Jeff's Random Ravings

Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus

2012-01-12T12:35:00.000-08:00

This is up to nearly a million hits on YouTube. If you've skipped over it on Facebook, you really should check it out.

Time or People - Some Kingdom Perspective

2011-11-09T09:45:00.000-08:00

I was reading last week in Acts and a verse just kind of grabbed me. That happens sometimes.

It's in Acts 26:28, 29.
"Then Agrippa said to Paul, 'Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?' Paul replied, 'Short time or long - I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.'"

Paul, during his lengthy defense, has obviously struck a chord with Agrippa...who get's a little defensive when Paul challenges him about his knowledge of the Hebrew prophets. Agrippa's response is formed in the context of time. 'Do you think that in such a short time you can convince me? And Paul phrases his reply, not in the context of time, but in the context of people. He tells Agrippa...'the timing doesn't matter...what is most important is that you AND all of these people here listening today eventually follow Christ.' What was Paul saying? He was saying that everyone in the sound of his voice were on a journey and that his mission wasn't focused around the speed at which they embraced his message - rather his mission was focused on the people themselves...and the fact that eventually they would come to faith in Christ and become like him.

Too often I think, we can focus our mission of spreading the gospel in the context of time. You know - church growth projections that see us hitting a certain number of people in attendance by a certain date, or a certain number of conversion 'decisions' each Sunday. Instead of focusing on actual PEOPLE and their individual journeys toward faith and then discipleship in order to become more like Jesus.

Don't get me wrong..I'm a big fan of numbers and measuring results and setting goals. It is ONE of the ways we know how we're doing. But our focus needs to be people themselves. Not how quickly we can get them in the seats and then how quickly we can get them to say a conversion prayer or get them to an altar, but instead how effectively we can engage them in a conversation and begin a journey with them...no matter how long it may take...to the point where we can eventually see them embrace faith in Christ for themselves when they are ready and understand the full impact of what that means. After all - they're people, not just numbers.

God help us see people...and then help them find their way back to You!

The Great Release Valve

2011-09-30T03:57:00.000-07:00

For anyone with a highly developed work ethic, stress is seemingly inevitable. Responsibility taken seriously can often pile on the pressure to the point that we don't know where to turn or what comes next. As a pastor involved in Christian ministry and in spite of that fact that almost every week at least one person asks me what I do with all my time ('Don't you just work one day a week?), this stress factor is equally a reality. Not more than the average person with high level responsibilities...just equal.

But I read a verse in my daily devotions last night that I want to call 'The Great Release Valve'. It's in Zechariah 4:6 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord Almighty.' Now please understand - I am not using God's Words here as a copout, like I personally believe many do. They take these words and make them their excuse for not doing diligence, not putting forth their own human effort, not working at their best. But those kind of people aren't looking for ways to give God glory necessarily, as much as they are looking for a way to do the minimum and put everything else on God.

But God uses people. And whether you're in Christian ministry or in the work place striving to do and be your best, here is the great release valve. Once you've done all that you can do, God's word to you is 'now stand back and see what I can do'. The power of His Spirit at work in us is how we accomplish what we do - and we need to acknowledge it and hear the Word of the Lord. It's not by might nor by power that the end result is accomplished, it is by the power of the Spirit of God that it all comes together. That doesn't mean our effort is unnecessary - it just means that when we have done all we can do, we need to acknowledge that the one part we can't do...is what get's accomplished by the power of the Spirit of God.

That is tremendously comforting to me in this particular season of my life as I manage the dynamic tension of getting a new church campus up and running and doing all that I can to pull that together and rally teams and take care of details and wonder who will ultimately show up while continuing to fulfill the other duties and responsibilities of my job. The great release valve for me last night was being reminded that ultimately, it is by God's Spirit that any of us succeed.

So takeaway this. Whether you work in Christian ministry or not, it you are a follower of Christ and have His Spirit in you:

God equips and gifts us to do things that only we can do.
God calls us to always do and be our very best.
When we operate at this high level, stress is inevitable.
At the end of the day - the great release valve for all of that pressure, is the power of God's Spirit at work in us and accomplishing through us.

Be blessed.

Passing the Baton

2011-09-15T07:24:00.000-07:00

Reading today in Psalm 145 I came across this brief, yet powerful, little verse. 'One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts' (Ps. 145:4). It's a simple, even painfully obvious thought. God's story is in the hands of each generation to pass on to the generation that follows them. I'm not sure there is much more that I can say about that. Let the weight of that responsibility settle for a minute...then let's make sure we are all living in light of it. Whether or not our kids 'get it' when it comes to God's story and the truth about the Gospel...the good news...rests predominantly on our generation. The same is true of everything else God asks us to do and be. Isaiah 1:17 tells us to 'Learn to do good. Seek justice. Arrest oppressors. Defend orphans. Plead the case of widows.'

That's why it's so cool to see a mother and daughter combination working together to do some of those very things. Laurie Hatton and her daughter Chantal are hosting a Charity Garage Sale on Saturday, September 24th at 525 Beaver Court in Milton from 7am to 1pm. Every cent raised at the sale will go to charity - most of it to The Run for The Cure, but also some to purchase backpacks and school supplies for children in Africa. These will be sent through Free the Children.

Here are some ways you can help:

Donate items for the sale. You can drop off donations (items in working order) from Monday Sept. 19th to Friday Sept. 23rd at 525 Beaver Court in Milton. Just leave your donations in the screened in front porch.
You can attend the sale and purchase items.
Tell your friends in Milton and surrounding area about the sale.
Volunteer from 6:30am to 7:30am for setup or from 12:00pm to 1:30pm to help pack up.

If you like, you can also donate directly to 'Run for the Cure' on either Laurie or Chantal's personal pages. To contact Laurie directly about helping with the sale, click here.

Be blessed!

Memorial Post: Suzi Phaneuf

2011-09-05T21:28:00.000-07:00


Susanne (Suzi) Phaneuf, April 19, 1966 - August 29, 2011

This past week has been one that I would not soon care to repeat...not ever actually. Last Monday, we received the shocking news that one of our staff, Suzi Phaneuf, had passed away. In the days that followed, I went mechanically about my duties...sometimes staring for many minutes at a time at my blank computer screen in utter denial and disbelief that any of this was even real.

Still, certain things had to get done. We did our best to ready ourselves for the Memorial Service that no-one had intended to be involved in for many, many years to come. Friday came. We gathered. We worshiped. We shared heartfelt memories of a life well lived. We prayed together. We shared a light meal together and re-connected with others from the past who had also shared the road of life with Suzi. And then we parted company and went home. One would assume that closure would follow.

One would only be partially correct.

Now in the quiet after the fray, thoughts still linger. Oh, I'm beyond questioning..God is God after all. But more than just remembering too. Wondering...wondering about life in general. About it's fragility. About it's brevity. About it's impact. Wondering about life in general and about mine in particular.

What will people say when I am gone?

Suzi's life inspires all of us to make an impact. To leave a dent on this world. To make impressions on the people that we come in contact with.

Suzi was awesome in every way. Fun to work with, a great friend, a devoted follower of Jesus and an all around amazing and beautiful human being. Passionate about God, family, Paris, writing, reading, learning, Starbucks and her job - her life has taught us all to live life to the full. Her death has left an unimaginable void.

Over the years that Suzi and I worked together, we got to know each other quite well – the way you do when you work with someone for a long time. From time to time, Suzi would bring something to my office to get my input on and if I was really super busy and felt that she could take care of it I would say, sometimes without even looking up, ‘four words Suzi, four words’. And she knew what that meant. The four words were ‘make it go away’.

This week – she wasn’t here to ‘make it go away’. But there was another four word phrase we used a lot, and I think if she could communicate with me today she might be using this one.

‘Suck it up princess’. Because life goes on.

Goodbye friend…you will be missed!

Note: Suzi was a prolific writer. Check out her blog here.

Winner of Free Book!

2011-07-17T05:38:00.000-07:00

The winner of Ian Cron's new book 'Jesus, My Father, The CIA, and Me' is Lynn Nowak of St. Louis, MO. Congratulations Lynn! Watch for your parcel in the next 4 weeks or so.

Book Review 'The U Turn Church: New Direction For Health And Growth' by Kevin G. Harney & Bob Bouwer

2011-07-11T07:42:00.000-07:00

BUY HERE!

The authors of The U Turn Church tackle the subject of taking a church that has become irrelevant to the community at large and transitioning it into a vibrant and relevant expression of Christ's church in the world. And this isn't just fluff theory.

Kevin G. Harney & Bob Bouwer have written this book in their words, as 'a tale of two churches'. Faith Church in southern Chicago, Illinois and Corinth Church in Byron Center, near Grand Rapids, Michigan are the case studies on which this book is based. Faith Church grew from two hundred and seventy five people in weekly worship to over four thousand during their U-Turn process and Corinth Church from two hundred and fifty people to over two thousand. Results like that earn you an audience.

This book is filled with practical advice about the challenges, pitfalls and obstacles encountered when transitioning a traditional church. The authors lay a strong foundation, talking about things like vision, urgency, and the power of prayer when beginning to implement these kinds of changes. Then in the middle section of the book, the authors deal with some of the gritty issues of church transition like dismantling un-Biblical traditions that have simply become personal preferences, developing and releasing leaders, taking risks and setting high expectations.

Pastors who have attended leadership conferences over the last number of years will undoubtedly have heard some of these principles before. But if you're like me, you sometimes need a nudge to actually put them into practice. The beauty of this book is that it takes all of the lessons the authors have learned, both through their personal leadership development and through their ministry experiences, and puts it all in one handy reference volume.

The U-Turn Church is a must-read if you pastor in this type of context.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
Available at your favourite bookseller from Baker Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group

Book Review ‘Jesus, My Father, the CIA and Me: A memoir...of sorts’ by Ian Morgan Cron

2011-07-10T19:54:00.000-07:00

BUY HERE!

The title itself was intriguing enough for me to want to read this book. I had conjured up all kinds of theories about what the pages might contain. Every indication was that espionage and thrilling spy drama could be waiting in each chapter.

Instead, I found a story about a boy on the difficult journey to manhood and the obstacles and challenges he faced along the way…and I was not disappointed. I can read espionage any time. This is not just any story. It is one that is frank, forthright and fearlessly told.

Ian Morgan Cron recalls the memories of his growing up years in such a way that they pull you in and make you feel like a part of the narrative. His sharp wit and humourous descriptors will have you laughing out loud and then, out of nowhere a poignant thought or observation will cause your eyes to well up with tears.

His is a story of longing...longing for the love of an alcoholic father...longing for a real and genuine experience with God...and achieving neither until one day staring into the abyss of his own alcoholism, he comes to grips with the facts that his narcissistic father could never have properly expressed his love and His loving God had always cared about him, even when he thought Christ had let him down.

Don't pick this book up unless you're willing to take the time to read it through to the end. It's that good!

Free Book Offer!
Tweet a link to this review and then comment below why you would like to read the book and your promise to do so. Most compelling comment wins the book. Be sure and include a valid email address in your comment. I will announce a winner on this blog on Friday, July 15th.

Book has been provided courtesy of Thomas Nelson and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
Available at your favourite bookseller from Thomas Nelson.

Follow Up to 'Front Row Seat'

2011-06-16T07:46:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to post this all week. Last week, I wrote about a friend who needed a job to stay in the country and a miraculous encounter in a restaurant. At the time of writing, it looked like he was going to have a job and be able to stay, but nothing had been confirmed.

Well, I'm excited to report that my friend came up to me at church Sunday and told me that by end of day Friday afternoon, emails had been exchanged and he had been officially hired as a consultant for his former professor's company. Lawyers are looking at it this week, and everything going according to plan, my friend will be able to stay. To God be the glory! He is good!

Front Row Seat

2011-06-09T12:55:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while, I get the incredible opportunity to have a front row seat to see God at work in an absolutely incredible and unbelievable way. Like today for instance.

But before I tell you that, let me fill in blanks a little first.

I met with a young new Canadian from our church a number of months ago who was facing the possibility of having to go back to his own country as his student visa was expiring. He shared with me his intense desire to stay in Canada and to continue to be involved in our church, but the only way that could happen was if he could get a full time job AND his employer would agree to be a guarantor or sponsor essentially for him. We prayed together and I sent him on his way, not sure how we could even begin to help him.

Later that day going through my email, I came across the name of another guy who I had done some marriage counseling for and just felt the nudge of the Spirit to give him a call. Maybe he could help this new Canadian who needed a job. I phoned him and he immediately said 'yes, tell him to give me a call.'

Long story short, the next time I ran into my young friend, the two of them had met, he had interviewed for a job in his field and had been hired full time! All within a matter of days! God was truly in it and my friend was able to stay in the country.

Then today, this same young man had made an appointment to see me for lunch. We had planned to go to A&W as he only had 30 minutes to meet and so I went to his workplace to pick him up. When he got in the car, he told me that his boss had given him the rest of the day off, and, being a total foodie, I considered this an opportunity to go somewhere else, where we could sit down and enjoy a nice meal.

We made our way to a local restaurant I enjoy and my friend had never been to, and proceeded to have our lunch. While we visited, he told me that his resident status was in jeopardy again because of a change to immigration rules, and that unless he got a permanent job with a formal full time agreement in an established company, he was going to be facing deportation again. It seems that the miracle job God gave him a number of months ago, was working for an agency who then in turn hired out their employees to companies looking for specific individual skill sets, and in spite of the fact that his position was permanent and he was even up for a promotion, this type of 'outsourced' employment doesn't count any longer. To make matters worse, he just recently got engaged and was hoping to bring his fiancee here from from his country of origin soon to join him. And now all of this.

I was overwhelmed. Once again, I didn't know what to say or how to help him. We prayed quickly together about it and also asked the blessing on our meal. Then as we were sharing together over lunch, a man walked up to our table and said 'Hi' to my friend. He stood up and the two them chatted a little. Eventually I was introduced and found out that this gentleman was a former college professor of my friends and had recognized him and was wondering how he was doing. My friend started to explain about his problem, but I could tell his former professor wasn't quite fully understanding so I kind of re-explained a little until it was obvious that the gentleman understood.

He immediately said, 'how much do you have to make?' My friend told him and he responded, 'leave it with me. I think I might have something for you.' And then he went back to his table. We sat down and just kind of looked at each other in dis-belief. Just like that, he could have another job? Was that even possible?

Before this college professor left the restaurant, he stopped by the table one last time and said to my friend, 'I'm almost certain that this is going to work out well and be a done-deal'. My friend thanked him and he went on his way.

Now remember. We were supposed to go to A&W for lunch first of all. Also, what you don't know is that my friend had tried to get an appointment with me a couple weeks ago and now, just this week, I had gotten the opportunity to respond. Can you say 'divine appointment'!

It remains to be seen whether or not all of this works out, but it certainly looks positive. I'm reminded once again today that, no matter what seems to be happening in my world that is negative, disheartening, and discouraging, my God has a bigger plan and is at work in ways that, most of the time, we never get to see until after the fact.

But today - I had a front row seat!

Big Plans

2011-06-01T10:18:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 19:21
'Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.'

You gotta' love the Proverbs. Succinct and pithy words of wisdom that cut through all the haze and help us be crystal clear about life.

The thought behind his one seems pretty obvious. Solomon is reminding us who we are...and who God is...plain and simple. He's saying, 'you are you and I am me but God...well, He's God! Sovereign of the universe. The omnipotent, all powerful, ever present Creator. Jehovah. And understanding the difference will take you a long way in your life. You and I, we have our plans...but God? He has THE plan. And ultimately it will be His plan and purpose that prevails.

So go ahead. Make your plans. Pray about them and ask God for guidance and direction. Set your goals even. And work toward them. Just don't get so married to them that you can't make an adjustment every now and then when the Holy Spirit says 'you know, I was picturing this part a little differently'. Or 'I would probably have done this another way.' Or maybe, 'you're doing a fantastic job but my plan needs you over here for a while.' Because we have many plans and thoughts and ideas in our hearts but ultimately, it will the the Lord's purpose that prevails.

This became a major life verse for me at a very critical point in my ministry when things weren't going like I thought they should...and I was very grateful to be reminded that there was something much bigger in play controlled by someone much more powerful than I. And time has proven that to be the case.

My constant prayer has become this...'Lord, help me to make plans that line up with your purpose and nudge me gently back in line when my plans move me away from where it is that you are leading.'

Book Review 'The Irresistible Church' by Wayne Cordeiro

2011-05-31T20:00:00.000-07:00

In his new book 'The Irresistible Church', Wayne Cordeiro pulls back the curtain on his more than 25 years of ministry experience and helps us to understand what it takes to be the kind of church that heaven applauds. In light of the incredible success he has had in establishing New Hope Oahu and in planting over 100 other churches, one might assume that this book is about attractional programming strategies and proven church growth engines that make church appealing or irresistible to people. One would be wrong.

Instead, Cordeiro writes about what makes a church irresistible to heaven and one that God can't help but bless. He writes from his expertise and from his years of experience, but what ends up being revealed in the words that spill off the page is a heart as big as Hawaii...a heart that beats for churches all around the world.

With an easy style that is both disarming and compelling, he challenges leadership to lead their churches to hunger for God's presence, understand their identity as the bride of Christ, monitor and encourage relational health and walk in humility in order to be the kind of church that both God and people will be drawn to. He outlines twelve traits in all covering everything from practicing gratefulness to having a compelling vision or plan that moves the church to action. No gimmicks or staffing strategies or slick programming - just practical characteristics that any church can develop in order to become irresistible.

Not only is this book a great read, but Cordeiro has also created a fantastic tool for anyone who is part of a church, whether they are in leadership or not, to implement and begin to transform their church into one that heaven applauds.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Grace Thought

2011-05-05T08:31:00.000-07:00

It has been some time since I posted...I am not sure why, other than to say that I haven't been feeling all that inspired lately. I guess I've had lots going on as well...but mostly just, well...blah.

So here is a quick thought for the day. Inspired by 2 Samuel 9:13, 'And Mephibosheth, who was crippled in both feet, lived in Jerusalem and ate regularly at the king's table.'

David's actions toward Saul's last living relative, Jonathan's son Mephibosheth, are as amazing a picture of grace as you will find anywhere. Well - except maybe for the cross.

Before Jesus, we were crippled.

Crippled by our ignorance.

Crippled by our inability to love.

Crippled by anger and envy and ambition.

Crippled by the ravaging effects of selfishness, lust, and greed.

And now...because of His incredible grace...we who were crippled eat regularly at the King's table!

Who Do You Follow?

2011-03-10T07:06:00.000-08:00

Deuteronomy 13:4
"It is the LORD your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him."

I came across this verse in my reading this morning and it occurred to me that we talk a lot about 'following' in this day and age of social media.

What blogs do you follow?
Who do you follow on Twitter?
Who are your facebook friends?

Actually, I'm a big fan of social media. I firmly believe that, as leaders in the church, we are ignoring an entire demographic of our congregations if we choose not to participate. It can be a great tool for keeping people informed, inspired and involved.

But it does have it's influence. Who we follow and what we read online becomes part of the greater influences that shape us. And potentially, those same influences will influence many others who are our facebook friends, who follow our blogs, or who follow us on Twitter. That's why every wall post, every blog, and every tweet and retweet should be carefully considered before being sent off into cyber space...and who we follow should also be carefully selected. Our sphere of influence is now much greater than ever before.

That's also why we need to be considered followers of Jesus first and foremost. There are a lot of great Christian leaders out there who we can gain insight and inspiration from...even some who aren't Christians that we learn from. But let's be careful not to to tip the scales in the wrong direction when it comes to who we follow and revere. Too many people in the past have gone down a wrong and very dangerous path when they chose to follow a personality first and God second...and ultimately took many down with them. With social media, that potential influence get's multiplied exponentially.

So let's follow and revere Jesus first and suggest that others follow Him as well. Because when Jesus get's that email that says "Joe Smith is now following you", that's what kicks off the party in heaven. Then, like Paul, we can suggest that they follow us as we follow Christ. That works!

Mystery of Unfriendly People Exposed

2011-02-25T13:30:00.000-08:00

I normally write my own stuff on this blog. But I read this today and had to share!

"In another study, from the Journal of the American Medical Association, 276 people volunteered to be exposed to the common cold virus...In this study, researchers discovered that

people who had strong relational connections were four times better at fighting off illness thank those who didn't;
people with strong relational connections were significantly less susceptible to catching cold, had fewer viruses in their system, and produced less mucous.

It might sound a bit gross, but we now have the research to finally prove that unfriendly people really are snottier than friendly people!"

I LOVE IT!

