“…If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23, ESV) Let’s consider the 4 short phrases in this verse, one at a time. “If anyone would come after me.” Another translation says, “if anyone wishes to come behind me.”  That is to say, “If you are going to follow me and become my disciple, you are going to have to come into formation behind me and follow me to where I am going.”  This is essential to understanding the Christian life.  The minute we become Christians, we have surrendered our own lifestyle choices into the hands of Jesus.  We have concluded that we no longer own our lives, but have ceded all future and present choices to Him.  He will determine how we live.  We now say, “not my will, but thine be done.” “Let him deny himself.” Self-denial is the key to following Jesus.  We will have to say no to the old nature, or what Paul calls, “the flesh”. Self-indulgence must be forsaken. “Take up his cross.” This is an image that would have been easily understood in Jesus’ day.  The image is of a condemned man forced to pick up his cross to the place of his execution.  In short, Jesus commands His disciples not only to deny themselves, but also to abandon their rights to their own lives.  If it is a choice between self-preservation and following Jesus, true Christians conclude they would gladly die in faithfulness to their master. “And follow me.” When Jesus commands, the only answer of the Christian is, “yes.”  He leads, we follow.  He commands, we obey.  He directs, we receive direction with delight. It is possible to hear the words of Jesus in terms of either drudgery or [...]

One of the hardest things to do is obey Matthew 5:43–44. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Forgiving our enemy rather than hating him or her, or gaining revenge, is difficult.  Something inside of us gnaws at our heart.  “You are letting them win.”  “They fear no consequences when they deal with you.”  “You look weak and afraid.”  “You need to teach them a lesson.” And so, against the natural impulses that we all feel, we try desperately to tamp down our angry response.  We feel violated and abused.  It seems against our better judgment that we seek to obey Jesus our Lord.  But our heart finds little delight in it.  We obey because we are supposed to.  And in the meantime, we feel frustrated and angry.  We might even reason to ourselves, “God better take note of what I am doing and reward me.  After all, I only did this for Him.” As we have seen in this series, the kind of attitude I am illustrating is an obedience of works.  It is the obedience of works that says, “I am doing this as service to God.”  It is the obedience of works that expects God to reward us for what we have done.  It is the obedience of works that imagines that God is indebted to us, and will be judged on how well He repays us for what we do.  All of this is an illusion and an affront to God. The obedience of faith, on the other hand, sees the commands of God and our obedience to them as an opportunity to act for our own good.  Our obedience does not [...]

Our obedience offers nothing to God. Rather, the commands of God are God’s blessing to us. God is not our employer, whom we serve by our obedience. Instead, God is our physician, who has given us commands to heal us of our hellish natures.

Obedience Is Hard! If you think that obeying God is easy, you have never tried it. Hebrews 5:7-8 says that Jesus Himself learned obedience by what He suffered and that in the process, He had offered up prayers accompanied by loud cries and tears. That tells us that Jesus’ temptation, and His triumph over all sin, came as the result of a great personal struggle, as well as great effort. Of course, the Holy Spirit assisted Him and comforted Him. But we should not think that our Lord’s record of perfect obedience came easily. And if it was so for the Son of God, it will also be so for us. Is Obedience Required? But how are we to obey? I ask this question because of a series of questions that was asked by the Apostle Paul. Galatians 3:1–3 (ESV): “O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?" This series of questions can be reduced to one. If you are to become obedient to Christ, will you achieve that through works or through faith? And furthermore, do you think you are saved through faith and then perfected through works? Or to put it another way: Do you think you can obey the commands of God by works? The correct answer must then be that we must not even think we can obey by works. To do so is to be bewitched or beguiled. Paul’s questions help overcome a common misconception. Many a misinformed Christian has come to the erroneous conclusion [...]

"See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.  And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure." 1 John 3:1-3 These articles have circled a central theme, "How can I grow my soul?" The first article reminded us that only God can grow a soul. It is a work of His grace. But since spiritual growth is not something simply done to us, but with us, there are practical matters to address within that grace. We learn to live from the inside out, remember that we walk with feet of clay and seek to keep in step with the Spirit, like a dance. While not exhaustive, here is a final thought about souls that grow. I remember... Forty-eight years ago, my fiancée and I stood at the front of a church, gathered with family and friends. Just to make things stick, we had two pastors lead us in vows as we entered a covenant for life. This life promise had a double meaning. Not only was it to be for the length of our days all the way to death, but it was a covenant intended for the quality of life. We wanted this relationship to offer us the fullness of life and maybe even create new life from it. Over the 48 years, it has done both. The decades have brought change. We moved through 4 provinces, several pastorates and at least 3 fridge warranties. We've had our portion of struggles. There [...]

“If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25).   Motions of Grace I can’t dance. My dance-less state is not driven by convictions but by incompetence. I assume I have potential, but experience has not yet discovered it. I love music and can readily sense the rhythm and tempo. If I close my eyes, I can imagine my arms and legs moving in fluid motions of grace. But with eyes open, it is more like a multi-car pileup, no coordination, just chaos and pain as a crowd watches in horror. I can't dance, but I want to. I long to move with physical freedom at the impulse of melodic beauty. I want to allow the music to flow through my limbs. I imagine getting a million positive YouTube views of me dancing at my granddaughter's wedding. I've asked God if I can tap dance when I get to heaven. He said that there would be auditions first. So, there is hope. Why talk about this in a context of spiritual growth? Because dance is the best metaphor I can think of to describe the progress of our souls, and it is rooted in the Scriptures. Paul tells the Galatian believers that as they have received life by the Spirit, now keep in step with the Spirit. "Keep in step" implies motion. We are to move at the leading of the Spirit, at His pace and direction. We do not move at our own impulse under the watch of the Spirit. We do not sit on the sidelines and observe what the Spirit is doing around us. We are to participate with Him in this motion. As a child sets their feet on the feet of their parent, we begin to move under [...]

"For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust." Ps.103:14 "Hi, I'm Scott and I am a sinner." It is the pattern at AA meetings when introducing yourself to the group to verbally admit, "I am an alcoholic." This blunt confession could be thought of as embarrassing, if not cruel. It could feel like a label from the past which limits and impedes progress. But the confession is necessary for growth. It is a recognition that regardless of how long a time of sobriety, they remain an alcoholic. This awareness is not just a step towards wholeness; it is fundamental to it. To become something new, we must confess what we are. Christians may have forgotten that. "Do not sin ... but, when you do." (1 John 2:1) We are sinners, forgiven, redeemed and beloved, but we remain sinners. We live in the tension of the Apostle John's words; commanded not to sin but failing to live up to the standard. Our sins are persistent, repeated, continual. They do not deny the work of Jesus for us, nor are they cause for compromise to the commands of Scripture. Our sins run counter to our godly intent and reflect the internal Pauline battle of doing what we don’t want to do and not doing what we desire to do (Rom.7:19). All who want to advance in their spiritual walk and experience the godly growth of their soul must face this dilemma. How? Living a Life of "Should" Many try to resolve the dilemma of our sinful state by living a life of "should." I should be praying more. I should be more loving. I should be reading my Bible more consistently. I should be better than I am. There is no denying that the "should" is true. Each one [...]

