Hoisted upon my own petard

It’s an idiom from Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, and it essentially means "to fall into one's own trap.” It's relevance to me, is that I feel I was set up by what I am blogging, and challenged to live up to what I am writing! He does that you know!


 In a recent post for example, I blogged about the silences of the Christian community. Now I have tended to avoid politics my entire life. You see there’s no such thing as a perfect political party. Well you knew that! It’s the same with church really, but I don’t avoid church for that reason! And I have said it before (but done nothing about it), that Christians are needed on all side of the spectrum.

We are admonished in Isaiah 60:1 to “Arise shine for your light has come.” Now up until this point the imperfectly received light shining through me has being restricted largely to the Christian community. However, long story short, through a series of “coincidences,” I was alerted to an issue at a policy meeting of the PCs that was close to my heart. and I found myself, me the apolitical animal, prodded and challenged to respond to what I am saying in my own blogs. So, not without some resistance, I join up so I could vote on the issue, and then to write some letters!

Father, thank You that the light I have received, though imperfectly received has nevertheless lightened my darkness, and been a huge transforming experience. It’s both scary and exciting to be challenged to live up to my own standards. I mean who knows where this will lead? But You have reminded that I must not hide my light (Your light really) under a bushel (Matthew 5:15), and You also promised to lead and guide me, to never never to leave me nor forsake me, and You are a very present help. So I once again commit my life to You and say “Here I am use me as You please” In Jesus Name Amen

Take the plank out of your own eye

There are two scriptures on my heart this morning (well three really). The first is “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness” (Isaiah 5:20). The second is “unless you repent you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:5).

Those who say that documents 2000 years old and older can have no relevance for today, really do not know those documents (the Bible). And our first Scripture is indeed relevant, even if you think, as many do, that it applies to Christians (but see Matthew 7:16). From my point of view it is the propaganda of the Evil One which is behind it all, for he has blinded the eyes of those who do not believe. And like Nineveh of old, our culture does not know its left-hand from its right. In other words the lies of moral relativism have left us without discernment, and ultimately without an anchor for the soul.

Related to the “woe” of the first Scripture is the “repent” of the second. But this one is talking more to me this morning, than to my culture. You see in the third Scripture from Matthew 7:5 Jesus is telling me to first take the plank out of my own eye, before I can see clearly to take the speck of dust out of the other person’s eye. In other words I need to set my own house in order, before I set out to change the world. And like the Lord with the Nineveh, I need to have compassion on those whom the Evil One has led astray. And part of setting my house in order, is to make sure I have climbed down from any high horse I might be tempted to ride. After all “The wrath of man does not work the righteousness of God” (James 1:20)!

Father, the Scripture from Matthew 7:5 does not tell me after I have taken the plank out of my own eye to live and let live. No, it tells me that only after I have taken the plank out of my own I will I be able to see clearly to start to change the world. I am hearing you telling me this morning Lord, that I have been silent for far too long. I confess that I have been afraid, and once again I pray for the wisdom and courage to be your man in this wicked and perverse generation among whom You call me to be a light. Who is sufficient for these things (2 Corinthians 2:16)? I pray these things in Jesus Name Amen

Where do wars and fights come from among you?

The context of this quote from James 4:1 makes it clear that he is talking about the internal civil war that so often rages within each one of us. The scriptural answers given to this question are however, equally applicable to wars between nations, various groups and in fact to the cultural wars raging in North America and elsewhere. Scriptural answers include anger, wrath, bitterness, resentment, jealousy, selfish ambition, pride, a loose tongue, greed, envy etc., etc.

“It takes two to tango” (Hesitations 3:24)! it’s a joke of course, there is no such book in the Bible. The meaning though is that both parties involved in an argument are responsible for it. There is Biblical support for this “A soft answer turns away wrath” (Proverbs 15:1). As I think about this, there are two things that concern me this morning. The first is the overemphasis on rights. The second, and related to the first, is over the top demands to compensate for victimhood.

