COMMENT: Desperate Alex Salmond will say ANYTHING to con Scottish voters, Daily Express

THE chances of a Yes vote for independence in the referendum next month may have receded slightly in the past week or so, but they remain worryingly real.

The pro–United Kingdom No campaign may have been bolstered by the victory of Alistair Darling over Alex Salmond in the television debate earlier this month, but they are taking nothing for granted.

Mr Salmond has already proved he is able to execute a last round burst to overtake an opponent seemingly cruising to victory; no one should forget the last Scottish parliamentary election when an expected Labour win was turned into a rout by the SNP.

In London, as here, the possibility of a last–minute surge by the Nationalists is being taken deadly seriously. It is unlikely the Better Together campaign or the UK Government is going to put a foot badly wrong within the next five weeks, but you can never tell.

And what is certain is that Mr Salmond and his deputy, Nicola Sturgeon, will become ever more outrageous in their wild promises of post–independence riches for all, a last–ditch tactic which will be coupled to their constantly voiced doomwatch scenario should we vote to stay in the UK.

There is no doubt that the Yes campaign is badly damaged, probably irrevocably. Even many of the most diehard Nationalists are all but conceding defeat and looking forward to what can be done about reviving their long campaign after September.

Read more here:

Came to My Rescue, Hillsongs United

Vicky Beeching: I'd like to enter a gay marriage

Vicky Beeching: I'd like to enter a gay marriage

Worship leader and theologian Vicky Beeching has told Premier Christianity she'd eventually like to find a same sex partner and get married.

The Christian singer came out as gay yesterday at the age of 35.

Speaking to Premier she said: "I think my goal is to find a soul mate and get married.

"God said it's not good that people are alone and obviously that's rooted in a passage that most people think defends heterosexual marriage only, but for me, I just think it's a principle that God wants us to be in community and he's made most of us, unless we're called to celibacy, to find that other person.

"I would want to find a person to marry in a way that Paul describes - laying down our lives for one another.

"Someone that loves God, that has a strong Christian faith, that I can serve and they can serve me.

"I think that's something I've always missed, having that comrade and partner to run through life with.

"I think I'm ready to find that."

In an extended interview with Premier she said she still identifies herself as an Evangelical Christian.

"I think for me, Evangelicalism is rooted in many things," she said.

"Loving the Bible, having a high view of scripture, having a passion for social justice and wanting to share the good news about Jesus.

Fears monarchy could be ditched by independent Scotland with Queen forced to send Australian-style Royal representative instead . Daily Mail

Experts fear independence could throw up divided loyalties for the Queen

Solution could be to appoint representative to act in the Sovereign's name

Claims Scotland may eventually ditch Royal family and becoming a republic

Comes amid growing support for independence ahead of September 18 vote

Support for independence up to 43% with 57% backing the Union

The Queen may be forced to appoint an Australian-style ‘governor general’ to rule in her name in Scotland if the country votes for independence next month, it has been claimed.

Constitutional experts fear independence could throw up divided loyalties for the Queen if there was a clash between Scotland and the rump-UK in the future.

One solution would be to appoint a ‘governor general’ in Edinburgh to act in the Queen’s name. This could lead Scotland to eventually ditching the Royal family and becoming a republic within the European Union, claim experts.

The claim comes as a new poll shows rising support for independence with just a month to go before the referendum on September 18.

A YouGov poll for the Times puts support for independence at 43 per cent, with 57 per cent backing the Union, once undecided voters are taken out.

Earlier this month just 39 per cent said they were preparing to vote Yes - with 61 per cent for No.

Scottish Nationalist leader Alex Salmond has insisted that the Queen will remain head of state in an independent Scotland.

But his party is split on the issue. The SNP’s John Mason yesterday called for a referendum to replace the Queen as head of state in Scotland.

He said: ‘The present queen is very popular, but the mood of society may change when she leaves the throne.’

Scotland Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill has also raised the prospect this year of a referendum on the Royals. He said it was ‘for the people of Scotland to decide’ on the Queen’s role.

