Be Holy!

But Just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, for its written; "Be Holy because I am Holy." 

1 Peter 1:15-16

The series of messages that I have been working through has been called Weird: Because Normal isn't working.  The admonition to be holy is a call to be "different" or "set apart" from the world.  The reason we are to do this is because God is holy and we are to be like him.  What does holy look like?  Many of us have strange views of what holiness is, and sometimes we end up striving or moving towards something that may not be holiness at all.  The quandary that we end up in is how we can be holy without becoming legalistic.  Legalism is when spirituality becomes about do's and don'ts.  It is when we become judgemental of those who do not hold to the rules.  Instead of being a vibrant relationship, it becomes about outward adherence to a moral code.  I remember being confronting with this type of behaviour when I was younger.  I was told that I was going to hell because I played cards.  I was also told that I wasn't a Christian if I didn't vote Conservative in an election.  I think many of us in the Evangelical church have been affected by this time of thinking.  In many regards, it is easier to adopt a concept of holiness more closely aligned with the Pharisee's (the religious people of Jesus' time) than with Jesus. Undoubtedly Jesus was the most Holy man who ever walked on the planet and yet he lived in such a way that the religious people said he was a "friend of sinners".  In their minds he hung out with the wrong sorts of people.  Rebecca Manley Pippert summed it up so well in her book, Out of the Salt Shaker.

"But what do you do with a man who is supposed to be the holiest man who ever lived and yet goes around talking with prostitutes and hugging lepers?  What do you do with a man who not only mingles with the most unsavoury people but actually seems to enjoy them?  The religious accused him of being a drunkard, a glutton and having tacky taste in friends...Jesus was simply not your ideal Rotarian...It is a profound irony that the Son of God visited the planet and one of the chief complaints against him was that he was not religious enough."

 "The religious of his day were offended because he didn't follow their rules and traditions.  He was bold and outspoken.  He favoured extreme change and valued what they felt was insignificant, which was largely the "unlovely"... To say he was not the master of subtlety would be putting it mildly,,,I think Jesus would have been my last choice for a speaker at a fund raising drive.  Imagine a scene in which you would gather all the powerful leaders and religious elite so they could hear Jesus give a talk (such as Matthew 23)...When they are seated, Jesus comes out and his opening words are "You bunch of snakes,   You smell bad,  you're hypocrites and blind guides.  And I want to thank you for coming...."  It was not exactly a speech that endeared the Pharisees to Jesus, which was what the disciples pointed out when they told him with a sudden flash of insight, "we think you might have offended them."  But for those who loved Him he was equally exasperating.  He constantly kept smashing some of his own followers expectations of what the Messiah should do.  He simply did not fit there mold.  He did not try to,  They thought the Messiah would come in power and liberate Jerusalem...But the only power that Jesus demonstrated was the power of servanthood." 1

 Holiness is not a predictable journey.  It is a daily excursion into the unknown wildness that is His will.  Sometimes that journey will be removing things that are hindering us from conforming to His likeness.  Sometimes it will be stepping into places that we never would have imagined we would go.  Sometimes it will be learning to clothe ourselves with characteristics and traits that will make us more like Jesus. God is looking for our willingness to choose to be holy, because He is holy.

  Tim Hansel in his book Holy Sweat, has this wonderful poem describing the holy life.

The Road of Life

At first, I saw God as my observer,
my judge,
keeping track of the things I did wrong,
so as to know whether I merited heaven
or hell when I die.
He was out there sort of like a president.
I recognized His picture when I saw it,
but I really didn't know Him.

But later on
when I met Christ,
it seemed as though life was rather like a bike ride,
but it was a tandem bike,
and I noticed that Christ
was in the back helping me pedal.

I don't know just when it was
that He suggested we change places,
but life has not been the same since.

When I had control,
I knew the way.
It was rather boring,
but predictable . . .
It was the shortest distance between two points.
But when He took the lead,
He knew delightful long cuts,
up mountains,
and through rocky places
at breakneck speeds,
it was all I could do to hang on!
Even though it looked like madness,
He said, "Pedal!"

I worried and was anxious
and asked,
"Where are you taking me?"
He laughed and didn't answer,
and I started to learn to trust.
I forgot my boring life
and entered into the adventure.
And when I'd say, "I'm scared,"
He'd lean back and touch my hand.

He took me to people with gifts that I needed,
gifts of healing,
acceptance
and joy.
They gave me gifts to take on my journey,
my Lord's and mine.

And we were off again.
He said, "Give the gifts away;
they're extra baggage, too much weight."
So I did,
to the people we met,
and I found that in giving I received,
and still our burden was light.

I did not trust Him,
at first,
in control of my life.
I thought He'd wreck it;
but He knows bike secrets,
knows how to make it bend to take sharp corners,
knows how to jump to clear high rocks,
knows how to fly to shorten scary passages.

And I am learning to shut up
and pedal
in the strangest places,
and I'm beginning to enjoy the view
and the cool breeze on my face
with my delightful constant companion, Jesus Christ.

And when I'm sure I just can't do anymore,
He just smiles and says . . . "Pedal."

-- author unknown 2

Let's take up his call to be different and join the adventure of a Holy Life.

pj

1. Becky Manley Pippert, Out of the Salt Shaker (Downers Grove Ill.: Inter Varsity Press, 1979), 40-41

2 Tim Hansel, Holy Sweat (Dallas, Texas: Word Publishing, 1987) 51-53

Just the Beginning

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." Proverbs 9:10

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge" Proverbs 1:7

I am endeavouring to build a healthy lifestyle right now.  I have wanted to lose a few pounds and try and keep it off.  I am on day nine of my diet and actually have been quite successful.  By making some simple adjustments to my diet (no chips, pop and sweets) and better choices (salad instead of fries, drinking more water) I have lost 5 pounds in that period of time.  But there is another side to healthier living that I haven't touched yet and that is exercise.  My approach is very one sided at this time and I know that if I am truly interested in being healthy and not just being skinny, I need to be concerned about this other side of health. If I was to sum it up in a formula, it would look like this:

Healthy Eating + Exercise = A Healthy Lifestyle

  I began my faith journey in the 1970's.  It was the summer between grade eight and grade nine.  Our family became involved with some camp meetings put on by the United Church renewal fellowship at Carrick Camp just outside of Mildmay, Ontario.  One Sunday night they showed a film called a Distant Thunder, a part of a series of movies on the second-coming of Jesus.  It was the Left-Behind series of its time.  It was an all out scare you into the kingdom event.  I actually call my testimony, "Scared into the Kingdom".  I was filled with anxious dread about being left behind. I was fearful of having my head chopped off.  I didn't respond to the altar call, but later that night I couldn't sleep and asked Jesus into my heart in my parents bedroom.  