Human rights are violated all the time. I mean why should your right to a peaceful night’s rest trump my right to play drums at 3 o’clock in the morning? Of course some rights should indeed trump others, but should we all have to pay for injustices done in the past by other people we don’t even know? I’m not saying that there are no victims, nor that there are not times when compensation should be given, nor that there is not a collective responsibility for the sins of our ancestors. But in fact at some level, we are all victims, and if victimhood is always deserving of compensation, then at some level we should all have the right to compensation. So where does it all end? What is very clear to me, is that all too often, and all too easily the victim becomes the oppressor.

Our dilemma as Christians it seems to me, is to know how to deal with these things in a way that honours the Lord. Scripture tells me “As much as is possible within you, live at peace with all” (Romans 12:18), and I need to know what this means in practical terms!

Father, I come to you this morning confessing that many times my motives have been far from pure, and my reactions far from Christlike. But also Lord many times I do not know how to respond. Lord I pray for myself and and all people of goodwill this morning, that we may know the what and when and how to speak, and and when we do, to have the grace and the courage to do so in love. But also Lord we need to know when to let go of our rights, and our own sense of victimhood. Please bring clarity to these things, in Jesus Name Amen

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem

For anyone who has followed the conflict in the Middle East between Israel and the Palestinians, a prayer for the peace of Jerusalem must seem like asking for the moon! But sooner or later, in God’s timing, it will happen. I know this for two reasons. The first, is that this has to be in His sovereign will, or He would not ask us to pray it (Psalm 122:6). This does not mean that there will not be an Armageddon type war before it happens. The second reason for my confidence, is that He has already fulfilled many aspects of His stated plan and purpose for Israel.

Few believed 100 years ago, that the Jews would ever again dwell in their ancient ancestral homeland. It was however prophesied (Isaiah 11:12). In addition He asks and answers in the affirmative “Can a nation be born in a day” (Isaiah 66:8)? It happened in 1948. For me, these things constitute some of the greatest evidences for the divine inspiration of the Scriptures.

Talking recently with a friend, he asked why we can’t we share Jerusalem (Judaism, Christianity and Islam). Well for one thing, it’s not an easy thing because the two sons of Abraham (Isaac and Ishmael) have been fighting on and off for over 3,000 years. The current plight of the Palestinian people is truly horrendous, but certainly there are grave provocations and injustices on both sides! However after many failed attempts at peace, the thing that stands out to me is the question: “How can you make peace with someone who continues to be committed to your extinction?” It’s not as if it hasn’t been tried!

Father, You have promised to bless those who bless Israel and curse those who curse Israel (Numbers 24:9). I don’t pretend to understand this, and it’s scary Lord, as increasingly the whole world is being drawn into this ancient conflict. But I want to affirm this morning that I know that You are in control, and You will have your way. So I continue to pray this prayer for peace, if only because You ask me to. Thank You also for your promise to bless those who bless Israel, and though Israel like Canada is far from perfect, I do ask you to bless her (and Canada) this morning. Only You can bring peace Lord, in Jesus Name Amen

To shut up and say something different from what you think, is to warp your soul

Being an oversensitive individual, I am the very last person to be advocating deliberate insensitivity. However sooner or later, we will all be faced with the question “How far am I willing to go to avoid offending people who, with a thinly disguised political agenda, are looking for ways to take offence so as to silence any and all opposition?”

According to Wikipedia, The Human Rights Code of Newfoundland and Labrador has no provision for "emotional damages.” Well not yet! This is not the case in Ontario, Jordan Peterson, a professor at U of T and the author of the quote at the head of this post, tells of class a reaction to a video of a tall white man in his 30s who asked students how they would react if he told them he identified as a woman, as black, as short and as a 5 year old. The reaction was mostly accepting, but students were not engaging in discussion. And when asked why, it became clear that it was that they were afraid to speak their minds. There is such tyranny in the doctrine of political correctness!