Read more here:

Further Reading:

Beyond the Scottish Independence Question, Looking at a Greater Devolution in The United Kingdom, A Perspective

Christian Singer/Worship Leader Vicky Beeching, says I'm Gay, Premier Christian Radio.

Worship leader and Christian commentator Vicky Beeching has opened up on her sexuality to a national newspaper.

The 35 year-old, who became known by performing at Christian festivals both in the UK and the US, says she's struggled with the issue her whole life but is now ready to go public.

Speaking to The Independent she explained how she first noticed her attraction to other girls at the age of 12.

She said: "Realising that I was attracted to them was a horrible feeling. I was so embarrassed and ashamed. It became more and more of a struggle because I couldn't tell anyone."

In the in-depth interview she talks about how she sought help to get rid of her same sex feelings firstly by going to confession with a Catholic priest then by asking for prayer at a large Christian event.

At the conference she said a group prayed over her that the demon of homosexuality would free her but she found the experience "degrading" and "humiliating".

Her career has seen her release several worship albums and tour the world but she exited the spotlight after being diagnosed with an auto-immune disease called linear scleroderma morphea.

Her condition required chemotherapy.

She was told by a doctor that it was stress induced and she believes her trigger was her battle with her sexuality.

It was a result of this part of her life that she vowed to tell friends and family.

Now a regular commentator on Christian issues on both TV and radio she says she's ready to let the world know and wants the Church to reconsider the way it views homosexuality.

Read more here:

Question:

Should Churches and Christians listen to and sing to Vicky Beeching’s songs since her public  announcement  that she is lesbian ?  My answer is no

Read the article in the Independent here:

Vicky Beeching, Christian rock star: 'I'm gay. God loves me just the way I am'

Comment:

Although like many of you, I have sing along to Vicky Beeching songs in various Church Settings,   I’m saddened to hear that she is claiming to be Gay(Lesbian) ,  the Bible clearly states that homosexuality and a homosexual lifestyle is both a sin and sinful, and there are no scriptures that support, encourage and confirm that the homosexual lifestyle  is a choice for the Christian, I’m sorry the Bible clearly states that you can’t be a Christian and Gay, the choice is yours,  but you can’t be both. Homosexuality is Sinful, anyone who lives this lifestyle or supports this lifestyle... the Bible is clear you need to repent of your sin.

1 Timothy 1:9-11The Voice (VOICE)

9 we also know the law was not designed for law-abiding people but for lawbreakers and criminals, the ungodly and sin-filled, the unholy and worldly, the father killers and mother killers, the murderers, 10 the sexually immoral and homosexuals, slave dealers, liars, perjurers, and anyone else who acts against the sound doctrine 11 laid out in the glorious, holy, and pure good news of the blessed God that has been entrusted to me.

1 Corinthians 6:8-10New American Standard Bible (NASB)

8 On the contrary, you yourselves wrong and defraud. You do this even to your brethren.

9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators,  nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor [a]effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.

Romans 5:16 -21 The Voice

16 His free gift is nothing like the scourge of the first man’s sin. The judgment that fell because of one false step brought condemnation, but the free gift following countless offenses results in a favorable verdict—not guilty. 17 If one man’s sin brought a reign of death—that’s Adam’s legacy—how much more will those who receive grace in abundance and the free gift of redeeming justice reign in life by means of one other man—Jesus the Anointed.

18 So here is the result: as one man’s sin brought about condemnation and punishment for all people, so one man’s act of faithfulness makes all of us right with God and brings us to new life. 19 Just as through one man’s defiant disobedience every one of us were made sinners, so through the willing obedience of the one man many of us will be made right.

20 When the law came into the picture, sin grew and grew; but wherever sin grew and spread, God’s grace was there in fuller, greater measure. No matter how much sin crept in, there was always more grace. 21 In the same way that sin reigned in the sphere of death, now grace reigns through God’s restorative justice, eclipsing death and leading to eternal life through the Anointed One, Jesus our Lord, the Liberating King.

