I was listening to one sermon in a series on the Revelation by Doug Van Meter this morning and this quote really caught my attention. I’ve been reminded again recently that what you see is definitely not what you get. There are unseen dimensions to reality, and in many ways, they are more real than the ones we can see. We cant see the wind, but we know its there and what it can do, we cant see gravity, but we know its there and what it does. Why then is it so difficult for us to believe in the Kingdom of Christ when its effects are so visible?! We live as if it doesn’t exist - try that with gravity and see where it gets you!! In the words of RC Sproul:

The kingdom of God is real. At this very moment Jesus sits in the seat of cosmic authority. He is now the supreme ruler of the world. He stands over the governments of this world. He is King. The Premier of the Soviet Union must answer to Him. The Dalai Lama of Tibet must answer to Him. The Prince of Morocco must answer to Him. The President of the United States must answer to Him. But there is one big problem. His kingdom is invisible. Not everyone knows about it. All over the world people are living as if Jesus were not King.

Some people believe that there is no God. Others say that there are many gods. Some folks believe that man is supreme. Others believe that man is worthless. Many people believe there is a God, but they live as if there were no God. Still others ask, “What difference does it make?”

Where Christ is invisible, people perish. Where His reign is unknown or ignored, people are exploited. They are demeaned. They are enslaved. They are butchered. They are aborted. They are raped. They are casualties of war. They are robbed. They are slandered. They are oppressed. They are cheated in marriage. They are cheated in their wages.  They are left to go hungry, naked, and unsheltered. They are consigned to loneliness. They are ridiculed. They are frightened–that and a whole lot more, is what difference it makes.

What, then is the job of those who know the Bible? RC Sproul answers:

In all of life’s situations we are to be His witnesses. Our job is to make the invisible reign of Jesus visible. The world is shrouded in darkness. Nothing is visible in the dark. No wonder then that we are called to be the light of the world. Every single one of us has a mission. We have all been sent to bear witness to Christ.

Throughout recorded time, and probably since the end of the Neolithic Age, there have been three kinds of people in the world, the High, the Middle and the Low. They have been subdivided in many ways, they have borne countless different names, and their relative numbers, as well as their attitude towards one another, have varied from age to age: but the essential structure of society has never altered. Even after enormous upheavals and seemingly irrevocable changes, the same pattern has always reasserted itself, just as a gyroscope will always return to equilibrium, however far it is pushed one way or the other….

…The aims of these three groups are entirely irreconcilable. The aim of the High is to remain where they are. The aim of the Middle is to change places with the High. The aim of the Low, when they have an aim - for it is an abiding characteristic of the Low that they are too much crushed by drudgery to be more than intermittently conscious of anything outside their daily lives - is to abolish all distinctions and create a society in which all men shall be equal. Thus throughout history a struggle which is the same in its main outlines recurs over and over again. For long periods the High seem to be securely in power, but sooner or later there always comes a moment when they lose either their belief in themselves or their capacity to govern efficiently, or both. They are then overthrown by the Middle, who enlist the Low on their side by pretending to them that they are fighting for liberty and justice. As soon as they have reached their objective, the Middle thrust the Low back into their old position of servitude, and themselves become the High. Presently a new Middle group splits off from one of the other groups, or from both of them, and the struggle begins over again. Of the three groups, only the Low are never even temporarily successful in achieving their aims. It would be an exaggeration to say that throughout history there has been no progress of a material kind. Even today, in a period of decline, the average human being is physically better off than he was a few centuries ago. But no advance in wealth, no softening of manners, no reform or revolution has ever brought human equality a millimetre nearer. From the point of view of the Low, no historic change has ever meant much more than a change in the name of their masters.

… Inequality was the price of civilization.

(An excerpt from George Orwell’s political satire: Nineteen-Eighty-Four)

Out of love for the truth and the desire to bring it to light, the following propositions will be discussed at Wittenberg, under the presidency of the Reverend Father Martin Luther, Master of Arts and of Sacred Theology, and Lecturer in Ordinary on the same at that place. Wherefore he requests that those who are unable to be present and debate orally with us, may do so by letter.

For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light. ~ Psalm 36:9

How incredibly profound! This verse, from Brackenhurst Baptist’s prayer Psalm of the week speaks volumes about true knowledge, wisdom and even the meaning of life!

This is because it suggests a very specific worldview ¹. A worldview, simply stated is any ideology, philosophy, theology, movement, or religion that provides an overarching approach to understanding God, the world, and man’s relations to God and the world

Caleb once told me a joke about logic - its very applicable to this thought:

There was a guy who wanted to know what logic is so he asked his friend. His friend asked, “Do you have a dog?”
“Yes,” he replied.
“So then I assume you have a doghouse which the dog stays in?”
“Yes.”"The you must have a yard which the doghouse is in.”
“Yes!”
“So If you have a yard you must have a house as well.”
“Yes, yes!”
“So then I also assume you have a wife who lives in the house.”
“Yes, I do!”
“That’s what logic is.”
Fascinated with this new knowledge the guy went to test this on one of his friends:
“Do you have a dog?” he asked.
“No.”
Quite astonished he said, “Are you a homosexual?!”