Jesus said that purity is not a matter of what we eat or touch, but it is revealed by what flows from the heart.

The question for our consideration is this, "Where do I need to grow in this stage of my Christian walk? Am I lacking in doctrine, mission, or virtue?”

I am terrible at fractions. Ask me to divide 3/8's by 6/7ths, and watch my eyes glaze over.* It's not that math is foreign to me, nor that I can't divide a pie into quarters; the problem is deeper. I recall taking fractions in elementary school and being completely confused. I didn't have the courage to raise my hand and wasn't interested in staying after school for tutoring. I allowed my confusion to settle into a lifelong silence. Lest you think that I am unique, I believe our churches are filled with people who have done the same with far more serious matters. Here is a generalized statement, which I believe I could defend if asked to. Churches are better at teaching the Bible than ensuring cognitive application in the pews. We excel at teaching the "What?" of faith, rather than the "How?" So, we end up with a biblically educated congregation, but fractionally delayed in spiritual growth. "Be doers of the word, and not only hearers, deluding your own selves." James 1:22 (WEB) We are commanded to go further than simply hearing or knowing God's Word. We are to be doers. The caution James warns of is a self-delusion that knowing the truth is enough. The intent of truth is transformation. The Bible is not simply to inform us (though that is fundamental), but to guide us into new life. When the pace of change seems stalled or slow, we often respond by repeating the information. We keep pointing to the fractions on the black board to effect change. The answer is not to diminish the truth, but to add practical guidance on living the truth. We need to bridge the gap between our "knowing" and our "knowing how." Back to the Bible Canada wants to help span that [...]

"Be doers of the word, and not only hearers, deluding your own selves."  James 1:22 (WEB) The danger of the current North American church is not just heresy. I am not blind to the error, imbalance or ignorance sprinkled throughout our Church beliefs. Each needs biblical correction and personal repentance. Yet there is a concurrent danger. An equal threat is not wrong doctrine, but dead doctrine. By dead doctrine, I mean those beliefs which we speak, sing, quote and applaud but never practice. They may form our convictions, but not our experience. Listen to P.T. Forsyth: We are called at the present day to reconstruction of the old theology, a restatement of the old gospel. We have to re-appropriate and re-mint the truth of our experienced Christianity.  But what a hardship it is that this call should search us at a time when the experimental power of Christianity has abated, and the evangelical experience is so low and so confused as it often is.* His call to the historic truth of Christianity is overshadowed by the shallow Christian experience of those who hold those truths. He wrote that in 1916. Has the situation improved since then? The question is big, so let me narrow our focus. Consider faith - the affirmation, ability and action of trusting God with our lives. It is our faith which pleases God. Since faith is the entrance and means of our Christian living, God is always out to expand our faith. How is our faith nurtured? Our knee jerk answer is to educate faith. We throw Bible verses at it. We study biblical examples like Moses, Esther and Peter. We craft watertight argument and apologetic to convince faith to grow. You've tried that, or at least had it done to you in Church. Has it worked? We [...]

I was recently in a resort city.  On a given day, I went to a rather upscale coffee shop, got an overpriced coffee and simply watched the beautiful people coming and going.  I saw very few children, but I saw an abundance of dogs.  Not one was a mutt.  Each one was a purebred.  No doubt they were expensive to purchase.  I assumed each puppy would have cost many thousands.  But it did not end there.  So many of the dogs were meticulously manicured.  I couldn’t imagine the cost it must have taken to have the kinds of haircuts some of those dogs had.  They were overwhelmingly ostentatious.  I saw a number of people with two such dogs.  Furthermore, the coffee shop also sold drinks and treats for the dogs as well as the people.  I overheard one man telling a woman that his particular dog was especially spoiled.  I had no doubt this was true. I thought about the absence of children there, and the abundant presence of the overindulged dogs.  And I could imagine all the reasons for it.  Children are harder to manage.  Children require a great deal of sacrifice.  Children rebel and can cause heartache for their parents.  Children require an abundance of changes to our personal lives.  I love to say that children have the knack of finding every selfish bone in the parents’ bodies and mercilessly crushing them.  From the moment they are born, they demand regular “all nighters” to deal with everything from colic to fear of the dark.  When they become teenagers, they may be ashamed of their parents.  And when they grow older, it is conceivable that they may reject their parents utterly. The dogs do none of those things.  Furthermore, if those dogs I witnessed in the coffee shop were [...]

"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." Ps.116:15,  ESV I was thinking of death this week. Not a specific death, mine or another’s, but death in general. My focus wasn’t on the preliminaries of death - the decline into frailty by disease nor the suddenness of accident and injury. I was trying to imagine what the journey of death is like. What is the actual transition of moving from this life to the next? The Bible is largely silent about the event. We are warned that everyone must face death (Heb.9:27) and are assured that there is conscious existence after death; but you won’t find a description of the transformation. We are assured of our destination but told nothing about the trip there!  Since we can never know until it actually happens, we are left to speculate. God leaves clues about the life to come scattered in the life that is. The parables of Jesus were heavenly truths discovered in the familiar. Paul uses sleep as a metaphor of death (1 Thess.4:14). If death is but a sleep and we awake to a new life, consider this: some mornings I awake with a jolt. My alarm jerks me to my feet and the day begins. But there are days when the alarm is not set, and I am left to my own rousing - a more gradual process. It often goes like this. I am dreaming and content to stay there. But I begin to hear some soft noises from the room. They get incorporated into my dreams, to the point that I’m not sure what is illusion or real. I feel the restlessness of my body beginning to stir. I sense the weight of blankets or the breeze from a window. The real [...]

The importance of October 31 is not that it is Halloween. Rather, it is important because on October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed the 95 Theses to the door of the church in Wittenberg, and eventually sparked the Protestant Reformation. It was a movement to rediscover that our salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone, as described in Scriptures alone. This date reminds us of the incredible struggle to rediscover the gospel, the saving news of Jesus. We are reminded that against the threat of capital punishment, brave souls gave us a Bible in our own language, encouraging Bible reading and study, as well as a church premised on the gospel. My home church took all the adult Sunday School classes of October to review the history of the Reformation. Since this October had 5 Sundays, it allowed us extra time to discuss this rediscovery of our faith. One of our Sunday School teachers characterized the situation as follows: “For the first 100 years, the church was formed. Then, for the next 400 years or so, the expanding church was being conformed to fit the pattern originally laid down. But then, because of corruption, political power and the neglect of the gospel, the church was gradually deformed to become something that stopped looking like that which Christ formed. Then, in the 16th century, a new movement took place to reform the church to her original pattern.” And with that, I was asked to lead the final Sunday School class of October, and answer the question: How are we doing? Did we continue to reform the church, ever bringing it closer to the pattern of Christ as is found in the Bible? Or are we allowing the seeds of deformation to [...]