Romans 6:1-12 The Voice

6 How should we respond to all of this? Is it good to persist in a life of sin so that grace may multiply even more? 2 Absolutely not! How can we die to a life where sin ruled over us and then invite sin back into our lives? 3 Did someone forget to tell you that when we were initiated into Jesus the Anointed through baptism’s ceremonial washing,[a] we entered into His death? 4 Therefore, we were buried with Him through this baptism into death so that just as God the Father, in all His glory, resurrected the Anointed One, we, too, might walk confidently out of the grave into a new life. 5 To put it another way: if we have been united with Him to share in a death like His, don’t you understand that we will also share in His resurrection? 6 We know this: whatever we used to be with our old sinful ways has been nailed to His cross. So our entire record of sin has been canceled, and we no longer have to bow down to sin’s power. 7 A dead man, you see, cannot be bound by sin. 8 But if we have died with the Anointed One, we believe that we shall also live together with Him. 9 So we stand firm in the conviction that death holds no power over God’s Anointed, because He was resurrected from the dead never to face death again. 10 When He died, He died to whatever power sin had, once and for all, and now He lives completely to God. 11 So here is how to picture yourself now that you have been initiated into Jesus the Anointed: you are dead to sin’s power and influence, but you are alive to God’s rule.

12 Don’t invite that insufferable tyrant of sin back into your mortal body so you won’t become obedient to its destructive desires

Be Thou My Vision, Christian Classics

English version by Eleanor Hull, 1912[edit]

Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart,

Be all else but naught to me, save that thou art;

Thou my best thought in the day and the night,

Both waking and sleeping, thy presence my light.

Be thou my wisdom, be thou my true word,

Be thou ever with me, and I with thee Lord;

Be thou my great Father, and I thy true son;

Be thou in me dwelling, and I with thee one.

Be thou my breastplate, my sword for the fight;

Be thou my whole armour, be thou my true might;

Be thou my soul's shelter, be thou my strong tower:

O raise thou me heavenward, great Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise:

Be thou mine inheritance now and always;

Be thou and thou only the first in my heart;

O Sovereign of Heaven, my treasure thou art.

High King of Heaven, thou Heaven's bright sun,

O grant me its joys after victory is won!;

Great heart of my own heart, whatever befall,

Still be thou my vision, O Ruler of all.

Some verses from the modern Irish version

Bí Thusa ’mo shúile a Rí mhór na ndúil

Líon thusa mo bheatha mo chéadfaí ’s mo stuaim

Bí thusa i m'aigne gach oíche ’s gach lá

Im chodladh no im dhúiseacht, líon mé le do ghrá.

Bí thusa ’mo threorú i mbriathar ’s i mbeart

Fan thusa go deo liom is coinnigh mé ceart

Glac cúram mar Athair, is éist le mo ghuí

Is tabhair domsa áit cónaí istigh i do chroí.

10,000 Reasons CAMPFIRE - Rend Collective

My Uttermost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers, Do not despise the Discipline of the Lord, Daily Devotionals

My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him —Hebrews 12:5

It is very easy to grieve the Spirit of God; we do it by despising the discipline of the Lord, or by becoming discouraged when He rebukes us. If our experience of being set apart from sin and being made holy through the process of sanctification is still very shallow, we tend to mistake the reality of God for something else. And when the Spirit of God gives us a sense of warning or restraint, we are apt to say mistakenly, “Oh, that must be from the devil.”

“Do not quench the Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 5:19), and do not despise Him when He says to you, in effect, “Don’t be blind on this point anymore— you are not as far along spiritually as you thought you were. Until now I have not been able to reveal this to you, but I’m revealing it to you right now.” When the Lord disciplines you like that, let Him have His way with you. Allow Him to put you into a right-standing relationship before God.

Read more here:

How the Left cynically exploited a troubled woman's suicide to score points on welfare, writes STEPHEN GLOVER. Daily Mail

To many critics of the so-called bedroom tax, the tragic suicide of Stephanie Bottrill in May last year was proof this is the most monstrous measure dreamt up by the Coalition Government.

