Thursday, August 28, 2008
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Relying on Him
The lyrics of a new Sanctus Real song really spoke to me as I end one journey and begin another. Just my utter dependence and need for Jesus Christ. I am nothing. I am a broken, sinful man whom has no hope but Christ.
If weakness is a wound
That no one wants to speak of
Then cool is just how far we have to fall
And I am not immune; I only wanna be loved
But I feel safe behind the firewall
Can I lose my need to impress?
If you want the truth- I need to confess
I'm not alright, I'm broken inside, broken inside;
And all I go through, it leads me to You
It leads me to You
No matter how self-sufficient I think I am or how many successes I have. I must never forget that it is only by the grace and mercy of God. I am not alright on my own.
Burn away the pride
Bring me to my weakness
Till everything I hide behind is gone
When I'm open wide
With nothing left to cling to
Only You are there to lead me on
Cause honestly, I'm not that strong
As I begin a new ministry I must not try to do it on my own or forget where I have been. Rather, remember the words of Moses to the Isralites.
"...Be very careful never to forget what you have seen the Lord do for you. Do not let these things escape from your mind as long as you live!" --Deuteronomy 4:9
I feel like a man with a second lease on life. The Psalms in particular seem to jump off the pages as they resonant in my heart.
I will praise the Lord at all times.
I will constantly speak His praises.
I will boast only in the Lord;
let all who are discouraged take heart.
I prayed to the Lord, and He answered me,
freeing me from all my fears.
Those who look to Him for help will radiant with joy;
no shadow of shame will darken their faces.
I cried out to the Lord in my suffering, and He heard me.
He set me free from all my fears.
Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Oh, the joys of those who trust in Him!
The Lord hears His people when they call to Him for help.
He rescues them from all troubles.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted;
He rescues those who are crushed in spirit.
--Excerpts from Psalm 34
If weakness is a wound
That no one wants to speak of
Then cool is just how far we have to fall
And I am not immune; I only wanna be loved
But I feel safe behind the firewall
Can I lose my need to impress?
If you want the truth- I need to confess
I'm not alright, I'm broken inside, broken inside;
And all I go through, it leads me to You
It leads me to You
No matter how self-sufficient I think I am or how many successes I have. I must never forget that it is only by the grace and mercy of God. I am not alright on my own.
Burn away the pride
Bring me to my weakness
Till everything I hide behind is gone
When I'm open wide
With nothing left to cling to
Only You are there to lead me on
Cause honestly, I'm not that strong
As I begin a new ministry I must not try to do it on my own or forget where I have been. Rather, remember the words of Moses to the Isralites.
"...Be very careful never to forget what you have seen the Lord do for you. Do not let these things escape from your mind as long as you live!" --Deuteronomy 4:9
I feel like a man with a second lease on life. The Psalms in particular seem to jump off the pages as they resonant in my heart.
I will praise the Lord at all times.
I will constantly speak His praises.
I will boast only in the Lord;
let all who are discouraged take heart.
I prayed to the Lord, and He answered me,
freeing me from all my fears.
Those who look to Him for help will radiant with joy;
no shadow of shame will darken their faces.
I cried out to the Lord in my suffering, and He heard me.
He set me free from all my fears.
Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Oh, the joys of those who trust in Him!
The Lord hears His people when they call to Him for help.
He rescues them from all troubles.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted;
He rescues those who are crushed in spirit.
--Excerpts from Psalm 34
Monday, July 14, 2008
Christ is Everything
One of my devotions from earlier this week. I liked it so much I wanted to post it.
"For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." --Philippians 1:21
'For me, to live is Christ.' Those words don't work any other way. Try it: a) For me, to live is money...to die is to leave it all behind. b) For me, to live is fame...to die is to be quickly forgotten. c) For me, to live is power and influence...to die is to be replaced by others. d) For me, to live is possessions...to die is to depart empty-handed. Somehow the words fall flat, don't they?
