It is common these days to hear people speak disparagingly of “old fashioned values” We have grown up now, they say, and science has given us the answers to the questions about life that people used to need faith or superstition to cope with. We want to run our lives without restrictions or interference.
Before the Enlightenment, morality in the western world had a firm basis- the Word of God as revealed in the Bible. The Ten Commandments were basic to most of their laws.
The Enlightenment was an era when the scientists and philosophers developed a faith that science and reason would give them the answers to life’s questions. The criteria of truth were “is it scientific? Can it be proved?” Of course when these tests were applied to God, the conclusion was – no.
So a dualism developed; there were facts which could be proved and there were values which were unprovable. As science became more trusted than faith and emotion, then moral values and religion were sidelined. Science now purports to account fully for such questions as: where did we come from? Where are we headed? Since Darwin, it is hard to claim that mankind is in any real sense different from apes.
This is the essence of materialism. The universe is a great machine, which runs by fixed laws, observed by science. Mankind is just a cog in this machine. To exclude anything not scientifically provable is known as scientism- science elevated to the status of religion.
The first problem for scientism is that it is based on false logic. They say that the only things true and valid, are those which can be scientifically proven. But how can they know whether what they observe is all there is? All they can say is that they believe that only things which can be proved are true. They use a statement of faith to claim that faith is not valid.
And, when they claim that mankind is progressing, they are making another statement of faith – which goes against the evidence, but is practically a modern creed.
Our legal system denies atheism, because how could we punish a criminal if he has no genuine free will? If he were ‘programmed’ then he cannot be blamed for his actions.
Many people, in this modern world live by personal choice, that is selecting aspects of traditional morality which suit them and ignoring the rest. The consequences of this are; if we decide our own values, who are you to criticize me? Another consequence of privatized morality is that areas beyond the immediate circle are of no concern to them. My neighbours wellbeing is not my business. Wider social evils continue unchecked.
When a society throws off Christian morality any abomination can result- Hitler, Stalin, Pol pot, etc. So, lets have no nonsense about the world being better off without religion. The view of man as being in the image of God, with dignity and a firm, comprehensive set of morals, are our only protection against anarchy and breakdown of society.
The Enlightenment threw out their Judeo-Christian heritage not because it was proved untrue or because it did not fit the facts, but because they wanted to be free of old traditions and by denying the existence of a Creator, they gave themselves a free hand to shape their civilization. Sadly, this experiment has resulted in ever increasing social and personal tragedy. Ref; various sources. Bruce McKerras January 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Awake, Awake, Zion, put on your strength
Isaiah 52:1-2 Jerusalem, Holy city, put on your splendid garments, for the heathen and unclean will never again enter you. Arise, captive city- shake off the dust and loosen your bonds.
Isaiah 52:3-6 The Lord says: You were sold, but no price was paid and without payment, you will be redeemed. My people were captives in Egypt, then Assyria, but now, what do I find? My people in exile and My name reviled constantly. But on the Day that I save My people, they will know My name and know that it is I, the Lord, who speaks. Here I am!
Isaiah 52:7-9 The bringer of good news announces deliverance, proclaiming to Zion - Your Lord has become King! You who keep watch, raise your voices and shout with joy, for you will see the Lord return to Zion. The Lord has comforted His people and redeemed Jerusalem.
Isaiah 52:10 The Lord has bared His holy arm and all the world will see the deliverance of His people.
Isaiah 52:11-12 Go out, leave Babylon behind, touch nothing unclean – keep pure, you that carry the holy vessels. But you will not flee in urgent haste or leave like fugitives, for the Lord will go before you and He will be your rearguard.
Isaiah 52:13 My servant will achieve success, He will be honoured and exalted.
Isaiah 52:14 The time was when many despised you, My people, just as My servant [Jesus] is despised and rejected. So He will cover many nations and what they were not told, they will then understand.
Reference: REB, NIV. Some verses abridged
My comments and matching verses ;
V 1-6 Jerusalem, cleansed and made holy. His people, righteous Israel, redeemed and saved. Isaiah 51:11 Note- “captives in Assyria”, the ten Northern tribes.
V 7-9 ‘You who keep watch, will see the Lord return to Zion’ This shows that His people are there, in the Land, before the Return of Jesus.
