We have come through a revolution of sorts that had been created and engaged in by governments around the world let alone just in Canada.
A revolution is something that changes society. These changes do not have to be violent, nor do they have to lead to violence. What a revolution needs to do is change the face and the inner being of society whether it be in a country or through out the world.
Right now I am going to stay with Canada even though this silent revolution is basically world wide. Like many places, Canada has gone through a total lock down of the population and economy. Only now have things become loosened up, but the controls of movement and population are still in effect and no one is complaining and very few are challenging the constitutionality of the draconian laws and policies that have taken place.
In Ontario for example (since that is where I live), the equivalent to the federal government's Emergency Measures Act was enacted, we have witnessed total lockdown of the population with only required conditions being allowed to gather food and needed essentials. The population has generally kept to the policies and laws that was put upon them by the governments both provincially and federally. What many didn't see was the revolution taking place in front of their eyes when everything that wasn't considered essential was shut down. This included places of worship which in almost all cases was carried out without question by church officials.
The Ontario government is hoping that most things will be back to normal, and have described what that normal will be. It won't be what we left before the so called pandemic, but what is being considered normal by determination of the governments at hand. The over all concept is "the control of the population". These controls include movement, what is heard (or not heard), what is allowed to be printed, expressed, and accepted. Without knowing it, the population of Canada has been herded into compliance without a whimper. The population has fallen inline and only now after nearly three months have some decided to challenge the constitutionality of these laws and policies that have been placed upon the population.
What I have observed though, is how easily the people of Canada and Ontario have complied with government actions. There isn't a whimper to be honest. Everyone seems to have complied without question, which has also created the false feeling that "the governments know what's best". A concept that is further from the truth.
Since the pandemic has been declared, and news media outlets have given an day by day account as to how many have the virus, how many have died, and how many have recovered and so on. These morbid reporting have kept the population under allowable control as the present propaganda machines of the governments is "save lives - stay home" policy. No one wants to spread a virus and yet no one has questioned the validity of these policies.
More people have died in car accidents, died of natural causes, suicide, and more, than have died from the virus and yet the virus is being programed as something more devastating that what it is. Yes viruses can spread and yes no one wants to get sick let alone spread a virus. But the actions of the governments doesn't seem to correlate with the realities of the past pandemics such as SARS.
But I see something more. I see the compliance of people to the wills of the government. There is a request right now that people who have survived the pandemic, install an app in their cell phones that can be used to track the person's where about, who they have come in contact with and how long they were in one spot. Along with that information is their body temperatures, whether they are suffering a relapse, or if they spread a virus. This information can be read by police upon request and in some cases just read because its an app that can be traced.
The other thing that I have observed is that at airports and other places where people may gather and be in close quarters is the use of a thermometer device, pointed at one's forehead to obtain the body temperature of the individual being scanned. Now think about this. If they can scan an app from one's cell phone, and record one's body temperature with a scanning device, what is the next logical step to be taken? Yes you are right if you said: "place a microchip in either the forehead or in the hand so that all information can be scanned and recorded." And hence we have the mark of the beast, and believe it or not it is already taking place and some people have lined up to take the microchip.
Despite the theological ramifications of this, the reality is that people are willing to freely give up their freedoms and private information without question. This leads me to another observation; "Have Canadians been taught (duped) or indoctrinated over time that the government will look after them from birth until death and therefore Canadians need to freely without question rely on the government as the agent by which there is the understanding that the Government knows what's best for the people." Remember Canada, in the last two elections the people have elected a snowflake that has no degrees, has no education other than high school, and is a snowboard instructor into the highest office in the land because of his last name.
I need not say more of the stupidity and the lameness by which Canadians vote in their prime ministers. Trudeau wants to be dictator of Canada. He admires the method of control exerted by the communist governments of China and Cuba. Trudeau has not desire for democracy unless it suits his means and preservation of him being the prime minister, an office by the way that he himself has cheapened. Trudeau will fall for the one world government as desired by the united nations and is more than willing to even help in developing that arrangement as long as he can remain in power. Yes a snowboarder is Canada's prime minister and he believes that money grows on trees.
So yes that mark of the beast is here, and yes with idiot leaders in governments around the world it won't take long before the quiet revolution of compliance continues to the end result of the violent revolution whereby all opposition will be squashed and quenched without a whimper from the population.
Sunday, 31 May 2020
Wednesday, 27 May 2020
Welcome to the Canadian Union of Socialist Provinces
Yes you read that right. This week Trudeau with the help of the New Democratic Party and the Green Party has opened the gates of pushing aside the parliament of Canada thereby giving the liberal government, more or less Justin Trudeau, the ability to rule Canada as the benevolent dictator.
Trudeau has manipulated the situations of this covin-19 virus to his advantage and has manipulated the socialist branch of parliament in order to achieve his goal of running the country without the voice of parliament.
So parliament has been suspended until Trudeau says that parliament can be recalled, which he has suggested won't be until 2022 when the next federal election is suppose to take place. But this isn't the end of it.
Newfoundland has created laws so sweeping that court challenges to their laws have been thwarted. An inspector in Newfoundland can detain you, seize your cell phone for pictures or messages, demand blood samples and nose swabs without protest. You can then be imprisoned and charged and then taken to the provincial boarder and forced to leave the province. There is no appeal, there is no discussion, and there is no court action nor challenges. All this goes against the Constitution of Canada 1983 the Canadian Human Rights Act and the British North America Act.
Other provinces are attempting to follow similar laws. These need to be challenged and brought to the Supreme Court of Canada. There is a need to challenge these laws, including the laws created by the Federal government. Despite the virus, there is no excuse, absolutely no excuse what so ever to violate established Canadian laws.
Canadians must not just sit there and accept these unconstitutional laws. Canadians must not accept the old saying that "The Canadian doesn't care what happens. As long as he's got money in his pocket, a beer in one hand and some domestic animal to fuck in the other, he will wallow in the shits holes of life without complaint."
Crude yes, but Canadians need to stand up and protest these draconian laws that are unconstitutional.
Trudeau has manipulated the situations of this covin-19 virus to his advantage and has manipulated the socialist branch of parliament in order to achieve his goal of running the country without the voice of parliament.
So parliament has been suspended until Trudeau says that parliament can be recalled, which he has suggested won't be until 2022 when the next federal election is suppose to take place. But this isn't the end of it.
Newfoundland has created laws so sweeping that court challenges to their laws have been thwarted. An inspector in Newfoundland can detain you, seize your cell phone for pictures or messages, demand blood samples and nose swabs without protest. You can then be imprisoned and charged and then taken to the provincial boarder and forced to leave the province. There is no appeal, there is no discussion, and there is no court action nor challenges. All this goes against the Constitution of Canada 1983 the Canadian Human Rights Act and the British North America Act.
Other provinces are attempting to follow similar laws. These need to be challenged and brought to the Supreme Court of Canada. There is a need to challenge these laws, including the laws created by the Federal government. Despite the virus, there is no excuse, absolutely no excuse what so ever to violate established Canadian laws.
