Watching the Clock and Justice for Ashers

The Landlord I have known for around 25 years has passed on recently.  He was always good to me and there was rarely problems.  The staff who worked for him, under some pressure because of his miserly ("What 4 tea bags for 4 people? Use a teapot!") ways and constant interfering, pushing them to do two jobs at once when they were already doing two others!  However I did not suffer and now he has gone the houses have been taken over by his daughter and her husband.  
What changes she will bring running the organisation we have to wait and see.  However in the meantime there are legalities to be gone through, an estate agent must visit to value the house's and flats for probate, and depending on who you speak to there are between 180 and 300 properties, not counting the big 'pile' he himself lived in (but bodged up rather than splash out on).  
So today it was arranged for her to come with agent for valuation, this meant I stayed in just for the opportunity of meeting her or the assistant lass who does the work in the office.  This also meant I had to forego the opportunity to visit Southend, the home of the 'Essex Girl and Essex Boy' where my niece was playing piano at lunchtime.  Thus deprived of music and the opportunity to take a picture of the mile long pier while the sun shone I remained indoors.
Rising half asleep as always I breakfasted on stale bread forgetting the new loaf was available and spent time ensuring the place looked tidier than it actually is.  This meant placing items on rusty sinks, hiding blotches and piling things in neat piles rather than higgledy-piggledy.
So I waited. 
There are six flats, two unoccupied with the workmen (workman as the other has gone down to Mersea, by the estuary to work there while the sun shines!) redecorating and renovating the flats.  I was the only person in today as all the others are at work or play. 
So I waited.
I was ready by nine more or less and continued my day, without making any mess, while I listened out for the door.  By eleven I was becoming hungry and took the recycling bag out and spoke to John the hard at workman.  "He was supposed to be here at 9 am," he said from up a ladder.  We groused over this, and the rubbish outside and discussed what to do with it and waited, well he painted.
So I returned to waiting. 
Having found the new loaf from yesterday I made a far to thick sandwich with old turkey meat, and I mean old, and watched 'Match of the Day 2' as I gobbled.
I waited on.
Eventually a noise was heard, John failing to work out which key opened the door was getting desperate so banged on the front door.  He was there with the estate agent but no landlady, no assistant just John!  Well, thought I, this was not worth waiting for!
So the man did his job while we all chatted about things of great merit and then he left with John struggling to get the hall light to work and to find the key for No 5.  I helpfully enquired if he would be able to find the door on the way out but did not catch the response.
So I waited in vain.
I would have thought the new boss would wish to meet me, don't all women?
At least the second in command of the office could have come over.
Instead I sat here listening to radio programmes and wondering what I ought to be doing but failing to find an answer I wish to discover....I am still failing there.

Did you notice the clock date is a day out?

Christian Institute

Justice is done!
Some time ago a man called on a in Belfast baker ordering a cake.  This was acceptable until he demanded it was topped with a message supporting gay rights.  Daniel McArthur who runs Ashers Bakery rightly refused as being Christian and profoundly disagreeing with gay marriage this was against his beliefs.  Gareth Lee, for it was he, sued.  Supported by the 'Equality Commission' in Northern Ireland (according to power sharing this is run by Sein Fein) he went to court and the local judge, a woman, found the Ashers had discriminated by refusing to bake something that disagreed with their beliefs and conscience.  This goes against the freedom of conscience that must be allowed in the United Kingdom.  This surely is part of 'British Values.'
Ashers appealed and eventually the Court of Appeal turned down their appeal but questioned the motivation of the Equality Commission in bringing the case.  Thus the Ashers went to what is now called the Supreme Court.  This was once know as 'The Lords' as the Law Lords judged sch cases but Tony Blair in his desperation to be president amended the name thus.  Today the Court gave the verdict that no discrimination because he was gay was involved.
 ''As to Mr Lee's claim based on sexual discrimination, the bakers did not refuse to fulfil his order because of his sexual orientation. They would have refused to make such a cake for any customer, irrespective of their sexual orientation.''
"Mr Lee had no claim against Ashers on the grounds of religious belief or political opinion."
In short the whole thing was a stunt.
Belfast, a divided city, a protestant baker approached by a gay man hoping to be refused, there are other bakers in Belfast.  Supported by nationalist equality commission he sues with £250,000 being spent by them on this case.  Four long years in which discriminating against Christians has been legalised has come to an end.  Gays discriminating against Christians is a common thread, a determined attack on any faith that rightly opposes gay marriage or abortion.  
This court judgement ends that discrimination.      