Taken from Exponential, pg. 89 by Dave Ferguson & Jon Ferguson

Deep Calls To Deep

2011-02-08T07:05:00.000-08:00

As I have mentioned once before on this blog, my mom suffers from Alzheimer's. For a number of years now, my family and I have watched as the incredible, smart, hardworking, loving, compassionate, funny, deeply spiritual prayer warrior that was Mom slowly slipped away.

Now, spending time with her is not the same. Thankfully, she still remembers us. Conversation is almost non-existent. It is hard for her to put a sentence together. She will have a thought and start to say something but by the time she gets to the second or third word of her sentence she can't remember what she started to say. She is easily agitated and out of sorts, especially when she finds herself outside of her normal context. She isn't herself.

Yesterday, I was spending some time with Mom while Dad attended a meeting and took care of some other things. Mom and I did the usual...watched a little TV, went to Starbucks for a coffee and shared an oatmeal raisin cookie (she loves those). I did some work while she 'read' the paper. Then I decided to do something I hadn't done with her in a long time. I sat down at the piano and asked her 'Do you ever play anymore Mom? Do you remember how? Do you think it would come back to you if you tried?' The answer was no to all three...she remembered being able to play, but just couldn't anymore. She played the piano in every church my dad pastored.

Then I started 'playing' (I put the word in quotations because 'playing' is a bit of an exaggeration. I took a few lessons in the past and can 'play' some golden oldies very haltingly...that's about it). I began to play an old chorus that nobody sings anymore. I didn't sing...just played. And something amazing happened. I suddenly became conscious of another sound. My mom was standing behind me singing every word! 'Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. There's just something about that name. Master, Saviour, Jesus. Like the fragrance after the rain.' She sang the whole thing, word for word. My eyes are tearing up now as I type this, just the same as they did yesterday when it happened.

Then I thought maybe it was luck. So I played another one. Inside a minute, Mom had picked up the tune to 'Majesty' and was singing right along. 'All Hail King Jesus' and 'Jesus Loves Me'...same thing.

Most of the time, when I look into my mom's eyes these days, there's nothing there. It seems like she is somewhere else altogether. But I know now - her spirit is alive and well.

It reminded me of Psalm 42:7, 8.
'Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls;  all your waves and breakers have swept over me.
By day the LORD directs his love, at night his song is with me—a prayer to the God of my life.'

Deep inside the shell that is now my mom, the things pertaining to God's Spirit still call to her. His song is still within her. And in those moments of recognition, it is like the lights come on for a minute or two and she is her old self again. A friend from the church where my parents attend told my wife that it is the same when my mom prays. She used to pray...my how she used to pray! I am doing what I am doing with my life today because of that. But I never thought she would be able to put enough thoughts together to pray a prayer these days. Apparently not so. When she prays, she still prays like the prayer warrior we all remember.

It amazes me to think that there are so many people out there who think that God isn't real and that we are not spiritual people. I think that this gives irrefutable evidence that we are spiritual first, and people second. And that the physical house is definitely temporary and at some point, we can even be trapped in it. Waiting for our spirit to be freed into God's presence where there is no pain, no suffering, no sickness or tears and where there is fullness of joy forever more.

Even so, come Lord Jesus.

The Million Dollar Question

2011-01-27T06:30:00.000-08:00

It was asked in Exodus 17:7 when God had Moses bring water out of a rock.
"And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, 'Is the Lord among us or not?'"

'Is the Lord among us or not?'

It has been asked for centuries.

It was asked by early Christians persecuted by the Roman empire.

It was asked by Jews displaced to every corner of the world after the time of Christ.

It was asked by Jews and German Christians alike during the dark hours of history overshadowed by Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich.

It is asked today probably hourly around the world.

It is asked in the wake of horrible tragedy like the recent suicide bombings in Moscow or 9/11.

It is asked when natural disasters strike like the many that occurred in 2010 - Haiti earthquake, Russia heatwave and forest fires, Pakistan flooding, and the Chilean earthquake just to name a few.

It is asked by Christians persecuted for their faith in many lands today.

It is asked when relationships explode.

It is asked when financial worlds crumble.

It is asked when health and strength begin to slip away.

It is screamed from rooftops and in open fields.

It is whispered in the silent pondering of the heart.

It is mumbled from faltering lips.

It will be asked for years, decades, even centuries to come should Jesus tarry.

And yet, it has been answered. Jesus said 'I will never leave you or forsake you.' 'I am with you always, even to the very end of the age.'

Knowing He is with us, perhaps the bigger and more probing question still is 'What are you doing? How are you growing me and what are you trying to teach me through all of this?'

This is the harder question...because we don't always want to know the answer.

The Ghosts of Troubles Past

2011-01-26T12:22:00.000-08:00

One of the most amazing stories in the Bible, hands down, has to be the story of the Israelites' exodus from Egypt and the crossing of the Red Sea on dry land. Reading it again this morning, a verse struck me like it's never done before.

Exodus 14:30
"That day the Lord saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore."

When I read that today - I had an actual image flash in my mind. A picture. I just visited Egypt for the first time late in 2010 and we spent quite a bit of time following the coast of the Red Sea by bus on our journey from Taba to St. Catherine and so for the first time, I actually had some context. And in my minds eye, I could visualize that shoreline littered with the bodies of Egyptians.

This is a very definitive ending to a dynamic deliverance from the hand of God. The Israelites just the night before were whining about why God had brought them out into the desert and this morning, not only had they miraculously escaped the Egyptians by crossing the Red Sea on dry land through the night, but they also were left a very powerful visual reminder of God's hand at work on their behalf...namely, the dead bodies of the Egyptians scattered along the shoreline. And vs. 31 tells us that in that moment, the people feared the Lord and put their TRUST in Him. In the next chapter, they sing and dance and celebrate, but then, just three days later, they are grumbling and complaining again..this time about water.

So much for the powerful visual! It's like the ghosts of their Egyptian enemies had risen up to haunt them. Their TRUST in God it seems, was situational and rather fleeting.

Why do we have such a hard time remembering? We aren't really all that different from the Israelites a lot of the time. How many incredible things has God done for us in our lives? How often in my past can I point to moments in my life where I know that God intervened in a supernatural way, just as definitive as if I were to see my enemies lying dead along the shore?

And yet, the next major challenge or trial that came along had me worried and uptight and wondering what was going to happen next. How quickly we can forget. We allow the ghosts of past troubles to rise up and cultivate doubt and fear when instead we need to remember and revel in past victories and allow those memories to breed hope and encourage faith and trust in our Almighty God.

Lord, forgive me when trials seem to overtake me and doubt and fear crowd out my memory of all the amazing things You have done for me...and help me always to trust! I believe...help my unbelief.

Book Review 'Bonhoeffer. Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy' by Eric Metaxas

2011-01-21T12:03:00.000-08:00

Since I was a student of theology some 25 plus years ago I have been familiar with the name Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Admittedly though, I have never read any of his works except to reference and quote him from time to time. I also had no clue about his absolutely incredible story.

Thanks to Eric Metaxas' new book Bonhoeffer. Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy I have had the opportunity to get to know Bonhoeffer and his story in a much more intimate fashion and have learned a tremendously greater appreciation for Bonhoeffer the theologian - but even more than that - for Bonhoeffer the person.

As I read the book, I was introduced to Dietrich's famous and well educated family. His father Karl was a noted psychologist, however Dietrich's interest in theology came from his mother's side of the family. His maternal great grandfather was a noted theologian, Karl August von Hase, and it was this influence that seemed to propel Dietrich on his sojourn into theological studies.

Metaxas crafts the story in a well documented but easily readable fashion. Layers and facets of Bonhoeffer's life are uncovered page after page, including his years of study, his life as a pastor and as a teacher, and ultimately as a conspirator in the plot to bring down Adolf Hitler.

As his story unfolds, we are able to see Bonhoeffer's transition from a brilliant academic theologian to someone who lives and continually develops his theology daily against the complicated backdrop of Nazi Germany. The more he learns about God, the more he believes that God actually speaks through His Word and that following Christ means more than just mental assent but instead an entire life devoted to living as Christ instructed. This conviction would lead him to his active participation in the conspiracy to eliminate the evil influence of Adolf Hitler, and tragically, eventually to his own death.

In spite of the book's length, Metaxas' writing style keeps you fully engaged in the story...but the real win in this book is the story itself. This is altogether an educational, inspirational and intriguing read.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications Inc. Available now at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Whatever Hapened to Sin - 2

2011-01-17T06:09:00.000-08:00

After my last post, a friend of mine reminded me about this great song. Steve Taylor was a brilliant lyricist and hyper performer in the 1980's with an incredible grasp on Biblical truth and a very clever way of telling it straight with a smirk. It was controversial then - it's probably even more controversial now.

Here are the lyrics:

A Christian counselor wrote, quote,
"It's the only human choice ahead
If you can't support it
Why don't you abort it instead?"
You say you pray to the sky
Why? when you're afraid to take a stand down here
'Cause while the holy talk reads like a bad ad-lib
Silence screams you were robbing the crib
Say it ain't none of my business, huh?
A woman's got a right to choose
Now a grave-digger
Next you pull the trigger
What then?
Whatever happened to sin?

I heard the Reverend say
"Gay is probably normal in the Good Lord's sight
What's to be debated?
Jesus never stated what's right"
I'm no theology nut, but
The Reverend may be a little confused
For if the Lord don't care
And he chooses to ignore-ah
Tell it to the people
Of Sodom and Gomorrah (woah)

Call it just an alternate lifestyle, huh?
Morality lies within
Consciences are restin'
Please repeat the question again
Whatever happened to sin?

When the closets are empty
And the clinics are full
When your eyes have been blinded
By society's wool
When the streets erupt
In your own backyard
You'll be on your knees
Praying for the national guard
If you don't care now
How the problems get solved
You can shake your head later
That you never got involved
'Cause the call came ringing
From the throne of gold
But you never got the message (got the message)
'Cause your mind's on hold

A politician next door
Swore he'd set the Washington Arena on fire
Thinks he'll gladiate them
But they're gonna make him a liar
Well he's a good ole boy
Who was born and raised
In the buckle o' the Bible Belt
But remember when you step
Into your voting booth
He'll never lie
He'll just embellish the truth

Promises were made to be broken, right?
You've gotta play the game to win
When you need supporting
Tell 'em that you're born again
Whatever happened to sin?

Copyright Steve Taylor 1983 Sparrow Records

Whatever Happened to Sin?

2011-01-16T20:11:00.000-08:00

I love the story of Joseph. There is just so much happening. I mean from a self-centred young teenager to second in command to the King of Egypt...pretty cool. As a young teenager, he was pretty much an obnoxious jerk (quoting my friend Enn in his blog 'Meanwhile, God Orchestrates'). But somewhere between the cistern and Potiphar's house, Joseph did some incredible maturing.

To the point that, when being seduced by Potiphar's wife, he could respond in a manner more mature than many men two and three times his age.

Genesis 39:8-9
But he refused. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?”

I identify the maturity, not only in his refusal and explanation, but also in the very last phrase when he pinpoints the true reason why he could never do such a thing.

You would think that after explaining the incredible trust that his master had put in him and the level of responsibility that he had been given by his master that his final phrase would have been 'How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against my master...Potiphar?' But that's not what he says. Instead he finishes with the phrase 'and sin against God'.

It made me think, we don't hear that kind of language much anymore. We live in a society where people rationalize their sin away with language like 'well, I'm not hurting anyone' or 'as long as he doesn't find out' and one of my special favourites 'we are consenting adults'. Even our secret sin gets justified because we think that nobody knows. Somehow in a world where anything goes, where people make their own rules, and the simple sense of right and wrong is incredibly skewed, there seems to be no room in the picture for God at all any longer.

And here's a newsflash. If you think that your sin (that's what God calls it) isn't hurting anyone - including you - you're only fooling yourself. I could let you talk to some of my friends who will tell you that what is done in secret, eventually gets proclaimed from the rooftops and leaves a trail of broken people behind.

But the thing is - it hurts God too. When I sin, I am acting in a way completely contrary to how God created me to act. My sin affects God. And it affects my relationship with Him.

David understood this. Ps. 51:4 'Against you, you only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight.'

You know, if I could get this...if we all could get this down deep in our spirits...it would change the way we live. Sin, which seems to happen so naturally sometimes and that we justify with a simple 'I'm not perfect and I fail', could no longer be explained away without a true realization that the same sin is an act AGAINST God. I'm not saying everyone would stop sinning immediately - but I would hope it would be sobering enough that it would make us think twice, and even alter our course before we decided to fall into the same sin trap again.

Hopefully, we don't have to be thrown into a cistern and then sold to a traveling caravan into slavery to get the point.

Think about it.

Jesus Divides

2011-01-14T11:39:00.000-08:00

So I'm reading along in Luke 12 the other day, minding my own business and 'wham'...it hits me. I'm reading about worry and God's care for us and being watchful and then all of sudden I read these words.

Luke 12:51
"Do you think I came to bring peace on the earth? No I tell you, but division."

Say what? It occurred to me that I haven't heard a lot of messages preached on this verse for some reason. I have heard lots of sermons about peace...and I always hear teaching about unity in the body of Christ. But I never hear messages about how Jesus came to bring division. And yet - here it was, written in red because Jesus said it - and so how do you argue with that?

Of course division isn't something that the kingdom of God sets out to achieve. It's not a desired outcome as much as an inevitable one. When you raise a standard of love and forgiveness in a world full of arrogance, hate and judgement, you're bound to have conflict. That's what Jesus was talking about. Division is inevitable when our core principles collide. Relationship vs. Religion...it just doesn't jive.

The danger comes when we try to make it all work together. You know...'God is a God of love' and 'why can't we all just get along?' and 'there are many roads that lead to heaven' and all that other politically correct crap!

Jesus said, 'I am the way, the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father except through me' (Jn. 14:6). That's how the 'Prince of Peace' causes division! Love and forgiveness, yes. But only through Christ. And only through a life-changing relationship with Him. These are the principles that divide. And we need to uphold them, even when they offend. Paul said that the crucifixion of Christ - the gospel - is a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles. Translation...Jesus divides.

So when you are tempted to dumb it down or soften it up to appease someone's sensitivities, just remember - the gospel calls people to a definitive choice. Seeker sensitivity is one thing, but there comes a point where the dividing line is very clear. Jesus is the only way.

Team Canada - Everything Rises and Falls on Leadership

2011-01-13T14:04:00.000-08:00

"Everything rises and falls on leadership." It is a well known axiom in leadership circles coined by John Maxwell. And it was proven last week during Team Canada's collapse at the gold medal game against Russia in the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships. Hopefully, enough time has passed and most people's memories have faded enough that I won't get lynched here for not being a true Canadian. Please know that I am a dyed in the wool Canadian hockey fan...I even attended the first game of the tournament against Russia with my son. I am a supporter. I am also glad I went to the first game and not to the last.

I'm not saying that Dave Cameron isn't a good leader. He is a premier coach in the OHL who has his Mississauga St. Michael's Majors leading the league in points. You don't get to coach Team Canada's Junior Team by not being a good leader. To take what was dubbed a 'blue collar' team to the gold medal game was an incredible feat in and of itself. The way that Team Canada handled the U.S. team in the semi-final game went beyond impressive. They totally shut down a team that was purportedly better than them, and they made it look easy by executing and sticking to their game plan.

But it only takes one leadership gaff to change everything.

At 2:46 of the third period when Russia scored it's second goal in just 11 seconds, Team Canada's players panicked and started to spiral...then under five minutes later, when Russia tied the game at 3, Dave Cameron did call a timeout. But instead of calming his team down and making the difficult leadership decision to pull his goalie and press the re-set button, to quote Shaun Smith of 'Absolute Mental Training', video images "showed coach Cameron visibly himself stressed out and yelling at his players."

No one will ever know if putting Olivier Roy in net and calming the players down would have won the game, but I believe it would have given them a better opportunity. It's like opponents can smell panic and fear. A calm leader commanding his troops and executing confident decision making could make all the difference.

Really, I never coached past minor hockey, so what do I know? But as I compare the leadership lesson to the church, I realize that the stakes are so much higher than just a game - even if it is Canadian hockey. The local church is the hope of the world. And as we lead, we need to do so decisively, with clarity and confidence, making sometimes difficult decisions when it comes to staff and people and programming. Because our opponent can smell panic and fear...but greater is He that is in us, than He that is in the world. With God's help and direction, we have a tremendous leadership advantage if we will simply step out and lead under His influence.

And "everything rises and falls on leadership."

Speak Into the Mic

2011-01-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

I was reading the other day in Genesis and came across this verse.

"The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, 'Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north, south, east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever.'" Gen. 13:14-15

There is so much I could pull from that verse. Thoughts immediately go to God's incredible promise and His amazing purpose for Abram as the father of a chosen nation. But on this day, I was thinking something else.

I was thinking about all of the places in the Old Testament in particular where it is kind of matter-of-fact-ly stated 'and God said to (fill in the blank)'. It always intrigues me when I read the Old Testament at how easily these characters heard the voice of God. And I wonder, was it really that simple? Did Abram audibly hear God's voice? Or was it more of an impression? Or a crystal clear thought? Or a feeling?

The clarity of the words that follow here would indicate an actual voice. And not just in this text, but in many texts throughout Scripture. Hardly seems fair, does it?

I long for that kind of clarity in my exchanges with God. Oh, I know that He hears me and determines my thoughts even before I have a chance to speak them. But when it comes to hearing Him...it would be so awesome if he would just lean forward a little and speak into the microphone or send me an email with an audio download for my iPhone. But instead, I don't hear an audible voice. I'm not totally certain that I ever have. I hear about people who say they've actually, physically heard God speak to them and I believe them...and secretly envy them. But not me. Instead, I have to sort through all my personal thoughts and feelings and pre-determined ideas and the emotional baggage I carry to determine what is just me over-thinking a situation and what is actually God trying to speak to me.

Maybe there is an intentional method in this from God's perspective. Maybe He wants me to be self-aware enough that I can sort through all that other junk and really empty myself of me so I can clearly hear his voice. Perhaps He wants to drive me back to His Word to search for my answers and back to my knees to really pray and seek His face for direction. I think that's probably it.

So I pray today. Lord thank You for all of the ways that You do speak to me. Help me daily to sift through all the junk that's just me and to get to the good stuff that you are saying to me. And by all means, if you feel so led, speak into the mic!

Twitter in Church?

2010-12-10T11:09:00.000-08:00

I came across the link to this blog today on...you guessed it...Twitter.

I'm curious to hear what some of you think.

Check it out! http://www.bigisthenewsmall.com/2010/05/02/thou-shall-twitter-in-church/

Book Review - 'The Grace of God' by Andy Stanley

2010-11-14T19:03:00.000-08:00

"Grace. It's what I crave most when my guilt is exposed. The very thing I'm hesitant to extend when I'm confronted with the guilt of others..." From his first line in the forward, Andy Stanley introduces us to this all-too-familiar tension between receiving grace and extending it. In these opening paragraphs, he prepares us to come to grips with the true meaning of grace personified in Jesus and promises to tell the story of grace in its proper context - the context of relationship.

Reading through the chapters that follow, you will recognize Andy's easy and contemporary communication style that is so apparent in his speaking, also evidenced in the writing on the page.

He begins at the beginning, in the Old Testament. And with the skill and precision of a master craftsman, he uses a needle of Biblical truth to pull the thread of grace through the fabric of God's story from Eden to the early Church. The result is a wonderful tapestry of God's incredible and amazing grace.

This theologically sound explanation of grace is understandable and concise and, at times, directly addressed to those who have never experienced the amazing grace of God. Had I not received God's free gift of grace in my own life many years ago, I would have readily done so while reading this book.

There are many great books out there on the subject of grace. This one will rival the best of them and become a standard reference on the topic in the future.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications Inc. Available now at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

How Great Is Our God

2010-11-10T05:49:00.000-08:00

"How great is God—beyond our understanding! The number of his years is past finding out. He draws up the drops of water, which distill as rain to the streams;  the clouds pour down their moisture and abundant showers fall on mankind. Who can understand how he spreads out the clouds, how he thunders from his pavilion?  See how he scatters his lightning about him, bathing the depths of the sea.  This is the way he governs the nations and provides food in abundance.  He fills his hands with lightning and commands it to strike its mark.  His thunder announces the coming storm..."

Job 36:26-33a

That is all.

Breathe

2010-11-09T07:25:00.000-08:00

Job 34:14-15
"If it were his intention and he withdrew his spirit and breath, all mankind would perish together and man would return to the dust."

Billions of people.

Rushing through life.

All over the world.

They draw breath without thinking. Never wondering from whence it came. Oblivious to the One who gave it in the first place.