V 10 “The Lord has bared His holy arm” Shown His strength, that is on His Day of wrath and vengeance. Isaiah 63:4 , Deut 32:40-42
V 11-12 His people – leave your homes, the Lord will guide you.[in the same way as He did for ancient Israel] Do not bring anything that will defile you. You will travel to the Promised Land in style and march with joy and thanksgiving. Isa 30:29, Jer 31:8-9, Isa 40:29-31
“You that carry the Holy vessels” The Temple will be rebuilt, the Ark and all the Temple treasures will be placed in it. Ezekiel 43:4-5, Eze 43:12, Isaiah 60:7
V 13-14 Those peoples who have not received the gospel will be told the truth.
Bruce McKerras January 2011
Isaiah 52:3-6 The Lord says: You were sold, but no price was paid and without payment, you will be redeemed. My people were captives in Egypt, then Assyria, but now, what do I find? My people in exile and My name reviled constantly. But on the Day that I save My people, they will know My name and know that it is I, the Lord, who speaks. Here I am!
Isaiah 52:7-9 The bringer of good news announces deliverance, proclaiming to Zion - Your Lord has become King! You who keep watch, raise your voices and shout with joy, for you will see the Lord return to Zion. The Lord has comforted His people and redeemed Jerusalem.
Isaiah 52:10 The Lord has bared His holy arm and all the world will see the deliverance of His people.
Isaiah 52:11-12 Go out, leave Babylon behind, touch nothing unclean – keep pure, you that carry the holy vessels. But you will not flee in urgent haste or leave like fugitives, for the Lord will go before you and He will be your rearguard.
Isaiah 52:13 My servant will achieve success, He will be honoured and exalted.
Isaiah 52:14 The time was when many despised you, My people, just as My servant [Jesus] is despised and rejected. So He will cover many nations and what they were not told, they will then understand.
Reference: REB, NIV. Some verses abridged
My comments and matching verses ;
V 1-6 Jerusalem, cleansed and made holy. His people, righteous Israel, redeemed and saved. Isaiah 51:11 Note- “captives in Assyria”, the ten Northern tribes.
V 7-9 ‘You who keep watch, will see the Lord return to Zion’ This shows that His people are there, in the Land, before the Return of Jesus.
V 10 “The Lord has bared His holy arm” Shown His strength, that is on His Day of wrath and vengeance. Isaiah 63:4 , Deut 32:40-42
V 11-12 His people – leave your homes, the Lord will guide you.[in the same way as He did for ancient Israel] Do not bring anything that will defile you. You will travel to the Promised Land in style and march with joy and thanksgiving. Isa 30:29, Jer 31:8-9, Isa 40:29-31
“You that carry the Holy vessels” The Temple will be rebuilt, the Ark and all the Temple treasures will be placed in it. Ezekiel 43:4-5, Eze 43:12, Isaiah 60:7
V 13-14 Those peoples who have not received the gospel will be told the truth.
Bruce McKerras January 2011
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Our sure foundation
I am convinced that we must prepare ourselves for the consequences of a dramatic future disruption. This is not to say that the days ahead are to be dreaded. On the contrary, if God is culminating history in my lifetime, then I count it a privilege.
Simply stated, each of the following factors are increasing exponentially along with the problems associated with them; weapons, technology, communications, mobility, money, and population.
Are we then to despair? Move to the mountains, stockpile food and guns, put Prozac in the water? I don’t think so. Our only hope is that God is still out there and He is still interested in His creation.
Most of our days are spent in routine- life’s treadmill. But a personal or national disaster has a way of helping us consider something more authentic. We look at the Big picture and try to change our lives in preparation, the thought of an imminent interview with the Almighty clarifies our priorities in the direction of authenticity.
Authenticity might be defined as the difference between what we believe and how we live. In the challenging days ahead it isn’t enough to coast along and be part Christian.
Authentic vision; We understand that God is good and that He is love. He is a God who cares, who changes hearts, drawing all people and building His church. He works in history, bringing His plan for His creation to fruition.
We understand that we are broken, empty and vulnerable, but redeemed and forgiven in Christ. We are ambassadors and witnesses, equipped with truth and love and gifted with the Word, the Spirit and the mind of Christ. We commit to love the Lord, ourselves and one another. We look to build the Kingdom, telling others the good news, with respect.
Authentic values; Without values, there are no standards, no real reference point.
John Calvin says the duty of a Christian is to make the invisible Kingdom visible.