Before she walked into the path of a lorry, Miss Bottrill left a note to her son, Steven, in which she wrote: ‘The only people to blame are the Government.’ 

Understandably in the circumstances, Steven declared that the Work and Pensions Secretary, Iain Duncan Smith, had ‘blood on his hands’.

Less forgivable was the response of David Jamieson, leader of the Labour Group in Solihull at the time. He claimed the ‘cruel’ tax had ‘brought about this tragedy’.

But did it? An inquest into Miss Bottrill’s death heard from her GP on Tuesday that she had been treated for depression ‘on and off’ since 1993, and had attempted suicide in 2005.

In the view of her brother, Kevin Owens, the prospect that the ‘bedroom tax’ would require her to move from her three-bedroom terrace house to a smaller bungalow — or lose £80 a month in housing benefit — may have been the ‘catalyst’ to her suicide, but his sister had been troubled.

As it happens, Mr Owens supports the ‘bedroom tax’ for social housing.  He said: ‘It’s terrible that people are crammed into one or two-bedroom flats with children while others sit on three-bedroom houses’. Isn’t he right?

I don’t believe Mr Duncan Smith has blood on his hands, though Work and Pensions officials were gravely at fault in telling Miss Bottrill that she would have to move or lose £80 a month. It turns out that as a long-term tenant who had claimed benefits continuously she was exempt from the cut.

A terrible administrative error was made that may well have contributed to her death, but it is ridiculous to try to pin the blame on Mr Duncan Smith or the ‘bedroom tax’.

Read more here:

Comment:

The unfortunate death of this lady through suicide is a tragedy,   she was someone with long term mental health issues,  who felt that she couldn’t continue, and saw no other option but to take our own life, to blame the so called “ Bedroom Tax” and the Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan –Smith for her death is unfounded,  Britain’s benefit bill is increasing,  for many living on benefits can be lifestyle choice, however for others  it is necessary short-term safety net.

Now you may need SIX bins: Warning from Britain's biggest waste firm over new EU rules forcing people to recycle more Daily Mail

  Waste company Veolia has launched campaign against 'unnecessary bins'

  Firm says EU rules could mean people have to separate rubbish six times

  However legislation is so badly worded that full impact remains unclear 

Families may have to separate their rubbish into six bins from next year, Britain’s biggest waste firm warned yesterday.

EU rules coming into force this January dictate that councils should collect glass, paper, tin cans and plastic separately, to avoid contamination and ensure they can be properly recycled.

Veolia, which collects or sorts rubbish for a third of the population, said the regulations are likely to force councils to place more bins outside every home.

A spokesman said the firm is calling for ‘a nationwide policy of “no more unnecessary bins”’.

They warned: ‘From January 2015, EU rules mean households and businesses may need to separate their waste into six separate bins. Veolia thinks most of the sorting can be done post-collection and that four bins are more than enough.’

Government officials insist councils should be left to decide how to collect rubbish. They are looking closely at the wording of the revised EU Waste Framework Directive, which remains shrouded in confusion.

They claim the rules may not lead to more bins – as local authorities could be exempted if they demonstrate that adding bins is not feasible.

Officials also say waste could be collected in fewer bins and then separated by binmen on the pavement – but Veolia has dismissed this proposal as dangerous.

Read more here:

Comment:

Currently I use  3 bins, 2 for re-cycling ,(Brown and Green) and 1 for general waste, (Black)  all of which are provided by my local council,  the council uses an alternative weekly collection, so 1 week the green bin is collected, and on the 2^nd week the brown and black bins are collected,  this is because of some bureaucrats in Brussels have decided we need to re-cycle more,  increasing  from  3 bins up to 6 bins is just stupid  I agree we need to do some re-cycling ,  however for example, some plastics can be re-cycled, some cannot be re-cycled,  The UK Government and local authorities need to provide us with a more considered approach to the re-cycling process.

