Grace & Peace to You

GOOD – GOD = O

2012-02-07T15:59:00.000-08:00

On the morning of my seventh birthday, I crept up stairs and was delighted when I saw a bright yellow bike in the middle of the living room floor. For days afterwards, dad and I would take the bike over to the schoolyard next door, and he would run along beside me as I learned to ride my four wheeled bike. There was no chance I would fall, but I wanted him to share in my excitement.

Not all of my future rides were at the school, nor was dad always running along beside me. However, when it came time for him to take my training wheels off, there he was, back at the school, holding on to me and my bike as I tottered back and forth, working on gaining my balance. As I gained speed and confidence, dad would let go of my handle bars and all would be well until I had to slow down at the end of the gravel field, totter again and either crash or get caught by my dad’s waiting arms.

Years later at camp, I decided to learn archery and, like the other campers with me, try to hit the bulls-eye and be rewarded with a can of Coke. As I was learning, my councillor stood behind me, holding the bow and string along with me so that I would know the right technique. As we pulled the string back, I was concerned that I would elbow him in the face, but when we both let go of the arrow, I was amazed how fast that arrow flew. Though it never hit the bulls-eye, at least it hit the large Styrofoam target!

Nobody needed to remind me how to ride a bike because I loved it so much. However, after a year without shooting arrows, I went back to camp and needed to learn the basics of archery all over again.

As Jesus said in Mark 10 “No one is good—except God alone.” If we repeat this fact to ourselves enough, and see examples of his goodness, like bike riding, soon enough we will understand this to be true and not need anyone to remind us. However, if we look for something else to believe in rather than God, we will also find something else that is not Good. And if we only love God in the summer time, forgetting about Him when school starts up again, like my experience with archery, we will never become good at this art.

Is loving God an art you want to perfect? Or are you satisfied with bumping into Him annually at summer camp, at a Christmas and Easter service, or at weddings and funerals? Because if God is not what makes you Good, you are left with nothing.

Song 1-23-12

2012-01-25T09:11:00.000-08:00

King David is famous for writing down his prayers. If he didn’t, we would not know how to pray. But did you know that fifty-six other authors wrote their own personal prayers which ended up in the Bible? Just as each psalm is different, each author provides a different slant to how they see and experience the work of God in their lives.

The following prayer is how I saw God work in my life this past week. And I learned again that writing down my prayers rather than just saying and then forgetting them is a practice well worth repeating.

Just as the psalms show us a plethora of emotions, none of our feelings make us unfit to approach God. Like keeping a diary, writing down your prayers is an act I encourage heartily. But if you can’t do that yet, start by reading Psalms and let them be your prayer. That’s what they are there for!

God, why is it that You raise my hopes,

Only to dash them against the rocks?

Why is it that You get me excited about life,

And then it slips through my fingers?

You made me this way.

You knew exactly what You were doing.

But like a child with a dog, You play ‘keep away’

You are playing this game with my heart,

with the things I desire most.

You say, “Here is your opportunity!”

only to change Your mind a millisecond later!

God, You are the reason why I live.

You were healing me before and after I left my mother’s womb

And I will never stop praising You because my gratitude to You is immense!

But why are You making things so hard?

You say “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle

Than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

But is it also easier for a camel to take this same passage

Than for a man who tries to do right to be satisfied?

I am making mistakes left, right and centre

and You do not notice.

If You do, You sit in Heaven and laugh.

You say, ”Oh, he fell. He messed up!”

Why is it that You do this?

God, I don’t know what to do!

I don’t know how to live!

Teach me how!

Lord Jesus, be magnified in the opportunities I miss.

May Your power be magnified in the balls I drop.

They are not mistakes I make

more than they are mistakes You make.

You created me and knew exactly what You were doing.

And You were pleased.

The mistakes I make, are You pleased with them?

Do You want me to continue in my fumbling ways?

They drive me nuts, but if they praise You than by all means!

I desire to praise You because that is true life.

You have made my hands frail

so that what I drop, You can catch.

Catch me! Catch the ones I care about!

And may You be honoured by my fumbling ways.

Daring God

2012-01-12T20:52:00.000-08:00

Two times in the gospel of Matthew (Matt 3:17, 17:5) and twice in the Gospel of Mark (Mk 1:11, 9:7) we hear about God’s pleasure with His Son Jesus Christ. “It’s easy to love Jesus,” we might think, “he was perfect after all!” We may conclude: “God loved Jesus that much because He was with Him since the beginning of time, therefore they have a very strong relationship.” Or “God loves Jesus so much because God knew that Jesus was 100% obedient to his every beckon call. How could you not love a son like that?”

The next time you ask these questions, I challenge you to dare God. Ask Him something like this: “God, I’m harder to love. I dare you to love me like that. I’m not that Holy you know!” Talk to Him about the things that make you both lovable and loathable, a Superman and a sissy and listen to his response.

Next, take those verses and make a slight change to each one. Each of them says something like this: ”This is my son, whom I love very much. I couldn’t be happier with Him.” For this exercise, I encourage you to paraphrase the Bible slightly so it says something like this: “I am your son / daughter; whom you love very much, you couldn’t be happier with me.” Then put these words on repeat in your mind as you go through your day and see how you feel at the end.

I can hear you objecting: “I thought Christ’s purity and Godliness was what set Him apart from the rest of mankind. God could love Him because Jesus could hold His side of the bargain. But I can’t. So therefore, I can’t talk to God like that.”

And you’re right, he is the only one who can do this. But He is willing to hold up your side of the bargain as well.

The question is: do you want Him too? He will accept your dare!

Why do Bad things happen to Good People?

2012-01-04T10:49:00.000-08:00

Would somebody please tell me why bad things happen to good people? Over the past twenty-two years I have read the answer to this question many times. But it wasn’t until this morning when I realized how simple it really is. If you are willing to open your Bible, you will discover the answer.

John 9 is known for a miracle Jesus performed when He healed a man born blind. It proved again that He truly is God incarnate as “Nobody [had] ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind” before (John 9:32).

This passage is also an ideal example of faith formation. Though it is easier to believe that Jesus Christ is the formator, I believe the disciples are the formatees and the blind man is not Jesus’ focus. He is simply the object Christ uses to teach his disciples a lesson.

The place where Christ forms his disciples’ faith is in verses 1-5.

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?”

“It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.”

John 9:1-5 (NLT)

When they saw the man on the roadside, the disciples quickly decided that they knew what the blind man’s problem was. It was either because of his sins or his parents’ sins that had caused him to be born this way. Many people who come for faith formation believe they know what the problem is. If they only help the formator diagnose it, the problem should be solved faster.

The disciples are like this. They are certain they know what the problem is and want it to be dealt with ASAP. However, instead of ridiculing the blind man or his parents for their sins, which is probably what the disciples thought Christ would do, He turns the tables on them and says, “Stop pointing fingers! Nobody did anything wrong! This happened so the power of God could be seen in him.” (Verse 3)

So why do bad things happen to good people? Jesus didn’t give his disciples the answer they were expecting, concluding “they don’t happen to good people!” or “they always have and always will happen, so deal with it!” No, according to Jesus, these things happen “so the power of God can be seen in them.”

If there was a passage in the Bible worth memorizing, it would be this one. Because, if there is one question everybody asks at least once in their lives, it is this one.

Quiet! I Need Time!

2012-01-02T14:26:00.000-08:00

Over the past months, I have wondered what it means to start and to keep a “quiet time.” I used to see people at camp or at the Christian university I attended describe lengthy and complicated ways to spending time with God. Though my desire was still there, this type of a quiet time was a turn off. Later, my dad told me that he didn’t have “quiet times” very often. Yet he is a Godly man. Maybe I don’t need to jump through this hoop after all. But I still wondered, “if I want to meet with God, and I do, and if God wants to meet with me, and He does, why is it so hard for me to do it?”

“Quiet time” does not have a definition except that, if you want to have one, you need to spend time in quiet. Having your quiet time at a rowdy football game might be difficult, because it is neither “quiet” nor do we have undisrupted “time” to spend with God.

However, as Gary Thomas asks in his book Sacred Pathways: Discover Your Soul’s Path to God, “was my friend’s method of walking by the bay any less holy than my method of praying through a list of family members, fellow Christians, foreign countries, and friends who didn’t know the Lord?”

I would say ‘no’ because doing any or all of these things requires ‘time’ and uninterrupted ‘quiet.’ Though I have thought for many months about what a true quiet time might look like, I am realizing that the answer to this question has such an easy answer – whatever works for you.

New Year’s Resolution

2011-12-29T14:55:00.000-08:00

The English poet John Milton (1608-1674) is most remembered for his poem Paradise Lost. However, in another poem, he made a scathing comment about the church of his day. Remembering Jesus’ reference to Christians as sheep, (Luke 15) he wrote, “the hungry Sheep look up [expectantly], and are not fed.” I was recently told that this remains true 400 years later. A large number of church going Christians are either turned off faith entirely, or at least refuse to attend regularly. They arrive expectantly, but leave disappointed.

Is this you? Would you rather sit at home and watch Sunday morning football because it gives you more to chew on than going to church? Or do you attend hoping that this Sunday might just be different?

If so, Faith Formation might be something you might be interested in. As the American pastor and author A.W. Toser wrote over fifty years ago, Faith Formation is “a modest attempt to aide God’s hungry children to find Him.”

Have you made your New Year's resolutions yet? Mine is always the same… to follow closer after Jesus. If this is your desire this coming year, I encourage you to contact me and come for a free one hour session.

What are your Diffabilities?

2011-12-23T22:20:00.000-08:00

Living with disabilities like a visual impairment, partial paralysis and memory loss allows me to sympathize with others who struggle. We are not alone. We have ‘different abilities’ aka diffabilities that we can offer, entirely because of the things that we cannot offer. What are your diffabilities?

Humbugs about Christmas?

2011-12-06T15:07:00.000-08:00

At around this time of year, we may be overwhelmed with excitement about what we will celebrate later on this month. Others however, might be overwhelmed with responsibility, sapped of joy and energy because we believe it is our job to give the best gift, throw the biggest party, or host the most delicious meal. At no time during the year does it seem more important to “Love our neighbour as we love ourselves.” (Matt 7:12, Luke 6:31) But what if we don’t have enough energy to do this? What if we are humbugs about Christmas?

Well, let’s see if we can turn this rule around a little. What if it read this way? “Do for yourself as you would like to do for others.” Jesus first stated the Golden Rule in front of people who were already doing so much for themselves that they needed a change. Many of us have been raised on this rule and we too need a change. However, if we turned it around, what might happen? Could we do that?

I can hear you saying “I will just become ego-centric and self absorbed” like how the teachers of Jesus day were. However, instead of throwing the best party for your friends and colleagues, attempting to give them the best gift, or making the best meal for them, do it for yourself instead and invite them along. It’s not their party anyway, it’s yours, they are just invited guests.

If you click the title of this blog, you will be taken to a U-tube video of a Winnipeg teenager’s version of “The Little Drummer Boy”. The teenager was having a blast doing what he loved, and I am sure the Lord Jesus received this birthday present gladly because he was an invited guest of honour. If you consider yourself a Christmas Humbug with nothing to offer, can you offer Him the privilege of watching you “Do for yourself as you would like to do for others”?

By Faith

2011-06-25T10:03:00.000-07:00

Who said that only those who perform unbelievable acts in the name of God have faith? Can regular Joes and Jans be men and women of faith? Sure, their knees might not become calloused as the apostle James’ apparently did because of the hours he spend in fervent prayer, but they have enough faith to get up and go to work in the morning. They have enough faith to raise their kids in the best way they know how. And they have enough faith to believe that God will provide them the means to do it. As the song says, they “are saved by faith.” Click the title and enjoy!

