My journey with Crohn’s Disease

Yesterday was IBD awareness day and so I thought I would share a little about my own experience.

I began to have signs that something was wrong around 1998/9 when I started to suffer with severe pain after I had had a large meal.

After a year or two I had been admitted into hospital with suspected appendicitis a few times, but sent home without any surgery. Sometime around 2004 after having a number of tests and various scans I was diagnosed with gall stones and eventually (May 2006) had to have surgery to remove them and a diseased gall bladder, but even after this I continued to have the severe pain.

In July 2006 I moved to another area and was constantly having tests and scans to try to determine the cause of my pain which at times was unbearable.

It was then 2013 and I had been to Hungary to visit friends, the morning after I came home I was severely ill, pain, vomiting and so made an appointment to see the doctor again.

I walked into the survey to find it was a new doctor and he had read up on my history and as I walked into his room he said ‘I think you may have Crohn’s Disease’. He booked me in for further tests and the diagnosis given that Crohn’s was the cause.

After seeing a consultant I commenced treatment, but as the disease was already advanced I would need surgery. I had allergic reaction to the first medication and ended up in hospital for four days with extreme pain all over my body as it affected my muscles and nervous system.

I eventually went in for surgery in September 2014. I had a bowel resection. Within a few months I began to have symptoms again and further tests confirmed that the Crohn’s was active again. I was put on medication, two types that I was unable to tolerate till August 2017 when I began regular infusions of Vedolizumab .

Today, the Crohn’s is still active but under control most of the time, over the next few months I will need to decide on further treatment as the area from the resection is diseased and has narrowed causing the occasional periods of severe pain.

I am thankful for all the staff at the hospitals where I have received treatment, often they are working under pressure but always show good care. Although in Ysbyty Glan Clwyd A&E, some of my experiences were not pleasant.

Thank you to the consultant at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd and Durham University Hospital and to the Medical Day Care units at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, James Cook University Hospital (Middlesbrough) and Durham University Hospital.

Thursday May 4th

We are going to read the whole of Revelation 5 today.

‘Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.” And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honour and glory and blessing!” And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honour and glory and might forever and ever!” And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.’

I have read the whole of this chapter today, for in reading what John has witnessed, we too get a glimpse of the throne-room, the place which is occupied by God himself, with the Lord Jesus Christ seated at his right-hand. But here we see the victorious Saviour, described as both a Lion and as a Lamb. And it is as a Lamb that John portrays what he does for us in this chapter.

Jesus is the Lamb who was slain, Jesus is the Lamb who has prevailed and Jesus is the Lamb who is worthy. He was slain for our sin, he prevailed in his battle over Satan and he is worthy to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honour and glory and blessing, and not just for a few years or maybe a decade or two, but forever and ever! (v13)

This chapter speaks of the vast crowd that were standing around the throne, v11 describes the crowd as being myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands. The crowd was made up of living creatures, the elders, (see Revelation 4:10) many angels and if you go back to verse 9, the people who had been ransomed by his blood! That means this vast crowd includes YOU and ME!

Yesterday, I said in our devotion that because Jesus had gone back through the ‘ancient doors’, they are now opened for us to enter through and we can ensure of our entry through them by placing our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, by coming to be washed in his precious blood which he shed for us as the Lamb who was slain. So another hymn for today. Come, let us join our cheerful song, for the Lamb has become our King enthroned in the heavens.

Come, let us join our cheerful songs
with angels round the throne;
ten thousand thousand are their tongues,
but all their joys are one.

‘Worthy the Lamb that died,’ they cry,
‘to be exalted thus’;
‘Worthy the Lamb,’ our lips reply,
‘for he was slain for us.’

Jesus is worthy to receive
honour and power divine;
and blessings, more than we can give,
be, Lord, for ever thine.

Let all that dwell above the sky,
and air, and earth, and seas,
conspire to lift thy glories high,
and speak thine endless praise.

The whole creation joins in one
to bless the sacred name
of him that sits upon the throne,
and to adore the Lamb.

Wednesday May 3rd

Psalm 24:7- 10

‘Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle! Lift up your heads, O gates! And lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory!’

Who is this king of Glory? It is the Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.

Who is this one who has entered through the gates, entered through the ancient doors? It is King Jesus! And what an amazing moment it must have been when Jesus went through the ancient doors, welcomed back into his Father’s presence, welcomed back as the one who had come into this world to fight the greatest of all battles this world has ever known and welcomed back as the victorious conqueror.