Dambusters reunited: World's only two airworthy WWII Lancaster bombers fly together over Britain for the first time in 50 years Daily Mail

Lancaster bombers united on windswept RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire for what will probably be last time

Lancaster Thumper, part of RAF Battle of Britain Memorial flight, joined Canadian Lancaster Vera from Ontario

Two aircraft are expected to visit some 60 air shows and public events across the UK over the next five weeks

Planes had been due to pass over Lincoln Cathedral last Friday, but poor weather caused flight to be postponed

Lancaster bombers most famous for Dambusters raids - attack on German dams with 'bouncing bombs' in 1943

Two Second World War Lancaster bombers flew together in the skies over Britain yesterday for the first time in 50 years.

The world's only two airworthy Lancaster bombers were united on a windswept Lincolnshire airfield for what will probably be one of the last times.

The Lancaster Thumper, which is part of the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial flight, joined the Canadian Lancaster Vera from a museum in Ontario.

See more here:

Words for the Wise, Freedom from Sin and it's Power, 1 John 3

1 John 3 New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

3 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,[a] we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.

7 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. 9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.

More on love and hatred

11 For this is the message you heard from the beginning: we should love one another. 12 Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters,[b] if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 15 Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.

16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

19 This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20 if our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24 The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: we know it by the Spirit he gave us.

The IVP New Testament Commentary Series

The Work of the Son of God, the Work of the Devil (3:8-10)

This second section reiterates the Elder's understanding of sin and righteousness and their relationship to the work of Christ. Although the basic structure of thought parallels that of 3:4-6, the imagery differs. Here John develops the theme of family resemblance and parentage in order to underscore what he has already said about the believer as a child of God who cannot sin (v. 9). Behavior is a test by which one's basic orientation in life may be discerned. Note once more the threefold structure of the passage.

The character of sin (3:8a). In this verse John includes some of the strongest negative statements that those who are sinful are of the devil. Both the epistles and Gospel of John frequently speak of being "of" something, a phrase that points to allegiance or orientation. Sinning characterizes the devil, not God, and so those who sin cannot be said to belong to God (3:8, 10). In fact, the Elder writes that the devil has been sinning from the beginning. That is, the devil is characterized through and through, and has always been known to human beings, as one who challenged God's standard of righteousness and tempted people to do the same. His identifying characteristic is sin.

Note that the epistle does not say that those who sin are born of the devil, which would give a neat parallel to the corresponding phrase born of God. But the opposite of born of God in Johannine thought is "born of the flesh" (Jn 3:6; Brown 1982:405). All people are created by God (Jn 1:10), but those who come to faith in Christ give evidence that they are also "born of God" (Jn 1:13). A new act of the Spirit's creation has taken place. On the other hand, those who refuse to come to Christ have chosen animosity toward God and allegiance with the devil. They are of the devil by virtue of their denial of Christ, deriving their orientation in life not from relationship with and orientation to God but to darkness, evil and sin. Again the Johannine dualism comes to expression. And it is clear from this passage that such dualism is a description not of the way human beings are created but of the choices they make (see Kysar 1986:81).

The work of the son of God (3:8b). If the devil is characterized by sinning, the Son of God is known by his coming to destroy the devil's work. This work is sin, for as righteousness characterizes God, the Son of God and the children of God, so sin characterizes the devil and the children of the devil. In fact, it is their sinning that marks them as the devil's children. Not only are the devil's sin and Jesus' sinlessness con trasted but so are their characteristic works: the devil sins, Jesus destroys the devil's works (Stott 1988:129). Jesus tears down the edifice of sin that the devil builds up, and so frees people by transferring them to the realm where they abide in righteousness and in Jesus (3:6, 14).

It is important to note that this transfer is viewed as effective and secure. If believers sin—and it is clear that they do (1:8, 10)—their sin does not indicate that they have temporarily moved into the sphere of darkness. The Elder does not threaten his readers that they are in danger of "losing their salvation," of backsliding or of falling in league with the devil. They are assured that they are the children of God. The call comes, then, to live so that the family resemblance will always be manifest. If there is exhortation here, there is also encouragement.