Booted from the Banquet

2011-04-10T17:36:00.000-07:00

Jesus’ story of the great feast (Matthew 22:1-14) is confusing, and I have not heard many pastors or bible study leaders attempt to dissect its meaning. In it, God boots someone from the banquet without any apparent reason. But is this act all God’s fault? Or is this just another story that proves to spiritual skeptics that the Christian God is a bully? A paraphrase of this passage might help.
Jesus was a man of many words and many stories. In one of them He said, “Heaven, where God is, is like a wedding banquet the Father prepared to honor His Son. When everything was ready, He sent His servants to give the invited guests the O.K. sign that they could finally come. But each of them declined.
“But because persistence often pays off, the King sent more servants: ‘The best of the best has been prepared for you, and it is ready to be eaten. All that is needed is your presence.’ But the King’s perseverance didn’t work as each of them turned their attention to their own busy-ness. Others didn’t just ignore the messengers, but killed them instead.
“The King was furious and mobilized his army to destroy their town. Then to His servants He said, ‘Everything is ready, but those I had invited weren’t worthy to receive this honor, so go to the street corners, the back allies and find people who are. Get the dumpster divers, the hookers hooked on Heroine and the crack-addicts. Get the prostitutes, pan-handlers and pot puffers and bring them in. Whomever you find is welcome, but each seat must be filled.’
“But after the hall was full and the King arrived to address them, He noticed that one of them wasn’t prepared to be there. ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘why aren’t you ready to receive this honor.’ The man was speechless because a servant had just invited him a few minutes before and he was hungry. To these servants, the King demanded: ‘Get him out of my sight! Throw him as far from here as you can, then still further where he will be sorry for what he has done. For many are invited, but few are actually prepared for it.’”
The obvious question here is what did the man do? or what didn’t the man do? In the paraphrase it says that he wasn’t prepared. How do you get prepared for a banquet? Yes, there are external things that we may hope to do to be ready for surprises like this. But surprises are hard to prepare for. The NIV says that he wasn’t wearing the right “wedding clothes”. But I can’t imagine that if a street person was invited to a banquet, he would come wearing the right clothes. However, he must come with the right spirit, one of thankfulness and gratitude.
In a couple of weeks, my church (CapChurch) will be sending its 6th team to Bufukhula Uganda. Over the past months they have been preparing themselves physically by getting their shots, raising money and packing their bags. They have also been meeting regularly with each other and alone with their King to talk about getting their hearts ready for what they are about to do. They are ready!
But I would argue that though the man in the parable had a stomach that was more than ready to receive whatever came his way, something in his heart wasn’t. Years of eating scraps and begging had hardened his heart to the point that though the King knew that he needed what He had to offer, he was not able to receive what the King so desperately wanted to give.
One person who proved his preparedness was the American pastor A.W. Tozer. In his book “Pursuit of God” he prays:
‘Oh God, be exalted over my possessions. Nothing on earth will be dear to me if you are not glorified in my life. Be exalted over my friendships. I am determined that you will be above all, even if I must stand all alone in the middle of the earth. Be exalted above my comforts, though it may mean the loss of bodily comforts and the carrying of heavy loads. I will keep my vow made today before you. Be exalted over my reputation. Make me ambitious to please you, even if as a result I must be ignored and my name is forgotten as a dream. Instead, arise oh Lord into your proper place of honor, above my ambitions, above my likes and dislikes, above my family, my health and even my life itself. Let me sink so that you may rise above. Ride on me just as you rode into Jerusalem on a humble donkey, and let me hear the children cry to you; ‘Hosanna in the highest!’ Amen!’

Is Creation my Neighbour?

2011-02-17T15:34:00.000-08:00

If we are to obey the golden rule and “love our neighbour as we love ourselves” (Matt 19:19), can we replace “Neighbour” with “Creation” and ‘love creation as we love ourselves?’ What would that look like?
If you live in the city as I do, you don’t have to look very far to see how we have disobeyed this ‘Green rule.’ The larger cities become, the more impersonal relationships become with people, products and even plants. But to people who live in smaller villages, I wonder, are the relationships more personal, are the products greener and the plants healthier? Because I live in a city, I understand that this post is speaking against me, but I think the question is a valid one.
Several years ago, after I graduated from Capilano College with my Special Education certificate, I thought about moving to Smithers to work with friends of mine who work with native youth. As the summer passed, however, a job opened for me in North Vancouver and I was happy to take it and stay close to home. I don’t want to leave North Vancouver, but I wonder, if I was to do so, would I follow the desire I had in 2003 and join my friends up north?
One of the reasons why I loved it up there was the close knit relationship the family I was living with had with creation. They were not environmentalists but they raised their own chickens to lay eggs, grew their own vegetables and allowed their kids to get their hands dirty in doing the same.
With the creation of cities, which seem to be overwhelming our modern culture, our desire to be green has taken a back seat. Only recently have some people decided to take baby steps to reverse this trend, and they are fighting an uphill battle.
Instead of loving creation as we love ourselves, most of us have decided to build more urban sprawl so that creation is no longer our neighbour and we therefore don’t need to do anything about the problem. Now, people who care about creation have to travel far and wide to find it in its truest form. And that doesn’t seem to bother us because we do not love creation as we love ourselves.
As Jesus concluded the story of the Good Samaritan, he asked “who was it who acted neighbourly?”
The expert in the law replied, “The one who had compassion on him.”
Christ replied “Go and do the same.” (Luke 10:36-37)
Nature is currently lying in the middle of the road. Are we crossing over to the other side?

Can Generosity make ends meet?

2011-02-06T21:20:00.000-08:00

When I think about generosity, a word which dictionary.com defines as “freedom from meanness or smallness of mind or character,” I have a picture of an open hand in my mind. Anyone can take out of that open hand, and anyone can give to it, but nobody, accept the owner of the hand, can close it. If it is closed, nobody can take anything from it, but no one can give to it either.
Journalist, social activist and founder of the Catholic Worker movement Dorothy Day said that the principle of generosity always works. In the words of St. John of the Cross, she writes:
“If we are rushed for time, sow time and we will reap time. Go to church and spend a quiet hour in prayer. You will have more time than ever and your work will get done. Sow time with the poor. Sit and listen to them, give them your time lavishly. You will reap time a hundredfold. Sow kindness and you will reap kindness. Sow love, you will reap love. Where there is no love, if you put love, you will take out love.” (Day)
Hearing stories of people receiving answers to prayer, or even receiving what they did not pray for, have encouraged me to pray dangerously. Some time ago, and several times since then, I prayed, “God, if there is something that I have that I should not have, take it. If I covet certain things more than you, take them. If I am filling myself up with junk, empty me.” I am not sure if this prayer was a true one because of the presence of the conditional word “if.” But the Lord listened to it nonetheless and has answered it.
Since I prayed that prayer last summer, I have moved into a basement suite with no cable, so I am not able to fill my mind and heart with all that the media gives as often as I may want to. I had moved in to join my friend, who lived in a suite where the rent was higher than where I had been staying before. In addition, my principal at work would cut my hours in half when I returned to school a month later, forcing me to rely on the grace, compassion and generosity of others to make ends meet.
Soon after going back to school, I miss-placed my wallet and, for a little while, was resolved to the fact that I would not be able to satisfy myself in certain ways until I found it. Though I found it a week later, I have now tried to make it a practice to keep my spending to a minimum and, as my roommate and I recently practiced praying for our daily routine, I hope to continue to pray for my daily spending so that generosity may be the result.
Can Generosity make ends meet? Well, I’m banking on it!

Way to Go!

2010-09-06T11:29:00.000-07:00

So many people, young people especially, wonder if they are going in the direction that the Lord would want them to walk in. They hope to receive word that the direction they are walking in is the right one and hearing no response from God is exasperating to Christians like this. However, during an evening prayer meeting a few weeks ago, my pastor, Mike Nichols, said “if you are walking in the right direction, you may not hear anything. So… carry on.” He backed up his point by sighting Isaiah 30:21, which says: “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it." I have not found any biblical insight about what to do when you hear nothing from God, but Mike’s words were a great encouragement to me as I continue to listen for and do the work that I believe God is calling me to.

Anxiety – The default emotion

2010-08-06T14:30:00.000-07:00

Last week, I moved into a basement suite with a good friend of mine. Last night, I realized that the cheque I had written for the first month’s payment would bounce. Needless to say, last night’s sleep was restless and almost non-existent. Though it seems to be common place for today’s North American to live in debt, this was a new feeling for me and certainly not a good one.

While I tossed and turned, trying to find the proper position for my body and mind to relax again so I could sleep, I realized this was hopeless. I remembered that there was a reason why I had pulled only one all-nighter as a university student. So that Helplessness would not knock on the door of my mind. But this evening, he had found the door and was pounding. I was anxious.

Matthew 18 is the parable of the Unforgiving Debtor. It tells the story of two workers; Fred, who owed $1,000,000 and Bart who owed $10. After Fred realized he would not be able to pay his debt when it was due, he begged for patience from his boss. His boss didn’t just have patience with Fred, but cancelled the debt entirely. Later that day, as he was walking along, whistling to himself, overjoyed at the great news he had just received, Fred bumped into his colleague Bart, who didn’t owe anything to their boss, but owed him $10.

“So when am I going to receive a $10 bill from you?” Fred was cheerful bur direct. “I need it ASAP. In fact, because it was due last week, you now owe me $10.10.”

Bart, surprised at his friend’s jagged comment responded “Come on man, it’s ten bucks, you have hundreds, why are you so concerned about this? I’ll get it to you one way or another, just hold your horses!”

“That’s not an option. My horses are thirsty. You owe me, pay me now! What allowance money do you give your kids?”

“A dollar a week,” Bart replied.

“Not any more. At least not for the next few months. And what about that Big Mac meal back there?”

“Gee Fred, slow down; I’ll have the money by next week! But I need to eat to pay you.”

“That’s Sir Fred to you. I’ll be by your shack tomorrow to collect my first payment.”

While this conversation, which had been rising in volume, continued, the colleagues had stopped walking and a few passers-by were looking on.

One of them commented, “Hey, I know these guys. They work in the cubicles opposite me. They are usually pretty cool people. What’s up with this?” He went immediately to their boss and told the whole story. The boss was none too pleased and had Fred brought in for questioning.

“What’s this I hear about you and Bart? Bart owes you what, pennies, and you owe me what, thousands . . .”

“But I thought it had been forgiven and forgotten!” Fred stammered.

“Not anymore. If what Bart owes you matters to you, than what you owe me matters to me. Your forgiveness has been withdrawn!”

The day before my sleepless night, dad had told me that anxiety was something he experienced regularly, but I rarely had it. Instead of being worried or concerned, he says my character is more like mom’s, who is relaxed almost all the time. But as much as I hope that it would leave for good, anxiety would raise its ugly head periodically because of stupid mistakes like my bounced cheque.

If we want anxiety to flee so it is no longer our default emotion, we must make an active decision to replace it with something else. There are many options; happiness, being encouraging or helpful are just a few. Changing your habits is hard, and changing your emotions is just as difficult.

When does anxiety get the better of you? What would it look like if you practiced another emotion rather than your default emotion? Try it for a few days, and maybe you might want to change your default emotion for good.

"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.”

