Been thinking about …. The changing face of our nation.

This past week I attended an excellent seminar on the challenges facing young people in our country, the task of raising up godly young leaders and the changing face of culture in Canada. One of the statistics that caught my ear was the fact that just over 47% of Canada’s population are within two generations of immigrating here i.e. they are first generation immigrants of the children of those immigrants.

That fact is not really a surprise in many ways, because this has always been a country that welcomed others with open arms. The fact that made me think was that most of the immigrants are from non-European countries. That by itself is not a bad thing. God loves diversity and he has made a wondrous array of cultures, all of whom have their own art, music, language and more.

It does present a challenge for the church. We are used to being a very homogeneous culture (usually Caucasian) and to doing ministry within the confines of that culture. How will we react to doing ministry to these other ethnic groups?

All people are created in the image of God. People of every ethnic and cultural persuasion need the saving grace of Jesus. How do we minister to the people of these cultures? What elements of the gospel are non-negotiable? What elements of the way we do church are culturally conditioned? What can we embrace or reject and stay true to the mandate that Jesus gave us to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 (ESV)

The mission field is no longer content to sit and await us on the shores of some exotic land. The Lord is bringing it to our doors. How will we react? Will we embrace the opportunity with enthusiasm or we will cower in our little ethnocentric fortresses? Do we truly believe that the gospel if for all people of all cultures of all ages? If we do believe that how will we live it out?

I don’t have the answers, but if we do not begin to recognize the opportunity and embrace it, we might be forced to sit on the sidelines and watch as God works without us. God’s plans will not be thwarted by churches who fail to get on board with Him, but we can easily miss the blessings He offers to those who follow in obedience.

The world is coming to our doors and they need Jesus. Will we welcome them?

Be blessed

Hallelu Yaw – Yee Haw

Kevin

I thought I would throw an obscure word at you this afternoon. I ran across it  and had to head to the dictionary to find out what it meant. It turns out that nepenthe is a mythical concoction, the name of which literally means “the one that chases away sorrow”. There has been plenty of speculation over the years about its true nature, but is believed by many to have its roots in an opiate like drug used by ancient Egyptian royalty.

A drug that causes you to forget your sorrow. There is no shortage of promised nepenthe on the markets today.

Drugs (illegal and prescribed), alcohol, possessions and more promise to chase away the sorrow and might even seem to work … for a while. The problem is that the dosages must be adjusted ever upwards in an effort to numb the pain because the root of the pain has not be removed.

Some people resort to things like self mutilation to numb the pain. “Cutters” cut or burn themselves in an effort to “feel” something. Ironically it is not that they do not feel. It is that the pain of their sorrow overwhelms them.

Some chase away the sorrows by bullying others physically or emotionally. It gives them a temporary feeling of superiority which seems to hide the hurt… for a while.

Some people resort to serial promiscuity in order to numb the pain of rejection or loneliness. The problem is that each partner causes the problem to be magnified, driving them ever onward in search of another to numb the pain for a while. It breaks my heart to see a 30, 40 or 50 something lounge lizard preying on a hurting twenty something searching for a father figure to accept her.

No nepenthe can ever cure the sorrow.

Sorrow and pain are part of life in a fallen world. We will all experience them. So what do we do with them?

We must turn our faces to the Lord in our sorrow. He is the one who understands our sorrow like no one else. He is the one who can truly comfort. He is the one who can walk with us through it all.

Jeremiah 31:10-13 (ESV)
“Hear the word of the Lord, O nations, and declare it in the coastlands far away; say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him, and will keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock.’ For the Lord has ransomed Jacob and has redeemed him from hands too strong for him. They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion, and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the Lord, over the grain, the wine, and the oil, and over the young of the flock and the herd; their life shall be like a watered garden, and they shall languish no more. Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old shall be merry. I will turn their mourning into joy; I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow.

 

2 Corinthians 1:3-7 (ESV)
 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.

True, lasting comfort comes not from something that we do or take. It comes from the presence of the Living God in our lives. He is the Father of all compassion. He is the God of all comfort.

