There’s No Smoke Without Fire

There’s no smoke without fire, or so the old saying goes. Well I just found out this evening that this old saying isn’t always true.

Tonight the eyes of the world’s media were fixed on a narrow chimney pot sticking out of the Sistine Chapel in Rome. They wee all waiting for that puff of white smoke to indicate that a new Pope has been elected. However, the smoke that blows out of this chimney is not created by the burning of ballot papers as many suppose, oh no. According to a Vatican insider, on BBC 5 live this evening, the smoke is generated by the release of chemicals from a canister.  So much for the ozone layer!

Their pretend smoke from a non-fire isn’t the only bit of fakery that will come out of Rome this week. Another classic lie that will come from Rome this week will be one of the titles that will be bestowed upon the newly elected Pontiff.

Pontifex Maximus

For those of you like me who do not read Latin the term literally means ‘The Greatest Bridge Builder’.

Now that’s quite a title to take to yourself.  The idea, of course, is that the Pope is the greatest bridge builder that the Roman Catholic can find between himself and his God. If you will, he is a mediator between God and men.

However, that particular role is already held by someone who, unlike Benedict, has not retired or, unlike John Paul II, has not died. You see the only person who can really be called Pontifex Maximus is the Lord Jesus Christ, as the Apostle Paul said to Timothy…

‘For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;’ 1 Timothy 2 v5

How dare Rome bestow such a title on a mere man!

A Bitter Harvest

The Roman Catholic Institution has had to face a drip feed of sexual scandals amongst it’s clergy now for decades. The most recent high profile case is the former Cardinal Keith O’Brien who on Sunday the 3rd of March admitted inappropriate sexual relations with other priests. Now the Roman Church is not the only religious body to have to face such scandals but no other religious group has had to face the volume of revelations as them.


So what on earth is the problem? Well to my mind they are reaping a very bitter harvest for their insistence on a celibate priest hood. Celibacy of course is not to be found in the Bible, as is the case with most of the doctrines of Rome, in fact celibacy in the Bible is described as a doctrine of devils.

‘Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.’ 1 Timothy 4 v 1-3

What the Hierarchy of the Church of Rome does not seem to realise is that their insistence on celibacy does not give her priesthood the opportunity to vent their sexual desires. Now sexual desires are not sinful, they are normal: they are a part of what we are as human beings. The problem comes when we channel these desires in a way that is contrary to God’s Word.

God’s word only allows for these desires to be fulfilled within the marriage bond between a man and a woman, any deviance from this Biblical pattern is sin. By banning their priests from the only Biblically condoned opportunity to channel their sexual desires these men are expected to dam up these desires and sadly for society and many thousands of innocent children the dam wall bursts all to often.

The Apostle Paul addressed this very issue in his first letter to the Church at Corinth saying…

‘ I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, it is good for them if they abide even as I. But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.’ 1 Corinthians 7 v8-9

There is an army of Roman Clerics around this world who are burning with sexual desire and their Church won’t let them follow the advice of Paul and they wonder why they have a problem!

Far be it from me to give advice to the Roman Church as it continues on it’s course of self destruction, for the destruction of this institution would give me great pleasure, but do the world a favour and let your priests get married.

An Unlikely Influence

Anyone who is a regular follower of my blogs will know that I like to keep an eye on what the music industry is pumping out.  It’s important to be aware of the filth the world is pumping our way. Recently I was surprised to see an unlikely influence in a musical genre not normally associated with baser things.  If I was to blog about Satanic overtones in Rock music or sexual perversion in R&B then who would be surprised, however, on this occasion I feel I need to warn people about folk music.

Folk music? I hear you cry. Unlikely indeed but I’m never surprised these days. Folk music has always been the poor second cousin of the music industry, it certainly has never really had a ‘cool’ image, well at least it’s been that way until now.

Recently a folk band from England has found previously unheard of mainstream popularity with their high energy modern take on ‘folk music’.   I speak of course of ‘Mumford and Sons’.  I have never actually listened to Mumford’s music but I have been aware of their rise to prominence just from listening to the media. I note that they are Grammy winners and I have seen media clips of them packing out music festivals. Somewhat unheard of for a folk band!

