These past few weeks have been very busy for me. As far as my speaking engagements go, I should have a bit of a rest. I only have one event on my list for Nov. at Springfield Baptist Church and it’s only like 8 minutes.
As many or most of you know, I spoke last evening at Aylmer’s EMMC. That’s the one that I made the promo video for. Unfortunately, that promo video has already topped my blog for the most hits. It kind of burns me in a way. Out of all the things that I have said in the hopes of being a spiritual encouragement for those who are being saved, the sardonic promo tops the pile. Ugh.
This past summer I had been toying with the idea of joining the EMMC. I mean, whenever I go, they give me a mic, a stage and an audience. Why wouldn’t anyone fall in love with a church like that? My wife and I haven’t went as much as I have wanted, but we’ve enjoyed our time there and feel that it is a place where we could belong.
I’m often torn when I ponder the direction of the earthly workings of my faith. You see, I am constantly bombarded with voices which tell me that I need to pursue some type of preaching career. So, one would think that if I were to join a church that gives me a stage, a microphone and an audience, that it would help to ‘develop’ me in some way.
The truth is, I am doing everything that I know to do. I rarely turn down a speaking invitation. I write what I can, teach when I can, preach when I can and spend time with other men when I can, all in the midst of trying to hold down a job, pay down a mortgage and raise a family.
Matthew 10:11 (New Living Translation)
11 “Whenever you enter a city or village, search for a worthy person and stay in his home until you leave town.”
These are some of the words that Jesus had for His disciples when He sent them out on their first mission trip. (Sort of) He’s sending them out to different towns, so they are to move from place to place. However, in each town, they are to find a place to stay and stick with it while they are in that town.
I’m not trying to say that there isn’t time to move from one church to another. In the case of the disciples, there was a time in which they were to move on to the next town. I wonder though, if Jesus was discouraging a certain kind of behavior. Suppose they were staying at Bob Johnston’s house. What if Jim Smith invited them over? Suppose Jim Smith also had a hot tub and a heated pool. Would that sweeten the deal a bit?
“Bob. Thanks for the donuts and coffee, but I’m heading over to Jim Smith’s house next week because I could sure use a good swim in the evening.”
Ok. So this isn’t deep theology, but there is a fleshiness which has the potential to creep in, even into our calling. I really think my flesh was that the part of me that wanted to become a regular part of the EMMC. There might be a time when I’m called away from my current church, but I don’t have peace that now is the time. Really now. What would it be like to go to a church, primarily on the hopes that you would get more stage time? What then? What if another church had a bigger stage and a bigger audience? Would that be something else to leave for? What if another church approached you that promised to podcast your messages every week, making them available on DVD? What if they had the technology to touch up your facial abnormalities?
I’m at peace with our choice to remain at Faith for the moment. And no. I’m not holding out in the hopes that they’ll give me the stage, the mic or the audience. (They also have a low key light show. Sometimes we even have dancers.) I’m content to teach Sunday School aged children. I’m happy to be an encouragement to the men on Thursday nights.
Thank you EMMC for opening your arms to myself and my family. My wife and I really do enjoy our time with you. Thank you Faith for being our family. And if anyone from St. Paul’s is still listening, I miss my time with you immensely and think of you often.
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Sunday, October 31, 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Too Much Fun
I've made an invitation for tomorrow night in Aylmer. Click on this link if you dare. My wife said that this might be a little too much.
See you Saturday.
See you Saturday.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Blue Collar Intellectual?
I've been called many things lately. Angsty. Wonderpet. Alright. I did bring those on. The lasted has come from a newer friend of mine. These past couple of weeks, I’ve been getting to know one of the men that works beside The Mufflerman, who has been coming out to our men’s Bible study. I received an e-mail from him this morning, just encouraging me in what I do and saying that he thinks of me as being an intellectual.
That struck me as being rather odd. He may very well be right, but I don’t see myself in that light.
(Did you like the rhyme? That was kind of like Underdog. Wasn’t it?)
Am I an intellectual? When I think of intellectuals, I think of people like Michael Krahn and Bill Coleman.
What is an intellectual anyway? You would think an intellectual would be the kind of person who would know what an intellectual is.
Intellectual 1 Pertaining to the mind, bringing into action the intellect or higher capacities; mental. 2 possessing intellect or intelligence; characterized by a high degree of intelligence. 3 Requiring intelligence or study.
I guess I’m glad that my new friend thinks of me in those terms. I’d hate to be thought of as a moron. Maybe I shouldn’t be processing this here in such a public forum, but I am. There are other times where I have been caught off guard in a similar way. Sometimes when I speak, I’ll have people who tell me, ‘Wow. I can tell that you put a lot of time into researching and preparing.’ Most of the time, when I get feedback like that, those are the times when I have NOT spent much time researching, studying or preparing.
I guess what I do a lot of before I teach or speak, is what the Bible refers to as meditation. In today’s popular terms, meditation tends to be related anything BUT Christianity. It often refers to an emptying of the mind. True meditation has to do with intentional, mindful thought.
In my opinion, we’re all intellectual creatures. What tends to take up the majority or your thought life? Some things occupy our minds whether we want them to or not. Our work lives, relationships or our health concerns often monopolize our thought time.
But what do you enjoy thinking about? What is it that, when you think on it, would be the joyful object of your mind’s eye? There is no shortage of things in this world that vie for our attention. When the World Cup was on this past summer, there was a MacLeans article saying, “Some people think that soccer is a matter of life and death. I can assure you, it’s much more serious than that.’ It might not be soccer, but what is it for you? Do you have your favorite pop culture icons? Are you the person who, ‘just can’t wait to get away’?
