The inquiry into the Hillsborough disaster

This is a term, used increasingly, to describe a situation where the truth has been suppressed, the facts have been misreported and people misled by a string of lies and a web of deceit. This is done deliberately to obscure the truth and to allow the guilty to appear innocent.

Not so long ago the Leveson inquiry attempted to discover the truth behind phone-hacking scandals and shockingly intrusive journalism that had been tolerated for years without people being fully aware of the full extent of such deplorable malpractice. The inquiry into the Hillsborough disaster, when many football fans were trampled to death, was carried out to reveal what really happened on that tragic day of the 15th. April 1989. A concerted effort had been made by the police to shift the blame onto the fans and only now are we discovering who really was to blame and what actually happened. Again and again, demands are made for public inquiries to try to ascertain the facts and disclose the truth. After years of silence and deception, many are finally being brought to justice for crimes they had covered up for decades.

Humans have been involved in cover-up since the dawn of their history; read Genesis chapter 3 and listen to Adam and Eve as they try to shift the blame and distort the facts. How rare it is for people to acknowledge the truth especially when they are at fault; few will willingly bear the blame and confess their wrongdoing. How difficult it is to admit, as did King David in Psalm 51.4, "Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Thy sight." God will not tolerate any other attitude; He sees through our deceit and He demands total honesty if we are to be blessed. "Behold, Thou desirest truth in the inward parts …" Psalm 51.6.

My friend, do not attempt to cover up your sin; God cannot be deceived; His all-seeing, penetrating eyes easily pierce the flimsy defence of your deception; He knows the truth; He has witnessed and recorded your every sin; not one has been overlooked or omitted. "… all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with Whom we have to do" Hebrews 4.13. "These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; … but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes" Psalm 50.21.

However, the guilty may be pardoned, the lawbreakers can be justified and your every sin can be forgiven. It was when the prodigal son of Luke chapter 15 was prepared to acknowledge that he had sinned, that he received the kiss of forgiveness and the embrace of reconciliation from his father. Guilty though you are, "for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" Romans 3.23, yet you can have every charge of guilt removed, never to be raised again. All this has been made possible by the willingness of One Who was sinless, God’s own Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to become accountable for our sins and to bear the fearful punishment we deserved. We did all the sinning but He bore all the suffering, "Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree" 1Peter 2.24. "Christ died for our sins" 1 Corinthians 15.3.

You can escape the eternal consequences of your sins by trusting the Saviour God provided and by depending alone upon His death to shield you from the just judgment you deserve. Don’t cover up your sins; confess them and find refuge in the One Who "took the guilty sinner’s place and suffered in his stead".

To ask questions or for more information visit seekthetruth.org.uk

Written for FTMP by Assembly Testimony.

Get on your bike!

A couple of weeks ago I decided to be energetic and go out for a ride on my push bike. This is quite something as I have not been on the bike for years despite constantly promising myself that I will get around to it. There is a lesson there about procrastination but I'll not go there!

I really enjoyed the ride. The first part was a bit scary! To be honest getting on the bike wasn't. Cycling on the road was! Cars swished past and buses put me under pressure by slowing down and revving their engines until it was safe to pass. That tells you how long it has been since I rode a bike on a main road! I am glad that my wife wasn't there to watch as she would have been panicking and shouting instructions. "Keep in", "slow down", you're wobbling", "why don't you get off and walk" would no doubt have been in cacophony of comments.

To be honest my intention was to go off the main roads and cycle through Croxteth Country Park. This is a lovely country estate near to where I live. It is literally on my doorstep which is why, as is customary, I only visit it once in a while. Isn't strange how we do not take advantage of facilities on our doorsteps but when we are on holiday we seek out all these lovely places and say 'we should do this type of thing more often". I feel another speech coming on about 'time management" and "making time for leisure" but again I'll restrain myself as it could be deemed hypocritical.

The route through the Country Park must be a couple of miles long. No problem to an experienced cyclist like myself, says he panting and wheezing. I actually really enjoyed myself and wasn't out of breath too often. As I approached the main entrance to the Park in West Derby Village I stopped for a breather. Now as you will know we miss a lot of interesting things when we are speeding (not literally I hope) from place to place. Life is lived at far too fast a pace and we often don't take time to look around us never mind to think about what we see.

I spotted this memorial on the wall.   "1939 - 1945, To the memory of the men, women and children of West Derby who gave their lives for their country in the World War". In a sentence we have covered the living and premature dying of many souls. They died to give us freedom and as a result they lost theirs. We really should be more grateful!

At risk of you thinking that I am wandering off the subject can I close by reminding you of another sacrifice that was made to give us freedom. Don't click close yet, this is majorly important. I am asking you to think of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

He gave His life, voluntarily so that we could be:

1. free from the power of sin in our lives today;
2. be in heaven on the other side of death and be free from the presence of sin;
3. free from the penalty and punishment for sin when we stand before God.

Put simply the Bible states that "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners" (the Bible, 1 Timothy 1:15)

The old hymn says "He died that we might be forgiven, He died to make us good, that we might go one day to heaven saved by His precious blood"

I took a long time to get on my bike, how long will you take to face the truth.

Thanks for reading this, Stephen

This blog was posted by Seek the Truth Bible Media. For more information or to contact us please visit www.seekthetruth.org.uk.

My week - busy busy and exciting too

Blog week ending 20^th July 2012

Dear Friend,

Thanks for coming on to this blog and reading about my week. Since I last posted a blog I have had a pretty busy week, I am sure that you have as well. On Sunday we had a good crowd of people who are not Christians in at our church Community Tea. Free grub you say, maybe! I am not too bothered what brings them in as I believe that when God starts to speak in a persons life they have to listen and come to some decision about His offer of salvation.

The deal is too good. We have done the wrong and deserve what is coming to us on the Day of Judgment. God sent His Son, Jesus, in person to live in our world, experience our existence with the full knowledge that he would be ‘despised and rejected’ and nailed to the cross. However it’s deeper and more complex than that. God’s plan was that His Son would take on himself the legal penalty for sin so that God could offer us forgiveness for our sins. The key to this being effective is this fact - Jesus was sinless. For this reason he is the only person ever to live who could legally face the full consequences of evil and sin and pay for it on behalf of others. His death makes it possible that God can maintain his stance as a holy being (having legally and justly dealt with evil and sin) and at the same time show humans His kindness, grace and mercy. Now my question, to anyone who is reading this, is this – have you accepted God’s offer of salvation. You would be mad not to.

Sunday night saw me speaking to about 45 homeless men and women about the same message that had been explained at the Community Tea. You see, the reality is this; the good news of salvation crosses all the boundaries that we have erected. It’s for rich and poor, strong and weak, all ethnicities etc. Amazing isn’t it.

My only complaint this week is that I’ve been left to run the house while my wife and daughter were working at a Christian Youth Camp in Scotland – there we are again – the good news is also for young people! Anyway I’ve struggled on and managed to survive. I wouldn’t like to do too well in case she might think that I am capable and expect me to be more domestically inclined. Not much chance of that I must add!

Trust you had a good week.

For more blogs, podcasts and video clips go to www.seekthetruth.org.uk.

Stephen