Matthew 6:34

Luke 7 - Just say the Word

2010-07-21T17:37:00.000-07:00

A Roman captain had a servant who was on his deathbed. He prized him highly, so when he heard that Jesus was in the area, he sent Jewish leaders who bragged about their boss and gave many reasons why Jesus should come to his house to heal his servant. Jesus went with him.
When He wasn’t quite there, the captain sent friends to tell Jesus his thoughts, "Master, don’t put yourself through all this trouble. I'm not that good a person, you know. I’m not worthy to welcome you to my house. I’m not even worthy to come to you in person.
But if you choose to give the order, my servant will get well. I'm a man under orders and I do what I’m told; I also give orders to my servants, and they do what they are told. Whatever you say, and whomever you say it to, they will do what they are told.
Amazed, Jesus addressed the crowd: ‘WOW! I've never seen this kind of simple trust in Israel before!’
When the messengers returned home, they found the servant up and well.”
Lord Jesus, we are not worthy to have you come to where we are, we are not even worthy to come to you and be blessed by your presence, but if you want to, just say the word and your will will happen here.

Luke 15 – The story of the Two Lost Sons and my role in it

2010-07-21T17:28:00.000-07:00

In Luke 15, Jesus tells the story of the two lost sons. In this first century parable, the younger son asks, or rather demands that his father give him what he would be given when he kicked the bucket. The idea that someone would request this is insane because the inheritance was always given to the older son first, and the rudeness of the younger son is palpable.
I used to see this father as somewhat of a push over because he doesn’t rebuke or question him. He could have asked something like, “What do you mean, you want to leave? That isn’t an option! Where would you go? What would you do?” The father doesn’t ask for his son to exercise patience, or embarrass him by singing a Sunday school song like:

Have patience, Have patience, don’t be in such a hurry.
When you get impatient, you only start to worry.
Remember, remember that God is patient too,
And think of all the times when he has had to wait for you!

Instead, the Father’s patience is his strength. His persistence to look for his wayward son everyday would strengthen his love for him. This action only added to the sense of relief and joy he felt when he finally saw him stumbling over the distant hill.
When he finally does come home, the younger brother has probably had the time of his life, and he’s only there because all good things must come to an end. As the older brother angrily argues with his father, “Why are you welcoming this son of yours home? All he’s done is waist your money on hoers, parties and expensive luxuries. He’s made his bed; he deserves to lie in it.” (Luke 15:30) The younger son knows this, and seems to be willing to do just that. However, he wants to do it at home because even the worst job at home is better than what he is currently doing. (15:17)
I see myself as the older son in part because I am an older son. I am also just as self-righteous as Jesus fictional character and I tend to stay around the house more often then my dad would probably like, I am willing to help and get stuff done, and though they joke about me being a rebel, the family would probably think of me as a pretty ‘good boy,’ not getting into trouble, but doing what he was told.
I wish I had a little bit more of the younger son’s mentality, a little bit more of a rebellious spirit. But it only goes as far as drinking a bear (rather than a Coke) with the guys at the Tuesday pub night. I feel like I am found in every sense of the word, I know that “everything that is His is mine,” (Luke 15:31) and sometimes I feel a little bit too comfortable in that fact. Is it possible to be ‘found’ so much that you feel a little bit ‘lost’?

I Love You Lord

2010-02-06T19:57:00.000-08:00

I love you Lord, and I lift my voice,
to worship you, oh my soul rejoice.
Take joy my King in what you hear,
May it be a sweet, sweet sound in your ear.

I love you Lord, and I lift my hands,
to offer you everything I am.
take joy my King in what I do,
May it be a sweet sacrifice unto You.

Love Tap

2010-01-21T00:19:00.000-08:00

1 Corinthians 13:7 says that: Love “always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” Love is always active and never stops. If it did, God would also stop working. Jesus said that "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working." (John 5:17) May you be encouraged that though you don’t work 24/7, as Jesus also didn’t, the love you show your kids, classmates, staff-members and families always will.

High Five

2009-12-24T05:28:00.000-08:00

Lectio Divina is a Latin term meaning ‘holy reading.’ This centuries old practice of prayer and meditation involves reading passages of scripture several times. All the time listening to what God might be telling you through what you read or hear. Earlier this year, I was introduced to this spiritual practice and have recently begun practicing it with a close friend.
One of the passages Pete and I read recently was the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13). While we read and reread it, we talked about what words or verses had impacted us. Pete wondered allowed why Jesus had asked for God’s “kingdom to come soon” (v10a). As God incarnate, couldn’t He have ordered God’s kingdom to arrive at any time? My query came a few verses later.
In verse twelve, Jesus prays for God to “forgive us our sins, just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us.” As I read and listened to this passage, I realized how soul shaking this idea is. If I ask God to forgive me for my sins in the same way that I forgive those who sin against me, I’d better do a pretty thorough job of forgiving other people.
When he walked around town, Jesus knew how to forgive people thoroughly. Whether it involved someone being healed (Mark 2:1-12, Luke 5:17-26), caught in adultery (John 8:1-11), or dying for the people He was forgiving, (Luke 23:34, 23:43) Jesus was in the business of offering absolute forgiveness. Instead of offering absolute forgiveness however, we may offer partial forgiveness to others, but expect absolute forgiveness from God. An example of partial forgiveness versus God’s absolute forgiveness is found in Matthew 18:21-35 where Jesus tells the story of the unmerciful servant.
In the story, Jesus talked about a banker who came to collect his dues, but the debtor was unable to pay him. The debtor begged, “please have patience with me sir, and I will repay you everything.” Instead of charging interest, the banker forgave the man outright of his debt. The forgiven debtor must have been at least a little grateful. But instead of expressing joy at what had just happened, he pounced with rage upon a colleague of his who owed him a tiny percentage of what he had once owed.
The second debtor pleaded, “Please, please have patience with me sir, and I will repay you everything.”
Instead of forgiving the man, or simply adding interest to the man’s debt, he demanded that the man be tortured until he paid the measly amount he owed.
After hearing rumors of this, the banker then called the forgiven debtor into his office to set the record straight. “Didn’t I let you off the hook from paying me that huge debt? What is this I hear about you torturing a man who could not pay you? That’s it, your debt has been reinstated, and you must pay me every cent!”
The morel of Christ’s story is known as the Golden Rule: “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” (Luke 6:31) Or, as I heard recently from a colleague of mine: “Forgive me as I forgive.” Mr. Stevens calls this the “High Five” rule as each of the five fingers corresponds to a word in his paraphrase.
We often forgive people in light and flippant ways. And we believe that we must sugar coat our wrongs so that forgivers may consider forgiveness as an easy thing to do. But the forgiveness you offer should be based entirely upon the amount of forgiveness you need. As we live in whatever season we find ourselves in, may we forgive as the banker forgave. May we remember that forgiveness is something that everybody needs, and may we be generous to give it in full.

John 3:1-18 – Stumping the Teacher

2009-08-24T23:12:00.000-07:00

One night, Nic, a leader in the church, came to Jesus with a burning question. But, because he felt ashamed to visit someone like Jesus, he came at night, when he would not be noticed.
“Teacher,” he said, “we know you are someone important who has come from God, because if you hadn’t come from God, you would not be able to do the great things you do.”
“Let’s cut to the chase,” Jesus said, “If you want to live forever with God, you must start life over again.”
“What the heck? Be born again? How do you do that? I’m a big boy now and I’m not getting any younger like Benjamin Button!”
“Again, if you want to live forever with God, you must start life over again with God. Moms and Dads make babies, yes, but the Holy Spirit makes Spirit. The wind blows wherever it wants to and you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. The Wind of the Spirit blows them where He wants them to go. That’s what it’s like for those who have the Spirit in them.”
“This makes no sense, whatsoever!”
“Well it should. You are Israel’s teacher, right? Listen carefully. I'm speaking sober truth to you. Truth is all I talk about, and it is all reliable. So why do you continue asking questions instead of believing? If I tell you things that are plain as the hand before your face and you don't believe me, what use is there in telling you of things you can't see, the things of God? No one has gone to Heaven and back again except Me. Just as our ancestor Moses lifted up that snake in front of the Israelites so many generations ago, I also must be lifted up so that those who see and believe may live forever. God loves our world so much that he is giving me to it, so that those who believe will not die, but live forever. Nobody else needs to die, you know, and those who believe in Me won’t. God didn’t go through all this trouble so He could point an accusing finger at the world, He came to help put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; but anyone who doesn’t, isn’t. And anyone who has the chance to believe in Him should.

John 14 - One Way Jesus

2009-08-24T23:10:00.000-07:00

Don't worry. Be Happy instead! You trust in God, right? Trust in me too! There are many rooms in my Dad's house, and if you believe in me, I will be going there soon to make one ready for you, and you, and you, and you! In fact, everybody is invited!
When everything is ready I will come back and get you, so you may join the party with me. You already know where the party will be.
Thomas, one of the disciples, said "Lord we have no idea where you are going. We don't know the way to the party! Can you give us directions?"
"I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life." If you follow My directions you will get there. My Dad is waiting for you. If you know me, you will know my Dad too because we are one and the same. 'Like Son, Like Father.'
Phillip was getting frustrated, "Can you just show us your Dad and stop just talking about Him? That would be perfect!"
"Jesus said to Phillip, "You've been around me and have seen a lot of me. Don't you know me yet? As I said before, 'Like Son, Like Father.' So, why are you asking to see Him? Remember, my Dad and I are one and the same. In fact, I'm not saying any of this by myself. Instead, my Dad is, because He lives in me just as we can live in you."
Jesus continued, "In summary, my Dad and I are one and the same. And it is my Dad who allows me to do the things you have seen me do, the miracles and all that.
The truth is, he or she who believes in me can do the same things I am doing: feeding thousands of people, healing others, bringing the dead back to life, and other great things like that. If you believe in me, you can do all of these things if you ask me to. So, go ahead .... ask."

A Tribute to Parents

2009-07-14T21:44:00.000-07:00

I am a teacher. I was born from the first moment that a question leaped from the mouth of a child. I have been many people in many places. I am Socrates, exciting the youth of Athens to discover new ideas through the use of questions. I am Anne Sullivan, tapping out the secrets of the universe into the outstretched hand of a blind girl named Helen Keller. I am Esop and Hanns Christian Anderson, revealing truth through countless stories. I am Marva Collins, fighting for every child’s right to an education.
The names of those who have practiced my profession ring like a hall of fame for humanity: Booker T. Washington, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Leo Besaglia, Moses, even Jesus. I have wept for joy at the weddings of former students, laughed with glee at the birth of their children and stood with head bowed in grief and confusion by graves dug too soon for bodies far too young to have died. Throughout the course of my day, I have been called upon to be actor, friend, nurse, doctor, coach, finder of lost articles, moneylender, taxi driver, psychologist, substitute parent, salesman, politician, and keeper of the faith.
I am a paradox. I speak loudest when I listen the most. My greatest gifts come when I am willing to appreciatively receive from my students. Material wealth is not one of my goals. But I am a full time treasure seeker in my quest for new opportunities for my students to use their talents, and in my constant search for those talents that sometimes lie buried in self defeat.
I am the most fortunate of all who labor. A doctor is aloud to usher life into the world in one magic moment. I am allowed to see that life reborn each day with new questions ideas and friendships. An architect knows how to build with care and knows that if he does, his structure may stand for centuries. A teacher knows that if he builds with love and truth, what he builds will last forever.
I am a warrior, daily doing battle against peer pressure, negativity, fear, conformity, ignorance, prodigies and apathy. But I have great allies. Intelligence, curiosity, individuality, creativity, parental support, faith, love and laughter. All of these things rush to my banner with indomitable support. And who do I have to thank for this wonderful life? I am so fortunate to experience but you the public, the parents. For you have done me the great honor to entrust me your greatest contribution to eternity, your own child. And so, I have a past that is rich in memories, I have a present that is challenging and adventurous, and fun because I am allowed to spend my days with the future. I am a teacher. And I thank God for it every day.
- John W. Schlatter