Canadians must not just sit there and accept these unconstitutional laws. Canadians must not accept the old saying that "The Canadian doesn't care what happens. As long as he's got money in his pocket, a beer in one hand and some domestic animal to fuck in the other, he will wallow in the shits holes of life without complaint."
Crude yes, but Canadians need to stand up and protest these draconian laws that are unconstitutional.
Tuesday, 26 May 2020
Toronto needs to be it's own Province.
I know there will be many who may not agree with me, but the city of Toronto has a history of being bailed out by others.
when premier Bill Davis was the premier of Ontario, he created regional governments all across the province. The city of Toronto was near bankruptcy so the Regional Municipality of Toronto was created. The region included surrounding municipalities such as Mississauga, Etobicoke, etc.
That creation saved the city of Toronto as the regional government paid for Toronto's debt. Now the so called GTA is an expansion of sorts, It tried to include all the communities up the 400 highway up to and including the city of Barrie. When communities refused to be termed as part of the GTA, their horns of greed were pulled back.
Now there is a move to include Hamilton into the GTA so that everything from Hamilton including Burlington and Oakville would become part of Toronto. The so called GTHA is being softly peddled so that eventually it will be considered part of the system.
Toronto gets money from all around Ontario through the general coffers of the provincial government. What Toronto wants, some how becomes what Toronto gets. Now they want to build a mega park of some sort and they want all of Canada to pay for it. I say NO!
If Toronto is made it's own province, I am sure they will pull in Hamilton, New Market, and more, but it will be it's own province and the rest of Ontario will be able to prosper. Toronto has always played the role as the center of Canada, and it's time to put Toronto in it's place. Let them be their own province and let them figure it out without the rest of Ontario or Canada to keep bailing them out when they bite off more than they can chew.
There have been three studies done in the past and all three say the same thing: Make Toronto its own province and the rest of Ontario will prospers. It is evident than that Toronto is pulling down the rest of the province of Ontario.
Wednesday, 20 May 2020
Monday, 18 May 2020
This article was originally published by The Aspen Times in 2011.
Eisenhower’s legendary warning that the industrial-military complex could engender a “disastrous rise of misplaced power” has obviously come true. Notably, in the same speech, Eisenhower also advised of “equal and opposite danger.” Back in the 1960s, Ike insisted “that public policy could itself become the captive of a scientific-technological elite.” However, his second warning was hushed by the deafening silence of the mainstream media.
The following was spoken by David Rockefeller at the Bilderberger Meeting, Baden Germany, June 1991. Rockefeller has devoted his life to one world government, i.e. the New World Order (NWO). He founded the Trilateral Commission and is integral to the Council on Foreign Relations.
“We are grateful to the Washington Post, The New York Times, Time Magazine and other great publications whose directors have attended our meetings and respected their promises of discretion for almost 40 years. … It would have been impossible for us to develop our plan for the world if we had been subjected to the lights of publicity during those years. But, the world is now more sophisticated and prepared to march towards a world government. The supranational sovereignty of an intellectual elite and world bankers is surely preferable to the national auto-determination practiced in past centuries.”
Later, he notes:
“Some even believe we are part of a secret cabal working against the best interests of the United States, characterizing my family and me as ‘internationalists’ and of conspiring with others around the world to build a more integrated global political and economic structure, one world if you will. If that is the charge, I stand guilty, and I am proud of it.”
The primary obstacle blocking the “sovereignty of an intellectual elite and world bankers” is a strong, democratic, sovereign America. Both cannot exist simultaneously. Therefore, our mortal enemy has been decimating America for decades, the battlefield littered with the middle class, dazed soldiers wandering in despair, jobs lost, pockets empty, homes foreclosed, dreams crushed and forced to bow to their oppressors if they travel by air. America is on the verge of losing our battle for freedom and has not yet even identified who the real enemy is.
The age-old dream of world domination is alive and well. Our real enemy are the globalists, scientific-technological elites who, as Eisenhower warned, are attempting to establish the NWO. Their primary weapons are perpetual war and central banks, i.e. the Fed which is a cartel of international bankers, including Rockefeller, who control our economy and, astoundingly, have not been audited during the 98 years they have systematically destroyed the dollar while becoming inconceivably powerful. Jefferson, Lincoln, Andrew Jackson – the list is long and distinguished – all scream as to the lethal danger of a central bank.
Never audited, until a few weeks ago, when a partial audit finally revealed some of their treachery. While America was held hostage by a phony debt ceiling debate that pretended to help resolve our annual $1.7 trillion deficit, we learned that the Fed secretly bestowed more than $16 trillion to American and foreign banks over the past three years. Two trillion dollars, more than our annual deficit, was dumped into the vaults of the Bank of America.
Ron Paul forced the audit and is the only presidential candidate campaigning against the Fed, international bankers and the NWO. Against those who are swiftly establishing and would be masters of “one world if you will.”
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The original source of this article is The Aspen Times
Thursday, 14 May 2020
I am not one of the politically correct crowd, which have brainwashed people like these in this photo.
Political correction has done only one thing in the western world and nothing else.
Political correctness has caused people to go "underground" to meet with others who think and understand events the same way. Political correctness has castrated society and has enslaved society with the ever growing propaganda such as "white privilege".
One person of non-white ethnic back ground claimed that the only thig white privilege does is create a society were people who feel inferior can find an escape goat for their interior complexes and their inability to be better than they are.
Civil rights courts have been dominated by the politically correct and choose cases in which they believe they can win. These cases are mostly against Christians, especially Evangelicals who are easy targets especially if they own a business. There are no boundaries that politically correctness doesn't attempt to make itself know and heard.
Monday, 11 May 2020
The New Garbage on the Roads and in Parking Lots.
This is totally my observation as I watch the public concerns about covid-19.
There are surgical gloves and masks left on the ground in parking lots and along the streets these days. People have this idea that they can just toss these (now infected) items on the ground for someone else to pick up.
The average public hasn't a clue in how to wear these so called safety gear, let alone how to properly dispose of them. What is becoming more a joke than safety is how people are wearing these items.
Most people have been duped into believing that by wearing a mask and gloves, that they are safe. Not really and again it's because they have no idea how to wear these products.
Store clerks are wearing gloves while handling items, when in reality they should be changing gloves with each person they deal with.
People have been taking their cars to so called cleaning stations to have their cars wiped down, and then jump back in. To really take advantage of the cleaning, these people need to shower and change clothes, put on new gloves and then get back in to drive their cars.
The fashion industry has taken the public by storm with reusable fashion masks. People need to know they can't wear these all day, but need to change them when they go from one place to another, and then should know how to wash and disinfect them as well. So people should be aware that buying one mask is not enough.
The public should be really demanding full protection garments with face shields, masks, and foot wear along with the gowns and gloves to be really safe, and to be able to properly dispose of and change into a clean set when going into another store.
Yes I believe that Canadians have been duped into thinking that they are totally protected from bacteria by wearing all these different devices and using hand sanitizer as well.
It's being called the "new normal" when in reality its a merchandising add scam making people think they are protected.
