“Our once great western Christian civilization is dying. If this matters to followers of Jesus Christ, then we must set aside our denominational differences and work together to strengthen the things that remain and reclaim what has been lost. Evangelicals and Catholics must stand together to re-establish that former Christian culture and moral consensus. We have the numbers and the organization but the question is this: Do we have the will to win this present spiritual battle for Jesus Christ against secularism? Will we prayerfully and cooperatively work toward a new Christian spiritual revival ― or will we choose to hunker down in our churches and denominationalisms and watch everything sink into the spiritual and moral abyss of a New Dark Age?” - Mark Davis Pickup

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

THE WHY OF EASTER

Easter teaches us that those who truly love God need not fear death.
Christ suffered and died, then overcame the last enemy -- death itself -- to rise from the grave. He did not rise in people's imaginations. That is the hell of make-believe of adults, and make-believe ultimately leads to despair.

Our Lord Jesus Christ physically rose from the dead, wounds and
Caravaggio (1571-1610)
St. Thomas putting his finger on
Christ's wound
all! He invited Thomas to touch His hands and side. The Gospel of John tells us "Then he [Jesus] said to Thomas, 'Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.'" (John 20.27)


Thomas did not marvel at his own imagination or hallucination. He was looking directly at the resurrected Jesus. Thomas responded in astonishment and truth, "My Lord and my God!" His revelation went far beyond the words he uttered. Jesus IS God (John 1.1) The resurrected Christ is real and church history tells us that Thomas took the reality of the risen Jesus Christ to India where he was eventually martyred.

The earth shaking truth that Thomas declared was embraced by the other Disciples and the early Church that suffered under persecution. It was reaffirmed by the Council of Nicaea 300 years later, and vigorously defended by Christians to this day. Christ's empty tomb is the cradle of the Church. It is upon the ACTUAL resurrection of Jesus Christ that Christianity either lives or dies.

The secular mind rails and recoils at the prospect of seriously considering the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ. Many people throughout the ages have tried to deny or disprove it. The denials began within hours of Christ's resurrection when soldiers who reported the empty tomb to the chief priests who paid them to say that Jesus' Disciples stole the body. (Matthew 28.11-15)

Why is the resurrection of Jesus Christ so utterly unthinkable to the secular mindset? It brings people face-to-face with the terrible  prospect of God, and their own sin. C.S. Lewis said that God is the only comfort, he is also the supreme terror. The resurrection calls people away from sinful lives and to a different direction to become new creatures in Christ -- and forsake their old ways. John the Baptist called Jesus the "Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world." (John 1.29)

If a man's life is more important to him than being right with God, then the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is offensive. He must deny, deny, deny!

How Jesus rose from the dead is not for us to know, only that he
rose from the dead and why it happened. The motivation behind Christ's life, dead resurrection was (and remains) God's love for the world. (John 3.16)

God is calling you and me, and every other human being, to repentance and reconciliation with Him through faith in Jesus Christ and the reconciliation that Calvary offers. God loves all humanity so much! He wants us to spend eternity with him. This is the Why of the cross. This the Why of Easter.

We accept Christ's resurrection by faith and the testimony of those who saw him after his resurrection. Jesus said to Thomas, "Have you have come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." That is you and me and millions of Christians throughout the centuries. We are called to live by faith not by sight.

If Christ did not rise from the dead then nor shall his followers. If the resurrection did not occur, then our faith is futile. The Apostle Paul stated this 1Corinthians 15.16-17. If Christ did not rise from the dead then our loved-ones who have died are lost. If Christ did not rise from the dead then all I have known and hold dear is like a house of cards ready to come crashing down around me. The sooner the better -- if Christ did not rise from the dead. If Christ did not rise from the dead then Christianity is nothing more than a cruel hoax and should be eradicated from the face of the earth.

But the resurrection did occur. We have the testimonies of witnesses who personally saw Christ after his death. They preferred
death rather than deny it. Over 67,000,000 Christians have been martyred throughout 2,000 years. They were crucified, hanged, dismembered, burned, boiled, mutilated, disemboweled, starved, flayed alive, bludgeoned and shot for their faith. In continues and intensifies in this century. It is happening as I write these words.