Until next time, when the sorrow looms high and threatens to overwhelm choose to turn to Him. He will carry you through

Hallelu Yah

Yee Haw

Be blessed

Kevin

A couple of years back Kathy and I took a two week holiday and drove to visit our family in British Columbia, Canada. We drove 3500KM during our time off and saw some wonderful country. One of the places we hiked was Mount Begbie Summit near 100 Mile House, British Columbia. It’s an easy hike up a short trail near Highway 97 and well worth the walk if you ever get there.

The BC Forest Service sign on site says “…the lookout sits on the mountain’s peak at an elevation of approximately 1276 meters. From this point you can see almost all of the Cariboo on a clear day, a range of just under 9 million hectares.” Translation for our non-metric readers that is 4187 feet high and a viewing area of almost 35,000 square miles (that’s not a typo it is 35,000 square miles).

The day wasn’t clear so we couldn’t see the hypothetical maximum but we could see a lot further than was easy to comprehend. You could see a long way in every direction, the view obstructed only but the cloud and haze at the outer limits. As we stood atop the fire lookout catwalk looking at the incredible view, I looked down at the ground beneath the catwalk where a shiny piece of metal caught my eye and I had to investigate.

Closer investigation showed it to be a Canadian Geodetic Survey Marker. Searching the area we found two more permanent markers of a type used in much of the world for geological and geographic surveys.

Despite our world’s claims that there are no absolute truth, our systems still use fixed points of reference and we were looking at three of them.

Everyone uses some frame of reference to their world view, whether they are willing to acknowledge it or not. Each of us has a perspective shaped by our experiences and the things we have learned. Often they are subconscious things that we’ve learned over time and don’t even think about any more. Who takes the time to calculate how long a minute truly is or how long a mile is? No one that I know of except, perhaps, as an intellectual exercise. Yet we recognize and acknowledge those things all the time.

Our point of reference may be accurate in which case it is handy or it might be quite inaccurate in which case all kinds of problems can result. We see the problems rampant in our society from trying to operate with each person having their own “truth” or point of reference and not a collective understanding of things like right and wrong. A perspective like that must inevitably lead to chaos and destruction.

If you think I’m exaggerating try a simple experiment. Gather four or five friends and pull out a board or card game. Then let each person make up all their own rules and change them at will during the game. It will be a nightmare. Each person will declare themselves the winner but no two people will even be playing the same game.

We need fixed points of reference that are true. Throughout much of history that reference point was the Bible. I don’t debate that much evil was done in that time, but it came when people deviated from the truth taught in the Bible. For example, the Crusades were conducted in the name of Christ, but you won’t find any of what Christ taught lived out in those campaigns. The Crusades were about territory and power not about faith. They took a reference point and went astray.

We need to have fixed points of reference and learn to use them correctly. I found the geodetic survey markers, but other than a curiosity they were of no use to me. I know they are reference points but don’t know how to read or apply them.

As believers the Scriptures must be our fixed reference points and we must learn how to apply them to our lives. I believe that was part of what James was getting at when he wrote…
James 1:22-25 (ESV)
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

For right living, get right with Christ. Then familiarize yourself with His teaching as a reference point and live life guides by those references. Your life will be transformed.

Hallelu Yah (Praise God)

Yee Haw

Be blessed

Kevin

It might sound like a contradiction in terms, but I want to share a true fish story with you. I know, I know fisherman have been known to tell the odd whopper or exaggerate, but I’ll do my level best to stick with just the truth.

Way back in the Stone Age when I was about thirteen or fourteen years old, we lived in a community in Northern Alberta, called Fort McMurray. It’s pretty much a small city today, but in those days it was a town of less than 5,000 people at the end of a 125 miles of gravel road (with no services along the way). There was no television or radio and the newspaper came in a day late by Greyhound bus.

Fort Mac is located at the junction of several rivers, so there was always lots of good fishing. I suspect it has changed over the years, but back then you could walk to any of the rivers and catch a variety of fish with relative ease.

One summer day, I grabbed my pole and tackle box and walked the mile and a half or so to the Athabasca River. I went by myself, so it seemed a grand adventure. I rigged my line with my favourite red/white spoon (for the benefit of those who don’t fish, a spoon is simply a type of lure, it’s not something you eat with) and cast it out to a spot by a bridge piling.

First cast. Nothing.

Second cast. Nothing.

