Now that I’ve finally got back into a routine after a summer break, it’s time to get back up-to-date with what’s going on in the world. And our own wee country of Northern Ireland has plenty to talk about. Unfortunately, not in a good way.

Two recent developments are heartbreaking to watch if you love the Lord and His Word. Both indicate that immoral, unethical, and anti-God trends in the political landscape have gained a strong foothold.

Green light for abortion

From 2020 until March 2025, over 11,000 babies have been murdered inside the womb. Some will call that inflammatory language, and it is, but not because it’s an exaggeration. It’s inflammatory because it presents the truth in its unfiltered form. Babies are unique human beings, with souls, created and knit together by God.

Dress it up anyway you like, but if the statistics are anything like other regions with similar abortion laws, the vast majority are carried out just because a child in inconvenient or unwanted, not for any medical reason. They are being sacrificed for another person’s comfort and convenience.

Even in cases that use medical justification, the diagnoses seem to be wrong at least as often as they are correct. But even if the children are rightly diagnosed as having a disability (someone explain to me how cleft palette or club foot qualifies as a disability worthy of death!), the predominant argument is that it would be too cumbersome for the parents to deal with. Well, guess what – the moment you chose to “be intimate”, you were choosing the consequences, good or bad. It’s a parent’s duty to care for their child, however easy or difficult that may be. That’s parental love! It is our duty as parents to sacrifice for our children, not to sacrifice our children so we get things easier.

And what is the stance of our politicians? Well, Belfast City Council have demonstrated the political opinion by voting to light up City Hall in green to celebrate abortion in Northern Ireland.

How vile! How disgusting! To celebrate the murder of thousands of unborn children by lighting up the symbol of civic leadership in Belfast in a colour that is supposed to signify life. Twice as many voted in favour as voted against (36:18). A prior committee vote on the proposal passed 11 votes to 3. This is the death cult of modern politics in Northern Ireland.

Criminalising conversion

The second development is the bill submitted to the Northern Ireland Assembly by Eóin Tennyson of the Alliance party to criminalise “Conversion Therapy”. It is clear from the legislation that the normal expression of faith, especially of evangelical Christians, is being attacked. Oh yes – the legislation states that expressing beliefs or opinions is perfectly fine, but only on the condition that people are not directed “towards a particular sexual orientation or gender identity” (clause 7(1)(b)). So you can say the Bible teaches that marriage is between one man and one woman for life and that anything else is against God’s Word, but you are not allowed to call people to live in obedience to God’s Word on this issue, because that’s directing them toward a particular orientation/identity, one that honours the distinction and cooperation between a man and a woman in biblical marriage.

This badly-worded, ill-thought-out bill sexual orientation or gender identity as “what the victim considers it to be” and “what the person [i.e. the accused] considers it to be”. In other words, this official piece of proposed legislation in the Northern Ireland Assembly allows sexual orientation and gender identity to be literally anything you want it to be. You can identify as a cat or a fox and under this legislation another person can be prosecuted and fined or even imprisoned for a year without a jury trial if they say to you on two or more occasions that you need to wise up and realise you are a human being, not an animal.

If a preacher is preaching through Genesis, Romans, 1 Corinthians, or the words of Christ regarding biblical marriage and says that this is the only standard God accepts as valid, that every deviation from this standard is wicked in God’s eyes, and that God command us to repent from these sins, be converted (a biblical quotation), and conform to His Word, they can face prison.

It is inconceivable that the choice of the term “conversion therapy” is not designed to target biblical Christianity. Conversion is exactly the business of the Church. It is the message of the gospel. It is the aim of repentance and faith, to be converted, transformed, made into a new creature in whom “old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new”.

And if someone comes to us wanting help to resist immoral urges of homosexuality, bisexuality, paedophilia, or whatever other definition, real or imaginary, they care to use, the bill clearly states that this is not a defence against prosecution. The complaint doesn’t even need to come from the individual. It can come from a family member who doesn’t want their relative to be mixing with church folk. It can come from political lobbyists who hear of such help being given and who complain to the police that pastor so-and-so is carrying out conversion therapy. There is no defence even if the help is sought out and asked for.

But this is not a new tactic.

They did it to Daniel

Many of us are familiar with the story of Daniel and the den of lions. Remember how the trouble started for Daniel? The other presidents, governors, princes, counsellors, and captains hated Daniel, resenting his higher position, but they couldn’t find fault with him under the law. Most Christians do not commit crimes. A few have done and the law has dealt with them appropriately and that’s how it should be. But for the LGBTQIA+ lobby, their biggest pain are the evangelical Christians who are seeking to live true to the Word of God. They aren’t perfect by any means, but they’re seeking to live honest, blameless lives. But that means they’re free to keep preaching and teaching an inconvenient message for those who hate it. So how do they handle this? How can this lobby get rid of or silence these Bible-believing Christians they see as extremists?