There are however, individuals who love to think about God. (And yes. Some of them likely watched the World Cup or the Vancouver Olympics.)
“Then those who feared the Lord spoke with each other, and the Lord listened to what they said. In His presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared Him and loved to think about Him.” Malachi 3:16 (NLT 1996)
Here in Malachi, we’re looking at a people who both, fear God and love to think about Him. Other versions speak about them thinking of the honour of His name. Everyone thinks about God. Athiests and agnostics think about God. Find me an atheist website that does NOT mention God. For some people, thinking about God is a tormenting thing. It’s kind of weird in a way. The people who fear God are the ones who love to think about Him. When a person who defies God thinks about Him, I wonder what that’s like. It isn’t pleasurable is it?
I hope that what my friend sees in me isn’t something of knowledge, but rather a man who loves to think about Jesus. If that qualifies me as being an intellectual, I’ll gladly carry the title.
That struck me as being rather odd. He may very well be right, but I don’t see myself in that light.
(Did you like the rhyme? That was kind of like Underdog. Wasn’t it?)
Am I an intellectual? When I think of intellectuals, I think of people like Michael Krahn and Bill Coleman.
What is an intellectual anyway? You would think an intellectual would be the kind of person who would know what an intellectual is.
Intellectual 1 Pertaining to the mind, bringing into action the intellect or higher capacities; mental. 2 possessing intellect or intelligence; characterized by a high degree of intelligence. 3 Requiring intelligence or study.
I guess I’m glad that my new friend thinks of me in those terms. I’d hate to be thought of as a moron. Maybe I shouldn’t be processing this here in such a public forum, but I am. There are other times where I have been caught off guard in a similar way. Sometimes when I speak, I’ll have people who tell me, ‘Wow. I can tell that you put a lot of time into researching and preparing.’ Most of the time, when I get feedback like that, those are the times when I have NOT spent much time researching, studying or preparing.
I guess what I do a lot of before I teach or speak, is what the Bible refers to as meditation. In today’s popular terms, meditation tends to be related anything BUT Christianity. It often refers to an emptying of the mind. True meditation has to do with intentional, mindful thought.
In my opinion, we’re all intellectual creatures. What tends to take up the majority or your thought life? Some things occupy our minds whether we want them to or not. Our work lives, relationships or our health concerns often monopolize our thought time.
But what do you enjoy thinking about? What is it that, when you think on it, would be the joyful object of your mind’s eye? There is no shortage of things in this world that vie for our attention. When the World Cup was on this past summer, there was a MacLeans article saying, “Some people think that soccer is a matter of life and death. I can assure you, it’s much more serious than that.’ It might not be soccer, but what is it for you? Do you have your favorite pop culture icons? Are you the person who, ‘just can’t wait to get away’?
There are however, individuals who love to think about God. (And yes. Some of them likely watched the World Cup or the Vancouver Olympics.)
“Then those who feared the Lord spoke with each other, and the Lord listened to what they said. In His presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared Him and loved to think about Him.” Malachi 3:16 (NLT 1996)
Here in Malachi, we’re looking at a people who both, fear God and love to think about Him. Other versions speak about them thinking of the honour of His name. Everyone thinks about God. Athiests and agnostics think about God. Find me an atheist website that does NOT mention God. For some people, thinking about God is a tormenting thing. It’s kind of weird in a way. The people who fear God are the ones who love to think about Him. When a person who defies God thinks about Him, I wonder what that’s like. It isn’t pleasurable is it?
I hope that what my friend sees in me isn’t something of knowledge, but rather a man who loves to think about Jesus. If that qualifies me as being an intellectual, I’ll gladly carry the title.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Tough Day At The Office
There are many things that I enjoy about my work. I enjoy when a vehicle comes into our shop, I fix it and it drives away. I’ve been a licensed technician for over 5 years now and I’m quite comfortable doing what I do. There are days however where the general ugly realities of life come to bear. You know. If anything can go wrong, it will. If something is going to go wrong, it will likely happen when the vehicle is under your care. Today was one of those days.
At 4:00pm, I had a car which was scheduled for emissions repair. In other words, it had previously failed an emissions test and I was responsible for finding the problem and repairing it. At the moment, I happen to be the only one qualified to do these at our shop. We had another guy up until a couple of months ago, but he has since moved on to bigger and better things.
One of the difficulties of emissions repairs is that, it’s nearly impossible to be prepared for every pitfall. Just because you find something that is broken, there is no guarantee that there aren’t other problems with the vehicle. Just because you find 10 things that are broken, doesn’t mean that there isn’t an 11th item just waiting to bite you on your backside. You’d pretty well have to be God himself in order to see every possible problem.
We close at 6:00pm and this young lady wanted her car both diagnosed and repaired, which leaves me just 1 and a half hours to diagnose and repair the thing if there is to be time to retest it. Just so you know, there is no way under heaven that I can be humanly expected to do such a thing, but having a personal super hero complex, I set out to do exactly that.
So I look at the gas readings and notice an obvious misfire. I remove the distributor cap and notice that the center terminal has completely disintegrated. That would do it. The center terminal is the very thing that sends spark to each plug wire. Time is still ticking. I now have about 45 minutes to either continue searching, or I can fix the obviously defective item.