I always get suspicious when I see such a rapid rise to stardom, I always wonder are they getting a little extra help from the musical maestro himself, Lucifer.  I saw an advert on TV a few weeks ago for their new album and its name sent off alarm bells in my mind. I refer of course to their recent album, ‘Babel’. I am interested to know why a band would choose a Bible word associated with rebellion against God for the name of their album.

The word Babel comes from the ‘Tower of Babel’ as recorded in Genesis 11. God had told man to spread through the earth, but when man reached the land of Shinar they decided to disobey God and build a city to stay together and there they built a tower. God was displeased with them and confounded their languages so that they no longer understood each other and went their separate ways. In this way God’s purpose was fulfilled in that the people spread through the earth as God had originally commanded.

‘Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.’ Genesis 11 v9

So why would Mumford associate themselves with rebellion against God in the name of their album?  Well perhaps the lyrics of one of the tracks of the album will shed some light on the subject.

Whispers in the dark

You hold your truth so purely

And swerve not through the minds of men

This lie is dead
And this cup of yours tastes holy

But a brush with the devil can clear your mind and strengthen your spine
But fingers tap into what you were once

And I'm worried that I blew my only chance
Whispers in the dark

Steal a kiss and you'll break your heart

Pick up your clothes and curl your toes

Learn your lesson, lead me home

Spare my sins for the ark, I was too slow to depart

I'm a cad but I'm not a fraud, I'd set out to serve the Lord
But my heart was colder when you'd gone

And I lost my head but found the one that I love

Under the sun, under the sun
But fingers tap into what you were once

And I'm worried that I blew my only chance

Fingers tap into what you were once

And I'm worried that I blew my only chance!

But my heart was colder when you'd gone

And I lost my head; let's live while we are young

While we are young

While we are young

Interesting Lyrics! I think you’ll agree they are certainly very spiritual in nature.

Now I’m not sure exactly what was in the heart and mind of the songwriter as he penned these lyrics but they do seem to describe a man who once served God, ‘I’d set out to serve the Lord’ but had an encounter with evil ‘But a brush with the devil can clear your mind’. It seems that the songwriter is now living by a new worldly philosophy ‘Let’s live while we are young’. This is certainly the maxim of the godless. The child of God, like old Abraham, is looking for a city whose builder and maker is God but the worldling is only interested in enjoying the pleasures of sin for a season.

Something else sheds a bit of light on the subject. Band member Marcus Mumford is from an Evangelical Christian background. This song almost seems to be a public renouncing of his former faith. He speaks of thinking about going back ‘lead me home’ but by the end of the song he appears to have decided on the life of sin. Sad!

It’s worth having a look at some of their other songs, they certainly make interesting reading. Have a look for yourself and see what conclusions you come to.  

A Very Expensive Bill

Tomorrow the United Kingdom government at Westminster will debate a Bill, which is intended to make same sex marriage legal in the UK. This should be a matter of deep concern for all Christians as our government has no right to tamper with an institution that is not of their making.


Marriage was created and ordained by God, at the very dawn of time, in the Garden of Eden. It was created between one man and one woman, it was Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve that good created for one another. Genesis is very clear.

‘So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.’ Genesis 1 v27

The Lord Jesus Christ Himself, the great head and Saviour of the Church reinforced this biblical pattern while on this earth. (Matt 19v4-6) There is no place in the Biblical pattern for a marriage between a man and a man or a woman and a woman. In fact such relations are roundly condemned by God’s Word and considered great wickedness (Gen 19v7) and an abomination (Lev 18v22). It is therefore a great wickedness and an abomination for the UK government to consider redefining marriage to accommodate homosexual practices. They have no right, nor, place to tamper with things that are not in their remit.

This is where it gets scary as far as I am concerned, for I believe if this Bill is passed into law it will prove to be ‘a very expensive bill’ indeed. You see when God created this world not only did he ordain marriage but He also put in place an unbending law, ‘The Law of the Harvest’.

