The pastor from the very liberal Christian church asked me a very pointed question. She said, “Do you really think we’re outside of the faith?” It made me pause to think for a moment before answering.

Only God knows the heart and only He can judge someone’s salvation. Scripture doesn’t call for a perfect understanding of doctrine before we’re saved (and that’s a good thing).

I told her as much but then I also had to confess to her, that I believe any church that teaches the Bible is not truth or that there are any ways to salvation other than a personal relationship with Jesus Christ teaches lies. So while I would never presume to judge the salvation of a member of a liberal Christian church, I would counsel anyone who asked not to attend based on bad teaching.

Now not to single out liberals, I have encountered some extremely conservative Christian groups that are so focused on legalism that the teaching is full of lies as well.

How’s a Christian to know good teaching from bad?

To start, we have to read our Bibles. That might sound overly simplistic, but despite the fact that more than 170,000 Bibles are sold a day in the US (the only country I have statistics for), more than 95% of all professing Christians have never read their Bible through even once. I’ve even encountered large numbers of pastors who have never read the Bible from cover to cover.

The only time most Christians ever spend in the Word is listening to a Sunday morning service. There are more than 31,000 verses in the Bible. That means if your pastor introduced a new verse from the Bible every Sunday of the year, and you never missed a Sunday, it would take over 590 years to hear the whole Bible. It’s no wonder most Christians don’t know what the Bible says. Only the oldest of Old Testament characters lived long enough to have enjoyed (or endured depending on the preacher) that many sermons.

If the pastor introduced an entire new chapter of the Bible every Sunday, it would still take almost 23 year to hear the entire Bible.

The most common estimate I’ve seen is that it takes the average reader 70 hours to read the Bible cover to cover. Studies have shown that the average North American watches 16-20 hours of television a week. That means if you shut the tube off for a month and read the Bible instead you can read it through in a month. In a year that’s a dozen times, more than enough to begin to have a working familiarity with the Word.

The Word is the ultimate source of truth. All teaching must be weighed against the truth of the Bible. All our conduct must be measured against the standards of the Bible.

We’re commanded to know the truth.

Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful Joshua 1:8 NIV

The very first step to discerning truth in Bible teaching is to learn first hand what the Bible says. How’s your Bible reading coming?

Until next time may you make time in the Word a priority.

Be blessed

Hallelu Yah (Praise God)!

Kevin

In light of the recent devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy, the tsunami warnings off the coast of British Columbia after an earthquake, the forest fire that devastated much of Slave Lake a couple of years ago and many more such events, I have been thinking.

Now “I’ve been thinking” is sometimes a dangerous statement but hear me out. I have been wondering what the appropriate Christian response is in regard to a local or international disaster. In specific I have been trying to find a well-articulated theology of Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response. I have not found one yet. It will take some study to come up with something.

Of course we all know that we are called to love our neighbor and certainly that comes into play here. The early Christian church was noted for its response to those in need. We should do no less.

Still, what should the local church be doing in the event a disaster is imminent? Do we have a plan? Why will we do what we do? Those are big questions. I don’t have answers yet.

At the bare minimum we could educate individuals as to how to take basic preparedness steps. So today I will start with that.

Even our government at all levels recognizes that there is a time lag between knowledge of an imminent catastrophe and warning the public. There is a further delay between the end of the disaster and restoration of emergency services.

As you can see from the accompanying news photograph, the people in New York found out firsthand the folly of totally relying on the government to protect them in the aftermath of Sandy. Now, I’m not criticizing the FEMA folks, I don’t know if the buildings they were located in could have stood up to the storm. Leaving may have been the most prudent course of action. I just know they were not there when needed the most.

Most levels of government recommend that each person have the necessities to hunker down at home for 72 hours or carry those same essentials with them in the event of a forced evacuation.

To help you do that, I’m including some links for you:

Government of Canada – Get Prepared  http://www.getprepared.gc.ca/index-eng.aspx

Alberta Emergency Management Agency – http://www.aema.alberta.ca/AB_72%20Hour%20Kit.cfm

Canadian Red Cross – Emergency Preparedness http://www.redcross.ca/article.asp?id=33841&tid=001

A quick Google search on the topic will provide many more sites.