He was welcomed back as the one who triumphed over the devil, triumphed over sin and triumphed over death. Welcomed back to receive the name that is above every name, welcomed back to be exalted to the highest place, welcomed back as the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

I’m going to allow the words of a hymn to inspire us concerning our king today, it may be that the verses from Psalm 24 inspired the author to write the hymn, as you read the first line, try to visualise the moment when Jesus was taken up from out of the sight of the disciples and into a cloud, visualise beyond the clouds out of their sight, the ancient gates being opened wide and Jesus arriving back into heaven, what a glorious moment it must have been and remember this, because of his victory over sin, Satan and death he has opened the ancient doors so that we too as we trust in him will one day enter through them and we will see him seated upon his throne! Here is the hymn.

See the Conqueror mounts in triumph
See the King in royal state
Riding on the clouds His chariot
To his heavenly palace gate
Hark the choirs of angel voices
Joyful alleluias sing
And the portals high are lifted
To receive their heavenly King

Who is this that comes in glory
With the trump of jubilee?
Lord of battles, God of armies
He has gained the victory!
He who on the cross did suffer!
He who from the grave arose!
He has vanquished sin and satan!
He by death has spoiled his foes!

Thou hast raised our human nature
In the clouds to God’s right hand
There we sit in heavenly places
There with Thee in glory stand
Jesus reigns adorned by angels
Man with God is on the throne
Mighty Lord in Thine ascension
We by faith behold our own
We by faith behold our own

A few thoughts this week as we come to the Coronation of King Charles III

This week I will post the Daily Devotions on my site which I have prepared for the Church which I pastor in Gateshead.

Revelation 19:11-16

‘Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.’

For this week I am going to use the theme of Jesus as King, as in a few days time our nation will witness the coronation of our new earthly king, King Charles the 3rd.

For most of us it is an historic moment because we will not have witnessed a coronation before, and I would remind us firstly that regardless of what our views or opinion may be concerning the monarchy, we have a responsibility as Christians to pray for those who are in authority, as we read in 1 Timothy 2:1-2 ‘First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way’, and Romans 13:1 ‘Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.’

As we go through this week and the days leading up to the coronation, let’s pray for King Charles and his wife Camilla, that as they consider the seriousness of their responsibilities, they will also consider their own personal relationship toward the Lord God and toward the Lord Jesus Christ. Let’s make sure that we pray that they will come to experience Jesus as their King and that King Charles will realise that he must be the Defender of the Christian FAITH.

I do not intend to take away from the importance of what the coronation is all about and what it means for our nation and the Commonwealth, but we need at the same time to remember that their is one who is seated upon an eternal throne, whose kingdom will never come to an end and his name is Jesus.

The hymn writer, James Montgomery, (I will draw our attention to a number of hymns this week) wrote the wonderful hymn ‘Hail to the Lord’s anointed’, and who is this one, called great David’s greater Son! It is the one who has become our King, King Jesus and the hymn writer continues to pen, ‘Kings shall fall down before him, and gold and incense bring, all nations shall adore him, his praise all people sing.’

Yes, we will see a king crowned on Saturday – but one who is greater than he has already been crowned, and Charles the 3rd will one day have to give way to a successor, but not our King, for King Jesus reigns forever.

The same hymn writer continues;

O’er every foe Victorious,
He on his throne shall rest;
from age to age more glorious,
all-blessing and all-blest.
The tide of time shall never
His covenant remove;
His name shall stand for-ever;
His changeless name of love.

I’m back

It has been a long time since I last posted anything to my blog, a lot has changed in the last few years, so over the next week or two I will attempt to blog more often.

I now live in the North East of England, a few miles out from Durham in a little town called Stanley. We moved here as I changed my role as a pastor from North Wales to Gateshead.

We arrived in the North East literally within a few weeks before the UK went into its first lockdown owing to Covid-19 so spent six months living with our daughter in Middlesbrough before we could move into our own home.

We have now been in Stanley since August 2020 and have settled here. I took up my new pastoral role in February 2020. I have been blogging a daily devotion on the Church WordPress site which is Emmanuel Pentecostal Church, Gateshead.

A Tribute to a genuinely humble man of God

This is my first blog for a very long time.

