So It’s Julia, Again

A week is a long time in politics. And what a week it’s been. Two very unsavoury types viciously slugging it out in most unedifying fashion. As I wrote earlier, it is all rather like Alien vs Predator. I was hoping both would self-destruct, once and for all. Perhaps they will yet do so.

So here we go again: yet another Labor leadership ballot, and this time it is more of Julia, by a vote of 71 to 31. About the only sure thing that can be said about all this is something Tony Abbott said recently, “the government is totally dysfunctional”. What an absolute circus the past few weeks – and past years – have been.

Indeed, another truth which can be affirmed here by everyone – except for die-hard Labor fans – is that this current batch of Labor leaders must be amongst the most inept, out of touch, and unqualified lot in Australian history. Have we ever witnessed such a shambolic bunch of misfits?

And all along the nation has suffered greatly. Why Labor thinks that Julia is going to save the day is beyond me. She was held up as the great white hope – the messiah – the first time by so many. In the same way Obama was held up as the great black hope – the messiah – by so many in the US, even by rather naive and undiscerning Christians.

So another run of Julia – will things be any better? One certainly should not hold one’s breath here. What we have here it seems to me is a clear case of reshuffling the deck chairs on the Titanic. The ship is going down big time, and all the furniture rearrangements will not really mean a hill of beans.

It seems pretty clear that with all the hyper-hate and bitterness which runs throughout the Labor Party, it will be impossible for Julia or anyone else to govern effectively. There is now so much bitterness, animosity, nastiness, jealousy, anger and in-fighting that this will be a completely dysfunctional and absolutely disunited government.

And what will Kevin now do? Will he engage in more white-anting from the back benches? Will he eventually resign? Will he mount another leadership challenge? And since Julia will likely continue to flounder in the days ahead, will other ambitious Labor MPs challenge her for the leadership role before the next federal election?

Things can only go downhill from here. This may be one of the ugliest, most divided and least cohesive Labor Parties of all times. It really is one pathetic joke. The public has had a gutful of it, and the only sensible solution is to bring on an election right now.

Why should faceless men hold the entire nation to ransom? Why should ego-tripping, overly ambitious, and out-of-touch politicos destroy a nation? So many ordinary Australians are getting desperate. They are crying out in despair: ‘We want our nation back!’ And they are quite right.

But since it is early days in terms of how all this will pan out, perhaps not too much more can be said about the political side of things here with any degree of certainty. But one can – and should – speak to the spiritual side of things. While it may surprise even many believers, the Bible has heaps to say about politics, government, rulers, and the like.

It offers us God’s perspective on these matters, which really should be the most important thing. It does not really matter what the political commentators think, including me. But it is vitally important what God has to say about these sorts of issues.

And he has said plenty. If one simply goes to just one book of the Bible – the book of Proverbs – one will find plenty of divine commentary on these topics. Plenty of proverbs could be mentioned here, but let me highlight one. The first half of Proverbs 28:2 says this: “When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers”.

This is an important text for many reasons. It certainly makes it clear that all the responsibility should not be placed on our leaders. When the people are not pleasing God, a multiplication of rulers and unstable leadership will be some of the bitter fruit. A sin soaked-land will see God’s displeasure reflected in its leadership woes.

Thus the old saying, “people get the leaders they deserve” may have some bearing here. While the phrase is not found in the Bible, there is some truth to it nonetheless. It is not amiss to bewail the lousy leadership we have at present. Indeed, it is our duty, both as citizens and as Christians, to hold it to account.

But if unrighteousness is found throughout the land, we can hardly expect to be blessed with godly and/or righteous rulers. We get what we deserve it seems. So we should be doing at least two things here. We should be praying for our leaders as we seek to make them accountable and more fully confirming to righteous leadership.

But we also should be holding the church to account – that is, ourselves. Because we have not been the people we should be, both as a church and as a nation, God is allowing this political quagmire to continue and multiply. The sins of the world are obvious, but the sins of the church also need to be addressed.