Well, they do exactly what the Persian officials did. The found something Daniel did as a normal expression of his faith and they criminalised it. They made it a crime for anyone to pray to any God, deity, or any other entity except King Darius, for 30 days. That last bit was thrown in just so they could claim to be reasonable: “It’s only for 30 days. After that you can go back to praying to your God. Surely 30 days isn’t such a big deal!”

Eóin Tennyson’s bill uses the exact same tactic. It takes something Christians do as an integral and normal part of their faith – calling all sinners to repent, be converted, put their faith in Jesus Christ for salvation, and live in obedience to God’s Word – and it makes this a crime. It criminalises the gospel. “But you can preach the gospel – just don’t tell people they need to change from who they are. Surely that’s reasonable!” No, it’s not. It’s seeking to change the gospel. It’s trying to change the expression of truth as found in Scripture.

We are commanded by Jesus Himself to “teach all nations … to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you” (Mt 28:19-20). It’s not enough to merely teach what the Bible says concerning moral issues. We are commanded to call people into obedience to its teachings, to conform to it’s teachings, to be converted so that we live by the Word of God.

So how do we respond? Well again, turn to Daniel.

Dare to be a Daniel

Daniel prayed. Our first and most powerful response is to pray. Pray the bill will be defeated. Pray the hearts of enough politicians will be changed to bring about that defeat. Pray that God would even miraculously make it impossible for this bill to be made law. I don’t know how, but I’m not God. I think God is capable of performing a miraculous defeat of this bill.

Second, keep doing what we normally do as the expression of our faith. When Daniel went to pray, not in defiance of the law but despite the law, he didn’t shy away and hide what he was doing. He opened his windows and prayed as normal, in the same place and manner the officials had seen and heard him pray before all of this kicked off. We’re to keep doing what we’ve been doing. We’re to keep preaching the gospel. We’re to keep calling sinners of all kinds to repentance. We’re to keep preaching repentance, conversion, faith, and obedience.

In the end, Daniel couldn’t escape the actions of the law, but he did escape the effects of those actions. He survived. God honoured him. God dealt with those who sought to destroy him. And in the end, even King Darius, ruler of the greatest empire in the world at that time, had to declare openly that Daniel’s God “is the living God”.

Whatever happens, victory is ours in Christ. Satan will not win. The gospel will continue to be preached. In fact, the coverage of this bill may even create opportunities for the gospel to be proclaimed on national media, and that could result in countless numbers trusting in the Saviour.

These things are happening right now. We can’t bury our heads and pretend they’re not. We’re to face them with the confidence of those who know that God is still on the throne.

Keep looking up!

The post Days of Daniel appeared first on Now Nearer Ministries.

Since 1543, when it was conferred on Henry VIII by the Parliament of England, every English (later British) sovereign has held the title “Defender of the Faith”, (except Mary I, a Catholic), and by Each new sovereign reinforces this at their coronation. At Charles III’s, he was handed a Bible with these words:

Sir, to keep you ever mindful of the law and the Gospel of God as the Rule for the whole life and government of Christian Princes, receive this Book, the most valuable thing that this world affords. Here is Wisdom; this is the royal Law; these are the lively Oracles of God.

The Coronation Oath itself binds the sovereign to preserve Protestant Christianity in the state. In the ceremony, the King promised:

Archbishop: Will you to the utmost of your power maintain the Laws of God and the true profession of the Gospel? Will you to the utmost of your power maintain in the United Kingdom the Protestant Reformed Religion established by law? Will you maintain and preserve inviolably the settlement of the Church of England, and the doctrine, worship, discipline, and government thereof, as by law established in England?
…

King: All this I promise to do.

King Charles went further in his vow, declaring before God:

I Charles do solemnly and sincerely in the presence of God profess, testify, and declare that I am a faithful Protestant, and that I will, according to the true intent of the enactments which secure the Protestant succession to the Throne, uphold and maintain the said enactments to the best of my powers according to law.

The king then acknowledges that he is serving under God and asks in prayer that he might receive knowledge of God’s truth.

Just a ceremony?

Some will say this is just ceremony and tradition with no binding power. Scripture disagrees:

When thou shalt vow a vow unto the LORD thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the LORD thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee.
Deuteronomy 23:21

This command was singled out from the Mosaic law and named as sin – which makes it binding on all people, in all times, not only Israel under Moses.

Our king said, “I solemnly promise”, “All this I promise to do”, and “I … do solemnly and sincerely in the presence of God profess, testify, and declare”. These words are the language of a solemn vow made before God.

