It
would appear that pilfering money internally from a Bank is easier than an
external attempt by seasoned bank-robbers with their elaborate plans involving
explosives and getaway vehicles. In
the early to mid 1990’s Nick Leeson worked in Singapore for Baring’s Bank as
general manager of their Futures Markets. By the title of his book he became a
‘Rogue Trader’, meaning that he fraudulently ran up debts against the Bank of
US$1.4Billion. Eventually, in 1995 he was charged with fraud and sent to prison
for six and a half years but was released in 1999 having been diagnosed with
colon cancer. It was alleged in the New York Times that the British Press had
uncovered accounts linked to him for the value of US$35million.
Springtime
2008 at Societe Generale Bank was not a happy place to be. In January another
trader, Jerome Kerviel caused the Bank losses of US$7.2Billion by fraudulent
trading. Then in March the Bank sued a Turkish Jeweller for the non payment of
15 Tonnes of Gold, the Jeweller accepted responsibility of payment for only
3,250 kg of the precious metal valued at US$94Million. This now you see it, now
you don’t, has all the appearance of a massive scam.
German International Broadcaster Deutsche Welle, reported
on 24th. September, ‘The chief executive of Swiss banking giant
UBS, Oswald Gruebel, resigned on Saturday in the wake of a rogue trading
scandal that cost the bank some $2.3 billion (1.7 billion euros).’ A London
based trader for UBS, 31 year old, Kweku Adoboli has been charged with fraud
and if found guilty could face a long custodial sentence. Barings,
Societe Generale and UBS all appeared to be sound financial houses but each
were found wanting in relation to security, no proper checks and balances were
in place to avert such happenings.
About
25 years ago, my wife and I took our Motorhome/Gospel Van to the ‘Elephant
Fayre’ in Cornwall. A word about the title, it had nothing to do with elephants
other than if you look at a map of S/W England you will see that the County of
Cornwall is shaped like an elephant’s head. The three day Rock/Arts Festival
was staged at Lord Elliot’s estate at St. Germans, styled on the Gladstonbury
Festival. Drugs and alcohol being an indulgence of many of the 30,000 people
attending. We
attached a market type stand to the side of our van, displaying free literature
and presented a Gospel Witness to those that passed by, promoting some good
spiritual conversations. Two
young ‘Punk Rockers’ presented themselves to my wife with the question. “Does
your religion give a cup of tea away?” She replied, not only so but if they
wanted to join her in the van she would prepare them some cheese and tomato
sandwiches. Their faces brightened, then they told her that they had been
living out of the bins the past few days. I joined them at the table in the van
and got talking to them and my heart went out to them as I told them the
gospel. We had two sons of similar age to them! Their
appearance was typical to their following, both had mohican hair cuts, one was
dyed pale green, the other orange. From a distance you might have thought that
they had got a parrot on their head. During the conversation one boy said to
me, “Don’t judge us by our appearance”. I replied that I never judge a book by
its cover! Their brashness seemed to disolve as we got under their radar and
targetted their souls with the life giving message of the gospel.
Some
appearances can be pretence, but the three appearances of the Son of God in
Hebrews ch.9 have nothing false about them. “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which
are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in
the presence of God for us: Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the
high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; For
then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now
once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the
sacrifice of himself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after
this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and
unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin
unto salvation.”
The first reference tells us where Christ is
presently; He is in the presence of God in Heaven. This statement confirms the
fact that He is a living Saviour and that He is there FOR US! People that
believe on Him and have committed their life to Him have the assurance that
their Saviour is presently in Heaven for them, interceding on their behalf. It
is good to know that one’s life is in the hands of the highest person in the
highest place.
All this has been secured because in time
passed He appeared on earth to deal with the offensiveness and guilt of man’s
sin. He did this by giving His life at Calvary, where He died on our account
that He might bring us undeserving sinners back to God. I love the gospel because it tells me of the grace of God (GRACE = God’s
Riches At Christ’s Expense). He loved me and gave
Himself for me. Paul said that and so can all those that are saved by faith in
His death and resurrection.
Soon that third reference will take place, He is going to appear the
second time, apart from the sin question, because He is coming to reign as King
of Kings and Lord of Lords.
It is not popular in today’s secular atheistic world to believe in any
of those three appearances of Christ found in Hebrews ch.9, but I do and would
encourage you to start with the middle one relating to the past, He appeared to
put away your sin. Believe that and your present life will take on a different
meaning and your future will be no pretence but you will appear with Him in
glory. How about that? God bless.
Written for Stephen Baker by Stan Burditt of Northampton
For further information visit www.seekthetruth.org.uk