So I fix the part that is obviously and blatantly defective, in the hopes that I can get this young lady back on the road for the evening and have her car so that she can go to work the next day. I replace the cap and start the vehicle. Immediately, it runs much smoother than it was before. “Victory!” I exclaim. I warm the car up, do a couple more test to verify my repair and I turn the car off, with enough time left to retest the car. I put on my cape, walk to the front and proudly declare that this young lady will be able to drive home tonight and renew her license plate tomorrow.
As our emissions inspector gets into the car, a funny thing happens. It won’t start. Strange. Cap was busted. Kevin fix cap. Car run now! Kevin smash car no run!!!
So I stay 2 hours past closing time and as Murphy would have it, it now needs an ignition coil. How on earth could I have known that the coil would fail 10 minutes after my repair?
What galls me, is that
Even though I only replaced parts which were completely and obviously worn out
Even though I did everything in my power to try and have her car repaired before close
Even though it isn’t humanly possible for me to have predicted that in the time allotted for the repair
Even though I stayed late for two hours to diagnose the no start
Even though I’ll probably sell her the coil at our cost
…..she’ll probably walk away thinking that I have wrecked her car and done her a grave disservice.
And to the lady – if you are reading this, I am very sorry for you. You seem like a very intelligent woman, so I hope you really do understand. I’ve went to school myself and I know how inconvenient this is. I’ll likely share these words with you tomorrow, but I really have done everything in my power to make this as bearable as I can for you, whether you believe me or not.
At 4:00pm, I had a car which was scheduled for emissions repair. In other words, it had previously failed an emissions test and I was responsible for finding the problem and repairing it. At the moment, I happen to be the only one qualified to do these at our shop. We had another guy up until a couple of months ago, but he has since moved on to bigger and better things.
One of the difficulties of emissions repairs is that, it’s nearly impossible to be prepared for every pitfall. Just because you find something that is broken, there is no guarantee that there aren’t other problems with the vehicle. Just because you find 10 things that are broken, doesn’t mean that there isn’t an 11th item just waiting to bite you on your backside. You’d pretty well have to be God himself in order to see every possible problem.
We close at 6:00pm and this young lady wanted her car both diagnosed and repaired, which leaves me just 1 and a half hours to diagnose and repair the thing if there is to be time to retest it. Just so you know, there is no way under heaven that I can be humanly expected to do such a thing, but having a personal super hero complex, I set out to do exactly that.
So I look at the gas readings and notice an obvious misfire. I remove the distributor cap and notice that the center terminal has completely disintegrated. That would do it. The center terminal is the very thing that sends spark to each plug wire. Time is still ticking. I now have about 45 minutes to either continue searching, or I can fix the obviously defective item.
So I fix the part that is obviously and blatantly defective, in the hopes that I can get this young lady back on the road for the evening and have her car so that she can go to work the next day. I replace the cap and start the vehicle. Immediately, it runs much smoother than it was before. “Victory!” I exclaim. I warm the car up, do a couple more test to verify my repair and I turn the car off, with enough time left to retest the car. I put on my cape, walk to the front and proudly declare that this young lady will be able to drive home tonight and renew her license plate tomorrow.
As our emissions inspector gets into the car, a funny thing happens. It won’t start. Strange. Cap was busted. Kevin fix cap. Car run now! Kevin smash car no run!!!
So I stay 2 hours past closing time and as Murphy would have it, it now needs an ignition coil. How on earth could I have known that the coil would fail 10 minutes after my repair?
What galls me, is that
Even though I only replaced parts which were completely and obviously worn out
Even though I did everything in my power to try and have her car repaired before close
Even though it isn’t humanly possible for me to have predicted that in the time allotted for the repair
Even though I stayed late for two hours to diagnose the no start
Even though I’ll probably sell her the coil at our cost
…..she’ll probably walk away thinking that I have wrecked her car and done her a grave disservice.
And to the lady – if you are reading this, I am very sorry for you. You seem like a very intelligent woman, so I hope you really do understand. I’ve went to school myself and I know how inconvenient this is. I’ll likely share these words with you tomorrow, but I really have done everything in my power to make this as bearable as I can for you, whether you believe me or not.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Who Was That Anyway?
The context police might arrest me for this one. Yes. I am using this passage completely out of context. Moi-hahaha!
Luke 12:7 (New International Version)
7Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
For anyone who doesn’t think that God is all that great, I really don’t think they have much of an idea of who He is. Today I was at Canadian Tire paying off part of my Canadian Tire Mastercard. As I stood waiting at the cashier, a young woman fell in line behind me. Due to the look on her face, I could tell that she thought she knew me. So I did what anyone else does in similar circumstances. I smiled politely and said hi.
Now, even though I have written one book and even though I do write a blog post from time to time, this isn’t the scenario where I am this huge public figure who just can’t seem to escape the public lens. I’m not being chased by throngs of individuals who have checked me out on YouTube and are looking for the chance to finally meet me face to face.
Side note. I think fans are idolaters.
I have had the privilege however of speaking at a few (and I mean a few) different churches in my area and I do on occasion run into people with whom I have had some enjoyable, yet brief contact. Fortunately, the smile and the hello were enough to deal with the awkwardness of the situation.
“So. Did your daughter enjoy youth group last night?” She asked.
That’s it. This lady must be part of the youth program at my church. At least now I have some basis for initiating a polite conversation.
You’ve likely been there too haven’t you? We just can’t remember everyone we meet. I know that this won’t be an impressive post, but think on it. God not only knows every person in the world, he even knows how much hair we have.
How horrible it would be if God were like me. I can’t imagine going to Him in prayer during my time of greatest need, only to have Him reply, “Do I know you? Where have we met?”