Standing at Attention

2009-04-12T04:53:00.000-07:00

Before Jesus was nailed to a cross on Skull Hill, he was offered wine mixed with gall, a mild painkiller. However, he refused their generosity because He knew that several weeping disciples of his would need His undivided attention over the next several hours.
In Luke 23:27-29, the author tells us of a Christ who comforts when He should be comforted. Several women were following the Christ-turned-criminal, up Skull hill, weeping bitterly. “But Jesus turned and said to them, ‘Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children’” (v 28). Christ was never someone to feel sorry for Himself. Even now, when His fate was signed, sealed, and delivered, He encouraged the women to weep for themselves and the hard futures they would walk into, rather than for Him, who was walking in, one-step by painful step, into glory.
Luke 23:34 tells us that Jesus forgives His captors as he is hanging from the cross and the high priests laugh as they gamble for his tunic. “Father, forgive them . . . ” I could imagine that this is the first line to one of Jesus world famous parables, often labeled at people like the ones several meters away. I could imagine that instead of being taught the ultimate lesson, which was the point of crucifixion, that Christ would turn the tables on them yet again “. . . for they don’t have a clue what is going on.”
In Luke 23:43, Jesus expands the boundaries of grace even more by welcoming a renowned criminal to join Him in the last place he would expect to be. What these criminals were hanging for is debatable. But it was probably theft, murder or both. This man truly knew that Jesus was his last and only hope of doing anything good with his life. He was an impoverished man who spent his last dime on his last hope and hit the jackpot, for “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
The next, but probably not the last, words Jesus utters from the cross are recorded in John 19:26-27. Here, He provides a way for His mother to continue to be cared for when He could not be the person to do so. Though His ministry was probably funded by several well-to-do women, Christ’s mother was probably not one of them. As it was the responsibility of the oldest son to provide a home for his aging mother after her husband died, Mary may not have been grieving for her Son. Rather, she may have been wondering what would happen to her when Joseph, who was probably nearing the age of retirement, finally passed on. “And from then on this disciple took her into his home.”
From the cross, Christ said many things. He comforted the weeping women, forgave the unforgivable, welcomed the criminal, and arranged a home for his mother. Even as He died, His words provided life for His hearers. How would the dying Christ provide life for you?

On Good Friday, we remember the Man who healed us by His scars.
On Good Friday we remember the Christ, who sacrificed His life so that we might gain ours.
On Good Friday, we remember the Redeemer who forgave, so that we might forgive.
On Good Friday, we remember the Word of Life who gave so we might receive.

Playing Hockey in Heaven

2009-01-17T15:12:00.000-08:00

Recently my roommate asked me, “Do you think there will be hockey in Heaven?” I remembered all the hours as a child trading hockey cards with my friends, playing it at the elementary school next door and watching as many games I could set my eyes on. I remembered the Vancouver Canuck cards I took to a game at the Pacific Coliseum, hopeful that they would be signed by role models like Kirk McLean, Sergio Momesso, Tim Hunter and Ryan Walter. When my hopes were realized, I was on cloud nine.

Living with a visual impairment and other challenges I acquired due to a stroke has been a challenge, and I have often wondered what it would be like if I was playing with the Canucks rather than watching them from the couch. I assume I will keep watching for the rest of my life, but will my sight be perfect, and the results of my stroke be corrected, so I can finally play when I get to Heaven?

As a teenager, I went to the S.C.O.R.E. computer camp, for students with visual impairments, and attempted to get as close to the game as I could. In addition to receiving air-faire to, and accommodation in Mississauga, Ontario for the duration of the camp, and a five thousand dollar cheque from the Wayne and Walter Gretzky foundation to kick-start my post-secondary educational career, I was told I would meet the Great One himself to express my thankfulness. Though the cheque was cashed, framed, and used, my hope to meet Wayne never materialized, though I did meat his dad and the money he gave me evaporated quickly.

My dad has shared his excitement with me that I will be able to play hockey with Gretzky in heaven because I would be able to see everything perfectly there. This hope is based on Romans 8:23 and 1 Corinthians 15:43-44 where Paul says that “we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering,” which seems to preclude that we will receive new bodies in Heaven.

If I could choose from any kind of Heavenly body I wanted, I might decide on one that is 6’3”, 250lb and muscular with a German accent like Arnold Schwarzenegger. Then at least I would have the body I always wanted when I was on earth. But what would I do after that. Would I strut around, flex my muscles for all of Heaven to see because I had finally received the body I always wanted?

I have heard people say things like, “Everything will be better in heaven when we don’t have to ______,” completing the sentence with reasons why life on earth sucks so much. However, if you were given exactly what you were lacking, would it be helpful?

A couple of weeks ago, several members of the staff I am apart of talked about how winning the lottery often causes great grief in a family, even though their joy was intense for a short time. Family members may soon squabble over money that had miraculously appeared and they realize they cannot handle their new wealth. Some winners of ABC’s show “Extreme Makeover,” suffer head and heartaches after their house is renovated and refurnished, because they are unable to afford the new, more expensive, lifestyle they receive as a result, and are forced to sell their home.

These are stories of people who expected great things, but were disappointed in one way or another. In the end, they realized that these material possessions, though helpful for a time, are useless. As Christians, our first desire is to be where Jesus is. Nothing more and nothing less. The personal possessions or the perfect bodies we may or may not have here on earth do not change the Lord’s willingness to welcome us into Heaven. But we must be willing to let them go, because what we will receive is much greater than anything we may acquire here.

When we all get to Heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be!

When we all see Jesus, we’ll sing and shout for victory!

Eliza E. Hewitt

Birrthday Bumps

2008-12-20T17:11:00.000-08:00

This past week, the grade four class at my school celebrated Jesus’ birthday. In addition to traditional Christmas baking, there was a chocolate cake with one candle burning. After we sang “Happy Birthday”, the candle was blown out, and the cake was cut and distributed among the students. By this point in history, there should be over two thousand candles on Jesus birthday cake. For the past two centuries, we have celebrated Christ’s birthday in increasingly elaborate ways. But how would Jesus celebrate His own birthday?

For different reasons, my 10^th, 13^th, 16^th, 19^th, 21^st and my recent 30^th birthday were celebrated a little bit more so than the others. My Dad is one to try and find reason to celebrate any and every birthday in our family weather they have reasonable importance or not. These birthdays were important because:

Ø 10 (double digits)

Ø 13 (teenager)

Ø 16 (my family “Graduated me into adulthood”)

Ø 19 (legally mature)

Ø 21 (I was allowed to drink alcohol, but probably didn’t) and

Ø 30 (?)

Did Jesus ever celebrate his birthday? He had thirty-three on earth and has had almost two thousand of them in Heaven. I would think there would be at least a handful that He would enjoy celebrating more than the others.

However, the idea of celebrating birthdays was, in Jesus day, a pagan ritual. The Encyclopedia Americana (1991 edition) states: “The ancient world of Egypt, Greece, Rome, and Persia celebrated the birthdays of gods, kings, and nobles.” Therefore, Joseph would probably not have celebrated Jesus birthday, even though the angels in Heaven did, and he knew that his son was a King. Authors Ralph and Adelin Linton reveal the underlying reason for this. In their book ‘The Lore of Birthdays’, they write: “Mesopotamia and Egypt, the cradles of civilization, were also the first lands in which men remembered and honored their birthdays. The keeping of birthday records was important in ancient times principally because a birth date was essential for the casting of a horoscope.” If there was anyone who did not need a horoscope, the Son of God was certainly that person. So, Christ probably didn't celebrate his birthday, but that does not mean He did not celebrate.

There must have been a handful of parties (large or small) that happened among Jesus’ earthly family just for the heck of it. A quiet celebration may have happened at least once a year for his first few years of life. Not many babies/toddlers are searched for by their king in order to be killed, and survive. (Matt 2:13) And the extent, to which Joseph went to save his son’s life, is certainly worth remembering.

At around the age of thirteen, Jesus would have celebrated a Bas Mitzvah which would have graduated him into adulthood, passing the responsibilities that Mary and Joseph previously carried (fulfilling the laws of Moses) onto Him. This official declaration of adulthood was seen by one and all, but His Father had already graduated Him one year before. Luke 2:41-52 tells the story of Jesus, apparently lost, in the temple in Jerusalem. His parents had been there for the Passover Feast and left when it ended. After walking for a day, they realized that Jesus wasn’t walking with them. They immediately U-turned back to Jerusalem to look for their rebellious son. Finally after three days of anxious searching, they found him talking leisurely with the teachers in the temple. Jesus comment to his anxious and angry mother shows both his maturity and understanding of whose he was. “Why were you searching for me?” He asked. “Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?” (Luke 2:49) If Jesus was a teenager of the 21^st century, He may well have rolled his eyes and added a “dah!” because His self-esteem and self-knowledge was greater than any teenager before or since. His Heavenly Father had and would continue to celebrate Him, so who else needed to do so?

The second greatest tribute Jesus ever received was the commission from His Father before He began public ministry at the age of thirty. John, his cousin and forerunner had baptized him in the Jordon River. It could have been a regular baptism, if not for the party that the Father initiated when he sent a dove to sit on Christ’s shoulder, and said: “You are My Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:11, Luke 3:22) This affirmation gave Him the confidence and understanding He needed to respond wisely to Satan’s temptations in the desert, where he was about to go.

The greatest tribute Jesus received happened three years later, after He had risen from the dead and ascended back into Heaven. There, having finished all the work His Father had commissioned Him to do, “he sat down at the right hand of God.” (Hebrews 1:3, 10:12, 12:2). Finally, Jesus had come home, never to leave again because, as he had stated from the cross, “It is finished.” (John 19:30)

Christ’s day had no Christmas, but He created it so we would have something to celebrate. Instead of opening the presents on His birthday, Christ desires to be the present for us to open. Weather you bake a cake and adorn it with candles; weather we sing “Happy Birthday Jesus” or “Joy to the World,” how will you celebrate Christ’s birthday? Have you opened your present yet?

Mary, did you know
That your baby boy is lord of all creation?
Did you know
That your baby boy will one day rule the nations?
Did you know
That your baby boy is heavens perfect lamb?
This sleeping child you’re holding
Is the great I am

Mary did you know

By Buddy Greene and Mark Lowry

The Fear of the Lord is my Strength (Part 1)

2008-10-05T16:05:00.000-07:00

In Nehemiah 8:10, the author writes the words to a popular worship song called “The Joy of the Lord.” He encourages his audience to "[go] and enjoy choice food and sweet drink, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. . . . Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." Whatever the Lord gives us is good. As Christians, we hope God will not stop giving us gifts we enjoy; love, peace, kindness and gentleness are some examples, but continue to lavish us with good things.

However, He is certainly not restricted to giving us only positive gifts like these. For instance, what if He chose to give you the gift of faithfulness, along with a job to take care of the down and out on the downtown east side every Friday night? Or, what about patience, coupled with a prodigal daughter whom you would wait and search for, for hours on end. If you have not experienced fear personally, the media provide us with a plethora of horror movies and news casts that often “freak [us] out,” giving us enough reasons to be afraid. We have all experienced the negative sense of fear, and no one needs to be reminded why we hate it so much. Therefore, I am sure you would quickly conclude that fear is certainly not a gift of God. But if we have not experienced both sides of fear, we are truly missing out on a good thing.