Proverbs 22:3 (NLT) says: “A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.”

Such a thing may never happen here. Yet, we never know. Are you prepared.?

Hallelu Yah Yee Haw

Be Blessed

Kevin

I have a confession to make. I am a humanist. Now that will shock many of you because when you hear the word “humanist” you usually think of the values of secular humanists which often conflict in every way with the values of a Christian.

So, don’t get offended just yet. Take the time to hear me out.

A humanist seeks the highest and the best for humankind. That is a noble goal, after all who doesn’t want the best for people?

Yet, I believe that only a Christian can be a true humanist, because we understand that to reach our full potential as people we must surrender to Christ and allow ourselves to be molded by him.

Jesus was the ultimate man. He walked the streets of this earth, was tempted in every way yet did not sin. He modeled love and compassion. He taught us about self-sacrifice for the good of others even to the point of dying on the cross that we might be saved.

A true humanist recognizes that we are created in the image of God and were created to reflect that image in whatever we do, no matter where we go.

We realize our potential when we learn to love and forgive, to bear one another’s burdens and to pray for those who persecute us. We become more fully human when we learn through Christ to be more generous and compassionate. We bear the image of God better when we worry less about “stuff” and invest more heavily in people.

We become better people when we learn to humble ourselves and realize that we are not the center of the universe. When we realize that the world doesn’t revolve around us and that all people are created in God’s image and give them the dignity they deserve we grow as people.

I believe in the potential of humankind, but I believe it can only reach that potential through the grace and mercy of our loving creator.

Until next time, may you too see the potential for the human race that God sees.

Hallelu Yah

Yee Haw

Be Blessed

Kevin

He was driving down the back country highway, traveling the speed limit of 100 kph (that’s 60 mph for you non-metric types) on a beautiful autumn day. Cresting the hill, he saw a rabbit lying in the middle of the road where someone else had run it over, a common enough sight.

As he drew closer, a big hawk swooped down and landed by the rabbit, about to make use of the road kill for dinner. Now normally, hawks, crows, ravens, magpies and other road kill diners will fly away as a vehicle approaches. Not this hawk.

The hawk decided to defend his meal. He turned towards the oncoming pickup and spread his wings in defiance. A thump and that was the end of the hawk.

Perhaps he thought the truck would veer away. Whatever his reasoning, it was a fatal mistake. Depending on your own power to defeat a moving vehicle is seldom a good plan even if you are big for a hawk.

It is the same thing that happens when we depend on our own righteousness. We get creamed.

The reality is that none of us is righteous in the eyes of god and our self-righteousness is simply puffed up arrogance.

One of Jesus pet peeves when he walked the earth was the religiosity and self-righteousness of the Pharisees and Sadducees. They of all people should have understood their own fallen nature and the mercy of God. Instead they turned the gift of God into a sanctimonious, self-serving club that looked down on others who needed the truth.

Jesus certainly came down hard on sin, there is no place you can go in the Scriptures and see him condoning it. Somehow, he managed to love those who struggled with their sin, especially those who wanted to be free but did not know how. He loved their humility.

On the other hand, it seemed that at every opportunity he confronted the religious leaders. His heart was to see their heart soften, and while that happened in s number of cases, most did not.

Their hard heartedness made them as foolish as the hawk in front of the truck bumper.

The only righteousness that has any standing before God is the righteousness of Christ. Without it we are lost forever.

Fortunately for us Christ made it available to us when he gave his life on the cross so many years ago. Personally, I’ll make my stand based on what He did over and above whatever I can do on my own any day. How about you?

After supper, one spring day a couple of years ago, Genni the wonder dog and I went for our usual walk around the lake. We saw two preschool girls, dressed in identical pink spring jackets and matching rubber boots. They were throwing what looked like bread to a couple of geese with that combination of unbridled, uncoordinated enthusiasm and grace and gentleness that only a small child can manage.

