Opinion

 

The Personal Problem of Evil

“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.” – Jesus (Matthew 12:33-35)

In Matthew 12:34, Jesus, calling the Pharisees “brood of vipers,” disputes their ability to say good things because they are “evil.” He further explores their predicament saying, “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” 

Speaking in this verse is to be understood as a representative act of the heart; in that we are to understand that all of the Pharisees’ acts (not just speaking) are expressions of their evil hearts. 

The acts of these Pharisees, and their speaking, is symptomatic of the “evil” condition of their hearts. If only their symptoms where to be treated, though their condition might appear to be improved or even cured, the malady remains unchanged; in that, whatever is done or communicated is the expression of evil, being the product of an evil heart. 

Consider this in the light of how Jesus addressed the crowd that was listening to the sermon on the mount in Matthew 7:11, saying, “you being … evil.” Jesus is here disclosing His understanding of the nature of mankind. It is not just Pharisees, but mankind as a whole, that was corrupted by the evil Jesus speaks of. 

Again, Jesus says to a young man seeking the means to eternal life in Luke 18:18, “no one is good.” In the estimate of the Christ, mankind, excluding Himself, was evil; as in not good. (John 2:24-25)

Of course the evil spoken of, since all of mankind is comprehended in it, must be defined in contrast to the goodness of God; so in Luke 18:18, Jesus goes on to say, “no one is good but One, that is, God.” 

But in Matthew 12:33, Jesus holds out hope for all who would not be evil, saying, “Either make the tree good …, or else make the tree bad …;” implying some kind of hope for those who by nature are evil; implying some means by which we may apply ourselves toward good. 

In this verse the tree is representative of the heart in verse 34, and the fruit is representative of the act of speaking. 

Consider the phrase in this verse, “make the tree good and its fruit good.” Notice that the quality of the fruit follows the quality of the tree. Our solution then lies in what we “make” the tree; or as it is clarified in verse 34, what we “make” the heart. 

But how does one change the nature of the heart? Perhaps it is possible that people can change their behavior in some way, but how is the nature changed? Therefore Jesus says to the Pharisee Nicodemus, “you must be born again;” that is, “born of the Spirit.” (John 3:1-8) 

The idea of being born again is not just a concept to mentally comprehend and accented to, but rather an actual occurrence whereby a person is given a new nature by means of the creative power of the Holy Spirit; so that the “making” of the tree (heart) must actually be the immediate work of God. (Ephesians 2:10; 2 Corinthians 5:17)

What then can man do, towards a change of nature from evil to a goodness in the likeness of God? As Nicodemus asks of Jesus, “how can a man be born again …?”

We find Jesus’ answer in John 3:14-17, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

It is in the possessing of eternal life that the heart is changed from a source of evil to a source of good; and the whole part of man is to believe in God’s “only begotten Son,” the Lord Jesus Christ.

This is Jesus’ perspective on the matter.

Responses may be posted at www.thechristianmind.org 

 

Rev. George T. Frey, Jr.

[…]

 

You will remember that when technology first made its appearance some 30 years ago, we were told that we would soon live in a paperless society. 

I have had a few conversations over the summer about this very issue. I have also had many suggestions about how our Government can reduce the cost of delivering services. 

One very good suggestion I have been asked to consider is the cost of and associated amount of paper used by the Federal (and the other levels of government) in producing cheques to Canadians. So I looked into it further. 

Did you know that the Government of Canada issues close to 275 million federal payments every year? While 79 per cent of these payments are currently deposited directly into bank accounts, 21 per cent are still printed as cheques that Canadian individuals and businesses must deposit at bank counters or ATMs. 

That translates into an astounding 58 million cheques that must be printed, mailed and processed each year. In addition, a physical cheque costs 82 cents to produce, while a direct deposit works out to about 13 cents to process. Once all costs are considered, taxpayers spend an incredible $17 million each year for this service. 

It is also why, beginning in 2014–2015, the federal government has decided to increase the use of direct deposit. 

As another plus, it’s environmentally friendly. While these are good reasons for us to adopt direct deposit, there are other compelling reasons as well.Direct deposit is fast and convenient. There is no need to make a special trip to deposit a cheque. Money is quickly deposited into an account and immediately available—no matter what you’re doing or where you are. In fact, if you receive more than one type of payment, for example both a Canada Pension Plan payment and an income tax refund, they can be deposited into different accounts of your choosing. Direct deposit is reliable and safe. 