I am not a martyr. But my lesser suffering from disease and serious disability has brought me to the reality of the risen and living Christ. He has abided with me throughout 34 years of aggressive, degenerative multiple sclerosis. His presence has become more real the sicker I become. I rest knowing Christ will abide with me to the end. All I love remains intact. I can declare with confidence the words of Job:

For I know my redeemer lives, 
And He shall stand at last on the earth; 
And after my skin has been destroyed, this I know, 
That in my flesh I shall see God,
Whom I shall see for myself,
And my eyes shall behold, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me!
(Job 19:25-27) 


Below: My Redeemer Lives
by Nicole C. Mullen





Saturday, March 24, 2018

'FOR THE SAKE OF FREEDOM IN CHRIST"

The Catholic church teaches this about the human heart:

"The human heart is heavy and hardened. God must give a man a new heart. Conversion is first of all a work of grace of God who makes our hearts return to him: God gives us strength to begin anew. The human heart is converted by looking upon him whom our sins have pierced." (Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) No. 1432.

Conversion is effecting justification before God through Jesus Christ' proclamation to "repent for the kingdom of God is at hand." (Matthew 4.17, CCC 1989). We are justified "through faith in Jesus Christ" (CCC 1991) and merited by his atoning sacrifice on the cross of Calvary (CCC 1992) This redemptive action was started by God.

In the Apostle Paul's send letter to Timothy, he exhorted him to
always be prepared to say what was needed, whether words of correction, rebuke or encouragement. Paul knew that people do not always hear words of truth (2Timothy 4:1-5).  The Apostle was writing his letter to Timothy while languishing in prison, chained like a common criminal. He was in chains for the sake of freedom in Christ and reconciliation with God. It wasn't a popular message then (as it still is not) but is was critically important.

In 2005, Louisiana authorities warned the good people of New Orleans to evacuate the city in anticipation of hurricane Katrina
about to bear down on them. Many people did not listen to the unpopular message. They stayed and paid a terrible price for their indifference.  Prior to the hurricane, I was in New Orleans speaking at a Catholic conference on disability. I could see ominous clouds churning out on the Gulf of Mexico and asked many of the locals whether I should be concerned. After all, I was in a wheelchair! "Don't worry about it" they replied, "We get hurricanes and tropical storms all the time. We get some water around the windows and doors. That's about it." But those clouds were churning and the people seemed complacent. But hey, what did I know? I'm a prairie boy from the land-locked prairies.  I returned to Canada. A few weeks later, I watched in horror at the images on television as Katrina tore the city apart. Many of the poorest people of New Orleans could not flee the city and paid an even higher price with their lives. I do not believe the authorities will be held blameless. They knew the monster was coming yet did not offer sufficient transportation out of the city, until it was too late.

It is the same for those who know Christ. We know the final
judgement is coming. We have a moral and spiritual obligation to warn people and point to the way of salvation. As God told Ezekiel, we will not be held blameless (Ezekiel 33.7-20)

Mark



PAUL, APOSTLE OF CHRIST: IN THEATRES EVERYWHERE THIS EASTER WEEKEND

This Easter weekend, Paul, Apostle of Christ opens in theatres everywhere.  Below is an EWTN interview with the producer, Eric Groth, Jim Caviezel and professor Scott Hahn.


Friday, March 23, 2018

MARK STEYN'S AND JORDON PETERSON ON STIFLING FREEDOM OF SPEECH

This past Christmas, Mark Steyn interviewed with Jordon Peterson on suppression of freedom of speech in Canada. It really is an important interview and worth watching. Pervasive and pernicious tyranny Canada's ruling progressive left, is a harbinger of things to come in America, Great Britain, and the rest of our dying western civilization. 


TYRANNY OF PATERNALISM

This blog post takes the form of a featured speech by Australian columnist, Dr. Janet Albrechtsen, entitled "TYRANNY OF PATERNALISM - BUREAUCRACY KILLS FREE SPEECH AND LIBERTY." I want to post it because she deals with the dismantling of these fundamental characteristics of historical western civilization and replaced with what she called "The claimed wisdom of the political class imposed from above." 

