Chesterton on Tyranny

Here is another quote that I gleaned from Eugenics and Other Evils by G. K. Chesterton:

The wisest thing in the world is to cry out before you are hurt. It is no good to cry out after you are hurt; especially after you are mortally hurt. People talk about the impatience of the populace ; but sound historians know that most tyrannies have been possible because men moved too late. It is often essential to resist a tyranny before it exists. It is no answer to say, with a distant optimism, that the scheme is only in the air. A blow from a hatchet can only be parried while it is in the air.

We are watching our freedoms erode. I am by nature somewhat apolitical, but I am reminded in this quote that action must be taken before the tyranny is fully developed. I am beginning to pray to seek God for what I am to do with regard to maintaining the freedoms that we currently enjoy.

While the Church is not called to drive political movements, we are called to be salt and light in our communities. I think that we can do a better job of living out our beliefs and speaking out when we see freedom being taken away without succumbing to the titillation of political power.

Every time the church has gotten political power, it has been bad for both the church and the community.

James 3:1 – The Responsibility of Leadership

I read this quote in a book by G. K. Chesterton entitled Eugenics and Other Evils:

I know that [eugenics] numbers many disciples whose intentions are entirely innocent and humane; and who would be sincerely astonished at my describing it as I do. But that is only because evil always wins through the strength of its splendid dupes; and there has in all ages been a disastrous alliance between abnormal innocence and abnormal sin. Of these who are deceived I shall speak of course as we all do of such instruments; judging them by the good they think they are doing, and not by the evil which they really do.

The point that struck me is that whenever a tyranny has been perpetrated, there are many who support the tyranny without understanding the consequences. We saw this in 1930’s Germany and we see this in the “politically correct” movement in the United States.


Chesterton is talking about Eugenics, but the same process is involved in every mass movement which perpetrates evil.

Those who choose to follow bear responsibility for their ignorance, willful or not. But the leaders who pursue evil and perpetrate evil bear a greater responsibility. This is why we are warned in James 3:1 that those who abuse their power will be judged more strictly.

Watch for another Chesterton quote tomorrow.

Psalm 46:10 – Be Still

We love to be busy. We are bombarded with so many things that need our attention. We get news and email on computers and hand held devices and have multiple ways to stay connected to people and events.

The church often increases our need to be busy. In many churches there are multiple programs that require staffing and pleas for additional help are frequent. Even those who are not desirous of being busy are bombarded with requests to become so.

Some of the busyness is fueled by pressure to make things happen. “If I don’t do it, it won’t get done” is often the reasoning. Some is fueled by expectations of employers and family members who are not reluctant to place demands on us.

Since the New Year holiday is a time for reflection and resolution, perhaps it is a good time to evaluate how much of what we take on is necessary. How much of my busyness is caused by a lack of trust in God? How much of my busyness is done to please men rather than God? What is my motive for the things I take on? How much of my business is in avoidance of what is really important?

In the midst of this, God speaks to us in a “gentle whisper” (1 Kings 19:12 NIV) and tells us to “be still” (Psalm 46:10) in the knowledge that He is God and is in control. I choose to take time to be still before God so that I am able to hear his gentle whisper as I read and reflect upon Scripture.

My experience has been that when I take the time to listen, I do hear and it becomes easier to differentiate what is important and what is not.

Leviticus 4 – There is a cost

As I read through Leviticus, one of the things that hit me is the high cost of compliance to the regulations. To sacrifice an animal to atone for every sin would consume a lot of resources when a proper understanding of sin and righteousness has been internalized.

The good news is that 1 John 1:9 tells us that we can confess our sins to God and obtain forgiveness, not based on a sacrifice we have provided but one that has been provided for us by God. Jesus is that perfect sacrifice, once for all.

Perhaps we have lost something since the Temple has been destroyed. To bring an animal to the Temple and participate in the ritual killing reinforces the gravity of sin. We, if we are not careful (and under the influence of the Holy Spirit), can fall into the trap of not heeding Paul’s advice to Timothy to flee sin, thinking that it is easy to get forgiveness. Yet that forgiveness cost Jesus his life. It is a serious business.

Exodus 40:34-35 – The Glory of the LORD

In Exodus 40:34-35 we are told that the Glory of the LORD so filled the tent of meeting that Moses could not enter the tent.

The Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 3:16 that as believers, we are the Temple of God.

My prayer for today and for the coming year is that I might be so filled with the Spirit of God that all the junk that I normally let in will be displaced and prevented from entering. Hopefully, the process will included displacement of pride and envy and the other sins of the flesh that so easily mar the image of God in me.

Exodus 34:12 – No Compromise

Exodus 34:12 warns the Nation of Israel that they are not to make treaties with the nations they are to displace in the promised land. To do so would make the nations a snare to Israel.

As believers, we have the same challenge in dealing with the culture around us. To modify our beliefs to increase our acceptance by the community is to take on the wound that will cause our death. The “main line” denominations are an example of this. We must take our beliefs from Scripture without compromise.