  As I began to grow in my knowledge of God and my relationship with Christ I became gripped with Christ's love and my fear quickly faded and was overshadowed by his overwhelming love for me.  It was fear that brought me to Christ, but it was His love that held me.  But now I am being pulled back again to fear.  Not the anxious dread of my teenage years, but to a deep sense of reverence and awe for God.  The reason is because if I do not have this, my understanding of God is built on a shaky foundation.

The writer of Hebrews states in Hebrews 12:29, "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful and worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire."  This fear is an essential part of faith in God.  Solomon after an incredible search to find purpose and meaning concluded that the number one priority in life is to "fear God and obey his commands" (Ecclesiastes 12:13).  He also states that fear of God is foundational, it is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge. 

  I remember reading an article a number of years ago, can't remember where it was, about the math it requires for NASA to launch a rocket into space.  It mentioned that a one degree error at launch would mean that it would be off course by over a 1000 kms by the time it hit the earth's atmosphere.  A mistake at the beginning can cause major variations in  a short period of time.  I think this is the point of Proverbs 9:10.  The Fear of God is the starting point of understanding His holiness, His greatness, His glory, His majesty, His judgement, His righteousness and all other things that make us realize how incredible God is.  If I am off on these things, I have the potential to skew my view of God and tailor it towards my preferences.  Instead of man being made in the image of God, I begin to make God in my image.  A proper view of God is essential to right thinking about everything.  If I was to some it up in a formula it would look something like this.

Love of God + Fear of God = Devotion to God

As Jerry Bridges says in his classic work The Practice of Godliness, "The fear of God should provide a primary motivation for, as well as result in, obedience to Him.  If we truly reverence God we will obey Him, since every act of disobedience is an affront to His dignity and Majesty." 1

"Fear God and serve Him only."  Deuteronomy 6:3

pj

1. Jerry Bridges, The Practice of Godliness (Navpress, 1983 p. 30)

The Missing Piece: Fear of God

My Dad just celebrated his 89th birthday.  I love to hear his stories, particularly the ones about World War 2 and his part in the Dutch underground and about his childhood in the Netherlands.  One of my favourites is his story about visiting the Queen of Holland.  He had been a part of a boys club and a select few had the opportunity to have tea with the Queen.  When they were serving tea, the sugar was in the form of cubes (you don't see sugar cubes very often any more).  The cubes were to be picked up with a set of small tongs.  My dad always had sugar in his tea, but he had it black that day. He didn't want to use the tongs so that no one could see how bad his hands were shaking.  He was keenly aware of the fact that he was in the presence of royalty.

  I am often reminded of this story when I am thinking about God.  He is the ultimate royalty.  He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.  I am aware of God's great love for me.  He loved me and you so much that he gave His only Son to die for us.  His love is infinite, the apostle Paul challenges believers to plumb the depths of God's love, to see how high, wide,  deep and long is the love of Christ (Ephesians 3:18).  He explains that nothing, absolutely nothing can separate us from His love. (Romans 8) He also tells us that His love is a compelling force to do His will. (2 Corinthians 5:14-15) But there is another half to this truth, God must also be feared.  We are to have a deep sense of reverence and awe.  the writer of Hebrews tells us, "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, because our God is a consuming fire."

 I remember the first time I saw what would be a consuming fire.  I was working in Jasper, Alberta at the Tramway for the summer and a small forest fire developed about 40 km's outside of the town.   It was contained, but still a sight to behold, trees would burn like torches.  I was laying on a grassy hill on the edge of town and as I watched the destruction I thought to myself, "I am glad I am looking at this from a distance."

  Sometimes I think we make God too manageable, too easy going, and too safe.  Maybe there should be like in my dad's story, a little bit more of the "shaking of the hand".

  In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe C.S. Lewis describes the first time the children hear about Aslan:

"is - is he a man?" asked Lucy

"Aslan a man!" said Mr. Beaver sternly.  "Certainly not.  I tell you he is the King of the wood and the son of the great Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea.  Don't you know who is the King of the Beasts?  Aslan is a lion, the Lion, the great Lion."

"Ooh," said Susan.  "I thought he was a man.  Is he - quite safe?  I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion."

"That you will, dearie, and make no mistake," said Mrs. Beaver; "if there's anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knowcking, they're either braver than most or else just silly."

"Then he isn't safe?" said Lucy

"Safe?" said Mr. Beaver; "don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you?  Who said anything about safe? Course he isn't safe.  But he's good.  He's the king I tell you." 1

Like Aslan, God is definitely not safe. He is to be feared with reverence and awe. To not have a little bit of trembling of the knees is foolhardy.  He is not safe, but God is very, very good.  Donald McCullough in his book The Trivialization of God says this about a God who is a consuming fire, "The blaze of holiness admits no disrespect; its,boundaries cannot be trespassed.  But this very distinctness is the fire that thaws our frozen hearts, the fire that draws us into a relationship with God and one another, the fire that cleanses even as it purges" 2

"Fear God and give Him glory"  Revelation 14:7.  And that is just the beginning...

pj

1 C.S. Lewis, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (London: Puffin 1950), p.75

2 Donald McCullough, The Trivialization of God (Colorado Springs: Nav Press 1995), p.87

  

85 Billion Dollars

I was reading the "Our Daily Bread" devotional this morning and it stated that in the United States and Canada, 85 billion dollars was spent last year on lottery tickets.  85 billion!  I can't even imagine those kind of figures.  Money spent with the hope that it will turn in to more money.