Even if you don’t know Him, He knows you. I don’t know if that’s comforting or not. It’s just the way it is.
Luke 12:7 (New International Version)
7Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
For anyone who doesn’t think that God is all that great, I really don’t think they have much of an idea of who He is. Today I was at Canadian Tire paying off part of my Canadian Tire Mastercard. As I stood waiting at the cashier, a young woman fell in line behind me. Due to the look on her face, I could tell that she thought she knew me. So I did what anyone else does in similar circumstances. I smiled politely and said hi.
Now, even though I have written one book and even though I do write a blog post from time to time, this isn’t the scenario where I am this huge public figure who just can’t seem to escape the public lens. I’m not being chased by throngs of individuals who have checked me out on YouTube and are looking for the chance to finally meet me face to face.
Side note. I think fans are idolaters.
I have had the privilege however of speaking at a few (and I mean a few) different churches in my area and I do on occasion run into people with whom I have had some enjoyable, yet brief contact. Fortunately, the smile and the hello were enough to deal with the awkwardness of the situation.
“So. Did your daughter enjoy youth group last night?” She asked.
That’s it. This lady must be part of the youth program at my church. At least now I have some basis for initiating a polite conversation.
You’ve likely been there too haven’t you? We just can’t remember everyone we meet. I know that this won’t be an impressive post, but think on it. God not only knows every person in the world, he even knows how much hair we have.
How horrible it would be if God were like me. I can’t imagine going to Him in prayer during my time of greatest need, only to have Him reply, “Do I know you? Where have we met?”
Even if you don’t know Him, He knows you. I don’t know if that’s comforting or not. It’s just the way it is.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Artificial Intelligence
“Hey Kev. Do you know what a climax is?”
There was always some moron who knew the meaning of some sexual term or phrase who thought that he had discovered to key to supreme knowledge itself. I was in grade 7 and at that point in time, I didn’t know what he was talking about. It’s funny. That type of attitude was something that was supposed to have died in high school, but it doesn’t.
There are a lot of things I just assume that people ‘grow out of’, but I’m wrong. This is one of them. Now that I’ve openly taken my stand with Jesus, very few people ask me if I’m up on the latest disgusting sexual terms, but I still overhear the conversations between individuals who should have grown out of it. The people who have the inside scoop on the latest sexual terms, usually like to think that they are privy to some special kind of knowledge, much like my friend who knew what a climax was.
Now that I’ve been walking with Jesus for a while, I think if I ever get the opportunity, I’ll respond differently next time. You see, I know a lot of Biblical terms that many people in the general public are unaware of. The conversation might go something like this;
“Hey Kev. Do you know what a Chicago Steamer is?”
“No I don’t. Please tell me so that I might share in your special wisdom. But since we’re talking about definitions, do you know what Sanctification is?”
I wonder how that conversation will end.
How about you? Are you authentically impressed with this type of knowledge?
There was always some moron who knew the meaning of some sexual term or phrase who thought that he had discovered to key to supreme knowledge itself. I was in grade 7 and at that point in time, I didn’t know what he was talking about. It’s funny. That type of attitude was something that was supposed to have died in high school, but it doesn’t.
There are a lot of things I just assume that people ‘grow out of’, but I’m wrong. This is one of them. Now that I’ve openly taken my stand with Jesus, very few people ask me if I’m up on the latest disgusting sexual terms, but I still overhear the conversations between individuals who should have grown out of it. The people who have the inside scoop on the latest sexual terms, usually like to think that they are privy to some special kind of knowledge, much like my friend who knew what a climax was.
Now that I’ve been walking with Jesus for a while, I think if I ever get the opportunity, I’ll respond differently next time. You see, I know a lot of Biblical terms that many people in the general public are unaware of. The conversation might go something like this;
“Hey Kev. Do you know what a Chicago Steamer is?”
“No I don’t. Please tell me so that I might share in your special wisdom. But since we’re talking about definitions, do you know what Sanctification is?”
I wonder how that conversation will end.
How about you? Are you authentically impressed with this type of knowledge?
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Busy about other 'Good' things
Hi there. No I haven't forgotten you. I know I haven't been writing here a whole lot lately. Fortunately I'm not the source of your true spiritual nourishment. Otherwise, you would all be malnourised, if not dead. (I'm leaning towards dead.)
I'm still busy, but I've been busier than usual in my teaching. I just came home from teaching men's group and I'll likely be doing that for the next two Thursdays.
This coming Sunday I'll be speaking at New Sarum Baptist Church. It's my very first Baptist Church. Yay! Kind of. It's funny in a way. Most of the time, when I have had the privilege of speaking, it always seemed like God gave me a similar message. It was like I always had it on my heart to talk about sin, and Christ's lordship and the need to receive and remain in Him. This has always made me feel like I'm a broken record. Fortunatley however, the messages were always packaged differently enough that they were somewhat bearable. (I think.)
So, many times I think, 'Why am I always on about sin? Why can't I ever have a comforting message?'
It's here! I finally have the sense that I am supposed to talk about some nicer things. I'm hoping that it's because the people of New Sarum are generally a faithful bunch. I'll be speaking on the 23rd Psalm. So if you've ever wanted to hear me talk and NOT touch on drunkennes or any sexual sin, 'church' starts at 11:15 am. If you come at 10:30am, there is supposed to be coffee and a time to interact.
I also have the privilege of speaking at Aymer's EMMC church again on Oct 30th, so it might be some time before I'm here again.
Night.
Kevin
I'm still busy, but I've been busier than usual in my teaching. I just came home from teaching men's group and I'll likely be doing that for the next two Thursdays.