That is why 2 Chronicles 7:14 will always be so relevant here: “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

And plenty of other proverbs could be cited here. One thinks especially of such proverbs as the following:

Prov 14:34 Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.
Prov 28:12 When the righteous triumph, there is great elation; but when the wicked rise to power, people go into hiding.
Pro 29:2 When the godly are in authority, the people rejoice. But when the wicked are in power, they groan. (NLT)
Pro 29:12 If a ruler listens to lies, all his officials become wicked.

This is not the place to get into a big discussion about leadership and godliness. The truth is, there can be some good and helpful secular leaders. And there can be bad and inept Christian leaders. So I am not saying only Christians should be leaders. I will always prefer a competent and qualified secular ruler to an unqualified and incompetent Christian ruler.

And in the case of Julia, we know what an utter disaster she has been as a leader. Now we have to settle for more of her. How much lower this nation has to sink under such inept and out-of-touch leadership remains to be seen. But it seems it really can’t go much lower.

So it is Julia again. First, let us pray for her. But second, make sure you keep her and all of our leaders to close account. Third, expect to see more back-stabbing, coup attempts, and destabilisation in the days ahead. And fourth, all I can say is: bring on an election – now. I want my country back.

[1206 words]

35 Replies to “So It’s Julia, Again”

  1. Well said Bill. It is good to be reminded that when you point your finger at someone, there are three fingers pointing back at you! We really do need to get on our knees and repent and pray.
    Alison Stanley

  2. I read a comment that Labor kept Julia because they don’t want to rock the boat. My first thought in response that the boat is already under water whether they rock it or not.
    Dominic Snowdon

  3. Krudd’s speech was something to behold. He spent most of his time telling us what a great Foreign Minister he has been – and tells us it was the right thing for him to resign. What a megalomaniac this guy is.

    And then this: ‘People need the direct agency of government to live, and to live decently’! Kevin, you are even more of a Big Brother statist than we thought!

    With him and Julia calling the shots, no wonder we are in such a bad way.

    Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch

  4. And Julia informs us that it is now all sweetness and light! All things have been made new! Complete and utter unity! Wow what divine powers she has!

    Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch

  5. It is not Alien vs Predator, it is Jezebel vs Leviathan. This is the true import of the battle between Julia and Kevin.
    Noble Rajkumar

  6. Hi Bill,
    A few weeks ago i was praying that God would shine His torch light on this mess and I am quietly surprised by the outcome. I think this needed to take place. I believe that while many of all factions have lied to the Aus public, that there will be more to the work of exposing an illegitimate government. Mind that it is often the case of the better of two weevils, that neither faction has a great solution for a moral and free country. Both were and still are heading toward an almost communist style governance of power, where they do what they want only. While I believe that Rudd was done an injustice, I can see commonsense in his unstable platform being scuttled, where he was just not listening to the people. There is another factor coming in July when the new green senate takes action and Julia is ramping up for a stock of policy changes … this is her primary goal. I can’t see her team being scuttled on this unless Abbot has something up his sleeve (like a vision launch & policy show). Abbott’s hope of good stewardship is great aspiration, but he needs to present to the Aus people a realistic and tangible strategy platform to come up against the ecological & carbon policy of labor. while we would hope that morality would have a say in this coming days, unless the conviction of the Holy Spirit speaks to the whole nation and leaders, then this coming election will be all about 1. Marriage act 2. Carbon Tax 3. Mining tax 4. Fair work 5. Health. There are a lot of stake holders. I believe that when a people forget God, worship idols, God will scatter us. The risk on Australia is that we are very vulnerable at present – more than ever before, both on spiritual level and national.
    Douglas Mc Donald

  7. Since our atheist prime minister has ascended the throne, along with the Greens anti-Christian agenda, we have witnessed the “timely” humanist inspired High Court challenge to the state funding of school chaplains. Which in reality is primarily about the separation of Church and State. As has already happened in the UK, with the UK High Court decision supporting the Humanist-atheist “separation” of Church and State agenda.

