When Fear Comes

Chris Hedges draws on Alexander Solzhenitsyn to give a sober warning about the resistance to state power in an article called When Fear Comes.

The more despotic a regime becomes, the more it creates a climate of fear that transforms into terror. At the same time, it invests tremendous energy and resources in censorship and propaganda to maintain the fiction of the just and free state.

Only a few are brave enough to resist.

“Before societies fall, just such a stratum of wise, thinking people emerges, people who are that and nothing more,” Solzhenitsyn writes of those who see what is coming. “And how they were laughed at! How they were mocked! As though they stuck in the craw of people whose deeds and actions were single-minded and narrow-minded. And the only nickname they were christened with was ‘rot.’ Because these people were a flower that bloomed too soon and breathed too delicate a fragrance. And so they were mowed down.”

“These people,” he goes on, “were particularly helpless in their personal lives; they could neither bend with the wind, nor pretend, nor get by; every word declared an opinion, a passion, a protest. And it was just such people the mowing machine cut down, just such people the chaff-cutter shredded.”

Most people just sit quietly and hope, but that is foolish.

Those who steadfastly defy the state will, if history is any guide, be decapitated one by one. A forlorn hope that the state will ignore us if we comply will cripple many who have already been condemned. “Universal innocence,” Solzhenitsyn writes, “also gave rise to the universal failure to act. Maybe they won’t take you? Maybe it will all blow over.”

“The majority sit quietly and dare to hope,” he writes. “Since you aren’t guilty, then how can they arrest you? It’s a mistake!”

The entire article is worth a read.

New Prince Same Old Principalities

A new prince sits on the American throne.

Unfortunately, the election has not removed the spiritual principalities and powers that have shaped and controlled the United States for many decades. They are still in place and stronger than ever.

An election does not change the spiritual power; it just changes the people that the spiritual powers control. This is why things usually carry on the same when a new president or party is elected to power. The same spiritual powers are in control, so nothing changes.

So, although Obama wanted to be a man of peace, he could not escape the influence of the spirits of war and violence, and ended up fighting five and a half wars.

Likewise, Donald Trump, whatever his intentions, will find himself fighting pointless and destructive wars.

God is on the Throne

You will have heard people say “God is on the throne, all is well in the world”.

I want you to know that the spiritual powers of evil are roving throughout the world looking for people to devour. They are cheats and do not abide by the rules. They will often attack the people who are going hard out for God. So when something goes wrong, do not assume that it is God’s plan, it maybe an attack of evil that needs to be resisted.

The bible promises that if we resist them in unity with others, the spiritual powers of evil will flee.

God is on the throne, but we still have to resist evil.

God is Sovereign

You will have heard people say, “God is sovereign”. The assumption is that everything that happens is his will, so we must accept it graciously.

I want you to know that “God is sovereign”, but that does not mean that everything that happens is his will.

A soverign God could create angels and sovereignly give them freedom to rebel against their creator.

A sovereign God could sovereignly give authority over the earth he sovereignly created to the people he had created. He could sovereignly decide to give this authority without recourse. He could sovereignly agree that he would not take the authority back from humans if they messed up; even if they gave it to the spiritual powers of evil.

So a situation where the spiritual powers of evil have authority to do evil on earth is consistent with the sovereignty of God.

God is sovereign, but that does not mean that evil cannot happen. He sovereignly created a world, where it could, because he had a greater purpose.

Why did God allow it

You will have heard people say when something bad happens, “Why did God allow it”.

I want you know that God did not allow it. Humans allowed it, and we must not blame God.

When God created the earth, he gave authority over it to the people he had created. When they submitted to the tempter, they surrender their authority to the spiritual powers of evil. This means that bad spiritual powers have authority to work evil on earth. So when something bad happens, they are usually responsible.

So instead of asking why God allowed it, we should ask why humans allowed the spiritual powers of evil to have their authority. We do not like that question, because we already know the answer. Humans are stupid. So it is just as well that we have a glorious saviour and redeemer.

Lovely Lillies

Grieving

I have been quiet on the blog for the last couple of weeks. We have been grieving the loss of an important member of our family. Our eldest son’s wife died on New Years Eve after a short, but nasty illness. Kate was just 35 years old, a school friend of our daughter, and the mother of four of our grandchildren. The youngest is 18 months and the oldest is eight and a half years old.

Her memorial service was held last Saturday. About 600 people attended, and Kate was really honored by the many people she had touched, as a friend, young mother and secondary school teacher.

Kate trusted the Father and was an amazing witness to Jesus. She had a zeal for sharing the gospel and loved praying for the sick. She wanted to be wherever the Holy Spirit was moving.

Kate had an amazing openness and honesty. Because she was so real, she had an amazing ability to see the good that God had put in people. And she had such a compelling way of saying what she saw that it just had to be true. And the beautiful thing was, that many became the good that she saw in them, because she loved them and prayed her words into life.

From a grandparents’ perspective, Kate was a wonderful Mum
Her joy in caring for her children was amazing. Seeing her singing to the two little boys in the bath was a delight. Kate’s wisdom in nurturing and training her children was special. Her ability to love her children was inspiring.
The way that she actively enabled us to be part of their lives and love them
has been precious. We were privileged to have her as part of our family and giving us the next generation.

At her memorial service, I spoke these words.

I want you all to know that this is not God’s will.
He will bring good from it,
but it was not God’s will for Kate to die.
The God Kate served is good.
He is love.
He is our Father.
He does not want young mothers to die,
because he created them to love.

It is the thief who comes to steal and destroy.

The Bible says that we are engaged in a war
against evil forces in the spiritual realms.

In every war, there are casualties.
Unfortunately, it is usually the brave ones
on the front lines that get caught.

Kate was passionate about serving Jesus
But she was willing to take a hit for him,
because he had taken a massive hit for her.
So it’s OK to feel angry.

I feel angry when I think about what we have lost.
Just don’t be angry with God.
Kate loves him, so that would make her sad.

If you need to blame someone,
be angry with the evil spiritual powers
that took her out.

But don't be angry too long
that will leave you hurt.
Do what Kate would do.
Talk to God about your anger and your pain
He is a good listener
Find his peace.

We are at peace because Kate has gone to be with Jesus, the one she loved, but we feel very sad for her children who have lost their mother, and her husband who has lost the one he loved before fourteen years of marriage were complete.