This coming Sunday I'll be speaking at New Sarum Baptist Church. It's my very first Baptist Church. Yay! Kind of. It's funny in a way. Most of the time, when I have had the privilege of speaking, it always seemed like God gave me a similar message. It was like I always had it on my heart to talk about sin, and Christ's lordship and the need to receive and remain in Him. This has always made me feel like I'm a broken record. Fortunatley however, the messages were always packaged differently enough that they were somewhat bearable. (I think.)
So, many times I think, 'Why am I always on about sin? Why can't I ever have a comforting message?'
It's here! I finally have the sense that I am supposed to talk about some nicer things. I'm hoping that it's because the people of New Sarum are generally a faithful bunch. I'll be speaking on the 23rd Psalm. So if you've ever wanted to hear me talk and NOT touch on drunkennes or any sexual sin, 'church' starts at 11:15 am. If you come at 10:30am, there is supposed to be coffee and a time to interact.
I also have the privilege of speaking at Aymer's EMMC church again on Oct 30th, so it might be some time before I'm here again.
Night.
Kevin
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Everybody Hates Me. Nobody Likes Me.
Lately, it just seems that everybody hurts. Several people in my life have serious health concerns. Others have marital or other relationship problems. As I walk through life, it often seems difficult to notice any tangible benefit for those who have been purchased out of the world. I mean, we still die from heart attacks and strokes. We lose loved ones to drunk drivers. We have all of the problems that everyone else has, and sometimes more.
So, if God doesn’t miraculously fix all of our problems, why bother? Why remain in Him? Is there anything that we can count on? There is a difference and there are things that we can count on in our faith and if God is willing, I hope to speak on it next Sunday at New Sarum Baptist church.
There are many things that God does for us that He does not do for those who haven’t received and remained in Him. I use the words ‘received and remain’ for a very specific reason. I’m not saying that the benefits of our faith are actually claimed by all Christians. What I’m saying, is that there are benefits which are available if we, as His children, would claim them.
“We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God.” 2Corinthians 1:8-9
For many people, when they endure severe ridicule or persecution, life can seem hopeless. It isn’t uncommon for some people to take their own lives when it seems like the world is against them. There is however a staying power that we see in the life of Paul, and it’s something that I have witnessed in those who hold tightly to Jesus. Paul is speaking about the adversity he has faced in his ministry for Christ. He doesn’t give specific details here, but if we study his life closely, we find that he endured more than just ridicule and condemnation. There are many who actually wanted to kill him.
Maybe this is something that is just for people like Paul. How about it? I realize that many nonbelievers get through life. In fact, most do. But when I think on the people I know who have learned to rely on God, there is a certain strength that exudes from the life they live. I don’t see them picking up the bottle or other crutch when all seems lost.
If you are thinking, ‘But I know Christians who…..’
Look carefully at the language I’m using. I’m not talking about Christians. I’m talking about people who have learned to rely only on God. Sadly, there is a difference.
So, if God doesn’t miraculously fix all of our problems, why bother? Why remain in Him? Is there anything that we can count on? There is a difference and there are things that we can count on in our faith and if God is willing, I hope to speak on it next Sunday at New Sarum Baptist church.
There are many things that God does for us that He does not do for those who haven’t received and remained in Him. I use the words ‘received and remain’ for a very specific reason. I’m not saying that the benefits of our faith are actually claimed by all Christians. What I’m saying, is that there are benefits which are available if we, as His children, would claim them.
“We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God.” 2Corinthians 1:8-9
For many people, when they endure severe ridicule or persecution, life can seem hopeless. It isn’t uncommon for some people to take their own lives when it seems like the world is against them. There is however a staying power that we see in the life of Paul, and it’s something that I have witnessed in those who hold tightly to Jesus. Paul is speaking about the adversity he has faced in his ministry for Christ. He doesn’t give specific details here, but if we study his life closely, we find that he endured more than just ridicule and condemnation. There are many who actually wanted to kill him.
Maybe this is something that is just for people like Paul. How about it? I realize that many nonbelievers get through life. In fact, most do. But when I think on the people I know who have learned to rely on God, there is a certain strength that exudes from the life they live. I don’t see them picking up the bottle or other crutch when all seems lost.
If you are thinking, ‘But I know Christians who…..’
Look carefully at the language I’m using. I’m not talking about Christians. I’m talking about people who have learned to rely only on God. Sadly, there is a difference.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Selfish Advocacy
"There are lots of incidences of bullying that go on. I wonder why Ellen choose this one to focus on."
By chbaresich on The Case Against Public Ridicule at 10:38 AM
I received this comment on one of my posts. In it, I was referring to how Ellen DeGeneres was speaking out against bullying; specifically in regards to homosexuality. Just so you know that there is no controversy here, I’m not speaking against Ellen or slamming her. She’s right. We shouldn’t be cruel, post sex videos online or call them names. If you don’t know any derogatory names for homosexuals, you likely didn’t go to public school. The issue is why? If there are many forms of bullying, why would she speak out against merely this one form?
This past Monday night, my wife and I were staying at a motel as we celebrated our 14 year anniversary. Before lying down for the evening, I spent some time watching the evening news. There was a segment looking at a woman who was trying to raise awareness for violence against aboriginal women. I found that to be rather odd. So, is violence against other women acceptable?
The sad truth is that certain forms of violence and bullying are more tolerable in our culture than others. This might surprise you, but the woman who was speaking out on violence against aboriginal women was an aboriginal woman. Likewise, Ellen is known to be a homosexual herself.