Third cast. Bang! As soon as the spoon hit the water something hit it hard and a long fight was on. In the end I landed the largest walleye I had ever seen. I was so excited that I packed up my tackle, grabbed my fish and headed home. Carrying the fish by the gills, the tail dragged along on the ground.

I was thrilled during the walk home as people drove by, honked their horns and yelled “nice fish”. The fish was so big, I just had to go home and show it off. In my excitement, I forgot that walleye (or pickerel as we called them then, or walleyed pike as some know them) travel in schools of similar sized fish. The one I was so proud to drag home was most likely one of a number of fish that were equally likely to be caught.

A similar thing happens to many Christians. They come to realize that they need to know Jesus and accept Him as Lord and Saviour. They’re so excited when they make the decision that they don’t stop to find out there is so much more. It leads to many Christians living powerless lives or empty lives of just coming and sitting in the pew on Sunday mornings missing out on much of what Jesus had planned for them.

Accepting Jesus buys the gate pass to heaven and the forgiveness of sins, but it is only the first step in a wonderful journey through this life and into eternity. We’re called to grow in that relationship, deepen our knowledge of who Jesus is and live lives of service.

We’re called to ministry and gifted by God to fulfil that call.

Ephesians 4:1-16 NIV
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit– just as you were called to one hope when you were called– one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says: “When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men.” (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

Have you become content to just have your salvation? If so, you are missing out on so much more. We are ALL called to a deeper, more fulfilling life with Jesus and service in His name.

Until next time, praise Him for the gift of His salvation and ask Him to show you what else He has in mind for you.

Hallelu Yah

Yee Haw

Be blessed

This morning’s post is from some years back but I’ve opted to run it again. It’s fiction, but I think it tells a decent tale. Enjoy!

SALVAGE

Business had been good that morning, but it slowed down a little just after lunch time. Enjoying the brief break between customers, I poured myself a coffee and sat down in one of the wing back chairs at the front of my store. The late fall sun silhouetted the name of the shop against the window, Buckman’s Books.

An old pickup truck that had seen better days slowed down and coasted to a stop in front of my shop. There was no way to know the trucks original colour, since it was made up of salvaged body parts replacing damaged ones. All of the pieces seemed to be held together by rust. The rear box was closed in with four foot high sideboards made of recycled plywood. Painted on the side, in letters barely discernible through the dirt of a thousand gravel roads, were the words “Jackson’s Salvage”.

The driver, a tall thin man, stooped at the shoulders from a hard life, slid out of the cab slowly and headed for my door. He was on the far side of sixty. His hair and beard were long, gray and unkempt. He had a long, hooked nose that looked like a beak, and bushy eyebrows that resembled a set of wings. His bib overalls and plaid shirt were dirty and had seen a lot of use. “Worn out and tired” came to mind as I looked at the truck and its driver. Appearances could be deceiving though, I knew he was a shrewd businessman, a haggler. The man would grind you mercilessly for the joy of bargaining.

A lot of townspeople didn´t think much of old man Jackson. He was coarse, crude and cussed more than a pirate’s parrot. To make it worse, he had a special smell about him that was hard not to notice. No one could describe the smell, but it came from a lifetime of digging around in dumps, junkyards and abandoned buildings.

Despite all that, I liked him. He was a good customer who knew his books. He would spend hours looking through the latest acquisitions on my shelves, searching for true value. I say acquisitions, not new books, because I sell used books.

Buckman´s Books is neither a fancy name nor a fancy place, but I sell a lot of books. Two wingback chairs, a couple of small tables, and a pot of coffee welcome my customers to the store. Behind that stands a thousand square feet of space, filled to the ceiling with books of every imaginable kind. My customers know that if I don’t have it in stock, I will get it for them and they show their appreciation by coming back time and again.

When he came in this time, Jackson had a package with him. That was usually a good sign, because some of my best merchandise had come because of his sharp eye at estate sales and auctions. The old man had a nose for good literature and saleable books. He’d bring them in, haggle with me for hours over the price, (which I’m sure was half the fun for him) and eventually I’d break down and give him his price. With my network of special collectors, I never failed to make money on a Jackson deal.

He poured a coffee from the pot I always kept on, and grumbled “Buckman, you make the worst coffee I’ve ever tasted,” then sat down in his favourite chair.

“Thanks Jackson. From you that’s a compliment. Besides, it’s free even for a contrary old cuss like you. What did you bring me today?”

