vaccine are to be condemned by these folks, the folks who have come to listen to David Icke, one time goalkeeper and present day 'heid the ba,' who opposes Lock Down, Government and asks that the Lizard creatures who impersonate the royal family are removed.  

The only differnce between this lot and Trumps rally's are the guns carried by Trumps followers.

The impression given is that these people believe something.  The information reaching them contradicts what medical people have been saying as well as the dubious English government statements that in truth, are always difficult to believe.  

But what do they believe?  Do they believe the same things?  Are they opposing one thing and not the others? Do they really think Bill Gates will inject them and take over their minds?   The internet has already done that.  Do the really think 5G is killing them?

The web is a great place to put lies, as President Putin knows too well.  Already he has been placing ideas in social media in an effort to have Trump re-elected, I canny think why.  Lies repeated, whether big or small, will always find a home, especially if repeated often enough.  Paul Dacre did that with the 'Daily Mail' for thirty years.  

Who started the lies about Bill Gates?  Who offered evidence that the vaccine is mind control?  Who can give facts re 5G or indeed 4G also?  Those working in the business at the ground level appear not too concerned, why are these non engineers worried?   

To be honest there are not that many people at the protest, more are to be found in shopping centres, wearing masks and avoiding the winter flu, colds and coronovirus that is floating about.  Reminds me of the story in one paper today about the man on holiday refusing to believe the virus was dangerous, now he is in the ICU regretting things.  

 

What makes people believe such things?  What evidence have they seen?  What 'expert' do the listen to?  Erik von Daniken published several books in the 60's offering 'evidence' that aliens had been on the planet.  All was quickly debunked but people continued, and still continue to believe such thngs.  Never a day goes past when a tabloid publishes a picture of a spacecraft somewhere, usually over the USA, proving aliens visit us.  Not one astronomer, professional or amateur, has ever mentioned space craft.  What is it in these, seemingly ordinary people, that makes them seek to travel, maskless, to London, for a protest?   A protest that will do nothing, as most attempt to follow the script, even if they doubt the leaderships ability and much of what they read.  They do however look to medical opinion, not the David Ickes of this world for information.  

How can you be sure your beliefs are correct?