We as human beings tend to advocate only for things that affect us personally, and this even includes our charity; myself included. I have a friend who has a certain disease. So when she is raising support, I try to support her. I have a family member who had breast cancer. So when I hear about breast cancer, I receive it differently than if it had never touched my family.
Notice how ‘I’ am involved in the whole process. I have a friend who suffered from……..I have a loved one who has……I am suffering from……
Michal J Fox is a well know advocate for Parkinson disease. Know why? He has the Parkinson disease. Wouldn’t it be both strange and uplifting for some celebrity to get Alzheimer’s, and spend their life raising money for cancer research?
Violence against anyone should be abhorred, be it male or female, Aboriginal or Caucasian. Bullying in any form deserves our attention.
By chbaresich on The Case Against Public Ridicule at 10:38 AM
I received this comment on one of my posts. In it, I was referring to how Ellen DeGeneres was speaking out against bullying; specifically in regards to homosexuality. Just so you know that there is no controversy here, I’m not speaking against Ellen or slamming her. She’s right. We shouldn’t be cruel, post sex videos online or call them names. If you don’t know any derogatory names for homosexuals, you likely didn’t go to public school. The issue is why? If there are many forms of bullying, why would she speak out against merely this one form?
This past Monday night, my wife and I were staying at a motel as we celebrated our 14 year anniversary. Before lying down for the evening, I spent some time watching the evening news. There was a segment looking at a woman who was trying to raise awareness for violence against aboriginal women. I found that to be rather odd. So, is violence against other women acceptable?
The sad truth is that certain forms of violence and bullying are more tolerable in our culture than others. This might surprise you, but the woman who was speaking out on violence against aboriginal women was an aboriginal woman. Likewise, Ellen is known to be a homosexual herself.
We as human beings tend to advocate only for things that affect us personally, and this even includes our charity; myself included. I have a friend who has a certain disease. So when she is raising support, I try to support her. I have a family member who had breast cancer. So when I hear about breast cancer, I receive it differently than if it had never touched my family.
Notice how ‘I’ am involved in the whole process. I have a friend who suffered from……..I have a loved one who has……I am suffering from……
Michal J Fox is a well know advocate for Parkinson disease. Know why? He has the Parkinson disease. Wouldn’t it be both strange and uplifting for some celebrity to get Alzheimer’s, and spend their life raising money for cancer research?
Violence against anyone should be abhorred, be it male or female, Aboriginal or Caucasian. Bullying in any form deserves our attention.
Monday, October 4, 2010
God Of Comfort (Not the same as Southern Comfort)
I started this week being mildly discouraged. My oldest son came up to me in church carrying the contents from our mail folder. He likes to be the first one to get there. In his hands was a copy of my book that I had given to one of guys in a group who had played at our church a couple of weeks back.
I understand. I had given him the book after asking whether or not he would want it. I don't expect them to read every book from every person that buys their cd. It's just, when you like what someone does, you prefer to think that they might like what you do. Of course, I'd rather have it back than have him throw it in the garbage. Still, I would have prefered a polite refusal to begin with.
Today however has been a great encouragement. It's not that our joy depends on our circumstance, but its still nice to be reassured somehow that what you do matters. Today at work, one of my customers asked if I could speak at his church. After checking out my blog, I found that Helen liked my last post. I don't know if this is always how it works, but God proves Himself over and over to be a God of comfort. It seems to me that He often uses His own people to be that very vessel of comfort.
2 Corinthians
The God of All Comfort
3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
I understand. I had given him the book after asking whether or not he would want it. I don't expect them to read every book from every person that buys their cd. It's just, when you like what someone does, you prefer to think that they might like what you do. Of course, I'd rather have it back than have him throw it in the garbage. Still, I would have prefered a polite refusal to begin with.
Today however has been a great encouragement. It's not that our joy depends on our circumstance, but its still nice to be reassured somehow that what you do matters. Today at work, one of my customers asked if I could speak at his church. After checking out my blog, I found that Helen liked my last post. I don't know if this is always how it works, but God proves Himself over and over to be a God of comfort. It seems to me that He often uses His own people to be that very vessel of comfort.
2 Corinthians
The God of All Comfort
3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
The Case Against Public Ridicule
A few of my friends on Facebook posted a link to Ellen DeGeneres’ YouTube video this week. In it, Ellen made a heartfelt plea against bullying. She was refereeing specifically to a Tyler Clementi, whose roommate posted a video of him having sex with his male partner online.
I often take a bit of time to process these kinds of things. In fact, I really didn’t know what to think at all in the moment. I couldn’t tell if Ellen was speaking out against bullying in general or if she was just speaking in reference to the gay community. People tend to be a rather cruel creature and we do tend to pick on those who seem to make the best targets. Facial abnormalities are always good for a good laugh. If she’s speaking out on bullying in general, I’m with her. Even if she’s merely telling us NOT to record our gay roommate having sex and post it on the internet, I’m still with her, although, I’d take the fight beyond the box of human sexuality.
It has only been within the last year that the Lord has dealt with me about having fun at the expense of another. Growing up, I was about as cruel as any other boy. By myself, I really didn’t hurt anyone much, but place me in a group, and I felt quite free to taunt whichever person seemed to be the weakest. It might have been the new kid, just having moved in from Mexico who could barely speak English. They were always fair game. The handicapped were always great to have fun at their expense as well. Fortunately (or unfortunately), we didn’t have any homosexuals to make fun of. Although, we would tease each other and call each other queer.
