I have recently learned of the passing of an old friend – Andrew Polson (check out here for the report on his death).

When the 2024 UK General Election was announced, I blogged my thoughts (see here). I deemed these to be pertinent and this was my politically neutral contribution concerning the debates and deliberations that would inevitably follow. Two weeks on, while there have been developments, until recently there was not much to report on that is interesting, with the Sunak-Starmer debate two days back being predictably lack lustre (see here).

A few weeks back I invited a friend for a catch-up meeting in my local community café in Cluny Square, very near to where I live. To our disappointment we found the café was closed.

We knew it was coming but now we know, even if surprised by the timing – the UK will be holding a General Election on 04 July 2024. The announcement comes soon after the recent local elections where the Tories (in power) did predictably badly (see here).

“Priests of the Bible” by John R.Barber (ISBN 978-0-9537306-5-0) was uploaded on to Ingram today! It has taken over two years to produce and after meticulous research and careful proof reading and type setting, it is about to become available to potentially anyone, anywhere who wants to have a copy. It is likely my last hurrah writing project and is my chance to share what the Lord has laid on my heart over 70 years concerning subjects of immense importance and those which I feel serious seekers after God will find helpful.

I can’t recall all the different happenings that got me thinking on these lines, but I was “in church” recently, seated in my “pew” 15 minutes before the service begun, doing what good Christians are supposed to do to get/be in the right mind frame/spirit, such as meditating on some portion of the Bible.

“CT Studd Cricketer and Pioneer” by Norman P Grubb (son-in-law of C.T.Studd) was a book I read in my youth and it had a profound effect on me. So profound in fact that a lot of the angst I experience in the years between then and now was due to my not following the example this amazing man had left us.

The Gospel is the probably the most important subject amidst many. Christian Zionism is one of the most contentious subjects around today, dividing Christians of the sound, earnest, awake ilk, more than most that I can think of. When a respected Christian friend, who loves the Lord, shared a link to a video with the titled “Hank Hanegraaff: A Gospel Response to Christian Zionism” my curiosity was naturally aroused and I knew I had to dig deeper.

A grumpy nerd’s take on 2024’s Southend local election results

“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.  Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand” Revelation 1:1-3.