"Don't be drunken with wine, in which is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit."  Eph.5:18  (WEB) Paul writes that the Ephesian believers should be filled with the Spirit, but places an unusual image beside his command - drunkenness. It's an image containing contrasts and comparison. The contrasts are obvious. Drunkenness is a moral negative, while the Spirit's fullness is a positive good. Being drunk is a physical state, while fullness pertains to the soul. Being inebriated undoes the body and mind, but the Spirit's fullness focuses us for God. There are other ways that these two states are different, but it is the comparison of the two which helps us understand what it means to be "filled with the Spirit." It is their similarity that informs us on how the filling of the Spirit occurs. It is the "How?" that is important. Believers who are following Jesus and want to mature in their spiritual walk long for the filling of the Spirit. We know that everyone who places their faith in Jesus receives the Spirit, in His wholeness ( Rom.8:9;  Jn.14:17 ). So, the filling of the Spirit is not a bestowal of His presence within us, but rather a movement of the Spirit with His power and purposes upon us. How does that happen? Paul is frustratingly vague in his instructions. He gives the command and makes a comparison. To understand, we need a brief grammar lesson followed by an explanation of the comparison. When Paul writes "Be filled with the Spirit", it is a passive imperative. I recognize that Greek grammar may cause brain fog for most of us, but it is essential for clarity. The verb is a command, an imperative. So, there is something that we can and must respond to. But it is a [...]

“Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to prayer that is made in this place…..My eyes and my heart will be there perpetually.” 2 Chron.7:15-16   (WEB) It is always tricky to attempt definitions of those things that are both deep and meaningful. But here goes. A working definition of love is: that to which you direct your attention. The people and things we love are those to which we focus our attention. We think about them. They occupy our conversations and affections. We give ourselves physically to their presence. We submit the resources of time, energy, wealth, strength and will to the beloved. This concept applies in casual matters like a sport team, a hobby or a favourite past time. It certainly applies to our friends, family and our God. Simone Weil stated that, “Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity.” It’s one of the greatest gifts we can offer anyone. Considering the countless things and people that compete for our attention, it is also one of the hardest to give. Our heads, hearts and hands flutter from item to item, even from person to person. It is love that focuses our attention. When God commands us to love Him with everything we have and are, He is calling for our attention (Mk.12:30).  We are to harness our thoughts, feelings, energy, body and resources and turn them all in His direction. We can do it partially (i.e., only on Sundays.) We can do it poorly (grunting from behind the newspaper as He speaks.) At times, we do it passionately as God fills our focus. But no one does it perfectly – we all learn and grow. We learn that to love God well is to attend to Him. Of course, the next question is, [...]

It was the first time, no, the only time, that I heard my father say something vulnerable. He spent 8 decades living with a code that proclaimed independence, strength, and invincibility, so when he phoned to say that he had cancer, he broke his own rules.

"I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me." Gal.2:20   (WEB) The trajectory of our life takes us from smaller to larger. Born at 5 to 7 pounds, we mark healthy growth by getting bigger. We get bigger in other ways too. More stuff in our garage, more certificates on our walls, more names in our address book, more data to manage and more responsibilities to carry. Life's graph is an upward slope, tracking our increase. So, it jolts us when God tells us to flip that chart upside down. The trajectory of our soul on faith's journey is from larger to smaller. We are to "deny ourselves". We find our lives by "losing our lives". Jesus "must increase" while we "decrease." And with a clarity that I find uncomfortable, Paul says that this life of faith is a life of crucifixion. He states in Galatians that even when we get on with our living, we all are crucified with Jesus. As we are fleshing out our days, Jesus lives in us and through us. Like an arm up a muppet, His life is to be so dominant that it could be said our lives are not really about us - but Him. So you can see why I feel a bit uncomfortable. I prefer my life to be about me. I can deal with the notion that Jesus wants to make a better me. I certainly can use the improvement. But if I hear the verse rightly - Jesus wants me to get out of the picture completely. There is no me - there is only Christ! "And I live no longer but Christ lives in me." It's true that my face remains on my driver's license - [...]

I have just returned from the islands of Jamaica and Curacao.  Both were important visits. Back to the Bible Jamaica has been in operation for 65 years. We have enjoyed a close relationship with them and at their initiative, in 2024, they will begin the regular broadcast of Back to the Bible Canada’s teaching content. Back to the Bible Canada continues to be aired daily in Curacao. International ministry has been part of Back to the Bible Canada’s mission since its inception. The question might arise, "Why minister where local churches are already established?" Our answer is the same for either national or international ministry. Back to the Bible Canada is not a church, nor an alternative to the church.  Rather, we strive to strengthen and disciple God’s people through trustworthy, daily Bible teaching.  We are also aware of our non-Christian audience.  It is our calling to make the gospel, the glory of Jesus and the message of the Bible as widely available as possible. The Great Commission mandate reaches beyond borders. There's a second reason for international partnerships. If you have listened, you will know that throughout its history, Back to the Bible Canada has stayed the course.  I do expositional Bible teaching, as did all those who were behind the microphone before me. Expositional preaching means teaching the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter.  Back to the Bible Canada has never stressed trendy topics or been driven by an agenda.  Our only agenda is the Bible.  We teach so that listeners understand the historical background of a Bible text, its grammatical structure and what it meant when it was originally given. Expositional teaching builds a bridge from the historic past to the contemporary present. It helps the listener understand the Bible, but also makes application to their [...]

You are riding on a bus through the Andes. The road is as wide as a fat donkey, but little more! The driver speeds like this is NASCAR and the drop to your right is a doorway to eternity. How do you feel? Or — you’ve worked hard on a project, but your boss is famous for being fickle. They could smile or fire you just as easily. It's some of your best work, but after you've hit the send button, what's in your chest? One more. Your oldest is getting married. It sounded like a great idea to have an outdoor ceremony at the beach, but as the day moves forward, the forecast is foreboding. Everything is set. There's no turning back. On the morning of, you view dark hail clouds on the horizon. You feel like your situation is ….what? There’s an adjective that perfectly matches your feelings in those situations. The insightful have already looked at the above title and know the answer.  Yes, it is precarious. The dictionary blends the pictures I've scripted under one word and defines it as, "dependent on something or someone outside of our control." Precarious describes a context where we are not in control. It need not be a dangerous situation. The circumstances could help you as much as they could hurt you. But what makes the context precarious is that we are not in control. We are dependents. So, we feel insecure, unstable, afraid. We don't like being dependent. We prefer to control, to predict, to live with certainty. By nature, we shy away from precarious living. So now comes the shocker. Latin scholars (a dying breed) know that the word for "prayer" comes from the word "precarious". They are the same word. It's not a linguistic connection I would [...]