For whatever reason, God never struck me dead. So I grew up and grew out of it. Or so I thought. Then came Karl. Karl was the new guy at work. He was taller than I was. He had more hair than I did. He had more tool boxes than I did. He had military training and had taken karate, which I had none of. So I unconsciously did what I thought I had to do. I frequently made fun at his expense. When you cut other people down, it makes you feel taller. Doesn’t it work that way?
As I worked my way through Proverbs, I came across this passage,
Proverbs 12:18 (New Living Translation)
18 Some people make cutting remarks,
but the words of the wise bring healing.
And then the thought occurred to me, ‘Even though I think I’m doing this all in good fun, maybe Karl doesn’t see it that way.’ The next day, I made a point of talking to him and asked,
“Karl. Does it bother you when I make jokes at your expense?”
“Yes Kevin. It does.”
I really had believed that it was all in good fun, but the way that I was treating him really did bother him. It didn’t shake him to the core or push him to jump off of a bridge, but he really didn’t want me doing it. So I stopped.
Today I’ve been thinking more of young Tyler and the kind of shame he must have felt. To be honest with you, there are scenes in my life, that if they had been caught and posted online, I wouldn’t want to face the world either. I’m sure that most of you are better than me, but as for me, my shame really isn’t much different than Tyler’s.
That’s the amazing thing about God’s love. Even though He saw me, even though He caught me on tape and saw me in the darkest parts of my life, He chose to demonstrate love to me. He sent His only Son to literally bear my shame; being subjected to public ridicule, mockery, torture and execution. Whenever I hear the word, ‘shame’, there are certain scenes of my life that come to mind. Jesus has both watched, and bore them all. I don’t have to jump off of a bridge to try and escape the humiliation of my past. My crimes were punished and paid for in full on the cross. I wish that Tyler could have discovered that truth. Of course, even if I had known him, I don’t know if I could have articulated these things clearly enough for him or if he would even want to surrender his cares to Jesus anyway. If you have your own personal demons, perhaps this can help you.
Now that I’ve been made right with the Father, there is another kind of ridicule that I endure, but it really isn’t so bad. The world still loves to make fun of believers. Just watch a few episodes of South Park or The Family Guy. If you’re discerning, you know what I mean. If we talk too much about Jesus, they might even kill us. Not that it will get much media attention. And not that we're looking for it.
Most of the people I work with respect me and my faith well enough. I’m thankful that those who do make fun of me do so behind my back. I find out, but it’s easier to handle well after the fact. In a weird kind of way, I’m thankful to be made fun of. It’s different than being ridiculed for some humiliating act. Instead, it’s kind of a compliment. If I live in a world that hated and killed Jesus, then maybe in a small way, it’s evidence that I really do belong to Him.
I often take a bit of time to process these kinds of things. In fact, I really didn’t know what to think at all in the moment. I couldn’t tell if Ellen was speaking out against bullying in general or if she was just speaking in reference to the gay community. People tend to be a rather cruel creature and we do tend to pick on those who seem to make the best targets. Facial abnormalities are always good for a good laugh. If she’s speaking out on bullying in general, I’m with her. Even if she’s merely telling us NOT to record our gay roommate having sex and post it on the internet, I’m still with her, although, I’d take the fight beyond the box of human sexuality.
It has only been within the last year that the Lord has dealt with me about having fun at the expense of another. Growing up, I was about as cruel as any other boy. By myself, I really didn’t hurt anyone much, but place me in a group, and I felt quite free to taunt whichever person seemed to be the weakest. It might have been the new kid, just having moved in from Mexico who could barely speak English. They were always fair game. The handicapped were always great to have fun at their expense as well. Fortunately (or unfortunately), we didn’t have any homosexuals to make fun of. Although, we would tease each other and call each other queer.
For whatever reason, God never struck me dead. So I grew up and grew out of it. Or so I thought. Then came Karl. Karl was the new guy at work. He was taller than I was. He had more hair than I did. He had more tool boxes than I did. He had military training and had taken karate, which I had none of. So I unconsciously did what I thought I had to do. I frequently made fun at his expense. When you cut other people down, it makes you feel taller. Doesn’t it work that way?
As I worked my way through Proverbs, I came across this passage,
Proverbs 12:18 (New Living Translation)
18 Some people make cutting remarks,
but the words of the wise bring healing.
And then the thought occurred to me, ‘Even though I think I’m doing this all in good fun, maybe Karl doesn’t see it that way.’ The next day, I made a point of talking to him and asked,
“Karl. Does it bother you when I make jokes at your expense?”
“Yes Kevin. It does.”
I really had believed that it was all in good fun, but the way that I was treating him really did bother him. It didn’t shake him to the core or push him to jump off of a bridge, but he really didn’t want me doing it. So I stopped.
Today I’ve been thinking more of young Tyler and the kind of shame he must have felt. To be honest with you, there are scenes in my life, that if they had been caught and posted online, I wouldn’t want to face the world either. I’m sure that most of you are better than me, but as for me, my shame really isn’t much different than Tyler’s.
That’s the amazing thing about God’s love. Even though He saw me, even though He caught me on tape and saw me in the darkest parts of my life, He chose to demonstrate love to me. He sent His only Son to literally bear my shame; being subjected to public ridicule, mockery, torture and execution. Whenever I hear the word, ‘shame’, there are certain scenes of my life that come to mind. Jesus has both watched, and bore them all. I don’t have to jump off of a bridge to try and escape the humiliation of my past. My crimes were punished and paid for in full on the cross. I wish that Tyler could have discovered that truth. Of course, even if I had known him, I don’t know if I could have articulated these things clearly enough for him or if he would even want to surrender his cares to Jesus anyway. If you have your own personal demons, perhaps this can help you.
