Wednesday, February 1, 2017

January's Over

We've arrived at the end of our time working through John's Gospel. As wonderful as it may be for you to have read my writings, what you have gleaned through John is more important. (And I hope you have) If you have read through John, I would be interested in hearing what stood our to you. What do you see in Jesus? What remains with you now that you are finished? Consider letting me know by leaving a comment.

Different individuals view the Bible in different ways. Some think it's a book that allows people to be controlled. This kind of philosophy isn't unusual and is even a common theme throughout The Book of Eli. Is that how John's writings came across to you? Did his words find a way to make you vote for a certain political candidate? Honestly, I find that thinking odd. If there is a theme to John's writings it isn't to vote Republican or conservative. The theme clearly is this - Jesus is King! Follow Him.

Whatever you decide regarding Christ as you move on, know that I haven't been here trying to convince you of some obscure theory surrounding things that happened billions of years ago. As we've looked though John, we have looked at a person and events well within the span of observable human history. In spite of this, there are still many skeptics and you may very well be among them.

If we are parting ways and you think this has all been a fairy tale, I'll give you one final piece to ponder. When we consider that John's account was written within the timespan of recorded history, the events he spoke on were either deniable or verifiable in their time. Had this been a fairy tale, the people who read it would have had the chance to do their own writing and say, "The stuff these Christians are talking about never happened."

As we look back on antiquity we find something different. We don't find early writings saying that there was no Jesus. What we do find are writings that say, "That's not the way it happened". We see the very things that John was trying to teach us. He made it VERY clear that not everyone believed in Jesus; that many people had a very different take on who He was.

The Gospels of Matthew, a Mark, Luke and John are the stories that have prevailed and they have prevailed largely due to their consistency with each other and their acceptance in their time - something we know from their available manuscripts. If you want to find other accounts of Jesus' life that are inconsistent and that we're not accepted in their time, then you will have to look elsewhere. I'm not about to help with that.

Thank you so much for journeying with me. I hope you have further to go with Jesus. Let me know how I can help with that.

Kevin

Monday, January 30, 2017

Last Call

John 21

He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.” John 21:17

Some people look at this passage as if Jesus is rebuking Peter. Other’s see it as if He is giving Peter some much needed guidance. Whatever tone you think would fit this conversation, Peter had went back to his old lifestyle. Jesus had spent approximately 3 ½ years teaching Peter how to be a fisher of men, but he’s back on the boat making a living casting nets.

In Peter’s life specifically, Jesus wanted him to leave his career as a fisherman to pursue the kind of ministry he had just been trained to do. God has called or might be calling some of you to do the same and it can certainly be a very uncomfortable “career path.” If you aren’t a career pastor, ask yourself this question: Could you reasonably expect to make your living on none other than the voluntary offerings of God’s people?

I fix cars for a living. I don’t really worry about my job security all that much for two reasons. 1. I can rely on the fact that cars break down. They just do. So as long as people have cars, they will need them fixed. 2. I also know that people value their cars much more than they support the work of Christ in the world through the church. What that means is, I know their car will break and I know they will be willing to pay me to fix it. If God has called you to serve Him vocationally – thank you for trusting Him in that.

Jesus charge to ‘Feed His Sheep’ was both a specific commission over Peter’s life and a general call for all of those who have truly believed in Him. Becoming part of God’s nation isn’t merely a spiritual transaction whereby we resume life as if nothing significant has happened. When we are His, so long as we remain here in this life we have the privilege of being ambassadors of the country of Jesus. The church is therefore kind of like a foreign embassy, not representing Russia or China – but God most high.

You likely haven’t had Jesus sit you down and tell you to feed His lambs. Would it help were He to do so? Likely not. The language of His commission to Peter didn’t spell out in specifics the kind of tasks that he would have to pursue. I surmise that even after being redirected, Peter still had to think, process and pray over what exactly he was to do. I hope it reasonable to assume he would have given some thought to what Jesus had been preparing him for up until this time in his life.

Maybe the question we have to answer is this – How does Jesus want you to represent Him in this world? If you are working that through, you’re already well underway. If you’re just starting to answer the question, I won’t place on you a specific task other than to live out the simple relationship to which we are called. Spend your effort reading, studying and understanding God’s Word. Talk your observations over with other believers and make time to worship God and pray to Him. Then.....do what comes out of that. I know this process is too elementary to be impressive, but give it a whirl.

Sunday, January 29, 2017

Why

John 20:24-31

“...these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” John 20:31

And finally we see his heart; John’s heart. We are near the end of his firsthand account of Jesus’ life and I hope we consider it a privilege to know why he took the time to write it out. It’s between you and God whether you respond the way John had hoped. He wrote in the hope that you (and I) would:

1. Believe Jesus is The Christ
2. Believe Jesus is the Son of God
3. That by believing, we would have life in Jesus’ name

It isn’t as if John wanted us to receive 3 separate things, like a toaster, a baseball and a new kitten. I’m just listing them so as to address the implications of each.

Jesus is The Christ

“Christ” is a title. It was another word used to describe the deliverer, or Messiah. The Jews generally looked towards the Christ as being someone who would restore Israel to her sovereign place among the nations. God’s purpose for the Messiah was much grander – all of humanity.

Depending on your worldview, you might not think humanity is in need of saving. We are indeed making progress in many ways. There are facets of life however that our advancement simply cannot help with. We are medicated more than ever and medicine has its place, but we’re really losing ground to anxiety and depression. We have more communication tools at our disposal than ever before, but are increasingly disconnected from one another. Feel free to believe that we are not falling apart, but you do realize that we have no solution to our own mortality. The Christ was to reconcile God with mankind. Try inventing a pill or an app that does that. Jesus is not just “A” deliverer, but “THE” Messiah, once for all time.

The Son of God

God’s love for the people He created prompted Him to send His very own Son. I love a few people. I do not love any of them enough to give them my son. As God’s Son, Jesus is uniquely situated to represent us before The Father as well as The Father to us in a way that no other can. The Christ had to be The Son. Anyone else would merely be a representative.

You May Have Life in Jesus’ Name

If I tell you Jesus wants you to have life now, how would you interpret that? He does care about your life now, but that doesn’t mean that by believing you will be healthy and wealthy. As for this life, I think the implications for faith in Jesus have more to do with receiving the peace, strength, hope and perseverance in the midst of life. It’s not just life that John is referring to: It is life in Christ’s name. Our life, our identity is to be lived out in Christ. His name is the name we are to be known for. His name is the flag that represents our lives. If we are His, we are to be known primarily as His, not for our “own” accomplishments. As for the life after death, He’s taken care of that too.

Saturday, January 28, 2017

Sent

John 20:1-23

Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” John 20:21

The God of the universe cares about all of humankind, all throughout human history. In ages past, He sent different kinds of people to reveal Himself, many of them being known as prophets. During John’s lifetime He chose to reveal Himself perfectly though His very own Son. But what about now? He came. He died. He rose again. He published a book, hoped it would fall into your hands, prayed you’d be competent enough to understand it and then left us. Such is not the case.

Having risen, He gave His disciples this charge. He sent them, just as His Father had sent Him. It sounds like a simple enough statement, yet it carries with it profound implications. They were to be sent by Jesus, AS Jesus was sent by the Father. They were called to represent Christ to the world among their generation, just AS Jesus revealed the Father while He was among us. So what about now?

Perhaps it’s you. I say, “Perhaps”, simply because I don’t know who you are. The baton of being sent is one which is passed to all who are authentically followers of Jesus Christ. I do want that for you, but respect if you desire otherwise.

It reads like a command, but for the believer smells more of privilege. There is no greater honour than to serve the One who made the universe and the One to whom which all people answer to. When you really are convinced that Jesus is Lord and the He alone holds the keys to forever, it shapes your life’s ambition. Any responsibility comes not because we are so charged, but because we dearly love people. There really is no other assurance beyond this life apart from Jesus. So for the disciple, the going has very little to do with obligation but everything to do with the privilege of their position in Christ and a genuine love for the people they know.

If you don’t want to be sent, then you probably aren’t. If you do, you may wonder where it is you should go and what it is you should be doing. For the purpose of this short blog post, I would say – Do what you can. Spend your time reading His Word, in prayer with Him and talking it out among His people. Do what comes out of that. I am convinced that He really is alive and is quite capable of leading you and me if we are willing to simply live out our relationship with Him.

Who you are matters far more than any program you could run, any charity you support or the specific cause you lend your name to. If you are sent, your credibility among those you serve hinges primarily on your character and integrity. If we fail to be a people deserving of trust, the ministry we have taken on or the church model we have chosen will matter very little.

It seems that John went. We don’t know everything He did as a disciple, yet we do know that He took the time to write down what he knew about Jesus. The going hasn’t died with John as Jesus continues to send His people today. I have done my best to respond to that call, which is why you are hearing from me this day. I pray that you would also discover the privilege of being sent in Jesus’ name.