Last month, July 2015, I was away for a couple of days, staying in Telford when I received a text message to say that my cousin’s husband David Williams was very ill in hospital following a severe bleed in the brain. Sadly, David passed away on the Wednesday evening of July 22nd.

David was not only married to my cousin Eunice, but was a colleague in the ministry of the Apostolic Church UK, he being ordained as a pastor in 1991 and myself later in 2000.

His death has been an enormous shock to us all (family and the Church Fellowship) and I have put together the following which is my own personal tribute to Pastor David Williams. His funeral service/ thanksgiving service in Inverness was a precious occasion as we remembered him, with many attending from near and far. I had the privilege of reading the Scripture which was Psalm 46. A further thanksgiving service was also held in Hereford a little over a week later which again was well attended, showing how much this man of God and family man was loved.

This is my Tribute:

My personal tribute to a genuinely humble Man of God.

My first contact with David Williams was sometime in the early to mid 1970’s when a group of us from the Church I then attended in the village of Madley, Herefordshire began to join with a group that were meeting in a farmhouse after Church on a Sunday evening in Preston-on-Wye. It was incredible then how many of us used to gather together from many of the Herefordshire villages, with Apostolic, Baptist and Methodist backgrounds. We used to sing songs from the then well used ‘Youth Praise’. Around the same time missions were held in the Preston-on-Wye village hall which we all attended and many lives were impacted by the gospel. David was one of the ‘Methodists’ who were a part of the group, along with his brother Phillip and sister Gillian.

As a result strong connections were made between the Churches, in particular the Apostolic Church in Madley and the Baptist Church in Preston-on-Wye. Out of this came an even stronger connection for inevitably when young people come together, romance is often in the air. And one of these romances which eventually happened was when David began to date my cousin Eunice Greenow.

My how different he looked then! I remember his bushy hair, his big Vauxhall car, his humour and generally his very warm nature and character. But besides his relationship with Eunice, David also became a very good friend to many others as well and I being one of them.

The romance blossomed until in 1975 David and Eunice married and he became a part of the family. (Incidentally a few years later, my youngest sister Sarah, also married one of the men we met through this connection, Wilf Prosser).

Although David had been brought up in the Methodist Church, he was one of the circuit preachers and a few times I went along with him to some of the services, he soon came into the Apostolic Church in Hereford. Once they had married David and Eunice lived in the city and what took place in the farmhouse in the 70’s on a Sunday evening began to be replicated in Hereford as David and Eunice began to open up their home to the youth in the Apostolic Churches in Hereford and Madley, some Sunday evenings we would be crammed into their long living room having fun and fellowship together. I guess at times we would easily have been over 20.

David and Eunice have three children, Gwyneth, Hayley and Jonathan and Elaine and myself used to occasionally baby sit for them before we got married in 1983.

In the spring of 1986 some decisions were made in regards to the Hereford Apostolic Church and its leadership and as a result three of us as young men who were already elders were called to relocate into Hereford (Myself and my older brother Ian from Leominster, David Porter my brother in law from Madley) and at the same time two of the young men in Hereford were called into elder ship, Robin Pryse and David Williams. I remember very well that Sunday morning as Pastor Philip Cawthorne took the service, he looked across at the five of us – aged from 26 – 32 (Me the youngest  and David Williams the eldest) and then he challenged the Church to dare to believe that sitting in the row being installed as 5 elders in Hereford were 1 each of the five ascension ministries! Well today, David Williams was recognised as a Prophet in the Body of Christ, Robin is recognised as a Teacher in the Body of Christ and myself recognised as a Pastor – 60% is pretty good!

In 1991, following the removal of Pastor Jim Hodge as the Hereford pastor, David was called from within the Hereford assembly by the Council of the Church to be the Pastor. A few months later I was called to serve alongside David as the leading elder. I can honestly say that I really appreciated and felt honoured to be able to serve alongside David for the few years before he was eventually relocated to Lydden, Kent. 

Again, I can honestly say we were not only cousins-in-law, but we were extremely good friends, we were able to work really well together as colleagues  and always had a close relationship of friendship, loyalty and trust. In fact during the time we worked together in Hereford I felt like our relationship was similar to that of Paul and Timothy in the Scripture.

Even when David and Eunice moved away from Hereford, and eventually Elaine and myself, the relationship, friendship and comradeship continued.

David truly was a genuine, humble, man of God who had a true servant nature. He came from a humble background and even though God took this country boy and called him to be a prophet within our fellowship, and gifted him with an amazing preaching ability and servant / shepherd heart his humility always shone through.