I never did real well with math when I was in school, but I wanted to take a shot at calculating what you could do with 85 billion dollars, if it was channelled in a different direction,

Just recently we had Jay Calder who represents Compassion of Canada speak to our congregation.  For the price of a cup of coffee from Tim Horton's you can support a child, feed them, clothe them, educate them and guide them to God through a relationship with Jesus Christ.

$1.60/day = $584.00 annually = 1 Child sponsored

$85 billion = 145,547,945 Children Sponsored

Gospel for Asia supports national missionaries to minister in their own environments.  It takes between $120 and $360 per month on average to support a national missionary.  For our math, let's take the higher figure.

$360.00/month =  $4,320.00 annually = One Missionary Supported

$85 billion = 19,675,926 national pastors supported.

I am aware that I am coming at this money from my bias.  Maybe you don't care about national pastors and children finding faith.  But my point is this, that amount of money could change the world drastically for the better.   I am pretty confident that 85 billion dollars can make a dent in a lot of major issues on our planet.  It could resource food banks, homeless shelters, camps, drug rehab centres and on and on.

Jesus talked about in Luke 12:48, "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked."  For some reason God has allowed us in North America to have much.  But because of that the demands on us are higher.

  I don't think God is pleased when we flitter away the resources he has given to us on the vain attempt of "instant wealth". I think God would be more pleased if we invested that money in what really matters, one dollar at a time.

pj

Time and Technology

I just got a new cell phone.  It's not the newest and the best, but in comparison to the one I had, it's way better.  The battery actually lasted all day.  My app updates don't fail because of lack of storage. I like it a lot. Technology is amazing!  I cannot believe what my phone is capable of, and that's just what I know.  It probably does way more than that.  For the couple years I have it, I hope it serves me well.  

 That last phrase is really the big question: Will it serve me or will I serve it?  Technology has a dark side.  The problem comes when our technology starts to control us, instead of us controlling it.  Really, it's not the phone or tablet's fault.  It is just metal, plastic, glass and whatever else it's made of.  There is nothing evil or dark about these things.  In many regards it reminds me of the Apostle Paul's words in 1 Timothy 6:10 when he talks about money, "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil,  Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs."  Sometimes people will say that money is evil.  Money is not evil, it's just paper (I guess polymer if you live in Canada) and metal. It's the love of money that makes it the root of evil. So, getting back to technology, it is not evil, but it's misuse can be extremely detrimental.

  It can be dangerously distracting.  I'm glad I live in Ontario and the government has made it illegal to use a phone will driving, but the problem is many continue to do so.  I love this commercial that Volkswagen has put out, it shows very clearly the danger.  

I have heard of people walking in to manholes, crashing bicycles, walking into walls, falling downstairs, falling into fountains and having to have surgery or physiotherapy because of physical ailments because of over use.  We are also just beginning to get the stats on the long term physical affects of phones on people.  But they can also easily move from being a dangerous distraction to just being a huge waste of time.

A 2009 study conducted by the Nielsen-funded Council for Research Excellence and by Ball State University’s Center for Media Design (Council for Research Excellence) According to this study, the average person spends twenty-eight hours in front of their television each week. This is in addition to the sixteen hours a week, on average, that we spend in front of our computers.

Okay, I'm not a mathematician.  Actually, I failed grade 11 academic/advanced math. But according to my calculations, if they are even close to being true, we spent 4.8 hours daily in front of a screen.  Some of that time is work related.  I am sitting on my computer right now.  It's a part of my job.  But a lot of times we end up wasting tons of time.  I love games, and I could waste my whole day playing Candy Crush, Trivia Crack, Battle Cats, Angry Birds, Scrabble and whatever other games are out there. I could watch sports or movies all the time.  These things aren't necessarily bad, but when they waste so much of our time, they can become a great detriment. Again the Apostle Paul has some great thoughts on this in Ephesians 5:15-18, "Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.  So then do not be foolish, but inderstand what the will of the Lord is.  And do not get drunk with wine...but be filled with the Spirit."

Paul warns them about the wasting of time and he picks an addictive behaviour as the thing that needs to be avoided.  The addiction he chooses is the misuse of alcohol, but the new addiction seems to be technology. I have seen teens weep and grief over broken technology and compare it to the loss of a child.  I have seen them have symptoms of withdrawl without their devices.  Paul says addictions are unwise and keep us from understanding God's will.  He says there is a better alternative...be filled with the spirit.

I found this prayer in a blog by Scotty Smith, the Pastor of Christ Comminity Church in Franklin, Tennesse, called a "Prayer for a Fresh Stirring and Filling of the Holy Spirit."  I was greatly moved by it and would encourage you to make it your prayer.

Prayer for a Fresh Stirring and Filling of the Holy Spirit

 One other problem that technology and just busyness in general does, is that it can rob you of the moment that you are in.  Almost all of us have experienced a time when they have seen someone so engaged with their technology that they were not even there.  I remember the first time I saw this.  I was at a restaurant and two people were having lunch, but instead of talking to each other they were on their phones while they ate.  They were not fully-present.  We need to try and live in the moment - be where we are.  How do you do that?  Let me give you three suggestions;

1. Turn it off.  Have technology free parts of your day.
2. Tune in.  Actively listen to what the person you are talking is saying.
3. Don't be in a hurry.  Many times we rush, because we think we should be doing something else.

Let your technology serve you, not the other way around.

pj

I Get Knocked Down

It has been four weeks since my last blog post.

It has been four really bad weeks.

Discouraging, difficult and depressing.

But it's time to get out of the mud and keep pressing on.

Is life any better?  Not really.

Is life really that bad?  Probably not as bad as I think it is.

In life I will get knocked down.  It is just a part of life.  But I will determine to give Glory to God in the midst of whatever I am going through.  By God's strength I am getting back up again.

Onward and Upward

One Another Scriptures from the New Testament

This is an infographic from
http://overviewbible.com/one-another-infographic/

I thought it did an excellent job of highlighting all the "One Another" scriptures in the New Testament. Thanks to Jerry Kranz for making this available.