What then are they? Here are some; peace, service, humility, forgiveness, reconciliation, kindness, gentleness, grace, patience, self control, submission, mercy, forbearance, honesty, wisdom and unity.
Authentic relationships; Christ’s great commandment reduces to one concept; love.
This means that we cherish, nourish and protect our relationships to God, to self and to others. Love is not the road to authenticity, it is just that, Love is not just a good idea, it is the only idea. This, based on Scripture and the love of God, will survive the fire to come and will transcend the end of the age without fear.
Authentic lifestyle; The call of Christianity is not a call to be weird. To be a witness does not consist in engaging in propaganda or even in stirring people up, but in being a living mystery. It means to live in such a way that one’s life would not make sense if God did not exist.
We can’t con God. He knows if we are being fully authentic in our vision, values, lifestyle and relationships, or if we are just cultural moderns addicted to progress. There is a difference. Our vision is staggeringly comprehensive. Our weapons are truth and love. Our inheritance is incorruptible. Nothing can separate us from the love of God. We are the only ones who have a sure foundation on which to stand. Ref Richard Swenson
Simply stated, each of the following factors are increasing exponentially along with the problems associated with them; weapons, technology, communications, mobility, money, and population.
Are we then to despair? Move to the mountains, stockpile food and guns, put Prozac in the water? I don’t think so. Our only hope is that God is still out there and He is still interested in His creation.
Most of our days are spent in routine- life’s treadmill. But a personal or national disaster has a way of helping us consider something more authentic. We look at the Big picture and try to change our lives in preparation, the thought of an imminent interview with the Almighty clarifies our priorities in the direction of authenticity.
Authenticity might be defined as the difference between what we believe and how we live. In the challenging days ahead it isn’t enough to coast along and be part Christian.
Authentic vision; We understand that God is good and that He is love. He is a God who cares, who changes hearts, drawing all people and building His church. He works in history, bringing His plan for His creation to fruition.
We understand that we are broken, empty and vulnerable, but redeemed and forgiven in Christ. We are ambassadors and witnesses, equipped with truth and love and gifted with the Word, the Spirit and the mind of Christ. We commit to love the Lord, ourselves and one another. We look to build the Kingdom, telling others the good news, with respect.
Authentic values; Without values, there are no standards, no real reference point.
John Calvin says the duty of a Christian is to make the invisible Kingdom visible.
What then are they? Here are some; peace, service, humility, forgiveness, reconciliation, kindness, gentleness, grace, patience, self control, submission, mercy, forbearance, honesty, wisdom and unity.
Authentic relationships; Christ’s great commandment reduces to one concept; love.
This means that we cherish, nourish and protect our relationships to God, to self and to others. Love is not the road to authenticity, it is just that, Love is not just a good idea, it is the only idea. This, based on Scripture and the love of God, will survive the fire to come and will transcend the end of the age without fear.
Authentic lifestyle; The call of Christianity is not a call to be weird. To be a witness does not consist in engaging in propaganda or even in stirring people up, but in being a living mystery. It means to live in such a way that one’s life would not make sense if God did not exist.
We can’t con God. He knows if we are being fully authentic in our vision, values, lifestyle and relationships, or if we are just cultural moderns addicted to progress. There is a difference. Our vision is staggeringly comprehensive. Our weapons are truth and love. Our inheritance is incorruptible. Nothing can separate us from the love of God. We are the only ones who have a sure foundation on which to stand. Ref Richard Swenson
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Hurtling towad oblivion
At present, we are behaving like insane passengers on an aircraft, who are busy dismantling it as it flies along!
Jesus knew how it would be in the world at the time of the end – “Just as it was in the days of Noah....In the days before the flood, they ate and drank and married until the day that the flood came and swept them all away. It will be like that on the Day when the Son of man is revealed.”
If God has called us for such a time as this, He has His reasons. His message is the only hope and He has asked us to bear that message to those without hope. Why has He picked us for these times? We cannot know, but be sure that it is a privilege and let us live ready, willing and able for whatever He has planned.
Progress and profusion are the hallmarks of civilization and we are seeing an exponential
increase in most everything – more and more, faster and faster. At first the momentum was gradual, imperceptible, checked by wars, the dark ages, plagues, etc, but in recent times, it has accelerated- the curve of every graph steepening like a mountain rising from a plain. Never before have we seen such speed and power as we have available today. Never before such profusion in everything from population to pollution.