Today, I am different.

Still rushing. Still drawing breath as instinctively as the next person.

But now, I wonder. I wonder about the Almighty God who first breathed life into Adam. I wonder how I could take for granted this amazing and precious commodity.

Wonder...awe even, that the breath of God could exist in me.

Amazed that He would allow so many to be sustained by His breath who pay Him no heed.

Grateful that I know Him...the One whose breath and spirit sustains all.

Breathe on me, breath of God.

Israel & Egypt: Photo Blog - Day 5 through 13

2010-11-08T07:13:00.000-08:00

Day 5 (continued)

Golgotha - Place of the Skull

Day 6

Bethlehem - Shepherds Fields

Day 7

Temple Mount - The Dome Of The Rock

Old City of Jerusalem

Our group on the steps to the 2nd Temple

At the Western Wall - Jewish Orthodoxy

Day 8

Qumran

View from Masada

Isrotel - Our resort in beautiful Eilat

Day 9

Jordan roadside camel rides. A dolla'

Spectacular Petra

The Theatre at Petra

Day 10

Moon coming up - St. Cathernine, at base of Mt. Sinai, Egypt

My transportation 2/3 of the way up Mt. Sinai

Mt. Sinai sunrise

Day 11

Day 12

The group at the Great Pyramid, Cairo Egypt (minus a few who were sick unfortunately)

The Pyramids of Giza

Sphinx

Day 13

Khan El Khalili Bazaar, Cairo

The End

Photo Blog: Israel & Egypt - Day 1 through 5

2010-11-08T06:14:00.000-08:00

Day 1


Sunset - Mediterranean Sea

Left - This is the view from our first hotel at Netanya.

Day 2
Right- A view from our balcony in the morning.

Later that day...Caesarea

Haifa - beautiful port city.

Ikey - our guide

Day 3


Sea of Galilee

Tabgha - Traditionally believed to be the site of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes


Ready to Baptize in the Jordan River

Day 4

Double dipping

Beit She'an

Jerusalem - The Holy City

Day 5

Model of Ancient Jerusalem - Temple and Solomon's Portico

Israel and Egypt - 5

2010-10-31T16:15:00.000-07:00

Day 12
This morning was the beginning of the end. The final 2-day leg of our trip in Cairo, Egypt and then it would be off for home. But first there was much to see. After breakfast, we loaded on the bus and made our way across the city towards our first destination. On the way, we witnessed literally hundreds of mosques and poverty like I have rarely seen in my travels. I can honestly say I have never seen as many minarets in one city as we witnessed in the city of Cairo. Another interesting feature of Cairo was the area that used to be kind of 'above ground' tombs or crypts for the dead that has now become 'housing' for a thriving community. The poor from the countryside apparently come into the city seeking work, and because they have no place to stay, they camp in these now empty crypts. When they do find jobs, they send for their families who come and live with them in these tombs. This trend has continued to the point that this large area of tombs and crypts is now a thriving ghetto of sorts...kind of disgusting.

Anyhow - past that area, we came to the well known Nile River, which we followed alongside for a short time before crossing. Cameras clicked and our group oohed and ahhhed at their first sighting of this famous tributary. It seemed that our journey took us deeper and deeper into the poverty of the city and for a time, we traveled alongside an irrigation ditch that contained filthy water and every kind of garbage you could imagine, including dead animal carcasses. It was not very appealing.

Soon, the world famous Pyramids of Giza came into view through the spaces between the high-rises and other buildings. The city has grown literally right out to the edge of the Pyramids site.

Arriving at the Pyramids, we disembarked and waited for our tour guide to bring us our tickets (which were very cool and which we kept for souvenirs). Then, once inside the gates, we stopped for a group picture. This was hilarious, because the guy who was taking our picture had an antique 35mm film camera with just a regular lens on it and also because, when we got the pictures back, there was an Egyptian teenager smoking a cigarette and casually posing at the edge of our group in the picture. Too funny.

The Pyramids are hard to explain. We've all seen pictures of them, we know what they look like. But pictures do not do them justice. Standing in front of the Great Pyramid and realizing it's sheer magnitude literally takes your breath away. It is HUGE. It is over 455 feet high and the length of each side across the base is 756 feet. That's the big one. The others seem just as large when you're standing near them.

From the Great Pyramid, we made our way to a lookout point where you can get a panoramic view of all three. After the obligatory photo ops, we then boarded the bus and were let off near the Sphinx, again a spectacular piece of history. Actually, the night before, Julio Iglesias had performed an outdoor concert in the shadow of the pyramids near the Sphinx. They were just tearing down the stage and seating areas while we visited.

After our visit to this incredible site - we stopped at a local restaurant for lunch. The waiters here were a lot of fun and we had one of the best lunch meals of the entire trip at this restaurant. The seafood was especially tasty. Mmmm - huge prawns, sea bass and calamari - very delicious. I had the mixed grill, which was chicken and beef shiskabob, also very good, but I did enjoy sampling my sister-in-law's seafood dish as well.

After lunch, we rode the bus out to Saqqara where the oldest Egyptian pyramid stands, the Pyramid of Djoser. This pyramid is considered to be the predecessor of the other pyramids and dates back to 2700 B.C. In all, 117 pyramids have been found throughout Egypt.

Our last stop of the day was at a school where they teach the art of making oriental rugs. Here as this 'school' they teach Egyptian boys how to knot these beautiful works of art, starting them sometimes at a very young age. We observed older boys working at their craft who were incredibly fast and skillful, as well as one very young boy who was just learning. The said thing about these places is that these boys, while they do learn a marketable skill, never have the opportunity to attend real school and get a proper education. We also didn't get the sense that they were paid very well for the incredible work that they did or in line with the high prices of the finished products. A couple of people in our group made purchases and then it was back to the hotel to rest up for our final day.

Day 13
Nearing the end of our trip, we made the decision to make this a light day and give the group some free time before heading to the airport for the journey home. Originally we had planned to visit the Egyptian Museum as well as a synagogue and a mosque and somewhere in the middle of all that, we had planned to visit the Khan El Khalili Bazaar.

Our adjusted plan would see us visit the Egyptian Museum and then drive to the Khan El Khalili Bazaar to give our group an hour and a half or so to wander the alleys and the stalls in search of bargains and bartering fun.

Our first stop was at the Egyptian Museum. Here we witnessed hundreds, maybe thousands of artifacts and treasures found in various pyramids and tombs throughout the country. Some of the most exciting of course, were the items found in the tomb of King Tutankhamun. The only drag was that we weren't allowed to take any pictures inside the museum. We saw the incredible mask and the gold leaf covered sacarphogus as well as all kinds of gold jewelery and tiny statues and so many other things that it is hard to remember them all.

From the museum, we went to the Bazaar. What an experience! This is the place where no price is actually the price and where you can find just about anything you can possibly imagine. And quality...? Well quality is always questionable and only a discerning eye and a skilled and calculated negotiation can get you the very best of deals. We had a great time shopping and bartering and all met back at the bus at 12:30pm to go for lunch together on a boat moored in the Nile River.

After lunch, it was back to the hotel and the rest of the day was free to do whatever we wished. Many chose to get a little rest before our farewell dinner and our last evening in Cairo. We set the time to meet in the lobby and go to the airport, 1:00am to be exact and everyone left dinner to spend their last evening in Cairo doing whatever they wished. Sharon and I used the time to take a cab to the nearest shopping mall and find a department store to buy another piece of luggage because we had too much weight to take back in ours.

At 1:00 am our group made their way to the airport as planned and began the long process involved in flying home. Two flights and many hours later, a tired bunch landed in Toronto and our amazing and incredible journey came to an end. And after two weeks, it was good to be home!

Israel and Egypt - 4

2010-10-25T16:48:00.000-07:00

Day 9
Today’s excursion was an optional one. Either you could choose to go to Petra in the country of Jordan or, spend a relaxing day off by the pool enjoying the resort community of Eilat. 24 of our group had decided to go and visit Petra, one of the wonders of the ancient world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The other 12 got to sleep in and avoid the wake up call and really kick back for the day.

Our excursion group left early for the border about 15 minutes away from the hotel. Sadly, we said goodbye to our Israeli guide, Ikey, whose job with our group was now completed. He had gotten up early to see us off and to make sure that we got to the border crossing OK and were connected with a tour representative at the border. It was sad to see him go. After nine days together he was like part of the group.

The process of exiting Israel and entering the Kingdom of Jordan is not a simple one and it takes some time. We passed through security and passport control, standing in lines and then made our way on foot across the border (once again our Israeli guide and bus driver were not permitted to enter Jordan).

We boarded a bus on the other side and met our guide for the day. The stark difference between Israel and Jordan were felt almost immediately by everyone. Even the bus itself was dilapidated and worn. Two and a half hours later, after a couple of pit stops and camel rides at the side of the road, we arrived in Petra.

The walk in to where the main sites of this ancient Nabataean city really begins is about two and a half kilometres. This is to get to the famous Treasury, although the entire walk in is breathtaking as you wend your way along a trail that seems to be cut right out of the rock, with the sky opening up over the cliffs high above to both your left and right. The light and shadows dance on the stone that at times appears red and then pink and then sandy coloured or gray. It truly is an amazing, amazing place. The passageway opens up into a clearing about two and a half kilometres in and before you stands the Treasury, an intricate building with huge columns and intricate architecture that looms 40 metres high.

About another kilometre down the trail, other buildings are visible as well as a large theatre at the base of yet another large hill. The theatre and the Treasury are breathtaking sights and those who had not seem them before were amazed at their size and beauty, carved into the rose coloured rock of Petra.

We had some free time once at the site and then, one by one, we made our way back out the trail to the visitors centre. The climb out takes much more effort than going in, and the last kilometre or so is on a gravel trail right out in the hot sun. Everyone made it...some took a little more time than others. Once back on the bus, we drove a short distance to a restaurant for our late lunch and afterward, began our long journey back to Eilat, arriving just around 5:30pm.

Those who had stayed behind had thoroughly enjoyed the resort pool and other amenities and some had even ventured into the city to do some shopping and other exploring.

We all enjoyed an excellent supper together (the food at this resort was the best we ate the whole time we were away) and then each enjoyed the evening before heading to bed for some well deserved rest. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.

Day 10
Once again, we were moving. This time it was for only one night in the Sinai desert before heading on to Cairo Egypt to our last hotel. But today we would have to cross the border into yet another country, specifically Egypt and again, the process was quite entailed, with the added difficulty that we had to drag all of our luggage with us.

After breakfast and loading the luggage into the bus, we drove a short distance to the Taba border crossing into Egypt. With all of our bags in tow, we first went through the process of exiting the country of Israel, after which we had to walk 100 metres or so with all of our stuff, and then enter the country of Egypt. Once on the other side, we were met by our new tour operator, guide and bus driver and we began our journey toward St. Catherine in the Sinai desert.

Across the Taba border, the area is still kind of a resort area for the first while as you continue to travel along the coast of the Red Sea. We went along for about an hour or so and then stopped for lunch at a beautiful Marriott resort right on the shore of the Red Sea. In the same basic area there were a number of other resorts all together as well as a very well kept looking golf course. Pastor Doug and I were distracted momentarily, but of course soon realized that golfing on this trip was not going to be a possibility. We went inside the hotel and then to the restaurant for our lunch. The food was good here and the surroundings quite relaxing. This along with our resort experience at Eilat would prove to be a stark contrast to the next night's experience.

We traveled on, away from the sea and further into the desert for the remainder of the afternoon. There isn't much to see in the Sinai desert. A lot of sand and rock, the occasional camel or group of camels, the odd grouping of tents or shacks and the Bedouins that inhabited them were pretty much it. We arrived at our destination at St. Catherine in time to relax a while in our very basic and sparse hotel rooms before having to go down for supper.

At supper, the tour operator came through the dining hall asking who was going to climb to the summit of Mt. Sinai the next morning to see the sunrise. Of our group of 36, only 17 of us decided to undertake what promised to be a fairly challenging adventure. Mt. Sinai's peak is at an elevation of about 7500 feet and where we stopped for the night we were at about 5000 feet above sea level...only 2500 to go.

Oh...and when I said morning...I meant barely morning. Those who were climbing the mountain headed to their rooms about 8pm to try and get a bit of sleep before our 12:20am wake-up call. That's right - 20 minutes past midnight.

Day 11
We met in a building across from our simple hotel, took a group 'before' shot and then boarded the bus for the short ride to St. Catherine's Monastery at the foot of the mountain. By 1:00am we had met our Bedouin guide, Mohamed (almost everyone we met in Egypt was named Mohamed). He took our group of seventeen to a Bedouin camp at the base of the mountain outside the monastery walls and we were each given a camel to ride for the first two hours. And if you aren't accustomed to riding a camel at all, let me tell you, two hours on a camel is grueling. We actually wondered aloud that if the wise men rode camels, maybe they weren't that wise after all!

Anyhow, we made it those first 1500 feet or so up the mountainside by camel and then had to get off and climb the last 1000 feet. The climb was on a trail of 'stairs' (I use quotation marks because the word is used quite loosely! More like a jumble of rocks sort of placed in a stair like formation) and navigating them in the moonlight was not as easy as it might seem. Luckily, we had nearly a full moon that night. When we were about 5 minutes from the top, we stopped to rest and wait the moments before the sun would come up at around 6:00am. After resting, we climbed the last leg of this arduous journey, found a spot where we could see the horizon and get our pictures, and we waited.

What happened next is something that happens all over the world in the early hours of the morning. It was a sunrise. But not your everyday ordinary sunrise. It was an amazing experience to be on the top of that mountain and see the splendour of the morning sun peeking above the horizon. The mountain peaks around us all began to shimmer with the light of the sun, revealing different shades of pink and red and deep browns all around. After a flurry of picture taking and oohing and ahhing, we began our descent, this time all on foot.

The 17 of us trudged down the hill, and as the sun began to get higher in the sky, the temperature began to climb and we started to peel off the layers we had worn up the mountain through the cool early hours of morning before. It took just under two hours to walk down the mountainside and all of us were relieve to see the monastery come into sight ahead. Our early morning adventure was almost complete and when we arrived at the bottom of the hill, everyone felt a huge sense of accomplishment. We had done it! We climbed Mt. Sinai and stood near the place where Moses met with God! What a feeling!

Feeling very tired, we got on the bus and rode the few minutes back to the hotel. We had a very short time in which to shower, grab a quick breakfast and then bring our luggage down to be loaded on the bus for the next leg of our journey.

Unfortunately, when we all got to the lobby where we to meet before departure, we were told the bus had broken down and was being repaired. On the bright side, we had some extra time to relax in the lobby while waiting, but we were all anxious to get going as we had a long day of driving ahead. Finally, the bus repaired, we loaded the luggage and pulled out of the hotel to make our way back to the site of St. Catherine's Monastery at the foot of Mt. Sinai. Almost all of us, with the exception of few weary mountain climbers, got out of the bus and went and toured the monastery for a half an hour or so, then it was back onto the bus to hit the road for Cairo.

The trip to Cairo was a long one. A lot of us slept off and on as the scenery was all very similar so there wasn't a lot new to see. We stopped for lunch after a couple hours before continuing on and then an hour and a half later passed under the Suez Canal. We arrived in the city of Cairo at around 6pm or so and got checked into the Radisson Blu Hotel, a very nice hotel not far from the Cairo airport. This was to be our home for the next 3 nights before flying back home to Toronto. We enjoyed dinner together before turning in for the evening. Tomorrow...the Pyramids of Giza!

Israel and Egypt Trip - 3

2010-10-25T08:25:00.000-07:00

Day 7

Today promised to be a busy one. We still had a number of sites to visit in the Old City that we hadn’t been able to fit in up until this point for a number of reasons. But before entering the Old City, we went first to visit the City of David. After a very well done 3D video presentation chronicling the taking of the Jebusite city by David and his men, we emerged to visit this incredible archaeological excavation. So much had changed since the last time I was there. An entire new area had been opened under the platforms where the gift shop and some of the other amenities of the site were housed. Under this area, rooms of entire houses were found as well as a water cistern and inscriptions in stone that referenced Old Testament prophets Zechariah and Zephaniah, as well as others.

Outside on the face of the hill, we viewed more ruins where rooms had been uncovered, including an ancient toilet facility. Also, many clay seals had been found, baked hard by the fires that had eventually destroyed David’s City.

From there, we made our way down into the water tunnels that led from deep inside the city, out to a large pool on the other side of the hillside. These had been designed to protect the water source during times of siege, so that water could be accessible without having to go out into the open. These tunnels were an incredible feat, with two groups digging from opposite directions and meeting in the middle with only a few feet difference. No GPS or modern technology and equipment…this was quite simply a miraculous accomplishment.

A few of our group did not brave the tunnels, so we went with the bus to pick them up at the entrance and then continued with our day. Next we stopped at a shopping mall. This mall was quite amazing - an open concept very modern feeling shopping environment, but much of it had been constructed using buildings that had been dismantled and moved from other parts of the city, then reconstructed here across from the Jaffa gate and aligned in such a way as to form a shopping mall.

From here, we ventured into the Old City of Jerusalem. After about a 10 minute walk or so, we emerged in a square in front of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, traditionally believed by the Catholics and Orthodox to be the site of the crucifixion and burial of Jesus. Of course, we are more prone to believe that the crucifixion took place outside the city gates and that the burial was close to that site, much like we found at the Garden Tomb. Still, the church is quite spectacular and impressive and our group enjoyed exploring throughout.

One by one we exited and followed our guide, winding our way through the alleys and shops until we reached a restaurant where we would have our lunch. Today there was an option - falafel or shwarma. We enjoyed our lunch and then fell in step again behind the guide until we emerged by the Western Wall. This was not our time to visit there though, as we had a time booked to go up to the Temple mount. This was a highlight for all of us because you never know from day to day whether or not you will be allowed to visit. Our time on the mount was brief as security seemed high. We got our pictures and a brief explanation and then made our way down the other side towards the ruins of the Pool of Bethesda. These massive pools, now dry and broken down, must have been beautiful in their day.

We then entered the Church of St. Anne - a beautiful little church with the most amazing acoustics I have ever heard. Together we sang ‘How Great is Our God’, ‘How Great Thou Art’ and then, prodded by Miki, our travel agent, we did ‘Amazing Grace’ and ‘Hallelujah’. The echoes of our voices harmonized together were beautiful as they resonated between each line and stanza. Even other tourists who were in the chapel were mesmerized by the sounds.

Step by step, we made our way over some of the Via Dolorosa, visiting a few of the stations along the way, but there was still much to see. Turning into the alleyways again, we passed shop after shop until coming to the Jewish Cardo and going to the Davidson Centre, the large excavation of the second temple period. We spent some time on the steps leading up to the temple of Jesus’ time - the very steps he would have walked on as a boy, after which we were taken around this incredible site to see, among other things, where Herod’s great arch had fallen into the ancient street.

The Western Wall or the Wailing Wall as some know it, always has a strong attraction. We were given a half hour or so, just to enjoy the area, pray at the wall and take pictures. We then descended into the tunnels underneath the Western Wall. Some of the stones that Herod himself had put in the wall are still there to view today, although now underground. One of the these stones (that’s right, just one) is the size of a charter bus!

Once again, weary but in awe and wonder, we made our way back to the hotel to conclude our day.

Day 8

Today was moving day. Luggage had to be packed and prepared for the bus and for a new hotel location for the next couple of nights. Once we had all had our breakfast, the bus driver delivered us to the Jaffa Gate and we were given an hour to shop in the Old City or in the new shopping mall. Laden down with our purchases, we loaded again and made our way for the last time through the city of Jerusalem, looking to the right for one last glimpse of the beautiful Temple Mount and the old city walls framed by the Dome of the Rock behind. Goodbye Jerusalem - we will return and see you again.

We followed the road south to the Dead Sea and we made our first stop at Qumran. Remember the Dead Sea Scrolls from before? This is where they were found in desert caves in the rugged hillside, by a goat herder in 1947. Looking for a lost goat that he assumed was in one of the caves, he threw a stone inside to try and scare the goat out, but instead heard a strange sound - the sound of breaking pottery. This led to one of the most amazing discoveries ever - the finding of the Dead Sea Scrolls, hidden in the caves two thousand years earlier by the Essenes, a group of religious Jews who had formed an exclusive community there in the desert by the Dead Sea. We walked through the ruins of their community, learned a little about their way of life and then piled on the bus to go to the beach.