Ryan Bell is a pastor in southern California and a professor at a seminary. Or at least, he was. Today, his pastoral ministry, and even his personal faith, is in his past. Raised in a religious family and having led several congregations, Mr. Bell now identifies and promotes an atheist position, and he does so quite publicly. He has written about his experience and been interviewed on national radio. So, what happened? How did he move from servant of God to skeptic about God? As an exercise of exploration, Mr. Bell decided to live a year as an atheist. He said, "For the next 12 months I will live as if there is no God. I will not pray, read the Bible for inspiration, refer to God as the cause of things or hope that God might intervene and change my own or someone else's circumstances. I will visit atheist gatherings and try it on." He was going to evaluate the existence of God after 365 days of ignoring Him. At the end of the year, he concluded that there was no God. He embraced atheism and has become an evangelistic advocate for it. The foolishness of Mr. Bell's experiment is obvious to everyone but Mr. Bell. Set aside the probability that his professed faith had fault lines constructed by doubts and disappointments, his manner of addressing them assured the predictable end. If you ignore God, it is easier to conclude He is not there. Were Mr. Bell to conduct the same experiment with his wife, the result would be no surprise. If you ignore your wife, refuse to speak with her, live as if you were unmarried and invest nothing into the relationship, would it be surprising at the end of a year to conclude that your marriage doesn't [...]

I was recently reading an article on the U.S. Gospel Coalition website. The article was entitled “5 Misconceptions About Dechurching in America.”  In the last 25 years, 42% of the city of Orlando, Florida has stopped attending a church.  That statement is arresting.  Of course, here in Canada, that news is hardly new.  The National Post recently reported on a 2021 survey conducted in Canada which found that the number of Canadians who said they “never attended a church” rose from 30% in the pre-pandemic era, to a now astonishing 67%. That in a period of 3 years! Both the American and the Canadian data have something in common.  In the American data, a great many of those who never attend still continue to confess the Nicene Creed.  In Canada, where detailed theological convictions are rarely surveyed, even so, most of those who have left church claim to strongly believe in God.  Of course, over time, and into the next generation, that belief will fade.  Without church, fewer will know the Nicene Creed, or even understand which God we are talking about.  Furthermore, they will have no context for a belief in God. But in both surveys (in Canada and in the U.S.) the results show, at least at present, that a great many of those who “dechurch” seem to be able to separate out their understanding of church, from their understanding of God.  They tend to believe that one can be faithful to God and abandon the church.  You can, they believe, believe without any religious structure to support them. Let’s return to the article from the Gospel Coalition website.  They make the claim that a great many who have left are willing to come back.  According to the article, “The reasons why they’re willing to come back vary [...]

“For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, even as I was also fully known.” 1 Cor.13:12, WEB I have stood at death beds more times than I care to. In my ministry and in my family, I have witnessed the final whispers and gestures of this life. As this life ebbs, life which shall be turns tangible. There can be a glimpse of celestial vision. There may be exclamations of new understanding. There is often a blanket of peace which descends upon body and soul. A transition is taking place. The worlds of earth and heaven are being exchanged. What was obvious and flooded in light becomes shadow. What has been hoped for, but unseen, appears as a sunrise. What's happening? I will let other theologians, doctors, and psychologists have their own say. Here is my sense from the Scriptures. I am told that some who have been deprived of one of their five senses often find that another sense becomes acute. Those who have lost their sight may have sensitive hearing. The heightened senses do not experience automatic exchange, but a sensitivity nurtured by use. In the loss of one way to perceive, another way is opened. I believe the same principle is at play when we die. As death approaches, there is often a diminution of our physical senses. Those five tools we employed to experience and explore life become weak. They are no longer sufficient for what is ahead. But God is not far, and His gifts are not gone. In their place, God grants faith. God empowers this gift of seeing what was invisible to discern what has been real all along, but beyond the reach of our physical [...]

Back in 2017, my wife and I spent the year apart. I was helping a church in Regina, and Miriam’s family obligations held her here. So, we took a deep breath, trusted God’s leading and agreed to a commuting arrangement where I was home 3 days each month. I spent the rest of my time 1,700 km away. The year felt long, but God was kind to us in both provinces. It was the first time in my living that I was away from loved ones for an extended season. It became my laboratory of what loneliness is and does. Here’s what I found: Loneliness is not simply the state of being alone. It is a sense of loss - a state of longing for who or what you do not have. At first, it’s an itch, bothersome but tolerable. It can grow into an ache, a displacement that feels like the weight of being lost. Beyond recognizing the feelings of loneliness, I’ve gleaned help to address it. I learned that there are no substitutes that satisfy. No one and no thing can take the place of what you are missing. I found that distractions are no remedy. Keeping busy or occupied may help in the moment, but they do not relieve. I also discovered that solitariness is not terminal. Loneliness may be uncomfortable, but it need not be crippling. In fact, there is wisdom and goodness in it. In fact, God uses it. I am struck by the number of times God walks His saints through lonely territory. For Moses, there was a 40-year gap between his Egyptian upbringing and a return home as Israel’s leader. Joseph must have cried out repeatedly from his dungeon for home and family faces. David was chased from his familiar by the anger [...]

I was in Sri Lanka when a man from that country approached me, telling me that Daniel P. Fuller had passed away at the age of 95.  The man who told me had been one of his students.  He also told me how Dr. Fuller had changed his life.  I was not surprised.  Even though not many have heard of him, Dr. Fuller’s students are around the world. Dr. Fuller’s most famous student is surely John Piper.  But there are many more of us.  I like to say that my understanding of my faith can be measured in the time before I met him and after.  He has more profoundly changed my life and thinking than any living man I have ever met.  Many of his students say the same. One of those ways was in the discipline he demanded of all of us who were learning the art of Bible interpretation.  The meaning of any text was not determined by how the reader understood the text.  If we, his students, could not demonstrate the meaning of the text from the actual grammar of the text, we were quickly corrected.  Fuller believed that we read the Bible the way we read any other book:  By paying attention to the rules of human communication.  But what of the Holy Spirit?  Fuller taught us that the Holy Spirit was given to create a love for that which our minds see as we read.  Were it not for the Spirit, we would either reject the text utterly, finding it an unwelcome intrusion into our lives, or we would twist the meaning to suit our own sinful desires.  But to claim to have a special “Holy Spirit interpretation” of any Bible text, to him, was sheer folly.  This view has led the Church away [...]

“…Give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever.”  Ps.86:11-12, NIV   For much of my spiritual journey, I had been asking God to help me love Him more. My heart’s capacity has had plenty of room to be filled. I know I’ve been both heard and helped. God is gracious to plant the love of Jesus Christ into our hearts. By His Spirit, we are led to love Him with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength. I have not abandoned that prayer request, but it has been refined. Over the years, my request has become focused more on quality than quantity. While I still pray to love Him more, I have begun to pray that I may love Him better. To love well is as significant as it is to love more. That’s the tone of Psalm 86. The Psalmist comes to God as one who is “poor and needy” (vs.1). He affirms His trust in the Lord and turns in His direction. He speaks of calling to God all day long. He asks to learn the ways of God, that He might walk in truth. He seems to be in line with the “more” dimension of prayer and love. But note the prayer request for His heart. He prays that God would unite his heart. The author’s problem was not with capacity, but fragmentation. His internal life - thoughts, feelings, desires, and decisions, were scattered. Asking for more love would not solve his problem. He prayed for a focused love. My own inventory suggests that a fragmented heart may be common. We feel pulled in too many directions and responsible for various callings. Yes, we are to [...]