Good News and Bad News

I have good news and bad news.  Which do you want first?  I have often heard that if you want to develop a new habit that it will take 21 days.  If I do this new pattern for that period of time it will become like second nature to me. I have also heard that the principle also applies to removing negative habits as well. If I remove a bad habit for 21 days, it will be permanently removed from my life.  The bad news is that it is not true.  There is no scientific evidence to back this up.  In Michael Hyatt's blog called "This is Your Life" in his post "How to Make a New Habit Stick" he says this:

It turns out the twenty-one day "rule" is a myth with practically no scientific basis.  If we're trying to do something simple and easy, it might work...acquiring complex of challenging habits will probably take us a lot longer.

How long? 

Researchers at University College tracked people attempting to form different types of new habits.  Instead of three or four weeks, they found it took an average of sixty-six days for new habits ti become automatic.  And they projected that some would take more than 250 days.  (For the rest of Michael Hyatt's article click on this link http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=52d5c7778a3adfda535c3b349&id=bd07e0be63&e=0852842c2a )

 Now, this stat, you are probably saying is two things: depressing and unspiritual.  The first one you are right, it can be a little discouraging.  Two months to almost a year seems like a long time to develop good habits, but I have found it to be generally true in my experience.  The second idea is the one we often struggle with.  It seems almost unspiritual to have to work for such an extended period of time to establish good spiritual habits so I can be a disciple of Christ.  Shouldn't I just be zapped from above with this noble desire?  In some areas of my spiritual journey I have been waiting for this divine zap for an extended period of time, and it hasn't come.  If it has happened to you, God has empowered you in this way, revel  in it.  Thank God for it. For the rest of us, the call will be to show discipline.  It's interesting that the word "disciple" and "discipline" come from the same root word.  Basically implying that being a disciple of Jesus requires discipline.  I shared this comic in my message, a couple weeks ago, because its message is poignant.

Being a disciple of Jesus requires discipline.  The bible uses another term for the ability to be able to discipline yourself on the spiritual journey.  It is self-control.  The Apostle Paul in his list of  characteristics that should be evidenced in the spiritual life, he calls them fruit of the Spirit, included self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23).  Self-control is the ability, by the help of the Spirit, to control or discipline ourselves so we can move towards maturity.

 We live in a very instant society.  We buy things and then we pay for them later. We wait impatiently for food to come out of a microwave. We are always trying to find ways of fast tracking everything.  The problem is spiritual maturity takes time, energy and self-control. In many regards I see self control as the "lost fruit" of our society.  We find it very difficult to wait for anything.  Especially in the areas of spirituality, when the rewards come slowly and are sometimes a little bit more ethereal.

Now, you are  probably thinking, you said there was good news...I don't see any good news yet.  The good news is that God wants us to move towards maturity and to become more like Christ. God is also faithful to complete the work that he begins in you. (Philippians 1:6)  You will develop and grow if you do not give up (Galatians 6:9).

 Let me give you a few baby steps that we can do in order to start growing in this area.

1. Write down your growth area and a goal that you like to move towards.  What area does God want you to grow and mature in? Let's say it's reading your Bible- that's your growth area.  The goal is that you will read your Bible for ten minutes while you drink your coffee in the morning. 

2. Pray something like this "God, I know you have called me to grow in (insert your area of growth) would you help me to have the self-control to do this."

3. Give Yourself Grace.  Don't beat yourself up if you mess up.  You are going to make mistakes, but the important thing is to keep trying and don't slip back in to old patterns

4. Don't Try to Do Too Much.  I started writing down all the growth areas and goals I wanted to accomplish and I just about wanted to quit.  I had to pull back and set some limits or I would have become overwhelmed and done nothing instead.  Small incremental change is what God wants us to move towards.

5. Keep Growing.  Keep moving ahead.  The temptation is to plateau and stop growing.  God always has new areas he wants us to mature in.

So, there it is!  The bad news is that change often takes longer than we would want.  The good news is that by God's help and the development of self control, change is possible.

pj

I Surrender 10%

If you go to the grocery store you will see a myriad of lite products.  Most of the products make promises that they will have all the flavour and half the calories or something to that extent.  Many times I have been disappointed with these products and they have not lived up to their billing.  I remember I once bought a lite margarine and tried making some grilled cheese sandwiches with it.  It just made the bread soggy and it stuck to the frying pan.  Now, I know not all these products are bad, but generally I have found them to be a pale substitute of the original.

  Sometimes, on my spiritual journey I have tried to live a lite version of faith in Jesus Christ.  All the benefits and rewards of being in a relationship with Him, without too much cost.  The theme song of this group would be "I Surrender 10%"

Ten Percent to Jesus I surrender.
A little bit I grudgingly give
I will sort of love and trust him,
In his presence, when I have time.

Ten Percent to Jesus I surrender.
Might give a Sunday all to Thee
Worldly pleasures partially forsaken
But, I want your blessings to fall on me.

I surrender ten percent
I surrender ten percent
Ten percent to Jesus I surrender
I surrender ten percent.

Jesus was pretty clear on the kind of commitment that he was looking for from his followers.  It was his radical call it this area that really thinned the ranks, because it was really a call to die.  The famous German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer said it this way, "When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die."

  The apostle Paul expressed this in Romans 6:11 when he says, "Count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus."  He goes on and reiterates the same thought in Galatians 2:20, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me."

David Nasser in his book A Call to Die challenges his readers to answer this question, ""Will you make the effort to find your tailor-made call to die?"

  Listen to what he writes:

The call to die is open to all of us who believe, but few of us will follow when we know the real cost of discipline.  It's much easier to be a nice Christian than a radical one.  It's much more fun to be entertained by Jesus and the church than to struggle and strain in the pursuit of purity and the presence of God.  No, the call to die is not for everybody - only for those who are serious about experiencing the greatest adventure that life has to offer.  If you choose to answer that call, you will be in for some very hard moments, but take heart: it's well worth it in the end.  "He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:6)*

We are trying to move as a church to be disciples who make disciples.  But I think the issue you and I need to confront if we want to do this is,  have I counted the cost (like Jesus asked us to do) and am I going to really be a disciple of Christ?