The implications of Jesus' work for the believer (3:9-10). The destruction of the devil's works of sin is so complete that we read a very bold statement in verse 9, No one who is born of God will continue to sin . . . he cannot sin (or go on sinning). Indeed, when Jesus' work both opposes and destroys sin, how can those who are born of God dwell in it? John continues with the explanatory statement that they cannot sin because God's seed remains in [them]. Exactly what this seed is does not receive further explanation, and it has puzzled commentators. Obviously we must take it here in a metaphorical sense. Some have suggested that it means the Holy Spirit; others, the Word of God; and others, that it means both. Perhaps, however, it does not so much symbolize some thing else, but merely continues the family imagery. As Kysar writes, "God has implanted in Christians that which makes them his children" (Kysar 1986:81; Brown 1982:411; Stott 1988:133-34). And that God's seed remains points to the permanence of that work. The seed that God plants cannot be uprooted.

Verse 3:10 takes us back to 3:1-3 and its contrast of the seen and unseen, the known and unknown. In 3:1-3 the Elder asserted that now we are children of God, although what we will be has not yet been made known. The passage under discussion, 3:4-10, has assumed that just as children have a likeness to their parents, and just as that likeness will and must manifest itself in behavior, so the conduct of the children of God makes it manifest to whom they belong. Specifically, being related to God has two manifestations: righteousness and love. Both are characteristic of God; both are characteristic of the children of God. More over, both are and need to be actively expressed, and expressed in a way that conforms to God's standard and to the pattern set by Jesus.

Although the phrase nor is anyone who does not love his brother appears to be added almost as an afterthought at the end of verse 10, in fact it is integral to the author's argument. First, the secessionists whom the Elder chides manifest both a lack of righteousness and a lack of love. Thus the statement anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother summarizes John's rebuke to the dissidents. It can also be generalized, however, for the author certainly means to say as well that every Christian is to be characterized by love and righteousness. Second, those who are related to God as children are also related to each other as brother and sister. Therefore, it is impossible to be part of the family of God and not manifest love toward others in the family. As noted above, the vertical and horizontal relationships of the Christian are always integrally related to each other. Third, the theme of love has now been introduced, and it provides the substance of the rest of the epistle. Thus the argument of the epistle is shifting now from the nature of righteousness, sin and the work of Christ to the nature of love. Here we will see that no less important in understanding love is the person and work of Christ.

Summary: Transforming Power

In summarizing this passage, we must first underscore the author's emphasis on Jesus' own righteous ness. As the one who is righteous, Jesus effects atonement and forgive ness (2:1). He destroys the unrighteous works of sin and the devil. He provides a model of conduct for the believer (2:6; 3:5). And he will return to complete the work he has begun—to transform us into the image of the God who is pure (3:3). Both the initial manifestation of Christ and his return are spoken of in terms of the effect his work had on sin: in his first coming he took away sin (3:5, 8); in his return (2:28; 3:3) he purifies us.

Clearly, in all this discussion, attention should be focused not on our efforts to become pure or to attain a state of sinlessness, but on what has been done for us to purify us, to transfer us to the realm where righteousness, and not sin, holds sway. God's work through Christ has created a realm where the purifying and transforming power of righteousness, truth and love are operative. And if now we are children of God by virtue of that power, what we will be has not yet been made known. From beginning to end of our life with Christ, the power at work within and among us is the power of righteousness. That is the privilege and promise that is ours.

Inherent in that promise is an exhortation to righteous conduct. Those born of God no longer live without acknowledging God, but are fully aware of the responsibility incumbent upon them as God's children. Their orientation is toward the God who is light (1:5). Their direction in life derives from the character of God. Their responsibility is to live as Jesus did (2:6), in conformity with the character of a God who is righteous, loving and just. Those who say yes to God, whose orientation derives from the will of God, open themselves to God's transforming power. Although God's purifying work is yet to be completed, that trans forming power is even now at work among and in those who have been called the children of God.