I had a recent conversation with a Muslim man. He was well spoken, gracious, intelligent and willing to dialogue in a respectful manner. I immediately liked him. We talked first about his experience in Canada. He was overwhelmed with the cost of living here, and informed me he would be going home. Furthermore, he was overwhelmed with the brazen sensuality present here. He told me that although the opportunities for advancement were less at home, the advantages in terms of family and his faith were drawing him back. But then our conversation moved to the conditions in his home country. Since I had visited his country, I found his impressions and mine to be interesting. And then, our conversation made an interesting turn. For some reason, and I can’t quite remember how we got there, but we began to speak about Israel, and its role in the Middle East. He told me that he thought Israel was a criminal state, and expressed his deep hatred for it. He thought the presence of Israel had upset all lives in the Middle East, including his own. He also expressed his distaste for Britain and its leadership in the Balfour declaration. This was my opportunity to speak. I had discovered that this young man thought that he had lived an exemplary moral life, and that he felt God owed it to him to give him a good life. I was able to say that I thought his sins were greater than he had imagined. Furthermore, I said that the matter was exactly the reverse of what he had imagined. God owed him nothing, but that he had an infinite debt he could not pay to God. From there, I spoke of what Jesus had said about loving one’s enemies. I told him that [...]

The word “discipleship” carries layers of meaning, but two are dominant. A disciple of Jesus is a learner and a follower. Both understandings are essential, and neither can stand alone. To be a learner of Jesus, you must follow Him. Those who follow will grow in their understanding of Jesus. Regretfully, these paired truths can be separated in our thinking. For many, discipleship is mainly an academic exercise. They learn about Jesus and the scriptures, as if data was all that was required. But as essential as knowing is, discipleship requires more. Jesus said, “…if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Lu.9:23, ESV). Obedience to this command can’t be satisfied by information alone. Studying the practice of crucifixion is not enough. Our understanding must morph into practical daily experience. What will that experience look like? Many books have been written, but a single title might suffice. Eugene Peterson wrote a book on the Psalms of Ascent called, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction. Before you delve into the book, spend time with the title. It suggests three essentials for our experience as disciples. Obedience. Followers of Jesus practice submission. They surrender their control, agenda and expectations to their Lord. That doesn’t mean that disciples are void of wants; but they live with a “not my will but Thine” mentality. Self is denied and Jesus is obeyed. Every one of you recognize how difficult that is. We all consider the risk of what absolute surrender may entail. But obedience is the path of every disciple. Same Direction. Discipleship is a pilgrimage in one direction. We are led by the Voice of God and moved towards His glory. Disciples do not try to be novel and create new paths [...]

I usually don’t read cookbooks. I’m not anti-culinary, but I prefer the product rather than the process. So, I have only one cookbook on my shelf. Still, I’ve found it to be worth all the others I could buy. Robert F. Capon was an Episcopal priest, a theologian, a biblical author, a New York Times food critic and a chef. Those are not ingredients easily blended, but Capon whipped them together for a prolific and flavourful career. I own several of his books; but his text, The Supper of the Lamb is best. In the book, Capon offers the means of stretching a leg of lamb into 32 unique meals. By the time you get to his chapter on how to chop an onion, it dawns on the reader that Capon is writing about matters greater than stew and sauces. He writes of life, love, community, faith, pleasure, grace and above all, of God. Here is one of his quotes to nibble on. “To be sure, food keeps us alive, but that is only its smallest and most temporary work. Its eternal purpose is to furnish our sensibilities against the day when we shall sit down at the heavenly banquet and see how gracious the Lord is. Nourishment is necessary only for a while; what we shall need forever is taste.... Food is the daily sacrament of unnecessary goodness, ordained for a continual remembrance that the world will always be more delicious than it is useful.” I grant that Capon may not be everyone’s taste, but I find that he feeds my own soul. When I reduce life down to a measurement of plus or minus like counting calories, or look for the utilitarian purpose of my days, I welcome his reminder. Sweet or savoury, life is more than just [...]

You may recall hearing about Thomas Moore. This Englander was a centenarian, a RAF veteran of WWII and someone who earned global fame in his final year. If you can’t recall his name, you probably remember his story. Mr. Moore had been treated for cancer and wanted to express his support for healthcare workers. He wasn’t content with just saying, “Thank you.” He looked outside and decided that during the pandemic, he could still pace around his garden. He decided to do a circuit for every year he has lived. He would ask for pledges to match his 100 laps. Who knows? He might raise $1,000 to support healthcare workers. Well, Mr. Moore pushed his walker every day in a path around his garden. Word spread about his efforts and intent. Once the final lap was completed, the amount of public pledges totaled more than $40 million. He reached his goal, raised more money than imagination could conceive and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth. Sir Thomas Moore earned the admiration and affection of a nation. It’s a great story, but it also reveals a concern. Our society is guilty of ageism. We define others based on how old they are. This is most obvious for seniors. As we mature, less is required of us. We’re expected to retire and watch the parade of life pass. Others plan the family Christmas dinner. Eventually someone else will drive me to my destinations, or do my banking, or move my reduced furniture into a reduced space. We are nudged to the periphery of conversations, decisions and actions of life. It dawns that not only is less required of us, less is expected from us! No one denies that aging presents limitations. A senior’s gait may be slower, and the car keys misplaced more [...]

Here's a winning Scrabble word: "Acedia". It's in your dictionary, but not a word we use every day. None the less, it is something we see every day. I was preaching through the "Seven Deadly Sins” when I first encountered the word. Acedia is listed as one of the seven, but is translated as “sloth.” So, I thought it would be an easy sermon about laziness. But - my sermon got demolished by a Latin dictionary. It seems that acedia is not really about laziness, but about something far worse.

How quickly we break. How slowly we heal. With a fall and a snap, an arm can be broken in seconds. It will take at least 6 weeks to heal. A long-term friendship can be injured in the time it takes to say a harsh word. It will be longer before trust and laughter are restored. A loved one can be lost in a tragic instant, but whatever closure is - it is not fast. I can offend my Lord and stain my soul in the brevity of a thought. God is quick to forgive, but I may bear the weight of my wound for some time. You know all these things. You learned early that pain is swift but comfort crawls. Have you ever asked why this is so? Why does healing take so long? If I created the universe, I would balance the swiftness of damage with instantaneous repair. Life would break quickly, but just as quickly be restored. To me that sounds like a great idea! But the wisdom of God has designed us differently. If we could be healed in the same moment of our injury, we would disregard the seriousness of trauma. Car crashes, viruses, slander or violence all lose their impact. The harm of angry action is diminished if we return to normal immediately. The time it takes to heal our body, mind, heart and soul is time we can reflect on the fragility of life. We will learn to protect and honour our physical frames, our cherished relationships and the purity of our souls. Since we know the longevity of brokenness, we will be wiser with our words and deeds. But there is a deeper treasure to be found in the slow process of healing. God is always in the healing process. Whether [...]

