HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2000-11-08, Page 24PAGE 24. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2000.
From the Minister's Study
At war with sin: How to find true peace
By Rev. Ernest Dow
Blyth United Church
Remembrance Day has become
somewhat of a puzzle to the younger
generation. Veterans of the two
World Wars and the Korean War are
becoming fewer. Uniforms coupled
with berets are increasingly unfamil
iar; unlike many countries in the
world, we’re not used to seeing sol
diers on the streets.
Canada has been blessed to have
known nothing but peace for half a
century.
Yet war still goes on around the
world. In various areas, rival armed
groups clash and fight it out, some
times monitored by our own
Peacekeepers.
In our country, though, there is a
war of a different sort: a war against
sin and evil.
One zone of conflict is that of
moral sin. One of the tragedies of
war in the past has been the abuse
with which women and children are
treated. This results in loss of dignity
and respect, and unspeakable loath
some crimes.
One Canadian phenomenon with
similar effects is internet pornogra
phy, called the “crack cocaine” of the
porn world. You don’t have to go
looking for it: it finds you.
This past week I was searching on
the internet for software for a scan
ner. I clicked a likely-looking link, it
had the scanner’s company’s name
and appeared to be a sure thing. But
within seconds the address changed
and three or four windows offering
pornography popped open: I was
glad I had the images option turned
off.
Pom has advanced to the point that
it throws itself in your face, you
don’t have to go near a smut shop.
The forces of immorality are running
rampant in our culture — to the
detriment of dignity and respect par
ticularly of women and children.
Another enemy that seeks to
invade us is called prejudice. War
feeds on prejudice toward those who
are different: troops and propaganda
experts quickly coin slang terms for
other races.
But our materialistic, appearance-
oriented culture also breeds preju
dice against our own neighbours who
are “different” in any way. We may
feel awkward when approached by
someone who is handicapped; we
find ourselves getting frustrated
when talking with someone who is a
little “slow” or who doesn’t pick up
on the subtle signals we send indicat
ing it’s time for the conversation to
end.
There may be a hesitancy to get
involved with people who are strug
gling financially, or out of work. We
unconsciously avoid or look down
on those who aren’t dressed fashion
ably. There have been grumbles
against those who wear turbans, or
natives, or Quebeckers, or immi
grants... It’s still prejudice — not far
from the disdain the Nazis fed
against the Jews, or that soldiers
show towards conquered civilians.
The Lord Jesus warned his disci
ples against needless prejudice. They
said to him one day, “We saw a man
driving out demons in your name and
we told him to stop, because he was
not one of us.” (Mark 9:38)
ONE OF US - a key phrase when
we want to discriminate: the “us”
versus “them” mentality. However
Jesus’ attitude is that someone partic
ipating in the cause will hardly be
able to say anything bad about him;
so, “Whoever is not against us is for
us.”
Stop being so picky about some
one not fitting in the same category
as you; look at their purpose, their
goals, not externals. It is our com
mon cause in serving God and being
about Kingdom business that’s
important, not whether we walk or
talk or say “Aymen” instead of
“Ahmen”.
Even such a small act as giving a
cup of water in Jesus’ name will have
its reward in God’s eyes. Do we
think we’re big shots because we’re
called Jesus’ followers? He affec
tionately uses the term “little ones”
for those who believe in Him - we’re
“microns” yet important to God, so
needn’t puff ourselves up comparing
ourselves to others.
The Lord goes on to teach the dis
ciples what they do need to be
against: not an ally in another
denomination, but sin. With charac
teristic exaggeration for effect he
states, “If your hand causes you to
sin, cut it off!” Same for our foot, or
iur eye: “Cut it off! Pluck it out!”
Better to enter God’s realm of eternal
life with one hand, foot, or eye than
to be thrown into hell with a com
plete set.
Jesus is not advocating that we
actually dismember ourselves, but
that we be that RADICAL in fighting
sin and evil in our lives. THAT’s
what we need to fight against, not
other people who simply are differ
ent.
Friends, we have a choice of two
ultimate destinations: heaven or hell.
The best God can prepare for those
he loves, OR the everlasting hole
imaged in Scripture as something
between a compost pit and garbage
incinerator. Every attitude we foster,
every action we take, tends to one of
those two ultimate locations. When
we believe in Jesus Christ and com
mit to following him, he saves us
from being drawn to the wrong des
tiny.
Yet he calls us to a daily discipline
of taking up our cross, choosing
good, not yielding to the temptation
of the enemy.
How can we have true peace? How
can we bring an end to war in our
relationships and our community?
Jesus advised, “Have salt in your
selves, and be at peace with each
other.” What’s that mean — “have
salt in yourselves”? Go gorge at
Goderich?
No; turn to the Saviour and allow
the Holy Spirit to transform you in a
godly way. Be different for heaven’s
sake. Let Christ’s redemption at the
cross flush you of old resentments,
bitterness, grudges .- savour the
flavour of forgiveness. In ancient
times, salt was valuable ds a preser
vative because they didn’t have
refrigeration; it kept things from
going bad. How are you going to
seek God’s help in keeping your
heart, your thoughts, your attitudes
from going “off’ and starting to
smell?