Handling the package like it contained delicate treasure, he slowly unwrapped several layers of newspaper. He pulled out a thick leather book.

“I think you’ll like this one, but it’s gonna cost you big time.” He laughed at the thought of the bargaining to come.

It was a Bible, well preserved, but obviously well used. A thick strap of tooled leather kept the cover closed. It was an original Geneva Bible, almost impossible to come by.

“Where did you get this?” I was so excited that I forgot who I would be bargaining with and almost drooled.

“It’s a gem, one of the best I have ever seen.”

With a loud laugh he said, “I knew you’d like it. Bought it at an estate sale over in Pierce County. The family were in a hurry to sell off the estate so they could get back to the city. I bought a whole truck load of stuff that I thought I could make a few bucks on. After I got everything loaded, I went for another quick once over to see if anything good was left. I rooted around some and saw the book in the bottom of a box under the cellar stairs. Almost missed it. I had to buy the whole box of useless junk just to get the book.”

I slowly leafed through the Bible, caressing each page and stopping now and then to read a passage that caught my eye. The text was clear and sharp, although the pages had begun to yellow a bit. There is something about the feel and smell of an old book that I can’t describe and never grow tired of. Like people, no two old books are ever alike.

“Don’t know why anyone would want an old Bible” he grunted “but I figured that you would know who would want it. You’ll make a profit, and still pay me handsomely for it.”

As I sat reading, he got up and perused the shelves. The Bible was almost identical to one my grandfather had when I was a boy. I got my love of good books from grandpa. He’d sit around and read us Bible stories for hours. I couldn’t help but sit and read some of his favourite stories.

More than an hour later, Jackson reappeared from among the shelves, with a half a dozen books in hand.

“You still sitting there reading that thing?” he asked. “Can’t imagine why.”

“It’s a long story, but I like old Bibles. I’m reading one of my favourite parts, the parable of the prodigal son.”

“Don’t know that story. What’s it about?”

“It’s the story of a boy who gets his inheritance early, spends it on the fast life and ends up dirt poor, slopping pigs and sharing their food to have something to eat.”

Old man Jackson looked almost teary. “I know how that works. Dropped out of school, sold some of dads stuff, and headed out on the road at fifteen. I went to the big city to make my fortune, but blew the money pretty quick. Ended up on the streets for a long time. Even did some county jail time for a while.”

“I didn’t know that.”

Pouring another cup of coffee, he plopped down into his chair. “Not many people do. I keep my business to myself.”

After taking a deep drink from his mug, Jackson said “I swear you make lousy coffee! I don’t know why I even bother to drink it. Never met anyone who makes coffee as bad as you do.”

“Jackson, don’t change the subject, you were telling me about when you left home.”

“Right” he said.

For the next two hours he told me about doing time for stealing something to eat. About not being able to get a job because of his lack of education and his record. He told me of moving from place to place and ending up here in Pine Brook about forty-five years ago.

He started work with a borrowed truck. Before long, he traded some scrap he collected for an old truck of his own and started in the junk business full time to make a few bucks and keep a roof over his head. Twenty years ago, an old friend had died, leaving him the pickup truck parked out front. It was an old truck then, but Jackson swore that he’d keep it on the road, forever, in memory of his friend.

When he finished his tale, I asked “Did you ever go home again?”

“No, I figured I made my choice and blew my chance. They would never want to see me again. I heard my folks died a few years back. Never even went to the funeral.” He swallowed the last bit of cold coffee with a grimace and asked, “So what happened to the kid in the story?”

I read the story to him.

“So the father waited for him to come home, even though he knew the boy would mess up. I wonder if my old man waited for me to come home?”

“I don’t know if he did or not, but I know God does. He’d claim you as His child if you’d let him.”

“Not likely! I’ve had too many years of making mistakes for that to ever happen.” With his finger pointing at the Bible, he said, “Show me in that book where it says that God would want me.”

I did just that. We sat a read a few verses together. Jackson smiled at me, “How about that! God even wants an old misfit like me.”

Don’t take my word for it. Look the verses up yourself. If you are like old man Jackson and want to know if God wants you, grab a Bible or a New Testament and read the same verses he and I read together. Start with the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-31. Then read the other Bible verses we looked at: Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, John 3:3, John 14:6, Romans 10:9-11, and Revelation 3:20.