    Making it highly likely that the Australian High Court decision will mirror that UK decision. Thus ending all state funding of religious schools and institutions, and technically ending state aid to Christian social services organizations, and even potentially ending State funding of church affiliated hospitals. Be warned, be very, very concerned!

    John Heininger

  8. Bill correct me if I’m wrong because I’m venturing into an area I know very little about, but to hear The Ministry of Defense (Israel) Misrad HaBitahon speak was enjoyable. He understated his points unlike Rudd or Julia. When a person now is quietly confident it’s misinterpreted and is thought of as a fool, because they’re not boasting loudly.
    Daniel Kempton

  9. If the two who contested the position for PM today are the only viable options for the Labor Party then Australia is a lost nation.
    My father was a staunch Labor man. The last time he voted in an election he came home most upset. When asked why he stated that for the first time in his life he had to vote Liberal. He has been dead for 35 years. So the rot had started even then.
    We need to get down on our knees, ask forgiveness of God, then pray like we have never prayed before asking for good leaders who will right the wrongs that have been forced upon us by incompetent and anti-God politicians.
    Madge Fahy

  10. I personally like to add that just this week I know God convicting me to pray for my leaders, no matter who they are and while I might be frustrated at times, that I also need to make use of that anger in a healthy and practical manner by practical contribution & remembering that these are also real people who lead us. It makes me respect more the countless saints that have gone before us in running the country from federation who built the process of leadership. The game at hand is influenced by business, lobby, media, but unlike the past, there is an amplification effect unprecedented in history of communications and if we are not careful we will allow the process of representation of the people be overridden by these loud voices whose weighting is in reality more or less than the peoples actual vote count. I do believe in the Westminster system is one of the most effective democratic systems available to us at present, however it may need to be tweeked to counter the surgence of media & lobby… at least in privacy of leadership process.
    Doug Mc Donald

  11. Its like Sodom and Gomorrah racing each other to see how degraded, idolatrous, sexually perverted, anti-human they can become.

    I wonder how long until they do human sacrifices on top of Parliament house.

    Look at Egypt, Libya, Iran, Pakistan, etc to see what we are bout to come up against as Christians.

    Neil Waldron

  12. It’s an easy cop out to be surprised at sin, sin will be with us until the curtain rises. But be more concerned that we don’t join the ranks of those who throw mud & stones. Mud sticks and stones kill, even our words do great injury. If we become like them by joining in on the mud slinging, then we are no better than they. Why not use the mightier weapons of the ‘prayers of a righteous man which availeth much’.
    Doug Mc Donald

  13. Krudd’s alleged remark to an official at a function run by the Shoppie’s Union, and repeated recently by Kate Ellis: “Why are all you conservative Catholics supporting a childless, atheistic, ex-Communist as PM” reflects equally badly on him, the Union, Catholics and society in general.
    Despite all this, it appears that Newspoll has recorded a bounce in ALP support on a two-party preferred basis from 45 to 47%.
    Such a result defies all logic, and suggests that the problems are more deep-seated than at first thought.
    Dunstan Hartley

  14. If Mr Rudd were to resign from parliament, would it trigger a by-election? If so, things could become even more “interesting”.
    Lex Clarke

  15. Don’t forget this one-

    Proverbs 29:4 By justice a king gives a country stability, but one who is greedy for bribes tears it down.

    Carl Strehlow

  16. As the King of Kings once said:… “a house divided against itself will fall.” Our Lord was countering the ridiculous proposition that Beelzebub had suddenly taken up the ministry of exorcism by proxy. I doubt that those who, for one week, were fountains of invective and vitriol can suddenly exorcise their party’s demons.

    Do we have something akin to the work of God at Babel – an agenda for a man-made “God-free” pluralist utopia – a man-made, amoral, “stairway to Heaven” set into confusion and disintegration by the invisible hand of God?