Because progress proves so alluringly proficient, we built our entire economy around its twin engines of proliferation and differentiation. Progress has delivered on a grandiose scale, leaving us gratified and awed. To continue in the direction we are going is our only apparent option. Even if we wanted to stop, slow down or change direction, we would not know how to do so. But, why, who in their right mind wants to change our modern world?
The world economic system now dwarfs all the other forces in society. Progress and the economy are directly related. We can expect more and more, faster and faster as profusion expands and the world economy grows exponentially.
A recession is obviously not the preferred condition for any society. Therefore, people and systems will work to return to the condition of progress and economic prosperity, thus leading to more profusion of everything.
We have developed lifestyles so habituated to progress, that it is now very difficult to change or even slow this process. Progress is irreversible – based on the contention that we are addicted to it, therefore we are quite willing to accept whatever profusion comes our way. Much of it is not good for us or the world, but we don’t do anything about it because we are so dependent on always moving onward and upward.
Now, however, something dramatic, something different is happening in our generational shift. Life pace and change are escalating wildly. Without our permission, history has picked up speed, turbo charged by progress.
In the 1970s, many doomsayers made dramatic and somewhat premature assertions of how population, pollution, etc would cause the end of the world. By the 1980s the shock had worn off and people now look on progress as an asset, not as a threat, but as a promise. The entire concept changed from a depressing topic with apocalyptic implications, to an exhilarating one , with prosperity and growth to be encouraged.
I assume that most people reading this know about the presence of fallenness in the world, derived from Adam and Eve’s “fall” from perfection into sin. Even those not spiritually minded can see that there is a distortion in everything that constantly thwarts perfection. Without first understanding fallenness, it is impossible to fully explain what is happening in the world around us. It is like trying to understand infectious disease without knowing about bacteria.
When we understand fallenness, then we know why the many advantages we have in progress still do not offset the serious problems in the world system. With each new thing that profusion adds to the world stage, there is a downside that must be acknowledged, anticipated and dealt with. We realise why Utopia did not show up as expected.
We once thought that science would solve our problems. It has, indeed solved many, but has created additional ones, from weaponry to pollution. Antibiotics have resulted in widespread microbial resistance. Abundant food has resulted in unprecedented obesity.
Progress has put power and weapons without regard to wisdom, into the hands of the leaders of nations, the military, the media, the entertainment industry, etc. All our knowledge has not ushered in a brave new world, it has simply increased our ability to perpetrate evil.
There are more and more people, six billion and rising, in the world. This is not evil, the Lord said; increase and populate the earth, so we have. Each person is a separate, individual moral agent. Fallenness coupled with profusion, more people, more technology, more weapons, more mobility, means ever increasing statistics such as crimes, accidents, disease, and wars over land and resources. No matter what topic we choose we can find the good and the bad growing side by side. If we list all the positives of progress, it would be a very long list, but when we list the negatives we see such a daunting litany of problems, that they threaten the very viability of our society.
If the negatives are sufficiently dangerous, they cannot be offset by the positives, no matter how beneficial the positives are. If we fail to grasp this principal, we will also fail to anticipate the cataclysmic dangers of our future. No matter how large the quantity and quality of the positive, if the negative is harmful enough, it wins. This principal of lethality applies to all systems, from the individual to companies, nations, species, etc.
To summarize; The world is always experiencing profusion. As this increases, we have much new positive, but also much new negative, all growing at an alarmingly rapid rate.
No amount of positive can offset the negative if it reaches a certain threshold of lethality, it will prove fatal to our present world system. We have no possible option but to continue in this fatal direction because of our dependency on progress.
These days are not about fear, they are about privilege. These days will not be dominated ultimately by the chaos of worldly forces but by the sovereignty of God.
“I have told you these things, so that you might have peace” explained Jesus. “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world”
It is time to start living as if we believed it.
Reference; Hurtling toward oblivion, Richard Swenson
Jesus knew how it would be in the world at the time of the end – “Just as it was in the days of Noah....In the days before the flood, they ate and drank and married until the day that the flood came and swept them all away. It will be like that on the Day when the Son of man is revealed.”
If God has called us for such a time as this, He has His reasons. His message is the only hope and He has asked us to bear that message to those without hope. Why has He picked us for these times? We cannot know, but be sure that it is a privilege and let us live ready, willing and able for whatever He has planned.