That’s right, I said the beach! Lunch was in a little roadside restaurant overlooking the Dead Sea and afterward, everyone had their opportunity to go and experience what it is like to float in the Dead Sea. Because of the high mineral content of the water, it is impossible to sink. Floating in the water can be a little tricky. Some caught on right away , but others had to be coaxed to relax and lean back and just let the water hold them. There were some screams of delight and few giggles and even out and out laughter. A good time was had by all.

Our next stop of the day was the mountain fortress of Masada. We rode the cable car up the mountain and were in awe at this incredible fortress that Herod had built and where the last vestiges of free Jews made their final stand. The ruins there are a testament to their brilliant intelligence - and how long they survived under Roman siege and their ultimate tragic ending is a story for the ages. This is always a highlight of any trip to the land of Israel.

The rest of our afternoon was spent driving, south to the resort community of Eilat. We arrived around 6:45pm, road weary but still excited about the days ahead. The Isrotel resort that we checked into was absolutely beautiful and it was nice to settle in for a couple of nights in this tranquil paradise.

Israel and Egypt Trip - 2

2010-10-23T09:20:00.000-07:00

Day 5

Today, we made our way first to the Mount of Olives. The sun shone brightly from behind us toward the city, the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount gleaming magnificently in its rays. Likewise the beautiful golden domes of the Russian Orthodox Church to the right sparkled in the brilliant daylight. After a group picture, we made our way down the hill toward the Garden of Gethsemane. Street vendors plied their wares in very aggressive fashion as we descended. At the bottom of the hill, we turned a corner to the left and made our way into the garden, a grove of ancient olive trees outside a huge Catholic church. These gnarled old trees with huge thick trunks that looked like they had long been dead, had new, young looking branches growing out of them. The thing about an olive tree is that it always renews itself. You can cut it down, knock it over, even burn it, but as long as the roots are in the ground, it will come back again. For the first time on any of my visits, they were harvesting the olives in the grove.

Our group visited inside the church, then it was onto the bus and off to the Shrine of the Book. The Shrine of the Book where the Dead Sea Scrolls are housed, is in a complex that includes the Israel Museum as well as a scale model of the entire ancient city of Jerusalem. The model is spectacular and gives a very vivid picture of what the city must have been like, showing walls around the city from three different periods of history and, of course the temple with all of its splendour.

After lunch at a diamond factory (and a few purchases within the group) we piled back on the bus to head to the Garden Tomb. I am always so affected by my visits there. This place is set in a serene walled-in location with beautiful gardens and foliage, surrounded by an ancient wine press and a water cistern, and of course, an unfinished tomb. From the edge of the property, you look out over the bus terminal and can see without any real difficulty, the deep eye sockets of what appears to be a skull in the side of the rocky hill. Golgotha, perhaps? There is no way of knowing 100% for sure if this is the place where Jesus was crucified and then carried to this nearby tomb for burial but the evidence that is offered here is very convincing. We went and viewed the empty tomb and afterward enjoyed communion at one of the many seating areas in the garden. Wonderful.

Our day complete, we returned to the hotel for well deserved rest.

Day 6

First stop, Bethlehem. Our Palestinian bus driver drove us through Jerusalem to the checkpoint at the Palestinian territory where we were met by a Christian Palestinian guide. Israelis are not permitted to go into the territory, even bus drivers and official tour guides.

Once in the city of Bethlehem, we went to a local shop for souvenir shopping. Some bought jewellery, Christmas decorations and other souvenirs, while others purchased olive wood nativity sets, something that Bethlehem is famous for.

Once our shopping was complete, we boarded the bus again to make our way to the Shepherd’s Field site to view Judean hills just like the ones that the shepherds would have been working in when the angelic message of Christ’s birth was announced. Near the shepherd’s field, a cave was found in the rock that is traditionally believed by the Catholics to be the birthplace of Jesus (the Orthodox and Coptics believe it was inside the Church of the Nativity). Overlooking the Shepherd’s Fields we read the Christmas story and sang O Come All Ye Faithful together.

Feeling just a little Christmas-y we got back on the bus and made our way to Manger Square to get in line to view the grotto at the Church of the Nativity. And we stood, and we stood, and we moved a few feet, and we stood some more…and after over an hour in line got us barely inside the door - we decided to abort.

Having already been there twice, I knew that waiting another two hours in line was not going to seem worthwhile once our group actually got to the grotto. It would have been a huge let-down after such a long wait.

So - 36 of us wormed our way out a side door and back into the sunshine and headed across the square to a restaurant for lunch. Falafel was on the menu…again! After lunch, back to the bus and into a long line to get back through security control on our way back to Jerusalem.

After yet another tedious wait we finally crossed back into Jerusalem. We made a quick bathroom stop at a beautiful park and hospitality centre that had a lookout with a different picturesque view of the Dome of the Rock, then it was off to Zion, where we viewed King David’s tomb (traditionally believed to be so at least) and also where we visited the Upper Room. Of course this could not possibly be the actual Upper Room where Jesus and his disciples met for Passover and their Last Supper together and where the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit. But it would have been a room much like this one and it was traditionally believed to have been somewhere very near this location. Pastor Doug shared with us about the last supper and the washing of the disciples feet and then the betrayal of Judas before the group made their way across the city to Gethsemane.

After what we originally believed was going to be a light day of touring with some free time - we made our way back to the hotel with just enough time to prepare for supper. What is that they say about best laid plans?

Israel and Egypt Trip

2010-10-14T12:49:00.000-07:00

We are on a 14 day trip to Israel and Egypt until Oct. 24, 2010. Watch here for updates as time and access allows.

Day 1

After an eight hour flight to Rome, Italy, a couple hours in the Rome airport and then another three hour flight, we landed in Tel Aviv, Israel - weary but ready for a great adventure. After an hour and a half bus ride through Tel Aviv and Jaffa, we arrived at our hotel in Netanya on the beautiful coast of the Mediterranean Sea, just in time to watch the sunset. Everyone shared a meal together and then it was off to bed for our first night of rest in the Holy Land.

Day 2

Today we rose early, 6:30 am to be exact, had breakfast and then boarded our bus to begin our Holy Land adventure. First stop, Caesarea, Herod’s great port city. We walked the ruins, stood in the re-constructed theatre and visited the site of Herod’s palace, the place where the apostle Paul made his forceful appeal and defended the gospel. We viewed the spectacular hippodrome and then made our way back to the bus once more.

Next stop, Haifa. We wound our way north up the Mediterranean coast drinking in the breathtaking views. But none compared to the view as we crested out on the top of the hill in the city of Haifa. This spectacular centre for hi-tech sits right on the coast and is a key port city. The first large office towers we saw sported names like Yahoo, Google, Microsoft and Intel - all research and development facilities. Then we began to climb into the city toward the crest of the highest hill. As we looked down over the railing at the Ba’hai Gardens, the first thing to catch our eye was the beautiful harbour, dotted with huge tankers and other watercraft. Modern buildings reached into the sky, but in the centre of it all, was a large cylindrical building that is the Ba’hai shrine. We weren’t here though, because of any interest in the Ba’hai religion, but because of the awesome beauty of the gardens here.

We then made our way to Mt. Carmel. After a hearty lunch of falafel, we travelled the rest of the way to the site where it is believed that Elijah faced down the prophets of Baal. The visibility today was incredible. We could see for miles and listened intently as our guide pointed out Jordan, and where the city of Nazareth was, and the mountains of the Galilee, the Golan and further north, Lebanon. Then, standing very possibly in the place where it happened, we read from the ancient text the story of Elijah taunting the prophets of Baal until they danced around in a frenzy and began cutting themselves to try and get their god to answer. And we read how Elijah ordered a trench to be dug around the sacrifice and then for it to be soaked with water before he prayed. And when Elijah prayed, the One True God answered by fire and consumed the sacrifice, even licking up the water that had collected in the trench. Below us was the Valley of Kishon where the prophets of Baal were slaughtered. And stretched out to the other side, the Valley of Armageddon where someday it all will end. It was the third time I have experienced this and I get chills every time.

Now it was time for a natural wonder. We travelled still further north, to the grotto’s at Rosh Hanikra on the Israeli Lebanese border. This is a beautiful wonder of nature, where sea and rock have continually met over the years and gradually formed a series of underground waterways and tunnels. A cable car ride down, a video presentation and lots of picture taking as we explored the caves and then it was on to the city of Acco.

In Acco we visited a former British prison, under which a huge Crusader Castle was found. The magnitude of this complex was simply overwhelming. Literally hundreds, maybe even thousands of truckloads of soil and rock and antiquities had to be removed to empty the cavernous halls and uncover this ancient structure - all one archaeologist’s can at a time.

The sun had set as we filed back onto the bus for our one and a half hour journey to a new hotel in Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee. It was a quiet ride, except for the sound of the occasional soft snore.

Day 3

We didn’t have to rise quite so early today. We would be staying in the same hotel tonight, so no packing and putting out of luggage was necessary. Breakfast behind us, we loaded up and headed out into the region of the Galilee.

We wended our way through Tiberias to the other side of the city to Ginosar, where a 2000 year old boat is on display, discovered by local fisherman a number of years ago. Some of our group raided the gift shop and then we boarded out boat for a quiet sail out on the Sea of Galilee. Once on the water, Cal sang us his rendition of ‘The Holy City’ before we read from the text the story of Jesus walking to the disciples on the water in the midst of a violent storm. It was a wonderful reminder that no matter what we face in life, and no matter how weak our faith might be at times, Jesus is always with us to calm the storm and to lift us out of the waves.

Back on shore, we climbed back onto our bus and made our way up and up into the Golan heights. Again, like in Haifa, we enjoyed the incredible views, this time of the Sea of Galilee as we climbed to our destination. The Golan Heights Olive Oil Factory staff showed us a brief presentation and then we filled the store to make our purchases of one of the amazing products of the region.

Lunch was St. Peter’s fish on the shore of the Sea of Galilee and many of our group enjoyed this local fare.

After lunch, we were off to Kursi, the site where Jesus cast the demons out of the man from the tombs and then sent them into a herd of swine. On this site, the ruins of a Byzantine church stand just below a memorial where they believed the cave to be that this troubled man inhabited. When he asked Jesus to go with him, he was instructed to go and tell his friends and family the story of what Jesus had done for him and we were all reminded that each of us has a story to tell.

We made our way from Kursi to the Mount of the Beatitudes. Looking down over the hillside toward the Sea, we could easily picture that Jesus may well have stood lower down the hill and spoke up towards the crowd seated on the hillside as he shared with them the Sermon on the Mount. Pastor Doug read from Matthew 5.
From there, to Tabgha, the site of the multiplication of the loaves and fish. Our last stop of the day was at Capernaum, where Peter was from and where Jesus taught in the synagogue, and then it was back again to our hotel for the rest of the evening.

Day 4

Today we were up a little earlier again, as luggage had to be put outside the door by 7:30am in order for the bus to be loaded. We will be staying in Jerusalem tonight, the first of four nights there.
After breakfast we loaded up and made our way to a local date farm in Kinneret where we learned how dates came to Israel, and how they are grown and harvested. I think everyone parted with some of their money and bought lots of goodies from the store before we returned to the bus.

At the Yardenit baptismal site, it was our pleasure to be able to baptize ten individuals from our group - eight who were renewing their baptismal vow in the Jordan River and two for the very first time. The presence of the Lord was very real as each person went down into the water.

From Yardenit, we began our ascent into Jerusalem. It is about an hour and a half drive from Yardenit, and on the way we would pass through 3 different micro-climates. We left Yardenit, a land of green vegetation and rivers near the Sea of Galilee and made our way all the way down into the desert before climbing toward Jerusalem, 7500 feet above sea level. We ended our day with a sobering visit to Yad Vashem, the holocaust museum. Even though it was my third visit to this amazing memorial, it was equally if not more sobering than the first time I was there. It is one of the quietest places in Jerusalem. And every time I go, I am always overwhelmed at the great hall of remembrance because each time there have been hundreds if not thousands more names added to the record who were victims of the holocaust.
A short ride to the hotel, and day 4 is in the books. We enjoyed a late dinner and called it a night, all eagerly awaiting our first day in the Holy City.

God is Good

2010-09-15T11:17:00.000-07:00

Please understand I do not wish to offend. But here's the thing. You know that little chant-y response thing we do in Christian circles where someone says 'God is good' and everyone chimes back 'all the time', and then the first person says 'and all the time' ...you see where I'm going with this?

I was actually preaching one time at a church I had been invited to speak at, and at one point in my message I inadvertently used the phrase 'God is good'. I mean, it's true right? But before I knew what was happening the whole crowd yelled back 'all the time'! I wasn't ready for it. Actually scared me a little. But I got with the program and said back, a little half-heartedly 'and all the time'...and they did their little 'God is good' response deal.

And before I realized it, the next thing I heard myself say was, 'OK, now that you got that out of your system, lets continue'. Needless to say, I did offend some people that night. It's just that I'm not into the whole Christian-eese mantra thing. I don't think saying certain things a certain way really makes all that much difference. Truth is truth.

But today, I had this thought. God is good. And He's good all the time. And what a relief that is. Because most of the time the rest of us are doing a pretty good job at screwing stuff up and we need God's goodness at work in us. And we need it all the time.

I just don't think we need to be chanting about it. That is all.

Transformational Forgiveness

2010-09-14T07:32:00.000-07:00

Ezekiel 36:33-35
"On the day I cleanse you from all your sins, I will resettle your towns, and the ruins will be rebuilt. The desolate land will be cultivated instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass through it. They will say, "This land that was laid waste has become like the garden of Eden; the cities that were lying in ruins, desolate and destroyed, are now fortified and inhabited."

You gotta' love God's words to Israel here. "On the day that I forgive you...something amazing is going to happen." Not only will God forvgive...but on that very day, everything changes. New life that they experience personally, spiritually, will overflow and impact everything around them. Towns will be resettled, ruins rebuilt, wasteland cultivated and sown with new crops and beauty restored. From desolate to the Garden of Eden!

Because when God changes your life - he changes it in a big way. Have you experienced the transforming power of God's forgiveness? If so, what has changed about the rest of your life and the lives of people around you? See, a lot of people pray a sinners prayer and then happily carry on with life as usual. But a heart truly submitted to God, a heart that is broken and contrite before him experiences transformational forgiveness on a level that is stratospheric. Nothing stays the same. Ruined lives are rebuilt, broken relationships restored, outlook is brighter and more hopeful, and actions radically different. A new creation in Christ. The old is gone, the new has come.

So what kind of transformation has happened in my life and is happening in my life and my community because of what God is doing in me? What about you?

It's a good question.

Anniversary of 9/11

2010-09-11T18:02:00.000-07:00

Today is the 9th anniversary of the horrific 9/11 attacks by al-Qaeda on the towers of the World Trade Centre in New York City. Ask anyone where they were or what they were doing when news of the airliners hitting the towers reached them, and to a person they will be able to tell you. It is etched, in North American history at least, as one of the darkest days ever. The event set into motion a war on terror that continues today, 9 years later. Firefighters, police personnel, and rescue workers were lauded heroes that day and in the days that followed, teams of volunteers rallied to help at and around Ground Zero.

Below is an excerpt from Sara Cunningham's book Picking Dandelions: A Search for Eden Among Life's Weeds.

The day that halted my generation’s leisurely flight [through our world], I reported to work as usual as the tragedy up the coastline hit the news.

“Did you hear that a plane just hit the World Trade Center Tower in New York?” the church receptionist asked me as I passed her desk on the way back to my office.

That’s weird, I remember thinking. Why is the church receptionist suddenly playing anchor woman? She’s never passed on a headline before.

But this was not enough to jar my oblivion. The news was still calling the crash an accident and thus, my reaction was somewhat shrugging disregard, mustering only momentary empathy for the family of whatever pilot had manned what I expected was a twin-engine plane crash.

This, I’m afraid, is the way I hear—or rather don’t hear—the daily news. I consider whatever trauma or tragedy is reported for just a minute before letting my music or my shopping list sweep it away.

It wasn’t until the plane was identified as an airliner that my heart joined my head in the listening. And it wasn’t until a second plane crashed and the FAA grounded all planes that I began to realize how my generation’s concept of our world was crashing as well. ~Excerpt from Part IV of Picking Dandelions: A Search for Eden Among Life’s Weeds

That was then. Today, three events collide. The anniversary of 9/11 as I have already mentioned, but also the end of Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting, which is intended to teach Muslims about patience, humility and spirituality. The third event is the now canceled Quran burning which was to take place in Gainesville Florida under the leadership of Rev. Terry Jones.

As a devoted follower of Christ, I am personally offended that someone who claims to follow my Jesus would so publicly promote hate and vengeance in such obvious contradiction to the teachings of Christ. As a member of the clergy I am embarrassed that anyone would ordain this moron in the first place. Who gave this guy a platform? And what was he thinking when he came up with this brilliant idea? Besides all of the obvious security implications, there is the fact that his actions are directly opposed to anything Jesus promoted.

Ironic that, while Muslims around the world have been fasting for the last month in an attempt to learn patience, humility and spirituality, that a so-called Christian leader would plan to have a huge bonfire with their sacred book as fuel. Ironic and not just a little troubling and sad, in light of the fact that Christ-followers should be the ones who are promoting love, tolerance, forgiveness and understanding. And instead, this guy goes online and on TV promoting hatred and inciting anger throughout the worldwide Muslim community.

Rev. Terry Jones in no way represents Jesus Christ and the Christian community, any more than the terrorists who flew those airliners into the World Trade Centre towers nine years ago represent all Muslims.

Please don't tar and feather me and those who believe in Jesus and follow Him as I do with Terry Jones' brush.

I am not promoting the Muslim religion nor do I agree with it. But what I am promoting is tolerance and love and understanding...Jesus' way.

Matt. 5:38-42
"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

In the spirit of Jesus, I am praying today. Praying for the victims of 9/11 who are experiencing painful memories. Praying for Muslims who have been maligned and mistreated because they happen to belong to the same religion as a group of fanatical terrorists with a diabolical agenda, that they would be able to see past human fallibility find truth in Jesus. And yes...even praying for Rev. Terry Jones, because we all make mistakes and we all can be forgiven. And what kind of Christ-follower would I be if I didn't forgive and show a little understanding, even for him?

Discouragement

2010-08-10T17:57:00.000-07:00

Discouragement is a lot like a sinkhole…sinkholes appear out of nowhere and swallow up roads, cars, homes (we all remember the terrible report earlier this summer out of Quebec when an entire family perished when a large sinkhole swallowed their entire house). And a sinkhole happens in nature because of things like natural disasters, storms, flooding, extreme temperatures. They happen unexpectedly and uninvited, wearing away under the surface and then manifesting suddenly and we have very little or no control when they do.

We experience sinkholes in life too. The powerful storms of life flood in and they can wear away at our resolve, washing away our confidence and eroding our courage until it seems like someone has pulled the ground out from under us and we become mired in a pit of discouragement. These unexpected cave-ins on the road of life cause delays, detours and disappointment. Extreme circumstances in life come in like a flood and often turn up the heat in our lives to a point where it is just unbearable…and they can leave us struggling with discouragement.

•    You lose your job – you look for weeks that turn into months with no real opportunities on the horizon and you begin to feel like you are no longer useful, like you are a failure and soon the ground gives way and you plummet into that sinkhole…
•    You hear your doctor give a diagnosis that leaves you reeling and you begin a series of treatments and surgeries but nothing seems to be working and the prognosis gets worse and not better – and before you know it, the once solid foundation underneath you crumbles and the earth opens up and swallows you whole…
•    You are speaking with your spouse and you hear the words they say but you are finding it hard to fathom that they could ever be unfaithful to you. Worse than that, they tell you that its over and they are moving on and you feel the floor beneath you disappear and suddenly you are falling into that pit of discouragement.
•    You work your butt off to succeed in your job or your education and you get to that performance review or that report card and in spite of your best efforts, you don’t make the cut…and its like you are sinking in quicksand.

We all fall into a sinkhole of discouragement at some point in our lives.

Look at the story of Joseph. Poor Joseph…if anyone could have been discouraged – it was Joseph. Betrayed by his own brothers because of their intense jealousy of him, almost killed by them actually if Reuben hadn’t stepped in…then sold into slavery, falsely accused and imprisoned. Talk about your sinkhole experience – to the casual observer, Joseph is sinking fast and furious.

But Joseph handles what is happening to him in his life beautifully and out of Joseph’s handling of the situation that he is in, I want to make some important observations that will help us to overcome discouragement.

Charles Stanley observed it this way…
“Disappointments will come and go, but discouragement is a choice that you make.”

And in Joseph’s case, he refused to make the choice to be discouraged. First observation…

…Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, God is always with you.

