Monthly Archives: August 2020
Do we need God in outer space?
The necessity of God in an expanding universe
Some surprisingly good news
David Robertson considers ‘What’s the point of the law?’
What would Jesus say to the broken?
What would Jesus say to the broken?
Now Listening to: Taylor Swift’s Folklore
Fans discuss Taylor Swift’s album Folklore
Pray your emotions
How to be more emotionally literate
Foreign Fields
I give thanks for my neighbours in adjacent principalities. I love the ingenuity of the kids on the corner who communicate with their neighbour kids at the apex of their elevation on the resident trampoline in each backyard.
Take Your Rest: The Fourth Commandment Part 03
The Jewish Sabbath
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it — Exodus 20:8-11
In many ways, the fourth commandment is a wonderful thing: it is meant to be benign, beneficial, and refreshing. It is God’s way of telling you – in short – to ‘take your rest.’ In the busy beehive world we live in, what a wonderful gift this is.
Yet, as we learned, the blessing of Sabbath was marred by man-made rules and regulations that made it more a burden than a blessing. Many interpretations, and home-cooked traditions distorted the Sabbath beyond recognition. When Jesus of Nazareth came to the scene with the true interpretation and practice, He was accused of Sabbath-breaking and His opponents were so bent out of shape by His conduct that they wanted to kill Him over the Sabbath.
Even until now, a few Christian groups have adopted the same legalistic mindset. They teach that unless you strictly keep the Sabbath on Saturday, you are in danger of hell-fire. Another demand, though slightly less dramatic, is that Saturday Sabbath-keeping, like religious circumcision for male infants, is not an ala carte, ‘pick and choose’ cafeteria-style proposition. It is a package deal: you are duty-bound to keep all the law of Moses, which is a flagrant violation of the liberty principles found in Galatians and other New Testament epistles.
What should our present day attitude towards the Sabbath be? How does it apply to Jews and Christians?
To The Jew First
A very important passage on Israel and the Sabbath is found in Exodus 31:12-17. Verse 16 it says ‘the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath … for a perpetual covenant.’ The next verse, 17, reiterates that it is a sign between God and the children of Israel for ever.
From this passage alone, we can infer that the Sabbath, as originally instituted at Sinai, was made for Israel. It is what marked them as God’s peculiar people. One of its key purposes was as a memorial to creation, where God ‘rested’ and was ‘refreshed.’
While there are various ideas and practices among the Jewish community regarding Sabbath, it is universally recognised as a ‘day off,’ ‘day of rest,’ ‘a time with family,’ a morning or evening at the synagogue, and the much loved Sabbath-meal that commences with candle-lighting. In most cases, it is doubtful that they view it as necessary for salvation; it is simply part of recognised Jewish practice, along with other commands of the Torah, which they have done for centuries.
Of course, in modern Israel, it is a national day off. As expressed before, it is amazing to see a bustling nation come to a grinding halt – seemingly suddenly – and remain that way for 24 hours. There is a lesson in this for us all.
In our next article, we will see how the Christian should respond to the Sabbath.
Beyond Covid-19: Is There A Word from the Lord? Part 04
Be Strong in the Lord
As this service has declared repeatedly, the year 2020 has been the most unusual, eventful, and downright crazy year in living memory (for most of us, at least). It will be hard to forget.
Multiple challenges, like waves crashing against the rocks, have buffeted the world as a whole. Take Australia for example: it has had crippling drought, wide spread bush fires, Covid-19 lockdown, reprieve, and then Melbourne was hit with another major lockdown, with curfews and police knocking on the door.
The United States has been hit with Covid-19, with the world’s highest death rate. Then there was lockdown, in various degrees according to which political party runs the state. Then there’s the ‘George Floyd riots,’ meant to protest police brutality. Yet, how does burning Bibles in Portland Oregon have anything to do with George Floyd, a struggling but professing Christian, or police brutality?
The protests, much which emanate from the Left, have reproduced themselves on cue across the western world, including Britain, Australia, and even Israel. The culture war, which this service has discussed for many months, is being displayed in full view. The two sides are the secular humanist/cultural Marxist/progressive, who want a globalist socialistic pantheistic utopian world of equality, inclusion, and tolerance — without God, of course (hence the burning of Bibles). The other side has a worldview of nationalism, exceptionalism, personal liberties, limited government, and for many, the motto ‘In God We Trust.’ The stakes are for the survival of the western civilisation as we know it.