Just my observation, nothing more. Anyone who reads this and wants to have fun with it, go ahead. These days it doesn't matter and I really don't care.
There are surgical gloves and masks left on the ground in parking lots and along the streets these days. People have this idea that they can just toss these (now infected) items on the ground for someone else to pick up.
The average public hasn't a clue in how to wear these so called safety gear, let alone how to properly dispose of them. What is becoming more a joke than safety is how people are wearing these items.
Most people have been duped into believing that by wearing a mask and gloves, that they are safe. Not really and again it's because they have no idea how to wear these products.
Store clerks are wearing gloves while handling items, when in reality they should be changing gloves with each person they deal with.
People have been taking their cars to so called cleaning stations to have their cars wiped down, and then jump back in. To really take advantage of the cleaning, these people need to shower and change clothes, put on new gloves and then get back in to drive their cars.
The fashion industry has taken the public by storm with reusable fashion masks. People need to know they can't wear these all day, but need to change them when they go from one place to another, and then should know how to wash and disinfect them as well. So people should be aware that buying one mask is not enough.
The public should be really demanding full protection garments with face shields, masks, and foot wear along with the gowns and gloves to be really safe, and to be able to properly dispose of and change into a clean set when going into another store.
Yes I believe that Canadians have been duped into thinking that they are totally protected from bacteria by wearing all these different devices and using hand sanitizer as well.
It's being called the "new normal" when in reality its a merchandising add scam making people think they are protected.
Just my observation, nothing more. Anyone who reads this and wants to have fun with it, go ahead. These days it doesn't matter and I really don't care.
Saturday, 9 May 2020
Extremist News Reporters - Seek violation of human rights in Canada.
I couldn't copy and paste an article found the Saskatchewsan Herold. So I will paraphrase what I read.
The repoters is suggesting that once a vaccination is found for the covid-19 virus, that the federal govenrment should make vaccinations mandatory, and not just covid-19 but all vaccines. Those who refuse could face criminal charges, they could loose their jobs, they could be refused entry into grocery stores, resturtants, employment opportunities, and face jail time and evern perhaps forced vaccination.
The reporter also suggested that children of those who refuse, be taken away from these people and placed in homes and forced to be vaccinated just the same.
Such thoughts are acts of fascism and/or communism. You choose which ones you want to name. Forced vaccination is a violation of Canadian civil rights regardless of the concept. It amazzes me that reporters are advocating such actions. The people who are suppose to challenge such government actions and concepts do not seem to be present on behalf of the citizens of Canada. Instead these reporters seem to be focused on expressing such communistic ideology. It's like these reporters were educated in the University of Moscow, and indoctrinated by fascistic education.
It's bad enough that the government of Canada is more intereseted in control of the population at the present time, and then to have reporters who advocate extreme controls of the population.
Canadians need to protect our rights and freedomw expressed in the Canadian charter of rights and freedoms..
The repoters is suggesting that once a vaccination is found for the covid-19 virus, that the federal govenrment should make vaccinations mandatory, and not just covid-19 but all vaccines. Those who refuse could face criminal charges, they could loose their jobs, they could be refused entry into grocery stores, resturtants, employment opportunities, and face jail time and evern perhaps forced vaccination.
The reporter also suggested that children of those who refuse, be taken away from these people and placed in homes and forced to be vaccinated just the same.
Such thoughts are acts of fascism and/or communism. You choose which ones you want to name. Forced vaccination is a violation of Canadian civil rights regardless of the concept. It amazzes me that reporters are advocating such actions. The people who are suppose to challenge such government actions and concepts do not seem to be present on behalf of the citizens of Canada. Instead these reporters seem to be focused on expressing such communistic ideology. It's like these reporters were educated in the University of Moscow, and indoctrinated by fascistic education.
It's bad enough that the government of Canada is more intereseted in control of the population at the present time, and then to have reporters who advocate extreme controls of the population.
Canadians need to protect our rights and freedomw expressed in the Canadian charter of rights and freedoms..
Thursday, 7 May 2020
Are We Being Lied To?
My thoughts: you can't help but think that something is going on through out the world. This covid-19 virus I don't believe is all that it is cracked up to be. I don't believe the governments are being truthful with the public, especially here in Canada.
The reason I think like I do, is that the numbers for the fear mongering just don't add up. More people are killed in car accidents than have in this virus. More people die from cancer and other health issues than this virus. It has also been known that if a patient dies and covid-19 can be even hinted at, the patient died of covid-19 is on the death certificate than the real cause or complications.
The dictatorial powers that all level of governments have exercised in Canada do not justify the outcome of the virus. Again, the numbers just don't add up. People have said that if we didn't lock down the public, there would have been more deaths. Really? How do you know? These are just summations that haven't been proven by any other country that didn't go through lock down.
Perhaps its because I just don't trust anyone especially the government that causes me to question what has been taking place. Perhaps its because I just don't see the justification due to the numbers. SARS was a big deal, and yet the country didn't go through lock down. There still isn't a vaccine for SARS but we don't go through all the circus routines that we have with this virus and SARS was a world wide experience.
There has to be something more to this. There has to be something that governments are not telling. It just doesn't add up. It can't be just an exercise in how far governments can go in their exercise of power. No. There has to be something that is not being said, or if it is, it is hidden in the rhetoric.
Was this a virus created in China that got away on them? Let's be honest, there is a desire in China to not only control the population but also to find a way to cull the population so it doesn't cost China so much to look after these people. Is it a virus that was designed to rid countries of their older and most vulnerable populations thereby not costing the governments so much in health care costs and nursing home costs? These are all good questions and I wouldn't put it past China to find ways in which they can cull their herds.
It was reported today that an estimated total of 200,000 people have died of covid-19 and yet that number is so small compared to the population of the world. The Black Plague killed more people than this has throughout Europe. Again it is worth while asking questions even if they make governments cringe and back away.
The reason I think like I do, is that the numbers for the fear mongering just don't add up. More people are killed in car accidents than have in this virus. More people die from cancer and other health issues than this virus. It has also been known that if a patient dies and covid-19 can be even hinted at, the patient died of covid-19 is on the death certificate than the real cause or complications.
The dictatorial powers that all level of governments have exercised in Canada do not justify the outcome of the virus. Again, the numbers just don't add up. People have said that if we didn't lock down the public, there would have been more deaths. Really? How do you know? These are just summations that haven't been proven by any other country that didn't go through lock down.
Perhaps its because I just don't trust anyone especially the government that causes me to question what has been taking place. Perhaps its because I just don't see the justification due to the numbers. SARS was a big deal, and yet the country didn't go through lock down. There still isn't a vaccine for SARS but we don't go through all the circus routines that we have with this virus and SARS was a world wide experience.
There has to be something more to this. There has to be something that governments are not telling. It just doesn't add up. It can't be just an exercise in how far governments can go in their exercise of power. No. There has to be something that is not being said, or if it is, it is hidden in the rhetoric.
Was this a virus created in China that got away on them? Let's be honest, there is a desire in China to not only control the population but also to find a way to cull the population so it doesn't cost China so much to look after these people. Is it a virus that was designed to rid countries of their older and most vulnerable populations thereby not costing the governments so much in health care costs and nursing home costs? These are all good questions and I wouldn't put it past China to find ways in which they can cull their herds.