I often work in a coffee shop. I love the atmosphere and it inspires me. Today, as I sat in one of my favourite shops, looking out the window and working, I observed an elderly married couple coming to drink coffee together. That in itself would not be unusual. I often see couples come and sit together. But this couple had my attention. The man was walking across the parking lot, ever so slowly. He was clearly unsteady on his feet. His wife held his arm to steady him, although, as I observed them closely, it was clear she had health problems of her own. The two of them laboured to come into the shop. They acquired their coffee and walked outside the door, sitting in outdoor chairs right outside of the window where I was working. It was a beautiful warm and sunny day. The wife made sure both of their coffees ended up at the outdoor table and weren’t spilled on the ground. The husband sat down ever so slowly and finally settled into his chair. The wife sat down more ably. As I observed them, I thought the man appeared to have had a stroke at some time in the past. His reaction time was very slow, and the expressions one might have expected in the face were not there. But his wife smiled very easily and comfortably in his presence. He did not speak. He may not have been able to. It didn’t seem to matter, as the wife kept smiling, speaking and making gestures in his presence. I noticed the eye contact between them. The love between them was palpable. I looked and saw a small cross on the left earing of the man. “Ah”, I thought. They are old hippies who also love Christ. [...]

You would think that being blind is something you would notice. How could anyone be unaware of it? Yet the Scripture teaches that there was a time when we were all blind, and blind to our blindness! (2 Corinthians 3:12-4:6). Everyone is born insensitive to spiritual light. Our souls are veiled to the truth. We arrive to this life in darkness and apart from Jesus, we live out our lives in that same opaqueness. Worse yet, we didn’t know that we were sightless. No amount of reasoning or argument would convince us that we lived in a spiritual blackout. God had to shine His light into us. Only the brightness of the Spirit could reveal our dark soul. The gospel shining in the face of Jesus Christ dispelled the darkness. In Jesus we see who and what we are. In Jesus we see God filled with grace and truth for our living. As John Newton said, “I once was blind but now I see.” But, do we see all things well? Despite the brilliance of God’s gospel, I have to admit I still have shadows. Only the naive suggest that we see all things fully even after illumination. I have areas of error in my thinking and places where my conduct eclipses the light of truth. I still have pockets of stubborn murk which resist God’s glare. Paul says that the light of God by which we see is a transforming illumination, taking us from one glory to a better glory. We grow slowly like the dawning of a sunrise. I can name some of my shadows and present these before God for change. But even once that is done, I have to confess - there is dusk within me that I don’t see, shadiness I can’t recognize and name. [...]

Very recently, in the city of Furth, Germany, a most unusual worship service was held in St. Paul’s Church.  As the people entered, a ChatGPT chatbot asked the people of church to rise from their pews and praise the Lord. But the real news is that the sermon was preached by a bot.  It preached to the packed church.  People had heard of the event and had come to see.  The image of a bearded black man appeared on a screen above the church altar.  The A.I. preached about leaving the past behind, focusing on the present, overcoming fear of death, and never losing trust in Jesus Christ. I have no doubt the technology will improve.  But what struck me especially, was two things.  First, the message itself.  My best understanding of how A.I. works, is that it simply gathers information from a wide variety of sources and synthesizes them into a whole.  The message, sadly, reflects what so many church goers hear.  They hear messages that are psychological in nature and apply spiritual language to encourage people with their problems in life.  Gone is the gospel.  Gone is Jesus as the radiance of the glory of God whose throne rules.  Gone also is a faithful verse by verse exposition of scripture, explaining the passage itself and the evident application that any passage demands.  The A.I. sermon, if the summary I read was correct, is a reflection of what many hear.  It reminded me how desperately we need a new reformation, and a reacquaintance with the enormity of our sin, as well as justification by faith.  We need sermons that reflect the glorious truth, that we desperately need a saviour, for we are lost.  We need to hear that our only hope is salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, [...]

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom.8:1, ESV)   There is a difference between guilt and shame. Failing to recognize the distinction leads to confusion or even despair. The distinction between guilt and shame is valid within our courts, relationships and souls. So, the matter is important in many aspects of living; family, friendships, church, and most of all, in our walk with God. Guilt is a legal concept. It is declaration of an offence against law, morality or persons. It is not ambiguous; either we did the crime or did not. We may offer excuses before a judge for speeding, try to explain our playground actions in the principal’s office or complain in prayer that we had no other option, but there is no grey in guilt. The Bible declares that before God, we all are guilty. Each one of us has transgressed, and we have no means to erase it. Our only hope is the life and death of Jesus. Guilt cannot be resolved until it is atoned, forgiven and then released. Through faith, anyone can have their guilt reversed forever. This is an act of grace for us. Shame is not a legal concept. It is not a declaration but a feeling. Shame is our emotional reaction when our guilt is known by others. We may sense judgement or condemnation from them, and we absorb their disappointment. Shame is the stigma of our failures. Shame is rooted in guilt, but it is not automatic. Some are guilty, but do not sense scandal. They flaunt their crimes with no sense of shame. Their ability to blush is broken. But that is not you. If I am not mistaken, many reading this do not dismiss their shame, in fact they wrestle with [...]

Three years ago, I was diagnosed with cancer. I had no sign of its presence. I was living symptom free, completely unaware of a growing invasion of malignant cells.  Were it not for a careful doctor and the clarity of medical tests, I would have continued my days, oblivious to the situation, until there was no straightforward remedy. The stealth of my symptoms would have led to an early death. By the kindness of God, prompt detection offered a remedial path of surgery. So here is the irony. Cancer had been painless for me, but the cure was not. I didn’t experience discomfort or fatigue until the surgeon did his best to fix me! Scalpel and sutures became tools of health and inflicted their own wounds. The remedy to my disease brought me pain. I walked gingerly at first, lest I jar my body with a stumble. The harmless occasions of sneezing or coughing became spasms of misery. The dog couldn’t understand why I deflected her in midair lest she jump onto my lap. I explained to her that I was recovering and therefore experiencing a bit of pain. She didn’t get it. Neither do a lot of people. There is no cure without a measure of pain. I can think of no better demonstration of that maxim than the cross of Jesus. We live in a broken world filled with fragmented lives. Sin has battered and bruised us to the point of spiritual death. We may or may not feel the weight of damage done by our deeds. Some seem carefree and unconscious to the hurt of their sins. Symptoms of a dead spirit may remain hidden under pampered indulgent ways. They live a comfortable path to death. But if the soul’s cancer manifests without pain, the cure will [...]