The pandemic, lockdown, unemployment, closed schools and sporting events, have created the ‘perfect storm’ for the unrest in the summer of 2020. The rhetoric and actions of the culture war have become more inflamed, including ‘cancel-culture,’ which has been facilitated in part by Twitter. Remember, however, this most important point: the roots of this problem are spiritual and the solution is equally spiritual.
Is There A Word from the Lord?
Of course! God is always speaking, the question is ‘Are we listening?’
Here are two words: I Chronicles 12:32f: And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do …. We will know what to do when we have ‘understanding of the times.’
Second word: Ephesians 6:10-13: Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
The key phrase for us in all this is ‘be strong in the Lord.’ Since the multiple challenges we face can be strength-depleting, wisdom decrees that we go to a great source of power. Psalm 62:11 declares that ‘power belongs to God,’ as well as mercy and steadfast love (verse 12).
How, then, do we become ‘strong in the Lord’ and in the ‘power of His might?’ Recognise the following:
1. Strength is a decision to obey God: Ephesians 6:10 is not a polite suggestion; it is actually a command. ‘Be strong in the Lord.’ When you are strong in the Lord, you are strong indeed. And remember, don’t be fooled by size. Often we are tempted to gauge strength by the size of a person or even their athletic prowess. Yet, it is the person who is spiritually strong that has the greatest strength of all, regardless of physique or size.
2. Strength is according to God’s might, not yours: God is the source of all power and it is limitless. Therefore, the spiritually strengthened person is drawing strength from God.
3. Invisible spiritual foes: Christian charity decrees that we have an entirely different attitude to people who oppose than Joshua and his armies had to the Canaanites. We are to love, pray, and bless all people, since they are made in the image of God and Christ died for them, too. They are not our real or front-line enemies. In fact, the real enemy is the one you can’t see. Ephesians 6:12 describes these adversaries as principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places. Such enemies are far more powerful than any human foe.
4. Spiritually weaponry: The good news is that God has equipped us with spiritual weaponry that is more than able to inhibit, stop, or turn back spiritual foes. Here in Ephesians we have the ‘whole armour of God’ and are commanded to put it on. These include the gospel of peace on our feet, belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, helmet of salvation, shield of faith and sword of the Spirit. There’s more: Jesus overcame the devil in the wilderness by confessing the Word of God; we can do the same. Praise and worship won a tremendous victory for King Jehoshaphat against 3 kingdoms (2 Chronicles 20).
5. Spiritual empowerment: In addition to the free gift of the gospel and salvation in Christ, the New Testament teaches us about the baptism and fulness of the Holy Spirit. When the Spirit in poured out, the believer receives power and boldness (Acts 1:8). Therefore, prayer in the Spirit is highly encouraged as part of your devotional life and spiritual weaponry. Jude 20 says you build yourself up in your most holy faith as you pray in the Holy Spirit.
Beirut Mega-Blast & Hagia Sophia Mosque: Two Great Shakings
It was like a shot heard around the world. On August 4, 2020, at Beirut, Lebanon, a massive explosion ripped through the port and leaving a 200 metre crater. At this writing, the death total stands at 135, injuries at 5,000, and homeless at 300,000. Foreign Policy magazine likened it to Beirut’s ‘Chernobyl,’ the infamous 1986 nuclear accident that had far reaction results for years to come.
The cause of the explosion was 2,750 tons of combustible ammonium nitrate. It is used for fertiliser but can, under certain conditions, be used as an explosive. The current batch was stored from an impounded ship in 2013. Why did authorities continue to store this dangerous material in the heart of Lebanon’s capital, where buildings, business and people were located? Apparently, the authorities had been warned that these chemicals were dangerous to the population but they did nothing.
Long-suffering Lebanon has been hit again
The Arab world’s most secular and freest nation, where Christian and Muslim lived on an equal footing, Lebanon was called the ‘Switzerland of the Middle East’ and Beirut ‘Paris’ on the Mediterranean. Once ancient Phoenicia, modern Lebanon was carved out Syria as a mountainous refuge for its Christian community.
Lebanon has a turbulent modern history: It was the scene of a senseless and fruitless civil war from 1975-1990, where a minimum of 100,000 were killed. Its territory was used in war to fight Israel in 1982 and 2006. Terrorism has poked its ugly head from time-to-time, including a powerful blast that killed former prime minister Rafik Hariri in 2005.
Then there are the refugees. Palestinians have lived in camps in Lebanon since1948. Then in 2011, Syrians have fled to Lebanon as a refuge. Life has not been easy.
