Author: David Fortune

I wasn’t yet born when Bob Dylan released one of his most memorable songs, The Times They Are A-changin’. It is a song about the rapid transformations people were experiencing post-World War 2. It resonated with a younger generation who were impatient with progress, but the lyrics of the song seem to apply to just about any moment in time. While Dylan’s song might have had a particular context in mind, his poetry does have echoes of the Book of Ecclesiastes. This morning I am thinking about the verse that says, “a time for war and a time for peace.” (Ecclesiastes 3:8) The times are indeed changing and yet there have been times like this before.     The West has lived through an incredible period of stability, economic and political. Perhaps we have forgotten that this has not always been the case. In fact, the kind of peace we have experienced in the last 80 years is rare in human history. It really shouldn’t surprise us that we see conflict today. The question is, how do we as Christians respond? The divisions in our world seem so deep. If you mention support for one cause, you are accused of being against the other. We grow fearful of expressing general concerns or even stating clear biblical truths. What do we do? First off, in our daily lives, we need to ensure that we treat everyone we meet with respect and courtesy. “Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.” (1 Peter 2:17) Frontline workers from the medical field to restaurants are quitting jobs because people are rude and difficult. Christians ought to present a different aroma, offering words of encouragement and support in an age where difficulties abound. Second, we don’t need to have an opinion on every international issue. It’s complicated and complex. “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” (James 1:19) This posture doesn’t mean that we stay silent but rather we take time to measure our words. James encourages us to pray for wisdom when we need it. Finally, we should not fail to continue our spiritual disciplines – gathering in worship, bible reading, times of prayer and fasting, and service of others. “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.” (1 Cor. 16:13) In the midst of a changing world we must be steadfast in our commitments, even while others around us waver. The times are changing. The world our children are inheriting is very different and there is little we can do about it. But we are not helpless. When we prepare our hearts before the Lord, we can offer the world a very different picture of peace in a time of war.

One of the things I could never understand as a child was why one group of people hated another group of people. Growing up in a mono-cultural environment it was hard to imagine. It is true that many people in my area didn’t like the French speakers who lived just across the river from us in Quebec. But everyone still did business with them and there was never any fighting between the groups. We didn’t have a century-long hatred between the peoples. They were different from us, but we didn’t wish them evil. That isn’t the case for many places around the world. It seems that some people are born enemies. Ancient feuds and hatred refuse to go away.  Often the initial problems have been forgotten but the need for revenge or fighting lives on. To be a certain nationality or ethnicity means you must hate certain other nationalities. How does this happen? I’ve been thinking about this and the situation in Israel in light of Jesus’ parable about the Good Samaritan. As a child, I really didn’t understand what it meant for Samaritans and Jews to be enemies. I didn’t understand why making the Samaritan the hero of the story was so radical or just how much Jesus was challenging the status quo of his day. Today, we have no trouble understanding animosity between two people groups. The names and labels might be different from Jesus’ example, but the same hostility exists. It’s encouraging then to read about little spots of light amid the conflict. If you look hard enough you can find new stories about an Israeli or Palestinian who has helped or protected someone from the other side. Not everyone wants to be enemies. At the end of the parable Jesus’ question to his listeners was, “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”  (Luke 10:36) His meaning was clear. He wants us to recognize the boundaries and borders that separate people and for us to care for those in need whether or not they are part of our group. The wars in Israel, Ukraine and other places are a result of human action. It develops first in the hearts of men and women where there is hatred. Prejudice and racism grow distorting the human spirit. Evil intentions and violence result. Huge things can come from unchecked sins in the deep places of our hearts. We need to watch out for that. So who was the neighbor?  “The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” (Luke 10:37)

The events of the last ten days in Israel are of concern to everyone. Sometimes there is a tendency to think that events in another part of the world have nothing to do with us. Yet, the events in the Middle East threaten to throw our world into more chaos. There are so many tension points around the globe that a spark in any location can have worldwide implications. The situation in Israel has a long and complicated history. Added to this dimension is a belief among many Christians that Israel’s role in the world is an important part of understanding the end times and the return of Christ. I don’t know what this current conflict might mean but Jesus told us to ‘keep watch’ and it would be foolish to think that these events are not significant. During times like this many believers turn to Bible prophecy for insight. There are many different approaches as to how to view world events and our role. Some passages are difficult to interpret, and we should be careful about building too much certainty from such verses. Other verses are clearer and more helpful.  For example, not everyone agrees on when the events of Revelation chapters 7 and 8 take place. However, one thing that is clear is that in the midst of conflict and suffering prayer matters. It has become common in our world for people to dismiss the power of prayer as if our words are simply floating up into the atmosphere and disappearing among the clouds. Do prayers in times like this even matter? Revelation 8:3-5 suggests they do, “Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne.  The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand.  Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.” Two things are happening here. First, the prayers of all God’s people reach the throne room of heaven. They are not on the same level as wishful thinking or a feeling of hopefulness. Our prayers go into the very presence of God, they are heard, and they make a difference. The creator of the universe, the judge of all humankind, is attentive to the prayers of his people. Second, our prayers have an impact. “Then the angel took the censer…and hurled it on the earth.” Eugene Peterson writes, “The prayers which had ascended, unremarked by the journalists of the day, returned with immense force as ‘reversed thunder’. Prayers reenter history with incalculable effects. Our earth is shaken daily by it.” (Reversed Thunder, p.88) God answers the prayers of his people in astounding ways. What do we do when we see such conflict and suffering? What do we do when we see the potential for war? Prayer makes a difference. There is much in our world to pray for. Don’t think it is a waste of time or the least that you can do. Invite the prince of peace to move in history and save the many who are in danger and under siege.  Call upon heaven to shake our world with the righteousness of God.