Give thanks to God for justice, give thanks as the repercussions will go far and improve many lives. 

Hypocrisy

For some time now the Arsenal fans encouraged by the media have been determined to remove Arsene Wenger from the club.  Fans unhappy that trophies, bar a cup or two, have been lacking have decried this man loudly and now the fans are drifting away from a club standing in sixth place and ready for a try in next years UEFA cup.  
Arsenal fans make me sick!
Here is a man who changed football for the better.
He changed the way players look after themselves by bringing the drinking culture to an end, forcing players to concentrate on what they eat, introduced sport scientists and other ideas to improve the player and the game in general.  Football in the whole of the UK took advice and followed his ideas as much as they could.  He won the league, he won cups, he gave Arsenal fans over twenty years of Champions League football and all they do is moan and now they have got their way.
I suspect that many who loudly grumble were not born when Wenger arrived, to them much of his time is history.  I suspect also many of those who did not appear at recent games are mere 'glory hunters' who wear red this year and blue next year, such 'fans' are not lost to Arsenal.
It is true that success has slipped, that the side is failing to succeed at the top level but the attitude of fans and indeed the board who are concerned only about the shareholders (themselves) is vile.  Now a man who ought to be feted has been forced out and who knows who will replace him?  I wish that man luck.
It is true Wengers time has gone but the hypocrisy now seen among the media and others gathering to tell us what a great man Wenger is while pushing him out the door is sickening.  It may well be time to go but it ought to be with head held high not a knife in the back.
I say this and I don't even like Arsenal that much.

More hypocrites are found in Carnoustie!  
A school there has received a complaint demanding the removal of the Church of Scotland minister who is the pastor.  The petition comes from the gay lobby at the school and they demand the man's removal because he is not 'inclusive.'  In short he holds to the biblical beliefs on marriage and once again the gay lobby attack the truth, and the biblical view is true, demanding those who disagree with the 'tolerant' gay lobby be removed.  Not since the Nazis have we seen truth opposed so well in Europe as by this lot.
A 'Change.org petition featured 56 names from the school, a large secondary school, a number which rose to over 300 once it went public, how many outside the 56 attend school there?  Now a local councillor has jumped into the fray telling lies about the minister and also demanding his removal.  I wonder what will happen now in this 'free society' in which we live?
This situation is repeated all over the nation, shops refusing to sell gay items are attacked by a loud minority, hospital staff who refuse to kill children are drummed out, anyone who does not bow before the gay/transgender lobby is seen as a criminal for standing up to what is right.
I have mentioned this before, I will mention this again as it will continue to grow and soon Christians will be outlawed.  I am up for that as Jesus Christ is alive and he will stand by his people even if the rest of the nation runs away under the guise of 'love.'  If you 'love' you speak the truth, you do not lie to those who require help and acceptance you tell them the truth.  Too many today refuse to face the truth, too many allow the nation, and indeed the west, to be run by liars who often do not understand what they do.  The spiritual war is very real and nothing good will come from this.

I once again purchased stuff form the local shops and fund that goods made in Bangladesh lie when they say size 'XL.'  What they mean is 'L' or more likely 'M.'  In future I will have to spend more money or buy larger sizes 'XXl' to ensure I get something that fits.  The old pair fit well and they are 'XL' and made in China, I suspect Bangladesh is cheaper and use less cloth to save cash. I will be careful when buying next time. Grrrrr!