I have a ‘seeing is believing’ type of faith because throughout my life, I have seen God’s handiwork. He has done it in my own life (see: “Miracle on Fox Street”) and he has used me to bring healing to others. Dr. Luke, the author of the Gospel was also one of those people, and I have been a big fan of his writings since I started reading the Bible. His gospel is like a documentary, as he describes one exciting miracle after another, culminating in the greatest miracle of them all, Christ’s resurrection. As I approach my thirtieth birthday, I have begun to enjoy his other book, Acts, with the same amount of excitement.

Here Luke follows several members of the early church including Peter and Paul (sorry Mary wasn’t a prominent figure in this book!) as they learn and teach about this new religion called Christianity. These great men are responsible for some more miraculous signs. Some of them, including the famous story of the beggar at the gate, who learns to walk for the first time at the age of forty, are very well known. However, it also describes a few others that do not make the top ten. This might be because they show the fearful side of God.

One of these stories is found in chapter five, the story of a couple of devout Christians, Ananias and Sapphira. They had been attending the local church for years and didn’t intend on leaving. In fact, so that its ministry would continue, they had sold their house and had donated everything they had received from the sale to the leaders of their church. (At least this is what they said they did).

If my parents were to finally suffer a mid life crisis and sell our house, forwarding all the funds to the church, four things would happen. 1) Our church would greatly appreciate their gift and probably re-name it DuckChurch. 2) My parents (and I) would have no place to live, though I am sure we would have a long list of invitations to spend a night or two at guest bedrooms throughout our church community. 3) If they truly believed that God was asking them to do something as drastic as this, my parents would probably feel fairly peaceful with their decision. But I wouldn’t. Instead I would probably think they had just a little too much faith for my liking. Lastly, I probably would not join my parents in a dwelling that might become available to them to move into, whenever that might be.

Don’t wrestle with a Heavyweight

Today, most pastors are the same. They are all good at something weather that be leading worship, sermonizing or any other of a variety of gifts that Paul writes about in his letters to the early church. However, the gift that Peter uses in Acts 5, reading another person’s mind (also known as prophecy), has been neglected for some time.

The Apostle Peter’s years as a student of Christ are well documented in the Gospels. Acts is like Peter’s Coming-of-age party where he shows that he really is the rock which Christ said he would become (Matthew 16:18). In prior chapters in Acts, God gave Peter so much power that his shadow was the only thing needed to heal somebody (Acts 5:12-15). And if anybody had this amount of power, they are due at least a little respect. But Ananias and Sapphira (whose story is also found in Acts 5) did the exact opposite.

The church at this time was young, small and tightly knit. And for these two to do what they claimed to have done, they would have certainly been deserving of a few invitations for dinner and a good night’s rest in someone else’s tent-house. But while everybody else was in awe of these two, Peter wasn’t buying it for a moment.

In verse 3, Peter says, "Ananias, you hypocrite! You, a leader in this church have done a complete 180° turn and have lied to the Holy Spirit. Why did you allow Satan to connive with you to do something like this, keeping some of the money for yourself? Before you sold the field, it was all yours, wasn’t it? And after you sold it, the money was yours to do with as you wished, wasn’t it? So what got into you to tell people that you did something that you didn’t do? You didn't lie to men but to God."

When he heard these words, Ananias fell down dead. That put the fear of God into everyone who heard the story. The younger men went right to work and wrapped him up, then carried him out and buried him.

Only a few hours later, his wife, knowing nothing of what had happened, came in. Peter said, "So, what’s the deal? Were you given this price for your field?"

"Absolutely," she said.

Peter was indignant, almost ready to tear his hair out, "What's going on here that you and your husband would gang up against the Spirit of God?! The men who buried your husband are at the door, and you're going with them!" No sooner were the words out of his mouth than she also fell down, dead. The young men waiting at the door carried her out and buried her beside her husband.

By this time the whole church and everyone else who heard of these things had a healthy fear for God. They knew He was not to be trifled with.

“The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is the beginning (the chief and choice part) of Wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight and understanding.”

Proverbs 9:10

(Amplified version)

The Fear of the Lord is my Strength (Part 2)

2008-10-05T15:55:00.000-07:00

It’s not your job anyway

One of the reasons why I became a Christian was because, over many years, I heard and understood the wonderful miracles Jesus did. Though the awesome (in the scary sense) acts of God that Ananias and Sapphira experienced, in Acts 5, gave the Jews around them reason to believe in God, fear should not be the first and only motivation to love Him. Unfortunately, thousands of Christians have placed their faith in a God, who must be feared with trembling, at all times. Though this judgmental and unwelcoming side of God’s character cannot be ignored, I also believe in a God whose miraculous works can also be joyful, (John 5:8-9), surprising (Matthew 9:20-22), or even bizarre (John 2:1-11, Acts 5:15).

At this point in the early church’s history, people continued to spend regular periods of time together (Acts 2:42). The Holy Spirit had just recently joined them, and there was nothing else these Christians would currently want to do more then to spend time in worship with each other. In Acts 19, miracles continued to take place, one of them in particular even bordered on the absurd.

As followers of Jesus, we often expect that we all have at least some faith, and because Jesus has said that we don’t need a lot, surely we have enough. But what if we have none at all, can Jesus still use us? In chapter 19:11-12, Luke writes that “God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.”

It makes sense that God did amazing things through Peter and Paul because they were spiritual heavy-weights in the church. Peter had spent three years with Jesus, and Paul would soon spend the rest of his life in prison because of his faith in Him. But a handkerchief and an apron? They don’t even have enough weight in themselves to be a paper weight, let alone have spiritual weight.

But that’s the point. They didn’t have any weight in themselves and couldn’t talk back to the Person who was using them for a purpose they knew nothing about. However unorthodox these healings were, it was never the apron’s job, nor its ability for that matter, to say, “I wasn’t made for this purpose! Fold me up and put me back where you found me!” It was clearly the strength and faith of Someone greater than the apron to do with it what He had decided to use it for.

Is God using you to do something you don’t feel you have the strength to do? Some of us are about to go on mission’s trips, accept jobs as pastors, or teachers in Christian schools and we know exactly what God is using us for and believe we have the faith for him to do it. But others are plumbers, carpenters, mechanics or students with secular endeavors and cannot see how God will use them in these capacities. As you step into the responsibility God has given you, what kind of fear do you have? Are you anxious, or in awe? Are you worried, or in wonder?

Remember, if God can do this much through a handkerchief, He can do whatever He wants through you, whatever amount of faith you may or may not have. It was because of unorthodox miracles like these that the name of Jesus became reverent in the early church.

"Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell."

Matthew 10:28
(New Living Translation)

Proud of my Limp

2008-08-20T22:12:00.000-07:00

Being touched by God is no easy thing. To be sure, it is a good thing. But though we desire it so much, we have no idea how much it will cost. So though His touch could be inspiring, generous or healing, it could, for at least a little while, be challenging; or downright miserable as He changes, enhances or even eliminates our hopes and desires.

In Genesis 32:22-32 Jacob, the third member of the second most famous trio in the Bible, wrestles with a Man for an entire night. As daybreak approaches, He requests that he let Him go, but Jacob refuses. “Not a chance. I need your blessing first, than I might.” Jacob needed a blessing so badly, he was willing to use all of his energy to get it.

And what a blessing it was. After wrestling with the Man, Jacob (a name that means ‘follower’) was re-named Israel (‘Struggles with God’), received a new outlook on life and a very soar hip-flexor muscle. And he had a limp to prove it. God never minds if we wrestle with Him because wrestling brings us close to Him, right where He wants us.

Thousands of years later, God continued to touch people, reminding them that he is the only way they can live a wholesome life, whatever type of limp they may receive. Matthew 9:23-26 is the second half of a double healing that Christ performs as he leaves his hometown of Nazareth. He has just healed a woman who has been bleeding internally for twelve years, and is receiving an ecstatic response from most of the people who believed the woman’s story. However, a doting father, who has previously begged him to come and raise his dead daughter back to life, is not worshiping, but weeping. “Hurry up, Teacher! I need you to do this now!”

Ancient Israel believed that after a person died, the life-giving spirit could possibly return if the right person could be found to bring it back. So time was ticking. This father, who was also a ruler of the people, was most definitely excited that he may have found the man who could possibly do the job. However, he was more than a little anxious that Jesus would work just a little bit quicker: “She died this morning and it is already evening, so please hurry!”

When Jesus finally arrived at the weeping father’s house, many were already there weeping along with him. But Jesus would have none of it. Apart from a few disciples and the child’s parents, Christ demanded to the crowd, “Leave us! If you can believe it, the child isn’t dead. She’s just taking a much needed nap.”

As you can expect and may already know, the crowd didn’t believe it, but laughed at Him instead. As Luke writes, when they were alone with the sleeping child, Christ took her hand and gently beckoned her, “Wakey, wakey” (Luke 8:54). As the grinning father left his house with his living daughter in his arms, he may have asked the bewildered and speechless crowd, “Who’s laughing now?”

I can only imagine what the rest of her childhood was like. Not many of her friends could boast that they had been raised from the dead. Not many fathers could say that they had seen what he had. But there were not many men who had walked the earth before Christ did, who could perform works like these. And though in the end, the girl died a second time, the touch she received from God incarnate instilled in her, and her father, a knowledge that she was truly loved by Him.

In Acts 9:10-19 Saul is touched and healed from his blindness by Ananias, a believer from Damascus. Ananias was worried about going to him because Saul was infamous for arresting and persecuting members of the early church, and it only makes sense to stay away from people like that. But the Spirit gently commands him, “Just go, for I will use him to do great things, and they won’t be easy.”

So, Ananias, shaking in his sandals, does what he is told, and his obedience ultimately changes the course of human history. He allows the Holy Spirit to use his hands to restores Saul’s sight. In time, Saul’s name changes to Paul (which means: humble), and Saul accepts a new commission to take the Lord’s message to the Gentiles, to kings, the people of Israel, and later to us.

Though Saul’s first limp, (his blindness) was temporary, he later had a second one. 2^nd Corinthians 12:7 says that Paul forever had a “thorn in [his] flesh” as he wrote much of the New Testament behind bars. But like no one else before or since, Paul learned and taught us what it means to “be joyful always; [to] pray continually; [to] give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) I am still hoping to fully learn what this means.

Any touch from God is awesome, but each comes with a cost. Jacob received a limp and a new name when he was touched by God. Once she took hold of Jesus hand, the girl had an understanding that she was loved and a new story to tell of God’s goodness. Saul’s sight was restored, and Paul endured his limp gladly for the remainder of his days.
What about you?

Ø As Jacob did, are you willing to struggle with God to receive His blessing?

Ø Will you have faith with the ruler that Jesus can restore the things that seem dead and gone?

Ø As Paul did, are you able to accept the limp you have as a blessing?

“If you look at the world, you’ll be distressed, if you look within you’ll be depressed, but if you look at Christ, you’ll be at rest.”

Corrie ten Boom

What if he picks you?

2008-06-14T17:30:00.000-07:00

John 13 is remembered and loved by millions because it shows the full extent of Christ’s love for his disciples when he washes their feet. However, later in the same chapter, Jesus does something that is not thought of as godly, but is equally sovereign. He picks the disciple who will betray him. Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase describes it this way: “As soon as the bread was in his hand, Satan entered him.” (John 13:26) The ‘him’ of this verse is Judas Iscariot, who since has been judged and dreaded by two millennia of Christians because of what he would do after this key moment. But what if it had been someone else? How would they have done what Judas would soon have the dubious honor of doing?