We had lots of conversation together, in particular when we were together at the Annual AMC or Staff Conference, we would share our hearts with each other, seek to encourage one another and I knew that without any shadow of doubt I could trust this man with my life. I will miss picking him up from Luton airport.

I can only re-echo what is evidently the feelings across our whole Apostolic Fellowship and across the family and scope of David’s friends the enormous shock at his passing, the tremendous loss that is and will continue to be felt. My continued love and sympathy go out from my broken heart to the broken hearts of Eunice, Gwyneth, Hayley, Jonathan and their families. Reminding us and them that God knows, he never makes a mistake. One day we will fully understand but for now we just have to learn to trust him.

Not many may know this but David and Eunice used to sing together! If my memory serves me right, one of the songs was ‘trusting as the moments fly, trusting as the days go by, trusting Him whate’re befall, trusting Jesus, that is all.’ I can recall and hear them now in my mind, singing about the wonderful Saviour that they loved, trusted and served together in Hereford, Lydden, Neath, Penygroes, Inverness, in their family near and far. David has gone on before us, he is enjoying the presence of Jesus, I’m pretty sure that even if he could come back he wouldn’t want to – in the words of the Scripture that was on the leaflet for his service of thanksgiving ‘For me to live is Christ, to die is gain’. He lived for Jesus, he died for Jesus, he now lives with Jesus.

There is a sense in which words fail me, my heart is full yet I can’t get out all I want to say. I thank God for David, for all he has impressed in me and all the many ways he encouraged me, for his friendship and loyalty. Well done, thou good and faithful servant. I’m going to miss you big time.

Good News

I am very pleased to be able to say that on the 7th July 2014 a baby entered the world and she is beautiful! After the sadness of 2013, our son Robert and his wife Abigail can rejoice.

They have called her Emma Joy, which is special for me in particular as my mums name was Joy.

We thank God for this wonderful gift to Robert and Abigail and for us as a family. I am now Gramps and Elaine is Nana.

Bringing joy to the family

Some good news to end 2013 with

Following my previous post and the one I posted earlier in the year, I am pleased to say that my Son and Daughter in law are expecting a baby again, due in July. Please pray for them and for the baby as it grows and develops that all will go well for them. Thank you, God bless and a Happy New Year to you all. Haydn

Leaving 2013 behind and moving forward into 2014 – Not alone but with God alongside you!

Well that is another year just about over and as you can see I haven’t been very regular with my blogging! I have just checked my blog statistics and am amazed at how over the year my blog has been read in 72 different countries around the world. It just shows how the internet can be used to reach people with helpful information but sadly also the other side of the coin is with information which is not so good.

In this blog I will briefly review 2013, a year which has had both it’s fair share of good times and the less pleasant but through it all God has again been what he can only ever always be and that is faithful.

We started the year with the good news that we were going to be grandparents, this was so exciting for us but sadly it was not to be as Bethany was stillborn in March (see earlier post). In April we did have a new member to the family, he arrived in the form of a Border Collie dog who we called Benji. As the year progressed we have celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary and we went as a family for a holiday to the Greek island of Corfu in August. Also in August we celebrated my Mum and Dad in-laws 50th wedding anniversary up in Darlington, an opportunity for the family to all be together. 

Other highlights of the year for me have been the opportunity I have had to be involved in two weddings, the first in London, when I took a man from our Church in Rhyl who was 92 to his granddaughters wedding in Richmond Park, I then had the joy of doing a wedding blessing the following day for David and Helen. Then in May I was privileged to be able to take part in the wedding ceremony of a couple of special friends in Hungary, Gábor and Ildikó. I have had a couple of other opportunities this year to visit Hungary with my involvement with the Apostolic Church there. 

This year has been a milestone year for our four younger children as well, Laura reached the grand old age of 21, Andrew reached 18, Nicola became sweet 16 and Gemma entered her teenage years, which means one other thing, I must also be getting older, and yes, sometimes I feel it but most of the time doing ok at 53. Earlier this year after years of problems I was finally diagnosed as having Crohn’s Disease which is an Inflammatory Bowel Disease, I was hospitalised for a few days in September and am now waiting to have surgery sometime during 2014.