Death to the Truth

Ashers bakery in Northern Ireland received a request to bake a cake with a pro gay slogan upon it.  The staff member accepted the order and the Ashers themselves refused it as such slogans went against their conscience.  The order however was a set up.  This was placed by a man who had knowledge of their beliefs and with the support of the Equalities Commission in Northern Ireland brought a prosecution.  The Equalities Commission in NI is run by Sinn Fein, the republican party of the province and they have a pro gay stance.  In short it was a game played to attack the protestant side of Ulster as well as promote a gay stance. 
The case went to court and after considerable time and trouble the Court of Appeal today announced they were guilty of discrimination.  What a disgrace!  Discrimination indeed, from the gay lobby and not for the first time.  How disgraceful that this ruling arrives when the facts are known and no discrimination took place, except that of the Equalities Commission.
This is yet another example of how Christians are persecuted by the gay lobby.  Their failings are now more important in this world than anyone who opposes them.  It will not be long before the UK bans those who oppose such a way of life as normal and offer freedom from it, this has already happened in many US states.  Soon we will see churches being closed and Christians fleeing to more open lands such as China or Lebanon!  The dark days are upon us, those who hate Christians will increase and the dark satanic power behind them will strengthen his grip.

 

Sunday Surmise

It has been difficult to see what is happening in the world when trapped behind a laptop.  I found several urgent messages on facebook and Twitter telling me to listen/watch/read/do a variety of activities hours after they had passed by.  The sun shone brightly for two very hot days and much as I wished to enjoy being burnt I missed it and sat in the gloom inside instead.  Today a normal British summer has arrived, cloud, rain and warmth making everyone sweaty and still daft men walk around in T-shirt & shorts expecting the sun to arrive.  These English know nothing!

 

A big fuss has been made by the media re the latest Islamic Killer.  Many Brits dead and lots wounded.  A somewhat difficult situation to face I would say.  The media enjoy this sort of thing, lots of pictures of crying women, dead bodies and people covered in blood.  They care not a whit about them of course but it is a good story.  Terrible indeed as this act is, let's not forget the man beheaded in France also, but in the great scheme of Islamic murders this is quite small really.  If however it endangers 'US' then it is awful.

Almost daily we see such events, low down in the papers if mentioned at all, occurring in Pakistan, Iraq and elsewhere.  The 'outrage' that arises each time is great yet no-one bothers about the people who suffer similarly elsewhere, that is after all their problem!   Thousands die each year in Pakistan because of a failure of leadership and political intrigues.  I wonder where the weapons come from?  ISIS, or is it ISIL this week?   IS still behead spies, throw gays off roofs and abuse sex slaves by the hundred daily.  I wonder if this could be related in any way to the attacks on Saddam Hussein a  wee while back?  Could it be the west (yes Messrs Bush and Blair I mean you!) sending troops into Iraq, sacking the army & police, rushing out again after killing thousands have some responsibility for leaving a failed state with no security and three major sectarian divides to fight over?  Just asking like.

The Muslim mentality is to kill opponents and claim Koranic justification (though how ISIL can do this beats me) and therefore justify themselves.  It can be no surprise that those not sharp enough may understand that their duty is to kill also and therefore such easily led people will commit atrocities.  Not all are stupid mind, many are clever people who wish to 'do the right thing' and fall for 'radical' teachings.  Truthfully we were all the same when younger but from a different angle.  Just give thanks you were not brought up Muslim, you might be that chap with a gun, the dead chap as he now is.

   

I have asked in several places why people think sticking your willie up a man's arse makes you proud?  Can shoving a willie up a man's backside be 'love?'  What next, marrying sheep?  
This is not love.

A quick glance at the media tells me the Greeks are once again at the 'eleventh hour,' the 'Last Chance Saloon,' the 'Final Decision,' once again.  That has been the case for a year or two now as far as I can see.  This does not surprise me as the majority of the rich did not pay tax, their cash is all in Swiss banks and they care nothing for the nation (are they members of the Conservative Party I wonder?) and the rest of the nation have little to do but overcharge tourists and riot at football matches.  Greek recent history has been much troubled, wars, political strife and now this.  Classical Greece, much lauded in the west, spent much of their time killing one another and abusing slaves and little boys.  Our democracy was built on this they say but I suggest Smith and Janner may have gone too far with that.  What will the outcome be?  Certainly David Cameron will not take any blame but he will pontificate about it. 