Jokes aside, the point is - in order to arrive at true conclusions, one MUST begin with a truthful premise. In order for one to have a truthful premise, one must know what truth looks like to begin with. In this world, all “truth” is relative and therefore “unknowable” or “unidentifiable” unless it is rooted in the source of all truth, namely God. Only by His revealing of truth to our hearts can we begin to see what truth really looks like, and start to identify it around us. It is a great sadness to me that some of the greatest minds of the world have been limited terribly by an inability to recognise truth and work with it. I am willing to hazard the opinion that no one can realise their full academic potential apart from God.

__________________________________________

¹ I am hoping to do a series of posts on defending the Christian Worldview - inspired by the book mentioned  below

² A quotation from The Battle For Truth by David A. Noebel

The Silver Sword has been pretty quiet lately, hasn’t it?
Its not because I haven’t been thinking - I’ve done a lot of that with Calvin, considering the exact essence of the Persons of the Trinity, the absolute sovereignty of God and man’s freewill (or rather lack thereof). Rather, I’m busy preparing for my final exams which begin on 6 October, and before that I was studying for my preliminary exams. So all in all its been about two months of solid studying. Differential equations, Macbeth, population geography - all really exciting stuff, especially fourth time ’round.

While engrossing myself in my studies, I came across a truly earth-shattering statement made in my Cambridge Chemistry textbook! It opened my eyes, and showed me the true meaning and significance of my existence on this earth and satisfied my curiosity about where I came from. The explanation for the complexity of life and the Universe is actually so simple, that it sounds as if it came straight from the mouth of a 5-year-old:

It is thought that the Universe was born in a blistering fireball called the Big Bang. About 15 billion years ago, our Universe erupted out of nothing¹ in a huge explosion. Everything - all matter, energy, even space and time - began to exist at that instant. Since then, the stuff of the Universe has been expanding and cooling. In the earliest moments of time, the Universe occupied a tiny volume and was unimaginably hot. It was a searing fireball of radiation and primitive particles. As the Universe cooled, these particles assembled to form atoms. Gradually these clumped together due to the action of gravity and formed billions of galaxies, vast islands of stars. The Milky Way, our own galaxy, is only one of those

Magical, isn’t it?

But even though I’ve had to work hard, there hasn’t been no play. I went riding with my dad last Saturday morning and unfortunately he came off cycling down a steep hill, fracturing the distal end of his right clavicle (collar bone). He had surgery to plate the bone that afternoon, and now he’s walking around in a sling and wont be able to ride at least until the fracture has healed, but of course it would be clever to whip that plate out before falling on it again

The moral of the story? Dont fall - its overrated…

^{1 If this is the case, there should be big-bangs occurring and new universes being formed right now, inside the very heads of people propounding this view ;P}

He who laughs last didn’t get it…

Escher Relativity

Imagine you’re in the sea. Its 12:00 on a cloudless day. There’s not a piece of land in sight. Its just you and the water. You swim for hours trying desperately to save yourself from drowning, but your surroundings remain unchanged. How would you know that you’ve moved at all? How could you know that you haven’t just been swimming around in circles?

With that thought in mind read the rest:

We had a very interesting discussion in our FBH class about three weeks ago and one of the points that came up was that of ‘grey areas’ in the Bible. These are supposed to be issues about which one cannot be too dogmatic because it would seem that the Bible is indifferent regarding them.

Amazingly, we were able to solve this problem which has bugged pastors and theologians for centuries! (People are quick to label something a grey area when they are convicted of it by someone else) If this seems arrogant to you then I should clarify that there are indeed areas about which the Bible seems to say nothing directly.

What is grey but a mixture of black and white? Is there anything which is both wrong and right at the same time? Some would suggest that there is, but that is nothing less than the curse of post-modern thinking. There are definite standards and something is either right or wrong, it cannot be both. Thus, the idea of ‘grey areas’ quickly disappears in a puff of logic. We can differ in our interpretation of the Bible, but ultimately there is only one ‘right’.

The illustration in the beginning shows the absolute necessity for a reference-point. Without one, we are swimming in a sea of relativity. Without a reference point, all of reality becomes whatever we perceive it to be. This is the way the world is heading and its an extremely scary, insecure and dangerous way to live.

I for one thank God for His Word - my ultimate standard. The reference point and lighthouse which I’m swimming towards!