Unlike cheques, there is virtually no risk of payments being lost, stolen or damaged. Your payment will never be delayed due to unforeseen circumstances. As soon as the payment is issued, it is deposited into the account of your choice and may immediately begin to earn interest. 

The federal government will be increasing the use of direct deposit and phasing out cheques by April 2016. But given the benefits, why wait? Visit www.directdeposit.gc.ca  for more information and to fill out your enrolment form, or drop by any federal government office.

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What's Happening?

What in the world is going on?  I remember hearing that question when I was just a kid.  Generally it came from my Mom’s lips after we as children became too wild when playing and suddenly something got broken, or one of the smaller children got hurt, or some such occurrence. 

Mom would appear on the scene, voice slightly raised, with the famous words “what in the world is going on?” Maybe some of you remember this happening in your childhood as well?

Today I hear that same phrase again. In fact, I hear it much more today than when I was little.  

Now a days, it seems wherever you go, someone is asking the question, “what in the world is going on.“  

Today, people are wondering about the weather or about some catastrophe that has happened.  Today I hear people, who have been around for a few years, say, “I’ve never seen weather like this. I read a little while ago, that there were more earthquakes in the last decade then there was in the 20th century. I don’t know if that is a fact or not, I’m just repeating what I have read.  

Certainly, we would have to agree that we do hear of more earthquakes and more devastation today than ever before.

Just a few years ago, we heard about another catastrophe event, a Tsunami. I had never heard the word before and since then there have been several, though not as big

The weather continues to amaze me with the violent winds, heavy rain, hurricanes, tornadoes etc. No wonder people are asking, “what in the world is going on?”

May I point you to a book that has the answers for us.  It is the Bible, and it has the answers because its author is God, who knows everything and is in control of all things.  

For example, God moved the great apostle Paul to write in his letter to the Roman church.  In Romans, Chapter 8, verse 22, we read, “For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.”  

Paul has been talking about the effect the sin has had on the world since our first parents, Adam & Eve disobeyed and rebelled against God.  Paul tells us that all creation has been effected.  However, a day is coming when God will make all things new and there will be no more catastrophic events such as we see now. 

Until then though, we can expect things to get progressively worse.  So maybe a better question is “what in the world do we do?”  

Well, there really is only one thing to do, if we want to live without fear of what’s happening or what can happen.  

A wise King, thousands of years ago told us what to do.  It’s found in the Proverbs of King Solomon, chapter 3, verse 5.  Here is what it says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  In all thy ways, acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.”  

Sound advice, when we remember it is only God who knows it all and is able to keep us safe.  Not only in this life but also in eternity.       

Rev. Duncan Perry,

[…]

 

I want to assure the SD&G Fire and Emergency services that all my smoke detectors are in great working order. They have recently been tested under realistic conditions. I was cooking.

After decades of trying, I am now pretty certain that my talents, whatever they are, do not lie in the area of the culinary arts.

This is unfortunate, as the one thing I take great delight in doing is eating. Italian, French, Asian, Southern…well, I have yet to meet a style of cooking that I couldn’t love. And think home made bread, think butter tarts and squares, flaky crusted pies and cakes with exotic names like Black Forest and Rum Baba. All of them lovingly made – by other people.

Actually, I think about food like that all the time. I never think raw broccoli.

I honestly mean well in the kitchen. I have several cook books given to me by friends who have experienced dinner at my house. I have two pots. I have a meat thermometer, just as soon as I remember where I put it four Christmases ago. (Might still be attached to that unfortunate turkey that got left in a 500 degree oven.). I have a single roasting pan, lid missing, and one glass pie plate with something stuck around the edges that resists all known cleansers. I have a knife, but it’s broken.

So, all the essentials. I also keep a quick list right beside the stove with helpful hints such as the phone number for Poison Control and the 800 number for Ask-A-Nurse/Practitioner.

Honestly, things just seem to go wrong when I cook.

Who knew yeast had a life span? You could have anchored a yacht to that particular loaf of bread.

Who knew that you don’t pour an entire mickey of rum into a single Christmas cake just because the batter still appears to be absorbing it?  (You don’t want to know the condition of my guests following dessert.)

And apparently there is considerable difference between four tablespoons of soy sauce and four tablespoons of tabasco sauce. Just ask the people invited for that particular tuna casserole.

Back to the smoke detectors.

I wasn’t actually in the kitchen. Instead I was out on the patio, directly under the open kitchen window learning to use my new barbecue. As it was cool out, with a fairly stiff breeze, all other windows and doors in the house were firmly shut.