Scottish football once again is pondering the idea of a 'Winter break' or indeed 'Summer football.'
Both ideas are daft.  For one the winter break may not coincide with the worst weather, which often arrives in February or April!  For another the restart often hinders teams getting back into form.  The idea of summer football keeps cropping up from folks who think playing in heat is a good idea.  Sadly as we had summer weather for two days this week and now it has rained on and off all day I wonder if such folks ever look out of their window?  My mother grumbled about the bad summer weather every year and I had to remind her she had seen well over 90 of such summers and still failed to realise that it it was always like this!  Keep Scottish football where it is, just rearrange the league set-up into something more appropriate and all will improve.


Now I'm back off to 1942.

Fraught Friday

I awoke this morning, this was a bit of a surprise to me.  I was somewhere else when I realised I was struggling to hold onto the ebbing dream that was preferable to the voice on the radio.  That voice was bringing the real world to me when I wanted whatever the dream, whatever that was all about. I canny mind what it concerned but the voice droning on about England's football team made me reach for the button and head to a more sensible voice.  
The dawn had come up like thunder, the sun was shining brightly and I took this picture as the clouds began to turn sunlight into night once again.  I confess it was a wee bit lighter than the picture shows.  Sun, sunlight, bright, not words heard about here very often.  Hot sunshine yesterday, very warm and 'close' today.  This canny go on, and it won't.

I have spent the day in WW2.  I had to reread, rewrite, rethink, and rewrite again and again and it is still not write right.  If I was hearing Vera Lynn singing one minute I was hearing  Heinkel Bombers passing over the next.  Interesting note from one young man who found himself on the roof of a bombed building.  The ladder had been moved, there were too few to go around, and as he worked on the repair from the previous night another bomber arrived, flying low in his direction.  Just imagine his thoughts as he watched this helplessly?  As it was it passed by and bombed harmlessly a garden further up.  His laundryman would have been busy I suspect.
So I have struggled through to 1942, not exactly finished with the previous years either, and now the bloody Yanks are pouring into the country!  "Got any gum chum" will be the cry for several years and not just from children!  Airfields are getting erected and soon dirty big aircraft will be either noisily heading for the east or on occasion failing to take off and crashing to earth.  A common enough happening but not spoken off during wartime.  The German Messerschmidt 109 killed more men in training than were ever lost in action.  
Nothing else has been done because of this.  I must have it ready by last Tuesday so I have not bothered with hoovering, cleaning or washing.  I think people might be beginning to notice.  There again the football does not begin to start until next week so I have got some time before then.  I might even finish this....

The 'land of the free' has decided by 5 to 4 that gay marriage is acceptable in law.  Quite how that works, nine unelected people deciding for a nation in which leadership is stopped by President or Congress vetoing one another fails to impress me.  Something clearly wrong, something that goes against common sense as well as the will of the God who created us being declared acceptable reveals the depth to which the west has sunk.
There is no equality here, marriage is only between one man and one woman committed for life, like it or not, and we know how hard that can be.  Pretending something is acceptable when it is not will only hurt those involved.  Truth sets us free, it is far from easy, but truth reaches the centre of our being and obeying truth brings life.  Jesus came to set us free from that which hinders life.  These decisions obstruct this.
The next step will be the attack on churches that rightly refuse.  The power of the gay mob has been quiet recently but soon it will dominate and persecute openly the Christian church.  Satanic inspired hate will fill the hearts of many, understanding dimmed and open persecution is round the corner.
Sadly, so is judgement from a higher court.  


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The Usual Sunday Stuff

While the antipodeans cover themselves in layers of sun cream there was no danger of sunstroke from the sun hiding behind the light gray skies this morning.  Even worse there was a determined effort to drop dirty great lumps of snow on us yesterday afternoon which luckily did not prove sufficient to lie. Yuck, we don't want any of that here!