On 25^th June, the annual Sovereign Grant report was published. That may sound like a good read to send you off to sleep, but under “The Official Duties of the Sovereign” it states:

His Majesty is Supreme Governor of the Church of England and protects the space for Faith within the multi-faith nation. [Emphasis mine]

In this official report from the House of Commons, the king is no longer “Defender of the Faith” but merely protector of “the space for Faith”, all kinds of faith.

This is huge, a bombshell declaration. For centuries, our rulers have defined this land as a Christian nation, not meaning that every citizen is a Christian, but that our laws and values rest on a Christian and Biblical foundation, while individuals remain free to believe otherwise.

Abandoning this definition opens the nation to mutually exclusive worldviews, as if religion is merely decoration, cultural artistry, rather than a rival claim to truth.

More than tradition

Religion is not liturgy, clothing, or music. It is morality – the basic principles of right and wrong that define a society: the dignity of all life or the supremacy of one group over others; blind justice or discriminating justice; living peaceably or under subjugation. But it also deals with eternity – the ultimate destination of the soul. Once entered, it cannot be changed, and therefore it is vital we have the truth about salvation.

Every religion, whether it involves belief in a supreme deity or not (yes, atheism is a religion) is in essence a set of beliefs that govern behaviour and values. And every religion but one requires the individual to contribute something toward their own “salvation”: effort, works, or merit to achieve the ultimate goal, whether Heaven, Paradise, Nirvana, or a lasting legacy and memory.

Biblical Christianity alone offers salvation already purchased by Christ, simply received by faith alone, not earned.

This is why the king’s pivot away from “the Faith” to “Faith within the multi-faith nation” matters so much. Despite vowing that he is “a faithful Protestant” and to maintain “the true profession of the gospel”, King Charles III has affirmed the validity of Islam – most visibly at Easter when he gave no Easter message but did deliver one for Ramadan.

What does this mean for the United Kingdom? Scripture is clear:

It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness: for the throne is established by righteousness.
Proverbs 16:12

Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.
Proverbs 14:34

Everyone sins, but the sin of a king impacts the whole nation. King Charles sinned by breaking his vow before God and that sin is a reproach upon the country. But he is not the sole source of blame for a country under God’s rebuke. His rejection of the truth of God’s Word in favour of Islam’s false doctrines reflects a deeper, prevailing spirit of rebellion against God running throughout the nation.

He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.
When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.
Proverbs 29:1-2

As the leader of the nation, King Charles bears responsibility to lead his subjects towards the one living and true God of the Bible. It is one thing to provide a safe space for individuals to practise their chosen faith freely; openly endorsing other religions while rejecting the gospel as the only way of salvation is another.

Christians must recognise that the world’s religions are incompatible with the gospel. This is not just a clash of philosophies or a mere a difference of opinion. All “religions” are not equal – truth is not a shared commodity. The gospel is the truth of God. Anything contrary to it cannot be the truth. Rejecting the gospel does not lead to a benign ignorance, but to a lost eternity (Rev 20:15; 21:8).

King Charles has broken his vows before God. I would hope he did not lie in taking them, but he has since abandoned them. He has failed to maintain the true gospel. He needs to repent from this course, or, failing that, to be honourable and abdicate so another might uphold the Oaths he would not.

A higher throne

Yet we must remember that “the powers that be are ordained of God” (Romans 13:1). Perhaps God deems this nation ripe for reproach, and so has given it a “breaker of vows”.

But God is still on His throne. He is still King of kings and Lord of lords. Whatever the sovereign’s course, the Church’s responsibility to spread the gospel has not changed. Not the Church of England, but the true body of believers – those who have repented and believed the gospel, receiving Christ as Saviour. We have been called to go and preach the gospel, to be salt against the rot of sin and light to every heart.

So Christian, don’t be discouraged by the king’s actions. Our hope for the nation was never in his hands anyway. Our hope is in God. He can change hearts and minds. He can revive our nation, no matter how unlikely that seems. But even if He doesn’t, He is still on the throne. His Word will endure, the gospel will never lose its power, and souls will continue to be saved.

Look beyond the throne of this kingdom. Look to the throne of Heaven. Approach it often with boldness, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need”.

And the next time you sing the national anthem, make it a prayer: may “God save our gracious king”!

Keep looking up!

The post The king’s oath appeared first on Now Nearer Ministries.

Last week, we discussed a little about Donald Trump abandoning Israel with his Memorandum of Understanding with Iran. Ironically, Trump’s tweet “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER” (in capital letters, as per his style on occasion), meant to refer to Iran, is viewed by many as being an admission of his own capitulation to Iran, giving them everything they wanted.

At the beginning of this week, there were initial cheers by people throughout the UK when Keir Starmer resigned from his premiership. Those cheers were quickly muted when it emerged that Andy Burnham, a political clone of Starmer, was likely to run unchallenged for the leadership of the Labour Party to become our next Prime Minister. For those who have never heard of him before, Burnham is a former mayor of Greater Manchester and was not even an MP until sworn in on Monday after his recent by-election victory. Given his past record, there is not much optimism in the UK about the road ahead.