“Is it me?”

What if he had picked, oh let’s say Matthew, the tax collector, how would he betray his Teacher and Lord? First of all, he probably would have asked for more money than thirty pieces of silver from the Pharisees, and because tax collectors were hated in Jesus day as much as they are still hated today, it may have been expected, to a point, if Matthew was the person Jesus had picked out.

Or, what about Dr. Luke. He was the only Gentile in the group, so maybe he would find justification for planning the assassination of a Jew. Surely he could use his knowledge of healing, to kill.

It couldn’t have been Peter, because Peter had walked on the water with his Master. He had just recently been forgiven for denying Christ three times, so that must be enough, one would think. He had said so many wrong things in the past that he couldn’t have said one more wrong thing. But then again, I am sure there would be enough room for a fourth denial to take place.

But John, the one everybody called “the beloved disciple,” the one who first penned the verse at the beginning, and the one whom the disciples believed would live forever (John 20:21-22) was definitely not the person for this job. He was, after all, the one who had his head on Jesus chest at the last supper and had asked Him, “Who is it?” the question each disciple was anxious to receive an answer to. And if John had worked hard enough to get as close to Jesus as to put his head on His chest, he surely wouldn’t cook up a scheme like this.

It could have been any of the twelve because each disciple had wondered out loud, “Is it me?” Each of the eleven surely breathed a huge sigh of relief when Jesus handed the piece of bread to someone else.

But why did it have to be Judas Iscariot? Wasn’t he a good person? He was a good man. The text says that it wasn’t until he received the piece of bread that Satan entered him. Before that, he had been a regular disciple with an extra-ordinary responsibility: carry the money bag.

Any accountant or financial manager understands the important responsibility they have to their clients. They could quickly lose the trust of their clients if they were to do something irresponsible with their client’s money. But this doesn’t seem to be a problem for the disciples. Though his name is mentioned in prior passages when the subject of money has come up, and though it seemed to be common knowledge that Judas had helped himself to their funds, the disciples, together with their Master, seem to have placed their full trust in him. Even after Jesus had handed the piece of bread to Judas and said “What you are about to do, do quickly,” the other disciples assumed that he was going to buy something for the Passover feast, or give something to the poor (John 13: 28-29). They certainly thought it wouldn’t have been him.

It couldn’t be me anyway

It has now been over 2,000 years since that first communion. It may not have been this long since you took communion, but it could be two thousand days (5.5 years), 2000 weeks (almost 40 years), or any other length of time you choose. But, then again, it surely couldn’t be you anyway.

After all, you have been a devoted disciple of Christ for decades. You have attended church regularly since you were young, you have helped to “raise children up in the way that they should go” (Proverbs 22:6), and you have followed the guidance of St. Francis of Assisi to a T. He was the one who said, "Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words if necessary." You have always been willing to preach the gospel, but thank goodness it hasn’t been that necessary for you to verbalize your Christian beliefs.

Are you willing to be picked?

Though we may feel it is highly unlikely that the Lord will pick us to do something against our character or against the assumptions of others, many of us conclude that there are certain things we will most definitely not do. Betraying our Lord is certainly one of those. But what if Christ picks you to do something different from what you and others expect of yourself?

We may take pride in saying that we would offer everything we have to the Lord with no exceptions. We may boast, at least in our hearts, that we do not hold onto anything as our own, but rather hold everything in an open hand, allowing God reign in everything, especially our personal possessions. We know the story of Abraham, and may even be willing to do what he did, (sacrifice his only son) so that he would be blessed by God.

But He may do just that. He may take away the things you are holding in your open hand or ask you to do something you may have vowed never to do. If you say you want the Lord to have control in everything, doesn’t this mean he will have control of the most important things as well as the least? Keeping your hands open is the most relaxing way to live. Jesus kept his hands open and though everything he had in them was taken away from him for a time, it was given back to Him so that no one could ever take it away from Him again.

“I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am He. I tell you the truth, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me."

John 13:19-20

Pixels of Faith

2008-03-21T18:32:00.000-07:00

How much faith do I really need? I know I constantly need the counsel of the Holy Spirit to guide me. And that requires faith. I know I need the strength of the Lord Jesus to empower me every day. And that takes faith. Therefore, I usually conclude that I have at least enough faith to go to Heaven when I die. And I don’t feel I need any more.

However, in several places in the gospels, Jesus threatens religious veterans, like me; with death as they rest on their existing knowledge of a God they thought they knew, but soon realize they had no idea. Matthew 7:23 is one example.

Another condemning quotation of Jesus is found in Luke 17:6, where the disciples ask their master “Increase our faith,” something I have also asked Jesus to do for me on many occasions. Jesus’ response to them has been misquoted as an encouragement for centuries. A popular translation says: “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you.” A mustard seed is the smallest seed that can be planted in the ground. But it would soon grow, and one day become the largest of garden plants (Matt 13:32, Mark 4:32). Mustard seeds are not as common in our culture as they were in Jesus day. But something else that is equally as small, powerful and known by most western civilizations are pixels, “the smallest element of an image that can be individually processed in a video display system” (www.Dictionary.com). And like mustard seeds, they too, with a little bit of help, can become something magnificent.

Casual readers could assume two things from this verse: 1) that it is easy to acquire faith, (because all I need to do is have a pixel worth of belief in Jesus), and 2) the results of my faith are, and will always be, amazing. But I argue that this translation is a little bit watered down from what Jesus probably meant, when he first shared this piece of wisdom with His disciples.

Instead, I think Jesus probably said something a little bit more like this: “If you only had as much faith as a pixel, you could say to this Douglas fir, 'Be uprooted and planted in Hudson’s Bay,' and it will obey you. But you don’t even have that much!” I think the disciples believed that, through some sort of telepathic osmosis, they would automatically have as much faith as their teacher because they spent three years, eating, sleeping and breathing Jesus. But even that wasn’t enough. They needed an active ingredient to make their faith alive.

Repeatedly, Jesus questioned His disciples’ (mostly Jewish insiders) ability to do what he asked. They consistently showed a lack of faith in Him and His Father, whom they supposedly knew (John 14:7). But in Matthew 8, a Roman, an outsider, gave an example of faith that Jesus had not seen in his dah-ciples.

As Iraqis despise Americans, Jews despised Romans. A primary reason was that the Romans were stronger, showing their strength over them regularly. So, when a rich-Roman sent his delegates to Jesus, asking Him to come heal his servant, the Jewish crowd responded, “Good! Something is wrong with those Romans!”

Peter was exasperated with the servant. “Can’t you see that He’s busy? Jesus came for us Jews, not for you Gentiles (non-Jew)!”

Andrew piped up, “You don’t believe in Jesus anyway, you believe in your lord. Go ask him to heal your servant!”

But Jesus responded to the Roman servant, “I will go and heal him.”

But as He turned to follow the Centurion’s servant, Peter and Andrew, exasperated that Jesus would give anyone else but them any attention, exclaimed in chorus, “Rabbi, you’re going the wrong way!”

As the crowd shifted their route to follow the Roman’s servant, their footsteps grew heavier, they moved slower and continued to badger Jesus. “What are you doing, you once called a Samaritan a ‘dog!’ (Matthew 15:26) That’s what we expected you to say to this Roman! We hate them, don’t you hate them too? You’re one of us, and are here for us! Aren’t you?”

Ten minutes later, another servant came with more news from the dreaded Roman’s house. “My master says, ‘I am not worthy to have You, Jesus, come to my house. You are righteous, I am sinful. And besides, it’s not clean enough for you to enter. Just heal him from here. I know you can do this, because I ask my servants and slaves to do their jobs, and they do it. You have shown authority to heal, so you are certainly able to do what you say.’”

If he could have, Jesus would have leapt for joy. “Why can’t these Jews have as much faith as your master? I haven’t met anyone in all of Israel who has as much faith as him.” Then turning to the crowds, Jesus said, “This man, and many foreigners like him will certainly join Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in my Father’s kingdom, and they are outsiders! Don’t you Jewish insiders understand what it takes to join him in Heaven too? You’ve been learning about it for years! But if you don’t, you won’t.”

Turning back to the rich-Roman’s servant, Jesus said, “You may go, your fellow servant is healed because you believed he could be.”

In Jesus day, Jewish boys would be overwhelmed with an understanding of Yahweh and the Torah (first five books of the Bible). Calling oneself a Jew (an insider) would undoubtedly be an honor they would be proud of for the rest of their lives. Today, children raised in Christian families may also be overwhelmed with the Bible, church and Sunday school, and may or may not be proud of their faith. But Jesus encourages insiders, to use their pixel of faith, rather than ask for more, so it may grow to become a support to others in need. Then, weather you are an in or out-sider you may do the same as the Roman centurion did.

