God is gracious

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.
Do not be like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding,
Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, else they will not come near you. - Psalm 32:8-9

Do you ever feel like you're spinning your wheels. Working hard trying to get somewhere and no matter how hard you try you can't get there? Sometimes it even feels as if you're going backwards?

I recently read a book about Hannibal, the Carthaginian general who put the entire Roman empire on its heels and filled the city of Rome with fear. Arguably the greatest military commander the world has ever seen, he brought a coalition army complete with cavalry and elephants across the alps and invaded Italy. In one single battle he wiped out an army of 100,000 men. To put this in perspective the Americans sent 80,000 soldiers to Iraq to defeat Saddam can you imagine the fear and dismay if that army had been wiped out? Not one single survivor.

Obviously, the people of Rome were terrified and this is the reason for the saying "Hannibal at the gates!" History proves Rome's eventual victory over Carthage. Not by greater effort. Not by attrition. But by a new strategy emplyed by a General named Scipio with a new perspective.

Scipio conscripted farmers to repopulate the Roman army and instead of throwing them against Hannibal hoping for a different result he took them to Spain and fought and defeated Hannibal's allies there. After Spain he made a pact with the Numidians in Africa and marched on Carthage in modern day Tunisia.

With his home in danger Hannibal was forced to return to defend it. With Spain in Roman hands Hannibal couldn't return overland the way he came. Instead his army was loaded onto ships in Italy and sailed across the Mediterranean. No room for the horses of his deadly Numidian cavalry so they were left behind. Since Scipio had made peace with the Numidians there would be no calvary there to take their place. Africa would be the grave of Hannibal's "barbarian horde" and the city of Carthage razed. For his victory Scipio would receive the moniker "Africanus".

Sometimes I feel like I'm gripping the wheel too tightly and I've got the pedal to the floor. I'm going nowhere and the harder I try the more the wheels spin. In the rear view mirror all I see is smoke. Scipio had the wisdom to try something different, we have the wisdom of God. The relationship between work and results isn't linear. At best its a logarithmic curve that begins to degrade once I hit my limit. Or maybe that's just how it feels.

And so I stop and breathe.

God is gracious. His strength made perfect in my weakness. His will is perfect, and so is His timing and sequence. God has chosen fools to have understanding and guides us with His eye.

For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You in a time when You may be found;
Surely in a flood of great waters they shall not come near him.
You are my hiding place;
You shall preserve me from trouble;
You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah - Psalm 32:6-7

Choose your diversion

My family and I took a realignment cruise from LA to Vancouver last year. We had high expectations of a fun, relaxing and er...well, cheap 3 day sail. We boarded our vessel shortly after the Swine flu hysteria had begun. And one of my least favourite memories of this trip was standing on the deck waiting for and then having a safety briefing. At the end of it I actually felt less safe, I felt if there was a real emergency that we would all drown before we could get organized and into our lifeboats. I did learn a valuable lesson though. I learned how to make a group of kindly-looking senior citzens turn militant.

It's actually pretty simple, here's what you do:

1. Have all 2,000 passengers try to board the ship at exactly the same time so they have to wait in line for hours. Ensure there are only a few seats in the waiting area. This is actually better than no seats because invariably some 30 something couples and their annoying children will be the first to grab these seats. This will be like the first breath over the dark coals of rage.

2. As they board the vessel spritz each person's hands with a bleach solution. This will actually accomplish two things; It will frustrate them that the whole delay appears to be due to a mix of poor organization and your ineffectual "enhanced" hygiene. It will also irritate their sensative skin. If you're lucky they will rub their eyes.

3. If they don't smoke make sure their room smells like a wet ash tray.

4. Force them to take part in a mandatory safety briefing on an outside deck. Make sure it's difficult to find and get to their muster station. Don't start the briefing until every single person has arrived. Make sure there is nowhere to sit down comfortably.

5. The captain can do part of the briefing using the intercom but large parts should be spoken by the individual cruise attendant and this part is important... he or she should not have a microphone.

6. When it comes to the attendant's directions, there are two schools of thought. One is to have the attendant speak quietly the whole time. The other, which I prefer, is to have the attendant alternate speaking loudly with long sequences of intelligble speech interspersed. This can prove particularly effective if you start with the quiet part and then in a loud and clear voice end with "... and if you don't do it precisely this way you will die"

7. At some point you will reach the tipping point. Previously friendly and optimistic elderly ladies and gentlemen will begin to yell, "We can't HEAR YOU!". You must ignore their cries until their malevolent discontent turns to jeers. When that happens you're done. Quickly dismiss everyone.

This experience will prove so uncomfortable and frustrating that for the rest of the trip your poor service and hidden costs will seem insignificant in the stark light of this first experience.

Of course I didn't actually enjoy seeing the elderly people suffer like this. At the time if there was anything I could do (other than giving up our seats in the waiting room) I would've done it in a heartbeat. Ok, I'm kidding about the seats too. I respect my elders but I see it as a picture of how I sometimes view my Christian life.