A little closer to home (for me) and Northern Ireland politics again revealed its ugly side. Jeffrey Donaldson, former leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) was convicted on all counts, having been charged with one count of rape, four of gross indecency towards a child and thirteen of indecent assault with a child. The sense of betrayal of trust was felt, not only within the DUP and the unionist community at large, but also with evangelical Christian circles, among whom Donaldson has been a prominent name. With his prosecution, the once golden boy of Unionism was shown to be just wood, hay, and stubble.

In all, it has been a fortnight of great disappointment in our leaders. It feels like it has been a lifetime since we had any kind of optimistic expectation from those in power. But then, isn’t that why we’re not to look to our politicians for solutions? We can’t afford to get our moral bearings by examining or mimicking our earthly leaders.

An pagan king’s praise of God

One of my favourite kings in the Bible is Nebuchadnezzar. While being portrayed almost like a benefactor toward the Jews in the early chapters of Daniel, like a reasonable and kindly dictator, we can’t forget that this is the man who brought king Zedekiah into captivity in Babylon, killed his sons in front of him, then put out his eyes so their deaths was the last thing he saw. He was also the king who sacked the temple and brought out all the equipment and utensils of silver and gold and put them in the temple of his own gods. And yet, by the time we get to the end of Daniel chapter 4, Nebuchadnezzar is giving one of the greatest and most eloquent expressions of praise and worship of God.

In this great confession, he makes it clear that the God of heaven is eternal and unchanging, continuing from generation to generation, and outlasting all human governments. He describes Him as the One whose works are true (Dan 4:37), not just His words. Everything He does is consistent with His character and attributes – there is no deceit or guile in His deeds. What a difference from earthly rulers!

Nebuchadnezzar continues by declaring God’s ways as just, that is, correct and appropriate – “and His ways judgment” (v37). That’s something we need to accept by faith. God knows all things, while we know nothing in comparison. Somewhere within His omniscience He sees the necessity of acting as He does, and that is always right. It may not make sense to us, but this is what living by faith looks like.

But listen to what Nebuchadnezzar says in Daniel 4:35:

“And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and He doeth according to His will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay His hand, or say unto Him, What doest Thou?”

But if God allowed it … why?

This reminds me of Romans 13:1, where Paul writes, “For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.”

Why would God allow Trump to turn his back on Israel?

Why would he let the rot of left-wing liberalism continue in the highest public office in the United Kingdom?

Why would he let a professing Christian rise to a position of prominence as both a politician and a believer, only to have him torn down through his own actions?

Simple answer – I don’t know! But then, I don’t know a fraction of the things God knows.

Perhaps God knows that Trumps irrational behaviour toward Israel over the past two weeks will set the stage for America’s absence from the prophetic platform that is about to be fulfilled, just as prophesied in Ezekiel 38 and 39.

Perhaps the UK is receiving the leaders it deserves for abandoning Israel and opposing the Christian heritage that made the UK a mighty world power for so long. Perhaps this is part of the judgment God is bringing on the UK for ignoring and despising God, a judgment that will reduce the country to global irrelevance.

And perhaps the Donaldson case will be used by God to waken up the true Church and to get our eyes off the politics and cultural Protestantism and back on the God of the Bible.

If these disappointments only do one thing, if they get us to stop trusting man and expecting man to sort things out in the world, and instead cause us to place our faith in all God has actually promised to do, then the disappointments are worth it.

God has a plan and purpose that will be done. He sees the ripple effects multiplied countless times over that reach far into the future. He sees where all the pieces need to be in order for His prophetic programme to be accomplished, and He knows what needs to happen today for that programme to be completed in the fulness of time.

Our responsibility is simply to trust that God knows what He’s doing. Our earthly leaders will always fall short. That’s the inevitability of sinful man, even saved sinners. But our God will never fail, falter, nor fall.

When you feel disappointed or frustrated with our leaders, remember that God has placed those leaders where they are for His purposes to be fulfilled. Praise Him that He is able to take ungodly men and women, place them where He wants them to be, and cause His will to be done. He excels at taking the broken and making them useful in His purposes.

And isn’t that a great encouragement for us too. After all, we’re just as broken and imperfect as our leaders, to varying degrees, and yet can take even us and use us to bring glory to Him and to bring sinners to Christ.

So take heart. Don’t get discouraged, and instead sing from your heart:

God is still on the throne, and He will remember His own
Though trials may press us and burdens distress us,
He never will leave us alone.
God is still on the throne, and He will remember His own;
His promise is true – He will not forget you!
God is still on the throne!

Amen, and hallelujah.

Keep looking up.

DC

The post When our leaders disappoint appeared first on Now Nearer Ministries.