When money's your obsession you can never get enough, and you live in constant fear of losing it. When fame's your goal you become competitive and manipulative lest others upstage you. That makes you insecure. When power and influence drive you, you become self-serving and strong-willed. That makes you arrogant. When possessions become your godm you become materialistic. That makes you greedy.
Whether you have or don't have, are known or unknown, live or die; only Christ can satisfy! And death? That only sweetens the pie. J.B. Philips writes, 'Living to me simply means Christ, and if I should die, I merely gain more of Him.'
So what's the bottom line? It's this: the secret of living is the same as the secret of joy; both revolve around Christ. Don't try to pursue happiness, just cultivate a Christ-centred, Christ-controlled life, and you'll have more happiness than you know what to do with!
"For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." --Philippians 1:21
'For me, to live is Christ.' Those words don't work any other way. Try it: a) For me, to live is money...to die is to leave it all behind. b) For me, to live is fame...to die is to be quickly forgotten. c) For me, to live is power and influence...to die is to be replaced by others. d) For me, to live is possessions...to die is to depart empty-handed. Somehow the words fall flat, don't they?
When money's your obsession you can never get enough, and you live in constant fear of losing it. When fame's your goal you become competitive and manipulative lest others upstage you. That makes you insecure. When power and influence drive you, you become self-serving and strong-willed. That makes you arrogant. When possessions become your godm you become materialistic. That makes you greedy.
Whether you have or don't have, are known or unknown, live or die; only Christ can satisfy! And death? That only sweetens the pie. J.B. Philips writes, 'Living to me simply means Christ, and if I should die, I merely gain more of Him.'
So what's the bottom line? It's this: the secret of living is the same as the secret of joy; both revolve around Christ. Don't try to pursue happiness, just cultivate a Christ-centred, Christ-controlled life, and you'll have more happiness than you know what to do with!
Monday, July 7, 2008
A Time to Kill
After once spending over 6 hours at Heathrow Airport in London I was quite glad to find this little article entitled "Eight Ways to Kill Time in an Airport" One would think that being in Europe's busiest airport would be far from boring but alas an airport is still an airport!
http://travel.sympatico.msn.ca/robinesrock/articles/airports.htm?&pagenumber=1
Nothing ground-breaking here but still it's good to remember for next time.
1) Talk - Simply turn to the nearest person and ask: “Do you feel like talking to a complete stranger because my eyes are glazing over and I’m starting to lose consciousness from boredom.”
2) Shop - The trick here is to not actually buy anything. Kill time, save money. Wander from shop to shop.
3) Look - People watching is always fun, all it takes is a little imagination. Simply look around, choose a person, and create their personal history.
4) Write - In our digital age we forget the romantic, somewhat exotic thrill of receiving a postcard from foreign (or even domestic) shores. Pick up a postcard and write.
5) Hunt - We spend our hours hunting to kill time. Things to hunt for: free wireless signals, bargains, romantic partners, a free plug to charge your laptop or cell phone (note to airports: install some plugs so we don’t have to unplug the vending machines). Hunt for a stretch of floor to sleep on, a clean toilet, a charity bucket to deposit useless foreign coins, a shop that sells toothpaste since yours was confiscated at security!
6) Read - If you don’t have a good book head over to the bookstore for your own private library. It takes a pretty arrogant airport to demand you buy something first and it's easy to kill an hour or two reading.
7) Eat - According to some traditions each bite of your meal should be chewed a dozen times to truly access all the nutritional value and taste. Stretch that burger and fries and savour every speck of spice.
8) Stretch - There’s more to stretching than just pointing to opposite walls when you get out of bed. Frequent travellers should develop a stretching routine. Find a piece of space and bend your body, twist your spine, crack those knuckles.
http://travel.sympatico.msn.ca/robinesrock/articles/airports.htm?&pagenumber=1
Nothing ground-breaking here but still it's good to remember for next time.
1) Talk - Simply turn to the nearest person and ask: “Do you feel like talking to a complete stranger because my eyes are glazing over and I’m starting to lose consciousness from boredom.”
2) Shop - The trick here is to not actually buy anything. Kill time, save money. Wander from shop to shop.