Progress and profusion are the hallmarks of civilization and we are seeing an exponential
increase in most everything – more and more, faster and faster. At first the momentum was gradual, imperceptible, checked by wars, the dark ages, plagues, etc, but in recent times, it has accelerated- the curve of every graph steepening like a mountain rising from a plain. Never before have we seen such speed and power as we have available today. Never before such profusion in everything from population to pollution.
Because progress proves so alluringly proficient, we built our entire economy around its twin engines of proliferation and differentiation. Progress has delivered on a grandiose scale, leaving us gratified and awed. To continue in the direction we are going is our only apparent option. Even if we wanted to stop, slow down or change direction, we would not know how to do so. But, why, who in their right mind wants to change our modern world?
The world economic system now dwarfs all the other forces in society. Progress and the economy are directly related. We can expect more and more, faster and faster as profusion expands and the world economy grows exponentially.
A recession is obviously not the preferred condition for any society. Therefore, people and systems will work to return to the condition of progress and economic prosperity, thus leading to more profusion of everything.
We have developed lifestyles so habituated to progress, that it is now very difficult to change or even slow this process. Progress is irreversible – based on the contention that we are addicted to it, therefore we are quite willing to accept whatever profusion comes our way. Much of it is not good for us or the world, but we don’t do anything about it because we are so dependent on always moving onward and upward.
Now, however, something dramatic, something different is happening in our generational shift. Life pace and change are escalating wildly. Without our permission, history has picked up speed, turbo charged by progress.
In the 1970s, many doomsayers made dramatic and somewhat premature assertions of how population, pollution, etc would cause the end of the world. By the 1980s the shock had worn off and people now look on progress as an asset, not as a threat, but as a promise. The entire concept changed from a depressing topic with apocalyptic implications, to an exhilarating one , with prosperity and growth to be encouraged.
I assume that most people reading this know about the presence of fallenness in the world, derived from Adam and Eve’s “fall” from perfection into sin. Even those not spiritually minded can see that there is a distortion in everything that constantly thwarts perfection. Without first understanding fallenness, it is impossible to fully explain what is happening in the world around us. It is like trying to understand infectious disease without knowing about bacteria.
When we understand fallenness, then we know why the many advantages we have in progress still do not offset the serious problems in the world system. With each new thing that profusion adds to the world stage, there is a downside that must be acknowledged, anticipated and dealt with. We realise why Utopia did not show up as expected.
We once thought that science would solve our problems. It has, indeed solved many, but has created additional ones, from weaponry to pollution. Antibiotics have resulted in widespread microbial resistance. Abundant food has resulted in unprecedented obesity.
Progress has put power and weapons without regard to wisdom, into the hands of the leaders of nations, the military, the media, the entertainment industry, etc. All our knowledge has not ushered in a brave new world, it has simply increased our ability to perpetrate evil.
There are more and more people, six billion and rising, in the world. This is not evil, the Lord said; increase and populate the earth, so we have. Each person is a separate, individual moral agent. Fallenness coupled with profusion, more people, more technology, more weapons, more mobility, means ever increasing statistics such as crimes, accidents, disease, and wars over land and resources. No matter what topic we choose we can find the good and the bad growing side by side. If we list all the positives of progress, it would be a very long list, but when we list the negatives we see such a daunting litany of problems, that they threaten the very viability of our society.
If the negatives are sufficiently dangerous, they cannot be offset by the positives, no matter how beneficial the positives are. If we fail to grasp this principal, we will also fail to anticipate the cataclysmic dangers of our future. No matter how large the quantity and quality of the positive, if the negative is harmful enough, it wins. This principal of lethality applies to all systems, from the individual to companies, nations, species, etc.
To summarize; The world is always experiencing profusion. As this increases, we have much new positive, but also much new negative, all growing at an alarmingly rapid rate.
No amount of positive can offset the negative if it reaches a certain threshold of lethality, it will prove fatal to our present world system. We have no possible option but to continue in this fatal direction because of our dependency on progress.
These days are not about fear, they are about privilege. These days will not be dominated ultimately by the chaos of worldly forces but by the sovereignty of God.
“I have told you these things, so that you might have peace” explained Jesus. “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world”
It is time to start living as if we believed it.
Reference; Hurtling toward oblivion, Richard Swenson
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