As we approached, they made a big fuss about a doggie and asked if they could pet Genni. After getting the mom’s approval, I said yes.

“We don’t have a doggie at home.”

“She’s so soft”

“We’re feeding the ducks”

The mom piped in “geese”

“Oh yes, we’re feeding the geese. We’re feeding them these old donuts.”

The mom smiled and said, “bagels.”

“We’re feeding them these old bugle things.”

We talked about the ducks and geese for a few minutes. Every now and then one of the girls would run and throw a bagel bit in the general direction of the geese then run back and pet the dog. I told them that in the summer the ducklings and goslings would come and eat right out of their fingers.

“You mean they’ll eat the bugles right out of our hands?” asked the one.

“Or do you mean they’ll eat our fingers?” asked her sister.

I explained again and they seemed excited that the ducks would eat out of their hands, not actually eat their hands. We visited for a little longer then Genni and I moved on down the path.

Hearing the two girls react so differently to the same comment about feeding the ducks reminded me of the importance of clear communication. Churches, and Christians, are often guilty of unintentionally unclear communication.

We talk of heaven but forget about hell. We preach on hell but forget to preach on grace. We talk of God as love but forget He is also a God of righteous wrath. We speak of forgiveness but not repentance. We talk of the joy of the Lord but not of counting the cost. We talk of salvation but neglect to mention that it is only the starting point of a lifelong journey not the destination.

We need to hear and teach the whole counsel of God. It’s the scale upon which everything is measured.

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Hebrews 4:12-13 NIV

As believers we need to study the Word to get the best possible understanding of the nature of God and people. We need to share the whole truth with others, not just the little bits we’re comfortable with.

Until next time, read the Word and teach the whole truth of God and His character.

Be blessed.

Hallelu Yah (Praise God)!

Yee Haw!

Kevin

I remember back to my early teen years when a favourite uncle and I had gone hunting. I had hunted many times before, but never with him.

We hopped into his 4X4 Ford Bronco, (although I guess today it would be called a SUV) and headed out to the area where we would be hunting. To my surprise, we started driving down the cut lines at a relatively high rate of speed, looking for tracks.

Now I don’t know if you’ve ever hunted or not, but trust me, it’s virtually impossible to see animal tracks on bare ground in the bush at 40 mph or faster. At the end of the day we hadn’t seen a single track in an area I knew from experience to be full of the game we were looking for.

Looking back, I recognize his approach to tracking was a combination of a lack of hunting experience, and that peculiar vacancy that affects men’s brains when they get a new toy like a SUV. You know the one, the one that causes them to go out and get stuck beyond belief the first week they own it (I can say that because I did the same thing when I had mine).

I think we often go looking for evidence of God in the same way we went looking for tracks that day. We race along at high rates of speed looking for signs of God and go tearing past them without ever seeing them.

Sometimes the best way to see God’s hand at work is to slow down and look with fresh eyes at things around you. His hand is everywhere for those who take the time to slow down and look.

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities–his eternal power and divine nature–have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. Romans 1:20 NIV

Perhaps it’s time to stop looking for the mountain that moves, or the bush that burns and slow down and look at the miracle of birth, the delicacy of a butterfly or the answer to a simple prayer. Sometimes He reveals Himself in earth stopping ways, but He is always there in the little things just waiting to be rediscovered.

Until next time, may you take the time to pause and reflect on the majesty of God that is all around you.

Hallelu Yah

Yee Haw

Be blessed

Kevin

Foggy sunrise on La La Hache

Some years ago part of our vacation time was spent at beautiful Lac La Hache located between 100 Mile House and Williams Lake in the Cariboo Country of British Columbia, Canada. Lac La Hache is supposedly named after a valuable Hudson Bay axe head, or shipment of axes, depending on who is telling the story, that fell through the ice and was/were lost back in the days of the fur trade. However it really got its name, it is a pretty spot.

The lake is 14 km long (about 10 miles) but it’s narrow and deep. They tell me there are 30 pound plus lake trout there as well as rainbow trout, burbot and kokanee (a form of land locked salmon). I had planned to do a little fishing and had some general information from the people who owned the place we stayed at.