Trapped indoors wrapped up like Nanook of the North instead I participated for a short while in keyboard warrior action.  A Celtic fan, claiming to be 'anti- sectarian, refused to accept the proven fact that his club is as sectarian as Rangers.  He quickly descended into 'whataboutery' a well know tactic in which they avoid the issue and point fingers elsewhere.  It took some time but he eventually disappeared convinced of our error, occasionally others joined in, and determined to believe he represented a club as pure as the snow I hate falling near me.  
Forums, Twitter and newspaper (I use that word loosely) comment columns are full of such people. The 'Daily Mail' is one of the best, and most likely to delete any comment that disagrees with their view (the Guardian, that centre of 'free speech' is much, much worse at censorship than any other) and surely the keyboard anonymity allows all sorts of psychopaths free range to discuss their 'views.'
One 'gay' discussion soon brings out the bile.  No-one is allowed to indicate gays are in the wrong.  You must accept and never disagree, no matter what the situation.  The comments always follow the same routine, cut and paste questions, quotes and texts from a gay forum and refuse to accept any answer. Debate is impossible as openness is not allowed.  The 'Gay Manifesto' from 1970 has working its way through the nation and few have noticed.
Secularists are the same.  The 'cut and paste' follows identical patterns, giving rise to the thought that a few people use many names and cover two topics regularly.  Openness is declared but rarely seen.  
I sometimes wonder why I allow myself to get involved when I know the answers, probably having met the same folks before.  However the Celtic one I had to speak on, the bile from both sides destroys the west of Scotland and proper government action is long overdue to the influence these two football clubs have on this.  Removing the sectarian influence form both would lead to a cleaner nation and happier people.  It would take time however.

I note, but have no link, to an NHS employee fired by her organisation for offering to pray for a Muslim friend.  There is more to this story but the woman comes out well yet the authorities have refused to accept they did wrong.  This is yet another example of the anti-Christian attitudes that are now prevalent in western society.  This is to be expected in India, where the Hindus are at this moment attacking Christians and Muslims in a deliberate policy to eradicate them from India.  It is common in Pakistan, Iran and other Muslim states but in the west?  Many are suffering in India and such places yet the western media ignores this.  The west is now doing the same, authorised by parliament and encouraged by the liberal middle class.
The real power is of course the spiritual one in high places that is indeed leading a major attack on the church.  It has crept up during the last forty years unawares to most but is now free to operate throughout the land.  The days ahead will be dark for Christians, and secular and gay lobbies will be leading this, under the guise of 'toleration' and 'equality' probably!  The days ahead are dark indeed.

   

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'Sunday' on Sunday....

Waking from an enjoyable dream that dissipated instantly my bleary mind was welcomed into the world by the wireless.  Hiding my eyes from the bright light that came through the opening in the grubby curtains I listened far from attentively to yet another bland Sunday morning BBC offering, this one cleverly called, 'Sunday.'  This purports to be a news programme for those who have some sort of 'faith,' and results in being another middle class liberal approach to the subject like most everything else on Radio 4.  Jesus is rarely mentioned, his book only to find 'inconsistencies.'  I heard news of the pope tweeting in Latin and this was followed by another justification for 'gay' vicars as apparently the Church of England has made another compromise regarding this.
I switched off.
I can only take so much from the 'blind leading the blind' that I thought stuffing my unhealthy breakfast down my throat and having the weekly bath more important.  My neighbours consider at least one of these important also I have found.  Worse still there was no 'Match of the Day' to watch while straining to keep the eyes open.  Instead I stared at the blank TV screen out of habit. This is a bad sign.
  