What she describes is what Canada is experiencing. In fact, Dr. Albrechtsen specifically refers to Canada and its rapid mutation into this 21st century tyranny replete with victimhood politics and anti-westernism. 


Sunday, March 18, 2018

BEN SHAPIRO AT HIS BEST

I like Ben Shapiro. He's a brilliant and morally upright young man. Below is a Q & A he gave at a Young America Foundation event (www.yaf.org). Notice the room was lined with security. Not only does this testify that Mr. Shapiro can't be bullied, it is an indictment on the progressive left about their willingness to try to silence opposing views by intimidation and shouting down those with whom they disagree. 


Monday, March 12, 2018

A CHRISTIAN RESPONSE TO ASSISTED SUICIDE

See below. You can book Mark Davis Pickup to speak in your area of Canada or America about euthanasia, disability and assisted suicide, or Christian perspective on suffering. Send email to HumanLifeMatters@shaw.ca for more details.



Wednesday, March 7, 2018

THE CONDEMNATION, CRUCIFIXION AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS OF NAZARETH

Below is part 4 of Franco Zeffirelli's 1979 film masterpiece JESUS OF NAZARETH.  It takes from Christ's condemnation, crucifixion and resurrection. Robert Powell played Jesus and was supported by an all-star cast including Anne Bancroft,  Christopher Plummer, James Mason, Sir Laurence Olivier and James Earl Jones, to mention a few.

 Here then is part 4 of Jesus of Nazareth.

Tuesday, March 6, 2018

WHEN SURROGACY GOES BAD

In the interests of transparency, let me begin this post by stating that I am opposed to surrogacy. I want to feature a surrogacy story gone bad. We continually hear positive surrogacy experiences. We don't hear much about when surrogacy experiences goes bad. As with so many other issues the secular media keeps from public view -- like the grisly inhumanity of abortion -- this is one.

The U.S. based CENTER FOR BIOETHICS AND CULTURE Network is not such a propaganda vehicle. (God bless them.)  Jennifer Lahl heads the CBC. She recently had a skype interview with a woman whose surrogacy experience was not rosy. That interview is below.


Thursday, March 1, 2018

THE DIRTY UNDERBELLY OF SOME CANADIAN NURSING HOMES

Putting a loved one into a nursing home can be gut-wrenching.  My own family  experienced this. My mother-in-law, Dorothy, was in an Alberta (Canada) nursing home for the six years her life before her death in 2013 at the age of 82. She did not have money to afford private care. My wife and I don't have the financial resources to help so Dorothy went into public system where beds are in short supply.  There were subtle inklings, and not so subtle indicators, things might be amiss. 

My wife was afraid to make too may waves lest Dorothy be the recipient of retaliation. Dorothy had dementia, so she could not tell us if abuse were to occur. Her legs were very weak. Instead of staff helping her to the washroom, they put a lidless commodore beside her bed (near her head). That's where she did her bowel movements. She was supposed to wipe her hands with wipes my wife had to provide. The commode would go days without being emptied. Feces would pile to the lid.  Imagine the stench! My wife would have to ask for a new commode and the process would start over. 

When somebody bought Dorothy something nice. It was apt to disappear. There was theft, although one couldn't prove it. Dorothy had bed sores. Near the end of her life, she developed an infection. Her doctor recommended she be admitted to an acute care hospital. My wife and her sister were Dorothy's only advocates. They were terrified that if Dorothy was admitted to a hospital, she would not come out alive.

If this is what a Canadian elder suffered with an active, attentive advocates, I can't imagine the treatment (or lack of treatment) elders suffer if they have nobody to advocate on their behalf!  No wonder medically assisted suicide can look attractive!

Below is recent program aired across Canada about nursing home abuse. This is indicative of a society that has ceased to embrace a sanctity of human life ethic, and no longer believes that every human life bears the image and likeness of God.