Then make the choice to turn from your sin, open your heart up to Jesus believing by faith that He is who He says He is and did what he did for you and then simply pray this prayer or something like it,

“God, I have messed up, and made my share of mistakes and run away from many things. I want to be your child. Forgive me for the things I have done wrong and the mistakes I have made. I believe that you died on the cross for me and were born again. Please be the Lord of my life. Amen.”

it’s as simple as that. It doesn’t matter who you are or what you have done, you are now forgiven and free. The prodigal child has returned home and your heavenly father rejoices. You will spend eternity with the father who waited for you.

Hallelu Yah (Praise God)

Yee Haw

Be blessed

PK

Can we talk? The is a proverb in the Bible which reads “The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it.” Proverbs 22:3 (ESV)

The general gist of the message is that if we know there are troubles on the horizon we should be preparing for them. Of course, in all things we must trust in God and recognize that he is sovereign. Still we are called to be prudent.

There is an old joke about a man who was told to evacuate his house because a flood was coming. He said “No thanks, I am trusting the Lord.”

A half day later his home was under water and he was stranded on the roof. A rescue team came by and he refused their help, again saying … “No thanks, I am trusting the Lord.”

Later as the water grew deeper still, a helicopter rescue team came by and got the same response. Soon thereafter the roof collapsed and the man drowned.

When he arrived in heaven he was heard to complain “Why did this happen? I trusted in the Lord.” Jesus smiled and said I sent you a warning, a rowboat and a helicopter, what more did you want?”

That joke is old and may not be fully theologically correct, but it does make a point. We are to trust the Lord but are still to do our part.

For some years now the government at various levels in Canada has recognized that in the event of a disaster (natural or otherwise) there is a time delay before things can be stabilized. In that time space where you wait for help, you need to be prepared to help yourself (and your neighbours).

Are you prepared if an ice storm hits? An earthquake? A volcano? An extended power outage? A tornado? A flood? A terrorist attack?  Pick your scenario there are plenty to choose from.

The government recommends that everyone be prepared with essential supplies for at least 72 hours without any form of support. (and if the government says 72 hours I think it is prudent to at least double that amount … just because sometimes the reality of response time compared to plans is not quite as fast as they hope).

How do you get prepared? Here are a few websites to look at …

http://www.getprepared.gc.ca/index-eng.aspx

http://www.aema.alberta.ca/pa_emergency_preparedness_week.cfm

http://www.redcross.ca/article.asp?id=33841&tid=001

Someone once told me that being prepared is selfish. I would disagree. If we are prepared ourselves we are in a better position to help others and not drain vital resources that others less prepared need.

There may be danger coming … are you prepared?

Until next time

Hallelu Yah

Yee Haw

Be blessed

P.K.

Pastor Kevin and Genni the Wonder Dog

For years I had a dog that was a border collie/basset hound cross. Imagine if you can, a full size Border Collie on basset hound sized legs and big basset sized feet. Genni the Wonder Dog was my constant companion until she passed away.

They say (whoever the great “they” are) that dogs resemble their owners. I was thinking about that the other day as I looked at a picture of Genni the Wonder Dog and I together. She was long in the body, short in the legs and has big fat feet. We’re three for three there. Fortunately, I was the taller of the two and walked on two legs rather than four so people could tell us apart.

The superficial resemblances between us got me thinking about the fact that we’re created in the image of God.

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.  Genesis 1:26-27 NIV

What does that mean? It doesn’t mean we look like Him, since we have physical bodies, we all look different and God doesn’t have a physical body. So it must refer to something else.

We’re unlike all the other things or beings that God created. We’re the only ones that Scripture describes as being created in His image. We were created with a higher purpose, to rule over all the earth. Being created in His image is both an honor and a huge responsibility. When creation looks to people it should see the image of God.

What parts of God were we designed to reflect? We were created His character and His personality. We were created to walk in holiness and righteousness. We were designed to walk in faithfulness and in integrity. We were to have passion and compassion; loyalty and levity; love and light; and more. We were designed to be wise and selfless.