We tend to think of people who are proud as arrogant or above it all. So we seldom think of ourselves as having a problem with pride. Yet it is one of the sins that the Bible continually warns us about. Here’s a sample:In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God. Psalm 10:4Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice. Proverbs 13:10Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Romans 12:16 It’s hard to see our own flaws and sins. Pride can take many forms which often can appear quite subtle in our lives. How many of these can you identify in yourself? When our sense of self is inflated (pride) the Bible warns that a fall isn’t too far away. (Proverbs 16:18) Often it is a gentle reminder to not take ourselves so seriously but to keep following Jesus who shows us the way of humility.

Las Vegas is often referred to as ‘Sin City’. There’s gambling, drinking, prostitution and other harmful pursuits. There’s also the Heart Attack Grill. It’s a famous burger joint known for offering huge amounts of unhealthy food with names like the ‘Triple Bypass Hamburger’ and ‘Flatliner Fries’. People over 350 pounds are welcome to eat for free. Basically, it’s a celebration of overeating and binging, or what can be called gluttony. For most of world history, food was not always available in abundance. A good harvest was necessary to get through the winter months. A bad harvest would mean famine or worse. Wasting food or taking more than your share was immoral. In our world, we joke about gluttony at Christmas time or other holidays when we overeat. However, it is really more about a lifestyle than one feast. Jesus tells us in John 6:27, not to “work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.” Gluttony isn’t always diagnosed by stepping on the bathroom scales. It refers to over-indulgence and overreliance. It’s about looking for material things, food and drink, to satisfy a hunger that is not physical. If we live with the expectation that food, drink or other physical things can nourish our soul or give meaning to life, we will be disappointed. And yet, our commercial society runs on the belief that we must have more and more. In a world where millions go to sleep hungry every night, we do need to carefully consider the way we approach food. Gluttony is about our attitude to things that satisfy our stomachs and fulfill our tastes but do nothing for our spirit. Are we addicted to consuming more than we need? Followers of Jesus need healthy inputs so we can produce the fruit of self-control.

Pity the poor sloth. An animal so unhurried that it was named for one of the seven deadly sins. Sloths, as we all know, are very slow-moving animals. Their bodies are made to conserve energy, and they spend most of their time hanging upside down and sleeping. As a result, they are seen as being lazy when it actually helps them to avoid predators and stay safe. Nonetheless, they are stuck with a rather negative label. The Bible speaks of sloth, an activity or rather inactivity which is sinful. We often equate slothfulness with laziness in our work. The book of Proverbs doesn’t present the sluggard in a positive way but encourages us to be diligent in our work and thoughtful about what we are doing. As a door turns on its hinges,    so a sluggard turns on his bed.A sluggard buries his hand in the dish;    he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.A sluggard is wiser in his own eyes    than seven people who answer discreetly. Proverbs 26:14-16 No one should desire to be a sluggard. But there is more to sloth than just laziness in our work. Our spirituality can also suffer from a lack of attention. Ligonier Ministries defines biblical sloth as, “laziness that comes from carelessness about the commands and priorities of God, a lack of love for God and His ways.”   Paul tells us in Romans 12:11 to “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.” Guarding against spiritual complacency is essential. Many people would be horrified to think others see them as lazy or slothful but in their spiritual life, they have let things go. We don’t need to strive to impress God with hours of prayer or Bible study every day. But we do need to consider if we are keeping our spiritual fervor alive and healthy.

I saw a news report last week about two men who stopped their cars on a major city freeway, got out and started fighting with each other. They were literally rolling around on the asphalt while cars were trying to get by. No one was sure what prompted the road rage during the rush hour, but many commuters expressed concerns about their own safety. What’s with people getting so angry in traffic that they need to get into a fistfight? It’s hard not to see the wisdom in James’ instructions. My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. (James 1:19-20) Anger is a serious problem in our world. Judging by the number of times it is referenced in Scripture, I don’t think this is a new problem. Here are some other verses teaching us about anger: People think that there isn’t much you can do about being angry other than just letting it all out. The Bible makes it clear that we have more control over our anger than we usually admit. We can be slow to anger and not quickly provoked. That’s a decision we can make. We can refrain from anger and offer gentle words rather than stirring up conflict. We all struggle with anger at times. Yet we aren’t at the mercy of anger or the foolish people around us who just ‘make us mad’. The problems we see come from a belief that we can’t control our emotions. As Christians, we have the benefit of the Spirit’s work in our lives producing good fruit. We aren’t helpless. If anger seems to be out of control in your life, it’s time to ask for God’s help, it’s what he intended.