Jesus met a man who was keen on being a follower and he wanted to know what he had to do.  He wanted to know what he was signing up for - the bottom line.  Jesus knew his heart and saw that the number one thing that was going to hinder him in following Christ was his stuff.  So, he told the man - sell it all.  Scripture tells us that he left Jesus a sad man, because he couldn't do it.

Jesus meets us and the same way.  He looks at your heart and finds the one thing that is standing in the way of us being a fully-committed disciple of him.  He tells us to let that one thing go.  It may be the one thing from scripture, the letting go of our money and possessions, it may be our security, it may be our plans, it may be a relationship or it may be something else.  But Jesus knows what it is, and so do you.  He tells us to let it go and follow Him.  Could this be part of the reason depression is rampant in the church?  Could this be the reason we feel so unfulfilled in our activities?  We have been confronted with Jesus' call of discipleship and we have walked away sad.

Jesus will never be content with a lite-commitment to him.  He will never be satisfied with a 10% surrender to him.  He likes the original version of the song - ALL to Jesus I surrender.

John

* David Nasser; A Call to Die Copyright 2000 Redemptive Art Publishing pg.17
http://www.amazon.ca/Call-Die-Journey-Fasting-Feasting/dp/097924790X

The Rubik's Cube and the Bible

I got my first Rubik's cube when I was in Grade 8, way back in 1978.  They were all the rage back then. I played with it until it was stolen on a field trip in grade nine.  I find in interesting to see the resurgence of interest in these toys again.  I often see young people spinning this cubes gracefully in their hands, solving the 3D combination puzzle with what looks like the skill of a mathematician.  

 When they first came out there was really only a few ways to figure it out.  You worked at it till you got it, you bought a book to learn how or you found someone who had figured it out and they taught you. We had no Internet or you tube to help us solve this dilemma,  it took an investment of time.  I am embarrassed to say, it has been over 30 years since I got that first Rubik's cube and I have never, not once, solved the puzzle.  I toyed with this game, but I never became a master of it.  The question that I ask myself periodically is, "Could I have mastered this puzzle?"  I mean really master it, not taking the stickers off and putting them back on like some people did.  You know who you are and we know you cheated!  The answer I believe is a resounding yes.  My excuses are that I didn't have the proper tools, it was too hard, someone stole my cube (The fact that I mentioned this twice probably shows I'm still ticked off about this) and eventually I just lost interest.

  On Sunday, we talked about another one of the principles of the Way of Jesus, that we are to learning the teachings of Jesus,  The main place to be learning the teachings of Jesus is in God's Word: the Bible.  I sometimes see comparisons between my treatment of God's word and my Rubik's cube.  I have been reading my Bible since I was a teenager.  Even though I have attended Bible College, I feel like I have toyed with God's Word more than I have become a master.

 2 Timothy 2:15, known as the AWANA verse at our church, because it is that ministries theme verse and where it derives its name: Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed, encourages us to: "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the truth."  If you have seen someone who is good at a Rubik's cube, you know they can correctly handle it.  The spin and turn with a confidence that is amazing to watch.  For those of us who are followers of Jesus, we should be handling God's word with the same kind or expertise and precision.  Or as the modern vernacular puts it,  "Handling it like a boss!"

  The writer of Hebrews tells us that the passage of time should be moving us deeper in our understanding of scripture, so much so that we should be teachers of this biblical knowledge to others. (See Hebrew 5:11-14).  The writer notes that often times though, we remain novices instead of moving towards maturity and mastery

  In order to move in that direction it is going to take a commitment of time, energy and application.  We are going to have to commit to daily getting in to God's Word.  We can not just merely toy with the Bible either, it is going to takes some dedicated effort on our behalf.  We also need to realize that studying God's word is not merely an academic, knowledge-based pursuit, it always needs to be working itself out in the context of real life.  Some of us through time have started to use my excuses that I used for not being good at the Rubik's cube and have lost interest in God's word.  Let's pray that God rekindles a new desire for learning the teachings of Jesus.

  Last week, a man set a new world record by solving 5 Rubik's cubes, with one hand in 1 minute.  You can check out the video at the following link

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-03/rubiks-cube-world-record/6278176

Just imagine what the church would be like if we could handle the Word of God with that same type of competency.

John
 

Pressing On!

 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on 

to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider 

myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and 

straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which 

God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.  

Philippians 3:12-14 

One of my favourite movies is called, "A Knights Tale".  One particular scene has the main characters travelling down a lonely road, when they come upon Geoffrey Chaucer walking past them.  Chaucer is not wearing any clothes* because he has lost them all gambling. They ask him what he is doing and he responds that he is "trudging".  They don't seem to understand what he is saying so he clarifies it for them by defining it, "To trudge:  the slow, weary, depressing yet determined walk of a man who has nothing left in life except the impulse to soldier on."

 Have you ever had a day you were trudging through?  I know I have. Sometimes life can be difficult and hard.  There are certain circumstances that you hope when you wake up the next morning they won't be there. It could be a health issue, a loss, or a difficult life situation, but most times although we want them to go away, they remain.  

I think the Apostle Paul did as well, except he didn't the trudge days, he would have called them "Pressing On" days.  They are similar, but with a couple marked differences.  Paul was the one who wrote the above words in Philippians, and from what I have read about him, his "pressing on" days they were pretty extreme.  Listen to what he says in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28, "I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again.  Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea,  I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers.  I have laboured and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.  Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches."  

  If I was him, I  would have been picking up my toys and going home.  Paul was not merely trudging or soldiering on, he was determining to press on.  I have often thought if there was a person I would like to interview or chat with it would be Paul.  I'd want to talk to him about his hardships and whether it ever crossed his mind to just pack it in.  In some regards, these verses in Philippians are that interview. I want to take a little bit of literary license and do that interview.

