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Jan 1, 2017

3 New Years' resolutions for ChristiansBy: C4i

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New Year's is the time to take stock and look towards the future. Some of us like to make resolutions, promises that will direct and guide our behaviour for the next year (or at least the next week or so).

Most resolutions fizzle out pretty quickly. Gym regulars joke about the "January flood” of new members cluttering up the treadmills for a few weeks before settling back into a normal flow somewhere around mid-February. The tobacco industry never sweats all those big promises people make of having their last cigarette as the ball drops in New York City - they know they'll still be selling their product all year round no matter what pronouncements people make.

These are resolutions we make as people - fallible, weak, people. But, what if we made our resolutions as Christians? What if instead of trying to commit to our physical bodies for the year, we made a commitment to our spiritual bodies instead?

Here are some resolutions you should consider making going forwards in 2017.

I will add action to words 

Sharing the Gospel through words is important, but we must never forget that actions speak louder than words. Ministering to the poor, hurt, needy, and damaged might bring them comfort, but it won't fill their bellies, or mend their wounds. As the Bible says "If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? (James 2:15-17)” If the apostles were keenly aware of this fundamental truth in their own day, why do we so often forget it now?

Make the year the year you get involved. Get out there and add some action to your words. Volunteer some time to help a woman's shelter. Give to a charity you believe in. Spend some time with an isolated or injured Church member. It doesn't have to be some great task or monumental achievement. If we all added just a little bit of action to our words, the world would be a much better place.

I will be more compassionate 

Sitting in judgement of our fellow man is not our place as Christians. Ours is not to judge and wag a finger at those who fail to live up to perfection, who make mistakes, and fall short of the Lord's expectations. Our job is to extend a helping hand, to be there when others stumble, just as we'd want others do to for us.

It doesn't matter if you're a lifelong Christian, a deacon, a volunteer, or even a pastor. We are all flawed, imperfect humans who have undoubtedly made mistakes in our lives and in all likelihood will make more of them in the future. We've all been the beneficiaries of mercy, forgiveness, and second chances. We need to make sure we are extending the same mercy to others, that we are understanding of each other's struggles and failures and make a genuine effort to life each other up when we fall instead of taking the opportunity to sit in judgement. 

I will love more deeply

Love is a true Christian value. Whether it's directed towards your partner, your family, or the earnest love you feel for your friends, we should never underestimate the value and importance of love in the Christian life. 

Too often we let the little things in life distract and derail us. We place worldly pursuits ahead of our families, cutting short the time we spend with them in favour of something that can't possibly have the same lasting, long-term value as the people in our lives. We let petty squabbles blossom into serious points of conflict, we double down on offence and indignity instead of putting the matter behind us.

Going into the New Year, let's all make a concentrated effort to get past the trivial and ephemeral and concentrate on what really matters, the people in our lives. The greatest gift God has given us is His eternal love after all, we should endeavour to follow his example. 
[Comment]

Dec 29, 2016

CONGRESS MOVING TO CUT USA FUNDING TO UN IN WAKE OF ANTI-ISRAEL VOTE: By: Colin Wingfield

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Congress is already setting the stage to cut off USA funding to the UN in the wake of a contested vote last week in which the Obama administration permitted an anti-Israel resolution to win overwhelming approval, according to congressional leaders, who said that the current administration is already plotting to take further action against the Jewish state before vacating office. Other punitive actions by Congress could include expelling Palestinian diplomats from USA soil and scaling back ties with foreign nations that voted in favor of the controversial measure, according to multiple sources who spoke about the situation both on and off the record. The Obama administration is still under bipartisan attack for its decision to help craft and facilitate the passage of a UN resolution condemning Jewish construction in Jerusalem, Judea & Samaria, a move that reversed years of USA policy on the matter. The Obama administration officials played a key role in ensuring the measure was passed unanimously by the UN Security Council. This included a phone call by Vice President Joe Biden to Ukraine’s president to ensure that country voted in favor of the measure. (Fox) [Comment]

Dec 29, 2016

GOP TRASHES KERRY SPEECH: By: Colin Wingfield

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 USA Republican leadership dismissed on Wed. 28 Dec. 2016, Secretary of State John Kerry’s speech on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, vowing a change in policy after President-elect Donald Trump takes office next month. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan disparaged Kerry’s authority, saying that "after allowing this anti-Israel resolution to pass the UN, Secretary Kerry has no credibility to speak on Israeli-Palestinian peace.” Ryan was referring to Friday’s 23 Dec. 2016, Security Council vote condemning Israel’s settlements, in which the USA abstained. Kerry spoke for well over an hour on Wed., revisiting the stinging critique of Israel’s settlement policy that he delivered earlier this month. Miami Senator Marco Rubio said that Kerry had decided to cater to the demands of freedom’s enemies and devote and entire speech to disparaging a country that is one of America’s closest allies. "I look forward to working with President-elect Donald Trump and his incoming team to restore our relationship with Israel to its proper place,” Rubio said.