I was up early the first morning, just as the sun was rising. The fog was barely lifted off the lake and the moon still visible in the sky. I fished for about three hours with only one strike to convince me there was hope. I knew there were fish there because periodically they would jump. Out again for about the same length of time in the evening. Not even a strike.

The following day we had some things to do and I didn’t get out. The day after I was out early again and trolled for about an hour looking for the elusive kokanee. Not a nibble. I saw some smaller fish rising near shore and decided to have a crack at the little rainbows to get a couple for supper.

First cast and I had a fish on. It wasn’t a rainbow it was a kokanee. They had moved into the shallows to feed, something the guidebooks told me they didn’t do. For the next hour and a half or so I had a fish on and/or in the boat with every cast. In the end I had caught 47.

I likely could have caught many more, but the water was clear and I spent much time just watching the fish swim by. The whole area was filled with a huge school of kokanee. I don’t know how many were in the school, certainly thousands, maybe more than that. It was a marvelous sight to see, the sort of thing you usually only see on a television documentary.

I had seen runs of salmon coming upstream to spawn and die in the past, but it was nothing like watching them swim by in schools during their every day life. As quickly as the school appeared they disappeared back out into deep water. I had kept three for supper and released the rest. Contented I headed home.

I brought Kathy out in the evening and we caught the tail end of their inshore run and she had an opportunity to see some of what I had seen that morning. I caught six that time out making a total of 53 for the day. A pretty good day’s fishing.

When the morning’s fishing was done, as I headed back to the house, a familiar Bible story came to mind. It is after the resurrection of Jesus but before the ascension.

John 21:1-24 NIV
Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Tiberias. It happened this way: Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.

He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”

“No,” they answered.

He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.

Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.

Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.”

Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.

There’s enough in this little passage to do a month’s worth of sermons but this morning I want to consider just one small point. When the disciples were obedient to Jesus and through out their nets, even though their experience told them not to bother, they were blessed.

The Bible repeatedly promises blessings for obedience. Sometimes the blessings are not what we think they might be but they are still blessings. The disciples didn’t expect to catch anything and were blessed with 153 fish.

Trust God and keep His commands. In doing so you will be blessed beyond measure.

Hallelu Yah  Yee Haw!

Be blessed

Kevin

Sometimes as I travel and minister in other venues, I bring my horse “old stick” with me.

As you can see by the photo, my pal Old Stick is a saw horse with a blanket and a very small saddle on him. My feet comfortably rest on the ground when I sit on his back. Old Stick is handy to have around. He packs up neatly in my vehicle. There are no vet bills, no feed bills and no farrier bills. There is nothing to shovel and I can leave him on his own for long periods of time. I explain these things to the assembled crowd and talk about my sincere belief that Old Stick is a real horse.

I also explain that it is my right to believe whatever I want to believe about Old Stick even if he isn’t a real horse in their eyes. It’s true each of us is free to believe whatever we sincerely believe. However no amount of sincerity will ever make Old Stick a real horse and my right to believe it does not make it true.

The world teaches that all roads lead to God. That isn’t true. Some roads lead only to the town dump.

Jesus made some very exclusive truth claims.

 ”I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him. John 14:6-7 NIV

 ”Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Matthew 7:13-14 NIV

In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” John 3:3 NIV

Now each person is given the opportunity to accept or reject these truth claims. No one can force another to open their hearts to Jesus and Christians are called to love even those who reject Him.

Having said that and understanding that we must respect the rights of others to hold differing beliefs (whether or not those beliefs are true), we have an obligation to share the truth of the gospel of Jesus the Christ with everyone we can. It is their option to accept or reject the truth (and their responsibility to accept the consequences of that decision) but as believers we are called to help give them the option by telling them about Jesus, Jesus Himself says “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

As a follower of the Christ you have a responsibility to share the truth. It is up to the hearer what they will choose to do. They are responsible from that point.

Until the next time, may you boldly share the truth.