Now that I’ve been made right with the Father, there is another kind of ridicule that I endure, but it really isn’t so bad. The world still loves to make fun of believers. Just watch a few episodes of South Park or The Family Guy. If you’re discerning, you know what I mean. If we talk too much about Jesus, they might even kill us. Not that it will get much media attention. And not that we're looking for it.
Most of the people I work with respect me and my faith well enough. I’m thankful that those who do make fun of me do so behind my back. I find out, but it’s easier to handle well after the fact. In a weird kind of way, I’m thankful to be made fun of. It’s different than being ridiculed for some humiliating act. Instead, it’s kind of a compliment. If I live in a world that hated and killed Jesus, then maybe in a small way, it’s evidence that I really do belong to Him.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Now is the Time
“I personally don't think the ultimate end is that close. I believe that we are in the end times, but then again, didn't people in the New Testament already speak of being in the last days? I also think we need to be prepared, because we really don't know. At the same time, do you think people can be too preoccupied with the end times and Christ's return? Can people be so into it that they fail to live in the here and now? I'm not sure, but your thoughts would be appreciated. “
By Margaret Neufeld on We're All Going to Die!!!! on 9/20/10
I wanted to make sure that I address a question that was asked of me over a week ago. Although the Bible has a lot to say about Christ’s return and the end times, I really don’t feel that it’s an issue which deserves to be the focus of our faith. I want to answer one specific question as it has come up in my own faith. “Can people be so into it that they fail to live in the here and now?”
When I was a newer believer, I was convinced that the end of this age was right at hand. Much of my time in the Bible had to do with looking through Daniel and Revelation as I tried to piece together this end times puzzle. I bought books on prophecy, even though I never read them through. They had nice pictures. The rapture charts were the best parts.
Having an unhealthy preoccupation with the end times can cause us to miss out on the life that God wants for us. This passage in Mark’s gospel was one that stuck with me in particular.
Mark 13:17
"How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers!"
Being certain that Christ’s return was quite near made me question whether or not I wanted to have children with my wife. I mean, if this passage was talking about the end of the age and if these days were right around the corner like I had believed, I really didn’t want to be responsible for a young infant during such a perilous time.
My daughter is 12 years old now. My wife and I have had 4 children and they are among God’s greatest gifts in our lives.
God the Father goes through great lengths in order to keep the dates of Christ’s return a secret. I firmly believe that part of the reason why He does this is because He wants us to be ready now. He does tell us repeatedly to be ready for any moment.
If we really are ready now, then it really doesn’t make much difference when it is. If we’re trusting in anything but Jesus for our salvation, we’re not ready. If we’re living in defiance to the Lord Jesus, we aren’t ready. If we aren’t right with Him now, then building an underground bunker or finding a good hiding spot won’t save us. Storing up extra food, getting vaccinated from any super bug, or moving up north to beat global warming won’t do it either.
If we really have been made right with God the Father through Christ the Son, we are able to literally walk through the fires of hell and come out cool on the other side. We’ll die once, along with the reset of humanity, but we’ll get up again. So if your name has been written in heaven, rejoice. Rejoice because you are ready, come hell or high water.
Don't worry about Dec 21 2012. We need to be concerned about our spiritual condition now.
By Margaret Neufeld on We're All Going to Die!!!! on 9/20/10
I wanted to make sure that I address a question that was asked of me over a week ago. Although the Bible has a lot to say about Christ’s return and the end times, I really don’t feel that it’s an issue which deserves to be the focus of our faith. I want to answer one specific question as it has come up in my own faith. “Can people be so into it that they fail to live in the here and now?”
When I was a newer believer, I was convinced that the end of this age was right at hand. Much of my time in the Bible had to do with looking through Daniel and Revelation as I tried to piece together this end times puzzle. I bought books on prophecy, even though I never read them through. They had nice pictures. The rapture charts were the best parts.
Having an unhealthy preoccupation with the end times can cause us to miss out on the life that God wants for us. This passage in Mark’s gospel was one that stuck with me in particular.
Mark 13:17
"How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers!"
Being certain that Christ’s return was quite near made me question whether or not I wanted to have children with my wife. I mean, if this passage was talking about the end of the age and if these days were right around the corner like I had believed, I really didn’t want to be responsible for a young infant during such a perilous time.
My daughter is 12 years old now. My wife and I have had 4 children and they are among God’s greatest gifts in our lives.
God the Father goes through great lengths in order to keep the dates of Christ’s return a secret. I firmly believe that part of the reason why He does this is because He wants us to be ready now. He does tell us repeatedly to be ready for any moment.
If we really are ready now, then it really doesn’t make much difference when it is. If we’re trusting in anything but Jesus for our salvation, we’re not ready. If we’re living in defiance to the Lord Jesus, we aren’t ready. If we aren’t right with Him now, then building an underground bunker or finding a good hiding spot won’t save us. Storing up extra food, getting vaccinated from any super bug, or moving up north to beat global warming won’t do it either.
If we really have been made right with God the Father through Christ the Son, we are able to literally walk through the fires of hell and come out cool on the other side. We’ll die once, along with the reset of humanity, but we’ll get up again. So if your name has been written in heaven, rejoice. Rejoice because you are ready, come hell or high water.
Don't worry about Dec 21 2012. We need to be concerned about our spiritual condition now.
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