Republican Jewish Coalition Executive Director Matt Brooks accused the administration of "playing the Jewish community for fools.” "Their recent actions at the UN did nothing more than allow President Obama to take a parting shot at Israel and PM Netanyahu, while at the same time creating new roadblocks to peace. True peace in the region cannot be achieved by isolating Israel in the international community, but rather can only be achieved through direct negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians.” Brooks said that his organization was "confident that President Trump and the Republican Congress will work quickly to reverse these actions, and reestablish the strong bonds between the USA and Israel.” (Times of Israel)

[Comment]

Dec 29, 2016

TRUMP CLOBBERS OBAMA FOR ‘DISDAIN AND DISRESPECT’ OF ISRAEL: By: Colin Wingfield

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Donald Trump accused Barack Obama on Wed. 28 Dec. 2016, of throwing up 'roadblocks' and making 'inflammatory statements' on his way out of the White House, and urged Israel to 'stay strong' in the face of 'disdain and disrespect' from the outgoing president. Obama angered his successor by ordering his UN ambassador last week to sit out a vote condemning Israel instead of vetoing it. Israelis leaders say Obama himself engineered the vote as a parting shot at PM Netanyahu. "We cannot continue to let Israel be treated with such total disdain and disrespect,” Trump wrote. "They used to have a great friend in the US[A] but not anymore. The beginning of the end was the horrible Iran deal, and now this (the UN vote)! Stay strong Israel, January 20this fast approaching!' he wrote. Obama's own former Middle East peace envoy, former Sen. George Mitchell, said that the president should have either vetoed the UN resolution or delayed it so Trump could set his own Israel policy. (UK Daily Mail) "’No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me,’ declares the Lord.” Isa 54:17 [Comment]

Dec 29, 2016

PM: KERRY’S SPEECH BIASED LIKE THE UN:By: Colin Wingfield

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PM Binyamin Netanyahu criticized Secretary of State John Kerry's speech on the peace process scathingly on Wed. 28 Dec. 2016, calling it "skewed" and "obsessive." "Like the Security Council resolution that Secretary Kerry advanced in the UN, his speech tonight was skewed against Israel," said Netanyahu. "For over an hour, Kerry obsessively dealt with settlements and barely touched upon the root of the conflict - Palestinian opposition to a Jewish state in any boundaries." Other government ministers also criticized Kerry's speech. Tourism Minister Yariv Levin stated that the speech included a lot of words and very little understanding of reality. "Kerry is trying to force on us, in his last days on the job, a worldview that is a prize for Palestinian terror and that completely ignores our rights to the country," Levin said, adding that "A true friend of Israel should have shown support for the elected government and not tried to force on the Jewish people resolutions through the supporters of Iran at the UN."

Education Minister Naftali Bennett said: "Kerry quoted me three times anonymously in his speech in order to demonstrate that we oppose a Palestinian state. So let me state it explicitly," Bennett said. "Yes. If it depends on me, we will not establish another terror state in the heart of our country. The citizens of Israel have paid with thousands of victims, tens of thousands of rockets and innumerable condemnations for the utopian idea of a Palestinian state. It's time for a new policy and we will lead the way." Bennett concluded. MK Moti Yogev said: "The speech and the frustration of Secretary of State John Kerry for the sake of creating a Palestinian terrorist state in the land of Israel, didn't surprise anyone." (Arutz-7)

[Comment]

Dec 28, 2016

Malcom Gladwell rediscovered faith, and others can tooBy: C4i

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Malcolm Gladwell is an award winning author, famous for books like Outliers, The Tipping Point, and What the Dog Saw, all novels that use analytical models of social research to peer deeper into the world around us. While his success and achievements are remarkable, his own story is one you might recognize. 

Raised in a devote Mennonite home of active believers, Malcolm choose a different path. While his brothers went on to seminary or to serve as lay pastors while pursuing other careers, Malcolm went to college and later into a career in journalism. His faith was never a core part of his personality, and as the years went by, he drifted further and further away the Church until eventually he could no longer consider himself a Christian. 