Friday, January 27, 2017

I Was There

John 19:28-42

He who saw it has born witness – his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth - that you also may believe.” John 19:35

Sometimes I’ll hear people say that all this stuff about Jesus is made up. I don’t know what to do with statements like those. I suppose if you completely disregard the things that were written about Him by people who lived in His day, then I guess you could continue to think that this was all a fairy tale. Besides these – people who actually knew Him, people who were there – who do you expect would have written about Him? Seriously.

Let’s think about the context of John’s words. We are reading about a Jewish carpenter in the region of Judea, under the occupation and dominion of the Roman Empire. He led no revolt against Rome. He held no public office and neither did He have any known political ambitions or affiliations. He had a few large gatherings, but as best I can tell, he only had a hundred or so devoted followers here at the very end of His 3 ½ year earthly calling. In His time, few in Roman or Jewish culture would have given such a person even a footnote in their writings. Historians occupy themselves with events of greater significance such as war, politics, catastrophe and such; not the antics of a Jewish carpenter whose ministry lasted all of 3 ½ years.

When we read John, we aren’t reading a news report. We are listening to a man who had firsthand knowledge of the life and death of Jesus. He tells us, “I was there. I saw it with my own eyes and I know what I saw.” He’s not a teacher asking us to believe things that happened billions of years ago. We are sitting in on the words of a person who was there on this very day. If that doesn’t do it for you, nothing will. Will it?

If we accuse John of being a liar, what could we suppose his motivation would have been? Was it an elaborate setup designed to help establish America’s political system? If you watch enough conspiracy videos on YouTube, you might have heard such. There was nothing for John to profit from taking the time to write His account for us. Because of His devotion to Jesus, he spent his later years being exiled on the island of Patmos. With no reward other than persecution and isolation, I don’t see what would motivate him to contrive a Christ-hoax.

The very things that John describes to us here give us cause to lend him some credibility, some consideration that he was in fact on the scene. He tells us that when the soldiers pierced His side, blood and water flowed out. In our modern day, we know that blood is largely made up of water and that it can separate over time. One would not expect a man in the first century like John to know the science of it well enough to make up such a tale. So there is little room to conclude that what he tells us is anything BUT personal observation.

I have little control over what you really believe. Can I ask you a favour though? If you aren’t willing to listen to the man who was there, would you please give that same level of criticism to everything else that you read? It’s only fair.

Thursday, January 26, 2017

Moving Forward Together

John 19:1-27

When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.” John 19:26-27

This was Jesus’ final request –sort of. This was a statement; a statement that expressed His desire for His mother and His disciple during these circumstances of their respective lives. The woman was losing her son, the disciple his teacher. Christ’s hope for these two summarizes, in a way, His work on the cross for all of humanity: life–that we would both receive and live it.

Jesus wants us all to receive eternal life, but part of that includes beginning to live it now amongst His people. Suffering such a great loss, like Jesus’ mother and His disciple, can be debilitating. Losing a son can especially consume us with an inconsolable form of despair. It is the sort of wound that few completely heal from.

It is much easier to write this than it is to live out what Jesus calls us to. There is a place and a time to mourn, but it is not intended to be the house we live in. He called His mom and His disciple to recognize what they had in each other. They mourned. That is for certain. Yet within their mourning they were meant to regroup, rise from their tragedy and press on.

Lamenting our losses often has the effect of shutting us down. Our minds tend to encircle the pain, reliving it moment by moment as we further isolate ourselves from what lies before us. We have not been made to live solitary lives. I guess you are allowed to do so if you choose, but believers are called out of that. At the very least, we are called to be an integral part of His family, otherwise known as the church.

We are to have hearts that are tender towards each other–empathetic hearts of flesh rather than hard and cold. Christians are called to look at each other as if they are their brothers, sisters, moms and dads. If we take on that attitude amongst us, it should also translate into our caring for one another in very practical ways, just as the disciple took Jesus’ mother into his own home.

Healthy relationships require both heart and action. They require at least one person taking the initiative to reach out and the willingness to continue cultivating the relationship. In the case of this passage, it required the disciple providing a home for his teacher’s mother. One would hope that she repaid the gesture by helping care for the home.

None of us can truly care in this way for the whole world. Jesus didn’t ask His mother to be a mom to all of His followers. Likewise, we can’t be there for or provide for everyone who walks into our lives. We are however responsible for some. Who is before you now? Maybe you don’t “feel like” reaching out. Perhaps the cost seems too great, or your personal wounds and losses have left you curled up in the fetal position. Now might be time to look at what you do have, regroup and learn to live again; if not for your own benefit, but for the benefit of the ones Jesus has placed in front of you.

Life brings with it much loss and disappointment. Do yours hold you back from receiving and the life God has called you to?

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

You're What?!?

John 18

Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, “You also are not one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.”” John 18:25

If Peter were merely a sports fan, I suppose this story would read differently.

“You are a Toronto Maple Leaf’s fan. Aren’t you? They suck!” Reluctantly Peter replied, “Yes I am. But we’re in a rebuilding phase.”

Life really is about Jesus. Any other allegiances we have in life can find some place, or support in this world. When we have a favourite sports team, we wear our colours proudly, even amongst those who support the opposition. When we belong to any of the nations of the earth, it’s understandable when we wave our flag. Of all the things we can be associated with in this life, allegiance to Christ carries with it an odd kind of stigma.

It’s not too difficult to admit to our coworkers that we “go to church”. We can comfortably tell our peers that we spent the evening with our Bible study people, life group or youth program. However, if we begin to literally talk about being a follower of Jesus, the conversation gets very real. I remember early on when I became a new believer and I was telling my best friend what had happened to me. His words were these,

“Oh. You want to talk about religion. Do you?”

The conversation became significantly more uncomfortable after that. Had I merely become a communist, I think the dialogue would have been much more pleasant. Our relationship soon met its conclusion, not because either of us wanted it to, but we truly could no longer relate to one another. I hadn’t simply changed my sports team, political affiliation or preferred brand of running shoes. I was a new person who had chosen to be a part of a kingdom from some unearthly region.

Everything else has its place here. The Nation of Christ is the only alternative kingdom to that of this world. All other devotions fit somewhere within the spectrum of humanity. If we just wanted to be a part of a different culture, we could pack up and go. If we decided that the Netherlands know the right way to govern, we could buy a plane ticket and learn the language.

When we follow Jesus, there is no flag to wave and no soccer team to cheer for at the World Cup. There is no embassy to run to or military to defend you. There’s really nowhere to run to but Jesus – no other defense or refuge other than God Himself and His people. I know I’m not selling this very well and I don’t intend to. Being associated with Jesus doesn’t win anyone credit within this world now any more than it did for Peter on the eve of Jesus’ trial. Peter caved. We often do as well.

Peter made a very short sighted decision, one which he soon came to regret. We can either learn from Peter, or imitate him. One kingdom will endure and one will pass away. Which do you identify with; Jesus or the world?

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Take Me

John 18:1-24

“”I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go.” This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken, “Of those whom you gave me I have lost not one.”” John 18:8-9

How reliable is Jesus? If we are going to follow Him, what assurance do we have that we can count on Him? The very way of life shows us repeatedly that we just can’t trust anyone completely. Very few friends remain with us throughout life, and even family relationships can prove to be fickle. There are various reasons why we abandon others, and why others walk away from us. Sometimes we fail to live up to the expectations of others. Many relationships are just....hard, and we conclude that it just isn’t worth the effort.

As we look at Jesus, think if you will on what He mindfully walked into in order to keep His own. He’s is rapidly approaching the very end of His life as He willingly surrenders to Judas’ mob. When faced with this level of danger, people generally have one of two instincts that prevail – fight, or flight. Peter and the disciples gallantly demonstrated both. Peter’s first call was to draw the sword, and once he learned that this wasn’t the way of Christ, chose to flee. If fighting isn’t an option, then it’s time to run.

Jesus did neither and we are told why He willingly offered Himself over to be tortured and killed. He did this so that He wouldn’t lose any of His own. I believe this quality about Him deserves at least two responses: 1. Admiration for who He is. 2. Something to call us to.

Admiration for Jesus

A decent person might lay down his or her life for someone they love. At times we find the courage to surrender all for something bigger than ourselves, such as our nation or even a great cause. Christ offered up His life not for some great people, but for the deserters, even the very coward who couldn’t bring himself to be identified with Him. That is the sort of devotion He has for His own, for each of us if we would let it be so. This selfless quality deserves our gratitude and devotion.

Something to Call us To

Here we are given a different way to approach life itself. Maybe you don’t even want this. In a world where we generally fight or leave, here we see what it looks like to endure through hardship. I’m a flight kind of guy. When things get hard in my life, my first compulsion is to give up and move on.