It was reported today that an estimated total of 200,000 people have died of covid-19 and yet that number is so small compared to the population of the world. The Black Plague killed more people than this has throughout Europe. Again it is worth while asking questions even if they make governments cringe and back away.
Wednesday, 6 May 2020
Sermon - Take me to the river. Acts. 16:9-15
Acts 16:9-15
Reading from the New International Version:
During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us."
After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace and the next day on to Neapolis.
From there we traveled to Philippi a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.
On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there.
One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message.
When she and the members of her household were baptized she invited us to her home. "If you consider me a believer in the Lord," she said, "came and stay at my house." And she persuaded us.
Dreams + Goals =
To give a bit of a background, at the end of chapter 15, Paul and Barnabas have decided that they should visit the churches that they had already established.
Before they left, the two are engaged in an argument that causes both of them to go their separate ways.
It is interesting that in many translations, this argument is not reported as causing a rift between the two.
I may even be reading too much into the passage, but an argument that causes two friends to go their separate ways for now, must have caused some sort of emotional and perhaps spiritual anxieties.
Ever notice that when we are angry, there is an emotional and even spiritual anxiety that causes us to lose something of ourselves.
They say that no one ever wins in fighting a war. I would like to suggest that no one really wins in arguments, that there are casualties on both sides.
While Barnabas goes on to Cyprus, Paul goes on to Syria Cilicia teaching and strengthening the churches, ending in Troas. It is here in Troas that Paul has his vision.
A man calls out to Paul to come and help them in Macedonia. It is at this point, that Dr. Luke writes this account in the first person until about verse 40. It would appear that at this point Luke has joined up with Paul and this new becomes an eye witnessed account.
There are four observations I would like to bring to your attention.
First: A dream without goals us just a dream.
Dreams can be events that we have when we are asleep, or they can be the desires we seek as we live our adventures in life.
I dream of going to Disney World. As of yet it is just a dream as I have never been there.
Paul had a vision, and within that vision was a goal.
Martin Luther King, in one of his greatest speeches said "I have a dream". His dream contained a goal which was that every person would come together as brothers and sisters. The goal of unity in order to change society for the better. That there was no difference in colour, ethnicity, female or male.
We all have had dreams or desires in our lives. Many of these dreams and desires have given us goals to achieve. Goals that have challenged us. Goals that have inspired us. Goals that have given us the lives we have lived and have been a blessing not only to us but to others.
We need to understand, that even though we may be retired, or we feel that we have done all that needs to be done, God is not finished with us and we still have desires with goals as God challenges us and directs us.
There is truth in the saying "Please be patient. God is not finished with me yet."
The second observation is: In order to achieve the goals of our dreams and desires, we must apply discipline and consistency.
When Paul awoke from his vision, Luke tells us that Paul and everyone with him made preparations to move towards the direction of Paul's goal.
It has always amazed me, when I hear individuals say; "If it wasn't for my parents, if it wasn't for my grandparents, if it wasn't for a mentor, a friend, a coach, I would not be where I am today.
Goals take preparations. Everything we do in life, everything we have done in life, where we have achieved our desires, our goals, our dreams, they have all been achieved through discipline and consistency.
Let me repeat that. Everything we do in life, everything we have done in life, where we have achieved our desires, our goals, our dreams, they have all been achieved through discipline and consistency.
We sometimes take this for granted as being a normal course of action in order to achieve our goals. Athletes regardless of their sport commit themselves to their sports to achieve their goals. No one just wakes up one morning and decides that they will be on the Olympic team without hard work and effort.
Many of you here may remember my mother as the Tupperware Queen of Norfolk. She had worked her way up to being a manager and we profited from her business ability. What people don't know is that she committed herself, those whom she managed, and her Tupperware business to God daily.
Her discipline and consistency was contagious and was blessed by God right up until she decided that it was time to stop selling.
Luke writes that Paul and his companions moved out, and embraced this adventure with discipline and consistency.
I am sure that there were obstacles in their way. I am sure that Paul and those with him just didn't set out and travelled without any problems.
One thing we do know about Paul, is that he was disciplined and consistent in his faith and was able to go around obstacles that may have been presented in his journey.
We have the ability to find a way to get around obstacles that hinder our faith journey in our quest to achieve our goal. Prayer is the communications we have with God.
We often don't see God's answers right away. We sometimes wish he would just speak to us. By being aware of what is around us we can discern the directions God is leading us.
The third observation is: Don't confuse movement with progress.
Progress is never measured by movement. Progress is measured by the end results in how we achieved our goal.
The goal that Paul desired was to establish a church of believers in Philippi. His progress was measured by what he achieved. To see this achievement, we need to read the letter to the Philippians and the two letters to Timothy to show that a church was established in Philippi.
It is in these letters that show us Paul's goal and the progress made in establishing the church where there was none. It is the church at Philippi that demonstrates to the rest of the Christian world what following Jesus was all about. The Philippian church demonstrated the gifts of the spirit in everyday living.
It was the Philippian church that gathered a collection to take back to Jerusalem to help with the poor. It was the Philippian church that demonstrated hospitality, sharing, and spreading the Gospel of Jesus to others.
This leads me to the final observation: It's what you do with what you have.
We read that Paul and his companions found a group of people who already believed in God. We are not told how these individuals obtained an understanding of God. We are not told if this was a place of worship in Philippi.
Some researchers suggest that there wasn't an actual building where those who believed in God gathered. According to many researchers, there wasn't even a synagogue in Philippi as one needed 10 men or families of the Jewish faith to establish a place. We do know however, that there were people who worshipped God and that these believers gathered at the river for prayer.
This gathering of a handful of believers gathering by a river, reminds me of the gathering of Israelites by the river of Babylon during the Babylonian captivity. These people gathered there and lamented that they could not go to Jerusalem to the temple to worship God.
This is one of the many reformations for the Jewish people, as it was at this time that synagogues were established as a substitute place of worship. It what they had that enabled them to grow in their faith.
The people already had an understanding of God. With this understanding they were spiritually opened and cognitively available to learn and understand more and Paul was there to teach them more.
Remember Paul's vision? There was a man who called out to Paul and asked for help. Notice he asked for help and not come over and convert us. This tells me that there were some believers in God and that they needed further direction. We are not told who taught them first. We are told that they desired further teaching, further help in establishing their faith.
Luke makes this clear when he writes about Lydia. She was a believer in God. She already had an understanding of God and the goodness and grace of God. Paul was there to teach her what she needed to know, the Gospel of Jesus.
Luke writes that after she listened to Paul and his teaching, she was baptised. Luke's attention to Lydia enables us to see Lydia was a leader in a male dominated society. Even though Luke doesn't say it out right, Lydia was a successful business woman. She was a manager, a person who was of some wealth, a person who had control of her wellbeing and those who were under her care.