By all accounts, Malcolm was just another recitation of a story we hear all too often these days. Christian youths gradually drifting away from God not because of some disaster, some scandal, or any kind of major incident that made them lose faith – just the erosion of time and the distance of culture. Like so many others, old fashion traditions and perspectives on the divine no longer squared with the world Malcolm lived in. He didn't bear the Church any animosity, but it wasn't something he saw a place for in his life anymore.

By all surface accounts, you'd be tempted to write Malcolm off as another coastal elite. An intellectual who wrote for the Washington Post and the New Yorker and lost touch with his roots. The son who goes off the college and comes back to mutter through a dinner prayer at Christmas. The high school friend you lost touch with and now has a Darwin-fish bumper sticker. The type you'd suspect would treat the Christians with the kind of perfunctory, condescending respect that's reserved only for children trying very hard to learn the piano and the self-identifying religious. "That's very good for you.”

But, that changed. While researching for his latest book, David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants, Malcolm took on matters of faith. In particular, he looked at two cases that dramatically changed how he saw the world, surprising no one more than himself, led him back to Christ. 

The first case was Huguenots Protestants of Chambon France during WWII. During the height of Nazi persecution and cowardly collaboration of the Vichy regime, Protestants of this sleepy French town undertook a "conspiracy of good” to shelter Jewish families and children. Stirred by their sincere beliefs, they defied Nazi orders at unfathomable risk to themselves and their families to take in, feed, and clothe Jewish refugees while also manufacturing false passports and an underground railroad to take them into Switzerland. There are only two towns honored at Yad Vashem (the official holocaust memorial in Jerusalem) and Chambon is one of them.

The other case was the tragic story of the Derksen family of Manitoba. One cold day in November 1984, the worst fear of any parent happened to Wilma and Cliff Derksen, their 13 year-old daughter Candace went missing. A six-week manhunt swept the town, turning over every stone, hoping against hope that Candace was still alive and well somewhere. She was eventually found dead in a small shack, tragically close to her own home, her hands and legs tied.

When asked by reporters how she felt, Cliff replied "We would like to know who the person or persons are so we could share, hopefully, a love that seems to be missing in these people’s lives.” After the loss of their daughter under the most horrific of circumstances, Cliff and Wilma met the world with their Christian love and forgiveness in their hearts. 

While researching these stories, Malcolm was moved in a way he hadn't felt in a long time. There was something missing from his life, something that these people had. He wanted to understand it, to have that same kind of resolve and conviction in his own life. Much like his distancing of faith, there was no big moment, no lightning strike that suddenly changed his view. Over the course of his research, these stories brought him back to God.

There are lots of sermons out there. People preaching about the gospel, spreading the good word. But it wasn't a speech that brought Malcolm back, it was action. The Protestants of Chambon, the Derksen family, they didn't just preach about their beliefs, they lived them. They walked the walk.

Never forget, the most powerful tool we have as Christians to minister to others is our own walk. When people see the difference it makes to have Christ at the core of your being, when they see real faith in action, even the most typical "lost lamb” or disbeliever can't help but be swayed. It isn't flashy, it isn't glamorous, you might not even know what wheels your personal faith set in motion – but it works.

There is power when you really live in Christ. Make sure others can see it in your life.
[Comment]

Dec 24, 2016

Why Christmas is the reminder we need that God is with usBy: C4i

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2016 has been one of the hardest years in recent memory. It feels like its been 365 days of division, spitefulness, and horrific, evil acts that have revealed the darkest depths of humanity. From mass executions in Libya, the growing strength of terrorist groups such as ISIS, and shootings in Orlando, Paris, and other places, this has been a year of tragedy and suffering. 

That's why this year, more than ever, we need to recognize and draw strength from the real purpose of Christmas. That God has not forgotten us, that he sent his only Son to show us the way, that salvation is possible for all of us through His love.

For many of us, Christmas is an annual "polite” celebration. We know it commemorates the birth of Christ, we know it is a celebration of family and gratitude, but we know these things in a remote and perfunctory sense. 

Even ignoring all the usual gripes about commercialism and the hijacking of the season for the benefit of selling gizmos and uncomfortable sweaters, when was the last time you were truly moved by Christmas? I'll be honest, most years I go to church for the Christmas Eve sermon, listen to the same passages I've heard so many times before, and chuckle to myself when, inevitably, they have to swap out the bawling "baby Jesus” for a doll half-way through the reenactment.

This year though, I plan to focus on what is truly important. When things are going smoothly, when other years don't offer the same parade of seemingly daily atrocities, it's easy to lose ourselves in the pageantry of the season. But, past all the familiar hymns, the costumed presentations, and other trappings, Christmas is a story about everlasting love, about God's unwavering presence in our lives, and the power of Faith. That's the message I need, that we all need, to focus on this year. 