What is more difficult is in sorting out what parts of the surrounding culture I ingest without thought. There is danger in emulation of the underlying attitudes of the culture. For example, a prevailing distrust of authority will effect how I view God. Movies and television can jade my thoughts about violence and crime. I can take on a “Christianized” hedonism by simply avoiding some obvious sins as drunkenness and sexual transgressions yet living for my comfort. I can function as a materialist while proclaiming a perfect doctrinal stand.

I suppose the antidote to this is a healthy distrust of myself and the culture in which I grew up combined with an unfettered love of God. Fixing our eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2) and seeking God’s wisdom (James 1:5) I can then begin to see where my own attitudes and thinking are deficient and can choose to change.

Exodus 33:1 – Leave

In Exodus 33:1 God commands Moses to leave the mountain to go to the promised land.

It seems to be a theme in Scripture that we are not to be so comfortable in our current circumstances that we miss the opportunity to move forward in God’s program.

Paul speaks of pressing on in Philippians 3:12-14. The idea is to keep moving forward toward the goal of being with Jesus and not letting the past or the present keep us from that goal.

Too often, my focus is on comfort and imagined security when I make life decisions. When I am rational, I know that the only real security is to be found in being in the center of God’s will. But my flesh can willfully distort my perceptions so that I am less focused on God and more focused on pampering my flesh.

Give me eyes to see your plan and the fortitude to follow it.

Exodus 24:17 – Consuming Fire

In Exodus 24:17, Moses records the Israelite’s description of God as a “consuming fire”, an image that intrigues me.

A consuming fire seems to be a dangerous thing. I am reminded of Mrs. Beaver’s comment in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe about Aslan which is something to the effect of: “Safe? No, he’s not safe, but he’s good.”

To enter the Consuming Fire does not cause one to loose his identity; the self is not consumed. Entrance into the Consuming Fire begins the process of repairing the parts of the self that have been damaged by my sin and the sin of others. What gets burned away are the notions that are not of God.

The Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 12:2 that transformation comes as a result of having our minds renewed. This renewal includes the destruction of ideas that are false and dangerous. Only the Consuming Fire can accomplish this burning away of the false and impartation of the true.

Exodus 31:6 – Whence the skills?

In Exodus 31:6, God tells Moses that he gave skills to the craftsmen to accomplish the work of constructing the Tabernacle.

God has given and continues to give skills to men to enrich our heritage and build the things necessary for society to function. The skills are operative even when those who possess them do not acknowledge their source.

We, as believers, though can appreciate the skills and acknowledge the Skill Giver. I can worship God when I see an incredible athletic feat even though the one who performs it lives an immoral life style. In every discipline whether music, art, athletics, architecture, etc. we can find reasons to thank God for the way he has gifted humans with skills.

Perhaps one day, all who posses such skills will acknowledge the Skill Giver. While we are thanking God, perhaps we can intercede on their behalf.

Merry Christmas

I wish you the very best this Christmas Day. It is my hope that as my fellow Americans become increasingly disillusioned with our government that they will turn to the King of Kings whose birth we celebrate today.

BTW, if anyone is actually reading this blog, please drop me a line at mhmcintyre@gmail.com to let me know. Comments and discussion are welcome.

Exodus 23:2 – Don’t Follow the Masses

Specifically Exodus 23:2 says that we should not “follow the masses in doing evil.”

I suppose it is because we were created social beings that we want to have commonality with our fellows. Yet, this drive for commonality tends to gravitate to the lowest common denominator.

We follow trends in fashion, books, political philosophy, etc., often without stopping to consider what Scripture says on the subject.

When we are following the masses without being informed by Scripture, it will end up moving toward evil. May we become so attuned to Scripture that we can spot the evil or counterfeit right away.

2 Peter 3:7 – Reserved for Fire

Based on 2 Peter 3:7, I have to admit that Al Gore is right, the polar ice caps will melt at some point in the future. However, Al Gore should consider this prophecy before proclaiming his ecological message.

Perhaps God will burn the Earth to show those who worship it that it is a created thing and not a giver of life. In the Old Testament, the only fitting response to an idol was to burn it or melt it down. The burning of the Earth will be the same thing on a much larger scale.

I’m glad I won’t be here when it happens.

Matthew 12:10 – Pharisees

Looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?

It is really easy to criticize others when things are going well for the critic. It is easy to condemn those who struggle in areas where I do not struggle. Remember the beam and speck in Luke 6:42?

In thinking about legalism and Pharisees, the thought came to me that if the Pharisee had experienced a family member who had a disability, he might be less willing to be critical. He might rather be longing for the very healing that took place.

The point is that no matter what the deficiency in others, I have the same potential for depravity and my ability to resist the deficiency says more about God’s grace than it does about my spirituality.

Exodus 16:3 – If Only

The Israelites did their fair share of complaining. Many of the complaints began with “If only . . .” as in Exodus 16:3.

Two responses come to mind. One is that there is danger in getting so comfortable with my current situation that I am not available to make the changes that God has ordained for me. In other words, comfort can increase my resistance to needed change.