I believe our world generally sees more value in standing up and fighting for what you believe in. We fight for our causes. We fight for our rights. We fight to have our country our way. I don’t even know what our world would look like if we stopped fighting.

The model Jesus gives us should be one worth aspiring to. He willingly laid down His life not only for His own, but the whole world if they would receive it. His was a way of love, commitment and sacrifice. What do you do with that?

Monday, January 23, 2017

What Jesus Wants

John 17

"I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. - John 17:20-21

One would think that a man's final words as he faces the end of his life would capture what really matters most to him. As He prays here on the very eve of His crucifixion, we have the privilege of having a glimpse into what mattered most to Jesus. I read this chapter to some of my closest friends last evening and they all agreed that what Jesus wanted most, was for His people to be one.

It shouldn't be too hard should it? It isn't like He was asking for the world to come together in unity. He simply wants His people to be one. It would be another matter for Him to ask liberals and conservatives to come together, PC users and Apple users to unite, Americans and Russians to bind together or Maple Leaf and Habs fans to join hands. He wants the church to be one and that shouldn't be such a big deal, because they are already supposed to be on the same team, are they not? I had said earlier that the Kingdom of God is made up of people who really want to be a part of that kingdom.

When I speak of "church", I'm really just talking about people. Sometimes we get together in our homes and sometimes a bunch of us get together, put up a building and hire a musician to lead us in song on a Sunday morning. It doesn't take too long to look at the church and see that we are anything but united. We come together in different forms for sure, but we are also fragmented in many ways. If you live in North America and live in a large urban centre, you might notice that there are so many different kinds of institutions or denominations. Christians are fragmented to where Christianity is kind of like a religious Baskin Robins. If you live in a small rural community, you might be blessed and only have one "kind" of church.

This is not what Jesus wanted. He wanted His people to be purified by the truth. The truth was supposed to help bring about our oneness. I don't know how to describe what has happened. Some of us have likely been too stubborn to listen. Others of us really do want to know but we really don't see things the same way as the people next door and can't find a way to work through it together.

What I do know, is that we desperately need what Jesus is asking for. We are a people made up from all different walks of life. We consist of individuals from different cultures, languages and race. We have different careers, political convictions and hobbies. It seems like the very way of living works to tear us apart, from the pleasures of this world to even the very real cares of life. The diversity of our makeup pleads for the grace to truly become one.

If you are among the people of Christ, what is holding you back from experiencing the kind of unity He wants you to have with the rest of His people? Are there places where you resist the work of His word and His Spirit?

If you are on the outside looking in, I understand if you've been disheartened at how fragmented Christians can be. I hope it helps to know that Christ isn't pleased with it either. Please don't blame our failings on Him, and I won't judge you by the people you associate with.
Deal?

Sunday, January 22, 2017

I Have Problems

John 16

"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." - John 16:33

'I'm leaving you. Oh. And you will be excommunicated from you community and people will want to kill you.' These are among the things that Jesus shared with His disciples in order for them to have peace. As I sit down to write to you this evening I can't help but wonder how in the world this was supposed to be helpful. Normally when we are looking for encouragement we want to hear that everything is going to be okay. Yet our encouragement is wrapped up partially in the promise that we will have trouble in this world - and severe hardship at that.

Jesus has warned them in advance of things to come for the purpose of preparing them, and as discouraging as it may have sounded at the time, I can't help but think how utterly damaging it would have been had He promised them nothing but sunshine and rainbows. Imagine if you will, that you were told that life was going to turn out great for you. How then would you process your reality when you found yourself ostracized from your community with a bounty on your head? There are only two conclusions you could come to. 1. You were deceived. Or...2. Your Christ never saw it coming. In any event, your troubles would be debilitating since you've either been duped by a manipulative con, or sold out to a wanna-be fake god.

This was not the case for these men. They were soon kicked out of their religious community, and 10 of these men went on to die as martyrs for their allegiance to Christ. So His pre-emptive warning really would have emboldened them. They could trust Him. When they faced the flames or their own cross, what foresight He had! This was no swindler nor fraud, but The Messiah.

With that sort of foreknowledge, it would be reasonable to conclude that His other promises could be trusted. For example, He really has overcome the world. And if we are His, these trials won't last forever. For the believer, our troubles lose their permanence. We do have trouble in this world. Life is much easier for some people than others, but I know of no one who has found life to be without difficulty. Hardships accompany life and our God is a God who understands the messiness of it and calls it as it is.

The peace that He promises here isn't the kind of peace that the world tries to sell us. It would have us believe that we can find peace when we have enough money. Or maybe if we get a girl, then things will be fine. Or if you could just find more time to relax and get away to do the things you enjoy, like fishing or sitting on a sandy beach somewhere. That would be peaceful. Right? The peace that Jesus is offering is a security within the chaos. It is steadfastness within the storm, knowing we'll not only outlast the current thunder, but death itself.

They are the swindlers who try to sell us snake oil when they preach a god that will make you healthy and wealthy. If you're looking for a god like that, you aren't looking for the real God, not even a god who is based in reality. If we're seeking after all this world has to offer, then it isn't Jesus we are in fellowship with. God loves the world, yes, but it isn't the system of the world, rather the people He created that He sent His Son to rescue. This world is dying. Don't go down with it. Walk with The One who overcame it. Choose Christ.

Saturday, January 21, 2017

Love As...

John 15

This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” John 15:12

Until this moment, Jesus hasn’t given us many rules to follow. He hasn’t given us much in the way of a code of ethics or things we can or cannot do. It seems that He has spent most of the time healing people and teaching that He has come from The Father. So here it is - His first command. “Love one another”.

It’s an odd command. It would be easier would it not, to have some other kind of instruction? Wash your hands before you eat. Don’t wear hats ‘in church’. Love one another. It is well beyond the scope of a one page letter to describe the kind of love He wants us to have for each other, but fortunately He described the kind of love He meant and it is this, “as I have loved you.”

So how did Jesus love His disciples? Did He love them the way the world thinks of the word? Certainly not. In our world, we have been convinced that loving a person involves approving of whatever it is they do, so long as their actions aren’t criminal or something. (and sometimes even then) His love was not that kind. Here are a couple of things that His love was...

A Sacrificial Love

His kind of love was a life laid down for His friends. It is well and good to have happy and pleasant thoughts towards those around us, yet it is not the type of love He is commanding for His people. He is speaking these words on the very cusp of His death, the example being that our love for each other is meant to be a sacrificial love. Real love lays down it’s time, its finances and on occasion, even its life.

A Faithful Love

Two chapters earlier we read this, “...having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.” John 13:1 Faithfulness goes beyond, “not cheating on your spouse’. It actually has much more to do with showing constant support or loyalty. This isn’t an intellectual study. A faithful friend is someone who sticks with you.

These are what are supposed to characterize believers, a faithful/sacrificial love. If you are on the outside of faith, I know you don’t always see that in us. I am sorry for that. I wish I could fix it. I will confess here and now that we just aren’t that faithful to each other. It takes very little for our own to move on to the “church down the street”. We leave each other when we don’t like the new pastor, get frustrated with how the youth ministry is organized, bad decisions from leadership or even the style of music they play on a Sunday morning. We don’t have to be faithful in North America, because we can just follow Jesus in our own way, or we can usually find another group of believers who will be happy to take us in.

I know the church falls far short of what we are called, but if something about His command seems right, would you give us a chance?

Friday, January 20, 2017

A Nation:Only For Those Who Want It

John 14

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

Is Jesus for everyone? The word, “inclusive” is one of the popular terms of our day. We do everything we can to make our schools, our workplaces and culture a place where everyone is embraced. These words of Jesus appear to stand in definite contrast to the society we are trying to build here in the western world. “No one comes to the Father except through me.”

In southwestern Ontario, if a person were to ask the way from London to Toronto, no doubt the response would be the Highway 401. Thomas asks how to go where Jesus was going. There is no road, no shipping lane, airport, or teleporting device to get him or any of us to where Jesus is. In very clear terms, Jesus tells Thomas that He Himself is that way, and that no one can come to the Father except through Him.

Yes. I suppose in a way that is exclusive. Well, it is and it isn’t. I find we can generally handle most truths so long as they aren’t linked to God. Imagine that my phone number is 111-111-1111. What will happen if you dial 111-111-1112? A couple of things could happen. You might end up with a recording explaining that the number you have dialed is not in service. Or you might reach someone else only to find that you have the wrong number. You will NOT however reach me.

It is imperative that you have the right number and that you dial it properly if you want to reach me. We can all handle that truth, can’t we? Is it exclusive? Not really. Anyone who has my number can call me. Still, somehow when we start talking about God we completely lose our heads. We can handle the phone number thing, but, start talking about only one way to the Father, and our minds have a meltdown.

Jesus really is for everyone. It’s also fair to say that not everyone is for Jesus. And you know what? They don’t have to be. That’s how it works. God is busy building a nation of people who actually want to be a part of that nation. He is not building a kingdom for people who don’t want to be a part of His kingdom.