In short, the statement No one who is born of God will continue to sin, and others like it, ought to be heard simultaneously at several levels: First, it orients us to our future hope, a hope that as the children of God we shall yet become more like God. Second, in directing our gaze to our future hope, the statement also assumes that the same power that will remake us at that time is already at work in us. Third, that power is now active in the world because it was manifested by Jesus himself in his work of breaking the grip of sin on us. And finally, in his own life, Jesus exemplified the self-giving love and obedience to God that is the responsibility of God's children as well. If John's statement seems hyperbolic, it is because of his eager anticipation of the blessings of the future age, now being realized through the ministry of Jesus among his followers.

Dictionary of Bible Themes

6028 sin, God’s deliverance from

The gospel reveals the purpose and power of God to deal with sin and all of its effects. Scripture uses a range of images to express the comprehensiveness of salvation.

God’s removal of sin

Atonement for sin Isa 6:7 See also Ex 32:30; Lev 4:27-31; Pr 16:6; Ro 3:25; Heb 2:17

Forgiveness of sin Mic 7:18; Ac 13:38 See also 1Ki 8:35-36; 2Ch 30:18-20; Ps 103:2-3; Isa 33:24; Isa 55:7; Joel 3:21; Mt 26:27-28; Lk 24:46-47; Eph 1:7; 1Jn 1:9

Cancellation of a debt Mt 6:12 See also Mt 18:21-35; Lk 7:41-50

A covering over of sin 1Pe 4:8 There is a close relation between “covering over sin” and “atoning for sin”. See also Ps 32:1; Ps 85:2; Jas 5:20

The taking away of sin Ps 103:12 See also 2Sa 12:13; Isa 6:6-7; Zec 3:4; Jn 1:29; Heb 9:28; 1Jn 3:5

Remembering sin no more Isa 43:25 See also Ps 25:7; Jer 31:33-34; 2Co 5:19

God’s deliverance for the sinner

The salvation of the sinner 1Ti 1:15 See also Ps 28:8-9; Mt 1:21; Lk 19:9-10; Jn 3:17; Heb 7:25

The image of healing Lk 5:31-32 pp Mt 9:12 pp Mk 2:17 See also 2Ch 7:14; Isa 53:5; Isa 57:18-19; Hos 14:4; 1Pe 2:24

The image of cleansing Ps 51:2 See also Lev 16:30; Eze 36:25; Jn 13:1-11; Ac 22:16; Heb 10:22; 1Jn 1:9

Redemption by God Ps 130:8 See also Isa 44:22; Tit 2:14; 1Pe 1:18-19

Justification before God Gal 2:16 See also Isa 53:11; Ro 3:24-26; Ro 4:5,25; Ro 5:16-19; Ro 8:33

Freedom from condemnation Ro 8:1 See also Jn 3:18; Jn 8:3-11; Ro 8:34

Peace with God Ro 5:1 See also Isa 53:5; Lk 2:14; Eph 2:17

Reconciliation with God 2Co 5:18 See also Ro 5:9-11; Col 1:19-20

Sanctification to God Heb 10:10 See also 1Co 6:11; Eph 5:25-26; Col 1:22

Freedom from sin and the sinful nature Ro 7:24; 1Pe 2:24 See also Ro 6:1-18; Ro 8:1-9; Gal 5:24

A transition from death to life Col 2:13 See also Lk 15:22-24; Eph 2:4-5

Receiving eternal life Ro 6:23 See also Jn 3:16,36; Jn 5:24

Why is everything going wrong for the Scottish Yes campaign?, The New Statesman

With little over a month to go until the referendum, the No campaign is buoyant. Alex Salmond’s unexpectedly weak performance against Alistair Darling in the first televised debate has convinced unionists they are winning the argument as well as the vote. The polls are consolidating in favour of the Union. The currency issue is eating away at the SNP’s economic credibility. The Yes activists I speak to are uncharacteristically downbeat as they begin to accept, some of them for the first time in 24 months, that they might actually lose.