Jesus, Judas and the Show-People

2008-03-03T18:03:00.000-08:00

Who do you follow? There have been many great leaders and well known personalities who have accumulated admirers for one reason or another. They could be political leaders who receive votes, talented sports icons, activists who strive towards an admirable goal, or even your neighbor, who works hard everyday to support his family.
The gospels at the beginning of the New Testament give many examples of the leadership qualities another man possessed.
The New Testament book of Mark gives several examples of the qualities of Jesus Christ, who was in charge of every situation that involved him, even if it had not happened yet. For those disciples who had their eyes on Him, the immeasurable joy they felt while they watched their Teacher work his wonders was inevitably nothing short of awesome. But those who were not looking in the same direction as their Rabbi, instead focusing on their own frail hopes and desires, missed out.
In Mark 14, Jesus and His disciples were walking toward Jerusalem. They asked Him, “As everybody knows, Passover is coming up. Where would you like to eat it this year?”
Jesus said, “Go on ahead of us into the city. As you enter, follow a man carrying a jar of water on his head. Say to the owner of the house he enters, “The Teacher will be here in a few minutes and is wondering: ‘Where is the guest room I can enjoy the Passover meal with my disciples?” He will lead you upstairs, to a large furnished room. Make the rest of the preparations there.” So, off they went into the city, finding everything just as Jesus had said.
For the two disciples who received Jesus’ instructions and accepted the responsibility of preparing the Passover meal, Jesus’ words had simply amazed them. As the other disciples entered the room several hours later, they also must have been surprised that Jesus had known about this place, as they had not been there before. “How did He know it was furnished?” they may have wondered, “he couldn’t have looked through the windows, it’s on the second floor.” As eleven of the disciples were yet again enthralled about yet another amazing act that Jesus had performed, Judas’ mind was in a different place, desiring to follow a different spirit than Jesus’.
As the twelve disciples sat, eating, talking, and enjoying the bread and wine the servant girls had brought, Jesus dropped a bombshell, stating a much unfortunate fact. “One of you, yes you, who have loved me for three years, will betray me.”
At this, all of the disciples objected individually and collectively. Peter said, “How can you have the gall to say something like that. We’ve been faithful for the long hall. What makes you think we will stop now?” Others agreed, “No, not a chance. You were able to predict the place where we would eat this meal, but surely you can’t predict that one of us would do something like that, can you?”
Judas was not arguing; he was barely listening. He had just arrived back from a top secret meeting with some fairly important people who had offered him money if he would do just that, relinquish his allegiance to his Teacher. This would allow his archrivals, the dreaded show-people, to do what they wanted with Him. Though he had enjoyed the last three years with Jesus, seeing some pretty fantastic miracles, watching his teacher walk on water, and even receive some free meals, it was now time to get something he really wanted, cold, hard cash, and the show-people were willing to give it. His desire for money, in exchange for his cooperation was just too tempting to turn down. It did not matter how he got it, he just needed money.
When I am told that I will receive money for doing some particular act, I feel better about doing it. And Judas was undoubtedly encouraged that the show-people, the most important people in his day, were willing to pay him for any particular task. I am sure that Judas had dollar signs in his pupils as he thought about the possibilities. “These guys are the most influential people in the world. They are surely very rich, and if I hand my teacher over to them, which is a very simple thing to do, I’ll get rich too! It doesn’t matter that he has said it would be better for the person who betrays him, to have never been born (Matt 26:24, Mark 14:21, Luke 22:22). At least I’ll die with the most riches, and the man with the most wins! Now I know why I wanted to follow this guy three years ago. The wait is finally paying off!”
What does it mean to betray someone? And what will happen as a result?
The dictionary says that to betray somebody means to be unfaithful in guarding, maintaining, or fulfilling a responsibility to that person. As it was his job to make sure that the finances of Jesus ministry were spent wisely, Judas was well practiced in this first form of betrayal, often helping himself to the collective moneybag, and may well have been the disciples’ first guess as to who may just betray their Lord and Teacher.
Judas too may well have known that what the show-people had asked him to do was wrong. However, the fact that they would give him more money, satisfying his’ greatest weakness, was enough for him to do anything they asked, so he accepted their low-ball offer of 30 pieces of silver. Bible commentator David Guzik has written that thirty pieces of silver was the lowest the religious leaders paid for any single action. Receiving only thirty pieces of silver told Judas “we think of you as nothing more than a slave.” But because of this promise of extra finances, no matter how little it was, he was willing to tell his master’s greatest enemies, Jesus greatest secret. Whether Judas felt ripped off by the Show-people or not, this second act of betrayal, delivering or exposing a person to an enemy by treachery or disloyalty will forever be linked with his name. Therefore, a few hours later, Judas watched in horror as these once respected people did something so unrespectable, using him as a simple tool to get their hands on a much bigger fish. The Show-people were surely some of the cheapest men this world has known, and Judas knew this fact first hand. ‘They were, after all, only there to show-up, to show others up, and to show-off.’
Though he was a disciple of Jesus, Judas’ eyes were often focused on other things. But if you read further, his heart would slowly change, soon despising the money he was given, throwing it back into the laps of the Show-people who gave it to him in the first place, hoping to buy Jesus life back again. But the show-people would not allow it. They had finally caught the big fish they had been looking for. Judas could only watch in horror as his Teacher and Lord was sentenced to death. Judas’ inability to cope under his own self-inflicted pressure showed when he soon ended his life, knowing he was the one responsible for ending the life of his Master.
You surely know some people like Judas, who take their eyes off Jesus. Maybe they keep their eyes off of him entirely, to indulge in the things of this world. You may even know some ‘show-people’ too, who rip other people off, asking for a lot but giving little in exchange. But instead of talking the talk, as these people did, Jesus walked the walk, doing the things His Heavenly Father did. Who will you follow?
Choosing to follow and trust Jesus could, at first, be like voting for the underdog, cheering for the player everybody thinks has the least talent, or the activist with the weirdest ideas. But if we take the biggest risk, we shall receive the greatest gain. If Jesus gives correct details like where to prepare a single meal, or predicts that a dear disciple of his will betray him, how much more should we listen to Him as he tells us the intricate instructions of our lives? If he is right about these instructions, how can we presume that his words about our lives might be wrong?

Jesus S.E.A. – Are disabilities just another ‘evil spirit’?

2008-01-28T18:18:00.000-08:00

The dictionary defines ‘disability as ‘a lack of adequate power, strength, or physical or mental ability that prevents a person from living a ‘normal’ life or from holding a gainful job. Special Education Assistants (S.E.A.) have been working in our public and private schools for many years now so that those children with disabilities may find it easier to succeed in their studies. In 1995, Laurie Beth Jones published a book called “Jesus, CEO” a bold yet sensitive inspirational guide for leadership success. If I were to write a book called “Jesus, S.E.A.” what would it look like? How would Jesus help children overcome their disabilities? As Bible readers can attest to, Jesus healed everyone he touched, talk to or influenced in some way. If Jesus was an S.E.A., I would expect that though he might help children with reading, math, history or science, he may also heal them of their disabilities entirely.

I have heard it mentioned that a person may be able to perform his/her job so well that they may one day work themselves out of a job because of how effectively and efficiently they do their work. As an S.E.A., I work to lessen the load of children with disabilities, hopefully making it easier for them to succeed in their day to day educational endeavors. Recently I wondered, in addition to helping them complete their work, if we prayed for healing for these children, the Lord, who promises to “do more than we ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20) may take away their disabilities. However, I wonder, so that we may always have a job in special education, we work to ‘deal’ with disability rather than simply get rid of it as Jesus did.

Mark 9 tells the story of a father, who brings his ‘demon-possessed’ child to Jesus’ disciples, hoping that they could heal his son as their Teacher was temporarily absent. But all they could do was argue with the Pharisees about the legal, spiritual and social problems the father had to deal with. As Jesus came down the mountain, surely full of the Holy Spirit, as he had just experienced the most wonderful encouragement any son could ever receive from his father (Mark 9:2-13) he found his disciples arguing with the other teachers of the day. When the boy’s father saw Jesus, he was surely ecstatic, as the one person who could heal his son had finally arrived.

“What’s going on here?” Jesus calmly asked.

The anxious father began by quickly explaining his son’s situation. “His body has been taken over by Satan; he can’t talk or hear, and can become incredibly violent. He foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth and becomes as stiff as a board. I was hoping that your healing power would have rubbed off on your disciples, so I asked them to help him, but they couldn’t.” (verses 17-18).

Our secular society views praying as a hypothetical hope; one that shouldn’t be trusted unless it is our last option. When it finally is, we may or may not throw ourselves at the mercy of a God we may or may not know. Can we expect this God to answer our deepest cries when we, in previous years, may have practically severed our relationship with Him?

No matter if their relationships with Him had previously been severed or not, it didn’t matter to Jesus. All that mattered to Him was if they had faith right now. Throughout the gospels, the one thing that bothered Jesus most about his disciples, and the majority of the crowds he preached to, was discovering again and again that they had no faith. Here, Jesus encounters yet another crowd of people without faith.

Verse 19 continues: “Gee, you guys drive me crazy! Don’t you believe in anything? Your souls are like sivs! You can’t hold on to anything God gives you for two seconds! Bring him here. Knowing they had disappointed their teacher, they sheepishly pulled the boy to the feet of Jesus.” (v19-20).

For a few moments, Jesus just watched the boy, who fell to the ground repeatedly, writhing, foaming at the mouth, and shouting incoherent words. “How long has he been doing this?” Jesus calmly asked. (v20-21)

“For years!” the man all of a sudden was in a great hurry, “just do something quickly!” And under his breath added, “if you can.” Underlying words always caught Jesus attention. This was no exception.

“Hold it right there,” he said, “healing can wait, faith can’t. What do you mean, ‘if I can!’” (v21-23)

The man continued his frantic pace, “Oh hurry up, I believe, I believe, really I do! But gimme more faith!” (v24)

The crowd was quickly growing, so because of this and not the man’s anxiety or sudden profession of faith, Jesus quickly gave the vile spirit its marching orders: "Dumb and deaf spirit, I command you—Out of him, and stay out!" Screaming, and with much thrashing about, it left. The boy was pale as a corpse, so people started saying, "He's dead." But Jesus, taking his hand, helped him to his feet. (Several lines of verses in 25-27 have been taken from ‘The Message’ by Eugene Peterson)

Later, back in the house with his disciples, they asked Jesus, “Why couldn’t we cast out that evil spirit?” (v28)

“You can’t cast out anything by yourselves, only prayer to my Father can.” (v29)

This story left me with a few questions. Would the problems that demons inflicted mankind with in Jesus day be called ‘learning,’ or ‘physical,’ disabilities today?

Jesus has told us that those who have faith in Him will be able to do what He did, and even more (John 14:12). So, if we pray for the students in our classes, could the disabilities lesson or disappear entirely?

I often pray for myself, “Lord Jesus, please give me the strength and wisdom to work with the students you have placed in my care.” In a round about way, this may be like praying for my students because I know that I am a member of Jesus body, doing what he has called me to do. (Romans 12:4-8). But I rarely pray, “Jesus, please heal _____ of his _____.” Because we do not often pray like this, could this be one of the reasons why we feel we do not see the healing power of God in our day?

Each week at school brings new challenges along with some old and expected ones. S.E.A.’s quickly learn which children will be harder or easier to work with. But when a student reacts, what should we do about it? Should we brainstorm new strategies that may or may not work better? I have done this as it is a good idea. Or as Jesus suggests, should we pray that God would heal the child of the disability he currently has? I hope to continue this action until it becomes a habit and I trust that it will work even better. My work as an S.E.A. may encourage children to earn better grades, become better friends or someday hold a better job. But, if we pray that God would release our disabled children of their challenges, this would be much greater than any grade they receive, friend they make, or job they hold.

As Jesus was healing a man born blind, he said:

“We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. But while I am in the world, I am tne Light of the World.”

John 9:4-5

We’ve got to Pray, just to make it today!

2008-01-21T16:59:00.000-08:00

In Luke 11, Jesus teaches us how to pray and immediately follows it with a practical story of its importance. In it, a man is confronted at midnight by an acquaintance who knocks on his door and asks for several loaves of bread because a friend of his has just arrived and he has nothing to give him to eat. The man inside counters, “I am warm and comfortable with my wife and children in bed. The door is locked, and I need a good night sleep. So I can’t help you.” The man’s prayer to his friend for help has apparently been denied. But the impact that persistent prayer makes is so remarkable, that it can move the hearts and minds of the healthy about the sick, parents about their children, masters about their pets, and even of God regarding his creation.
In his book, ‘The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God’, Dallas Willard expresses an unfortunate yet common perspective that many share regarding prayer:
“Suppose your children believed that you didn’t do anything differently because they asked you. For example; you will give them money on Friday evening regardless of whether they ask you for it or not. But they also believe that you require them to go through the ritual of asking, and so they do it. . . . They do it even though they believe you will or will not give it to them regardless of what they do, and you know they believe this.”
Is prayer a matter of ritual, or does it involve exercising faith?
In Dr. Randolph Byrd's 1988 study on intercessory prayer, a percentage of 393 coronary patients, who were hospitalized due to heart attacks or equally traumatic experiences, were prayed for, while the remainder were not. The study concluded that whether the patients were receiving prayer from across the street or across the country, distance did not play a role in the effectiveness of the prayers given. And considerably fewer patients, who received prayer, died or needed to use the most potent drugs, not one requiring life support.
We have two cats at our house who regularly meow, demanding that I (or anyone else within earshot) would stop what they are currently doing and attend to their immediate and desperately important need. On most occasions, this involves lifting them up to where their bowl of food is kept, on top of our washing machine. Sometimes I complain, “can’t you jump? It’s not that high!” Or attempt to ignore them entirely. But my frustration with their persistent and distracting noise always results in giving them my attention for at least a second or two so they will stop meowing.
If you were a cat who needed just a little bit of help to get to its food supply or a patient in a hospital who needed healing of some kind, what route would you take to get it? Cats would probably continue to meow and hopefully America would continue to pray for those in need. In Luke 11, the man waiting outside his friend’s house was also persistent, continuously knocking, talking and waiting on his friend to get up and give him what he needed.
If however, the man outside decided to leave, his friend inside would not need to do anything about his situation. However, if the man inside finally did decide to get out of bed, but his friend outside had decided that this situation was a hopeless one and left, he would not be there to receive the things that he had asked for. If my cats had decided to stop meowing and instead lie in front of the fire, they would still be hungry and not be ready to receive another meal from me. And if America had stopped praying for their countrymen in need, they may just die.
How important are the things you are currently praying about? Are they worth waiting for? As the man waited, all the time explaining his situation, repeating his request, and not allowing his friend inside to sleep, his request was finally granted. Are you willing to wait long enough for God to answer? If you do, you may just be rewarded.