The Windows “Blue Screen of Death” is infamous in the world of IT for its severe, and distressing psychological effects on users. These include symptoms such as head-banging, hair-pulling, extreme frustration, high stress, fits of rage, screaming etc, and has even been known to make grown men cry.

. . . This post is not about that. . .

In fact, as much as I’d like to bash Windows for its instability and tendency to crash, ultimately this has little to do with computers or operating systems at all. This post is a summary of my thoughts on lines of reasoning which cause theological crashes if such things exist. A better name for them might be logic’s limitations.

“Why then, the strange introductory paragraph?” you may be asking. Well - computers illustrate what I am trying to say quite well.

Has someone ever asked you the seemingly unanswerable question which goes something like this: “Can God create something so heavy that He cant pick it up?” or, “How can God have no beginning and no end?” or, “Who made God?” or, “One God in three persons? I dont buy it, that makes no sense!” or, “How can God be everywhere at the same time?”

In the past, you probably sat there with a mouthful of teeth, as I have, thinking: “You know, thats a really good question!”

Well, unfortunately, I am no closer to being able to explain the answer to those questions than I was five years ago, except that perhaps God has transformed my mind a little further to help me understand and accept these concepts myself. I personally believe that questions like these ARE unanswerable on this side of eternity. You can speculate all you like, but after all is said and done, we simply cannot identify with something which has no beginning and no end. Or no creator for that matter.

This is the essence of my arguement, although the humanistic mind will cringe at my answer:

Believe it or not, the human mind is limited. Amazing, yes, but not all powerful. Far from it, in fact. Try to stop breathing, or a sneeze, or the urge to relieve yourself with will power and see how far you get. (disclaimer: stop trying when you can no longer read these words…)

We run on a system of reason called logic. Logic can be inductive or deductive. It is extremely powerful, but has its limitations. Just like an operating system, it works on certain rules. Just like a windows machine cannot “comprehend” a linux programme, or a cd player cannot “comprehend a dvd in its tray, so our finite minds, working with the rules of logic are not created with the ability to comprehend all things. We know, that logically - everything has a beginning and an end, and that nothing can be both three things and yet one thing at once, and that nothing cannot have been created, nor can a person be in more than one place at one time! Yet, the Bible claims all these things, and as the Bible is the inspired Word of God who cannot lie, they must be true.

So, yes, though the answers to the above-mentioned theological questions may be elusive this side of heaven, isn’t it wonderful to think about our resurrected bodies which will be capable of infinitely more than they are now! This means a mind which can comprehend mysteries such as these! But for now - next time someone asks me a “blue screen” question, I will be able to calmly reply that though it may be fascinating to contemplate the possible answers, our system of logic is finite, and must be ‘upgraded’ in order to wrap our minds around concepts which make us crash at present.

Dont get me wrong - logic can be an incredible tool for understanding the Bible. Christianity, more so than anything else can be based on hard evidence, facts and sound reason. There is more than enough to convince us of its authenticity, but thats not where it ends, God requires faith in His wisdom.

So, I havent answered these difficult questions, because I don’t think they’re answerable, but I have shown you why, I believe, this is so. I thank God for faith to trust His perfect reason where mine fails so miserably!

Once again its been way too long since I’ve written anything on this blog of mine, but hey thats just means I’ve been storing up ideas for the next couple of years

It’s red, wet, pulsing, messy, it tastes like..?…, it smells like..?… and ITS ALIVE! Its a nose-bleed. Ok, fine, so it smells and tastes a lot like blood – but that would have given my game away!

I’m willing to bet my little sister that I’ve had more nose bleeds than most of you reading this article, due to a whole bunch of reasons. I guess it will suffice to say, I know what works and what doesn’t work. I’ve had enough of them to know what starts them, what stops them and whole bunch of things you can do with your time while you’re having one, as well as a possible solution for them.

‘Epistaxis’ is the fancy medical name given to the condition known in layman’s terms as a nose-bleed. It is defined as an acute haemorrhage from the nostril, nasal cavity, or nasopharynx. The haemorrhage is usually from the anterior, from the nasal septum. A lot of nose bleeds originate in the Kiesselbach plexus which is a group of little group of blood vessels on the anterior part of the septum. The bleeding can also be posterior, from branches of the sphenopalatine artery in the posterior of the nasal cavity/nasal pharynx.

That basically means that a bleeding-nose (epistaxis) is known as a relatively short, but severe (acute) bleeding (haemorrhage) from the inside of the nose. The bleeding can come from the ‘wall’ which divides your two nostrils, or from the back of your nostril. (less common than the other type)

There are so many causes for nose-bleeds, but for those of us who have them regularly, the cause is a weakened vessel which keeps re-opening. But other reasons for nose-bleeds can be things like: inhaling certain chemicals, foreign bodies in the nose, nasal tumors, a dry nasal mucosa (a very dry nose), some nasal sprays, especially those containing steroids, surgery, trauma (banging your nose against something), hypertension (high blood pressure), allergies, alcohol, drugs like cocaine, pregnancy, vascular disorders and of course, the one that nobody is guilty of – nose-picking.