Since the time of the Garden of Eden, we’ve been sinful people, with a sinful nature in a sin filled world. We don’t reflect much of the image of God. Yet, for the believer, there are ways we can begin to resemble the one in whose image we were created.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-25 NIV

When we begin to exhibit the fruit of the spirit, we begin in a small way to show the image of the Creator.

That fruit comes with maturity (as indeed does all fruit). We mature in our walk through testing and trials; through worship; through giving and through service. We mature when we spend time communing with Him in prayer and in meditating on and study of the Word. The fruit doesn’t just happen, it must be nurtured.

Until next time, rejoice in the fact that you were designed in His image and open your heart to being more like him every day.

Hallelu Yah

Yee Haw

Be blessed

Many people have been hurt by those calling themselves Christians and by the organized church. That is not a surprise as the church is full of flawed people (after all none of us is perfect). The fact that we are not perfect is not meant to excuse the things that have happened, simply to offer an explanation.

The problem is compounded by the fact that many people look upon Christianity as a religion, with rules, regulations and traditions that must be followed. There is a religious aspect to Christianity, but Christianity is first and foremost about relationships. It is about a relationship with the Living God.

The Bible refers to the followers of Christ as sheep. We have a lot in common with sheep. We are stubborn, we can stink and we sometimes bite. We can be a tough lot to have to look after. God has called human under-shepherds to help in the work, but He is the true shepherd.

God Himself promises to look after the sheep of His flock.

Ezekiel 34:11-16 NIV
” `For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land. I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign LORD. I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.

That is good news. It is an incredible promise and will be perfectly kept and righteously administer. The best pastors and church leaders in the world are less than perfect. We strive to do their best, empowered by Holy Spirit and guide by the Word, but we can never be perfect.

Pastors and other leaders are helpful tools of the Lord and by and large they do a commendable job in tough circumstances for comparatively low, and often for no pay. Churches run great programs and offer places to fellowship. Both pastors and churches are good things and of great benefit, but they are not God.

When we set the pastor on a pedestal or worship religion rather than that personal relationship with Jesus (actually that is a misnomer – our relationship with Jesus is both individual and public but that is a thought for another day), we are bound to be disappointed. When we put the pastor or other leaders on a pedestal, we do him/her a great disservice and are guilty of idolatry. Instead of worshiping our church leaders, or the church itself, we need to be focusing on the one who is in charge of all things.

Until next time, make certain that your faith is in Jesus, not some earthly leader or manmade body.

Hallelu Yah … Yee Haw!

Be Blessed

K

I took an evening stroll around the lake. It was warm and the skies were clear. The air was filled with Christmas carols, and people laughing, drifting from the skating rink that’s cleared on the lake every year.The stars were plainly visible against the velvet backdrop of the heaven and I enjoyed watching them as we walked.

I quickly found out that it’s hard to walk a straight line and look at the stars above at the same time.

I pondered what the stars might have looked like the very first night they hung in the skies. I wondered what the stars above looked like to the shepherds in the fields near Bethlehem the very first Christmas.

I tried to imagine their feelings as the angel appeared. At first there was terror, a quite common experience with angelic visitation.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.         Luke 2:8-9 NIV

I suspect that if an angel had suddenly burst onto the scene that night, I would have been frightened too.

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. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”      Luke 2:10-12 NIV

Peace from watching the night sky to terror when the angel appeared. Terror was transformed to joy as the heard the long awaited Messiah had come. What an emotional roller coaster. Yet there was more to come.

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”  Luke 2:13-14 NIV

One angel is incredible, a rarity to see. A great company of them all at once must have stretched the shepherds to the very limits of their emotions. I tried to imagine how I would feel if a great company of angels showed up in the sky and began to sing. I simply couldn’t imagine it. It’s more than I can comprehend.

Eventually the angels left. Perhaps after praising God the one time, perhaps after many more songs of praise. Their appearance had transformed the shepherds. They had to leave their sheep and see Him for themselves.

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”  Luke 2:15 NIV

It takes a lot for a shepherd to leave the sheep. These men and boys would risk life and limb to battle wild animals, flood, thieves and anything else that might harm the sheep. These same men would fight to the death to protect the herds, yet suddenly, something was even more important than the sheep.

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. Luke 2:16-20 NIV

What they found was so wonderful that they had to share it with others on their way back to the sheep.