The second response is that when things get difficult, it is easy to remember only the good things about my previous situation. Rather than focusing on where I am and where God wants me to go, the trap is in focusing on where I’ve been and why it was better than where I am now.

The Apostle Paul gives us the antidote to this in Philippians 3:113-14. Forgetting the past and pressing on is his recommendation. This makes sense in that no matter how good or bad the past was, it is past and cannot be changed or relived.

The future, however, is a different story. If I really believe that I am in relationship with the God that could so powerfully free Israel from bondage, why would I be anything other than optimistic about the future? Jesus’ promise to always be with us will offset any difficulty that I may encounter. I am not alone, no matter how difficult it may become.

Exodus 13:14 – With a Mighty Hand

Moses commands the people to explain the meaning of the Passover celebration to their sons and daughters. In Exodus 13:14, he reminds them, “With a mighty hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt.”

This is the same Mighty Hand who defeated sin and death. This is the same mighty hand who has raised up a Church that has never been crushed or exterminated even when kings and governments have sought to do so. This is the same mighty hand who is able to raise up Church leaders from among people the world has thrown away. This is the same mighty hand that will one day take up the scepter and rule the nations.

Too often I read the headlines and get overwhelmed by the insanity that seems to flourish in the leaders of this world. I’m thinking of the insanity of acting as though man and government can fix the problems of the world without acknowledging that God exists or that we need any intervention from him.

At this time of year, I am reminded that the one who possessed this mighty hand, also subjected himself to the limitation (and perhaps humiliation) of becoming a baby in the greatest covert operation in history. Coming as a baby, in all the apparent weakness, was not an afterthought, it was planned from eternity.

Nothing in the news comes as a surprise to my God and not one bit of that news can thwart his plan. He has been, is and always will be in control, with a might hand.

Exodus 11:7 – A distinction

In Exodus 11:7, God tells Moses, “Then you will know that the LORD makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.”

God makes the distinction between his people and the surrounding culture. Our job is to follow God no matter what he asks us to do and allow God to make the distinction. Too often, the focus has been on making ourselves look distinct in externals such as dress and music. This results in only making us look odd.

For the believer, the real distinction should be internal. We should be loving when the world expects revenge. We should be peaceful when the world is in turmoil. We should be focused on eternity when the world is focused on now. We need to live out what we claim to believe and bear the aroma of Jesus into the stench of the world (2 Corinthians 2:15).

Exodus 5:22 – Return to the LORD

Moses obeyed God and went to Pharaoh and demanded the release of the Israelites. As a result, Pharaoh made the work more difficult for the Israelites. This difficulty brought Moses into conflict with the Israeli leaders.

Moses responded by doing the right thing, he brought it all to the LORD as recorded in Exodus 5:22.

I am reminded in this that I do not have sufficient perspective to accurately interpret my circumstances. If I am having difficulties, it may be because I have strayed from God’s plan. But in this case, Moses was doing exactly what God wanted him to do and there were still difficulties.

So what better to do than to check back with the one who does have sufficient perspective to understand what is happening? If I look to God for direction then I can have my direction altered if I have strayed off course, or I can be reassured when I have stayed the course.

How grateful I am that I am not left on my own to figure it out.

Exodus 1:17 – Who or what do you fear?

I am no expert, but it seems to me that a total lack of fear is a sign of mental illness. Therefore, it is not a question of if I will have fear, it is a question of who or what I will fear.

In Exodus 1:17 we are told that the Israelite midwives chose to fear God rather than Pharaoh. This is the correct choice, but choosing to fear God more than men may have unpleasant consequences in this life.

In Matthew 10:28, Jesus tells us, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in [Gehenna].” (NIV)

Obedience to God may require that I endure consequences at the hands of men but obedience to God is the right choice and pays off in the end. God give me the strength and wisdom to follow through on my choice to fear you only.

Genesis 49:8-10 – The Obedience of the Nations

Genesis 49:8, 10: “Judah, your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons will bow down to you . . . The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his.”

This prophecy has been partially fulfilled in King David, but is yet to be completely fulfilled. When I see the turmoil in the world, especially that between Israel and her enemies, the contrast to how things will be when Jesus reigns is startling.

Barring a major revival like the Great Awakening, it seems as though things will get worse before Jesus returns. But, we can rest in the knowledge that no matter when it happens, it will be glorious.

Revelation 5:13 – Every Creature Praises God

I ran across Rev. 5:13 tonight while reading a commentary on Ephesians. The thought that struck me is that in the end, every living creature will proclaim blessing upon God. This praise will come from the same creation that now works hard at avoiding association with God. Richard Dawkins can rant all he wants, but in the end, the truth wins out.

Perhaps this will help when I feel somewhat overwhelmed at the craziness that seems to be holding sway right now in our national, state and local politics. Eventually, God will be acknowledged and eventually Jesus will reign and things will make sense.

Until that time, the true Church, must take up the responsibility to offer up this praise in our words AND our actions. We must proclaim the truth and be willing to live it out.

Perhaps knowing that everyone praises God in the end will embolden us in our witness right now.