From historical understanding, we know that Lydia had the respect that equaled any other business person in a male dominated society that was Rome. This in itself tells me that Lydia was a person who was an achiever, a dedicated individual, that worked harder in order to achieve her goals in life.
We are not told who all was in Lydia's household. We can only speculate, suggesting that there were servants, possibly children, and perhaps a husband. We just don't really know. But what we do know from what Luke writes, that Lydia had care over a number of people and that these people all were baptised into the fellowship of believers in Philippi.
We also know that Lydia was a persistent woman as she insisted that Paul and his companions remain in her house therefore under her care while they remained in Philippi. Hospitality is a gift that she demonstrated her desire to follow the teachings of Jesus.
Jesus said that the world would know His followers by their love, by their actions, by their desires to follow the teaching, and most all by their demonstration in their everyday living, their living faith.
In conclusion I would like to leave you with this challenge. God is not finished with us as individuals, as a congregation, as a community of believers.
He is giving us dreams and desires with reachable and obtainable goals. It is what we do with what we have that enables us to move forward in our faith journey as individuals and as a congregation.
Amen.
Reading from the New International Version:
During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us."
After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace and the next day on to Neapolis.
From there we traveled to Philippi a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.
On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there.
One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message.
When she and the members of her household were baptized she invited us to her home. "If you consider me a believer in the Lord," she said, "came and stay at my house." And she persuaded us.
Dreams + Goals =
To give a bit of a background, at the end of chapter 15, Paul and Barnabas have decided that they should visit the churches that they had already established.
Before they left, the two are engaged in an argument that causes both of them to go their separate ways.
It is interesting that in many translations, this argument is not reported as causing a rift between the two.
I may even be reading too much into the passage, but an argument that causes two friends to go their separate ways for now, must have caused some sort of emotional and perhaps spiritual anxieties.
Ever notice that when we are angry, there is an emotional and even spiritual anxiety that causes us to lose something of ourselves.
They say that no one ever wins in fighting a war. I would like to suggest that no one really wins in arguments, that there are casualties on both sides.
While Barnabas goes on to Cyprus, Paul goes on to Syria Cilicia teaching and strengthening the churches, ending in Troas. It is here in Troas that Paul has his vision.
A man calls out to Paul to come and help them in Macedonia. It is at this point, that Dr. Luke writes this account in the first person until about verse 40. It would appear that at this point Luke has joined up with Paul and this new becomes an eye witnessed account.
There are four observations I would like to bring to your attention.
First: A dream without goals us just a dream.
Dreams can be events that we have when we are asleep, or they can be the desires we seek as we live our adventures in life.
I dream of going to Disney World. As of yet it is just a dream as I have never been there.
Paul had a vision, and within that vision was a goal.
Martin Luther King, in one of his greatest speeches said "I have a dream". His dream contained a goal which was that every person would come together as brothers and sisters. The goal of unity in order to change society for the better. That there was no difference in colour, ethnicity, female or male.
We all have had dreams or desires in our lives. Many of these dreams and desires have given us goals to achieve. Goals that have challenged us. Goals that have inspired us. Goals that have given us the lives we have lived and have been a blessing not only to us but to others.
We need to understand, that even though we may be retired, or we feel that we have done all that needs to be done, God is not finished with us and we still have desires with goals as God challenges us and directs us.
There is truth in the saying "Please be patient. God is not finished with me yet."
The second observation is: In order to achieve the goals of our dreams and desires, we must apply discipline and consistency.
When Paul awoke from his vision, Luke tells us that Paul and everyone with him made preparations to move towards the direction of Paul's goal.
It has always amazed me, when I hear individuals say; "If it wasn't for my parents, if it wasn't for my grandparents, if it wasn't for a mentor, a friend, a coach, I would not be where I am today.
Goals take preparations. Everything we do in life, everything we have done in life, where we have achieved our desires, our goals, our dreams, they have all been achieved through discipline and consistency.
Let me repeat that. Everything we do in life, everything we have done in life, where we have achieved our desires, our goals, our dreams, they have all been achieved through discipline and consistency.
We sometimes take this for granted as being a normal course of action in order to achieve our goals. Athletes regardless of their sport commit themselves to their sports to achieve their goals. No one just wakes up one morning and decides that they will be on the Olympic team without hard work and effort.
Many of you here may remember my mother as the Tupperware Queen of Norfolk. She had worked her way up to being a manager and we profited from her business ability. What people don't know is that she committed herself, those whom she managed, and her Tupperware business to God daily.
Her discipline and consistency was contagious and was blessed by God right up until she decided that it was time to stop selling.
Luke writes that Paul and his companions moved out, and embraced this adventure with discipline and consistency.
I am sure that there were obstacles in their way. I am sure that Paul and those with him just didn't set out and travelled without any problems.
One thing we do know about Paul, is that he was disciplined and consistent in his faith and was able to go around obstacles that may have been presented in his journey.
We have the ability to find a way to get around obstacles that hinder our faith journey in our quest to achieve our goal. Prayer is the communications we have with God.
We often don't see God's answers right away. We sometimes wish he would just speak to us. By being aware of what is around us we can discern the directions God is leading us.
The third observation is: Don't confuse movement with progress.
Progress is never measured by movement. Progress is measured by the end results in how we achieved our goal.
The goal that Paul desired was to establish a church of believers in Philippi. His progress was measured by what he achieved. To see this achievement, we need to read the letter to the Philippians and the two letters to Timothy to show that a church was established in Philippi.
It is in these letters that show us Paul's goal and the progress made in establishing the church where there was none. It is the church at Philippi that demonstrates to the rest of the Christian world what following Jesus was all about. The Philippian church demonstrated the gifts of the spirit in everyday living.
It was the Philippian church that gathered a collection to take back to Jerusalem to help with the poor. It was the Philippian church that demonstrated hospitality, sharing, and spreading the Gospel of Jesus to others.
This leads me to the final observation: It's what you do with what you have.
We read that Paul and his companions found a group of people who already believed in God. We are not told how these individuals obtained an understanding of God. We are not told if this was a place of worship in Philippi.
Some researchers suggest that there wasn't an actual building where those who believed in God gathered. According to many researchers, there wasn't even a synagogue in Philippi as one needed 10 men or families of the Jewish faith to establish a place. We do know however, that there were people who worshipped God and that these believers gathered at the river for prayer.
This gathering of a handful of believers gathering by a river, reminds me of the gathering of Israelites by the river of Babylon during the Babylonian captivity. These people gathered there and lamented that they could not go to Jerusalem to the temple to worship God.
This is one of the many reformations for the Jewish people, as it was at this time that synagogues were established as a substitute place of worship. It what they had that enabled them to grow in their faith.
The people already had an understanding of God. With this understanding they were spiritually opened and cognitively available to learn and understand more and Paul was there to teach them more.
Remember Paul's vision? There was a man who called out to Paul and asked for help. Notice he asked for help and not come over and convert us. This tells me that there were some believers in God and that they needed further direction. We are not told who taught them first. We are told that they desired further teaching, further help in establishing their faith.