Sometimes I feel like I'm somehow entitled to a certain life. The world constantly tells us that life is all about getting an education, becoming sucessful, getting married (or not), having children (or not), entertaining ourselves, retiring early. It's almost as if we're on a cruise where we get to choose our diversions and if the ship breaks out with Norwalk or the steak is overcooked I want my money back. I'm like the little sunburnt kid stamping my feet on the deck. I'm hungry and bored and someone put too much chlorine in the pool.

So many people are itching to hear from "prophets" who preach prosperity. "God wants you to have that (promotion/success/new car/etc.)" They quote proofs from the Old Testament while ignoring the experience of the early church in the New.

Now I'm not saying everyone is like that, I see people working hard at their faith, helping their brothers and sisters. And I'm not saying its wrong to enjoy life but to pray for God's will to be done as Jesus taught us. I think the idolatry of hedonism has crept into the church.

I've been reading 1 John this week and it's a powerful message of how children of God ought to live, here's a sample.

This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. - 1 John 1:5

He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. - 1 John 2:10-11

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. - 1 John 2:15

But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. - 1 John 3:17-18

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. - 1 John 5:14-15

Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen. - 1 John 5:21

Chaff in the wind

It happened after this that the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and others with them besides the Ammonites, came to battle against Jehoshaphat. Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Syria;and they are in Hazazon Tamar” (which is En Gedi). And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. So Judah gathered together to ask help from the LORD; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD. - Chronicles 20:1-4

Have you ever wondered why it seems that God sometimes works a miracle and sometimes He doesn't? Why is that?

When this happens in my own life I always find myself wondering if there is anything I can be do? Pray harder? More often? More fervently? Is there something else?

Now all Judah, with their little ones, their wives, and their children, stood before the LORD.

Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly.

And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the LORD to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow go down against them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel. You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the LORD is with you.”

And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem bowed before the LORD, worshiping the LORD. Then the Levites of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with voices loud and high.

So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.” And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the LORD, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying:

“Praise the LORD,
For His mercy endures forever.”

Now when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated. For the people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.

So when Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude; and there were their dead bodies, fallen on the earth. No one had escaped - 2 Chronicles 20:13-24

I don't know for sure How God works but 3 things come to mind when I read about this event:
1) The people all came together to petition God

2) They believed in God and sang praises to Him

3) When they began to sing and praise Him He set invisible ambushes for their enemies

“Look, I go forward, but He is not there,
And backward, but I cannot perceive Him;

When He works on the left hand, I cannot behold Him;
When He turns to the right hand, I cannot see Him.

But He knows the way that I take;
When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold. - Job 23:8-10

Plead my cause, O LORD, with those who strive with me;

fight against those who fight against me.
Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for my help.

Also draw out the spear, and stop those who pursue me.
Say to my soul, “I am your salvation.”

Let those be put to shame and brought to dishonor who seek after my life;
Let those be turned back and brought to confusion who plot my hurt.

Let them be like chaff before the wind, and let the angel of the LORD chase them.
Let their way be dark and slippery, and let the angel of the LORD pursue them. - Psalm 35:1-6

For since the beginning of the world
Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear,
Nor has the eye seen any God besides You,
Who acts for the one who waits for Him. - Isaiah 64:4

Unspoken

I kill the children before they're born
As their little feet begin to form
Don't buy them shoes, they won't be worn
I kill the children, I am not scorned - Fiend or foul

Between 1933 and 1945 Hitler's Nazi's killed approximately 1.5 million children http://www.auschwitz.dk/docu/Faq.htm. The cold efficiency with which they carried it out is horrifying. Canadian hospitals and clinics are coming close to this number with 1,059,925 million unborn children aborted between 1996 and 2005.

I think its crazy that I live in a political world where people who share my opinion of abortion are seen as dangerous and narrow-minded.

I remember travelling home from work one day in the crew boat and one of the guys who liked to "stir the pot" (as well as smoke it) all of a sudden said "hey Jimmy what do you think of abortion?"

Now this guy was commonly referred to as "dirtbag". Ok you're probably wondering how a guy goes about earning an unfortunate handle like that. Well, he had an unfortunate habit of seducing guy's girfriends. I don't like to call people names so I'll refer to him as Mister "D".

There were also 5 or 6 other guys in the boat and one of the guys had brought his Brazilian girlfriend out for the day. Anyway, I guess the crew boat ride was too boring for Mr D because he already knew my opinion about abortion but when he asked the question he looked at me expectantly with a wry smile creeping across his face. I had no idea what to say.

If I said it was a woman's right to choose I would be lying. If I said it was wrong, he would shout "En garde, you patriarchal religious fiend!" and debate me into a corner with one hand tied behind his back. Defeated, my head low and the crowd howling for blood he would deliver the killing blow. All of this of course would play out in front of this woman who would be thankful that he stood up for women's rights.