Amidst the gloom, nationalists are telling themselves comforting stories. One is that polling companies haven’t picked-up what’s happening "on the ground"; that the network of Yes groups in poor neighbourhoods will deliver a burst of working class enthusiasm strong enough to propel independence over the line on referendum day. Another is that the SNP has been in this situation before – three years ago, as the last Holyrood election approached – and will turn things around now as it did then.

We won’t find out how credible the first story is until the vote itself, but the second one just doesn’t stack-up. "The difference between 2011 and 2014", one senior Better Together figure told me recently, "is that in 2011 [Scottish Labour] knew the fundamentals, like leadership and the economy, weren’t on its side. This time we know they are." This is surely right. At the end of June, 49 per cent of Scots said independence would make them worse off, compared to just 27 per cent who said it would make them better off. It would be difficult for any party to win an election battling against these sorts of numbers, let alone a referendum on something as far-reaching as national sovereignty.

So where did it all go wrong for the Yes campaign, which only a few weeks ago was fizzing with confidence? The left claims Yes Scotland and the SNP have spent too much time trying to persuade voters that independence will be achieved seamlessly, with little or no disruption to Scotland’s economy or its institutions, when it should have been emphasising Scotland’s bleak prospects as part of an austerity-bound UK. Had the SNP made September 18 a referendum on the current state of Britain, rather than the future state of Scotland, Yes support would be higher than it is now, they argue.

It’s a legitimate point. The weakest feature of the SNP’s independence prospectus – its plan for a post-UK sterlingzone – is also the centrepiece of the party’s "continuity strategy" – the various triangulating gestures the SNP leadership has made over recent years to reassure undecided voters that radical constitutional change needn’t entail radical political change. But the public knows, intuitively, that this isn’t true. You can’t sell a grand political vision like self-determination with a series of (supposedly) pragmatic compromises. Why bother with all the upheaval – and, for some, the trauma – of creating a new state if it’s going to look just like the old one?

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So What Do We Do Now With Mark Driscoll? Charisma Magazine, J Lee Grady Fire in My Bones

Seattle megachurch pastor Mark Driscoll has thrived on controversy since he began Mars Hill Church in 1996. His tough-guy image, in-your-face style and distressed jeans made him the ultimate Cool Preacher Dude, especially for young men who regularly enjoyed his non-religious gospel on YouTube. Driscoll became an evangelical celebrity, and his congregation—which is reaching one of the most unchurched regions of the country—quickly grew to 14,000 members among 15 locations.

But Driscoll's ministry hit hard times last week when leaders of Acts 29, a church network Driscoll founded, broke ties with him and charged him with "ungodly and disqualifying behaviour." Acts 29 leader Matt Chandler said Driscoll doesn't show signs of repentance. As a result, LifeWay Stores, a large network of Christian retail outlets in the country, pulled Driscoll's books from its shelves and website.

This is a good time to remind people of the warning signs of an unhealthy church:

1. Little or no accountability. When celebrity preachers seem eager to tell everyone else what to do but aren't willing to hear correction from others, prepare for a train wreck. There is safety in the multitude of counsellors (see Prov. 11:14). There is much less safety—even danger—when a leader does not seek counsel from a diverse group of his peers.

2. Spiritual elitism. If there is a spirit of control in a church, people are usually told their group is superior. If people choose to leave, they are shunned or branded as renegades. Sometimes, in extreme cases, people are even cursed if they leave. This cultic behaviour inflicts unimaginable emotional suffering and also divides families

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Comment:

I have read a number of Mark Driscoll books over the last few years,   I was shocked why someone in his position of influence and to certain degree of authority in the transatlantic evangelical sphere  would say the things he said it seems to me that an in-mature believer was pushed into Christian leadership/ministry through situations, circumstances and self-promotion and because of this error, Mark Driscoll lacks/lacked the strength of character to be a leader in His Church.