I gather, now, that burgers may be slightly over done if there are huge columns of smoke pouring from them, and they have become the size of briquets. The other thing that didn’t register was the wind was blowing all that black smoke from the grill through the open window. It was quite a lot of billowing smoke. 

I finally got all the smoke detectors turned off. However, I’m told the odour of charred beef is going to take somewhat longer to disappear. (We went out for dinner.)

[…]

Let’s face it. The dating scene in 2013 has changed…just a little. 

If the last time you went out on a blind date, Elvis was just leaving the army, cars had huge chrome fins and Tommy and Annette were chanting “Meeska, Mouska Mousketeer” you may find the 21st century dating rituals a bit daunting.

Parents, well-meaning college room mates, your Aunt Tilly (“Have I got the perfect guy for you! So he’s a little short. And lumpy. And appears to be looking in two directions at the same time!”)  are no longer the source of introductions. No, today’s career man and woman must turn to a totally different kind of match maker.

This match maker has a screen, a wired brain, a lot of bytes and needs your credit card number. 

Just answer a few simple questions, punch the responses in, and a massive computer brain will sift through millions of contenders, then pop out the ideal match. (Couldn’t be any worse than Aunt Tilly.)

Why not, I thought? Let’s see who my perfect soul mate could be. After all, 50 million ads for dating sites running on television every day must mean something.

So I chose my site, and settled down to honestly answer the “let’s develop your dating profile” questions.

Sex? Well, isn’t that sort of why one wants to find a permanent soul m…oh, I see. Female.

Age? 39. Give or take a decade or two. (Don’t push me.)

Qualities you are looking for in the perfect mate? Easy question. Male. Breathing.

Geographical area you would consider for matches? Again, an easy question. Earth.

What is your favourite colour? Green. No, blue. Wait! Red! Yellow? Final response: plaid.

If you were washed ashore on a desert island, and you could only have three things with you, what would they be?

Easy one. A fully fueled 60 foot yacht, the Ottawa Senators and an unlimited bank account.

Which do you admire? A sense of humour? A sense of adventure? A sense of accomplishment?

You betcha.

What is your personal net worth?

Next question.

In which sports are you accomplished?

Next question.

Why have you selected this on-line dating service?

Aunt Tilly is out of town.

I won’t go into a lot of details on how this all came out. I will say I carried on quite an exciting computer conversation with one potential for a while…until I discovered “he” was a programmable digital toaster oven.

I still don’t know which of us finally broke it off. 

 

[…]

 

Canada has paid a huge price in life and treasure during 10 years of war in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, 161 Canadians lost their lives; 158 members of the Canadian Armed Forces, one diplomat, one civilian contractor and one journalist. Along with our Canadian casualties, 40 Americans tragically lost their lives while under Canadian Forces command. 

Our Government is tremendously proud of our military. The sacrifices of our Canadian forces have been instrumental in preventing Afghanistan from again becoming a safe haven for terrorists, have brought stability and security to Afghans, and have allowed the country to develop and rebuild.

In honour of these sacrifices, former Defence Minister Peter MacKay unveiled the Afghanistan Memorial Vigil on Parliament Hill last week. The Afghanistan Memorial Vigil displays the bravery, dedication and valour of the fallen during our mission in Afghanistan. The Memorial Vigil consists of 190 Plaques representing the 201lives lost.  

The Afghanistan Memorial Vigil will be displayed on Parliament Hill throughout the summer. Over the course of the next two years it will travel across Canada to provincial capitals, major urban centres, and Canadian Armed Forces bases. It will also travel to Washington, DC. 

Although we can never appropriately thank the brave men and women who lost their lives in Afghanistan, the Memorial Vigil is meant to be a testimony to their heroism. Lest we Forget.

Please visit the Afghanistan Memorial vigil website at: http://www.cjoc.forces.gc.ca/exp/vigil-veille-eng.asp, for more information.

[…]

As I travel around the riding of SDSG I meet many seniors who are energetic, vibrant and still working full time. Many Canadian seniors are benefiting from worldwide advances in health, fitness and science, and as a result they are living longer, healthier lives. One senior observed eighty years old is the new sixty years old. How true. This reality presents all kinds of choices and adjustments, from personal decisions about careers and retirement, to the need for governments to develop and amend policies and programs to deal with these issues.