Well, now that you know what a nose-bleed is, and what causes it, we’ll leave off the scientific part for now and I’ll give some practical pointers I’ve learnt over the years.

Nose bleeds tend to be recurring because, as I said earlier, the vessel is weakened while its healing. This means that bumping your nose, rubbing it, blowing it etc will be likely to make it bleed. So, need I say: try to avoid stuff like that. Obviously, sometimes you HAVE to blow your nose. When this happens, try to blow gently, and don’t squeeze your nose together if possible. Try to keep it a gentle blow, with as little pressure from your fingers as possible. You may have repeat this more often than a normal blow, but its a lot better than starting another bleed. Remember that not only is a bleed inconvenient , but every nose bleed you have sets back the healing process.

Hot baths or showers are BAD news! You WILL bleed if your water is hot. This is because the hot water raises your blood pressure, and obviously, increased pressure on an injured vessel will break it open. So try to keep the temperature of your water low when your nose is having a bad week.

Over recent weeks, many people have had nose bleeds due to the hot weather – this has the same effect as the hot water. Unfortunately there is not much you can do about this. Try not to do anything that’s going to raise your heart rate too much if you are worried about a nose bleed on a hot day. Dry air in winter is a killer too. I know this isn’t a perfect analogy, but have you ever noticed how a plant which hasn’t had water for long time shrivels up? Well, dry skin, which is used to having water inside it also shrinks when there is a lack thereof. This means stress on the vessels which tend to bleed. Sigh* Hot weather, cold weather… where can we run?? BUT… there is a solution for dry air. Get a saline nasal spray like Sterimar or Salex which you can spray into your nose 5 or 6 times a day, or whenever its feeling dry to moisturize it a bit. I promise, this helps A LOT. These two sprays are also great for colds btw I prefer Sterimar because it is well designed.

If you are prone to nose-bleeds, try to avoid blood-thinning medicines like Disprin, because these will make the blood clot more slowly.

Stopping nose bleeds:

There is a lot of nonsense that people say you should do when you have a nose bleed.

Most people will tell you to pinch the bridge of your nose. This usually doesn’t help at all and I consider it to be a waste of time. It’s helpful to pinch the fleshy part of your nose, just below the bony part, but remember, when the blood clots, it forms a gooey substance which is gonna be piled up above the place where you’re pinching, and that’s just disgusting. I find that pinching my nose is not very helpful, although others swear by it.

Lying down flat is silly, as is bending over a basin or toilet and letting it bleed. The lower your nose is, the faster its going to bleed. If your heart doesn’t need to pump the blood UP then there is less work required and you will bleed faster. Just like riding up a hill is relatively slow, but riding a flat stretch of road (not tarred road – heaven forbid) is a lot faster and easier. If you want to lie down, make sure that your head is at least higher than your heart by propping yourself up with some pillows. If you’re not sure where your heart is, ask your mom This however, does cause most of the blood to run down your throat, which can cause nausea in some people. If your nose is bleeding really badly, it can impede your breathing a bit, as I found out a few days ago, but tha’ts unlikely for most people, and if you are ok with the sensation warm, flowing blood gives you, then go for it.

Sometimes, an ice pack on the top of your nose feels soothing, although I don’t think this actually helps to arrest the bleeding.

I find that the quickest, most effective treatment is plugging my nose with a dense wad of tissue. This absorbs the blood, as well as applies pressure to the bleeding vessel (if its on the septum) and it leaves both your hands free! If you plug/pinch your nose properly, it should clot within 5 minutes. So keep the plug of tissue or the pressure from your fingers on the nose for at least five minutes and then remove the tissue gently and careful to avoid ripping the vessel open again. Take it easy for a while after you’ve just had a bleed to allow the blood to clot as much as possible.

There are many people who have never had a nose bleed in their life, but most people will have at least one due to trauma to the nose. If an when it does happen to your for the first time, don’t be too alarmed by the blood. It can make a person look like a murderer if it’s given a chance to get over your face. Its also alarming when you see it on someone else. Don’t let it freak you out, it looks a lot worse than it actually is, and trust me, you actually lose a lot less blood than you think. Due to God’s wonderful mechanism for clotting blood, you usually don’t have time to lose that much blood before good old vitamin K kicks in. I’ve measured how much blood I lose over 6 bleeds in a day – its really not life-threatening

Finally, there is a solution which is once-off and very effective for chronic nose-bleeders. Its a quick procedure done in an ENT’s room’s known as corterization. I’m having mine done soon, so I’ll write a short article on what that’s like in a little while when I know what I’m talking about.

Until then, keep dry!

Ant