Oddly enough, even this is tough for us to comprehend. We like to complain about our government and our leaders. We often talk about how other countries do things better – places like Holland. I was watching a video tonight that highlighted a specific people group who refused to stand for their national anthem at a public gathering. The Kingdom of Heaven isn’t that kind of kingdom. It is expressly for those who really want to be a part of it and who aren’t too stubborn to dial the right number.

Jesus is the way to the Father. If you don’t want to go there, I understand if you choose to take another path. Jesus went to prepare a place for those who want to be with Him. Where do you suppose you will stay otherwise?

Thursday, January 19, 2017

"It's Not My Job"

John 13

"When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them,“Do you understand what I have done to you?"John 13:12


Do you understand?

I'm not completely sure that I do. I don't think it's entirely about washing feet. The kind of service He demonstrated among His disciples was to be a way of life for His followers, not a religious ritual for them to observe. I didn't live in first century Judea, but let me take my best stab at what's going on here. Jesus was meeting a very really and practical need for His disciples.

Life then wasn't as it is now. By what we gather, these men weren't driving around in their personal automobiles or taking the bus. They walked pretty much everywhere. Even if they had bathed recently, their feet would typically be rather dirty. Imagine if you can, not only the Passover feast, but any gathering where you have dirty sweaty stinky exposed feet. Foot washing was normally the kind of thing that would have been done by a household servant.

Jesus did this in spite of the fact that He was their Teacher and Lord. The King of the Universe bent down to wash the feet of these grown men, one of whom He knew would soon betray Him. He tells us quite plainly that He did so in order to give us an example to follow.

So much about life is about us. With His example in mind, if we even consider ourselves to be one of His, we can't live as if we are the center of the universe. That's why I don't get it when people think that if they get right with God that it will eventually make this life better for them. I've had those thoughts myself, so maybe I do get it just a little bit. Yet if we look not only here, but the very pattern of his life - we aren't following a Person with a big bank account and an easy lifestyle who spent winters in Florida. He generously offered His life consistently and even in these final hours to other people. So if you're reading my writings and maybe thinking of starting at a church hoping that God will get you a girl or make your issues go away, then look again.

As we gain authority or position in life, it can be tempting to think that we no longer need to do those dirty little jobs. We really don't wash feet any more, but what about when you see trash in your workplace? Is it someone else's job? Even if there is a person hired for that purpose, would it be beneath you to stoop down and pick it up? None of us are too good to do anything. We never become so valuable that the needs of those around us cease to be our obligation. Jesus the Teacher, Jesus as Lord, the Judge of both the living and the dead; wrapped a towel around Himself and bent down to do the filthiest job at hand.

I guess if you don't want to follow Jesus, then you're free to live for yourself and have as much fun as you can before you die. Even so....Isn't there something right about Jesus?

Wednesday, January 18, 2017

Feeling Our Way Through Life

John 12:27-50

So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” John 12:35-36

Without giving you too much detail, sometimes in the middle of the night I have to go to the bathroom. I know I’m not alone in that. When I do, I often wrestle with deciding whether or not to turn on the light. I normally decide against it. I prefer to believe that I can find my way around the house after living in it for the past 20 years. I should know how many steps I need to take to the living area, how far to head right towards the hall and how long before I reach the door. I usually do succeed. There are others times that I hurt myself, either stubbing my toe or stepping on something hard.

Jesus claims that He is the light. He tells us to walk in His light so that the darkness would not overtake us. What does that sound like it means to you? The people I think could most relate to what it feels like to live in darkness might be those who struggle with anxiety, depression or mental illness. At least, those have been what I would call the darkest times in my life. So is that it? Come to Jesus and He’ll take the mental demons away. I don’t believe so.

My pride is what compels me to walk in the dark. I should be able to picture the house in my mind by now and navigate by memory. Instead, I stick out my hands and try to ‘feel’ my way around. Likewise, it’s equally insulting, if not more so, to be told that we need Jesus if we are to navigate through life without stubbing our toe or stepping on the LEGO.

Christians aren’t the only people who think they’ve bee enlightened. In fact, I believe most of us walk with a sense that we’re surrounded by people who JUST DON’T GET IT!!!! At least, that is the impression I get behind a lot of what is posted on social media. Some atheists I know tell me their minds have been opened. I’m sure people of the world’s religions believe they have reached a sort of enlightenment.

So what do you think of Jesus’ claim to being the light? Here in North America, we have less to do with Jesus over time. As a believer myself, I cannot be convinced that we are becoming more enlightened. There is nothing about our political landscape, how we treat the environment, or mental fitness which would suggest to me that we are progressing. Instead, our culture reminds me of how I navigate the halls of my home in the dark - By Feel

Feelings are everything to us. The entertainment we consume is contrived largely to impact our emotions; fear, love, sexual arousal or joy. We enter into and exit out of relationships largely because of how we feel about the person. You can even sue someone if they hurt your feelings bad enough. We vote for politicians just because we don’t like the other candidate.

You might be okay with charting a course through life by sticking out your hands and feeling your way, hoping you won’t step in anything. Or maybe you’re sick of it and are happy to hear that there is another way to live and it’s a life lived with eyes wide open. Walk in the light. Follow Jesus.

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

What Do You Worship?

John 12:1-26

Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of her perfume.” John 12:3

As we picture Mary anointing Jesus’ feet, we capture a beautiful moment of what Christians refer to as worship. Of the many ways I have heard worship defined, I know of no more concise an explanation that the one offered to me by the pastor who led me to Jesus.

Worship is the expression of love and adoration for our God.

When we speak of worship in church-world, we generally use the term to describe our time spent in music or song. I’m not about to pronounce judgment on the cave dwellers who seem to use the term primarily within the context of music, mostly because I often do so myself.

Worship isn’t an exclusively Christian thing; rather I propose that we all worship something. We were created to be a people of worship and have continued to be so throughout human history. Left to our own we are predisposed to worship anything I believe, BUT God. We are a species having substituted our affection for God for the trappings of His created world.

We love money, so we do what we can to get as much as we can, keep all we can and then sit on the can. That is our worship. We love sex and romance. That’s why we love to listen to music or watch movies which scratch that itch. That is worship. We love our sports. Our affection might prompt us to wear team swag, buy season/single game tickets and maybe even paint our faces. This is worship.

There may be a part of worship that can be summoned or inspired, and we desperately try to accomplish this in our church settings on a Sunday morning. Yet I am of the opinion that worship simply comes out of who we really are and what we truly value. This is what we see in the lady Mary. We see a woman who is immensely grateful for what Jesus has done in her life. Jesus had brought her brother back from death itself. To put her offering into context, a denari is worth about a day’s wages. If you take a couple of weeks off per year for holidays, her gift would amount to approximately one year’s wages.

Our love for God is expressed in virtually all we do in relationship to Jesus. We worship when we listen to His word. We express our love as we walk in obedience. We live out our adoration when we tell others about what He has done for us.

If you want to know what your life truly worships, just track the money. Our heart is where our treasure is. Maybe it’s in your house, garage, your closet, the bank or even your belly. I won’t be one more Jesus guy to try and get you to give your money to my cause. Keep your cash if it’s so precious to you. I will ask you this;

As she dumps a full year’s wages on to the feet of her saviour, do you suppose she’s wondering if it’s tax deductable?

Monday, January 16, 2017

Seeing Isn't Believing

John 11:28-57

"Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him, but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done." John 11:45-46

We would have the right to question The Bible’s legitimacy were we to make different observations about life and faith in the lives we live, than what we see as we read the account of Jesus as written by the people who lived in His day. We do not find such a discrepancy between the writing of John and the human response to the works of Christ in 2017. Seeing is NOT necessarily believing.

I've heard people say that they could believe in Jesus if only they saw some kind of miracle or something. If you've ever said or though something similar, know that faith does not automatically follow having observed His work. We see this principle clearly at work through the raising of Lazarus.

Many did in fact believe. Many others did not. There is nearly always a way to find an explanation that reinforces what you already believe. I suppose the easiest way around this account in its day would have been to write it off as a hoax. These Jesus followers must have contrived an elaborate scheme. The Christians have tried to sell the world a tall tale.

This is bigger than an issue of worldview. It would seem that these people who went to tell the Pharisees actually thought the event to be legitimate; their opposition to Christ being completely independent of whether or not Jesus really raised the man. He had been dead four days, the matter being a very public affair. Their resistance reveals something significantly greater than worldview, or personal observation. It isn't about those things. It is about allegiance. They just don't want Jesus to be who His works testify Him to be.

For all of the discussions we have today surrounding God - whether He's real, whether or not something is a miracle - I am convinced that this is truly what lies at the heart of the debate. Our resistance has less to do with reason, research, philosophy or observation, but infinitely more about if we really want Jesus to be the One sent by God to make humanity right with Himself.