Luke makes this clear when he writes about Lydia. She was a believer in God. She already had an understanding of God and the goodness and grace of God. Paul was there to teach her what she needed to know, the Gospel of Jesus.
Luke writes that after she listened to Paul and his teaching, she was baptised. Luke's attention to Lydia enables us to see Lydia was a leader in a male dominated society. Even though Luke doesn't say it out right, Lydia was a successful business woman. She was a manager, a person who was of some wealth, a person who had control of her wellbeing and those who were under her care.
From historical understanding, we know that Lydia had the respect that equaled any other business person in a male dominated society that was Rome. This in itself tells me that Lydia was a person who was an achiever, a dedicated individual, that worked harder in order to achieve her goals in life.
We are not told who all was in Lydia's household. We can only speculate, suggesting that there were servants, possibly children, and perhaps a husband. We just don't really know. But what we do know from what Luke writes, that Lydia had care over a number of people and that these people all were baptised into the fellowship of believers in Philippi.
We also know that Lydia was a persistent woman as she insisted that Paul and his companions remain in her house therefore under her care while they remained in Philippi. Hospitality is a gift that she demonstrated her desire to follow the teachings of Jesus.
Jesus said that the world would know His followers by their love, by their actions, by their desires to follow the teaching, and most all by their demonstration in their everyday living, their living faith.
In conclusion I would like to leave you with this challenge. God is not finished with us as individuals, as a congregation, as a community of believers.
He is giving us dreams and desires with reachable and obtainable goals. It is what we do with what we have that enables us to move forward in our faith journey as individuals and as a congregation.
Amen.
Monday, 4 May 2020
Politics - The fall of Canadian democracy.
There are many times that myself and others have looked at the actions of the government in power, and have seen subtle events whereby the govenrments have tried to sweep aside parliament and democracy in order to achieve their desires of controling the population,
At this present time, with the actions of Canadian prime minister, justine trudeau has shown a blantant disregard for parliament and Canadian democracy. By using the "order in council" paragraph of the constitution allows the government minister make a regualtion without the consent of parliament. In saying that, the regulation can be withdrawn without parliament as well. What has been done though is that by using this section, the government has been enabled to control once more the population without the consent of parliament.
Most changes in the law are discussed during question period and even in debates. But this has been pushed aside by a prime minister, to deliberately obtain lip service to those in the cities who voted him into office.
The prime minister has continued to manipulate situations so he can push aside democracy. It is true that Canada is a social democracy, however trudeau's intension is to obtain state control of the population, claiming it is doing so as an act of providing safety of the country whom they claim they are acting on their behalf.
No government should be trusted at any time, but especially this government of trudeau. He is acting on his own desires to control the population and to usher in an age of globalization where the soveriegnty of the nation is freely given over such organizations as the United Nations which has their own agenda of one world order.
There is a need to understand the language of the govenrments. They are all saying the "new normal" which is code for control of the population. The public will be told how high they can jump as society comes out the caves of fear that has been exploited by governments with the help of the news media.
Also governments are talking about a date of 2022 before any kind of normality will be obtained as well as the effective creation of a vaccine. These too are control measures being used by the governments by manipulating the circumstances through which they can rule the people freely with controls.
So I have covered a lot of material to be honest. The biggest problem is seen with the way trudeau has pushed away parliament to obtain his personal desires of population controls.
The prime minister tried to pass a bill, that would have excluded parliament from voting on spending bills of the government. The prime minister had to take that portion out of the bill so it would pass. The content of the bill though shows that trudeau doesn't want to call parliament. He would rather disolve parliament and rule by divine right.
Canadians need to be on guard agianst government actions that destory and breakdown democracy.
Welcome to the Union of Soviet Socialist Canada.
At this present time, with the actions of Canadian prime minister, justine trudeau has shown a blantant disregard for parliament and Canadian democracy. By using the "order in council" paragraph of the constitution allows the government minister make a regualtion without the consent of parliament. In saying that, the regulation can be withdrawn without parliament as well. What has been done though is that by using this section, the government has been enabled to control once more the population without the consent of parliament.
Most changes in the law are discussed during question period and even in debates. But this has been pushed aside by a prime minister, to deliberately obtain lip service to those in the cities who voted him into office.
The prime minister has continued to manipulate situations so he can push aside democracy. It is true that Canada is a social democracy, however trudeau's intension is to obtain state control of the population, claiming it is doing so as an act of providing safety of the country whom they claim they are acting on their behalf.
No government should be trusted at any time, but especially this government of trudeau. He is acting on his own desires to control the population and to usher in an age of globalization where the soveriegnty of the nation is freely given over such organizations as the United Nations which has their own agenda of one world order.
There is a need to understand the language of the govenrments. They are all saying the "new normal" which is code for control of the population. The public will be told how high they can jump as society comes out the caves of fear that has been exploited by governments with the help of the news media.
Also governments are talking about a date of 2022 before any kind of normality will be obtained as well as the effective creation of a vaccine. These too are control measures being used by the governments by manipulating the circumstances through which they can rule the people freely with controls.
So I have covered a lot of material to be honest. The biggest problem is seen with the way trudeau has pushed away parliament to obtain his personal desires of population controls.
The prime minister tried to pass a bill, that would have excluded parliament from voting on spending bills of the government. The prime minister had to take that portion out of the bill so it would pass. The content of the bill though shows that trudeau doesn't want to call parliament. He would rather disolve parliament and rule by divine right.
Canadians need to be on guard agianst government actions that destory and breakdown democracy.
Welcome to the Union of Soviet Socialist Canada.
Sunday, 3 May 2020
Kevin Scott
Let me lay this out for you and anyone else who also likely isn’t as informed as they would like to be.
Firstly, let me say this. I’ve been a firearms instructor for 14 years, a police officer and supervisor for 8. A correctional officer for 6 and an RCMP firearms verification expert since 2012. Part of being a firearms verification expert means it’s my job to be able to testify to court what classification different firearms are, and their points of origin and import.
With that being said I will start with this. Nothing on that list, or in a Canada is an “assault weapon” or a “military grade firearm”. All military firearms have been outright banned in Canada since 1979. Automatic firearms are prohibited in Canada. The rifles on that list are hunting and sporting rifles.
Trudeau is blatantly lying and misleading Canadians by using their lack of knowledge on the subject. Firstly, he bypassed our democratic process with is outrageous and every Canadian should be appalled. Secondly he is dancing on the graves of all those victims in NS. The shooter used a rifle obtained in the US and a pistol stolen from a Cst killed in cold blood. The victims and their families deserve better. Nothing he did was legal, he wasn’t even a firearms license holder and had previously been banned from owning firearms after a common assault (disclaimer - those conditions had expired).
Canadians are ridiculously strict with gun laws. Nothing in this act will help public safety in the slightest. All centre fire rifles in Canada are limited to 5 rounds. They cannot be converted to be automatic.
This will cost Canadians a half billion dollars and have zero effect on public safety. It will hurt public safety as it distracts money and attention from real issues.
The borders are weak as hell. I would say I handled more American firearms then Canadian ones. Personally I have seized more firearms then most people have ever seen in real life. The border is the biggest problem.