Peterson relates that he has had hundreds of letters saying similar things. He also said that he had had conversations with a number of lawyers including one who has been counsel to a number of prime ministers. This lawyer told him that if he was brought up before the human rights tribunal, it would cost him $250,000, he would will lose and he would pay the legal costs for his opponents. The lawyer then told him to go back to his safe little life, and shut his mouth. Peterson has been branded as a far right extremist, but in my mind, this is all part of the war for our minds. Check it out for yourself on YouTube. I thank God this morning for the balanced wisdom and courage of this man. I am praying for him, please do the same!

Father, I cannot and must not close my eyes to the signs that the assault has already begun here in Newfoundland. And I need to figure out the how, the when and the what of how You want me to respond to it all. So I pray the serenity prayer again this morning “God give me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference” in Jesus Name Amen

I know too much science to believe in God - Not

It never ceases to amaze me how many people have the impression that science has disproved God. But I know that part of it, is that highly intelligent and knowledgeable people say confidently and persistently things like “We believe that only natural (as opposed to supernatural) laws and forces operate in the world." In fact this statement could easily function as a definition of scientific naturalism.

And at some level it makes perfect sense. Certainly in the past things we did not understand were attributed to God, and then it turned out later that they had perfectly reasonable natural explanations. But there is a big problem if we try and apply the definition to origins. I mean we now know from the theory of relativity, that the universe had a beginning. Before that, there was simply nothing there, no matter, no time, no energy, absolutely nothing. So to say that there is a natural explanation for the beginning of the universe, is to say that nothing created everything that is out of nothing. And this clearly contradicts the scientific notion of cause and effect.

In particular since there was a time that the material universe did not exist, then something outside of the universe must have caused it to come into existence! So there is a problem with the far-reaching implications of the word “only” in the definition of scientific naturalism. In fact when you include the word “only” in the definition, then you can only hold it to be true by faith, and by a faith that defies logic and experience. In particular, rather than knowing too much science to believe in God, a person who says such things does not know enough science!

Father, how polarized is your world. And how easy it would be to take the truth of what we are saying here today and hit others over the head with it. “This truth has just struck me, let me strike you with it!” Lord we need, I need, Your help here to speak the truth in love. Thank You that I can be confident of the help I am asking for here, because it is so very clearly in Your will (Ephesians 4:15) in Jesus Name Amen

To know the love of God that surpasses knowledge

It is no wonder that the wisdom of the cross is foolishness to unbelievers (1 Corinthians 1:18), to those for whom existence consists of the rational/material and nothing more. In particular the above quote from Ephesians 3:19 must sound totally foolish. But if the God who reveals Himself, the very same One whose very nature is love (1 John 4:8), if this God exists, then it can make perfect sense.

In order to say more, I need to point out that even in the secular, knowledge it is much more than rational knowledge. In fact, we know in three different ways. Certainly we know by rationality and logic, but we also know by intuition, and experience. So part of what it means to know the love of God, is that we experience Him, that we feel His love for us. God’s love, and in fact human love too, transcends rational knowledge. We can’t even define love for goodness sake! But we know when feel loved!

You may have noticed that I said above that it “can make perfect sense.” It is by no means automatic even for the Christian! Many of us, because of abuse etc., etc. have damaged emotions. I remember one man saying that it took him 40 years to wipe his father’s face off the face of God. In other words for the longest time he was still confusing God with his father. And that made it very difficult for him to trust God, let alone allow Him close enough to feel His love!

Father, this prayer of Paul’s from Ephesians 3 is important, because we will not even begin to fully live the Christian life until we begin to know Your love in the way being asked for in this prayer. And part of our loving You with all our heart, mind, soul and strength (Mark 12:30, 31), is to come to You in prayer, and to ask for Your courage, strength, wisdom and Grace to cooperate with You in dealing the life issues we all have, the issues that keep us from experiencing Your life-changing love. And Lord I pray this, and the Ephesians prayer (Ephesians 3:16-19) this morning, both for myself and for those reading these posts in Jesus Name Amen