The Lord’s power is available to
assist you in sanitizing your choice
of words, your impulses, the chan
nels you watch, the impression
you make on others. Fight back the
enemy invasion; “have salt in your
selves, and be at peace with each
other.” Your home, your workplace,
your social network will be different
for it.
The servicemen and women who
fought in the wars give us an exam
ple of just how far we can go in
opposing evil, how ready we can be
(with God’s help) to lay down our
life in resisting sin and oppression.
My father was a “D-Day Dodger”
(that’s a GOOD thing) - one of the
93,000 Canadians who landed on
Sicily beginning in 1943 and fought
their way up through Italy. They
were in Europe nearly a year before
the Normandy invasion ever hap
pened.
A new movie, A War of Their Own,
has just been made about it. Some
6,000 Canadians died in that effort
and are buried over there.
My uncle flew a Mosquito airplane
as a night fighter in France. In
January 1945 his plane had engine
problems and crashed upon landing
on a snowy runway.
This week we remember and hon
our such troops who made the ulti
mate sacrifice to protect our free
doms, such as freedom of the press,
or the right to meet in public as a
Christian church. Would they be
proud of the way we live today?
What election issues would they
deem vital?
Some things really are worth risk
ing all for. The war against sin is
such a cause; don’t be ambushed!
Like the Canadians who served and
who gave their lives in the wars,
have salt in yourself; join with others
in the cause of Christ who are not
“against us” but “for us”; be radical
in resisting sin by your daily actions
and attit udes. Then, in Christ’s
grace, we will truly be at peace with
each other.
foit are ‘Welcome. at the
BLYTH COMMUNITY CHURCH OF GOD
9:45 a.m. - Sunday School - for ages 3 to adult
11:00 a.m. - Morning Worship
Bible Studies - Wednesday morning 10 a.m.
Wednesday evening 7:30 p.m.
Phone 523-4590 308 Blyth Rd., Blyth
HURON CHAPEL EVANGELICAL
MISSIONARY CHURCH
Auburn - 526-7555
PASTOR DAVE WOOD - 523-9017
"Can we trust the Bible?"
"If God exists, why is there evil?"
"Does Christianity conflict with science?"
Blyth United Church presents
"TOUGH QUESTIONS
WE'D LIKE TO ASK GOD"
with Kirk Durston, New Scholars Society
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2000
6:00 p.m. Potluck, 7:00 p.m. Presentation
For more Information, call 523-4224
Kirk is with Campus Crusade for Christ and debates
on campuses across Canada.
Sunday 9:30 a.m.* Family Bible Hour
10:30 a.m.- Morning Worship Service
7:30 p.m.■ Evening Worship Service
Wednesday 7:30 p.m.■ Family Night
Friday 7:30 p.m.■ Youth
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
11:00 a.m. - Morning Service
- Sunday School
9:30 a.m. - Belgrave Service
Wheelchair accessible
Nursery care available
We welcome you to come and worship with us.
Rev. Cathrine Campbell - 887-9831
THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA
IJcu cute tue£came tfiiA Sunday
NOVEMBER 12 - PENTECOST 22
MORNING PRAYER
Trinity, Blyth St. John's,
9:30 a.m. Brussels
Wheelchair accessible 11:15 a.m.
Rev. Nancy Beale - Rector - 887-9273
/airi ua uwt&frip this Sunday,
Morning Worship Service ~ 10 a.m.
Evening Worship Service - 7:30 p.m.
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and
certain of what we do not see.
Hebrews 11:1
BLYTH CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH
Hev. Adrian A. Van Geest
A Hwy. 4, Blyth 523-9233
*■+■* Wheelchair accessible
BRUSSELS - ETHEL PASTORAL CHARGE
UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA
Joan Golden - Diaconal Student Minister
Church Office 887-6259 E-mail - bepc@wcl.on.ca
Nov. 11th Remembrance Day Service following the Legion Service at the Cenotaph
November 12
Ethel United Church
9:30 am
Nov. 25th Book Browse 1:00 - 3:00 pm
Brussels United Church
11:00 am
Nov. 18th Book Browse 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Nov. 22nd - Hot Luncheon and Bake Sale 11:30 am - 1:00 pm
All are welcome to come and worship with us
Cornerstone
Bible
Fellowship
Ethel
Communion - 9:45 - 10:30
Family Bible Hour and Sunday School
11:00 - 12:00
Prayer & Bible Study
Tuesday 8 p.m.
John 14:6 - Jesus said, “I am the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE, no
one comes to the Father, but through Me."
Everyone Welcome
For more information call 887-6665
Brussels Mennonite Fellowship
invites you to
‘Ulo.i&hifi ‘Ulith Ua £AIa Sunday
9:30 a.m. Tillie Lichty is sharing about her
experience working with a Christian
Ministry in Rwanda
10:45 a.m. Christian Education
Everyone Welcome
Elder: Elwin Garland 887-9017