What will 2014 hold for us? We don’t know, but there is one thing I am definitely sure of it is this, that I know the One who holds the future, He is the one who created all things and who sustains all things. He knows the end form the beginning, The Bible has this to say about him in Psalm 139

O LORD, you have searched me and known me!
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
3 You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.
5 You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.

Where shall I go from your Spirit?

Or where shall I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
9 If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,”
12 even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you.

13 For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.

17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
I awake, and I am still with you.

 The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV® Text Edition: 2007.

 

This is the One who I trust, explicitly, for he has been faithful in the past and will continue in his faithfulness towards me in the future. He is the One who has been with me, alongside me during 2013 both in the good moments and in the bad and sad, he never for one second ever failed me and he never will. The question I want to ask is this, Do you know him? Not as some distant God who you think may exist, or you may think to call out to when things are going tough but as the God who is constantly with you, as the One whom you have encountered in a personal way through coming to know the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour and Lord.

As we leave 2013 and enter 2014 what better way could there be to enter the new year than to enter it knowing that the God who is talked of in Psalm 139 is the One who you will enter the year with yourself? The gods of this world are but idols, they have no control, they have no ability to help, they have no ability to to do absolutely anything for you, but this God he is the true and the living God, he is the One who not only created all things and sustains all things but also the One who entered this world in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ to reach out to you. And at the end of 2013, he reaches his hand out to you and says, “Let’s enter the new year together, let me come with you and you come with me, whatever you are going to face, let’s face it together.”

Are you willing to trust him, are you willing to let him come into your life? If you want more information then please don’t hesitate to contact me through this blog or find a good evangelical Christian Church and seek out its leaders for spiritual help.

A happy new year to all my readers and thanks for dropping by and reading my blog.

 

Celebrating our Wedding Anniversary in Corfu

  

Weddings in (top) London and (bottom) Hungary

The family together for Nan and Grandad Chase’s 50th Wedding Anniversary August

(Back Row) Katie, Haydn, (Blog Author) Elaine, Miriam, David, Shaun

(Middle Row) Ruth, Steven, Nan, Grandad, Robert, Abigail

(Front Row) Gemma, Laura, Nicola, Andrew

 

Marmite and Baroness Thatcher!

It is a well-known slogan in regards to Marmite that you either love it or hate it. It would seem that in regards to Baroness Thatcher the nation is also divided in much the same way, you either liked her or you hated her.

I have no problems on stating in this blog as to where I stand. I like Marmite and I also like Baroness Thatcher.

 There are always two sides to a story, and each story will create a divide, one side for whatever and the other side against whatever. The strange thing is that both sides will present their argument and both sides will be determined that they are right.

 So those who are for Baroness Thatcher will give all the reasons why she is to be admired, while those who are against her will give all their right reasons why she should not be admired.

I watched the Funeral Service this morning on BBC 1 and watched the individuals who attended arriving, listened to the commentary, the singing, prayers, the reading of Scripture and the sermon.

I don’t know where she stood in her relationship with God, but I sensed that in what was shared and said that she was a woman who had a connection with he who is the real meaning of life and the real purpose behind it all, God our Creator. She served in a difficult period of time, she had to make some tough choices / decisions but each time I believe she made what she felt was the right choice both morally and spiritually.

I must say that I really enjoyed the reading of the Scripture by her granddaughter, Amanda which was taken from Ephesians 6:10-18. It was read so beautifully, but highlights in many respects something of the battle that her Grandmother would have been fighting as a political leader. For we must remember that every attack that comes against righteousness is an attack from the principalities and powers of the air, and sometime they are brought through the channels of other individuals who are listening to that which opposes God rather than that which comes from his righteous laws and ways. And often times it can come through the corridors of power.

 I hope that the now Prime Minister, David Cameron, will have heeded some of the qualities of his predecessor but more importantly something of the content of the Scripture readings. And we as a nation, the people of Britain and in particular the Church of Jesus Christ need to arise having put on the full armour of God, because we are fighting in a spiritual battle which is raging against the Church, against our Creator God and against all that is upholding truth righteousness. Almost weekly those who are supposed to be representing us in parliament are erasing away our Christian Heritage.

 Regardless of which side we are on, like her or hate her, I believe we should all put the difference to one side and thank God for the freedom that still remains in our Country to enable us to have a democracy, where we can make free choices rather than be told what to do by a dictatorship, where freedom of religion is not allowed and in particular a situation where it is a crime to be a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ or to convert from another religion to Christianity.