    It is certainly uncanny that this whole power struggle has come to a head just days after Mr Bandt introduced the Greens’ Marriage Equality Bill into the House of Representatives.

    These speculations aside, we do need to pray and effectively declare the will of God to our countrymen…The majority of Australians do appear to be marching with gay abandon, politically correct “righteous indignation” away from the gates of Heaven, away from willing submission to the rule of the God who is from everlasting to everlasting.

    Will this be the generation that marches willingly into the arms of that “Human Animal”, the Antichrist – much the same as, after World War I, Weimar Republic Germany was seduced into the arms of the Nazis and their soi-disant “messiah”, Adolf Hitler?

    John Wigg

  17. One of my favourite quotes: “The only thing socialism can produce is shortages.” It seems Australia is short on leaders that the people can trust. My concern is that The Greens are attracting the sympathy vote from those disillusioned with both Tony Abbot and Julia Gillard. I encourage Christian to join political parties and use their vote in pre-selections to ensure better quality candidates. Yes, we need to pray for righteous leadership in our nation.
    Eric Frith

  18. I weep for Australia. Newspoll tells us that 47% of our countrymen are stark raving mad; they will vote or give their preference to Labor.
    Des Morris

  19. Hi Bill, your rules to commenting are difficult to live by when one get angry by all these events that take place Down Under. I wish I could express my anger about this shambles in a kind controlled manner as you seem to master so well.
    Moreover, some of your comments and words you use certainly tend to drive stakes through the hearts of our Dear leaders. Keep it up Bill, you have a great following, I love reading all the stuff you provoke your readers to express.
    Cheers,
    Bill Heggers Perth

  20. Doug McDonald, I’ve been with you in praying for the Truth to be exposed. Every time believers have prayed thus, something has happened – from Climategate to Craig Thompson, the Australia Day rigged riot to the leadership spill, and everything in between (mainly the Greens disastrous policies).

    And to all who want an election NOW!, please take care. I heard that we can’t have an election for the Senate for quite a while because of their different sitting rules.

    So an election now would not eliminate the hold the Greens have over policy in government.

    The only way THAT will happen is via a double dissolution after
    a) a no-confidence motion is passed
    b) somehow the LNP Coalition forms a new government
    c) the new government has two bills rejected twice by the Senate within 3 months (I think)

    Let’s keep praying for the light of Truth to be shone into every dark corner.

    John Angelico

  21. While we are all desperate for an election, let us be fully alerted to the fact that as far as the Liberal party, they are simply just slightly better than what we have now.
    Many of their members vote according to their secular humanist world view also.
    As far as I am concerned the Liberal party are only marginally better at representing the Christian constituency than Labor.
    At the state level,
    Mr Bailleu voted in favor of the worst abortion laws the western world has seen (2008 Abortion Law Reform Act)
    Mr O’Farrell continues to use tax payers fund and gives personal endorsement for the Mardi Gras, at the same time as reducing other community welfare programs, ignoring the wishes of the NSW taxpayers and in Qld Mr Newman is vague about his position on civil unions and yesterday conceded that he may not repeal the new legislation that allows such.
    Then we have a whole stack of those in federal parliament supporting liberal abortion laws and gay marriage (Joe Hockey, Malcolm Turnbull, Julie Bishop…to name but a few)
    Even Mr Abbott has publicly stated that he will not revisit abortion laws should he become PM.
    More than an election, we need dedicated and uncompromising Christians to rise up and stand as independents in their local areas to take back our country.
    Annette Williams

  22. Thanks Annette

    To highlight the meltdown of the Labor Party is of course not to pretend that things are perfect with the Libs. They clearly have many problems as well, especially at the state level. But all things considered, on the federal level, there are still significant differences. As just one example: the ALP has abortion on demand as official policy – the Libs do not.

    Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch

  23. The phrase “separation of Church and State was used above (by John Heininger) and I’d like to further highlight that this phrase really means “removal of Church from any kind of ideological influence of life in general”.

    John Angelico: Yes, we must pray earnestly!

    Dominic Snowdon

  24. Nice job exposing the chutzpah of Kevin and Julia. I agree with DES. I can’t understand why so many sheeple are still happy to vote for these despots. Our worst and second worst PMs ever.
    Damien Spillane

  25. Dear Bill, There are two bills about same sex marriage on the Federal Government agenda, waiting to be debated. I wonder if that has anything to do with Julia Gillard’s re-endorsement.
    Regards, Franklin Wood

  26. To continue your “titanic” analogy, I wonder who gets the limited seats on the too few life boats. The titanic was of course “the ship that could not sink”, named so by the proud manufacturer. More similarities? Or is the Labour Party “too big to fail”? like Greece?
    Many blessings
    Ursula Bennett

  27. Just remember that character assassination is an ALP specialty – most recently on each other. ALP have praticed on opposition leaders for a decade in NSW and Queensland and have been praticing on Tony Abbott since before he became opposition leader.
    Krudds attack on Tony last Friday was that Tony would take women’s right’s back to the 1950’s – as I recollect families were much more stable back then so maybe we do need to go backwards to something that once worked.
    Stephen White

  28. Ursula,
    Just a point of correction: it was not the builders of the Titanic who proclaimed her “unsinkable”. It was journalists of the time who in their euphoria attached that sobriquet. And perhaps there is a further parallel to the present, viz. that the Canberra press gallery proclaims Gillard and her government “unsinkable”, hopes against all hope that she is unsinkable, could not even entertain the idea that she could sink, and would be utterly aghast if she did finally sink.
    Murray R Adamthwaite

  29. Dear Bill, Thank you Bill for an excellent article. The result of the leadership spill also shows that most of the caucus members have no wisdom. How could they in conscience vote for a leader who is godless, lives openly in sin and worst of all is so heartless that she can help draft laws which allows the murder of unborn babies up to birth? No matter how imperfect Kevin Rudd is at least he is married with a family and is a Christian who says his prayers on a Sunday. I think those things are very important because your public life will reflect your private views. For instance the Bible speaks harshly of the sin of fornication and if on top of that they are childless by choice and have helped to draft evil laws which allow the murder of unborn babies up to birth they are nothing but hypocrites if they work a crowd by kissing and cuddling other babies. I firmly believe that we must always take into consideration the type of person a person is in their private life because if they can’t be trusted in that they can’t be trusted in their public life. However, as you say we only get the leaders we deserve and since most Australians are either godless or at best lukewarm Christians that too will be reflected in our Parliamentarians as they are drawn from the general populace. We Christians will just have to pray and work harder.
    Patricia Halligan

  30. Julia Gillard vs Kevin Rudd reminds me of rev. 3.16 about being hot cold or lukewarm: Ms Gillard being cold and Mr Rudd lukewarm.
    Sue Daniels

  31. What really amazes me out of all this is the large number of people who still support labor in the polls as if they can do no wrong.
    Is it any wonder we have such a mess.
    It also surprises me how many don’t like Tony Abbott even though he has a good track record as a minister under Howard with the odd exception. I think he is better than they give him credit for. And oh my what a contrast to the stability of the Howard days.
    But then God has His own purposes that often confound us.
    Rob Withall

  32. Though there is concern at our political scene, I am confident there are far greater things at play on a higher level, as indicated by someone from the USA who put this up on facebook today as a reminder. Our society is changing and not for the better but God is at work to bring his will to pass and we must be focused and trusting upon Him

    “God has engineered a situation where only one factor alone can prevail and no other. The final and ultimate crisis can only be met on the ground of resurrection. Something is required of the church that even our best is not good enough. We will only overcome on the ground of resurrection. When our faith has died and we are operating on the “faith of the Son of God.” Art Katz The Consummation of Israel and the Church

    Rob Withall

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