Secondly, the liberals banned carding and severely limited police powers to be proactive against gangs. The result was a 48% increase in shootings and a 98% increase in the number of people shot in the GTA.
Thirdly, the liberal government passed bill C75 which lowered sentences on violent crime and terrorism. It reduced bail considerations. Increased bail and promoted early release of offenders.
The liberals have hurt community safety far worse then we can likely repair.
Chris Lewis OPP commissioner (Ret) does not support this.
The association of chiefs of police do not support this.
Every police officer is screaming at this waste of money that will not help anything.
My AR 15 holds 5 .223 rounds. My deer rifle holds 5 30-06 rounds. It’s the most commonly used deer rifle in North America. Use common sense and tell me what’s more dangerous.
I think it’s also important that people understand how licensing works.
When you first decide you want your Possession and acquisition license (PAL) you find a licensed firearm instructor and tester. You will learn about different types of firearms, ammunition, safe handling, storage and transportation. The hunter safety course required for hunting is another course and exam on top of this. For the firearms portion only you will spend about $400 and two 8 hr training days. Followed by a lengthy exam requiring a 80% pass mark.
You then submit your application with proof of your testing. A picture, and roughly the same information you submit on your passport. Two guarantors etc. But, if you have a former spouse or partner...hope you’re in good standing. You will need their consent and the Chief Firearms Office (CFO) will contact them. You will wait about 6-12 months while they do background checks and local police records checks as well as calling the two character references you provided.
Then eventually your card will come in the mail at a cost of $80. Now, you legally can purchase ammunition and a firearm. But, only Non-Restricted firearms such as shotguns and hunting rifles. They must be stored separate from ammunition, out of site and locked. Either with a disabling lock, or in a locked container that is hard to break into. They can only be loaded in a place where they can be legally discharged. Ie the woods far away from people and houses.
Now, if you want a pistol or sporting rifle you need a restricted possession and acquisition license (RPAL). Back to the classroom, another 8hrs and $400. Another exam another $80 and an application the same as the first. You will wait 6-12 months again. Now, you have your license? Great! You can’t purchase a restricted firearms yet though.
Before you can do that you’ll need to be a member of a licensed range. Licensed ranges are over seen by the CFO to make sure they meet very stringent safety measures. So here in kingston we have one club, with a 2-3 year waiting list. So you apply and wait. Eventually luckily you get a spot. You pay your $300 annual fee, but you’re not shooting yet. First, another 8 hour safety course and then 4 probationary visits with a range officer.
Finally, you’re a member. Now you can purchase a pistol or sporting rifle. So you go to the store and chose one. You pay, now you wait. If you’re lucky 2-3 weeks maybe, sometimes 6-10 while the CFO approves it.
Oh, did I mention all firearms owners are checked on The Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) daily?.
So finally the day comes. You pick up your pistol or rifle. You’re ready to go! Nope, sorry. You’ll need two locks. A disabling lock and a hard container that locks. Restricted firearms are always locked twice. So we’re on our way right? No, not yet. Now you will need to contact the CFO wait on hold for 35-45 mins and request an Authorization to Transport (ATT). This is a piece of paper they will email you with your current address and your home address permitting you to transport your new firearm. You’re not allowed to stray. That would result in a ten year sentence and lifetime ban.
Once your home your pistol or rifle is stored separate from ammo and locked twice. It may only be transported to and from your licensed range with your ATT. It may only be discharged at your range.
At anytime the police on behalf of CFO or CFO may conduct a warrantless search of your home to verify proper compliance.
At any time any person can phone the CFO or local police with a safety concern about you and you will lose your firearms. It is now up to you, to pay to defend yourself.
That is the just of the firearms licensing requirements in Canada.
Believe me, gun owners are afraid of sneezing as we can lose them so easily after going through so many hurdles to have them.
sermon: I have a neighbour. Luke 10:25-37
Luke 10:25-37.
The reading is from Peterson's "The Message".
Just then a religion scholar stood up with a question to test Jesus. "Teacher, what do I need to do to get eternal life?"
He answered, "What's written in God's law? How do you interpret it?"
He said "That you love the Lord your God with all your passion, and prayer, and muscle, and intelligence -- and that you love your neighbout as well as you do yourself."
"Good answer." said Jesus. "Do it and you'll live."
Looking for a loophole, he asked, "And just how would you define neighbour?"
Jesus answered by telling a story. "There ws once a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. On the way, he was attacked by robbers. The took his clothes, beat him up, and went off leaving him half-dead. Luckily, a priest was on his way down the same road, but when he saw him he angles across to the other side. Then a Levite religious man showed up; he also avoided the injured man.
A Samaritan traveling the road came on him. When he saw the man's condition, his heart went out to him. He gave him first aid, disinfecting and bandaging his wounds. Then he lifted him onto his donkey, led him to an inn, and made him comfortable. In the morning he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper, saying "Take good care of him. If it costs any more, put it on my bill -- I'll pay ou on my way back."
"What do you think? Which one of the three became the neighbour to the man attacked by robbers?"
"The one who treated him kindly," the religion scholar responded.
Jesus sain, "Go and do the same."
I HAVE A NEIGHBOUR?
We have heard this parable many times. I believe that most of us could recite the story from memory and make the conclusion that we have been taught for many years.
This morning I would like to take the side of the "religion scholar" as the person is described here.
In many translations, this person has been given the title of scribe, lawyer, and in a few cases Pharisee.
This morning I would like to refer to this person as a student, as in many ways this person represents us as we journey in life and our faith.
For some reason I don't see this person as trying to trick Jesus, as many translators would have us believe.
I see the student asking a fair question in the hopes of beginning a discussion, one that is not only a gathering of information, but a discussion whereby there is opportunity to express oneself and learn.
Before I attended Trinity Western University in British Columbia, a friend of mine and I used to pick a topic or a passage of scripture, and we would take opposite view points and push the envelope. In fact there were times that we tore the envelope into shreds and had to find another one to being it all back together.
We had one firm rule for our discussions.
At the end of each discussion it was mandatory that we rebuild what we tore apart. In putting the topic or passage back together, we learned and experienced an understanding of the passage, doctrine, or topic under discussion.
I have missed these discussions. The book "The Dead Poets Society" best described our discussions; "We were gnawing on the bones of tipics to suck out the sweet marrow of understanding and knowledge."
This is how I see the student described in this passage. He was and is a "seeker". A seeker of discerning understanding, seeking knowledge and wisdom, and like us the student is searching for something more than just simple faith.
We read the question presented: "What must I do to get eternal life?"
Jesus responds to the question with a question: "What do you think? How do you interpret what is written?" In other words, "What do you believe?"
These are the same three questions that we face when it comes to defining our belief system contained in our faith.
The student in this parable recites the Shema -- to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength, and to love your neighbout as yourself.
In Jeudism the Shema was to be recited every day. The Shema was thought to be the culmination of all 613 commandments of the law, thereby the purpose and definaition of the law. In other words, the reason for the law, and the purpose of the law ws to honour God.
In addition, to love your neighbour as yourself was to demonstrate the love of God beyond the law.