In recent times, Lebanon has been the scene of numerous street protests against corruption and economic troubles. The Lebanese lira lost at least 85% of its value and this traditionally mercantile nation is on the brink of insolvency. Lebanon needs $93 billion to bail it out of its troubles; now add another $15 billion just for rebuilding the port.
The role of Hizballah, the Lebanese Shiite militia, is under the spotlight. Hizballah, founded in 1982, as an Iranian proxy militia to resist Israel during the 1982 war. One of its major goals is the destruction of the Jewish state as a Shiite and Muslim imperative. After years of harassment of Israel troops stationed in southern Lebanon, 2,000 Hizballah guerrillas managed to accomplish what no Arab Sunni government even could: Compel Israel to retreat under fire. They withdrew from southern Lebanon in May 2000, but that was not the end of the confrontation.
Emboldened by this victory, Hizballah kidnapped Israeli soldiers, which led to the 2006 Second Lebanon War. For 34 days, Hizballah fired 1000s of rockets into northern Israel. Though the fighting ended in a cease fire, and no territory was gained, Hizballah declared victory over Israel.
Hizballah has rearmed since 2006 and has 150,000 rockets and missiles, which are hidden in towns and villages across southern Lebanon. This time, these rockets can effectively target all of Israel, not just the North. Its military strength effectively gives it a ‘veto’ over Lebanese government decisions.
Hizballah has de facto control of Beirut’s port and airport, thus they know what’s going on. Why were they allowing highly dangerous chemicals to be stored at a port in a busy urban area? Perhaps the 2017 comments of their leader, Hassan Nasrallah, give a clue. He expressed a willingness to bomb ammonium nitrate depots near Haifa port in Israel, which would be like a nuclear bomb explosion. Were they holding onto the Beirut port supply of ammonium nitrate for future use against Israel?
Its economic crisis was well underway before the arrival of Covid-19, but add to that the Beirut blast and Lebanon is in serious danger of becoming a failed nation-state.
Let’s pray against this prospect. Not only for the sake of all Lebanese, but especially for Christians of every stripe (Orthodox, Maronite, and Protestant).
HAGIA SOPHIA: From Museum to Mosque
It is perhaps Turkey’s most popular museum – while it was still a museum. On 10 July 2020, the Hagia Sophia Museum was handed over to Turkey’s Religious Affairs Department and declared as a mosque by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The magnificent Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom) was built nearly 1,500 years ago by Byzantine Emperor Justinian; this was Christendom’s largest basilica and seat of the Orthodox patriarch. It is the eastern equivalent to St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. So grand was it that could be forgiven for thinking it was the epicentre of the Messianic kingdom. When the choir sang, the acoustics made it sound like you were listening to the angels in heaven. It was legendary.
Things changed radically in the year 1453 AD. That’s when 21 year old Sultan Mehmet II succeeded in doing where other invaders failed: he conquered the Byzantine capital of Constantinople, thus ending the empire. Mehmet did two major things. Constantinople became capital of the sprawling Ottoman Empire, which encompassed 3 continents. Second, he converted Hagia Sophia into a mosque. He had two reasons: 1. Until 1453, Constantinople had no mosques. This grand building would be the first. 2. He wanted to preserve it from destruction, being a Christian site. Mosaics of Jesus, Mary, and others, so grand in their day, were plastered over.
Under the leadership of Mustapha Kemal Ataturk, founding father of the Turkish Republic, Hagia Sophia was converted from a mosque into a museum. Ataturk was making a statement: Turkey was no longer a religious state with a sultan and caliphate: Turkey was now secular, modern, and western orientation republic.
The Hagia Sophia Museum Christian mosaics were painstakingly restored. As of 2019, over 3.4 million visitors flocked to the museum.
With the announcement of Hagia Sophia’s reconversion back into a mosque, it attracted criticism from the European Union, UNESCO (it is a world heritage site), Mike Pompeo, US Secretary of State, the European Union and the World Council of Churches. Turkey’s leadership said that tourist visits will continue and the mosaics preserved, though they would be covered during Muslim prayer.
Turkey said it was an internal matter, though it also looked outward: Hagia Sophia’s conversion from museum to mosque is a harbinger of the liberation of al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
Like Ataturk, the current Turkish government was also making a statement: We are not secular anymore. Nearly 100 years of western, secular, orientation has been nullified by the stroke of a pen. As this author has stated for years to watch Hagia Sophia: if it became a mosque, this would be the symbolic end of Turkish Kemalist secularism.
Turkey is one of the world’s key countries and holds the balance of power … If Turkey goes from secular to religious, the world will feel the tremors – even more than Beirut.
Watch this space.