Be Blessed

Hallelu Yah

Yee Haw

Kevin

I was barely in my teens and out hunting grouse by myself for the first time. I had walked farther than I realized and the sun was setting when I turned back. I wasn't concerned about getting lost, I had walked down an old country road and simply had to walk back to get out to the main road.

I started back at a leisurely pace, enjoying the final rays of the setting sun. I hadn't gone far when darkness began to settle in. Up until then, I had been enjoying the color of the turning leaves, the smell of fresh outdoor air and the crisp feel of autumn.

As it got darker, I began to feel like the little boy who whistles going past the graveyard so he can convince himself he's not afraid. I think I might have even whistled for a bit. As it grew darker, my senses heightened and every rustle in the bush, every creak of a tree magnified itself in my mind. Before long, my heart was pounding with self-generated fear. Wolves, bears and other unimaginable horrors were waiting for me just off in the edge of the bush. I broke into a run, and bolted as fast as I could to get off that road and out to the pavement.

A grouse flushed out in front of me. I thought my heart was going to burst. A squirrel chattered as I ran by, it seemed to be laughing at me.

When I got out to the blacktop, caught my breath and collected my thoughts, I had to laugh at myself. I had been up and down that road many times and knew it was a safe place. I had simply let my imagination get the better of me.

Our minds are wonderful things. They can also be the breeding place for all kinds of things. In this case it was fear for no reason, but it can also be sin.

When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. James 1:13-15 NIV

We have a passing thought. That thought is simply temptation, it isn't sin. We begin to dwell on the thought and the sin builds. We begin to plan our rebellion and how we'll bring it about. Suddenly we've "slipped" into sin.

We need to be vigilant at all times. We need to take captive our thoughts.

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2 NIV

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV

God is a God who forgives, but we still have a responsibility to take control of our own minds and actions (in His power).

Until next time, may your thoughts be of heavenly things and growing God's kingdom here on earth instead of fertile ground for fear and sin.

Be blessed

Hallelu Yah

Yee Haw

Kevin

On a recent drive in the country, we passed through mile upon mile of gently rolling hills. There is something about rolling hills that just feels like home to me.

As we drove along we passed a large ranch. Everywhere I looked, there were cattle. On the slopes I could see, were perhaps between three and four hundred hundred head of beef cattle, but undoubtedly there were more that I could not see. My thoughts drifted off to wonder what it must have looked like when the bison roamed freely through this area.

I have read many reports of herds of bison as far as a man could see in any direction. That is a mind-boggling number of bison. Now of course, the bison are confined to a few parks and raised for meat on many farms. Seeing them is a regular sight, although they had come close to extinction. Never again, this side of glory, will the hills and plains be so thick with bison that they cannot be counted.

The same can be said of many species of birds and animals. They have become extinct or nearly so. Their sheer abundance was their downfall. People thought the supply was endless and simply pillaged. The process continues in much of the world with forests, fisheries and waterways. We seem unwilling or perhaps incapable of reining in our appetites.

As I pondered the sorry state of humankind and our impact on the planet, the Lord drew me to remember a couple of verses from the Psalms.

Psalms 50:10-11 (ESV) For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine.

Now those verses appear in the middle of a long Psalm that chastises the wicked and calls for the praises of the righteous and are not specifically about the abundance of God’s provision. They did get me thinking though.

The cattle on a thousand hills would have been a mind boggling number for the people of the Middle East in those days. It would have been wealth beyond comprehension. Even more so, the fact that it is metaphorical. The Lord owns all things, far beyond the hills.

We can and did destroy the bison on a thousand hills, but we can never exhaust the abundance of God’s great mercy and love. We can never comprehend the greatness of his power and provision. We can never out love God, nor can those who reject His Son ever escape the vastness of His wrath.

Ten thousand hills is an amazing visual, yet it is insignificant when compared to the depth of the sin debt He took on for us. His love was (and is so vast) that He came even knowing who we are.

Romans 5:6-8 (ESV) For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Praise the Lord for that great love.

Be blessed

Kevin