3) Look - People watching is always fun, all it takes is a little imagination. Simply look around, choose a person, and create their personal history.
4) Write - In our digital age we forget the romantic, somewhat exotic thrill of receiving a postcard from foreign (or even domestic) shores. Pick up a postcard and write.
5) Hunt - We spend our hours hunting to kill time. Things to hunt for: free wireless signals, bargains, romantic partners, a free plug to charge your laptop or cell phone (note to airports: install some plugs so we don’t have to unplug the vending machines). Hunt for a stretch of floor to sleep on, a clean toilet, a charity bucket to deposit useless foreign coins, a shop that sells toothpaste since yours was confiscated at security!
6) Read - If you don’t have a good book head over to the bookstore for your own private library. It takes a pretty arrogant airport to demand you buy something first and it's easy to kill an hour or two reading.
7) Eat - According to some traditions each bite of your meal should be chewed a dozen times to truly access all the nutritional value and taste. Stretch that burger and fries and savour every speck of spice.
8) Stretch - There’s more to stretching than just pointing to opposite walls when you get out of bed. Frequent travellers should develop a stretching routine. Find a piece of space and bend your body, twist your spine, crack those knuckles.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Jesus Christ: Action Figure
I have actually seen this with my own eyes at someone's house in Germany. Imagine my surprise when I found out they bought it in Canada while on vacation.
Jesus Action Figure
Everyone has a different take on Jesus. Muslims saw him as a prophet. Buddhists say he was enlightened. Hindus consider him an avatar (the incarnation of a deity in human form), while Christians hail him as the Son of God. But, wherever your theological compass points, you will agree that this is the coolest action figure ever made. Each hard vinyl Jesus Action Figure stands 5" (12.7 cm) tall with posable arms to reach toward the heavens and wheels in his base for smooth gliding action!
OR
Deluxe Jesus Action Figure
There is no action figure more deserving of a deluxe edition than the Son of God. This 5-1/4" (13.3 cm) tall, hard vinyl figure comes with eight amazing plastic accessories: five loaves of bread, two fish and a jug for turning water into wine (not guaranteed to work for real). Also features “glow-in-the-dark miracle hands!
Now, I'm all for trying new things and reaching people through alternate means but I think this might come across as more of a joke (dare I say blasphemous) than anything else. But hey, I believe God can use anything to bring people to Him even when it was unintended.
Jesus Action Figure
Everyone has a different take on Jesus. Muslims saw him as a prophet. Buddhists say he was enlightened. Hindus consider him an avatar (the incarnation of a deity in human form), while Christians hail him as the Son of God. But, wherever your theological compass points, you will agree that this is the coolest action figure ever made. Each hard vinyl Jesus Action Figure stands 5" (12.7 cm) tall with posable arms to reach toward the heavens and wheels in his base for smooth gliding action!
ORDeluxe Jesus Action Figure
There is no action figure more deserving of a deluxe edition than the Son of God. This 5-1/4" (13.3 cm) tall, hard vinyl figure comes with eight amazing plastic accessories: five loaves of bread, two fish and a jug for turning water into wine (not guaranteed to work for real). Also features “glow-in-the-dark miracle hands!
Now, I'm all for trying new things and reaching people through alternate means but I think this might come across as more of a joke (dare I say blasphemous) than anything else. But hey, I believe God can use anything to bring people to Him even when it was unintended.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
This is a serious post...
ST. LEONARD, Canada (AP) -- Twelve million honey bees have been released onto Canada's largest highway in northwest New Brunswick after a transport truck overturned.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police said Monday that a truck carrying 330 crates of bees was traveling on a ramp on the highway when the load shifted and the truck overturned shortly after 1000 GMT.
Police said a downpour of rain has helped to contain the bees in and around the truck.
Bee experts from Agriculture Canada were called in to help deal with the accident.
The driver of the truck was not hurt.
This is here for no other reason than I found it funny that there are now 12 million bees swarming the highway. Someone told me that the best preachers can always make a sermon out of anything. I can't think of one at the moment :-D Any ideas?
