storm Archives - Colin Dye

Christian GP found guilty of malpractice for sharing his faith

Colin Dye — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 14:31:45 +0000

The General Medical Council?s Investigation Committee has today (14 June) reprimanded a Christian doctor for sharing his faith with a patient at the end of a private consultation.?The GMC has ruled that his actions ?did not meet the standards required of a doctor?. Dr Richard Scott has now been issued with a Warning which will remain on his record for five years.

Dr Scott was initially investigated by the GMC after it received a complaint from a patient that Dr Scott had discussed the benefits of Christianity with him.

The National Secular Society encouraged the proceedings and handed transcripts of evidence to the GMC, detailing Dr Scott?s appearances on radio and television where he had defended himself.
Dr Scott, who has been a doctor for over 28 years, was initially investigated by the GMC after it received a complaint from a patient that Dr Scott had discussed the benefits of Christianity with him.
The GMC proceeded with the case despite the fact that the patient refused to give evidence in person.
No cross-examination
Dr Scott, represented by Human Rights Barrister Paul Diamond, and supported by the Christian Legal Centre, argued that the case should be ?Struck Out?, as a proper and fair hearing could not take place if Mr Diamond was not able to cross-examine the patient in person.
However, the GMC ruled that the patient?s evidence could be given over the telephone and in secret – an extraordinary procedure – meaning that Dr Scott?s defence team were denied an adequate opportunity to assess the patient?s responses.
In his evidence, the patient was unclear about how long his consultation with Dr Scott had lasted, yet he maintained that he was offered no medical options, but was told that belief in Jesus Christ was the only way that his suffering would be relieved.
However, Dr Scott testified that he had provided medical options, but raised his faith because he believed it could help the patient. Dr Scott claims that when he asked whether he could discuss faith, his patient said ?Go for it?.
The GMC preferred the patient?s evidence over Dr Scott?s.
Comment
Dr Scott said:
?I?m deeply upset at this decision by my professional body.
?My professional reputation has been compromised and I have been disciplined, just for sharing my Christian views – yet it is recognised by many peer-reviewed articles that faith can help unwell people.
?My barrister was not given the opportunity to cross-examine the complainant face to face and for the case to be tried in this way is plainly wrong.
?The GMC has taken two years to drag this case out knowing that the complainant would never show up.
?I will be seeking further legal advice as to a Judicial review of the GMC?s handling of its disciplinary procedures, as the amateur and unjust way this trial is being conducted is an insult to me and to every member of the medical profession.?
Andrea Williams, CEO of the Christian Legal Centre, said:
?I am appalled by this decision. Many doctors will be deeply concerned with the way this case has been handled by the GMC. Why was the evidence heard in secret??
?Our society seems to becoming more and more repressive, with ordinary, decent people being reported to the authorities and disciplined, not for committing any crime, but just for expressing their Christian beliefs.?
Resources
Case File: Dr Richard Scott
Christian Concern: Religious Freedom

The Perfect Storm and the Fiery Trial

I have been speaking recently about a perfect storm and a fiery trial coming to Britain and the nations of Europe, aimed at the Christian faith. For those who have asked to hear more about this, I have prepared a summary of what I believe we are facing.
I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek (Romans 1:16).
We are engaged in a spiritual battle for the soul of Britain and Europe. More than ever, the urgent need is for a generation of genuine disciples of Christ to proclaim the gospel in power. The spiritual destiny of Britain depends on it.

The perfect storm ahead of us

Opposition to the Christian message is increasing and is set to increase all the more in the days ahead. It would be wrong to call this a conspiracy, but various trends and influences in society are rapidly coming together and will combine to produce a perfect storm against followers of Christ in Britain and wider Europe. I believe it will strike on every front and at every level of the church of Jesus Chris. Militant atheism, liberalism, secularism, political and social antagonism, as well as false religion seem to be joining together, in an unprecedented way, with one ultimate aim – to weaken the influence of Christian churches and push the Christian faith to the margins of our society.
The potential of such a storm is that many believers will make shipwreck of their faith, abandoning it altogether or becoming weak and ineffective as disciples of Christ. But if we respond as God wants us to, we can withstand the storm and present Christ as the only solution to society?s problems.
Beyond the storm, I believe a fiery trial is looming. This is the kind of opposition in which our very lives may well be on the line for the sake of the gospel. I do not wish to be alarmist, but if we are unable to withstand the storm, how will we withstand the fire? I see the storm as inevitable (some might say it is already here), but I believe that we may be able to avert the fiery trial. If we seek God, set our house in order, stand firm as disciples of Christ and actively present Christ both in our personal lives and in the public domain, we may yet see God intervene and save our nation from what is looming ahead.
Read the helpful scriptures below, and see my article ?Facing the Storms of Life? .
1 Timothy 1:18-19
Fight the Good Fight
This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, 19 having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck?
Hebrews 3:12-14
Exhort One Another
Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; 13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end?
1 Peter 4:12-19
Suffering for God’s Glory
Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. 14 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters. 16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.
17 For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 Now
“If the righteous one is scarcely saved,
Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?”
19 Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.