John: I'm so please to be speaking to the Apostle Paul today.  A man who formally persecuted the church, who miraculously came to faith and believe in Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus and now is the father of missions to the Gentiles in the known world.  It's great to have you with us.

Paul:  Thanks for having me, we've been praying that God would give us some open doors for Christ's message.

John: I thought we'd talk a little bit today about some of the difficulties you have endured.  I know if I would have went though any of the stuff you have gone through I would have packed it in.  How do you do it?

Paul:  First, it's not me at all, I can only do anything because of Christ's strength working through me. Sometimes people look at me and think because of all the stuff I've been through that I am somehow a Super Follower of Christ.  Last time I checked I don't have an "S" on my chest.  I am on a journey just like them.  I am not perfect, I have not arrived.  Everyday I get up and I put my cloak on like everyone else.  Everyday is a new day, but the great thing is that God's grace is sufficient for me and you.

John:  But it must be hard, when you have run into so many difficulties...

Paul:  Of course it is, There were some circumstances that I thought this is more than I can handle.  My colleagues and I were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life.  In our hearts we felt the sentence of death.  But this happened for a specific reason, we learned not to rely on ourselves, but on God.

John:  So instead of caving in, you learned to depend on God?

Paul: I learned this lesson a long time ago, when I am at the end of my strength and resources, that's when God shows up in power.  When I am weak - then He is strong.  I'm not going to lie to you, I have some really good ministry skills.  God has equipped me with lots of great tools and competencies in order to do what I do, but I consider all that stuff garbage in comparison to knowing Christ and having his power.

John: So, what's your word to people who are at the end of their resources?

Paul: Press on!  Keep pressing on!  You will reap a harvest if you don't give up.  Your work and your labour is not in vain, but you have to keep pressing on.  You will truly be amazed at what is available to you if you just keep straining ahead.  I have found joy unspeakable, peace that passes understanding, sufficient grace, strength in time of need, a God who is faithful and so much more.

John: What would be your final words of advice?

Paul:  I always love using the imagery of athletics, because most of us can relate to it.  In order to win in sport it takes incredible focus. Training can be arduous and it takes discipline,  and when you don't feel like doing it, do it any way. Press on!  In life and ministry I want to run to win and there are many days you just want to give up.  Don't!  There is incredible power in focus.  Fix your gaze on Jesus and this one thing you need to do - forget what is behind and strain ahead.  Press on!

I need to be reminded of this daily.  I love the words of Bob Dylan's song "Pressing On" off of his "Saved" album.  I'm not sure if he is still following the words of his song, but I know I want to.

Well I'm pressing on
Yes, I'm pressing on
Well I'm pressing on
To the higher calling of my Lord

Many try to stop me, shake me up in my mind
Say, "Prove to me that He is Lord, show me a sign"
What kind of sign they need, when it all comes from within
When what's lost has been found , what's to come has already been?

Well I'm pressing on
Yes, I'm pressing on
Well I'm pressing on
To the higher calling of my Lord

Shake the dust off of your feet, don't look back
Nothing can hold you down, nothing that you lack
Temptations not an easy thing, Adam given the devil reign
Because he sinned I got no choice, it runs in my vein.

Well I'm pressing on
Yes, I'm pressing on
Well I'm pressing on
To the higher calling of my Lord

Pastor John

* Note: in this scene of the movie there is some nudity, so viewer discretion advised.

, 

Jesus, Love and Social Media

Social Media and the Internet in general is an interesting place.  We have access to a plethora of  information.  We also have available to us more opinions on that information than we know what to do with. Particularly Social Media gives everyone a soapbox.  Currently, I am trying to establish my own little soapbox through this blog.  I am trying to guard it from becoming a place where I spew venom and hate.  It is easy to focus on the negative.  I had this epiphany moment the other day.  I was picking up a wet towel off the floor, that one of my teenagers had left stuffed behind the door in the bathroom.  I usually yell at whoever I think is the guilty party and tell them to pick it up and couple it with the phrase that they never pick up after themselves.  Sometimes, they blame me for their lack of follow through.  The will say something like, "I hung it up yesterday and you never noticed." And so they conclude why bother.  As I hung up the towel, I thought to myself, "why don't I notice good behaviour more?" I concluded that good behaviour is harder to notice, because for the most part we think it should be the norm.  The negative, in contrast, screams out for attention.  It is much easier to point out the negative than it is to lovingly respond to a situation.

  It is easy to be a hater.  There is lots in our society to hate and be mad at.  Social Media gives you an opportunity to express your opinion forcefully to anyone and everyone who will listen.  You can do it very simply as well, for the most part you don't even have to think.  I find someone else, who has expressed my opinion and I share it,  Click, click and it's done. You can spout off opinions on current movies, you can vilify non-vaccinators, you can say we need to wipe out the infidels before they wipe us out, and on and on.  You may even think that your opinion is right and you might be.  The problem is that even truth, if it is not expressed within the context of love can be hurtful, divisive and judgemental.  

  There were a couple groups of people in scripture deeply committed to discovering and living out truth.  They were the teacher's of the law (Jewish) and Pharisees.  They were both groups that very serious about sin and holiness, but Jesus recognized their potential to become haters.  John chapter 8, in the Bible, tells of an interaction that Jesus has with them.

At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. 

9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 
11 “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

  In this passage of scripture Jesus interacting with some haters.  They wouldn't have considered themselves to be such.  They would have thought themselves to be concerned about the well-being of society.  Whatever the case, the mob had formed, and they had all grabbed their stones.  I always think it is funny that they only bring one individual to Jesus for the sin of adultery, a sin you can't commit by yourself,  but that is a story for another day. From a scriptural standpoint, the crowd is right.  Adultery is a sin, punishable by death by stoning; that was the truth.  So, they  had picked up there stones of  judgement and were ready to let them fly.  They are just waiting for the word, but Jesus is interested in something different, something deeper.  He desires to express love in this instance. He sees what is truly important and valuable.