Genesis 39:20b-21a (NIV)
But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him…

For all intents and purposes, to the naked eye, to the casual observer, it seemed like this was it for Joseph. Oh things might have being going well at one point in Potiphar’s house, but now…now Joseph was in the slammer and one of the most powerful men in Egypt had put him there.

Sure he was innocent…but you know what they say about prisoners in jail right? They all say they’re innocent. Joseph really was.

But the indictment against him was ominous. Raping this powerful mans wife right in his own house? It did not look good for Joseph.

But all along – Joseph has seemed to beat the odds. He escapes death from his brothers because of Reuben’s intervention. He lands in the house of Potiphar as a slave – but there, the Lord was with Joseph and he prospered (Gen. 39:2). Then this devious seduction and Joseph’s refusal and the eventual false accusation and then Joseph lands in jail. If anyone had the right to be discouraged, it was Joseph. If anyone could have thought that God had abandoned him, it would have been Joseph. But he didn’t.

The narrative tells us that even while Joseph was there in prison, the Lord was with him. There is that phrase again ‘the Lord was with Joseph’.

Somehow through all of what Joseph had been going through, even at his young age he had developed a strong faith and dependence on God. Joseph trusted God and he LOVED God. And here is the thing. When we love God – he is aware of us. When we love God, we are on His radar. He knows our address…he knows our name… and he knows what we need.

1 Corinthians 8:3
But the man who loves God is known by God.

And not only does he know us – like in Joseph’s case, when we go through hard times, He is WITH us. He is Immanuel – God with us.

Remember Joshua? Joshua was a brand new leader of the children of Israel. He had observed the leadership of Moses his mentor, but now Moses was dead and ALL of the responsibility of leading these people now rested squarely on his shoulders. And as he stood before God’s servant – the one who spoke for God – he had a huge task in front of him. Leading the children of Israel…the whiny, stubborn, complaining, disobedient, sinful, cowardly children of Israel. But Joshua was encouraged…because of these words from the prophet of God.

Joshua 1:9 (MSG)
Haven't I commanded you? Strength! Courage! Don't be timid; don't get discouraged. God, your God, is with you every step you take.

How awesome for Joshua to be assured that God was with him every step of the way. He could have strength and courage knowing that God was with him. And God is with you this morning too.

You might say, "you have no idea what I’m going through. You don’t know how long I’ve carried this burden. You don’t know how dark and alone I feel in my life right now. You don’t know how desperate my thoughts have been or how hard I’ve prayed with no answer. You don’t know how far away God seems at this moment in my life. It’s like He is absent and not listening and I just can’t feel his presence at all."

You’re right – I don’t know. I don’t know what you’re going through or how you feel or what you need even.   But I want you to know today that in spite of what might seem to you like overwhelming evidence to the contrary – God is with you every step you take. Because his Word says that he is and he is a God of his Word.

Actually, before Moses died, he had given Joshua a little pep talk about his leadership. And he used some similar words, but he also added something else.

Deuteronomy 31:8 (MSG)
God is striding ahead of you. He's right there with you. He won't let you down; he won't leave you. Don't be intimidated. Don't worry.

Not just WITH you Joshua. He is striding ahead of you. Scouting out what comes next. He won’t let you down, won’t disappoint you. He won’t leave you…You’ve got it made! Don’t be discouraged (NIV) and don’t worry. It will all work out OK.

Second thought.

…Even in your darkest moments, there are others who need your encouragement.

So back to our story…Joseph lands in jail and God is with him there. But there are others with him as well. And among them are the king’s chief cupbearer and the king’s chief baker. No indication of what they had done – but nevertheless they had been sent to the prison.

And one night while they were in the prison, both of them had dreams – different dreams – and when they got up in the morning they were troubled about these dreams and what they might mean.

Genesis 40:6-7 (NIV)
When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw that they were dejected. So he asked Pharaoh's officials who were in custody with him in his master's house, "Why are your faces so sad today?"

Now remember, Joseph has problems all his own. He didn’t even deserve to be there in the prison. And yet he was concerned about what the cupbearer and the baker might be going through.

One sure fire way to get your mind off what is discouraging you or depressing you, is to begin to encourage someone else who is in need.

Blake Mycoskie, the founder and ‘Chief Shoe Giver’ of Tom’s Shoes Inc. said:
“When people start serving others they automatically forget about all their own stress.”

I think he is on to something that my wife and I have talked about in our home before. Sometimes even we have gotten down and discouraged about any number of things…financial crises, major challenges with our kids, family illness, all kinds of things can creep in and start to consume our thinking and begin to get us down. But we have all always come back to a very practical truth. There is always someone else who is going through something and who needs our encouragement and that helps us to get our mind off our own problems.

You think your life stinks? Just turn on the news or read the newspaper, go to Google News or MSN.ca. There is always someone out there who is worse off than we are and who is going through something so horrible that we can’t even fathom...that’s when we realize that maybe we aren’t as bad off as we thought.

Joseph was in prison for no reason – and he could have just curled up in a corner and cried ‘poor me’ and no one would have blamed him. But that’s not what Joseph did. Instead, he was open to the needs of those around him. He observed that these men were troubled and dejected…he initiated a conversation with them because he could tell were going through something…and then he offered them his help. Because encouraging others gets our mind off of what we are going through. And it keeps our hearts right too.

Joseph had been going through a similar ordeal and so instead of focusing only on his problems and sinking deeper into discouragement, he got his eyes and his attention off of himself and onto others around him.

Rick Warren reminds us that ‘God never wastes a hurt’. God allows us to go through things so that we can help others who are going through similar circumstances. And remember, we don’t go through these things alone – God is always with us.

2 Corinthians 1:4 (NLT)
He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.

Whenever I start to think that maybe what I’m going through or what someone close to me is going through is just too much – I am reminded of what Jesus went through for me and of what it says in:

Hebrews 12:1-3 (NKJV)
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.

So Joseph interpreted the dreams of both the cupbearer and the baker. The cupbearer's dream meant that he was going to be restored to his position in the palace. Excellent!! The interpretation to the bakers dream was not so exciting. He was going to be executed. And everything came to pass just like Joseph said that it would.

Joseph only asked one thing…he asked that when the cupbearer got back into the palace that he would remember Joseph and mention him to Pharaoh so that he could get out of prison. He said (40:15) ‘for I was forcibly carried off from the land of the Hebrews and even here I have done nothing to deserve being put in a dungeon.

Which brings me to the last observation that I want to make about discouragement.

…When the best intentions of others fail, God does not forget you.

Genesis 40:23 (NIV)
The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.

Can you believe that? I know that you can. Because all of us have been let down by someone at some point or another. People are just not as dependable as we would like them to be. One commentator explained the cupbearers failure to remember Joseph to Pharaoh this way:

“This was human nature. How prone are men to forget and neglect in prosperity, those who have been their companions in adversity.”
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

I guarantee you people will let you down. Your friends, your family, your co-workers, maybe even your small group leader or one of your pastors will let you down at some point or another…and not maliciously or intentionally. As a matter of fact they might have the very best intentions but for any number of reasons not come through.

But I want you to know that God will never let you down. Good thing that Joseph wasn’t just depending on the cupbearer – his trust was in someone much higher up the food chain than that…higher than a servant in the palace, higher than the king himself. Joseph was trusting in God…like David said in the Psalms.

Psalm 20:7 (NIV)
Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

Joseph knew that God was with him and that God would not abandon him. Oh, I’m sure he would have preferred had the cupbearer mentioned him to Pharaoh right away and had he not had to wait two more years in that prison until finally God brought about the opportunity for him to be released. We all think we have a better idea about timing than God. But nevertheless, Joseph was trusting in God.

And when the opportunity came – he was ready. He appeared before Pharaoh and boldly told him that he himself couldn’t interpret the dreams, but God would give Pharaoh the correct interpretation of his dreams. Because Joseph understood that God had been with him all along that He could be trusted.

Remember Moses’ words to Joshua?

Deuteronomy 31:8a (NLT)
Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.

All of us have struggled with discouragement at some point in our lives. But you get to choose whether discouragement wins out or not. You need to remember that:

…Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, God is always with you.
…Even in your darkest moments, there are others who need your encouragement.
…When the best intentions of others fail, God does not forget you.

Remember the words of Paul who said:

2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (NLT)
We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.

Who Do You Write Like?

2010-07-15T07:32:00.000-07:00

Came across this very cool statistical analysis tool today. Want to know who you write like? Check it out. I'm curious to know what kind of response you get. I copied text from two different pieces and got two different responses. Apparently I write like Kurt Vonnegut and Margaret Atwood. How about you? Comments welcomed.

I write like
Margaret Atwood

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

God is With You

2010-07-06T10:53:00.000-07:00

Hosea 6:3
"Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth."

In what you're going through, does it seem like God is nowhere to be found? Look for him...diligently look for him. Press on to acknowledge his presence in your life. He is there...as surely as the sun rises... enough said!

Making Memories

2010-07-01T08:17:00.000-07:00

Our family has been spending this week at a cottage in the Kawartha’s near Peterborough ON. It’s been great just relaxing …playing games and not doing a whole lot. Been fishing a lot with my daughter Alana this week too. Great spending some alone time with her.

Today, my entire family… parents, siblings, spouses, and their kids will descend on the cottage we are renting to spend Canada Day together – something we have been doing faithfully for the last 14 years with the exception of last year (that was my fault…scheduling conflict with our father/son trip to California after Austin graduated high school). Austin is coming up today too! Looking forward to getting in a little fishing time with him as well!

I wanted to make sure we were able to continue the tradition this year because I am not sure how many more opportunities we will have left when everyone can be here. Our kids are getting older of course, and have many other things going on in their lives. But my biggest concern is my Mom, who has Alzheimer’s. Lately she has been having more bad days than usual and it seems that every time we see her now, she is a little worse.

But she loves to be with the family. Thankfully she still recognizes all of us most of the time. Things can get a little confusing for her with everyone around but for the most part, being with all of us seems to really make her happy. Oh, she has her limits. There will come a moment today when she will be ready to go. I just hope that before that moment comes she will have a good time with everybody. These memories will be important to all of us in the days ahead.

Happy Canada Day everybody!

Everything Old is New Again

2010-06-15T06:37:00.000-07:00

I have had what I would call a bit of a retro weekend.

For some reason that I can't explain to you, I was surfing the iTunes store Friday and I had a sudden urge to see what was available from my 'younger' days (in quotations because I still feel very young). Oh, I know what it was now...it was the news of the tragic premature death of Dana Key that got me thinking about the old days and the music I used to listen to. I searched 'Degarmo and Key' and listened to a few of their tunes. "Living On The Edge of Dying" and "Ready or Not" were a couple of my favourites.

Then I linked through to some classic Imperials! Before I knew what was happening, I had purchased the entire 'Priority' album. Ahh, how I remember that first purchase. I can't remember how old I was...15 or 16 maybe. My parents had absolutely forbidden any music in our house that wasn't either Maranatha Praise, Dino (wow, remember him?), Southern Gospel, or Perry Como. I had to sneak the album home and then I would wait for an opportunity to slip over to the church (attached to our home by a door at the end of the living room that opened stage left behind the piano), take out the portable turntable from the Sunday School resource room and then hide between the pews where there was an outlet and listen to "Trumpet of Jesus" as loud as I could without being discovered. Man, that seems like a lifetime ago...but it's not of course, because I am still very young!

Here is the irony. About five years ago, I organized a bus trip to a large 'Gaithers and Friends' concert (yes I still enjoy many types of music) at the ACC in Toronto, and my parents came along with us. At one point during the evening, Russ Taff came onstage and I could hardly believe my ears when he belted out "I listen to the trumpet of Jesus, (awesome trumpet riff) while the world hears a different sound. I march to the drumbeat of God Almighty..." You get the picture. Everyone in the place was on their feet. And then there was this moment...I looked to to my left and down the row, and there was my Mom and Dad, now in their seventies, standing on their feet and clapping their hands to what they had deemed many years before to be evil rock music (even though it was Christian).

Funny how we evolve over the years isn't it? Don't misunderstand me, my parents are as deeply committed to Christ as they've ever been. But like all of us tend to do, they have softened a bit on some of their views that were maybe overly legalistic...I think we all tend to learn over time which things are really important and which things really don't mean much when it comes to now and to eternity.

Loving God and loving people. That's what its really all about.

And don't underestimate the power of great music! These past couple days, I've been driving with the windows down and sunroof open, blaring "Trumpet of Jesus" and "I'd Rather Believe In You" for anyone who would care to listen.

And last night, I went to see "The A-Team". To quote Hannibal Smith, "I love it when a plan comes together!" All is right in the world when everything old is new again!

In case you don't know the song...

Classic Paranoia

2010-04-20T09:44:00.000-07:00

Paranoia (definition) - a mental disorder characterized by systematized delusions and the projection of personal conflicts, which are ascribed to the supposed hostility of others, sometimes progressing to disturbances of consciousness and aggressive acts believed to be performed in self-defense or as a mission. Dictionary.com

Reading 1 Samuel 22, it occurs to me that Saul is the perfect poster child for paranoia. As a matter of fact, when you look paranoia up in the dictionary, they should have Saul's picture there. This guy was out of control!

So much out of control, that David was running for his life. Saul's son Jonathan had confirmed to David that Saul was after him and so David began to run. His first stop was a place called Nob, where he consulted the priest and had some food. He even asked the priest if there was a weapon there. And in an incredible twist of irony, the priest said "Well, yeah - the sword of Goliath...you know the giant you killed...it's here!" Wow...no time to dive into that one, but kind of cool if you think about it.

Anyhow, David and his men went on their way, but it wasn't long before Saul heard that David had stopped there and went to Nob to grill the priests (Doeg the Edomite had snitched). So they arrived and Saul started making these crazy accusations to Ahimelech the priest like he should have known better than to help David. And Ahimelech was like, "Hey - David is one of the most loyal guys I know. He's your son-in-law for goodness sake. He has often come to consult me before so why should this be any different?"

And Saul snapped. I have no other way to explain it. This man who had been anointed King by Samuel and had been God's choice, now suddenly was so paranoid and so disturbed, he snapped. He ordered Ahimelech and his entire family executed. But his men knew he had snapped, so they wouldn't do it. It's a bad idea to kill God's priests and they knew it.

But Doeg the Edomite had no such hesitations. He killed them all. 85 of them. Oh, and then just for fun, he killed the entire town too. Men, women and children. All in the name of the King.

So it was Saul who ordered this ungodly massacre and he did it out of sheer paranoia. What a nob!

Words from the Cross: 'I am thirsty'

2010-04-08T08:12:00.000-07:00

Reflecting on the Easter story causes us to form a picture in our mind. Jesus, the son of Mary, but more than that, the Son of God and Saviour of the world, arrested, put on mock trial, falsely accused, viciously treated by the Roman guard who crushed a cruel crown of thorns down onto his brow and then savagely flogged him with a barbaric instrument of torture, the cat of nine tails. In our minds eye we see him struggling under the weight of his own cross, making his way through the streets of Jerusalem toward the place of his execution. His physical strength gone, he stumbles under the weight and simply can’t continue, and so someone else is conscripted to carry it for Him. Then on Calvary we envision him laying down willingly on that rough hewn wood frame while they hammer long spikes through his hands and feet and then raise him up and drop the cross forcefully into the deep hole that will hold it up.

I point all this out to remind us…to remind us that long before His cross was lifted to the sky, he suffered intense physical pain and agony. And yet there are recorded for us no cries for help, no screams of pain, no words of spite or retribution. So far the words that he has spoken from his cross are very ‘in character’ for the Messiah. They are cries that we would expect from the Christ: forgiving sinners, promising paradise, caring for his mother, and validating his relationship with God the Father as he cries out to him in spiritual anguish with the weight of the sin of the world on his shoulders.

But in John 19:28-29 we read these words:
“Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, ‘I am thirsty’. A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips.”

“…I am thirsty.”

There are a few things that strike me about this that I want to share.

I am struck by the humanity of these words. First and foremost I am reminded Jesus was not only God in these moments but he was God in the flesh. The Word become flesh. He was fully God but also fully human.

The punishment that Jesus’ physical body had undergone was intensely grueling. He’d been flogged, had a thorny crown forced down on his head, dressed in a heavy purple robe and pushed and punched and spit on, carried a heavy cross and now hanging on that cross, his body was supported by nails through the palms of his hands. His full weight made it so that it was like his arms we being pulled in two opposite directions causing him intense difficulty breathing – and the only way he could get a little relief was to put all of his weight on the one spike through his feet and push himself up with his legs to take a breath. We are told by those who observed crucifixion in Roman times that intense thirst was one of the most prominent side effects. The wounds through the hands and feet from the dirty rusty nails would become quickly infected and inflamed causing a raging fever. In Jesus’ case, his entire back had been shredded as well by the cat of nine tails.

It says that ‘knowing that now all was completed…he said ‘I thirst’. Almost like the checklist was done and now he could have His human moment. And so to cry out ‘I thirst’ was a final glimpse into the humanity of the Saviour. He was like us – the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, he moved into our neighborhood and experienced what we experience, weariness, hunger, thirst, rejection, temptation – the list goes on and on.

But he was also God in the flesh. Here on a mission. Here to bring the good news of salvation and to become the perfect spotless Lamb of God, slain from the foundation of the world for the forgiveness of our sins. He was the answer to all of the Old Testament prophecies about him.

And in this moment on the cross I am also struck by the fulfillment in these words. The perfection. It says that Jesus knew that all was completed, but it also says that this phrase in particular was spoken so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.

Psalm 69:21 (NIV)
They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst.

There were many prophecies fulfilled during Jesus trial and crucifixion. Too many for me to mention here. But this statement ‘I thirst’ was one more critical piece of that puzzle that convincingly portrayed Jesus as the Son of God, the Messiah, and the Saviour of the world.

Last, I am struck by the irony of this statement. Jesus was after all, the giver of living water, as the Samaritan woman at the well had discovered. He had promised the kind of water that will satisfy and make you never thirst again. But in this moment on the cross, he experienced thirst in one of the most intense ways that a human can possibly experience it. Did he need to? No. He is all powerful God. But he did. He did so he could identify with us and be the fulfillment of all that had been prophesied about Him.

I thirst! I thirst! The Saviour cried
With burning lips before He died;
A cooling draught He asked of those
Who mocking looked upon his throes.

Angelic hosts from heaven’s height
In sorrow gaze upon the sight;
But yet the sky no water drips
To cool the Saviour’s parched lips.

A thousand fountains flowed that day.
A river flowed not far away;
But not one cup by friend or foe
Was brought to mitigate His woe.

He suffered thirst on Calvary’s hill
That He our thirsty hearts might fill,
To open wide a fount of grace
For all who seek the Saviour’s face.

“O come!” We hear the Saviour call –
The invitation is for all;
“Ho, all ye souls athirst, come ye,
And drink the living water free.”
Author Unknown

Life is Short

2010-03-29T16:12:00.000-07:00

Psalm 39:5a
"You have made my days a mere handbreadth;
the span of my years is as nothing before you..."

The memory that jumps immediately to my mind hails back to when I was just a boy. I remember being with my Dad on different occasions when he would want to measure something but didn't have a tape measure or a ruler. He would simply take his hand and put his thumb down firmly on one end of what he was trying to measure and stretch his hand until his pinky was almost flat against the surface in the direction he was measuring. If it took more than one handwidth, he would plant his pinky and then bring his thumb up underneath - put it where the pinky was and start over. He was surprisingly accurate with this type of measuring within an inch or two and he had become very adept at the hand movement so that he could quickly space off measurements up to 3 or 4 feet.

Experts tell us that the average span of a grown man's hand from the thumb to the end of their pinky finger is about 8 to 9 inches.

And the Psalmist here talks about our lives in terms of a mere handbreadth. I thought about that today - pictured my Dad's hand spread out across a table top or some other item that he was measuring - and realized that my life would be somewhere around the middle finger, halfway across that first span. It really does rattle your perspective a little.

So I'm half done. It got me thinking about what I've accomplished so far...and what I had thought I might have accomplished by now...and then even more sobering, what I hope to accomplish in my lifetime. Time is fleeting.

But even more than that, it got me thinking about the kind of person I would like to be. About the kind of Christ follower I would like to become. And it made me realize that I'm not there yet - and it's at least half over.

I've got some accomplishing to do...but more importantly, I have some becoming to do.

What about you?

God and the Underdog

2010-03-25T19:33:00.000-07:00

Deut. 7:7-8

"The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath he swore to your forefathers that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt."

This screams at me!

And what it is screaming is that popularity and importance are not high on God's list of priorities. God chose the people of Israel, not because they were the largest nation, or the most powerful or even the most religious - he chose them because he LOVED them...and because he keeps his promises.