People today are taking many different paths to retirement, and some seniors are choosing to work longer. To improve flexibility and choice in retirement planning, our Government announced the new voluntary deferral option for the Old Age Security (OAS) pension.

As of July 1, 2013, Canadian seniors have the option to voluntarily defer their OAS pension for up to five years in exchange for a higher monthly amount. For every month you delay receipt of your OAS pension, you will receive an increased monthly benefit of 0.6 percent per month, up to a maximum of 36 percent at age 70. You can now defer your OAS pension for as little as one month, or as much as 60 months.

People should of course consider their personal situations when deciding when to start receiving their OAS pension, including their financial status, life expectancy, and their wants and needs. It is important to note that if you delay your OAS pension, you will not be eligible to receive the Guaranteed Income Supplement, and your spouse or common-law partner will not be eligible to receive the allowance until your OAS pension begins. Having discussed this issue with a number of constituents over the past few years, I am sure this is welcome news to many of you.

July 1 also brought changes to Canadian passports that I think you should know about. You can now apply for either a 5 year or a 10 year passport if you are 16 years old or older. However children passports are still only issued for 5 years. The new ePassports contain a microchip greatly enhancing their security and making them difficult to forge.

The ePassport is now being used by most countries around the world. It provides for safe and secure travel for Canadians anywhere in the world. The new 10 year ePassport actually saves you money. At $160.00 for 10 years it is less costly per year than the old 5 year passport. The cost of a five year ePassport is $120.00 and a child's (under 16) is $57.00.

I hope the changes we have made will achieve their goals of providing the citizens of SDSG and Canada a more secure, fulfilling, happy life. As always, for more information, please contact my constituency office at 613-937-3331.

[…]

Well, I did it. 

I actually got up on a stage in front of two hundred people, dressed in black fishnet stockings, a choker and red sequins, and got through an entire tap number. Four whole minutes. Four really long minutes.

I’m also pretty sure that my performance at the dance recital had a genuine effect on some members of the audience. As I was doing my final bow, I distinctly heard calls for the defibrillator.

There were other dancers from my adult class on the stage, also wearing fishnets and sequins. But I suspect that they may not have been quite as…memorable…during our routine as I was. 

You see, they actually remembered the right choreography to the dance. 

It isn’t like I hadn’t practiced the number. I faithfully attended my classes,  regularly asked my wonderful dance teacher to go over the bits I wasn’t quite getting (about three minutes, 40 seconds of the routine), and even tried to rehearse at home.

Rehearsing at home involved shifting the dining room table to one wall, and tapping on the hard wood floor, clutching the sheets of paper with the steps on them to my nose. I played the music over and over, desperately attempting to remember what arms and feet, hands and head should be simultaneously doing. (One out of four would have been challenging enough.) If I thought it had been hard to get the dance right at the studio, how much more difficult it was to work at home, where I couldn’t keep my eyes constantly fastened on the feet of my teacher!

Incidentally, I also realized, part way through the first home rehearsal that, in hind sight, it might have been a good idea to close the curtains on to the street. Several neighbours, out for strolls, had congregated  on the side walk in front of my picture window. Judging by the frozen stances and the dropped jaws, what I was doing was riveting. By the time I actually noticed the growing crowd, I was half afraid that the chip wagon might pull into my driveway. 

My fellow tap dancers have always been very supportive, and  endlessly encouraging. “Don’t worry,” they said. “You’re going to get those steps in the end!” 

Unfortunately, they were still saying that when the curtain opened and the recital music started up.

I drew a complete blank. I couldn’t recall a single step. I debated whether anyone would notice if I suddenly dashed behind the backdrop. Then my feet started to move. Somehow, somewhere, some form of deeply buried dance conditioning kicked in. I started to tap.

I was dancing!  I was, as my dad used to say, ‘tripping the light fantastic’. I was truly dancing… 

Okay, I was about two beats behind everybody else in the number and on the wrong side!

But stand aside, Fred Astaire.

I was dancing. 

[…]

 

Trouble and Tragedy

It seems that we’ve seen a lot of trouble and tragedy lately. Terrible floods in Alberta, this horrendous disaster in Lac Magentic, plane crashes. 

Across the world it’s the same: ongoing violence in Syria and now again in Egypt. What to make of it? How do we understand all these awful things?

Some would say that all these awful things that happen are just random. There’s no rhyme of reason to them. There’s no god or creator overseeing things. The world just evolved and now things continue to just happen.