  In a moment of sheer brilliance, he shifts the crowds focus away from the woman and the crime, to their own behaviour and personal responsibility.    He tells the crowd, after doodling in the sand, that if they have no sin they can throw the stones.  Thankfully they all realized , that no one then has the right to throw a rock.  Jesus then steps in and helps minister to a person, a real human being with real feelings ,emotions and needs.

 Social media posts can be like rocks.  They can be full of judgement, often times mixed with hate and/or indifference.  The individuals who receive these posts are real people, with real needs.  Jesus taught that are guiding principle was to be love.  Our words and actions are to be loving.  So much so, that the world should know that we are followers of Jesus, by our love for one another.

So before you post that article, before you share that opinion or before you express that thought, ask yourself this question is that a stone in your hand or is that love in your heart?

   

I am Learning

I have often said, "I wish I knew as much as I thought I did when I was 19".  If we were to go back and time and meet with that younger version of me.  He would probably tell you that the 50 year old version of himself,  will be fully mature, a spiritual giant, and a world changer.  I think the other thing he would have said is that he would have arrived.  He was wrong.

  The more I moved along the spiritual journey,  the more I realized how much further I had to go.  I had not arrived.  In many regards the destination seemed a greater distance away.  It was like someone had flipped the telescope and everything seemed a little more out of reach.

  A number of years ago I read Larry Crabb's book, Inside Out.  I don't remember much about the book except for one idea.  He expressed the idea that spiritual maturity is not so much about arriving at a destination, but about the process or the journey.  His key idea, or at least it was to me, was that along the path of maturity is often just a deeper awareness of how much further you need to go.

As we have gone through this series of messages on the Way of Jesus, all the statements have an "ing" word in them like - following, being, learning, helping and participating.  It's interesting to note that three of the seven statements have the word learning.  We are to be life-long learners.

Charles Swindoll tells a story of being picked up at the airport on one of his many speaking engagements.  His driver that day was an older man that he had known for years. Chuck was making pleasantries and asked the man how he was doing.  He was expecting some of the typical answers that people give like: "I'm fine, how about you?" or "Good, thanks for asking".  But the elderly man's response surprised him, it was, "I'm learning and growing".

I like that.  It serves as a reminder to  me that as I am following Jesus and I am being sent to bless others, I am always learning.  Learning to be like Jesus.  Every morning when I wake up, class starts again, Jesus and His word are my teachers, The classroom is life, and the curriculum he uses is wide an expansive.  Jesus sends me lessons every day through people, and circumstances. If you were to ask me how I'm doing, the answer is "I am learning and growing."

Crashing Reality

I waited a week to write this post.  I wanted to be in a better frame of mind.  If I would have written it last week it would have been too raw and harsh.  Even as I reflect on last week, I can feel a heaviness returning to my chest. I have to breath more deeply to try and lift the weight, as if filling my lungs with air will some how relieve the pressure.  It doesn't.

  I left my office last Tuesday after writing my blog post and I know this is going to sound vain, but I thought it was pretty motivational.  I was excited about being a follower of Jesus and I was ready to follow Him (no turning back, no turning back).  Then I got home.  The sight of my garbage cans at the end of the driveway, sent a twinge of resentment in to my stomach.  I thought to myself, "Why can't anyone else bring the garbage cans in?"  As I dragged the garbage cans in, I started having a bad conversation with myself, then I walked in the door.  I was met with a horrible smell.  The unmistakable stench of popcorn that has been burnt in the microwave.  I know this smell well.  Once when the kids were younger we had left our kids with a babysitter and one of them had put a bag of popcorn in the microwave for 10 minutes.  By the time the babysitter discovered it, the smoke alarms had gone off and the bag had burst into flames.  I had to replace that microwave because the smell wouldn't go away.  It smelled similar to that time.

  On top of that, it was in the middle of exams, so all the kids were home and they have friends over.  The house is more of a disaster than normal.  I trip over all the coats, shoes and backpacks at the door.  I make my way to the kitchen, because I have my hands full of groceries so I can make supper that night.  I can't set them on the counter because it is completely covered in dirty dishes.  I start to get supper prepared and I also try and get some Christmas decorations that are in Rubbermaid bins out to the shed.  It is near the end of January and I still don't have my Christmas stuff away.  The kids watch me put the decorations away.  No one offers to help.  I am feeling very frustrated, angry and a general sense of pity for myself.  I  then go pick up my wife from work, while supper simmers on the stove.

  We come home and start to have supper.  One of the kids doesn't like what I've made and asks if there is something else they can eat.  I'm almost ready to pop and then, over dinner a huge argument breaks out.  Voices are raised.  Inappropriate words are spoken.  I want to run.

After supper as I reflect with a cup of coffee, I think about my now almost forgotten desire to follow Jesus.  Was it only 3 hours ago when I had so passionately committed myself to following Him?  I thought to myself, "What happened?"  I knew right away - life happened.  I call them "Crashing Realities". I think it's a term I came up with.  So, I guess I can define it the way I want.  A crashing reality is when your expectations come face to face with your reality. I found this picture which I think Canadians will understand that describes the dilemma so well.

I had a certain expectation of what following Jesus was going to be like and my reality seemed to be nothing like the image I had at all.  I'd like to tell you that at that moment I pulled out of it, I renewed my focus and all was good.  It wasn't.  I was depressed for the rest of the night.  It took me a couple of days to get back to some sense of normalcy.

  I am learning some things about following Jesus.  One of the key pieces is that it has to be real.  The anvil on which we will be working this stuff, is often in the not-so-pretty parts of our lives.  My temptation will be to quit, to run, to get depressed or overwhelmed.  At that point I need to remember  that, "His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by His own glory and goodness." 2 Peter 1:3

God has given me the power to follow Him, even in the difficult times.  You may think my problems are petty and insignificant in comparison to yours and you are probably right.  Many people are walking through some storms that I can't even begin to fathom how hard it must be for you.  But the principle stays the same, no matter the magnitude of your difficulty.  God will help you to follow him, even in the hardest moments you encounter, in your "crashing realities."

  Maybe that's the point.  If we only follow Jesus when it is easy, convenient and when the sailing is smooth, is that really following Jesus at all?