I don't need to impress God. I don't have to 'measure up' somehow. I don't have to perfectly keep all the rules. I am His because He loves me and He keeps His promises.

That's wonderfully enough.

Altars of Memorial

2010-03-19T11:53:00.000-07:00

Joshua 4:5-7

"Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, to serve as a sign among you. In the future when your children ask you, 'What do these stones mean?' tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever."

What an awesome picture! Representatives from each of the 12 tribes, building an altar of memorial with stones taken from the middle of the Jordan river bed. Why? So that when their kids and their grandkids ask abou that pile of stones, they can tell them the story of God's great deliverance.

It makes me think of my own altars. Because remembering the past and God's faithfulness is good. Living in the past isn't.

There's an old ferry dock in Eastern Ontario, Canada where I was baptized in water in the Bay of Quinte. I was there again with my wife not too long ago and I said, 'See, right over there is where I was baptized'...and the memories came rushing back.

There's an old country church not far from there where I was first called to ministry, standing near the altar down front on the left hand side next to the upright piano my Mom was playing.

Then there's a hockey arena in Kingston, Ontario, Canada where at a youth convention God called me back from an extended period of running from Him and His call on my life, and since that moment I have never been the same.

And there have been many more. A college prayer room, an office carpet where I prayed next to a second hand couch and God met me, a hotel room in Miami Florida, USA where God confirmed a call to a new chapter, and so many others. All places where altars of memorial were built, figuratively speaking. All places with stories.

Just because we are afraid of living in the past, doesn't mean we shouldn't remember. These memories are foundational to who we are today - to what God has helped us become. And these stories can motivate others...build their faith to believe that God can and will meet them in similar ways.

I am curious about your altars. What are some of them? I welcome your comments.

Prosperity Posers

2010-03-18T08:02:00.000-07:00

Johsua 1:8 "Study this book of instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do."

Prosperity. It's something no one would turn down if it came suddenly into your life. It's also something that many clamor and scratch for...even try to 'claim' it as their right from God. Some even go so far as to purchase a lifestyle on credit that they couldn't possibly afford, believing that God will provide the money miraculously when the bills come due. It's all so very selfish and immature but these people would defend it based on many 'phrases' in Scripture that talk about prosperity and success. But I don't think they read carefully enough.

See, when I read this passage in particular, what jumps out at me is not the promise - it's the condition. 'Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it.' Oh, OK! That should be simple, right? NOT!

How many of us can honestly say that we do this? I mean, now that I'm a little older with a little more experience and hopefully some maturity, I'm doing better at this than I ever have. This life journaling process has been very helpful too. But I read in the morning and reflect - mediatate day and night though? I do try - but there are so many other things that distract in the course of a day.

And then there's that whole 'obey everything in it' clause! Oh boy, do I have issues with that! I mean, I do pretty well, but there is always a slip-up or two somewhere along the line. I guess what I'm saying is that for me to just 'expect' prosperity based on my performance would be pretty arrrogant I think.

Actually I think its' pretty arrogant for anyone to just 'expect' or 'demand' it. I have no doubt that many who are prosperous and are blessed by God are humble and grateful and doing their best to serve Him every day. Actually I would hope that is the rule and not the exception.

My issue is with the morons who parade around pretentiously claiming and demanding prosperity as their right! I think that is a spiritual attitude issue in and of itself that needs a major adjustment.

But I can't change them...only me. So I need to continue to read God's word and meditate on it and do my very best everyday to do what's written in it. After that, I can just sit back and gratefully enjoy whatever comes and be thankful for all of God's blessing in my life.

Reminder

2010-03-06T05:19:00.000-08:00

Deut. 4:9
"Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them."

I am now 44 years old. And in 44 years of living I have seen some things. I have experienced some things. I have taken some things to heart. Good things, even great things. Some not so great. Some even painful things. But all of them have taught me something - been formative in my life somehow. And yet it is easy for those things to retreat to the recesses of my brain.

Reading this verse this morning has caused some of those things to come flooding back. Things long forgotten until this gentle reminder. Many of these experiences would have to be considered foundational building blocks in my life. Times and places where I drove stakes into the ground that would steel my resolve to live for God and serve him forever.

Some of these experiences I would have to say were more like violent storms, tossing my ship about in the wind and the waves of life's great ocean. These were sometimes frightening and confusing, but coming through them to the calm on the other side of the storm made me stronger.

Then there were the outright enemy attacks. Temptation sometimes led to failure, but God's great grace always brought me back. Those lessons, though I would never recommend them, were invaluable in the shaping of healthy boundaries and good practices in my life until now.

Everything we experience - the jobs we do, the relationships we build, the hobbies we pick up, the way we are treated by others, and the way we treat others, the kids that we have, the god(s) that we serve...I could go on and on. It all shapes us somehow, and makes us who we are.

For those of us who serve the one and only true living God, we are encouraged in this verse today to watch ourselves closely and not forget - not forget what our eyes have seen, and maybe most importantly, not let them slip from our hearts. Then we are also to teach these life lessons to our kids (by the way, this part is the hardest).

Great advice. And a great reminder. Too often, these formative experiences slip from our hearts into the fog that is that past and we forget who we are, where we've come from and who it was that helped us to get here. Thank you God...for once again lifting the fog today. Thank you for the reminder that you've always been there, making me, forming me into who I am today. Help me to never forget all that you have brought me through and to pass it on the best way I can.

The Weight of Leadership

2010-03-05T06:46:00.000-08:00

I was reading in Numbers the other day and came across the story of Moses bringing water from a rock for the Israelites to drink. Maybe you know it?

But after the water had miraculously poured from out of the side of the rock and everyone had been able to drink, there was a bit of fallout at the end of the story. In Numbers 20:12 God said to Moses and Aaron 'Because you did not trust in me enough to honour me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.'

At first glance reading through this text again my thought was "Whoa...harsh"! I mean, Moses really just hit the rock a couple of times instead of speaking to it as the Lord instructed.

No, it wasn't EXACTLY what God asked him to do...and yes, it was a little MELODRAMATIC. But ban both him and Aaron from entering the promised land for that? It really does seem extreme.

So there must be another message here...of course. A message about leadership and the weight of it - the incredible responsibility a leader carries to model an appropriate example for those that he/she leads. I say that because of one phrase...'you did not trust me enough to honour me as holy in the sight of the Israelites.'

'You're making me look bad you guys! I gave you simple instructions and you blew it. You made it sound like YOU were bringing water out of the rock.' ('Must we bring you water out of this rock?' vs. 10)

'Remember when you said that?'

'I thought so. See how you totally left me out of the equation there? You didn't bring the water did you?'

'No. That's right, so who did?'

'Me...right again! So ...sorry to tell you gents, but when you lead, you represent, and you have represented me poorly. So, no promised land for you!'

You know, I wish I had a nickel for every time we have been involved in having to help a leader through a misstep who felt they were being treated unfairly...who thought their 'steps to restoration' were too harsh.

"But it doesn't say anywhere in the Bible that I can't drink!" True. But having a few with a bunch of underage teenagers that you have been given the responsibility for leading...that's another story. I could give example after example but I won't. The fact is, leadership carries with it the weight of responsibility. And with that responsibility comes a heavier 'fine' if you will, when we fail to lead responsibly.

Aaron and Moses came to know this the hard way. Let's not repeat their failure. Let's learn from it.

Bad Reasons For Staying In a Church

2010-02-19T11:16:00.000-08:00

I met today with a friend of mine...at least I feel like he's a friend. We've actually only met together on one other occasion. But he is such a sharp, likable, passionate young man and we have seemed to connect to the point that I want to call him friend.

Anyhow, we talked about a lot of things and at some point before we were finished, he turned to me and said, "My wife and I have really been struggling about an important decision we feel we need to make and I'm wondering if you can give me some advice. What are good reasons for leaving a church?"

Interestingly enough, he had tweeted something very similar recently and it had been kind of rolling around in the back of my mind. I had fully intended to ask him about it before our conversation was over, but he beat me to the punch.

As a pastor, of course, this is the kind of question I hate. No pastor wants anyone, ever to leave their church...well maybe certain special individuals, but...I digress. For the most part we're just not wired that way.

And now, faced with the question in person, you would think that I would struggle with how to answer. But if there was ever a moment that that the Holy Spirit gave me words to say, it was in this moment. Almost naturally and off the cuff I responded with a 3-point answer (I know...so very stereotypically pastoral of me).

I said, "Maybe you shouldn't be asking about good reasons for leaving a church, but instead you should be asking yourself 'what are bad reasons for staying?' And I continued with the next three thoughts (these are for mature fully devoted Christ followers only by the way, not for church hopping consumers):

A sense of obligation...
To stay in a church community strictly out of a sense of obligation is a bad reason for staying. If you are feeling that God has a greater calling on your life and you don't have the kind of opportunity to fulfill that opportunity in your current situation (because of disagreement with or inability to buy into the stated vision), simply hanging on because as a leader, you feel obligated is not a good reason. The other danger in this is staying because you somehow feel that if you go, everything will fall apart. It's hard to believe but none of us are truly indispensable.

I know...this was a shock for me too!
Comfort...Again, if you are sensing God calling you to something new and more challenging, to simply stay in your current situation because it is comfortable and familiar is a cop out. We get to a point in our lives when everything seems to be working well. We like that we can predict what happens next. We feel that everything is so familiar and comfortable that we don't need to worry about anything unexpected or out of the ordinary. We like that everyone knows us and looks up to us as a leader and we don't want to jeopardize that sense of security.

But Jesus talked about taking up a cross...about denying ourselves to follow. This doesn't sound comfortable to me.
Relationships...
Sometimes we hesitate to transition because we have made so many good friends in our church and we don't want to leave them behind. We need to understand that transitioning to a different church community doesn't need to affect the relationships we currently have. 'Friends are friends forever if the Lord's the Lord of them'. Isn't that what the old Michael W. Smith song says? I believe that relationship transcends context. With all of the social media available to us today, we have even more opportunity to connect - even over thousands of miles - and keep relationships flourishing. And our true friends won't judge us or hold it against us when we do something for the right reasons and for the greater good.

As I concluded my 'mini sermon', I looked up and my friend looked pensive and even a little shaken. "I don't know if that helps," I said. "But those are my thoughts, for what they're worth."

He proceeded to tell me that this past weekend he had sat down and just started writing down what he considered to be the reasons for staying where he was. He wrote that he is in leadership and because he is leader he feels kind of obligated to stay. People look up to him. They expect him to be there, to be committed, and to hold things together. He even said that he contemplated the fact that if he left, everything might fall apart...weird.

Then he wrote that another reason to stay was because the situation is so comfortable...easy. He has been attending for so long and now has proven himself as a leader. Everyone knows him and looks up to him. He knows what is expected of him and does what needs to be done.

And last, he said that he wrote down that they love their friends in the church and would hate to leave their friends behind and potentially miss out on those relationships.

I am blown away again even now as I write this...that the Holy Spirit would be so faithful to give me those exact things to share with him about. In the end, there is still a lot of thinking and a lot of soul searching for him to do. We should never make these decisions lightly. But I pray that God will continue to speak to his heart...and to mine.

I'm not suggesting that everyone should suddenly begin to question whether or not to leave your current church. If you're happy there and being challenged from the Word and serving and finding meaning in your walk with Christ - don't mess with it. But if you're just going through the motions and you feel God is calling you to something greater, something bigger, something more challenging...then start to pray and to really examine and evaluate your reasons for staying put.

It occurred to me that these thoughts are especially geared to people in leadership...and to pastors in particular. But that's another story.

No Bull

2010-02-11T14:11:00.000-08:00

I've been reading in Leviticus lately. I know...most of you are thinking "Why would you do that?"

The answer is simple really. I am reading through the entire Bible this year, and...well, apparently Leviticus is in the Bible.

But even in Leviticus, God can speak to me it seems. I was reading today in Leviticus 16:3 "This is how Aaron is to enter the sanctuary; with a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering." The chapter goes on to talk about all of the very specific things that Aaron had to do in order to enter into the sanctuary without being killed.

I am struck today with the incredible realization of how truly blessed we are to live post-crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. As I read all of this detail and all of these laws in Leviticus it is absolutely overwhelming to me all that they were required to remember and do in those days under law.

Thank God for Jesus and his 'once and for all' sacrifice...the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. And thank God that because of Jesus' sacrifice, we have full access to God...and to the throne of grace where we can find grace to help in time of need. No bull!

Now...because we have this amazing access doesn't mean we always take advantage of it, does it? Think about it. An open invitation to hang out with the God of the universe...and yet we are too busy or too self-involved or too self-reliant to spend time with Him. Kind of sad isn't it?

See, it's great and all - that we can come to God through Jesus absolutely any time we want, but unless we want to and we set aside the time, we never do it. That's the learning here.

Perhaps back in the desert days when the law was being handed down and implemented, the rules and regulations made it so that the Israelites had to be more intentional about their relationship with God. There were a number of important steps they had to take. We, on the other hand, have the incredible privilege of access, but lack the intentionality of simply planning to spend time with our God.

With great privilege comes great responsibility, and ours is to intentionally set aside the time necessary to spend time in God's presence. Keeping the rules, even today, is a good thing. But a rule keeper who hasn't spent time in God's presence, who hasn't gone into the Father's celebration, is nothing more than a bitter elder brother (www.theprodigalgod.com). The Father's heart longs for us to come home, to come in, to fellowship with Him. No strings. No animals to kill. No fancy outfit to wear. Just us and Him alone in His presence. And that's definitely NO BULL.

So when I think about Aaron and all those who followed him in the priestly line, I am thankful. Thankful for what Jesus accomplished on Calvary through His death and resurrection. Thankful for forgiveness and for eternal life, but also thankful for tearing the veil in two so that we can come boldly into the presence of our Father God through Jesus. Now, if only we would do it!

On Hold With God

2010-02-01T07:06:00.000-08:00

Exodus 24:12 (NIV)
12 The Lord said to Moses, "Come up to me on the mountain and stay here, and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and commands I have written for their instruction."

Exodus 24:15-16 (NIV)
15 When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it,
16 and the glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the Lord called to Moses from within the cloud.

Since God first appeared to Moses in a burning bush, he and God had been on speaking terms. When Moses needed Him, God had been accessible. And when God had spoken, Moses had responded.

So on this day, after reading the Book of the Covenant to the people, Moses and 73 others had gone up the mountain and had seen God, and even had a meal there in His presence. Then God invited Moses all the way up the mountain because He was going to give Moses the tablets of stone with the laws that He had written on them. Moses made the necessary arrangements to make sure the people were cared for and on up the mountain he went.

When he arrived at the top of the mountain, the cloud covered the top there where he was (the cloud remember was the presence of God during the day...'pillar of cloud by day') and the glory of the Lord settled on the mountain.

And Moses waited. One day...God was still there - but nothing. Two days...cloud still covered the mountain - but no voice could be heard. Three days...God's presence still very much evident - but God was not speaking.

I wonder what was going through Moses' mind? This hadn't happened before. God had always spoken...been clear with His instructions. But now, although Moses knew that God was there and had a keen awareness of His presence, he couldn't hear God's voice. This went on for six days, and on the seventh day, God finally broke His silence.

So often we come to God expecting to hear from Him, expecting His direction, His instruction, or His solutions for the circumstances and the situations in our lives. And although God is always with us and sometimes we can even feel or sense His presence, He does not always speak when we think He should. It's a little bit like calling on the phone and hearing the receptionist answer and say 'God's office...can you hold please?' And before you have a chance to respond, suddenly you're listening to 'Hillsongs' worship music playing in the background and you are waiting. You know God is there, or the receptionist would have told you He wasn't in right now. But of course He's always 'in' so you know He's there. And because He is God and you really need to speak to Him, you wait. And sometimes, like Moses, you wait, and you wait, and you wait some more. And you know it will be worth the wait, but still you wonder, 'Why do I have to wait so long?'

Maybe God just wants to make sure He has your undivided attention. Maybe He wants to give you enough time to think through your situation a little more so your mind will be clear when He speaks. Maybe He just needs you to be still in His presence for while because He knows that in the stillness, your mind will quiet and your heart will settle and then suddenly your crisis or issue won't seem so huge.

Here is what you need to do when it seems like you're on hold with God. Enjoy the quiet. Take advantage of the moment and worship...sing along with that 'Hillsongs' track. Focus your attention on God and get it off of your problem or circumstance. Then when God does speak you will be ready to hear and to learn whatever He needs you to learn from your situation.

Isaiah 40:31 (MSG)
31 But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, They run and don't get tired, they walk and don't lag behind.

The Great Difference Maker

2010-01-28T19:49:00.000-08:00

Reading today in Acts 4, once again I came on verse 13. It's a verse I've read often before. Peter and John have been dragged in front of the religious leaders to explain themselves after a crippled man had been healed at the temple gate.

When asked about it, they answered directly and unapologetically, stating clearly that the man had been healed in none other than the name of Jesus Christ.

Acts 4:13
"When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus."

The first observation that I make in this text is that there was a quality or a characteristic that these religious leaders observed that made Peter and John stand out. And knowing their backgrounds, it surprised them...astonished them actually, that these ordinary men would possess such qualities. Peter and John spoke with authority to them, not in fear and trembling as others who were brought before them did. There was a confidence and a conviction about them that was unusual...even extraordinary. And it made these leaders wonder, and in their analysis of Peter and John they took note of one distinctive fact about them. These men had been with Jesus. It became obvious to these religious leaders that this is what set them apart from all the rest.

It begs a question for me...for all of us really. Can people that I know and interact with recognize the same quality or characteristic in my life? Is it obvious to my colleagues and my peers, both inside and outside the church, that I have been with Jesus? I would like to think that this is always the case - but I would be fooling myself.

You see, I don't think you can fake this. There's not enough theological education available in all the seminaries in all the world that can give you the kind of confidence and authority that time spent with Jesus can give you.

Peter and John had spent three years with Him. And now, raised from the dead, Jesus had instructed them to wait for the promised Holy Spirit that He would give. And when the Holy Spirit came, He put the confidence and the boldness of these disciples into overdrive.

Time spent with Jesus...yes, but also an openness to whatever Jesus wanted to do in their lives. That's what made the remarkable difference.

I believe that Jesus makes all the difference in a life. He has in mine. But the subsequent experience when Jesus baptizes in the Holy Spirit as found in Acts 2 takes everything learned at Jesus' feet and puts it into hyper-drive. It's like a simmering pot of water suddenly being cranked up to high heat and brought to a rolling boil.

If you want to stand out, be open to the power of the Holy Spirit in your life. Ask Jesus for it and He promised He would give it (Luke 11:9-13). And then keep on asking. Because we need to continue to be 'being filled' with His Spirit so that He can change the world through us. Just like He did through Peter and John and the other apostles in the early church.

Because it is far to easy to let our relationship with Jesus and our openness to the Spirit slip and before we know it, we are once again, just ordinary men and women.

God's Detours

2010-01-25T11:35:00.000-08:00

I was reading in Exodus today and this verse just kind of jumped out at me. Exodus 13:17 says "When Pharaoh did let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, "If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt."

I have always believed and known that God leads us and to be honest, have wondered occasionally about how He leads. Sometimes in my abundant wisdom, I have thought to myself 'Surely there must have been a better way.' What I realize now that perhaps I never considered before, is that there are always unknowns in any given situation. And in my mere mortality, I am not privy to what those unknowns might be.

But God - now He has that whole omniscient thing going for Him and so He knows everything. That's why he lead the Israelites the way that he did when they were leaving Egypt. You see on paper...in this case a map...there was a better way to go. The Philistine road was obviously the shortest route. But God knew that they would experience conflict and even be attacked on that route and he knew that if this were to happen, the Israelites would be bummed out and turn around and go back to Egypt. It was going to be bad enough taking them on the desert route...imagine if some war had been thrown in there. God really dodged a bullet for them there!

Detour Ahead. God sees the bigger picture. It is comforting to know that when God leads us, he doesn't just choose the most expedient route, but instead he sees ahead...he anticipates danger or discouragement or trouble...avoids pitfalls...and leads us in the way that is best if we will listen to his voice.

Romans 8:28 says "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,whohave been called according to his purpose." And this is how he does it. He works behind the scenes, not just leading us toward good things but also leading us around things that are potentially dangerous and detrimental to our well being or our spiritual health.

The hard part is trusting Him enough to listen to His voice and follow His leading. Especially when we think we know a better way.

So what can we do? We need to trust God completely and listen to hear His voice. We need to listen because if we don't, we can't hear what He's saying to us. And we need to trust because if we don't, then we will challenge and question whenever God's way seems to contradict logic or expediency.