If there’s anyone to affect what happens it’s us. We’re it. As for the purpose or end result of this world, they’d say, that there isn’t any. We live, we die, that’s it. This way of looking at things seems mighty meaningless to me. Why live, why be good, why anything. 

A world like this would also be a pretty scary place. Imagine there not being anyone in control. Kind of like racing down the highway without anyone at the wheel.

Another way people look at trouble and tragedy is to see it in terms of karma. People reap what they sow. People get what they deserve. If you’re good, good things will happen to you. If you’re bad, it’ll be the other way around. Somehow the universe is able to pay you back what you have coming to you. I hear more people talk like this is a cool way to look at life.

But is it? Are we then to think that those people in Alberta got what they had coming to them? Or beautiful Lac Magentic deserved the awful destruction brought on by the explosion and fire of that runaway train? Yuk. This seems awfully cruel to me. It adds insult to injury.

How then should we see trouble and tragedy? There may not be simple answers, but the Bible sure gives us some helpful insight as it avoids both of the unhelpful approaches mentioned so far. 

First it makes it clear that this world is not out of control. There is a god overseeing everything, a god who made all things well. Trouble and tragedy entered the world thanks to us (read Genesis 3 for the details.) 

The Bible also steers clear of saying that people get what they deserve in this life (read John 9:3 and Luke 13:1-5).

The Bible makes it clear that in the perfect world God created there was no trouble, no tragedy. Best of all, the day is coming when God will once again perfect his creation. That’s why he sent his son Jesus. 

Christ came to pay the world’s debt on the cross. Those who accept that payment personally will one day live in God’s new heaven and new earth. A place where trouble and tragedy are banished forever.

One last thing. Jesus said that even though there’s nothing good about trouble and tragedy in themselves, they can serve a good purpose. They can turn us to himself (see Luke 13:3). They can help us see our need of him. 

As we consider all the bad things happening lately, first, let’s pray for all those affected. May we also see that there are answers in God as to what’s happening. And there are long term (as in eternal) solutions. They’re found in faith in Christ.

Pastor Clarence Witten

Community Christian 

Reformed Church

Dixon’s Corners

[…]

 

Life Happens

I was weeding my garden the other day when I began to think about life.

Now don’t get me wrong,  I’m not about to go into a long litany of wrongs or problems that are happening in my life. 

As a matter of fact life is good, really good actually. We are enjoying our retirement. I told someone a little while ago that if I had known it was going to be this good, I would have done it when  I was thirty.  Of course it wasn’t at all possible back then.  However, let’s get on with my thoughts.  

As I knelt there that day, I began to reflect on my life, as well as on the life of other people I have known. Really, it can be compared to the weather we have been experiencing lately.  It is great when the sun is shining and it’s warm.  Good for golfing, boating, gardening, etc. 

However it is not always sunshine.  Some days it rains and in most of our minds we would probably say TOO MUCH.

I also began to think of life as a person walking through a luscious green valley.  Do you know that there would not be a valley if there were not  mountains on either side.  While it is good and pleasant in the valley, if we are going to broaden our horizons, we need to climb the mountains every now and then.

 I think it was Tammy Wynette who sang the song “I never promised You a Rose Garden.”         

 But there was someone else who gave us these words long before she was born.  Let me refer to the original Author of these words.

Back in the Old Testament, the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 20, verses 1 thru 4.  God is speaking to the Children of Israel as they are about to enter the Promised Land and possess what God had promised their Fathers. 

As we read this passage, we will find some promises to us.  The first one, most of us would like to pass on.  It says, “there will be battles against those who would not want them to possess the land.”  That is true for us in this life as well.  

In John`s Gospel, chapter 16, verse 33, Jesus told His followers (that includes we who believe on Him today), “that in this world they would experience all kinds of opposition.”

 Back in Deuteronomy, God gave the Children of Israel three more promises.  The promise of His Presence, to go with them  The Promise of His Power, to fight their enemies for them, and the Promise of His purpose, to save them. 

As we look at John 16:33, we find likewise, the promise of Our Lord, “Do not be troubled when you face all kinds of opposition,” Jesus says, “for I have overcome the world.”

No one likes trouble in their life but the truth is, “life happens” and that includes trouble, opposition, sickness, etc.  

So what do we do.  Well here are our choices; we can try to fix the problem ourselves, or we can rely on the Promises of God.

Bye the way, I expect that about the time you are reading this, I’ll be pulling weeds again because LIFE HAPPENS.        

Rev. Duncan Perry,

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