Everything esle concerning how to live, the rituals, etc. was considered commentary.
We Christians have our own Shema that we recite. "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might, and do unto others as you would have them do unto you." That is our Shema to obtain eternal life. As the rest, the teachings of Jesus becomes commentary.
Jesus tells the student that this is the base of his belief, which allows the student, like us, to open the door for the next questions which is "Who's my neighbour? or define what is a neighbour?"
At the end of the story, Jesus asks the student which person in the story became the "neighbour" to the robber's victim.
When we did a little deeper, we find that Jesus is saying, faith alone isn't enough. Your faith must contain action, it must live and be seen by those around you.
Timothy Radcliff, in his book; "What is the Point of Being a Christian" writes: "The first duty of Christians is to keep alive the awareness of what is happening to our flesh and blood now...as members of the body of Christ, the suffering of people...should not be just a statistic: they are flesh of our flesh."
The Apostle James writes: "Faith without works is dead." Our faith must show action, and this action is what the Apostle Paul writes concerning the gifts of the Spirit, and the most prominate gift is love.
You see, its not enough to just be a Christian. We must show the love, the grace, the compassion, of Jesus to our communities and to the individuals we come in contact with every day.
The light of Christ is our faith, we cannot afford to hide that light. You see in life, some people don't need you to preach a sermon. They need you to live one. When they see you living the sermon they connect and identify with you.
In conclusion, God calls us to a deeper level of faith in which we need to take seriously our conversations with God. The deeper level enables us to embrace neighbours whomever they happen to be.
Our actions as individual Christians and as a congregations of the church demonstrate the love of God to a world that is searching for compassion, grace, and yes -- existence.
In the beginning, God created his manifestation throughout the world. What does that mean? It means that since we are made in the image of God, we are obligated to show respect to each other and to be caregivers to those whom we see among us.
Micah 6:8 -- "What does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, and love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God."
Everyone has become our neighbour.
Amen
The reading is from Peterson's "The Message".
Just then a religion scholar stood up with a question to test Jesus. "Teacher, what do I need to do to get eternal life?"
He answered, "What's written in God's law? How do you interpret it?"
He said "That you love the Lord your God with all your passion, and prayer, and muscle, and intelligence -- and that you love your neighbout as well as you do yourself."
"Good answer." said Jesus. "Do it and you'll live."
Looking for a loophole, he asked, "And just how would you define neighbour?"
Jesus answered by telling a story. "There ws once a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. On the way, he was attacked by robbers. The took his clothes, beat him up, and went off leaving him half-dead. Luckily, a priest was on his way down the same road, but when he saw him he angles across to the other side. Then a Levite religious man showed up; he also avoided the injured man.
A Samaritan traveling the road came on him. When he saw the man's condition, his heart went out to him. He gave him first aid, disinfecting and bandaging his wounds. Then he lifted him onto his donkey, led him to an inn, and made him comfortable. In the morning he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper, saying "Take good care of him. If it costs any more, put it on my bill -- I'll pay ou on my way back."
"What do you think? Which one of the three became the neighbour to the man attacked by robbers?"
"The one who treated him kindly," the religion scholar responded.
Jesus sain, "Go and do the same."
I HAVE A NEIGHBOUR?
We have heard this parable many times. I believe that most of us could recite the story from memory and make the conclusion that we have been taught for many years.
This morning I would like to take the side of the "religion scholar" as the person is described here.
In many translations, this person has been given the title of scribe, lawyer, and in a few cases Pharisee.
This morning I would like to refer to this person as a student, as in many ways this person represents us as we journey in life and our faith.
For some reason I don't see this person as trying to trick Jesus, as many translators would have us believe.
I see the student asking a fair question in the hopes of beginning a discussion, one that is not only a gathering of information, but a discussion whereby there is opportunity to express oneself and learn.
Before I attended Trinity Western University in British Columbia, a friend of mine and I used to pick a topic or a passage of scripture, and we would take opposite view points and push the envelope. In fact there were times that we tore the envelope into shreds and had to find another one to being it all back together.
We had one firm rule for our discussions.
At the end of each discussion it was mandatory that we rebuild what we tore apart. In putting the topic or passage back together, we learned and experienced an understanding of the passage, doctrine, or topic under discussion.
I have missed these discussions. The book "The Dead Poets Society" best described our discussions; "We were gnawing on the bones of tipics to suck out the sweet marrow of understanding and knowledge."
This is how I see the student described in this passage. He was and is a "seeker". A seeker of discerning understanding, seeking knowledge and wisdom, and like us the student is searching for something more than just simple faith.
We read the question presented: "What must I do to get eternal life?"
Jesus responds to the question with a question: "What do you think? How do you interpret what is written?" In other words, "What do you believe?"
These are the same three questions that we face when it comes to defining our belief system contained in our faith.
The student in this parable recites the Shema -- to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength, and to love your neighbout as yourself.
In Jeudism the Shema was to be recited every day. The Shema was thought to be the culmination of all 613 commandments of the law, thereby the purpose and definaition of the law. In other words, the reason for the law, and the purpose of the law ws to honour God.
In addition, to love your neighbour as yourself was to demonstrate the love of God beyond the law.
Everything esle concerning how to live, the rituals, etc. was considered commentary.
We Christians have our own Shema that we recite. "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might, and do unto others as you would have them do unto you." That is our Shema to obtain eternal life. As the rest, the teachings of Jesus becomes commentary.
Jesus tells the student that this is the base of his belief, which allows the student, like us, to open the door for the next questions which is "Who's my neighbour? or define what is a neighbour?"
At the end of the story, Jesus asks the student which person in the story became the "neighbour" to the robber's victim.
When we did a little deeper, we find that Jesus is saying, faith alone isn't enough. Your faith must contain action, it must live and be seen by those around you.
Timothy Radcliff, in his book; "What is the Point of Being a Christian" writes: "The first duty of Christians is to keep alive the awareness of what is happening to our flesh and blood now...as members of the body of Christ, the suffering of people...should not be just a statistic: they are flesh of our flesh."
The Apostle James writes: "Faith without works is dead." Our faith must show action, and this action is what the Apostle Paul writes concerning the gifts of the Spirit, and the most prominate gift is love.
You see, its not enough to just be a Christian. We must show the love, the grace, the compassion, of Jesus to our communities and to the individuals we come in contact with every day.
The light of Christ is our faith, we cannot afford to hide that light. You see in life, some people don't need you to preach a sermon. They need you to live one. When they see you living the sermon they connect and identify with you.
In conclusion, God calls us to a deeper level of faith in which we need to take seriously our conversations with God. The deeper level enables us to embrace neighbours whomever they happen to be.
Our actions as individual Christians and as a congregations of the church demonstrate the love of God to a world that is searching for compassion, grace, and yes -- existence.
In the beginning, God created his manifestation throughout the world. What does that mean? It means that since we are made in the image of God, we are obligated to show respect to each other and to be caregivers to those whom we see among us.
Micah 6:8 -- "What does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, and love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God."
Everyone has become our neighbour.
Amen
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