So when you see a sign that says 'Detour Ahead', remember that its not there just to make you alter your course for no reason. It is there to help you avoid possible danger and even injury or worse. Just like God's detours.

'Surprise God Encounters'

2010-01-07T07:10:00.000-08:00

What if you were sitting on your porch in the shade on a sultry hot day (thought you'd like the paradox on this cold wintry day) sipping a nice cold lemonade and God walked up the driveway?

That's essentially what happened to Abraham in Genesis 18:1. Minding his own business, sitting in the shade of the door of his tent during the hottest part of the day, and suddenly God walks into his life.

Here is what I love about this 'surprise' encounter that Abraham has with God. He recognizes Him right away. Wouldn't it be great if we would always recognize our God and sense His presence when he makes His way into our personal lives. Sometimes I fear that God is waiting on the sidewalk just beyond our front porch for us to wave or acknowledge Him in some way, engage in conversation with Him, and we look right past at all the activity that's going on beyond and we don't even see Him there. Lord help me to always recognize and be aware of your presence in my life.

Here's the next thing I like. When Abraham recognizes that God and his friends are at his house...he immediately springs into action. He sees to it that their feet are washed and that Sarah gets busy baking bread. He gets the finest meat from his flock and has it prepared for them. Essentially, he gives God his very best. That's what our God deserves. Our very best. Unfortunately, that isn't what He always gets, is it? Maybe we get so 'comfortable' in our relationship with Him that we forget to put the kind of effort into it that we once did? Kind of like a married couple who start to grow apart and the romance begins to fade. After a while its like the other person is there but that's all. Our relationship with God can get like that...taken for granted. It can get 'ho-hum' and normal and part of the routine to the point that we really aren't giving it our best any longer. Like Abraham, as we live with the awareness of God's presence and activity in our lives, it should always be a reminder for us to give our very best to Him.

It is in this kind of relationship that we can be free to share openly and honestly with a God who loves us and is concerned with the things that concern us. Abraham felt comfortable enough in God's presence to 'speak his mind' about Sodom and Gomorrah and to challenge God to spare it for the sake of even ten righteous people in those cities. And it's kind of amusing how God carries on the conversation knowing full well that even ten did not exist. That's the beauty of our relationship with God. Even when we have no idea what we're talking about, God listens and cares about what we're saying. Then He does what He knows is best for us and for the bigger picture of His kingdom.

So watch for these 'surprise God encounters' in your life. And be ready. Always do your best for Him and cultivate the special kind of relationship with God that prepares you for the moment when God walks up your driveway on a hot sunny day...or into your family room as you huddle around the fireplace on a cold one!

Money Vaccine

2010-01-04T09:17:00.000-08:00

This post consists of a direct quote from Rich Stearns book "The Hole In Our Gospel". I had never looked at the tithe in this way before. Intriguing...

"I have often thought of the tithe in a different way, as a kind of 'innoculation' against the power that money can sometimes hold over us. When we are vaccinated against a deadly virus, our bodies are injected with a small amount of that virus, weakend so that it won't hurt us. By putting this small amount into our systems, we develop an immunity to the virus, and it can no longer harm us. Metaphorically speaking, paying a tithe on our income has the same effect. By cheerfully giving away a small portion of our money, we become immune to the corrupting power it can have in our lives. When we tithe, not out of obligation, but out of love and obedience for God, we are making the bold statement that money has no power over us. Even when we give it away freely, we know that we can depend on God to replenish it and sustain us."

Good stuff!

Surrounded by His Presence

2009-12-03T18:21:00.000-08:00

Psalm 125:2
"As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore."

Reading this verse again took me back to the times I have had the privilege to be in Jerusalem in recent years. It is really easy for me to envision this word-picture that the Psalmist uses. 'As the mountains surround Jerusalem.' It really is a beautiful sight.

The old city in particular is literally surrounded by hills on every side. I know...having walked up many of these long hills. And in the centre of this 'bowl' type effect, sits Old Jerusalem.

That is how it is with God and his people. His presence surrounds his people on every side. It's a good thing to know! And not only that - it is true today, and will always be true...now and forevermore.

Weary in Well Doing

2009-10-25T11:19:00.000-07:00

Did you ever have an experience when all of a sudden something totally unrelated seemed to now make sense? No? Well - maybe its just me then. I have been going to the gym pretty regularly now for the last 5 months or so. You know, doing my best to trim down and tone up and stay relatively healthy so I don't collapse and die. That would be bad.

When I go to the gym - I get up at 5:30 am in order to be there when the gym opens. I find that if I don't go then, the rest of my day gets away from me and I never go. I also have a theory that I go that early because when I'm getting up and getting ready and driving over there, I'm still half asleep and I don't become fully functional until somewhere between the leg press and the squat machine. This lucid realization that I'm at the gym and not home in my bed, while it is unsettling and alarming, comes too late and so I figure I'm already at the gym and I might as well finish.

I digress...over the last two weeks since I realized that I've basically been tricking myself into working out all these months, for some subconcious reason, I have not been able to drag my butt out of bed at 5:30 am anymore. I hit the snooze two or three times, then I reset the alarm to wake me in time for work and go back to sleep. This lack of faithfulness to my gym routine has caused me tremendous amounts of regret and even some guilt. And finally on Friday, I determined to get there again.

It was during this workout that my 'aha' moment came. You see - for 5 months I had been doing pretty well. But for the last two weeks - weariness had set in. I got tired of doing well and so I took a good long break. Guess what happens after a good long break? I'll tell you what happens. Your 'doing well' muscles aren't doing so well anymore. On Friday I was huffing and puffing and straining and sweating. I couldn't believe it. Everything that seemed so natural and easy just two short weeks ago, now seemed like an impossibility (don't tell anyone, but I didn't get my entire workout in...couldn't do it)!

Galatians 6:9 says "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Paul gives us some great advice here. We need to continue in our 'doing good' routine because it will bring about results as long as we don't get weary and give up. Think about that. Keep praying....keep reading God's Word...keep being kind to that neighbour...keep sharing about your walk with God with that co-worker or friend...keep being generous....keep doing all of these things so that your 'doing good' muscles don't get lax and atrophied. Routinely 'doing good' keeps us headed in the right direction. It's tempting sometimes to give up - to take a break - but we need to realize that once we do, that routine is really hard to get back into. So keep on doing good. Dont' get weary. Don't give up. It will all pay off eventually!

Free Will and the Father's Heart

2009-10-22T06:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, our son who is away in his first year at university text messaged us to let us know that he is sick. Poor kid. He went to the campus clinic and because he is fevered with sore throat and other vague flu-like symptoms, they immediately quarantined him to his room until he is successfully fever-free for 24 hours.

You might be reading and thinking 'no big deal' - but as a parent, when your kid is sick and you can't be there for them, the first time especially is tough. I feel bad for him...but he is almost 20 years old now and he needs to figure this out on his own. Even if I could go and be with him - I'm not sure I would (incidentally I don't think his Mom agrees with me). As a young adult, I think he needs to work through some of these things and learn to deal with them on his own. He's a man now. And besides, he left us. He made this decision to go away to school of his own free will. He could have stayed home and went somewhere locally. He could have saved us a fortune doing so. But he didn't....not that I'm bitter or anything.

It's probably a bit of a stretch to compare this earthy human analogy to Deity, but I think that God's heart feels that way about us sometimes too. This whole 'free will' thing must be hard on him. You know, watching the things we go through, the stupid mistakes we make, longing to step in and help, but knowing that doesn't help us grow or learn. I think the father's heart experiences great conflict when he observes the terrible evils of human society fully knowing that he is capable of intervening but at the same time not willing to take away our ability to choose - not willing to violate free will.

It is his love that creates the heart-conflict. He loves us so much he doesn't want to see us mess up or hurt others. We hear this heart-conflict in the words of Jesus as he overlooks Jerusalem. "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing" (Matthew 23:37). You were not willing. It was free-will that got in the way. It always is.

Ironically, it is also God's love that gave us free will in the first place. He loves us so much that he doesn't want us to follow or serve him like robots who have no choice. He chooses us and he wants us to choose him back. We just need to grow up and make the right choices.

Don't Sacrifice the 'Real' for the 'Right'

2009-08-11T17:58:00.000-07:00

Ok...I know sound theology is important. We need a concise theological base from which to form the foundation of our spiritual journey, our understanding of God and how that gets translated in real life. I get that.

But down with those who would sell their firstborn children in order to defend that dogma - those who would sacrifice all of their joy and destroy the joy of everyone else just to uphold some lofty ideal.

Why am I so annoyed right now about this particular subject? I am glad you asked!

Recently, I read 'The Shack' by William Young. It took me a few chapters to get into the story but by mid chapter 3 or so, I was hooked. And I know some of the concepts are controversial and some would even say disrespectful to God, but I have to be honest. The insights in the book about God and who he is and how he operates as Father, Son and Holy Spirit - very thought provoking. I found myself laughing, crying, and sometimes both throughout the story.

I posted a status on my Facebook when I was finished that simply said 'Just finished reading 'The Shack"...no words.'

Well, that prompted a flurry of comments, the most annoying one being a from a pastor who shared that he had read the book because so many of his church people were reading it and he was worried because it contained such bad theology. My first thought was, "what kind of self righteous, narrow minded comment is that?" But eventually I softened a little. I'm sure he meant well. But I need to point out, it isn't a theological book - it's a fictional novel. It doesn't teach theology it portrays an idea of God and who He is - not for scholarly scrutiny but for personal connection. I have to tell you, in that moment, it took everything in me not to snap back with a derogatory comment...rather I'm venting here.

For the love of God, don't get so caught up in the 'right' that you miss the real. Don't become so religious that you fail to really relate to the God who loves you, who became like you through Jesus and who comes alongside you in the presence of the Holy Spirit. I can honestly say that looking at God through the lens of this book has deepened my perspective when it comes to a relationship with God. Is everything the author portrays theologically sound and correct? No. But the way he portrays God's love for us and his relationship to us through Jesus and the Holy Spirit has forever changed the way I think about God and my perception of what he thinks of me and how he feels about me.

If you haven't read the book - do it...with an open heart and mind. And don't worry about the theology...just let it connect with your heart.

The Isle of Patmos

2009-03-29T17:01:00.000-07:00

Today, after waking at 4am (which was actually 5am because in Turkey this was the weekend we had to move our clocks ahead) I awoke from my sleep, prepared and had a hurried breakfast, then made my way down to the hotel lobby to get on a bus headed to the port of Kusadasi. Once through passport control, we boarded a ferry headed to the Greek Isle of Patmos.

It is a four hour journey from the port of Kusadasi to the Isle of Patmos. As we sailed out of the harbour and toward the open Aegean Sea, many slept because of the early hour, some were reading, while others listened to music and still others bantered about in friendly conversation.

There was a sudden flurry of activity when one of our guides indicated that the island off the bow was our destination - the Isle of Patmos. Today it looks like a beautiful sparkling gem in the middle of the Aegean with a quaint little harbour in the cove and white stucco buildings rising from the waters edge and up the hillside, one after another. I wonder what it looked like on John's first approach? This was to be where he would serve out his exile at the hands of Domitian. Almost 90 years old now, he was the only living disciple left. And now he would be stuck here.

It is the Lord's day. Sunday. And from the boat we board the bus that will take us, first to the monastery built in memory of John the Beloved, then eventually, to the cave where it is believed that John found shelter and lived during those years of exile.

There are a lot of 'oohs' and 'ahhhs' as we climb the hill and we all see the incredible view that stretches out below us. Once at the monastery, we scramble around, taking pictures, not caring much about the very Catholic explanations of the artwork and the icons. Then we board our bus and continue to the 'Cave of the Apocalypse'. Seriously, that's what they call it.

We make our way inside and down 40 steps to the cave. Of course there is a Catholic building built on this site as well. And as I enter the cave, I don't know what I expect to feel but there is this moment. Looking toward the area hewn out of the rock where they say John slept, and realizing that it may have been right here that John wrote the words of Revelation, I'm not going to lie, it is an overwhelming feeling. We sing 'He is Lord' in the cave and as it reverberates along the rough walls, maybe it is just me - but the presence of God seems very near.

Back outside, our Professor reads the text to us as we sit on bleachers cut into the hillside above a tennis/basketball court.

Revelation 1:9-11 (NIV)
9 I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
10 On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,
11 which said: "Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea."

We are reminded that in an exchange between Jesus and Peter many years before that Jesus had told Peter that he would die for Him - Peter had seen John following behind and had asked 'What about him?'

Jesus had replied - 'if I want him to stay alive until I return, what is that to you?'

Professor Griffin reflects on whether or not John recognized the voice that he heard on the Lords day? It makes me wonder too. Did John think that maybe Jesus was coming to take him away from this exile to be with him? Who really knows.

But in the end, Jesus had come with another task for John. Write what you see and send it to the seven churches.

We sing an old song there on the hillside....'John was in the Spirit, on the Lords day. He heard a voice from heaven...' you get the idea. And then we pray together and make our way to the bus.

I think to myself, John was nearly 90 years old when Jesus entrusted him with this task. I'm only 43. Speak Lord - I'm listening.

Moving Experiences

2009-03-28T18:00:00.000-07:00

Since arriving in the country of Turkey, many deeply moving and spiritual experiences have presented themselves. It is difficult to express adequately in words some of the sights I have seen. I have visited the ruins of the great city of Ephesus, climbed the Acropolis at Pergamon, seen the ruins of Thyatira and walked through the Necropolis at Hierapolis. I have heard the Biblical texts read at all of these sights, realized that people like Epaphras, the Apostle Paul, and John the beloved disciple were in many of these very same spots.

Equally as moving though, was finally arriving at Kusadasi today on the shores of the Agean Sea, and walking from our hotel down the boardwalk only to see the magical circular green sign advertising 'Starbucks' after nearly a week long drought of anything that even remotely resembles coffee. I'm sure I was delerious, but the sound of trumpets and angelic voices seemed to resound in my ears as I broke into a rhythmic jog toward the utopian sight. In my mind I was moving in slow motion as the theme to 'Chariots of Fire' played on the soundtrack inside my head. As I passed through the door, the aroma of fresh brewed 'Starbucks' wafted into my nostrils and a in a moment of tender emotion, a single tear trickled down my cheek. Home at last...well not quite, but as close as one could get without - you know - actually being home.

I ordered my venti house blend (hey - it was all they were brewing and I wasn't in a position to be picky), and sipped slowly at first, fearing that too much at once after such a long dry spell could cause my body to slip into a caffiene induced seizure. Once the initial edge caused by re-introducing caffiene to my system wore off, I savoured every long draw on the opening in the beautiful white round plastic lid - sweet satisfaction!

We are here for two more glorious days...then to Munich for a night and then back home where there are Starbucks a plenty. I think I'm going to make it...

Turkey - Ephesus

2009-03-26T12:46:00.000-07:00

It is hard to express in simple words the things I have seen in this country the last few days. On Tuesday - we visited Ephesusand ummm....sorry - nothing comes to me. No one word that is quite adequate to express the awesome, breathtaking, spectacular and special uniqueness of what we all witnessed.

Here in the modern country of Turkey, exists the ancient ruins of a city of a quarter million people that existed before the time of Christ and that was reached with the gospel after Christ's death and before Paul's arrival.

We started our excursion at the tomb of St. Luke, where it is believed that he was buried at least, and reflected on the fact that Luke actually wrote most of the New Testament and gave us nearly all of the information we needed to form a pentecostal theology.

From there we moved our way into what was the 'agora' or the marketplace, and past there to the column lined street with what would have been shops on one side and civic buildings on the other. There was a smaller private 'V.I.P.' theatre, a hospital, and many other points of interest.

Inside a large covered area we saw actual homes of some of the wealthy citizens of Ephesus, with beautiful fresoes on the walls and intricate mosaics in the floors. Marble lined the walls and connecting these 'row-type condominiums' was a small Bascillica - a place of worship.

Further down, we passed the hospital on our way to one of the most spectacular structures I have ever seen. The library - which was porported to have been the 2nd - largest library in the world during that time.

But the crown jewel was the theatre. We came around a bit of a corner and for a moment, my breath was caught away as it swept out in front of us - this magnificent piece of architecture cut right out of the hillside. We made our way inside and two of the gentlemen from our group read the Scripture in Acts 19 and the events surrounding Paul's arrival in Ephesus and the resulting riots that broke out. Then our professor, Bill Griffin, talked for a few moments about the account. It wasn't hard sitting in that theatre to imagine it packed with a chanting mob of people shouting 'Great is Artemis of the Ephesians'!

There was a moment there - placing myself in history for that split second of time - that a chill went down my spine. Even now remembering it, I shiver just a little. There was so much at stake that day. A fledgling church in this community was about to blossom into a much larger and group of believers. Had the city clerk not stepped in and calmed the crowd, who knows what violence may have erupted? Perhaps even Paul, who still had missionary journeys to make, would have been killed. God knows - that's who. And despite the plans of man his purposes prevail.

You know, if the gospel hadn't reached the Ephesians - it may never have had the opportunity to reach me. Or you.

Turkey - Day 1

2009-03-23T21:41:00.000-07:00

This morning - and I mean EARLY this morning - I woke up in the city of Izmir, Turkey. I've never done that before. But after boarding a plane at Pearson in Toronto on Sunday night, and flying 9 hours to Munich, Germany and another 2 and a half or so to Izmir - here I am.

By the time we got here last night - there wasn't much time left to do much. We 'freshened up', had dinner, then an hour or so to collect our thoughts before our first one hour lecture. And you know what? Learning about Pentecostal Theology in the region that the apostle Paul birthed the churches of Asia Minor and near where John wrote the book of Revelation - not a bad deal!

Anyhow - went to sleep by 10:30pm or so and at 4am I was wide awake. Not unusual for one of these trips - but annoying just the same.

I laid there awake as the eerie yet melodic sounds of the early morning call to prayer rang out over the housetops and the buildings and the dark streets of Izmir. And thought to myself, how ironic that a region I had come to visit because of it's significance in Biblical and church history, is now so steeped in Islaam.

Then again - I'm from Canada. A nation supposedly founded on Christian principles yet now rampantly secular with strong pockets of Muslim and Hindu and sprinklings of every other imaginable world religion in between.

The thought emphasizes to me again, that God's kingdom is first and foremost in our hearts. It's why in this place our spirit can be quickened, not just because of geography, but because of the realization that some significant beginnings occurred here. But I don't need to stay here. The Spirit of Christ is with me always - no matter where I travel.

I have to go now...to Ephesus. That is going to be very cool!

Best of Friends

2009-02-09T18:46:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking a lot lately about friends. Best friends especially.

You know, we talk about a certain few people in our lives referring to them as 'best friends'. And usually these are people that we spend a lot of time hanging out with...people we have gotten to know very well over an extended period of time and are very comfortable with. They are the ones that we call when we are in trouble, when we need a listening ear, or when we need help. They are also the ones that we celebrate with, play with, and double over in laughter with. And they are the ones that we shed tears with, that we mourn with, and the ones who hold us when we sob in our grief. They truly are best friends.

Lately though, someone that I would not have placed in my 'best friends' category did something that made me re-think my definition of 'best friends'. This individual did something for me that I would never expect, based on the casual acquaintance that we have.

He gave me a gift. Not just any gift, but something personal. Something that you wouldn't normally give someone else as a gift, let alone someone you were not close with. And it was not only beautiful and relatively expensive, it was also a gift that was thoughtful and that I could use. If I were buying it for myself, I would likely not have bought such a nice one of these.

At first, I felt kind of weird about it, but when he explained that it was something that he wanted to do because of his appreciation for me and because he felt the Lord had led him to do it - how could I argue?

Now - given the fact that I suspect this individual could not afford such a gift and made a significant sacrifice to give it to me, it would seem that he is a much better friend to me than I would have thought at first. That kind of got me thinking. How many 'best friends' do I have out there, that I may know casually right now but have really not considered to be any more than acquaintances? How many potential best friends are out there that I haven't even met? And, what is the best way to find out?

Well, someone who is a really good friend of mine once said something like this. The best kind of friend is the one who will lay down his life for another friend. And this guy wasn't just blowing smoke either. He was prepared to illustrate that statement all the way to the end. His name is Jesus. He died on a cruel cross and then rose from the grave to make sure I knew that he was my very best friend. He wants you to know that he will be your best friend too, if you'll just take the time to get to know him.

I've re-evaluated my concept of 'best friend' a little. I think that what Jesus said is really it. This individual who upset my neat little world with his gift, really is one of my best friends. I don't have too many other friends who would go to the lengths he did just to be generous to me and make me feel loved. And I'm ashamed to say it, but before this happened, I hadn't made any effort to get to know this individual...I didn't have the time or the desire to do that. I certainly wasn't 'laying down my life'. And he did what he did, laid down a bit of his life, in spite of all that. That, my friends, is a great friend.