The temptation is there for me to spend some time telling you about the people I know who have been healed from cancer, or the crippled man who was healed while on a trip to Israel. I know both by experience and the reality of Lazarus's story that going there wouldn't be what it takes for you to cross the line. Whether you trust John's story or even me has everything to do with what is going on in your own heart.

If you're fighting this I ask you to consider what motive a guy like me or a fellow like John would have in contriving such a great conspiracy. I have no money to gain if you sign on. I am not a politician soliciting your vote or a celebrity trying to gain a following. John's faith cost his own freedom, ending up in exile for his beliefs.

You may not have seen or recognized Christ's work in the world today. I assume you have the humility to recognize that just because you haven't observed something does not mean it didn't happen. I simply ask that you wouldn't be naive enough to think that seeing His work is necessarily what it would take to believe. If you're looking for a story and you trust me, leave a comment. I'll try to find the time to give you a story or two. (or maybe I’ll try to sell you a book)

Sunday, January 15, 2017

Jesus Is...

John 11:1-37

"I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?"
John 11:25-26

In the first few chapters of our time in John, I spent a significant amount of intentional effort saying that Jesus isn't someone we turn to because He can do wonderful things for us. I made sure we all knew that believers still get sick and die. We still have the normal problems of life here on earth, while having the added benefit of being alienated from the world.

We see that truth rather clearly in the story of Lazarus. Lazarus knew Jesus. He really did. Sometimes within our current setting, we wonder if we really know Jesus; if our relationship is actually real or not. In Lazarus's case however, there was no ambiguity about their mutual connection. As his sisters sent word to Jesus, they described their brother as 'he whom you love'. So as we look at this unfold, there is no room to question whether or not Lazarus knew Christ.

In spite of this, he died anyway. It happens. Have you ever prayed hard for something, only for God to say no? Deathly ill, Lazarus's sisters sent word, directly to Jesus Himself. Still he perished. It can be difficult when God does that. We see here in the Bible the Son of Man - the God who can bend heaven and earth with but a word. It is tempting to think that being right with such a God would allow us the privilege of having a free pass through at least some of life's trials. Death comes, and came regardless.

If it were you, would you ask why? Do you suppose knowing why would be good enough? Although Christ didn't give a 50 verse monologue on why He let Lazarus die, in this case He did indicate that it was for the disciples benefit, and likely ours. They needed as do we, to see and to know something imperative about who He is and what we can count on in Him.

He is the life and the resurrection.

When we say that one shouldn't seek after Christ expecting Him to solve life's ills, that is not to say there are not benefits to knowing Him, or nothing we can count on by our association with Him. If you're hoping that Jesus will make you healthy and wealthy, I have no idea of what Jesus will do with that. Some people who turn to God do get healed. God also seems to bless others financially sometimes. I will NOT waste my time writing about that. If money is so important to us, then there are numerous financial advisors we can turn to for help.

Here in the life, death and new life of Lazarus, we find that which we can bank on as it lies at the core of what Christ came to do. He is life itself. He came that we too might have life in Him. Although we see death all around us, He is not a God of death. In fact it grieves Him.

I can, you can, and indeed WE can all bank on this in knowing Christ: That even though we die, we will live. As great as it that Lazarus was brought to life, I don't think the life He's ultimately referring to is merely longer life here on earth. It is not more of the same, but true life, abundant life, glorious life, a forever life spent in real relationship with Him. That excites me. You?

Saturday, January 14, 2017

"What do you want from me?"

John 10

For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again.” John 10

What does the world want from you?

Your answer to that question will likely vary greatly depending on who you are, your place in the world or even your gender. As for me, I’m a balding, middle aged working class male. From my vantage point, it feels like the world wants me to work so it can take my money. There is never any shortage of companies, groups or individuals holding out their hand. “The government” wants me to work so that I can pay taxes. Don’t ask me to account for where it all goes from there. The tech world keeps inventing new gadgets to catch my attention in order to grab their piece of the pie. There are also many other real needs and charities in the world vying for my attention. My employer wants me to be productive and useful. I even have people show up at my door, or call me on the phone to try and scam me.

So how about you? Maybe you are an attractive 20 something young lady and every guy that walks past you on the street thinks he has the freedom to look you over. You’re a teenager whose parents and teachers feel that you owe it to them to get straight A’s or lead your volleyball team to win the championship. You’re a mom and everyone expects you to do everything, from cooking, cleaning, washing, driving around the kids, and that’s after a full work day. Whoever you are, it can seem like there is no shortage of people who want your time, your money, your support, body, mind and even your vote.

This world has conditioned us to take all we can, protect what we’ve acquired and give back as little as possible. It comes as little surprise then how we have a difficult time understanding and receiving Jesus. In a world where everything is built to take from us, how difficult it is to process a man who came to lay down His life for our benefit. One might think He would have been a refreshment come into a parched land. Yet the taste of Him was, and is it seems, so alien that we are too apprehensive to consume. He is the ultimate outcast, resembling nothing of what we have observed in this life.

As we read through John, we have yet to arrive at the place where Jesus lays down His life. He tells us here in John 10 that this is exactly why He came, and it is for this very reason that the Father loves Him. It should compel us to love Him as well.

If you are to look at Jesus for who He is, why do you suppose any person could be so reviled by Him? We have much cause to be disappointed in other people here and now, be it within or outside of the church. There is little room for accusation towards a man who came to give His life as a ransom for many. .

The world has not been so kind to you and I as to deserve the level of devotion it demands of us. He said that His sheep recognize His voice. - What do you hear when He speaks?

Friday, January 13, 2017

Who Sinned?

John 9

As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind?” John 9:1-2

You don’t have to be a believer to ask, “Why?” Why is this happening to me?

Seeing a blind man on the side of the walking path, the disciples wondered the same for this man. Why? Why has this happened to him? These Christ followers knew a little bit about stuff like God and sin. No doubt they had been taught that death and suffering came into the world through sin, since we see a glimpse of what they believe in the assumptions they make regarding the man’s blindness. Certainly he was in this situation out of sin. Their only question was whose sin it was, this man or his parents?

It can happen, and the disciples knew as much. Sometimes our sins really do ruin our lives, and even kill us. Few sins so clearly demonstrate this than sexual sin, as sexually transmitted infections continue to plague our world. The sins of others can also affect us. If this article is read widely enough, certainly some of us have known or lost loved ones at the hands of a drunk driver. If you don’t know, God isn’t big on the getting drunk thing in the first place, let alone getting behind the wheel. Sometimes the answer to the why, really is sin.

The infectious nature of sin goes even beyond these. It brought with itself into the world what many Bible teachers call the curse. Even when our sins don’t have a direct consequence, we still fall under this curse. We get sick, just from the general death, sickness and decay in the world even when it isn’t a direct result of sexual immorality or any other act of disobedience. We get cancer, and I can’t think of too many ways that cancer comes from sin. It’s just part of the curse, and we don’t get it from telling one too many lies. Sometimes the why is simply from the general curse itself.

This blind man however was blind neither from his sin, his parent’s sin or even part of the curse. If you are in a place in
life where you are asking why, this may or may not be of comfort to you. At times our suffering is an opportunity for God to reveal His goodness. He is a God who loves us, sees our needs and chooses to demonstrate His compassion towards us. Looking at the life of Jesus as He interacts with humanity, it’s difficult to miss His care towards us. This man’s condition was just such an opportunity for Christ to display His goodness.

As we walk through life we don’t always know the why. As much as we ask the question, I generally doubt that the answer itself has the ability to satisfy us. What I am convinced of is that Jesus is the only one who has the capacity to either redeem us or display His work in our lives. If we have sinned, the consequences generally stand, but there is forgiveness for sin. If we languish under the curse He is able to intervene, yet has additionally made a way for us to receive life eternal. If your struggle is an opportunity for Him to work in your life, I hope you can find the strength to hold on until He does.

Thursday, January 12, 2017

Consider Christ

John 8:31-59

Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin...So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:34-36

I don’t believe His audience really understood how Jesus’ words applied to them. I wonder. Do we?

Jesus has been speaking to the Jews, declaring to them that He can set them free. As we look at the conversation between Jesus and the Jews, they really didn’t have any sense of how they had been enslaved, and what being made free would look like. Little has changed in the 2,000 or so years since His time. We still have little sense of how we are enslaved ourselves.

Christ talked about being a slave to sin, and that He and He alone can set us free from that bondage. When we process what He meant by sin, it goes much deeper than ethics or morality. The specific sect of Jews He was addressing were a people who strove after moral excellence rather fiercely. They even made up more rules to follow than what was found in the scriptures themselves. I’ll hear atheists say that you don’t have to believe on God to be a decent, moral person. And they are quite right. Consider this in light of the fact that Jesus is directly confronting a people group who were known to be among the ethical and moral elite of their time, and still He calls them the spawn of Satan. vs 44.