The post Christian GP found guilty of malpractice for sharing his faith appeared first on Colin Dye.

Bank of England warns of 'storm from Europe'- Do we need to be afraid?

Colin Dye — Wed, 16 May 2012 10:52:53 +0000

Bank of England governor Mervyn King warns of a storm coming to Europe

God sent a great shaking to the nations in 2008. The effects of the global financial crisis are still with us and will be with us for many years to come. But God is also stirring the church into action, because we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken.
Bank of England governor Sir Mervyn King has warned of the “risk of a storm heading our way from the Continent” as he flagged the eurozone as the greatest threat to the UK’s recovery.
Sir Mervyn’s warning came as the Bank said the UK economy will not return to pre-financial crisis levels before 2014 after it cut its growth forecasts for the next two years. The Bank now expects growth of around 0.8% this year.
And the squeeze on consumer spending is set to maintain its grip as the rate of inflation falls more slowly than previously expected, remaining above the Government’s 2% target for the next year or so.
While the Bank said it did not see a “meaningful way” of factoring in an extreme financial event – such as the collapse of the euro – into its projections, it said the biggest risk to recovery stems from the single currency bloc, the UK’s main trading partner.
source

What does all this mean?

I certainly do not claim too much by way of the prophetic words I gave at the beginning of the year 2008. Some would say that you didn’t need to be a prophet to predict a financial storm. The signs were all too obvious anyway. But a prophetic message is more about ‘forth-telling’ than it is about ‘fore-telling’. The most important question is, ‘What do these things mean?’ In other words, ‘What is God up to in all this?’ Quite simply, God is shaking the nations so that what cannot be shaken will be revealed.

The shaking

The book of Hebrews helps us understand what God is doing both nationally and internationally. God is shaking the nations and he is shaking our society. At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken ? that is, created things ? so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Hebrews 12:26-27

False ‘gods’

Whenever God sends a shaking, it is always to shake our confidence in all the false things we trust in. God is shaking the false foundations of our society, both in judgement and mercy. In judgement because we have been worshiping the wrong thing – mammon. In mercy, because this shaking shows the inadequacy of our foundations and gives us the opportunity to build again on the right foundations – the kingdom of God.

What can we do? We can pray, we can claim some of these promises and we can say “Dear God, protect me in this time of financial difficulty”.

Here is how we can do it…

I counsel you, value your job and your employment; don’t play games with them. Make sure you are in the job God has called you to be in and do it with all your might, faithfulness and grace because that job will see you through. We are going to pray for the unemployed tonight that God will get you into employment this year.
Start dealing with your debt. We will teach on that because during financial difficulty, if you are in debt it is more difficult. It is nothing to worry about or fear but it is important to be diligent in dealing with your debt. We are going to look at some of the ways in which we can do that.
If there is a sense of financial difficulty coming, do not forfeit your tithes and offerings. It is a natural and human temptation when you think that times are tough and there is a squeeze on, so you cut back on your giving – don’t do that. be faithful in your giving because there are promises – they are not mechanical promises like a ‘one-armed bandit’ machine – but if we are faithful in our tithes and offerings, God will open the windows of heaven and he will pour out his blessing.

So, in financial terms, be ready because the storm is coming – you don’t need to be prophetic to see that whole thing beginning to take place.

I have recently been prompted by the Holy Spirit to speak out about the ?perfect storm? that is about break out on the Christian Church in Britain and Europe. Opposition to the Christian faith is definitely intensifying. Different influences seem to be coming together that could soon combine to produce a perfect storm of difficulty for followers of Christ in our region of the world.
Read it in my article : “Facing the storms of life“

The post Bank of England warns of 'storm from Europe'- Do we need to be afraid? appeared first on Colin Dye.