I cogitated on what had filtered into my mind.  In his book 'Knowing God,' Jim Packer tells of meeting a man who has been removed from his job in an Anglican establishment because he actually accepted the bible as the word of God.  He was a bit down because of this but on the other hand as he put it, "I have known God, and they don't!"  What he meant is clear, the others had a religious opinion, he on the other hand had 'met' Jesus in a very real way, as indeed all Christians have.  
He did not necessarily mean seeing any manifestation but in a very real sense Jesus himself had revealed himself to him.  It can happen suddenly and sometimes unwanted, as it did with me, or over a period of reflection, however one day the individual can say they have 'met' with God.  The bible will become clearer when this happens, although as this man discovered not everyone will accept this.  Too many in all churches today have not met Jesus, their religion is based on 'loving others,' but it lacks something, the God behind it.  That is why evangelical churches grow and established ones fail, if there is no Jesus the church becomes at best a social club.  This may be nice for those attending, but it is not God.  The one who has experienced Jesus in his life is never the same again.  The bible guides the believer into an understanding of who he is and what he is, those who fall into opinions not based on what is found there suffer many problems.  The Church of England today suffers because they no longer base their life on this book.  Instead many who have not experienced the Living God offer platitudes and opinion, a church indeed without power. Jesus power changes things! The subjects this morning included gay priests, yet the new testament has only one priest, Jesus.  He is both the offering for our sin and the Great High Priest, through his atonement we can be saved and find a new life. The fact that this never crops up in such programmes indicates the failings of the programme and the CoE.
Gay priests?  You cannot be a 'priest, the new testament has only 'elders.' Their job as church leaders is to point to the Messiah himself, not priests who stand between you and God.  
Can a Christian be homosexual?  Yes, but he will know this to be not part of Gods plan and seek to bring this under Gods control.  Those who advocate living together and same sex marriage are far from their God and clearly in the wrong.  The Christian has to bring every aspect of his life to Jesus and put it under his authority.  Many fail here.  Jesus however knows those who are his and is always there to forgive the repentant and support them as the attempt to follow him as a disciple. 
Some have decided it is 'discrimination' to oppose 'gay priests,' on the grounds of 'equality.'  This is false.  'Equality' it is not, equal as an individual but gay behaviour is not of God.  It is correct to oppose anything that harms Gods world and his people.  There is indeed discrimination, we find it where Christians are harassed and abused by the gay lobby simply for speaking the truth.  News reports have spoken of many harassed this way, even though the report is biased against the Christians.  The laws recently passed on the UK and Scotland will soon see many churches suffer for refusing to allow gay marriage.  Some will be taken before the courts, courts which will support the gay lobby as they have shown often before.  We must get used to this, in days to come those who know their God will be asked to suffer more than this. The west as a whole is going through a change which will affect each one of us.  It is not just the climate above that is changing, the liberal west has lost all sense of any 'absolute.'  The spirit of the air is determined to keep it this way.  We need to be clear where we stand, either for Jesus opinion or for the worlds.       

The church, whatever denomination, must return to preaching Christ crucified and his Lordship. Those who meet Jesus realise their need and must change their ways, turn their life right around and put their faith in this man who is God.  They can receive the forgiveness for sin from the one who gave his life on the cross for them.  Their life will then be hard, but Jesus will never leave them, I have found this, and if he continues to still be here for me he can be there for you.  Jesus is alive, and those who know him have many tough times, but he is worth knowing.


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The Family, does it exist in the UK now?

The other day, the law courts decided that an underage girl could have an abortion behind her parents back. In short, the parents were of no account regarding their child. Yet, the same parents are told they must be responsible for the child when they do something wrong. And this country has a 'yob' culture others envy.
Homosexuality has been developed to such an extent that Muslims and Christians who call it a sin, are visited by the police looking for 'homophobia!' Same sex partners are granted the right to 'marry' and be regarded as such. Financial payments to married couples are not given to the couple, but to one or the other. Letters sent by schools regarding the child are addressed to 'The Guardian/Parent of...' Instead of to the individuals name!

So we have a government that has in nearly twenty years of work destroyed the family.

We are now individuals, not families. Is this wrong, yes!
Society is built on strong family ties. We worship individuality. This goes against the grain of life. We learn from this that others do not count, we alone are important. Our needs come first and selfishness triumphs.

We are left with many sad empty folk. We are made to be family. Parents are meant to build up their child, showing them the best way to live, this happens often even now, but what help does the government give? None.

Marriage guidance is underfunded. Benefits are not biased in favour of marriage and we, the nation, suffer because of this.