Then my spine showed up in the strangest place.

"It's wrong", asserted a voice from the back of the boat.

It was the girl from Brazil.

Her educated, politically-correct boyfriend then began to shush her and gently explain how women had the right to choose. To his obvious chagrin, she was unrelenting. Probably raised Catholic and brainwashed to believe that all life should be protected.

I don't think Mr D ever imagined that he would end up in a duel with the very woman he was likely trying to impress.

Most of my life I've always either felt one of two ways after an emotionally charged conversation: "Why didn't I think to say (fill in the blank)?" or "I wish I hadn't said that." God sometimes gives us the wisdom to say exactly the right thing, this time He gave me the wisdom to say nothing. And when I was unable to say anything someone else spoke up for me. I pray God will continue to cause people to speak for those who can't speak up for themselves

O that you would be completely silent, And that it would become your wisdom! - Job 13:5

This you know, my beloved brethren But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. - James 1:19-20

Once bitten

Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you; pray to the LORD that He take away the serpents from us.”

So Moses prayed for the people.

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.”

So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived. - Numbers 21:7-9

I've often wondered why the medical profession uses the symbol of a serpent. One theory is that it's a reference to the bronze serpent of Numbers. Even knowing that it still seems strange to see the serpent as a symbol of healing but not as strange as seeing the bronze serpent as symbol of Christ.

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. - Galatians 3:13-14

Suffering and dying, anyone who looks at Christ through the eyes of faith can be saved.

Sister Synergy

What's the best way to stand up to a bully?

When we were young the saying was "sticks and stones may break my bones but words would never hurt me" but this isn't really true.

My Dad told me how he dealt with one particular bully when he was little.

He was 9 years old and this 14 year old boy used to pick on him and his friend. It was the usual verbal abuse, threats, intimidation and when necessary, this kid would put the boots to my Dad and his friend.

Then one day the bully came across my dad and his friend together and started in on them again. Something made these little boys decide they weren't going to take it anymore or maybe they decided that together they could take this guy. They fought back together and ended up laying a beating on a kid 5 years older. He never bothered either of them again after that day.

I can remember an episode from my own experience but its not as generous to my vanity.

I was probably about the same age and I was playing at a neighbourhood friend's house. For some reason his older brother started picking on me. So I left but he followed me home. When I got to the back gate that led into my yard I thought I was safe. He had other plans and went to follow me into my yard. This really concerned me because this guy was probably about 17 years old and seemed to wish me ill.

Anyhow, unbeknownst to both of us my sister, who was about the same age as my pursuer was in our backyard and had heard and seen him chase me home.

She walked right up to him and this new threat made him pause in the back alley. He lost the appetite to chase me any further and decided to berate me from the safety of his side of the fence. He got a few words out before she cut him off. From that point on she did all the talking and he did all the listening. I don't remember what was said but I can see her standing in the backyard like it was yesterday and I remember gaining some amount of pleasure from observing the exchange.

I can be a loner. I like to help other people but won't ask for help unless its offered. I tend to fight my battles alone and not ask for prayer. I wonder how effective that is? In the military, soldiers fight in platoons, battalions, regiments, divisions and army corps and at ground level, infantry soldiers usually fight in groups of two or three.

Two are better than one,
Because they have a good reward for their labor.
For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.

But woe to him who is alone when he falls,
For he has no one to help him up.
Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm;
But how can one be warm alone?

Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him.
And a threefold cord is not quickly broken. - Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

What I find interesting about this scripture is that it repeatedly talks about the synergistic principle of two working together until the sudden mention of three at the end. Is this what Jesus meant when he said “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” - Matthew 18:19-20

Between a rock and a hard place

I was reading my nephew's blog about a young teenage boy subjected to bullying this week and I still haven't gotten over it. When I read about his last morning at home something inside me broke and I had trouble putting it out of my mind for the rest of the week.

You can read it here if you like http://www.leaderpost.com/sports/Bullied+teen+still+missing/2621326/story.html

I immediately thought of my own children. Do I spend enough time with them? Do I listen? I also feel guilt for my own words when I was young because I know I used them for evil at times. I hope God protected and strengthened the people I was mean to or didn't stand up for.

The part of me that I don't like to talk about craves an eye for an eye but it's infinitely more powerful to have your own heart condem you.

When I think of the Psalms I often think of them as beautiful prophetic poetry but some are dark...

O daughter of Babylon, who are to be destroyed, Happy the one who repays you as you have served us!
Happy the one who takes and dashes your little ones against the rock! - Psalm 137:8,9

This is classic eye for eye, tooth for tooth. Depressed and angry Israel was craving revenge for the atrocities that she had suffered. Israel's children were broken against stones. Now, with hearts of stone, we break children with words. God's Word breaks the heart of stone.

“Is not My word like a fire?” says the LORD, “And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?" - Jeremiah 23:29