Sin goes much deeper than the dirty little acts that we keep from mom and dad, and off of social media. Neither does the freedom He speaks of imply that we won’t be tempted to do that naughty thing again. PLEASE get that!!!! I meet different people who tell me that they tried to follow Jesus, but He didn’t magically stop their temptations. If that’s what you think faith in Christ is supposed to do, you’re headed for disillusionment.

Sin is the defiance towards God Himself and it shows itself in different ways. It reveals itself when we push back against what He wants for us. We fight against His commands, and resist any suggestion that we take His Word seriously. We use reason and argument to defend why His Word doesn’t apply to us today.

The way we feel about and respond to Jesus Himself is probably the best indicator of whether or not we are living under the kind of slavery that Jesus is talking about. It’s acceptable in some settings to talk about God in a general sense or even about going to church. As for ethics, I believe the bulk of humanity prefers to believe they are good and decent people. Yet if you bring up Jesus at work or at school, the conversation gets real, very fast. Try it sometime.

There are many people who are fine with and even embrace their aversion towards God. They look at their slavery as their prize and crown. If that describes you, I don’t know what to say. I guess I hope you can enjoy your defiance for as long as it lasts, but it won’t last forever. Do you want to come out from it? There are many more who live under this kind of oppression, whether they have sensed it or not. Perhaps you have had a sense of it, a weight of sorts, but just couldn’t put a name on it. Why fight so hard against the One who made you? Consider giving up the rebellion. Consider Christ.

Wednesday, January 11, 2017

Authentic Mercy

John 8:1-30

Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” John 8:11


If these words from Jesus don’t sound unusual, perhaps you really haven’t thought about them. There is something drastically different between the mind of Jesus seen here than what is lived out among humanity.

With regards to sin, we generally fall into one of two camps as to how we treat people. The word ‘sin’ simply means disobeying God. For today’s discussion, let’s just talk about the things we consider to be wrong. Sin is not synonymous with ‘wrong’, but it might help us to get what’s going on if we do so for now.

When a person does something that we believe to be wrong, we generally respond very much the way we see the Pharisees treating the woman caught in adultery here in John 8. Something in us wants to throw stones, usually not literally, but metaphorically. Throwing stones was an act of judgement and condemnation, and our action is chosen or altered depending on the situation. If a political candidate is found to be a sexist pig, the stone you throw might merely be casting your vote for his opponent, or you may feel compelled to speak against them on social media. If a man is found to be a pedophile, you might want them locked up.

Apart from the way of Jesus, there is only one other way I’ve observed how we tend to treat others who do what’s wrong, and that is to condone the action itself. It has the appearance of being the loving thing to do. We have the capacity to embrace the individual, so long as we are persuaded, convinced in our conscience, or honestly believe that the actions of that person are fine. It’s a nicer form of conditional love.

Where else have you seen the attitude of Christ, but Christ Himself?

“No. I don’t approve of your sexual practices. Neither will I condemn you. Sin no more”

There is nothing in me that can be reasoned to think that Jesus is fine with this woman cheating on her husband. (As a side note, I’d like to know why her partner wasn’t brought forward) Living out this attitude of Christ is a tough gig. It’s difficult even to try and have His attitude. It’s also a challenge because even if you and I were capable of dealing with wrongdoers in this way, the world we live in would be rather inhospitable to us. The angry Pharisee types would accuse us of being unjust. The permissive condoning types would accuse us of being hateful.

Which are you? Do you get riled up at people who do wrong? Do you have to condone a person’s actions before you embrace them? Can you call sin – sin, embrace the person and call them to what is right? Jesus didn’t come to condemn, but to seek and to save. Don’t misunderstand that to mean that He’s fine with everything done by us, because He really isn’t.

Tuesday, January 10, 2017

The Christ: Deliverer and Ruler

John 7:37-52

“...some of the people said, “This really is the Prophet.” Others said, “This is the Christ” John 7:40-41

There is something within humanity which is constantly looking for a certain kind of leader; a leader to save us, a leader to make things right, and to lead us well. We see the sentiment in the entertainment we consume. In the Star Wars franchise, they looked to the one who would “bring balance to the force”. The family friendly LEGO Movie made much of the “Special” one. We have an engrained longing for the ultimate hero. Have you ever considered to possibility that we have this yearning BECAUSE there really is a Hero, a King – a Christ.

When we hear the mention of “Christ” in our day, we generally associate it with being part of Jesus name. The word Christ however is not a name, but rather a title. It’s really another word for Messiah. It literally means, the anointed one, or the one chosen by God. The Christ was supposed to be a certain kind of person, filling two main functions for humanity. He was to be both a King AND deliverer.

We don’t think of kings the way the ancient world saw them. Our world political climate more popularly functions by democracy. A king was a leader, not elected by the people, but one who rose to the position by some means of power, or inheriting it from his predecessor. The Christ was to be the one good king, to rule truly right.

Although we don’t have kings in our North American political climate, we do still look to our leaders to carry that kind of hope for our nation. We place more hope and expectation on some leaders than others. When Barack Obama was elected in 2008, I believe not only America, but much of the world placed a great deal of hope in his ability to rule rightly. Much talk was given to him being the first black president, the anticipation being America was gaining ground on its racial woes. There was optimism for many areas such as climate change and foreign policy as well as breaking down age old racial and religious barriers. For a short time it seemed there was hope for The United States.

Have a look for yourself and see if you agree with my assessment of the time:

World Reacts to Obama Victory

The Christ was to be more than a ruler. He was also to be a deliverer. The notion of deliverance implies that we are in a mess, and need to be rescued from it. I hope to develop this further in the future. For now, all I will say is that we as a race have gotten ourselves into a state of hopelessness which we are not in ourselves able to escape from.

I will present this to you.

The reason we have movies like “Star Wars” and “The Lego Movie” and the reason we place our hope in our leaders is because there really is a King, a deliverer and Christ. Jesus, as The Christ, is the only One who has been able to carry the hope of a people like He has for the past 2,000 years. No one else is coming to save us. Anyone else who claims to be the Christ is a fraud.

Monday, January 9, 2017

Deal With It

John 7:1-39

The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil.” John 7:7


When I was a newer Christ follower, I had a very skewed perception of what it would look like if I “really followed Jesus closely”. I had the sense that I should be a pastor or something and if I were to take that step, my relationship with God would mystically help me bypass many of the regular troubles of life. I even thought that maybe I wouldn’t have to worry about getting the flu or any other kind of sickness anymore.

If there is anything in you that believes a relationship with God is meant to make life easier or help us avoid trouble, please just drop it. When a person chooses to follow Jesus, whether they recognize it or not they are choosing to walk a harder path and we get a picture of what that looks like as we look at the life of Jesus Himself.

Yes. You will still be susceptible to the flu when it goes around in the winter time. We still suffer from heart attacks and strokes. Cancer hits believers as well as nonbelievers. Your sports team will still often lose, even when you cry out to God during the game. We continue to suffer through all of the regular tragedies of life, but added to that comes an unwanted by-product of our faith – Alienation from the world.

It takes on various forms. Some people will actually want to kill you, for no other reason than that you love Jesus. In the first verse we see that the Jews were trying to kill Jesus. Certainly, in the life of the early church the Jews were among the most militant group involved in the persecution of Christians. Today, other religious groups and even governments are known to actively target Christians.

Fortunately, not everyone wants us dead. It’s more common in North America to simply be the butt end of a joke, and much of it comes from within our own personal connections and even family as we see here with Jesus in verses 3-5. If you make fun of a person with a disability, mental illness or facial deformity, that’s absolutely cruel, but poking fun at a believer, well, they just need to deal with it and get over it. And generally we do. I think. At least, I hope most of us just come to realize that it’s basically part of the gig, and feel little need to wallow in the self pity of being victimized by some grave injustice. I doubt your school or workplace has a support group for Christians who get made fun of. We’re supposed to be secure enough to handle it.

If you can’t handle being laughed at or ridiculed, maybe Jesus isn’t for you. He isn’t looking for cowards. He is calling a people out of the world, to be a part of His people. There are certain rights and privileges we give up in this life when we choose to align ourselves with Christ and this happens because choosing Him is actually about choosing a different nation. This is the nation of Christ, often referred to as The Kingdom of God. We don’t have a hockey team, border crossings, government offices, military or a national mascot. We have however received eternal life. Some think that’s worth surrendering not only their comfort, but their very lives.
How about you?

Sunday, January 8, 2017

Where Else Will You Go?

John 6:22-71

Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” John 6:68-69

A large crowd has begun following Jesus. Some would see that to be a positive thing, even within Christian circles. This crowd is following Jesus; literally. They are following the real Jesus. No joke. It would seem that there would be thousands of them.