The devil was travelling across the desert when he came upon a few of his minions who were tempting a holy man who was easily shaking off their evil suggestions. Try as they might, the demons couldn’t get the man to sin. The devil watched for a while and then stepped in to give them a lesson. He leaned over and whispered in the holy man’s ear, “Your brother was just made bishop of Alexandria.” Suddenly a scowl of jealousy clouded the peaceful face of the man. His whole demeanour changed and his body drooped. “That,” said the devil to his imps, “is what I recommend.” The holy man wasn’t tempted with sins of the flesh or inflated wealth but hearing something good about a rival (his own brother) depleted him of goodwill. We live in an age where envy flourishes. We are envious of others’ careers, travel, body type, house and or family. You name it. Envy is that feeling that what someone else has should be what we ought to have. Worse, malicious envy is when you want to take it away from the other person. As one evangelical dictionary puts it, envy is the “sin of jealousy over the blessings and achievements of others.” Envy isn’t pretty and left unchecked brings more problems. James 3:16 tells us, “For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.” Better to check it early and not let it take hold. Do you have any envy to confess?

A dominant driver in our culture is convenience. The business world is obsessed with finding ways to make it easier for us to buy things. We can barely stand to purchase something if it takes more than 3 clicks. You get the feeling that inconvenience must be purged from society. It’s not just that we hate to be inconvenienced by everyday chores: we are increasingly annoyed by having to do them at all. We want instant gratification without effort or sweat. The danger is that we lose the capacity to develop patience and self-discipline which has always been necessary for the development of character. The Biblical poster-child for instant gratification is Esau.  He was the older twin brother to Jacob. Esau, after a tiring day, gave away his inheritance to Jacob for the price of a bowl of soup. The Message paraphrase puts it like this: “Watch out for the Esau syndrome: trading away God’s lifelong gift in order to satisfy a short-term appetite. You well know how Esau later regretted that impulsive act and wanted God’s blessing—but by then it was too late, tears or no tears.” (Hebrews 12:16-17)Hebrews 12 deals with the subject of discipline and why it’s necessary. We are encouraged to stay the course when things get difficult. We are to “run with endurance”, “struggle against sin” and, “not grow weary or fainthearted.” In other words, spiritual growth takes some effort. Time-saving devices are great, but when it comes to the development of our faith, there is no shortcut. It’s necessary to pass through the dark and challenging days in order to strengthen our character. We carry burdens in prayer to develop the muscles of faith and trust.  In our suffering, we identify with Christ who suffered for us. The discomfort we feel causes us to yearn for something better. None of these things are convenient and yet they are necessary to our Christ-like development. So watch out for the Esau syndrome. Don’t trade away the blessings of God for your short- term appetites. That might leave a bitter taste.

The public transportation company in Aargau is putting out a new safety campaign. The ads show videos of people and cars with near tram mishaps. Some of the videos show a car or van turning onto tracks, unaware of the tram. Others show people with headphones in or focused on their phones wandering into the path of an oncoming train. According to the tram drivers, the biggest problem these days is the way people are distracted with their phones. Their plea to people, “Put down the phone and watch where you are going.”  It’s easy to take a shot at the overuse or overdependence on technology, especially phones. However, being constantly connected or constantly ‘checking’ has an impact on our overall well-being. Researchers are starting to come up with some clear evidence of how this can affect us and most of it is not healthy. Many schools this fall are now requiring students to put their phones away for the day. The negative impact on learning is significant for young minds.  What about adults? Truthfully most of us need to be connected to the internet for work purposes. It is hard to avoid. But are we spending too much time just scrolling or being on social media? Is your weekly screen time increasing or decreasing? Are we developing unhealthy habits?   What about taking a phone Sabbath? Sabbath, as we know from scripture is a day of rest. The principle of a day of rest is important for Christians. We honour God by ceasing from our labour, worshiping him, and enjoying life. I know it might be unrealistic to not check your phone for a whole day but what about giving it up for several hours?   In Deuteronomy, the Israelites were told they could take a day of rest because they were no longer slaves. “Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm.” (Deuteronomy 5:15) It was a sign of freedom, and liberation from control. When we recognize that we are being controlled by our need to check the phone, it’s time to put in some boundaries.   So, what would a Sabbath break from technology or your phone look like for you? How long can you go without checking your social media and updates? Start slowly. Can you leave it alone for an hour, or two? What about all of Sunday afternoon so you can read or play or nap? Practicing Sabbath is a spiritual discipline. The benefits of regular practice take time to build up but ultimately set us free.