The night sky won’t open tonight with angelic hosts proclaiming the birth of Jesus, that was a one time only event. I pray though that this Christmas season, you catch the same wonder and joy that the shepherds felt.

Until next time, may you encounter the all consuming desire of knowing Christ the King and the uncontainable joy that causes you to share it with others. May you and all your family have the most wondrous, merriest Christmas ever.

Hallelu Yah

Yee Haw

Be blessed

Kevin

Fear for their lives caused the family to flee from their homeland. They lived a life on the run, moving frequently from place to place along the river and sometimes they wondered if it would ever be safe to go home.

The muddy waters of the Nile stretched up and down the valley as far as the boy could see.

The river was busy, a blur of activity and a kaleidoscope of colour. Darting up and down the river were numerous bright green and blue small boats with large triangular white sails. Large barges plied their trade up along the Nile. Some were luxury vessels for royalty; others belonged to merchants and carried trade goods.

Periodically one of the barges carrying exotic loads would stop at to the village. The barge would take on or off load cargo to the many traders whose caravans of donkeys and camels that worked the overland routes. On those days the shoreline would be alive with people.

People were anxious to see what had come; gold, silver, ivory, and precious stones for the jewellers; leopards and apes destined for Cairo and Rome; and for market, figs and dried fish, baskets and tools, fine fabrics, exotic artwork and slaves from the interior of Africa.

The father was a skilled craftsman, a carpenter, but the local people didn’t trust foreigners and hesitated to hire them. On slow days he would show up at the river’s edge early and wait for the barges to arrive. A few hours work as a longshoreman was often available to those who arrived first. The work was hard, but paid well and a man had to feed his family somehow.

While his father worked that day, the boy and his mother waited nearby. His mother seldom left the boy out of her sight because she knew the king in her homeland wanted her son dead. The king had many ties to Egypt and his spies could be anywhere.

The boy walked along the banks of the river not sharing his mothers concern. He was too busy admiring the trail of his footprints in the mud and the feel of the wet mud squishing between his toes. The same river mud was used by his ancestors to make bricks for the buildings and roadways of Pharaoh.

As he walked along the muddy beach, he thought of his ancestors held in slavery there for so many years. For almost 400 years they stayed in bondage before their God would send them Moses.

He could almost hear their songs as they laboured and their cries to their God for deliverance. He could hear the curse of the slave-masters and feel the pain of the beatings and the bite of the whip. The boy wept at their agonies and rejoiced at their prayer.

His people were still in bondage, although not to the son’s of Pharaoh. They were in bondage to sin. They had made their faith into a system of laws and rules that none could keep and forgotten about love.

This was no ordinary child; he was the one who came to deliver the world. This was Jesus, who redeemed His people through his own death in less than 30 years.

Most of us picture Jesus as the baby in the manger surrounded by shepherds, as the passionate teacher or the worker of miracles in the days before his crucifixion and resurrection. We forget about those lost days of childhood in Egypt.

Matthew’s Gospel describes it this way

Matthew 2:13-15 NIV
“When they [the Magi] had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream.”Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him. So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

Did Jesus ever walk the shores of the Nile? No one knows for sure. We know he went to Egypt with his parents for a while, but no one knows exactly where in Egypt he went or for how long. The Nile was the center of Egyptian life so it seems to be a likely place for a wandering Hebrew carpenter and his family to go.

We also know that the family returned to Israel and settled in Nazareth sometime after the death of King Herod in 4 BC. The exact date of the family’s return is also a mystery. The next chronological event we have in Scripture is when Jesus is twelve and the family goes off to the temple (Luke 3:12-51).

The Word sometimes becomes stale and overly familiar in our eyes. We think we have heard all the Bible stories and know them well. There is profit in rereading those familiar stories.

Did you ever wonder what it was like for Jesus and his parents to flee to Egypt? Did you know Daniel was an old man when thrown into the lion’s den or that Noah did not take the animals two by two?

Perhaps it’s time to revisit some of those familiar passages with fresh eyes. Read a different translation or a Bible that doesn’t have your pencil marks and highlighter all over the passage. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you new truths as you mine for new gems in old, familiar ground.

Until next time, may Holy Spirit give you fresh eyes to see as you read His Word. May you find new gems in old ground.

Hallelu Yah (Praise God)

Yee haw

Be blessed

Kevin