 

Discover your Mission Now

I mentioned in my message a resource that would expand the principles that we learned on Sunday.  It is called "Discover Your Mission Now" by David Ferguson. It has a lot of helpful information in order to help us to BLESS those in our lives and community.

Here is the link to the reource

http://www.emcc.ca/upload/files/1/docs/site1/Event%20Documents/Discover%20Your%20Mission_V3.pdf

The Way of Jesus: Following Jesus - Faith and Inertia

Paul Tournier the famous Swiss Physician and Counsellor wrote, "The greatest tragedy in life is that most people spend their whole lives indefinitely preparing to live."   I think he must have been thinking of me when he said that.  I have spent a lot of time, thinking that when I reach a certain point in my life or when I accomplish a certain amount things I will follow Jesus the way that I feel I should be.  But really we need to decide to follow Jesus and then start following Jesus.

  It has been many years since I took Physics in high school.  I can't remember much of anything, except for three things: my teachers name was Mr. Stocovaz (I thought it was a cool name), that my mark wasn't very good, and the principle of inertia.  The principle of inertia states that objects in motion have a tendency to stay in motion and the opposite: objectives that aren't moving will stay not moving.  Take a train for instance, if a train is fully stopped,  you could take a couple of wood blocks and jam them under the wheels and it would have a very difficult time getting started and moving forward.  Take that same train when it is travelling at 80 -100 km an hour, not only would a small block of wood not effect it, it would have enough momentum to be able to crash through reinforced steel.

Tim Hansel in his book Holy Sweat says this "Our lives are controlled by inertia.  If we are living life with a block of wood holding us in place, we tend to stay there.  But just as in physics, if we are put into motion, we tend to stay in motion."  God wants us to be in motion.  He wants us to follow Him.

The idea of faith forward momentum is a concept encouraged by some New Testament writers.  Paul wrote in Philippians 3:13-14, "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."   He uses words like straining and pressing to describe his movement on the spiritual journey. Theologian Homer Kent sums up Paul's thinking with this statement: "Spiritual Progress is ever the imperative Christians must follow."    or put even simpler: Only Forward!   The Apostle Peter adds a little bit more to Paul's thinking when he talks about some of the qualities that are essential on the spiritual journey like faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, love and perseverance. He then tells his readers in 2 Peter 1:8, "If you posses these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."  To summarize Peter, we are more easily directed if we are moving and growing.  A docked boat is hard to turn.  A bike on it's kickstand stays where it is.  God wants us to get moving.  As we move forward we are more easily directed and used by God and the skills that we a gaining on our journey are more effective.

  Oswald Chambers in his classic devotional, My Utmost for His Highest uses the phrase "reckless abandonment" to describe the life of faith we are called to:

"Faith is the heroic effort of your life.  You fling yourself in reckless confidence on God.  God has ventured all in Jesus Christ to save us.  Now he want us to venture our all in abandoned confidence in Him."

Let's not just prepare to follow Jesus - Let's follow Jesus.

The Way of Jesus - Rethink the Way You Live

On Sunday, we introduced what is going to be our theme for the next number of weeks at Callander Bay Church: The Way of Jesus.  We are looking at simple language to describe our journey with Jesus.  As a community we are endeavouring to respond to Jesus' call to "Follow Him".  We are growing in our understanding of what it means to do this.  

Like 7-strands of rope, this description is

• Simple
• Memorable
• Transferable, and most of all
• Practical to work with everyday life

As I spoke on Sunday, I left you with an assignment: "To rethink the way you live"  Most of us are quite habitual in the way we live.  We do a lot of the same things over and over again.  We are on cruise control or stuck in a rut.  The apostle Paul gave the same challenge in Ephesians 5:15-17 he tells his readers,

"Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.  Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is."

Be very careful how you live.  It seems we have an option, we can live wisely, which in this context is carefully.  Or we can live unwisely, which means to not make the most of opportunities.  Pay attention to the details, or maybe I should say, let God into the details.  Really discipleship or following Jesus is not about adding more things into your life,  it is letting Him into the things you are already doing, it's about how you live.  So, the encouragement is to think about what you are doing.  To ask yourself why you are doing it.  And probably most importantly in light of  following Jesus what should I be doing?  We are all on a journey.  It's what you do on the journey that matters.

  I shared on Sunday, a moment of epiphany I had many years ago.  God revealed to me while I was brushing my teeth, that I was more disciplined then I was admitting.  The fact that I brushed my teeth twice a day, every day, was God's reminder that I could, as Paul wrote to Timothy, "Train myself in godliness." (1Timothy 4:8).  This morning I was brushing my teeth, like I always do, and I was challenged by my own message (Don't you hate when that happens! Ha!).  I was staring in the mirror at myself and I thought how could I invite God to be a part of this moment.  The thought that popped in my head was, "pray for your kids".  So, I did.  Then the moment was gone and I continued with my day.  It was not an earth shattering moment.  It wasn't that challenging, but the message was very clear to me.  I have lots of opportunities during my day to invite God into what I'm doing, but most of the time I am too busy or too distracted or just not even thinking about it.  My challenge to you and me is: Think about it.

  It seems the Apostle Paul  thinks that if we live in this way, we will discover something.  Miracle of miracles, we will understand what God's will is.  We will know what to do as we go on this journey we call life.  Sounds good to me!

John

Getting Started

One of my favourite quotes has been from Woody Allen who said "80% of success is showing up."  Today is the day, I show up in blogging.  I have made a couple attempts at blogging in the past, but they were a little vague in purpose.  This one I hope will be a little more succinct in its direction.  It is a blog mainly for the people of Callander Bay Church, the church that I serve as Pastor.   If others get something from it - bonus.

Most weeks I preach a message in the Sunday Morning service.  But there is very little room for interaction, discussion and the developing more deeply into concepts talked about.  This is a forum for that.  It is also a place where I can help with our motto at Callander Bay Church, which is Helping Families Navigate Life.  In this confusing world we often feel like this road sign.

It is my hope that we can help people to be able, with God's help, get them spiritually through the day.

Pastor John