70 million by 2029

The Office for National Statistics has stated that the UK population will reach 70 million by 2029. Every year we are told that 425,000 more people will be living here, the eqivalent of a city the size of Bristol. Our population is 61 million at the moment - this is some growth rate; nearly twice as fast as it took the population to grow from 50 to 60 million between 1948 and 2005.

What will our country be like in 2029? Will there be room for cars on the road? Will we have countryside? Will our cities be more polluted? What about jobs? Will it still be an aging population? What about cultural diversity; what will it mean to be British? Questions which we really cannot answer!

I will be 68 if I am alive in 2029. Have you thought about what age you will be, where you might be and what you could be doing. Now that sounds like a good line for selling life insurance - well I am not selling but I am making you aware of reality. None of us know where we will be in 2029. Our circumstances could have changed beyond recognition.

What's the worst case scenario? Well you say I could be dead! Morbid, maybe; possible, sadly yes. May I tell you how I feel. Much as I do not particularly want to die it is not the worse case scenario for me. For when I die I am going straight to heaven. How do you know you say? To quote the old children's chorus - 'the bible tells me so'. After Jesus Christ had died on the cross, he rose again. Eventually he returned to heaven from where He came. On numerous occasions (John.17.24)the Lord Jesus taught that those who believe on Him (trust and depend on Him for eternal life)on earth will go to be with Him in heaven when they die. Other New Testament books teach this as well (Phil.1.23). That's what I am looking forward to. What about you? You go one of two places, the bible also teaches that. You can be sure of heaven! It could be true for you as well, 'the Bible tells me so'.

New 'Naked' X-Ray Machine

It sounds like a joke but it is quite the opposite. Manchester Airport took delivery recently of a new type of x-ray machine. It's novelty is this - it captures a naked image of passengers so that staff can spot if they are hiding explosives or weapons. An airport spokesman described the images as quite revealing. This is an alternative to being 'patted down' by security staff which I am told that most passengers do not like. Whatever you think of this new machine the aim is to expose potential sources of danger and to prevent terrorism. We all like the outcome despite our sensitivity to the process.

The truth is that none of us likes to be exposed even if essentially we have nothing to hide. It makes us feel vunerable.

The Bible teaches us that before God we will all be exposed; not physically but spiritually. The secrets of our hearts will be brought out into the open on the day of judgement (Romans 2.16). Another passage in the letter to the Hebrews teaches us that there is no one that God does not know inside out and that everything about us is exposed under His penetrating gaze (Hebrews 4.13).

It would be wise to listen to the voice of God now and accept His offer of forgiveness though faith in Jesus Christ than to wait until it is too late and hear those soul chilling words 'depart from me'. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.