I have mentioned earlier that people often follow Jesus for something other than Him. These are just such a people, and Jesus knows it. They aren’t there because they really believe, or particularly want to be His. They are with Him because they found a guy who can make food. Jesus even calls them out on it saying, “you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.” John 6:26

You might be happy to see that Jesus soon disbands them. He isn’t the sort to be interested in developing a political or social following, at the cost of collecting a band of hypocrites. He’s looking for people who really want to be right with Him. It grieves me to report to you that we as Christian leaders today do not have the discernment of Christ, and so it happens. We have people in our midst who are there because they appreciate the community, or see some decent social value in what the church is up to. Sometimes they feel belonging meets a certain personal need, or think that if they hold on they might receive something special from Him. (I’ve even been known to pray for my sports team to win on occasion)

Even though Jesus isn’t here in bodily form to challenge us to pack up and go, I think those of us who are insincere eventually fall away. Assuming the church is a Biblical church, eventually we figure it out. In time we discover that the church doesn’t exist to suite our needs. The miracles were and are real, but aren’t the whole show. So over time, we eventually lose interest when we uncover the reality that the church isn’t a social justice movement, commune or cure all for what ails us. His works were to be a witness to testify that He was indeed sent by The Father, One with Him and the means for us to be reconciled to the Almighty God. There is peace with God through Jesus Christ. I call that good news.

I’m expecting more from you. There are some who stay even after being challenged. Jesus confronts His closest disciples directly asking if they want to go too. I absolutely love Peter’s response. ‘Where are we gonna go? You’re the only hope we have for eternal life. You’re God’s guy.’ I’ve loosely paraphrased that, but I believe you’ll find that I’ve captured the essence of it.

What other hope do you really have for eternal life? No one else is even about the business of salvation. Do you see the same in Jesus? There is a steadfastness typical of those who have come to realize that there just is no other game in town that gives us legitimate relational access to God Himself, and the eternal life He so freely offers to those who come to be His. I want that for me, as well as for you. Would you want me to strive for anything else?

Saturday, January 7, 2017

Waiting on a Miracle

John 6:1-21

"...Jesus said to Philip, "Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?" He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do." John 6:5-6

It's interesting to see, that even those who walked personally with Jesus, seldom knew what Jesus was going to do until it was done. We find here a beautiful picture of God at work among his people, meeting insurmountable obstacles.

Seeing a vast crowd, Jesus tests Philip by asking him how they would feed all of them. I'm not sure whether we would call Philip's response a pass or fail. It's likely something in between. A fail would have been, "Feed them? That's not our problem."

Just like Philip, we never know what God is going to do. There are however at least two principles at work here in this passage which highlight our role when we face problems bigger than ourselves.

We Need Others: Specifically - The Community of the Church

It is often fanciful to think that once we get right with God, we've got this special connection with the King of the Universe, so we've arrived at a destination where we are able to live out a new level of independence. We're right with God now. Why do we need input from other people?

Philip's response was a decent first thought, but it did not capture the whole of what Jesus was looking for. If you’re reading along, you may notice the piece Andrew brought to the discussion was an essential part of Christ's lesson for them and for us today. Jesus' end game for you and I, isn't for us to fly solo with Him, but also to be in community with the rest of his family. We are not the whole package, but so often, our insufficiencies are met through each other.

Do What You Can

God certainly can and does act without any input from us. Also, five barley loaves and two fish are not enough to feed five thousand men, plus women and children. What we offer reveals to us how serious we are about whatever lies before us. If we aren't willing to do what we are capable of doing, we really aren't committed. Are we? It isn't a magic trick that 'makes God move on our behalf', rather it would be odd to expect God to act on an issue we care so little about.

It truly is beautiful to see God move mightily beyond our ability. It takes nothing away from His power when we offer all we can in community with each other, but instead can blow us away when He reveals how He has so much more for us than what we were able to achieve.

We don't know what God is going to do with the problems we face. Don't let that discourage you from taking your place among His people, doing what you can, and trusting in His goodness.

Friday, January 6, 2017

3 Witnesses

John 5

"...the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me." John 5:36


There is a peculiar secular tradition we have here in Canada that happens every spring. Nearly every year around Easter, Maclean’s magazine produces an article that investigates the legitimacy of Christ. How can we know that He’s really the way to God, heaven and all of that?

It comes as little surprise that Christ faced similar objections among His contemporaries. At this point in His ministry, many among the established Jewish leadership are bent on killing him. As He addresses His critics, Jesus brings to mind three things that bear witness about His authenticity.

1. The testimony of John the baptizer
2. The things He did (largely miracles)
3. The Father Himself

Out of these three, I believe in the eyes of the world, the testimony of the God of the universe is the one we would find to be the least credible. I doubt we’d give much credit to some dude living in the wilderness eating bugs and wearing camel skins either. Yet the miracles, whether we believe them to be real or not, certainly would demand our attention.

As we read through The Bible, it’s important to recognize that the words that John (the gospel writer) speaks to us, were spoken about events that were verifiable OR deniable in his day. John was writing about events that happened in his own lifetime, so there would have been others who had lived through these events who could quickly put down his claims. We have before us, whether we like it or not – The most enduring story and testimony of antiquity.

Now that we are 5 chapters into the book of John, we’ve read as Jesus has turned water into wine, healed a young man who was deathly ill, as well as an invalid. It could be tempting to think that had we been alive in His day and able to see these events for ourselves that it would have been easier to believe in Him than it is now 2,000 years after the fact. It is both sad and refreshing to know that objecting to Christ was just as much the norm then as it is now.

These same three witnesses are at work in the world today giving witness to who Jesus is; The Father Himself, The works of Christ and people like John the baptizer. I don’t eat locusts or wear camel’s hair, but I’m one of the many who are doing what they can to tell others about Jesus, and I’ve come to terms with the reality that my testimony is just as easy to deny in my day, as John’s was in his. Likewise, The Father Himself maintains His word about His Son.

As for His work in the world today, there isn’t space to tell you half of what I’ve seen Him do, although I’ve written a book in an attempt to give it a decent shot. I will concede, His works are harder to locate and recognize, because He’s not walking around earth in a human body. He’s no longer limited by location, but at work throughout the world. Look long enough, and you’ll see, if you really want to see. If you do see, what makes you think you’d believe?

Thursday, January 5, 2017

Why Are You Here?

John 4:1-30

"God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." John 4:24

Fitness centers love the start of a new year. Season after season, it proves to be a time when people looking to lose weight or get in shape buy memberships with great intentions. By the end of January, most of the new comers fall away.

I've never had the inclination to join a gym, so I'll have to make my best guess as to what happens in the mind of someone who does. I often wonder if many people join for a time, but living an active lifestyle really wasn't what they were seeking in the first place. They signed on for some other reason, be it to lose a few pounds or to better their overall health. Their motives were elsewhere besides the activity itself.

As Jesus speaks with this Samaritan woman, she begins talking about the Jews worshipping in Jerusalem and how her people worship on some mountain. Jesus almost seems to cut her off. It would seem that to her, worship had much to do with trivial things such as place. In response, Jesus' words are a kind of correction.

He speaks of worshipping in spirit and truth. Worship is a word we often use to describe expressing our love and adoration for God. He didn't elaborate for us, but I surmise that what he is saying means something like this, "I care less about where you worship, but more about why you're there." This is bigger than 'going to church', but let's run with it shall we?

Although I detest the language of it, 'going to church' seems to be the default phrase we use and place we go when we want to connect with God. I believe it fair to say that some churches are better than others, but God is more concerned about the spirit and truth we live by than the address we arrive at. He places very little value whether we meet with Him at this mountain, or in that city, and much value on what's really going on in our hearts.

As for the spirit, we looked last chapter at how we are to be born again if we are to even see the kingdom of heaven. His spirit wants to be at home in us, expressing an authentic love for Him.

As for truth, He wants us to worship Him in sincerity. Just as people are often found to exercise not because they want the activity, but rather to lose weight; so too we can offer a form of quasi worship when we're really after something else.

Our motives are often decent, just as losing weight is a decent objective. The church can be a place we turn when our life is falling apart. (And if your world is in peril, I hope you do find comfort among us). It can be a place we head in order to feel better about a guilty conscience. The message of forgiveness we find there can sound like good news, even when we really don't want to be changed. The church offers a community of support for those who show up. These are good things. Could we agree on that?

Some of you have had people in your life, not because they were interested in you, but for what they thought they could get from you. God will not be used. You're 5 days into this journey. I trust for you, that you're here in truth. You're here for the right reasons, and something within you really is interested in walking with Christ. My prayer is that this would outlast your gym membership.

For you and I – This blog is our meeting place at the moment. Are we here for Christ, or for something else?

Wednesday, January 4, 2017

It Has To Be You

John 4:31-54

“It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.” John 4:42

This is pretty much the way it works. People, believing in Jesus for themselves.