When we feel abandoned, when we look at the darkness of the world and worry about the direction things around going in, we need to remember – God loves us so much that he sent his only Son to us, knowing exactly what that meant. Jesus entered our world to strip away the institutions of the tabernacle, to become the direct avenue to salvation and allow man to have a one-on-one relationship with God. The story of Christmas reminds us how close God is, so long as we are looking for Him. 

When Mary and Joesph were confused and frightened about what was happening, about their new roles as human parents for the Son of Christ, about what their situation looked like to society at large, it was their faith that sustained them. 

Mary and Joesph weren't cartoon characters with saintly hoods and a funny walking stick, they were real people, with real doubts and fears. But they didn't let those fears and doubts get the best of them, they reflected on their situation, Mary pondered everything the angels told her, she processed what was weighting on her and trusted in the Lord to keep her new family safe and well. That is an attitude we would all do well to emulate now.

We've faced heartbreaking tragedies this year, but the birth of Christ is still a powerful symbol of hope. Even in the darkest days, we can look to the miracle of the Virgin birth and the supreme act of sacrifice and love committed by Jesus as a shinning light - an eternal star in the sky, guiding us forward. 

Don't absorb Christmas quietly and politely this year. Celebrate it, contemplate it, learn from it. 
[Comment]

Dec 19, 2016

Masada, a monument set on a mountainBy: C4i

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Masada is one of the most majestic and impressive places in Israel. Built into the side of a mountain, the ancient fortress still stands today as a symbol of perseverance, faith, and determination. It is a battle ground, a piece of history, and a work of art. It's no wonder the fortress is one of the most toured places in Israel.

The Fortress

Masada perches over edge of the Judean Desert and the Dead Sea valley on the top of a rocky mesa. With steep mountain walls on all sides, a low, flat top, and impressive walls built to overlook the valley below, Masada looks every bit the unassailable fortress it was meant to be. There is something majestic about it, resembling something out of Tolkien than the squat, square, and pragmatic strongholds we typically picture from the era. 

The large fortification is separated into three separate areas ringed with a casement wall protecting the installation. Narrow, winding paths lead between a series of storehouses, barracks, an armory, and a palace, connecting the sprawling fortress. In ancient times, Masada was only accessible through the "snake path,” a winding, steep, and difficult path up the mountain, or by climbing the sheer walls of the mountain on the western side. Thankfully, today there is a cable car for tourists who don't feel like reenacting the famous march up the mountain (although the snake path is still open if you feel up to it).

It is a breathtaking work of human ingenuity. In 2001, Masada was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in recognition of it's historic and cultural importance.

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History of Masada

The history of Masada is a tragic one. Built in 30 BC by King Herod, it became an important site in the Jewish revolt against the Romans. In 66 AD, a group of Jewish rebels managed to take the fortress from Roman forces occupying the location and establish it as a Jewish stronghold, the last place of fortified resistance and refuge from the encroaching Romans after the fall of Jerusalem.

In 73 AD, the Romans began laying siege to Masada, constructing a massive ramp of stone and spur on the west side of the mountain. Although the Jewish defenders resisted, the walls were soon assailed by battering rams and it was clear it was only a matter of time before the Romans would breech them. 

Elazar ben Yair, the leader of the hold-outs considered the issue gravely and came to the conclusion that it would be better to die than to fall into the hands of the enemy.

"Since we long ago resolved never to be servants to the Romans, nor to any other than to God Himself, Who alone is the true and just Lord of mankind, the time is now come that obliges us to make that resolution true in practice ...We were the very first that revolted, and we are the last to fight against them; and I cannot but esteem it as a favor that God has granted us, that it is still in our power to die bravely, and in a state of freedom."

In a horrifying and tragic display, the 960 Jewish defenders elected to kill each other in mutual suicide than be taken as prisoners and slaves. They set fire to the buildings in the fort to leave as little as possible of use for the Roman invaders. In the end, there were only seven survivors of the siege.

Masada sat empty and forgotten for centuries after that, a remote and unsettling place. When archeologists rediscovered the site in the 1950s, it was remarkably well-preserved. Explorers could still walk the makeshift seige ramp the Romans employed nearly 2000 years ago. 

The Legacy of Masada

Today Masada is a symbol of Jewish strength to the people of Israel. A reminder of how much as been lost and the sacrifices required to stand against oppression and tyranny. Allusions to it in popular culture are made much in the same way Americans lionize the failed resistance at the Alamo, and the IDF has used the site for swearing-in soldiers after completing basic training in their military graduation ceremony.