There is a proverb that says "A man that has friends, must himself be friendly..." Man do I need a lot of work in that area. But the proverb goes on to say that 'there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother'. For me that friend is Jesus - and with him helping me, I will become a 'best friend' to someone else. It's the least I can do!

Let the Music Take You Back

2008-12-11T06:30:00.000-08:00

Music really is a wonderful thing isn’t it? I mean – I just love the harmonies, the rhythm, and the dynamics of it all don’t you?

At our church we’ve been going through a series of talks called ‘THE STORY’. Its about God and his activity through the Old Testament and in the lives of Old Testament characters, but also his activity as it pertains to all of our own stories.

And at this time of year, as I listen to the music of the Christmas season – I am reminded of how ‘THE STORY’ really began.

You see back in the beginning…at Creation…the story began with God – no explanation for his existence because God is and always has been.

And as you read through the first chapter of Genesis you will find God creating:
• Bringing the world into existence from nothing.
• commanding light to exist.
• separating light from darkness.
• commanding dry ground to appear.
• calling forth vegetation and animal life.

And if you listen carefully, you’ll hear something else between the lines. Because there are phrases used over and over again in the creation account;

‘And God said…’, ‘and it was so…’, ‘and it was good…’, ‘and there was evening and there was morning, the second day.’

‘And God said…’, ‘and it was so…’, ‘and it was good…’, ‘and there was evening and there was morning, the third day.’

‘And God said…’, ‘and it was so…’, ‘and it was good…’, ‘and there was evening and there was morning, the third day.’

Can you feel the rhythm? The cadence in the creation story? It is as if all creation was a symphony orchestrated by the great maestro, God himself. Beautiful music. And even today if you listen carefully in nature, you will hear the music too.

But something happened. Disobedience in the garden played a very sour, dissonant note that caused the music to become out of tune. And in studying the Old Testament together and following the journey of God’s people, we discover pieces of beautiful music for a season but always interrupted by those sour notes – that haunting dissonance that spoiled God’s great symphony. The dissonance of sin.

That is why I believe it was no accident that the arrival of the Messiah was marked the way it was that night outside of Bethlehem. Surrounded by the sour dissonance of Roman rule and oppression, shepherds on a hillside were visited by an angel with a news bulletin.

Luke 2:10-12 (NIV)
10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.
12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

But that wasn’t all. Then the sky was suddenly teeming with a heavenly choir of angels so large, a great company of the heavenly host, that their bright and shining garments obliterated the moon and the brightest of stars (all but one star that is) and they began to sing! Beautiful, rhythmic, harmonious music, as if they had been practicing for this moment for thousands of years. And indeed they had. “Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace, goodwill toward men!”

I'm glad you took the time to read this. And I hope that surrounded by beautiful music, something will dawn on you this Christmas season. In all of the out of tune dissonance that we find in our world today, perhaps even in our lives today, the baby Jesus represents for us at this season, and all through the year, the One who brings beautiful music back into our lives. It is only through faith in Him that our lives, that our world makes any kind of sense.

NHL Coalition

2008-12-04T13:01:00.000-08:00

Disclaimer:

I cannot in any way take credit for this. It was sent to me by email and I do not know the original source. However - I had to post it. Not only is it funny, but very telling when compared to our current parliamentary situation. Enjoy!

NHL Coalition
Having decided that the Detroit Redwings technically won the 2008 Stanley Cup, the Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers and Dallas Stars have formed a coalition demanding a three way ownership of the league title.

Rationale for their decision revolves around their total combined scoring in the 2008 Semi-Finals, their total share of season ticket holders versus the Detroit Redwings and their horror at discovering the Detroit Redwings are using a more cost effective and efficient but non-union made Silver polish to keep the Stanley Cup gleaming.

The three teams are being assisted in their bid to overturn the traditional results by members of the Quebec Hockey League who have no real interest in the success of the NHL in general but sense an opportunity to demand Zambonis and other critical equipment be manufactured in Quebec.

Player representatives, Team Owners and Nike are expected to submit their proposals to Don Cherry in the next few days. Fans and ticket holders are neither being asked or allowed a voice in the final decision.

There's nothing worse than sore losers!

2008-12-01T18:28:00.000-08:00

In October, Canadians voted to give Stephen Harper and the Conservatives an even stronger minority government than they had been governing with before. Granted, not a majority. Conversely, the Liberals had their worst showing since Confederation.

In an attempt to cut costs, the Conservatives released a budget that reflected a number of cost cutting measures. Guess which one raised the ire of the other political parties? Public funding for political parties. Come on you guys - the conservatives were trying to lead the way to fiscal responsibility in a major economic downturn and your response is, "hey - they're taking away our money, no fair".

So the brainwave of the opposition is - "lets take down the government because the voters must be just as upset about our political parties losing public funding as we are."

Well guess what? We could care less about you losing public funding for your parties. And you know what else? Nobody likes a sore loser.

Without the Bloc, the other two parties wouldn't even have enough seats to form a coalition. And as much as I respect the rights of Quebec voters to elect separatist MP's to represent them in Canadian parliament, I do not feel that separatist's should be allowed to be part of a coalition to bring down the government. By voting separatist, they have already declared they have no interest in federal politics, except to be a 'dissenting vote'.

I just think this is all so incredibly ridiculous. But when it comes right down to it, winning a minority government isn't winning at all I guess. In spite of the fact that the Conservatives got 38% of the total votes cast, 11% more than the Liberals, their closest contender, it is still possible that all of the losers can get together and take down the government for any petty reason. Ludicrous!

I mean if the ruling minority government is doing something immoral, illegal, or detrimental to the security of the country, then by all means, take them down. But to do it 'just because'. Come on!

And by the way, I would say exactly the same thing if it were the NDP or the Liberals who had won the minority and the rest were ganging up on them.

Just take your lumps for goodness sakes and be the best opposition that Canadian voters asked you to be.

So - Merry 'flippin' Christmas Canada! And enjoy your turkey dinner with a nice side of bad politics...(good grief)

I Suck As A Blogger

2008-11-19T18:47:00.000-08:00

It occurred to me recently when I realized that I haven't posted anything on my blog since October the 3rd, that I truly suck as a blogger. It's not that I don't enjoy writing or that I don't have anything to say. No - it isn't that at all.

It's just that - and I know this sounds like a feeble excuse - but most days I can't seem to find the time. And even on my days off, when I do have the time to sit and type on my computer, it just seems too much like work and so I don't do it.

I guess I just need to get myself to a place where I can compartmentalize a little better and distinguish in my mind between the writing that is work and the writing that is recreation. Because I do enjoy writing. When I really stop and think about it, I am blessed that I enjoy writing as much as I do - and I am also blessed to be able to do what I enjoy as a part of my vocation.

So - this little rant is just my way of making a fresh comittment to being a better blogger. I'll see what I can do I guess. Nobody wants to suck - least of all me.

Variations On a Theme of Election Debate

2008-10-03T13:28:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: The following characterizations are in no way a judgement of any of the individuals mentioned and in no way should any of this influence your voting or not voting or how you vote or don't vote or for whom you vote...you get the idea.

Well...what can I say about last nights debate except, wow. Thank God for picture in picture. This wonderful Canadian election tradition re-enacted last evening can be reduced basically to this.

Gilles 'I hate everybody' Duceppe, leader of the Bloc Quebecois was at least a realist. Good on you Gilles for saying 'I am not going to be Prime Minister and neither are the three of you, (referring to Layton, Dion, and May) you're just afraid to say it out loud!"

Then there was Jack 'hey everybody look at me' Layton, who proceeded to take every opportunity he was given to speak as a TV spot for an NDP commercial, chattering often about the kitchen table for some reason (maybe he knows Sarah Palin).

Stephane 'my head is too small for my body' Dion just babbled on in English with his thick French accent about how badly the Conservatives are doing and about the benefits of his carbon tax and George Bush and how Harper can't be trusted. Well we don't trust you Stephane because we're not even sure that's your real head - so there.

Of course, Elizabeth 'no car no cellphone' May - well she wasn't even invited until last week so its kind of hard to take her seriously.

Poor Stephen 'bloodshot eyes' Harper looked like he hadn't slept in a month. He fidgeted a lot but I think I would too if I was being attacked by four others incessantly calling me everything from a coward to a liar. But hey - that' s the price of leadership. People always take shots at the leader because he's an easy target. When you have to lead and do what you think is best, someone will always think they can do it better. It's just the way it is. But Harper sounds like he genuinely cares about Canadians and he kept a cool head. I give him strong marks just for not popping Jack Layton in the nose and pushing little Stephane off his stool.

But that's just me.

Comfort Zones & Getting Out of Them

2008-09-17T20:39:00.000-07:00

In my lifetime I have come to a place of comfortable 'understanding' or, at the very least 'acceptance' about certain issues. Which is something that we do well in church circles isn't it? Draw a box and then jam people...or God...inside it. It helps us to maintain our nice, neat and tidy perception of how the Christian life should be.

But as I get older, I realize more and more that life is messy - and that messy life tends to blow up our neat little boxes and push us out of most of our comfort zones. I've realized too that this is not necessarily a bad thing. As a matter of fact, it is the opposite of that. It is good.

It doesn't always feel good. We call it being stretched. And when I think about being stretched the immediate image that is conjured up in my mind is that of Westley from the Princess Bride being stretched on a rack and ending up in quite a bad way. In the words of Miracle Max, "Look who knows so much, it just so happens that your friend here is only mostly dead."

I remember an organist in a church who we will call Frank who was the most talented organist I had ever heard play and who literally had a heart of gold. He loved God and the church and the work of God as much as anyone I had ever met. One day - a well meaning parishioner saw him driving in his car and smoking a cigarette (horror of horrors) and proceeded to call the Senior Pastor and some of the board members. Something needed to be done!

I am sad to say that instead of help, the church gave him an ultimatum. Quit smoking or stop playing the organ. He was hurt and left the church and you know what? I didn't blame him. Because try as I might I couldn't see how we could justify that kind of 'judgement' just because his visible habit that we didn't like made us uncomfortable. I was convinced that we likely had people on our worship teams that secretly struggled with lust or people teaching our Sunday school classes that were taking pens and construction paper home for their kids. But we didn't give them ultimatums because we didn't know about their 'sins'. We didn't want to know. We seldom ever do.

As long as we don't know, we can sell a bill of goods that says everything is great, life is fine, it's all good!

But when something becomes public and obvious - that's another story. 'Make an example out of them' we think. That way when someone else struggles with something similar, they will have the good sense to keep it to themselves. Because we want to maintain this facade that says nothing bad ever happens here.

Again from Princess Bride there is a great quote from Westley who said, "Life is pain, Highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something."

All of these thoughts were spurred by an article in our denomination's magazine The Pentecostal Testimony. It is an article about a young man who is in youth ministry who struggles with attractions and behaviours that are homosexual. And he has come to the conclusion that there is nothing he can do about it. It is how he was wired and he has to find a way to live with it. And so his approach is this. 'I can resist temptation and be celibate and not practice a homosexual lifestyle because I want to serve and glorify God in my life.'

But that idea doesn't fit into our neat and tidy approach to homosexuality does it? Though I'm not sure why. People who are heterosexual struggle with temptation all the time. We are all prone to sin and failure. And when heterosexual people are winning the battle with temptation and growing more mature in faith and practice, we celebrate their successes.

But someone who is homosexual we think needs to be healed. Suddenly it's not a process or a journey anymore for them - it is a crisis that needs solving, or at the very least that needs to go away.

I'm no expert on this stuff - and believe it or not I still have mixed feelings. I'm fairly sure I'm being stretched...and I want to be stretched some more so that I can work through some of my own issues. When it comes to our views of some of this stuff, we really do have to almost die in order to look at it objectively. Or at least become 'mostly dead'!

Crazy Kids!

2008-09-06T10:06:00.000-07:00

You've heard those expressions muttered barely audibly by someone in your circle at some point or other haven't you? 'Crazy Kids'...or 'What's wrong with kids these days?' Maybe you've muttered or at least mused something similar yourself. I have.

I stood in the Guidance Office at our local high school this week for about a half hour waiting. It was nuts in there. There were no chairs even though the receptionist twice told us to 'take a seat'. After her second rather curt instruction, I kindly pointed out there were no seats to be taken. About 30 students and a few parents were crammed into a reception area that might have been the size of my small family room and as a result, it was very cozy.

And because it was cozy, I overheard most, if not all, of the conversation. Most of it wasn't all that interesting - inane banter about course selections, timetables and teachers who were liked or disliked. It wasn't the subject matter of the conversations that caught my attention but rather the sprinkling of expletives and vulgarisms throughout. I even overheard at least two direct references to 'porno'. And this was in a controlled environment. I can't imagine what their conversations are like outside of one.

I live in a world that is relatively free from all of that but I'm not totally out of touch. I watch TV and I go to movies. I try and be selective enough about what I watch that I don't get overly exposed to that kind of language but you know as well as I do that there is hardly anything you can watch these days that doesn't have at least some. Video games now have swearing in them for goodness' sakes. Then there is the internet with it's vast array of 'freedom of speech and expression' that propagates every world view and influence imaginable - from religion to hedonism and everything in between.

It's no surprise our kids are confused and often don't know how to act. They have no sense of direction in their lives. They are influenced by this vast array of media and personal experience but often have no compass to get their bearings from. No wonder Solomon wrote "Where there is no revelation (vision), the people cast off restraint" (Prov. 29:18).

Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I believe that the solution lies in keeping the compass of the Word of God in front of our children so that they can build a framework that will bring some boundaries into their lives - some restraint if you will. As Christian parents, this should be our default.

And if Christianity is something that you don't value - it still wouldn't hurt for you to pick up a Bible and teach your kids some of the principles you find in there. Things like respect for authority and for parents, tolerance of people that aren't like you, integrity and honesty, kindness and compassion. Those are just a few for starters. What possible harm could there by in teaching your kids things like that?

These 'crazy kids' are going to be our leaders and influencers in just a few short years. Let's give them as much direction as we can while we have the opportunity. And remember...they learn the most from us by what they observe us doing, not by what they hear us saying. I know I could be better at this...I think we all could.

Todd Bentley, Michael Guglielmucci and Other Distractions in the Kingdom of God

2008-09-04T09:01:00.000-07:00

I have to admit first of all, that I am late to the fray in regard to these recent 'scandals' that have come to light recently in Christendom. Actually that isn't even totally accurate because I have no intention of getting involved in the fray. But I am late for a very good reason. I didn't hear anything about either of these 'scandals' until late last week. I guess that's because I rarely watch Christian TV (although I do confess to stealing a glance at the "Gaither Gospel Hour" once in a while...please don't judge me). I'm sure Christian television is a wonderful thing, but I just think that it is probably not for me. So I heard about all of this through some colleagues at work...and then proceeded to do my research online.

I do have a few random thoughts to share for what they're worth.

It really ticks me off when individuals who call themselves Christians - and even worse for people like me...who call themselves Pentecostal Christians - make up grandiose ruses in order to profit from others who are spiritually hungry and seeking more of the reality of God in their lives. I mean what's up with that? Kick people in the face and tell them God told you to do it so they can be healed? Or make up a sickness to cover up a different sickness and then sell millions of copies of the song you wrote about wanting to be healed from your sickness? This kind of thing makes me angry.

Like in the late eighties when Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart and Marvin Gorman were up to their antics and I had to defend myself everyday at work because my colleagues would say "Hey, you're one of those 'pentecostals' too, aren't you?"

The carnal human side of me is good to go! Just give me a reason. I will wade in to that discussion and offer all kinds of pious and theological reasons why these people went off the rails and what a travesty it is that they have led so many astray. And just when I think my loser-bashing ability is really ramping up, I hear the still small voice of the Spirit say to me "Judge not, or you will be judged". Oh man! God you just have a way of ruining all my fun don't you?

"Judge not, or you will be judged." And the spiritual part of me remembers that life is a struggle, and that God knows all of my little secrets and all of your little secrets and that none of us really possess the piety or the spiritual prowess to point fingers with our hands over our mouths in mock shock and horror. There, but for the grace of God...you know how it goes.

"Judge not, or you will be judged."

It doesn't mean I'm in agreement with the things any of these people did. I have strong opinions about those things. And it doesn't mean that I'm trying to hide anything either. It means I've made a decision. I've decided to let let God defend his own reputation and let Jesus defend his church. He will do a much better job than me anyhow. Like he needed my permission! And it means that I'm 'working out my own salvation with fear and trembling' - like all of us should be doing.

The Great Golf Debacle

2008-08-31T21:01:00.000-07:00

No. This is not an account of my last foray onto the links - although the title could often describe my golf game. No - this is a golf debacle of another sort.

You see - my wife and I purchased our 'brand-new pre-owned' 2001 Volkswagen Golf GLS TDI this past May and instantly fell in love with this little vehicle. It is in great shape and will go a million miles on a tank of fuel...seriously! There's one important thing you need to remember about owning a 2001 Golf TDI. It takes diesel fuel.

So last Thursday, in the middle of a very hectic day, I was on my way to yet another meeting when the fuel light came on in the car. I usually go to one of two stations in my area that are supposed to have the 'best' diesel fuel, however I was far enough away from both of them that I decided not to risk making it. I pulled into another station that I had never purchased diesel from before and was relieved to see the word 'Diesel' on the post at the end of a row of pumps with an arrow indicator pointing to the left. I quickly pulled around to the left side of that row of pumps, put $20 in the tank, grabbed my receipt and got back in the car. I turned the key and started the engine, put the car in gear and started to roll forward when I noticed a different pump at the other end of the row - a bright yellow pump with the word 'DIESEL' emblazoned on the side. I had put gasoline into my precious Golf TDI.

Thankfully, I had the presence of mind to immediately shut off the engine. At which point I began to have a minor meltdown. I was smart enough to know that you aren't supposed to put gas in a diesel engine but not informed enough to know exactly why. My mind began to race out of control. 'Had I ruined the engine? I'm such an idiot! How much is this going to cost? I can't afford a big repair bill right now. I'm such an idiot!'

I realized I couldn't leave the car there in front of the diesel pump forever - so I put the car in neutral, opened my door and with one hand on the wheel and the other pushing the door frame I managed to get the car moved away from the pumps and off by the side of the curb in the service station parking lot. I'm not sure I could do that again, but embarrassment it seems, is a powerful motivator. Things get a little fuzzy after that. I called a friend and he called a mechanic who said a bunch of stuff that basically translated to 'it's going to cost a fortune!' My friend came and got me and, with the station owners permission, I left the car there until I could figure out what to do.

When I got home - I remembered that my neighbour who sold me the car, had told me about an online forum for TDI owners. I typed in the web address and put 'gas by mistake' in the search window and one by one, threads kept popping up with details on people - lots of them - who had done the same thing as I had. Suddenly, I didn't feel quite so bad. More importantly, I got all kinds of information about how to fix the problem. Because I had managed to turn off the engine almost immediately after starting it, I was not in as much trouble as I thought. I committed the repair process to memory, and with my 18 year old son in tow, we set out to fix the car.

An hour or so later after all the fuel had been drained from the tank, we pushed the car back to the diesel pump - the bright yellow one I mentioned before - and pumped the right fuel in. I got behind the wheel, said a little prayer, and turned the key. She started right up like nothing had happened. I revved the engine for a few minutes - no issues. Then I took it out on the highway and really opened it up, just to make sure she wouldn't cough or sputter or run a little rough. Nothing - good as new. No problem at all. That was three days ago and she's still running great. And all it cost me was the $20 I paid for the gas.

So here is what I'm feeling. Humble...humiliated even. I am the one who always has things under control. I pride myself on not making mistakes. God really does have a sense of humour doesn't he? I am always bugging my wife and son about putting the right fuel in. And ironically enough, I just preached a message last Sunday about the sin of pride. Hmmm?

And grateful - incredibly thankful that I didn't have to pay a fortune to get the car fixed. I suspect that God somehow was the one who gave me the presence of mind to turn the engine off so quickly. And he was the one that stopped me from making a snap decision about getting the car towed to a mechanic and just being pulled along by the circumstance. Looking back, the quiet whisper of the Spirit was enough to make me stop and take the time to assess the situation and research the possible solutions before making a snap decision.

Sounds silly maybe - super spiritual? But I am convinced today more than ever that God is concerned about the very simple and mundane affairs of my life. Yours too! And if that's the case, we can all take heart because if he is that concerned about the simple stuff, imagine how concerned he is about the really big stuff.