Royal Canadian Mounted Police said Monday that a truck carrying 330 crates of bees was traveling on a ramp on the highway when the load shifted and the truck overturned shortly after 1000 GMT.
Police said a downpour of rain has helped to contain the bees in and around the truck.
Bee experts from Agriculture Canada were called in to help deal with the accident.
The driver of the truck was not hurt.
This is here for no other reason than I found it funny that there are now 12 million bees swarming the highway. Someone told me that the best preachers can always make a sermon out of anything. I can't think of one at the moment :-D Any ideas?
Thursday, June 26, 2008
This is it folks!
As I was browsing the various news sites (as in my daily routine) I came across this comment made by an anonymous poster:
"I find it more amazing that many think there is a god who really cares and that after we die we will go on to something better.
This is it folks....enjoy the ride!"
Simple, yet very true. If indeed there is no god than we would be well served to "enjoy the ride." Why is it then that I am one of those people who believes that there is a God who loves us and that we will go on to something better? Is it naivety? Blind faith? It has been said that just as no one can prove there is a God neither can anyone disprove His existence. I believe because I have experienced the work of the Holy Spirit in my life - Jesus is as real to me as my family & friends. Of course, the Bible tells us that most people will laugh and scoff at this. (1 Corinthians 1:18, 1 Corinthians 2:14)
I do not believe I can persuade someone to believe in God and the atoning work of Christ. Nor can someone change my mind that God does not exist. So shall I not even try and simply let people believe whatever they want. Hardly. First and foremost I can tell them about Jesus and how He has redeemed us. Then, I can pray that the Holy Spirit would work in their lives and change their hearts. Finally, it is up to me to live an exemplary life which personifies the Lord Jesus Christ. For if I speak of the work of the Holy Spirit and tell of Jesus' love, people must see it in me. (Matthew 5:16)
Which brings up the Holy Spirit. The Christian life is not about trying to do good things as if to curry favour with God. Rather it is built out of a desire to please my heavenly father. Just as I want to do well for my earthly Dad and show him honour and respect I want to do likewise for my Father in heaven. The work of Christ opened the doors for me to have a personal relationship with Him and be called His child (1 John 3:1). He gave us the Holy Spirit as our helper to provide encouragement, strength and counseling (John 14:26, Acts 1:8)
Everything I have is a gift from God. However long this “ride” lasts will only be the beginning of a far greater adventure.
"I find it more amazing that many think there is a god who really cares and that after we die we will go on to something better.
This is it folks....enjoy the ride!"
Simple, yet very true. If indeed there is no god than we would be well served to "enjoy the ride." Why is it then that I am one of those people who believes that there is a God who loves us and that we will go on to something better? Is it naivety? Blind faith? It has been said that just as no one can prove there is a God neither can anyone disprove His existence. I believe because I have experienced the work of the Holy Spirit in my life - Jesus is as real to me as my family & friends. Of course, the Bible tells us that most people will laugh and scoff at this. (1 Corinthians 1:18, 1 Corinthians 2:14)
I do not believe I can persuade someone to believe in God and the atoning work of Christ. Nor can someone change my mind that God does not exist. So shall I not even try and simply let people believe whatever they want. Hardly. First and foremost I can tell them about Jesus and how He has redeemed us. Then, I can pray that the Holy Spirit would work in their lives and change their hearts. Finally, it is up to me to live an exemplary life which personifies the Lord Jesus Christ. For if I speak of the work of the Holy Spirit and tell of Jesus' love, people must see it in me. (Matthew 5:16)
Which brings up the Holy Spirit. The Christian life is not about trying to do good things as if to curry favour with God. Rather it is built out of a desire to please my heavenly father. Just as I want to do well for my earthly Dad and show him honour and respect I want to do likewise for my Father in heaven. The work of Christ opened the doors for me to have a personal relationship with Him and be called His child (1 John 3:1). He gave us the Holy Spirit as our helper to provide encouragement, strength and counseling (John 14:26, Acts 1:8)
Everything I have is a gift from God. However long this “ride” lasts will only be the beginning of a far greater adventure.
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