I was reading an article last week about a man who was “born Christian”. I never really understand what that is supposed to mean. I know it’s possible for Christians to have children. I know that it is possible to be born into a family where both parents believe in Jesus. I know that Christian parents generally do what they can to teach their children about God and stuff. Being “born Christian”, that is weird.

Among the many foundational things about being a Christ-ian, personal belief is one of the nonnegotiables. Following Jesus isn’t a subject to be taught and memorized. He isn’t inherited through genetics by some kind of faith gene. You actually have to believe, for yourself, in Him.

The kind of faith we see here among the townspeople is much more than intellectual assent. I believe Adolf Hitler was a person. I do not however believe in him. Believing in this Biblical sense comes to a place where the believer knows Him to be real enough to have a relationship with. Having that, we recognize His work in the world today. Belief carries with it a level of trust, whereby we actually act on His word.

Believing does not have to do with subscribing to an ancient form of philosophy or ideology. From the outside looking in, I do understand how it can appear that way. We do seem to have a different attitude towards things like the sanctity of life, human sexuality and getting drunk on the weekend. Even these come, not from memorizing a moral code of conduct. We read our Bible and find that it is not an irrelevant book, but it speaks quite clearly about the real matters of life in the here and now. Genuine belief spills over from the mind, affecting the lives we live. It does so because of its legitimacy. Real faith affects our actions. Anything else is a fraud.

As I speak of Christians, many of you identify yourselves among the ‘we’. Others of you see them as the ‘they’. I’m writing primarily to those of you who consider them to be the ‘they’. Becoming one of them is often considered to be a negative thing. A good friend of mine was married to a woman who became a Christian, and when she told him his response was kind of cute, “That’s great dear. They got ya!”

Maybe you know people like this Samaritan woman and they want to tell you about Jesus. It can be annoying, I know. Yet be encouraged. This isn’t a thing that can be forced on you. Nobody can make you be one of us. If you don’t want to talk about it, just tell the person you don’t want to talk about it. If they are a decent human being, they’ll respect that.

But you’re here, reading about Jesus for yourself in the book of John. Forget me. Forget the woman. What do you think of Jesus? What do you see in Him?

Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Another Life to Live

John 3

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:4

Conversations with Jesus don’t seem to flow like we would normally expect. If a man were to tell me, “Kev, I can tell you are a teacher from God, because no one can do the things you do.”, I’d respond much differently than Jesus. I’d probably say, “Thanks man. Thanks a lot!” After hearing these very words form Nicodemus, Jesus unexpectedly retorts, “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” I’m still not sure how this was a response to the man. What I do recognize, is that the same odd form of communication exists today between the people of the world, and the people of Christ. It looks like this;

“I can’t help it. I was born this way.”

However tactfully the Christian may or may not respond, what they might be thinking in their mind is, “Oh dear. If you really were born this way, if you really haven’t been born again, that’s too bad.” Being born whatever way is supposed to be some kind of defence for a person of the world. A follower of Christ sees it as a death sentence. Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. The "cannot" seems quite definite.

We have been raised in a world that told us we are basically animals. I believe the typical narrative tells us that we came from apes. Is that true? Are we little more than monkeys? Whether we like it or not, we are stuck with and obligated to obey whatever instincts we are born with. We rarely even pause long enough to consider the possibility that the way we are, might not actually be okay.

Jesus doesn’t present us with a new ideology. He hasn’t come up with a new philosophy for living. His words for Nicodemus are not that there is a better way to live - There is another life to live.

No one is born a Christian. The family of God is a thing that we need to be reborn into. Nobody really knows the intricate mechanics of how it happens. What we know, is that it does happen for those who believe in Jesus. You’ve noticed it haven’t you? Christians just think differently. You try to argue with them, but they just don’t get it. They simply aren’t the same creature. That’s the point.

To an extent, the world is probably right. Without Christ, we really are like animals. Would it ever truly be a compliment for me to say, “Yes – You really were born that way”? Without even thinking, we are compelled to do whatever our instincts tell us to do. Many people are fine with that, and even defend the worldview. I wonder though if some of us are tired, or maybe even find it a bit insulting. Is it possible that you’ve loved the darkness more than you’ve loved the light? Does it sound like good news to hear that you were made for more?
None of us fully understand what this reborn life looks like, and that’s okay. For now, I hope that you have either found it, or something about it appeals to you.

Monday, January 2, 2017

Jesus to the Hypocrites - "OUT!"

John 2

“And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple...” John 2:15

If you’ve ever been disheartened to look at the church and think, “There are so many hypocrites in church,...”, then you’ll like this Jesus. The temple of His day wasn’t the Church as we know it now. It was a place to worship God for sure, but worship itself was different. They hadn’t received Christ as the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world, so they were still buying animals and sacrificing them, as a symbol of their desire to be made right with God.

In time, there were people who soon figured out they could profit from this. So they brought the market to the temple. They had found a way to profit from the failings and sorrows of others. Christ was not cool with that, and He still isn’t fine with it today.

The temple was to be, as the church is today, where honest sinners could come to be reconciled to the God of the universe. It was not to be a feeding ground for predators. You’ve seen that haven’t you? Unless you live in a cave, you have heard of people in the church taking advantage of others. You have heard of leaders sexually exploiting the people entrusted into their care. You’ve heard of swindlers siphoning off cash from the treasury. You’ve heard of others who convince the people of the church to buy into their fraudulent investment schemes. The church should be a place with open doors, but it also needs to be a safe place, and part of that infers that the wolves don’t really belong. These examples might be among the very sort that Jesus would have driven out with a whip.

The church isn’t for perfect people. It is in fact a place for people who really have done wrong, who earnestly want to be made right. Does that describe you? I was in conversation last week with a guy who likes to sleep with multiple women. He told me he thought that if he walked into church that he might spontaneously combust or something. The church may or may not be a place for such a guy. If he wanted to go to church to look for his next bed partner, there would be something horribly wrong with that. If the day comes when he really wants to walk with Christ, there is a place for him. He seemed like a pretty authentic guy, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see him walk in some day, and I don’t believe he’d be there to be a wolf.

There is a place to make money. The temple just was not that place. Christ was not speaking against commercial agriculture. If getting rich is what you’re really after, then I would encourage you to seek out a qualified financial advisor. Or if you really want to pursue sin, pursue it somewhere else other than among His people. If you’re tired of the filth of life and want to walk with God, there’s room for you. Some call that good news. Others might judge you as being one of the many hypocrites and that has to be okay. They aren’t your judge anyway. Only God really knows your heart.

I hope to see you some day.

What Jesus Does

John 1:29-51

The next day, John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29

If we’re going to take the time to consider Jesus, then I think it wise to understand early on what He’s really all about. I meet people who tell me, “I tried this Christianity thing, but I never really got to the place where it felt like it should.” Others experiment with Jesus hoping He’ll fix something wrong with their life, their relationships, mental health or finances.

There are sufficient stories where God has healed broken relationships, restored finances and helped drive away the mental demons in order to keep the dream alive. Still, many others walk away if or when they realize they still have problems, even after going to church for a while and reading the Bible. It is here that John declares for us what Jesus was sent to do, and it is this – To take away the sin of the world.

Sin isn’t a complicated church word. Sin is disobedience, or rebellion against the very God who created the universe. It is at the core of what is truly wrong in the world. John’s declaration of who Jesus is appears rather odd in a way. If you know what God calls sin or take the time to look into what He wants for humanity, and then take the time to look at the world we live in, you’ll notice that the sin is still here abundantly. If you’ve made such observations, I hope you might come to the conclusion that we are living in and looking at a world that really doesn’t want what Christ came to do. I gave up trying to change the world a long time ago. I hope it matters that I hold much more hope for you.

Yes. It would be absolutely beautiful if sin was abandoned in this world, and I still have such fantasies. Even if we could take away one sin, a sin like murder, just think about how much more lovely life could be for us all. Add to that human trafficking, and theft.

You might be of the mind that doesn’t think sin should be such a big deal. I would propose to you that it is the very moth that eats away at the very fabric of life. Consider if you will simply sin’s affect on relationships. Sins like lying, jealousy and slander destroy relationships every day. It’s not an ancient concept, but a very real and destructive work in us and in the world now.

Our wounds in life often find their root in some form of sin, and it’s rather odd, because God often gets the blame. If God is so great and powerful, then why is there so much pain in the world? I would present to you two things: 1. God is not a dictatorial tyrant. If tyranny is your flavour, then Jesus really isn’t for you. When we say that Christ came to take away the sin of the world, He didn’t come to do so by forcing our hand. 2. God has not wronged you. He didn’t run away with your husband or wife. He didn’t get drunk, get behind the wheel and kill anybody. He’s against those sorts of things.

Maybe you just want a happy life, spending more time on a sandy beach in the Caribbean somewhere. Jesus didn’t come to help us get wealthy or necessarily even to get our life on track. He came to take away sin. If something about that speaks to you, then let’s keep pressing on together. Shall we?