‘Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.’ Galatians 6 v7

If you sow carrots, you reap carrots! If you sow wheat, you reap wheat! If you sow to the wind, you reap the whirlwind! If you sow sin, wickedness and abomination then you reap in kind. The United Kingdom will reap an awful harvest of judgement, as will those who are pushing this down the nations throat.

Please pray that God’s wisdom will yet be given to those, as yet, bent on folly. Pray that God’s Word will not be trampled over in parliament tomorrow and pray that in wrath He would remember mercy and that our nation would once again turn back to God.

‘Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.’ Proverbs 14 v34

Triple Security

‘A threefold cord is not quickly broken’, so said wise Solomon in the book of Ecclesiastes. These are words of scripture that came to my mind recently as I considered the eternal security of the believer in Christ Jesus.

One of the greatest guarantees of our eternal security is found in the fact that when we trust in the Lord Jesus for salvation we are admitted to the family of God.  Once you are in a family you are always in the family, no family dispute can change that fact.  I will always be my father’s son, that will never change.There is a threefold admission to God’s family that secures our eternity.

Birth

I was born into the Warburton family in 1971, nothing can alter that fact. During my early years I put my faith in Christ for Salvation, at that moment I was born into the family of God by the ‘New Birth’ as described to Nicodemus in John’s gospel chapter 3. As a result I have the right to be called a son of God, as John said in chapter 1 verse 12 ‘But as many as received him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name’.

Marriage

In the year 2000 I got married, on the happy day in question my wife also joined the Warburton family.  At this point you might say my argument fails because a divorce could terminate that relationship.  The thing you are forgetting is God doesn’t do divorce. As the prophet Malachi reminds us, God ‘…hateth putting away’. You see when we trust Christ, not only do we experience the ‘New Birth’ but we also become part of the ‘Bride of Christ’.  One day our union with Christ will be consummated at the Marriage of the Lamb.

‘Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb.’ Revelation 19 v9

Adoption

There is another way to join a family, the way that a stranger can join a family, by adoption. Now, my immediate family includes no adopted people, but there are a couple of examples of adoption in my wider family circle.  When we trusted Christ for salvation we were also adopted by God. Galatians chapter 4 verse 5 describes this reality for us. ‘To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.’

I don’t know about you but I know that I am eternally secure. A God that would go to such lengths, to reinforce to me that I am part of His family, wants to let me know that I’m secure. Triple Security!

The New Normal

American television giants NBC have created a new TV show called ‘The New Normal’.  I have not watched the programme but I have seen the trailers recently on British Television.  The general plot of the show relates to the challenges a couple of gay men face in adopting a baby.

It goes without saying that the general plot is sickening to me, not to mention sinful.  However, I was struck by the title chosen by the writers Ryan Murphy and Allison Adler.  There has been a serious push by the media in the past couple of decades to ‘normalise’ the activities of homosexuals in the eyes of the general population. This can be evidenced by the increasing quantity of homosexual characters in all major television serials.  I suppose the writers must believe that their goals have been reached in the use of their title ‘the new normal’.

I had a look in the Oxford English Dictionary to see the definition of normal.

Normal = Conforming to a standard, regular, usual, typical.

It’s fair to say that the homosexual lobby has done a good job on re-defining the standards of morality in western civilisation to accept homosexual practices as normal and even something to be celebrated.  Homosexuals are certainly regular characters on our TV screens, and so it no longer seems unusual to hear of people coming out, you could say it’s now fairly typical.

So what are we to make of this new normality as Christians? Should we adapt our views to accept the “new” reality or the “new” normality? Should we understand our Bibles relative to this new normality?

CERTAINLY NOT!

Sin will always be sin no matter how normal or unusual its occurrence may be!  God says what He means and means what He says!  God’s truth is not decided by a majority vote within humanity.  God Himself, who never changes, determines truth and standards. It is to Him that we all have to answer.

‘There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel.’  Deuteronomy 23 v17

I don’t care if its normal, its evil!!!