I read an article recently on secrets to happy retirement and “Intellectual curiosity” was listed…” Adults over 70 who choose brain-stimulating hobbies over TV watching are two and a half times less likely to suffer the effects of Alzheimer’s disease, according to Richard Stim and Ralph Warner’s book Retire Happy: What You Can Do Now to Guarantee a Great Retirement. Not only will shunning TV make you happier, it will make you healthier.” I imagine that when intellectual curiosity is mixed with faith issues…it can be an even more potent elixir. Tony Blair dedicates the rest of his life to “rescuing faith from the twin challenges of irrelevance—the idea that religion is no more than an interesting aspect of history—and extremism.”…also adding”Faith is part of our future… and the values it brings with it are an essential part of making globalization work.” Also watch a recent CNN interview of Tony Blair for more context.

Wikipedia defines “Globalization” as a process by which regional economies, societies, and cultures are integrated through global networks of communication, transportation, and trade. The term also refers to transnational circulation of ideas, languages, or popular culture through acculturation.

Groping to find God has a good ring to it and common sense suggests “globalization” is a good pill in economic recession to alleviate poverty, hunger and conflict. However, generous contributions to humanity and helping the cause of God for “spiritual betterment” does remind me of Cornelius in the Book of Acts.

Acts [10:1] There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, [2] a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always. [3] About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius!” [4] And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, “What is it, lord?” So he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God. [5] “Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter. [6] “He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you must do.”

Yet, there is a huge gulf of difference between searching, admiring and helping God and God finding and visiting us. When God (through Peter) visited “good” Cornelius see what happened.Acts 10[44] While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. [45] And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. [46] For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.

When God visited Paul (then Saul of Tarsus) – one of the most brilliant intellectuals in his time – also on a similar mission to rescue God’s work from “crazy “ beliefs … he was blinded for a while …and then the scales on his eyes eventually fell off Acts 9[18] Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized….Everything changed for Paul…He now considered his brilliance, richest gains and reputation as “dung” that he may know Christ – confessing “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain”

Why is Globalization the new threat – even as it offers obvious remedies in Recession?

Job 15[16] How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water? Gen 8 [21] … for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth …”

Globalization enshrines the goodness of mankind i.e. well meaning people can agree to make the world a better place and have power to do so although brutal world wars, revelations of shocking genocides amongst all race groups and the power of innate selfishness point more at our depravity and human helplessness. Globalization initially may indeed do a lot of good in the hands of gentlemen like Mr Blair…but when eventually abused…it can be catastrophic. The ultimate result will be to make God and faith irrelevant (for only a god that is not truly God will agree to be served and worshipped with others) producing instead a type of modern neo-imperialism – leveraging unequal conditions of economic exchange to enthrone economic, political and technological and military advantage which administers a brand of “good decent governance” on the rest. It also, more worrisomely, will be the prepared medium for modern western thoughts on moral and social issues – notably on life, marriage and rights of religion – to be imposed on “inferior” cultures.

But the greatest inevitable threat is that it creates the ideal setting for the person the Bible calls the “The man of perdition” in 2 Thessalonians to emerge.

2 Thessalonians 2 [1] Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, [2] not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. [3] Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, [4] who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. [5] Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? [6] And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. [7] For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. [8] And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. [9] The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, [10] and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. [11] And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, [12] that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

We already see the falling away (of Christians) … the next event is the emergence of this person.

As I pray God finds His Cornelius and blinds His Sauls … I respectfully suggest that since Blair also warns that Christians must speak out in an aggressive secularist society, he should perhaps embrace more of his “rock and roll” hobby …as a more relaxing pastime in retirement. But then nothing will stop fulfilment of prophecy.  Watch and pray…as you stand fast (Originally published in The Christian Post.) …now to another British Global icon BP.

BP names Dudley as new CEO

I published recently in The Christian Post why BP should not focus only on the path of image laundering … and that replacing the CEO plays the aggressive corporate mogul card rather than the sympathy joker which it needs.  Image laundering suggests more screens will be devised to cover truth…It has already been announced that Dudley is to replace Tony Hayward.

Allow me to repeat again some generally applicable Bible lessons on recovery … and that recovery is indeed possible even in terrible situations. The following are some required elements.

1. Open public admission of wrong and unfeigned repentance/apology – coupled with preparedness to face the implications and not evade or downplay it. Instead of clever self-protection and expensive image laundering administered by PR consultants and lawyers, demonstrate heartfelt sorrow and genuine corporate pain that touches all in contact with BP. The real bitter tears, open regret and readiness to make amends laundered the soiled image of David not PR/image reengineering.

2. Resisting the temptation to dilute accountability by apportioning blame to partners or interests that could be “roped” in.

3. Integrity, honesty and generosity in settling the full bill to alleviate the impact on those adversely affected – even if this seems suicidal to corporate interest. Sympathy can be a very fickle emotion…soon the aggressor becomes its friend. David became a spectacle of sympathy.

4. Planning and expecting to come out but not through a quick-fix “delete” button. There is a new open door hiding in most valleys though only few find it. BP for example can fashion out a new winning paradigm (not PR gimmick) for corporate ethics and responsibility – especially as it relates to environmental protection…truly emerging as a new corporate leader.

What is common in both cases are that both Tony Blair and BP are powerful Global brands … and their thoughts, actions and decisions will affect our lives somehow …

Proverbs  [5]  Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. [6]  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

God bless you. Amen