“My soul is also in great anguish. But You, Yahweh - how long?”   Ps.6:3,  WEB Prayer is hard. While it is within the grasp of a child, it will still stretch, challenge, test and confound our souls. We often attribute the struggle of prayer to some shortfall within us. There may be truth to that. We are inconsistent, apathetic, easily distracted and struggle with sin. If we want to grow in prayer, these are matters to address with His Spirit. But let me say what is rarely said out loud in Church. Even if the frailty of our souls was replaced with fortified spiritual fiber, prayer would still be hard. Why? Because the greatest difficulty in prayer doesn’t stem from what we do, but from what God does. There will come a time in your prayer experience (perhaps repeatedly) when God seems to take a step back from us. He absents Himself. Our prayers find no answers. There is no indication of His Voice and He feels far away, caring for everyone else but you.  We are left feeling alone, isolated, confused and perhaps angry. The teaching of the Bible is clear. God is within us - never to depart. He will never leave us or forsake us. That’s our theology. But the intersection of theology and experience is where we live. We know God is with us - but we feel orphaned. The distance we sense may be only our perception, but it is a real perception that inundates us. The struggle is genuine even if the distance is not. When this occurs, we usually try to fix it. “I will pray more! I will pray harder!” If the distance is not bridged, we begin to examine our prayer patterns. “Maybe I am doing something wrong. Is there a [...]

Psalm 102 (ESV) contains a heading.  It says, “A Prayer of one afflicted, when he is faint and pours out his complaint before the Lord.”  Before the opening line, Psalm 102 already signals us that this will be a plaintiff cry.  This is the Psalm of one who is suffering.  Indeed, the suffering has been going on for a long period of time.  Up to the point of the writing of this Psalm, the suffering shows no sign of lessening. The first two verses set the stage for what is to follow: “Hear my prayer, O Lord; let my cry come to you! Do not hide your face from me in the day of my distress! Incline your ear to me; answer me speedily in the day when I call!”  (Psalm 102:1-2). From the outset, we see the suffering man as a man of faith.  His focus is God directed.  But he is also mindful of what appears to be the case.  Even while he has called upon God, it would appear that God has hidden His face. And then, the Psalmist tells us the nature of his troubles. “For my days pass away like smoke, and my bones burn like a furnace.  My heart is struck down like grass and has withered; I forget to eat my bread.  Because of my loud groaning my bones cling to my flesh. I am like a desert owl of the wilderness, like an owl of the waste places; I lie awake; I am like a lonely sparrow on the housetop.  All the day my enemies taunt me; those who deride me use my name for a curse” (Psalm 102:3-8). Clearly this man is in great distress.  He has enemies who show him no mercy.  They have been destroying his life.  And all [...]

A while back, my wife and I decided we wanted another heartbeat in the house. Age, energy and strata rules narrowed our choices, so we decided on a bird. Not just any feathered friend. We wanted a songbird. We had a canary years ago and welcomed the soft tuneful sounds. So, we scoured the stores and came home with a bright red canary we dubbed “Chip.” We had assurance that Chip would sing, but the guarantee came with a two-week limit. We filled those 14 days with tutorials. We played music from Mozart to Beachboys. He preferred neither. We surrounded him with YouTube mentors - to no avail. It turned out that Chip had a heart but no song. We cashed in our warranty and came home with another prospect we named “Chuck.” Chuck is a yellow feathered diva who floods the house with tunes. We can’t shut him up! From the first glimmer of sun to the setting of the same - Chuck sings. We once clocked him at 90 minutes straight without taking a breath. He not only has a heart - but an unstoppable carol. You may question my reference to Chuck’s noise as a carol, but that’s how I hear it. His notes are more than instinct or a call for a friend. It is praise - the melody of creation at full volume. Chuck is simply doing what God made canaries to do. I may be irked by him fulfilling his purpose at the crack of dawn, but praise is always timely and ought to be incessant. Jesus said that stones would become a choir where human voices failed (Lu.19:40). So, when Chuck sings with enthusiasm, I hear the tune of God’s handiwork echoing to His praise. It’s a lesson for me. Chip and Chuck [...]

My wife and I have become trailer travelers. The statement suggests more proficiency than is appropriate. “We are learning to be trailer travelers” is more accurate. There are resources available to instruct us. I have visited a couple of RV centers. I’ve watched some YouTube tutorials and tugged the ear of those who are more travelled than me. Frankly, I’m surprised at how much there is to learn! Hitches, sway bars, tongue jacks, GVWR, curb weight, black or grey tanks (don't mix them up), and I haven’t even mentioned backing up! Despite the intake of all the information I could absorb, there is only one way to learn. Experience. Experience is the supreme teacher. Nothing can replace the doing of a thing to learn it well. That’s true of piano technique, cooking a turkey, navigating a strange city, juggling or anything else you can think of. We acknowledge that practice makes perfect. What we don’t say enough is that experience is a severe teacher. It doesn’t spare us pain or promise ready success. It is schooling by hard knocks. So far, in becoming a trailer traveler, I have fused a hitch against a rental truck, crushed a couple of chucks, performed a scary 11-point blind turn in a cramped campground, bashed a few knuckles on stabilizers and most of all - learned that I needed a bigger vehicle! My learning curve has been more jagged than smooth. But it is turning me into a trailer traveler. The principle of education by experience applies to our faith as well. No one grows fully in Christ by Bible study alone. While essential, it is still only a starting point. We must learn the biblical truths and then flesh out the truths we read. Knowing the doctrine is a necessary first step, but [...]

As I write these words, I am still jet-lagged from an over 2-week pilgrimage to Israel and Jordan. I have done these tours in the past, and each one leaves me with something new to consider. When I first went to the Holy Land, it was the thrill of being where Jesus had once been. On the first occasion, I wept at the garden of Gethsemane, stood at the southern steps and imagined Jesus going into the temple, and walked the streets of Capernaum, wondering about Jesus’ daily activity as He conducted His ministry. Perhaps my most profound encounter on that first trip was walking by the Sea of Galilee outside of Capernaum and hearing the words directed to Peter. “Do you love me?” As I have continued to travel to the Holy Land, I have considered various themes. On one occasion, I became angry that the sight of the crucifixion has been completely obscured by the church of the Holy Sepulchre, a large crusader building that makes it impossible to picture the actual sight of Golgotha. I thought, on that occasion, that the church of the Holy Sepulchre as well as the church of the Nativity are illustrative of layers of tradition that the medieval church placed on the life and message of Jesus, so as to obscure the message of the gospel. On this occasion, I felt overwhelmed with the state of the church in both Israel and Jordan. As we know from Acts 2, the first Christian church began in Jerusalem. Were it not for the persecution that followed, there can be no doubt that faith in Jesus would have become the dominant expression of Judaism. But the religious leaders imprisoned Peter and John, stoned Stephen to death and drove believers from Jerusalem. A program of persecution [...]

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord" - Is.55:8, ESV I prefer these paragraphs to focus on matters of heart; to offer direction for our soul’s connection with God. Not only is that needed conversation sorely lacking, but it is the fount of all things that truly matter in life and eternity (Prov. 4:23). None the less, interior issues need a framework, a context to offer insight and understanding. That means we will have to put our thinking caps on for the moment and engage in some theological reflection. So here is the question, “How do you know that your spiritual experience is genuine and not of your own making?” You may have been asked that question, or perhaps whispered it to yourself. It’s a fair question. It is certainly possible for us to manufacture an interior life according to our own design. We may be prone to Christian cultural expectations and simply fit into a role. How do you know if what happens with you in prayer is truly from God and not a product of your own thinking and desires? We need not fear such questions. They are not the foundation for doubt but a path to understand the ways of God compared to the ways of men. Let’s consider three assumptions. First, I think it is a fair assumption that if my spiritual life were the product of my own head or longings, then it would prop up the natural values of self. My own ego would be front and center, pampered and affirmed. My faith would enlarge me. Progress made would be in the same direction I am already heading. I am not suggesting that a spirituality of my own making would be automatically easy. Nobility, discipline [...]

