‘We have lost our freedom of speech and religion’

 The National Post published a letter today I submitted last week after watching the Chaplin General of the Canadian Armed Forces "spiritual reflection" that, following Government Guidelines, avoided mentioning God, Jesus, eternal life, salvation - all the words that might 'offend' anyone - except of course Christians. I am trying to get a little name. recognition in the run-up to launching Recovering, Truth, Freedom and Democracy: Challenging Woke Chaos. Its a challenge to the silent majority that exposes the false truths of identity politics that are destroying the foundation of Christian spiritual truths our Western freedom and progressive democracy depends on. The alternative is more chaos and the emergence of a totalitarian leader (Trump?) who will completely end our freedom of speech, and democracy.

‘We have lost our freedom of speech and religion’

Re: Canadian Armed Forces to chaplains — praying is too traumatic for soldiers — Josh DeHaas, Nov. 10

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We know we have lost our freedom of speech and religion in Canada when the Chaplain General of the Canadian Armed Forces is so controlled by government guidelines that he directs military chaplains to not use religious words like God, Jesus, soul, eternal life and resurrection in Remembrance Day “remarks” because a real prayer might offend someone. Did he miss Jesus being crucified for offending those in authority?

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How offensive to say you are honouring those who gave their lives to defend our freedom of speech and religion, when the vast majority of those men were baptized Christians whose hope of eternal spiritual life in Jesus kept them going. They gave their lives for the right to offend and hopefully save non-believers — as did Jesus.

Freedom of speech is the right to say things some may find offensive; that’s how freedom and democracy work. This is woke totalitarianism.

Rev. John Gishler, Calgary

Good and Faithful Servants are Light in the Darkness (Proper A33)

     Jesus is continuing His teachings on who is included in the Kingdom on the Day of the Lord or the End Time Judgement. Many people have noticed a frightening new darkness:

·      Gog and Magog -- Russia and Iran (Hamas) were prophesied to attack Israel and are now both in shooting wars

·      China is on the march against Taiwan and killing 70,000 people a year in the U.S. with fentanyl from Mexico

1. Many in our time are like lazy and worthless servant

Our Hope Is in Jesus Christ

The Republican Debate last week was a reminder that many people in our time have lost their hope in Jesus, hope in government, hope of peace and hope of prosperity. This is an End Times scenario with Gog – Iran launching a war against Israel via Hamas,  Magog – Russia in a war with the West; and Russia’s ally China in an economic and  deadly fentanyl war with the US. The good news was two candidates advocating recovering the truth foundation of Christian faith our freedom and democracy were built on. ( my current book topic).

Our Readings remind us:

• Joshua publicly put his hope in the God of his ancestors
• Believers have the hope and security of eternal life
• Relationship with Jesus is how to be included in the Heavenly Banquet or Kingdom

1.   Who or What you put your Hope in is important

Many Are Invited, Few Are Chosen (Proper 28A)

The Parable of the Wedding Guest is another teaching on the Kingdom of God. The message is familiar from the previous parable of the Tenants. People are given something - a vineyard or an invitation to a banquet, and there is a test, and a wrong response that leads to exclusion. 

• The issue is how do we respond to God’s invitation. 
• Test is who pays rent or comes and wears the wedding garment 
• Putting on the wedding garment is getting onside, committed
• Serious Christians put on Jesus, suffer, die and celebrate with Him
• They are the ones chosen for the Kingdom 
• Those who attend church but are not all-in, exclude themselves.

 

1. The first guests who were invited refuse the invitation

Ten Tests of Our Spiritual Life in God's Kingdom (Proper 27 Year A)

Baptism, like tenancy has obligations. The Parable is a warning that we are sometimes tempted to rebel against God and refuse to ‘pay the rent’. What is this ‘rent’? In our Baptism we promise ‘to continue in the Apostles teaching, in the fellowship and in the breaking of bread’ – to love and honour God. Moses explains the Ten Commandments by telling the people “God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.” (Ex. 20.20) The ten tests of our love of God are:

 

1. Have you recognized or given honour to other gods?

Forgiveness is the Gift of Mercy

The parable of the Unmerciful Servant is a reminder of who we are, whose we are and what is expected of us. The readings remind us that like the Hebrews we have been rescued by God, are part of His Kingdom and under divine judgement. We are servants and not ‘the boss of ourselves’. We will be judged by our love of Jesus and our neighbour. Forgiveness and mercy from the heart is a test of that love.

 

1.    We are challenged to remember who we are

ReconcilingConflicts With Holy Love (proper 23A)

Jesus is teaching us how to reconcile conflicts in the church with love. Conflicts can pollute our soul with the sin of unforgiveness if we fail to love the other. Love requires us to respect the privacy and dignity of the person who we think is sinning. We are to make two attempts to resolve the issue privately and discreetly before “taking it to the church’ and making it public. This is the opposite of the way most people handle disputes. We can fail to love our neighbour and tell all our friends in church about the terrible thing someone has done. This is a failure to love and creates a much more dangerous conflict. It makes the issue harder to resolve as reputations are on the line. The three-step process protects reputations, determines the truth and facilitates forgiveness:

1.     First go alone to the person to seekréconciliation

2.     If this fails, take one or two witnesses and go again 

3.     Only if  both attempts fail, take it to the church leadership, again in confidence, to avoid spreading the conflict beyond three or four people 

 

Step #1: “Go and point out their fault just between the two of you”