The Second Greatest Lie Ever Told - Aug 10

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
(Matthew 5:10)

To Be Moral is to Struggle

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
(Matthew 11:28-30)

Do you want to know why the amoral people of this world do not struggle with their conscience day in and day out? The answer is simple: They don't struggle with their conscience because they don't have a conscience to struggle with! Do you think the likes of Paul Bernardo and Clifford Olsen, Canada's two most notorious criminals, struggled with their conscience while they were on their rampage? NO! So what then is the world's second big lie? In secular terms, it is this erroneous idea that all struggle is a burden and therefore should be avoided. In Christian terms, the idea is that now that you have your sins forgiven and you've secured your eternity with Him, all your troubles and struggles shall cease.

Take Heart. You Belong to an Elite Company of Individuals

It should not surprise you to hear that most moral men throughout history struggled mightily with their consciences. My problem with the public at large is that they don't struggle enough! Many are lost in their own tiny bubble with their tiny little god whilst living in a tiny world. The rest are egomaniacs who think the world revolves around them. To become a moral person is to burst this tiny bubble that we live in and to break free from our self-centered ways.

Success and the Old-Fashioned QB Controversy

If you're a head coach of a football team, would you rather have two good starting quarterbacks or just one? The answer is obvious. The head coach that has only one starter knows that if his guy goes down to injury, his team's chances evaporate. The coach with an injured starter ready to come back and a capable back-up has a wonderful problem to solve. In other words, success brings with it it's own set of problems. The 'problem' of depth is one every coach would love to have. When you come to Christ, you get to discover the real you. Ego gives way to your true humanity. You become more patient, more forgiving, more compassionate and more discerning. Do not expect this newfound 'burden' that you've been gifted with will make your life easier. On the contrary, this depth of range of emotion will enable you to change lives. We become free to testify of God's immense love for us.

The Analogy of the Shivering Man

When I was in the CF, I remember doing some very basic First Aid. Along with learning about wounds and burns, we also learned about the dangers of heat exhaustion and hypothermia. I don't remember it all of course, but what I do remember wrt extreme cold (particularly if one is wet) is that there are different stages of hypothermia. The last stage before death is when the afflicted individual stops shivering. The point being is that shivering is good. The person who has stopped shivering is in immediate peril. Know then there are two kinds of people who don't struggle: The dead (and dying) and the quitters.

To be a Foreigner in a Foreign Land

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.
(1 John 4:4-6)

Put simply, this world reviles Godly instruction. To have a Biblical worldview is to be a freakshow in an unbelieving world. There's nothing more this world would love to do then to turn every Christian and every church into an insignificant speed bump on their way to a godless socialist utopia. Liberty and democracy are not absolute certainties. Anybody that tries to tell you different is a fool. Take heart and be encouraged. We are overcomers! Hallelujah!

Johnny Cash