In my message dated 24th November last year, I said “……..This year’s Queen Speech is the last one before the General Election in May/June 2010. The Conservatives have been tipped to win the next election, ending 13 years of Labour government.......I sense that the UK is moving into a very interesting era. A Conservatives win with a big majority is by no means certain. A majority of a few seats will make policies passing into laws difficult, especially policies on finance and the economy. This may lead to the International Monetary Fund getting involved
in the UK finance policy making process!”Sure enough, on 6th May, the electorates returned a very interesting result. Not only did the Conservatives not win the election with a clear majority. The result was a “Hung Parliament”. The Conservatives, winning 306 seats, were short of a majority (of at least 326 seats). Labour came 2nd with 258 seats. Liberal Democrats came 3rd with 57 seats.
The Conservatives leader David Cameron, made a "big, open offer" to the Lib Dems about jointly forming a strong, and stable government. Entering talks with the Conservatives, Mr Clegg stressed his priorities, including "fundamental political reform", but said they would act in a "constructive spirit" in the "coming hours and days". Electoral reform is likely to be a key battleground - the Lib Dem have long campaigned for the first-past-the-post system to be replaced with a form of proportional representation (PR). But the Conservatives oppose changing the voting system.
Mr Clegg said the election result meant politicians had to talk to 
each other as "people deserve good, stable government". He said the Lib Dem would enter into talks with other parties in a "constructive spirit" over the "coming hours and days", and the party would press its case for its four priorities - tax reform to make the system fairer, a "new approach" to education to give a "fair start" to all children and to the economy and "fundamental political reform to our political system".
each other as "people deserve good, stable government". He said the Lib Dem would enter into talks with other parties in a "constructive spirit" over the "coming hours and days", and the party would press its case for its four priorities - tax reform to make the system fairer, a "new approach" to education to give a "fair start" to all children and to the economy and "fundamental political reform to our political system". The Conservatives won most votes in the UK election but were 
short of a majority - Gordon Brown remains PM while the Conservatives see if they can form a government. Mr Clegg also spoke to the PM by phone on Friday. Mr. Brown has offered talks if Lib Dems cannot agree with the Conservatives. Labour has offered the Lib Dem a referendum on changing the voting system. Labour MP Ben Bradshaw told the BBC it was "not credible" that the Lib Dem would do a deal with the Conservatives without the promise of electoral reform. He said Gordon Brown could remain prime minister in a "progressive" coalition deal with the Liberal Democrats, if their talks with the Conservatives failed.
Whilst the end result will not be known for days, if not weeks, British politi
cs will never be the same going forward. The days of 2 main parties (Labour and Conservatives) taking turn to govern have ended. It opens the way to coalition government that Continental Europe are used to.
I try to discern what God is doing in the midst of this. I sense God saying “we all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way………”.
God is s
haking Europe and the UK. Following the global financial crisis of 2009, more recent events included the Iceland the volcanic eruption, the financial trouble in Greece and now the uncertainty in the UK. But one thing is certain. God is trying to get our attention to turn back to Him instead of turning to our own way.
God is calling His Church to rise up at this crucial time. Through the Church, God’s message will be made known in the world. Through the Church, His blessing will flow in the midst of all these troubles and fears. “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance. From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth — he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do. No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you.” [Ps 33:12-22 NIV]
The struggle of Job is a great encouragement to all who are experiencing difficulties in life, whether they are believers or not. Job understood the Lordship and sovereignty of God very well. ‘"…..I will say to God: Do not condemn me, but tell me what charges you have against me…… though you know that I am not guilty and that no one can rescue me from your hand? "Your hands shaped me and made me. Will you now turn and destroy me? Remember that you molded me like clay. Will you now turn me to dust again? ......You gave me life and showed me kindness, and in your providence watched over my spirit. "But this is what you concealed in your heart, and I know that this was in your mind: If I sinned, you would be watching me and would not let my offense go unpunished. If I am guilty-woe to me! Even if I am innocent, I cannot lift my head…….. [Job 10:1-16 NIV]. I wish I have Job’s unshakable faith when I face the kind of troubles that Job faced!
The reality is that most people, believers included, do not understand God’s thoughts and His ways in times of trouble. Can one rejoices “……though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” [1 Peter 1:3-9 NIV] Can we pass the test of God’s refining fire so that our faith may be proved genuine?
Do we believe God’s promises that “……The righteous man is rescued from trouble……..through knowledge the righteous escape …….. The truly righteous man attains life…….Be sure of this:…… those who are righteous will go free……The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise. If the righteous receive their due on earth, how much more the ungodly and the sinner! [Prov 11:8-10,19,21,22,28,30,31 NIV]
Amen & amen.
short of a majority - Gordon Brown remains PM while the Conservatives see if they can form a government. Mr Clegg also spoke to the PM by phone on Friday. Mr. Brown has offered talks if Lib Dems cannot agree with the Conservatives. Labour has offered the Lib Dem a referendum on changing the voting system. Labour MP Ben Bradshaw told the BBC it was "not credible" that the Lib Dem would do a deal with the Conservatives without the promise of electoral reform. He said Gordon Brown could remain prime minister in a "progressive" coalition deal with the Liberal Democrats, if their talks with the Conservatives failed.Whilst the end result will not be known for days, if not weeks, British politi
cs will never be the same going forward. The days of 2 main parties (Labour and Conservatives) taking turn to govern have ended. It opens the way to coalition government that Continental Europe are used to.I try to discern what God is doing in the midst of this. I sense God saying “we all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way………”.
God is s
haking Europe and the UK. Following the global financial crisis of 2009, more recent events included the Iceland the volcanic eruption, the financial trouble in Greece and now the uncertainty in the UK. But one thing is certain. God is trying to get our attention to turn back to Him instead of turning to our own way.God is calling His Church to rise up at this crucial time. Through the Church, God’s message will be made known in the world. Through the Church, His blessing will flow in the midst of all these troubles and fears. “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance. From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth — he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do. No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you.” [Ps 33:12-22 NIV]
The struggle of Job is a great encouragement to all who are experiencing difficulties in life, whether they are believers or not. Job understood the Lordship and sovereignty of God very well. ‘"…..I will say to God: Do not condemn me, but tell me what charges you have against me…… though you know that I am not guilty and that no one can rescue me from your hand? "Your hands shaped me and made me. Will you now turn and destroy me? Remember that you molded me like clay. Will you now turn me to dust again? ......You gave me life and showed me kindness, and in your providence watched over my spirit. "But this is what you concealed in your heart, and I know that this was in your mind: If I sinned, you would be watching me and would not let my offense go unpunished. If I am guilty-woe to me! Even if I am innocent, I cannot lift my head…….. [Job 10:1-16 NIV]. I wish I have Job’s unshakable faith when I face the kind of troubles that Job faced!
The reality is that most people, believers included, do not understand God’s thoughts and His ways in times of trouble. Can one rejoices “……though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” [1 Peter 1:3-9 NIV] Can we pass the test of God’s refining fire so that our faith may be proved genuine?
Do we believe God’s promises that “……The righteous man is rescued from trouble……..through knowledge the righteous escape …….. The truly righteous man attains life…….Be sure of this:…… those who are righteous will go free……The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise. If the righteous receive their due on earth, how much more the ungodly and the sinner! [Prov 11:8-10,19,21,22,28,30,31 NIV]
Amen & amen.
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