The presence of God can be flash and crash - thunder and lightning. It is fireworks on Mt Sinai. It is the holy smoke of glorious fire. It is the power to bend trembling knees into worship. Unveiled, it is death for mortals to see. The presence of God is all of this, and more. Even though His presence can be overwhelming, this is often the presence we expect and desire. Obvious. Undeniable. Unmistakable. But this is not the presence we usually experience. More than likely, God’s presence with us is less like a bang and more like a butterfly. I recall taking my kids into a butterfly pavilion. It was humid, tropical and filled with fluttering wings. They skirted around us, flitting from flower to flower. The kids bounced up and down and waved their arms as landing strips. They giggled and called, but no butterflies came. So, they were shocked to see a monarch land on my shoulder. I made no sound. I held very still. My slightest breath might blow him away. He graced me with a visit for a few moments and then flew off. The kids were a bit annoyed. Why would dad get the butterfly and not them? They had yet to learn that if you want to host a butterfly, then stillness, silence and gentleness are of greater effect than calling and agitating. All children of God learn the same. God is all around us. He fills the air. God is within us. He fills our lives. Yet oft times we are unaware. So we wave our arms and call. We expect our whirlwind of activity and volume of voice will summon Him. But God need not be summed. He is already present, but the flapping of our soul blinds us. There is [...]

I don’t often do a book review. Furthermore, to do a book review of a book published in 2008, is late. But truth be told, I had not read Michael Horton’s “Christless Christianity” until now. I was looking for something different and engaging to read. Michael Horton’s book caught my attention.

I have many questions about the first Easter morning. My theological muscle tries to wrestle the event into a size I can grasp, but my curiosity is swallowed by mystery. Rather than delving into what we don’t know, let’s consider a more approachable question. What did the first Easter morning feel like? The post-resurrection appearances of Jesus solicited a spectrum of emotions. The women at the tomb were filled with “fear and astonishment” (Mk.16:8). The two Emmaus disciples morphed from broken hearts to hearts that burned (Lu.24:32). The huddled disciples were frightened of authorities and shamed by their running. Jesus extended peace (Jn.20:19). For those who loved Jesus, whatever emotions filled their chest, their hearts would be resolved with relief and comfort. Here’s why. I am certain that for the followers of Jesus, His resurrection would feel like a return. Once the fear and bewilderment wore off, they would see Jesus and think, “He has come back!” His re-appearance would be welcomed as a return - a return to normal. They could go back to what they once had. They could eat with Him again and have talks like they used to. What they lost by His death is now returned with unimaginable relief. All of that is completely understandable. That’s how we all would react to the return of a deceased loved one. We would welcome the restoration. For the disciples, it would be relief beyond imagination. The lost “yesterdays” have been replaced. Life could now go on as it had once been. But the empty tomb of Jesus is not a replacement of the past. His life is not a return but a resurrection. That became obvious quickly. Jesus was different. He was who He always was, but not as they had known Him. Jesus could appear in [...]

Faith, when it is a noun, is about the content of what we believe.  Faith, when it is a verb, is about confident trust in Christ.  Together, these two aspects of faith speak about the life of the follower of Jesus. When our faith is a noun, we seek to mine the Bible for all its truths.  Followers of Jesus seek to know the truth, knowing that the truth will set them free.  We learn, with Jude (in verse 3), that the truths of our faith are always under attack.  False teachers abound.  False teachings are everywhere.  The truths of God, of Christ, of the meaning of the cross, about what it means to be human, about what it means to be sexually faithful to our Lord – these truths are constantly being denied.  In response, we need to learn and reinforce these truths.  We need to teach them to our children.  We need to teach them to new converts.  We need to teach them to the immature and those who are stumbling.  And even those of us who are mature need to rehearse these truths continually.  To be a disciple in the faith is to cling to the truth and to reject that which is false. This is why Jude told us to contend for the truth.  We are to fight for it.  We are committed, not to latest trends, but to the historic truths, once for all delivered to the saints.  We rejoice in the truth and weep over the errors that lead men and women into darkness.  This is faith as a noun. Faith, when it is a verb, refers to our active trust in Christ.  The scriptures are filled with the promises of God. Most specifically, we have the strong promises that come to us in the [...]

I recently read a blog written by a man who expressed gratefulness that he was in a church that talked about sin. He had been raised in a church where sin had never been addressed. Consequently, the glad news of the gospel of Jesus was never explained. Why would the saving news of Jesus be necessary, if the sin question was not seen as a problem? Easter is the time of the year when Christians should ask the most basic of all questions. Why did Jesus die on a cross? If it were a matter of His popularity failing and His enemies succeeding, Easter would be a story of what happens when the once-adoring crowds grow tired of you. Finally, the cheering multitudes become the jeering multitudes. Such is the nature of fickle humanity. The problem with this rendition of the Easter story is that it simply doesn’t fit the narrative we find in the Bible. According to Matthew 20:28, Jesus explains that He had come not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many. That is, Jesus believed that His life was required as a ransom. Furthermore, Jesus was explicit about this. Consider His words recorded in John 10:17–18 (ESV), “For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.” According to Jesus, He had come to earth in order to die on a cross. This explains many of His actions. Throughout the gospels, there is a sense that when Passion Week [...]

Some years ago, I had to make an emergency trip back to Ontario. That’s where I was born and raised, where my parents were still residing. Mom had a series of health issues and was in medical crisis. She was facing the final stages of infirmity that are often twinned to 87 years of living. I found her alert, comfortable and talkative. She recognized the situation and we got to have final conversations. We acknowledged that her days were not determined by doctors, personal wishes or physical state. God held her life. While the situation called for decisions and action, I resisted the distraction of busyness. I chose to sit, talk and listen, to receive from God whatever He wished to give or take. Many of you have walked this path with your loved ones. For others this is your future. At the bedside, I noted that death is not a solitary issue. It brings a host of companions. Physical struggle, fear, confusion, hope raised, and hope dashed, grasping for information, silence, family tensions, family support. Jesus sees all of this. When He cried at the grave of Lazarus, the tears were not just about death, but also about the grief and turmoil death ushers in. We were not meant to die. We were created for life. Our design was shattered by sin, but is now restored and glorified by the death and resurrection of Jesus. As Paul says - we do not grieve as others. We have cause for hope. Mom and I got to talk about heaven - not just as a destination, but as a fulfillment of all that we were meant to be. The glass we look through is dim, hiding the brightness of what will be. But Jesus is the window through which we glimpse [...]