It is also one of the nation's most popular tourist destinations, a perfectly preserved and restored monument to the past. The impressive sight of the fortress atop the mountain, and the sobering story of what happened in combine to make a location that can't be missed by travelers visiting the Holy Land.
[Comment]

Dec 16, 2016

Going to Church even when you'd rather sleep inBy: C4i

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When I was young, I had a very typical church experience. I'd stay up past my bedtime on Saturday night watching movies and playing games my parents didn't approve of, wake up groggy and surly on Sunday morning, and mom would practically have to drag me down the stairs to get a bowl of cereal in me before we were off. 

In Sunday school I'd go through the motions. I'd recite bible verses between yawns, look at the flannelgraph through blurry eyes, and squeak through hymns with my awkward prepubescent voice. I thought of Church kind of like it was just a half-day of school, another weekly task to sit through.

Church never made me feel excited or electrified my spirit like it seemed to do for others. It was just something you had to do because all the grown-ups said so. It was fine, but by no means was it what I'd spend my day doing if it were up to me.

And eventually, it was. When I left home for university, there was nobody there who would bang on my door at 8:00am Sunday morning. Nobody dragging me down the stairs and asking me if I even tried to comb my hair and if I was really going to show up like that. The only one who had a say in whether or not I would go to church was myself. So I stopped going to church and started sleeping in. 

I spent my Sundays the way I always dreamed I would when I was sitting slack-jawed and bored-stiff in Sunday school. I hung around, played video games, watched TV, and barely lifted a finger all Sunday. It was everything I thought it would be... for the first few months anyway.

Slowly but surely, the novelty began to wear off. As is so often the case, what I thought would make me happy wasn't living up to the fantasy. Hanging around my dorm turned out to be just as dull as hanging around in Sunday school. Only now, I was bored, alone, and feeling kind of gross being coped up in my room all day.

More than that though, I was feeling spiritually tapped out. News stories about strife and suffering weighed on me like never before. Disappointments and failures felt catastrophic out of proportion to what they really were. I lost my center. 

In all the time I spent thinking about how dull Church could be, I never stopped to think about the simple value found in just being with your fellow Christians.  

So I started doing what would have been unthinkable when I was thirteen. I set my alarm, got up, brushed my teeth, found a fairly respectable shirt to wear, and headed off to a local chapel when I could have just as easily stayed in bed. 

Because Church isn't just a place where you hear the same old stories told over and over again. It isn't just a place where you wear a slightly uncomfortable tie and try not to let anyone see how tired you are from staying up the night before. It's a place you go to recharge spiritually. To gather with your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ and remind each other that we're all in this together, that we're all facing similar struggles and disappointments. That we all feel drained and defeated sometimes, but together in Christ we can overcome these hurdles.

Sleeping in is false comfort. It might be nice to stay under the covers, but it leaves you spiritually empty. Trying to fill the void with creature comforts and pointless distractions helps about as much as trying to top off your gas tank with water. 

When I go to Church, I might still be blurry-eyed and tired, but when I leave I feel comforted, relieved, and recharged, ready to face the week. That's a kind of rest that I think is worth waking up early for. 
[Comment]

Dec 15, 2016

HAMAS OFFICIAL: WE’LL GIVE ROCKETS TO ANYONE WHO FIGHTS ISRAEL: By: Colin Wingfield

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Hamas official Fathi Hammad on Al-Aqsa TV has announced the terror organization is willing to supply rockets and weapons to anyone willing to fight Israel. Though Israel decimated 80% of Hamas' weapons stockpile during 2014's Operation Protective Edge, Hamas has continued to manufacture and smuggle rockets and weapons. It is estimated they now own tens of thousands of rockets which may be used against Israel. Hamas' stockpile includes upgraded short-range rockets, as well as the longer-range M-75, which can easily hit Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. As well, Hamas owns Syrian M-302s and is able to manufacture Iran's Fajr-5 which can carry up to 175 kilograms of explosives. In addition, Hamas has continued work on their complex and expansive network of terror tunnels, which now crisscross the entirety of Gaza. While Israeli citizens tend to rely on Israel's famous Iron Dome missile defense system, many do not realize Hamas figured out how to defeat the Iron Dome at the end of Operation Protective Edge. Operation Protective Edge was forced to end prematurely after USA President Barack Obama refused to supply Israel with more Iron Dome missiles unless Israel ended the war targeting Hamas' leaders, tunnels, and weapons stockpile. (Arutz-7) Pray according to scripture: "Let those be put to shame and brought to dishonor who seek after my life; let those be turned back and brought to confusion who plot my hurt.” Ps 35:4 [Comment]

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