Ask and you'll get;
Seek and you'll find;
Knock and the door will open.
Don't bargain with God.
Be direct. Ask for what you need.
This is not a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we're in.
Don't you think the Father, who loves you, will fulfill your needs when you ask him?
Luke 11: 9-10, 13

I don’t need Satan to tempt me, I can do it all by myself

2007-12-31T13:54:00.000-08:00

Some people believe that God allows Satan to tempt them. If we are Christians, I believe God doesn’t allow Satan to tempt us, as He did in Job’s case, but protects us by the blood of his Son, Jesus Christ. But does Satan need to tempt us? As the bumper sticker says We seem to do a pretty good job of tempting ourselves. And for this reason, Christians are often no different than any other ‘Joe’ or ‘Joanna’ we may see on the street. But if we truly believe that Jesus is the Son of God and who God is, temptation shouldn’t be the problem we make it out to be.
1 Peter 5:8 says that Christians must “be self-controlled and alert [because] your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” This verse is a reason why Christians often do one of three things when they find themselves in trouble. They may cower in their fear, concluding that they are unable to do anything about the fact that Satan is stronger than they are, therefore they must accept defeat. They may attempt to take him on one-on-one, in their own strength, designing their own battle strategies because they believe that ‘Satan is not as big as the Bible says he is.’ They may conclude that, ‘no one else has had this problem before, so no one can help me with it.’ Or they may ignore the supernatural altogether and conclude: ‘I created this problem, so I must solve it myself.’
This last option is a good one when the problem is a spilt cup of coffee or a bulging waist line. Even when the problem involves people, other human beings can and should expect to play key roles in solving the problems they are Involved in creating. But everyone over the age of five can probably realize when a problem is too big for simply their own strength to fix. But millions of Christians believe ‘I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength’ (Philippians 4:13) so they say, ‘I can do it by myself, thank you very much.’
But has Christ given you, even a plural you, the strength all the time? Instead of relying on ourselves, our friends, or even our churches, I argue that when the problem is too big for human means (or even when it is not) we should rely first and foremost on our God.
Instead of Fighting, fleeing, or failing to notice that Satan is simply doing his job in our society, there are at least three proven strategies that work.
1. Believe that God is bigger than anything we may come up against.
Romans 8:31-35 says: So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn't gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God's chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture. (The Message)
2. Cheer up because you are not alone in your struggles.
1 Peter 5:9-11 says: Keep your guard up. You're not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It's the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won't last forever. It won't be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ—eternal and glorious plans they are!—will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, he does. (The Message)
3. “Pray continually.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
James 5:13-16 says: Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. (NIV)
As we enter a new year, having faith in our God, taking heart in our current situation and praying for ourselves and our friends are three New Year’s resolutions I intend and hope to keep. The following is my prayer for my new year. Though I didn’t write it, I will gladly join in. Feel free to join me, wherever you may be reading this at the moment, having faith that God is listening to your prayer.

Heavenly Father,
we come before you
today to ask your forgiveness
and seek your direction and guidance.
We know your word says “Woe to those
who call evil good” but that is exactly
what we have done. We have lost
our spiritual equilibrium and
reversed our values.
We confess.

We have ridiculed the absolute faith of your Word and called it ‘pluralism’.
We have worshipped other gods and called it ‘multiculturalism’.
We have endorsed perversion and called it ‘alternate lifestyle’.
We have exploited the poor and called it ‘lottery’.
We have honored laziness and called it ‘welfare’,
we have killed our unborn and called it ‘choice’,
we have shot abortionists and called it ‘justifiable’.
We have neglected to discipline our children and called it ‘building self-esteem’.
We have abused power and called it ‘politics’.
We have coveted our neighbor’s possessions and called it ‘ambition’.
We’ve polluted the air with profanity & pornography & called it ‘freedom of expression’
We’ve ridiculed the tine-honored values of our forefathers and called it ‘enlightenment’.

Search us Oh God and know our hearts today.
Cleanse us from every sin and set us free.
Guide and bless these men and women
who have been sent to direct us
to the centre of your will.
I ask it in the name
of your Son, the
living Savior,
Jesus Christ,
AMEN!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one
Matthew 6:12-13

Prayer taken from: “Recapture the Wonder: Experiencing God's Amazing Promise of Childlike Joy” by Ravi Zacharias

The Quiet Christ – Part 1

2007-12-22T23:32:00.000-08:00

Salvation was the last thing on my mind. Day in and day out, the first and only things I thought about were to “kill or be killed, to plunder or be robbed, and revolt or submit, the forbidden ‘s’ word. My life was one of constant movement, running from the Pharisees, Sadducees (I prefer to call them the harass-ees) and the like. I was always the life of my angry, ranting ‘parties;’ always demanding revenge against Harod, Caesar, whoever, it didn’t matter to me. Nothing mattered to me, I didn’t matter to me!
Before I ended up here, in the filth and mire of death row, I was always running, yelling or both. Whether it was for my life or my death, I was not sure. Rioting in the day, when I could be seen, and robbing at night, my life had become what I did for a living, a riot. Peace, what is peace? It did not exist for me and I had no desire to find out if it could. Life wasn’t great, but it was what I had made it. And at least I wasn’t a tax collector, a leper or a woman; and there are lots of those. So, as I see it, I guess I was somewhere in the middle of Caesar’s hierarchy.
I’ve been here on death row for a week because of my latest rantings. Though they have put me away for a night and a day many times before, whether a few weeks for robbery, a few days for raising a ruckus downtown or a few hours for rape, I’ve always found my way out. Many friends of mine have received slaps on the wrist like these before, but I am the first to sleep here.
For a few days, I was proud of myself. “Matthias or Judas had never been here. If I would live to tell the story, they would be proud of me,” I thought. But I didn’t care. Instead of eating bread and wine I had stolen, locusts and drips of dirty water were now my regular diet. Sleeping in my own disgusting mess, on this cold, compacted slab of dirt in this pitch black dungeon was the pit I had dug for myself. I guess I better just lie in it.
It seemed like I had spent an eternity here before anyone yelled at me from the other side of the wall, until I recognized Matt’s voice, a friend whom I had robbed with on many occasions. The last time I heard from him, he had told me of someone who might just be my room mate.
Matt - Hey Rabby, are you in there?
Rabby – Yeah, wasting away as normal. I am getting used to the taste of locusts. Hey, can you throw me anything?
Matt – Just some day old bread, I’ll try to get it through your window, it’s pretty tiny though. Hey have you heard about this guy, Jesus?
Rabby – Oh, that guy. Lots of people are talking about him. I hear he’s gonna die with me soon. He’s just another criminal like me, another worthless, useless bag of scum with no reason to live. When he gets in here, heaven knows what I’ll do to him.
Matt – But he’s not quite like that. Yeah, he may be your room mate soon, but thousands of people follow him every day. I heard that he has healed people of leprosy, allowed the lame to walk, given sight back to the blind, raised the dead and even healed people from a distance!
As Matt continued to yell from the other side of the wall, I became intrigued as never before. Though Matt had finally thrown some bread through the window, I wasn’t hungry. I was too interested to eat. This man had been charged by the Harassees with a similar crime as mine and they hoped to given my sentence for doing the exact opposite of what I had done. Instead of robbing and murdering, this man had created more of what the people needed, like bread and wine and that sort of stuff. And instead of rioting, this man had offered peace. My attitude began to change.
Rabby – He has some kind of ‘in’ with people in high places, huh? Could he get any bread or wine in here? Gee, if my cell mate can do that, I wonder if he can pick these chains apart too.
Matt – Well apparently, he’s done it all. He’s quite a magician. I’ve heard that he’s walked on water, turned water into wine and he’s even fed the thousands who follow him with a shepherd boy’s lunch.
Rabby – Well, that will definitely keep them coming back for more.
Matt – But that’s just it. He says that we don’t have to come back for more bread or water. He says he is the manna and the well spring of life.
Rabby – If he can provide all that food, that’s quite a currier service he’s running.
Matt – And the clincher is the best part. All we need to do to get all this is believe.
Rabby – Believe what?
Matt – Believe that he is who he says he is.
Rabby – Well, who is he?
Matt – He says he’s the son of his father.
Rabby – Well, that makes sense, so am I.
Matt – But that’s why the Harassees want to kill him. He says his father is . . . Yahweh!
Rabby – Well, if he ever comes in here, I’ll ask him about it.
As Matt left and I slowly gnawed my way through the tough bread he had thrown through the window, I began to wonder. “Manna and wine of life . . . Healer, even from a distance. . . Son of Yahweh. . . Well, my life looks like it will end soon. He can’t give me what I really need because he’s out there and I’m in here. And even if he could give me life for a few days, it wouldn’t matter, because we will both be dead soon. But how can he give life anyway? He’s just like me, ‘the son of his father.’ He’s a nobody.

The Quiet Christ - Part 2

2007-12-22T23:30:00.000-08:00

I will never forget the next night. As I heard another few hammer-whacks pounding nails into flesh and wood, and the agonizing cries that immediately followed, I began to see life, or rather death, from their point of view. It was just a matter of time when that would be me, and time was ticking. When I was free, I remember seeing their crosses on the roadside. It scares me half to death when I hear them groan.
It was now late Friday evening (at least I think it was Friday) and Jerusalem would soon celebrate the Passover. It would be my first Passover in prison. On most
evenings, people were in their homes getting ready for the coming meal, but tonight I could hear the faint murmur of a distant, angry mob shouting my name. My ears perked up. After a short hush, I heard the mob shout even louder, “Crucify Him, Crucify Him!” I guess tonight is my night to join those other criminals on the crosses outside, and my hope of having a new room mate, has run out.
But wait . . . the doors were opening . . . ‘who’s the new criminal?’ . . . But there was none. Just a couple of guards walking purposefully in my direction!
Guard – “Barabbas?”
Rabby – “Yeah, it’s my time isn’t it.”
Guard – “The crowds want you, so out with you.”
As they led me through the streets to the waiting crowd, protesting outside Pilate’s house, my knees shook and buckled as I expected the worst. But nothing came. This gruff form of mercy was something I had never felt before. Maybe I’ll get to see the city one last time before hanging from a cross.
But as I drew closer, I heard the crowd chanting joyfully, “Barabbas is free, and Jesus will die! Barabbas is free, and Jesus will die! Barabbas is free, and Jesus will die!”
Is this Jesus the same person Matt was talking about? The man who can heal from a distance?
As I looked up, I saw the man I thought was Jesus. Wearing a crown of thorns on his head, he had marks from his most recent scourging showing through the purple garment he was wearing, down to his bare feet. He was being led away by several guards who took turns mocking him, hitting him with their staffs on his thorny crown, chanting “hail, king of the Jews!” And this ‘king of the Jews’ would die instead of me? This didn’t make sense. Night time is usually the best time to rob people, but I would set my job aside for one night to watch this fascinating plot unfold.
Pilate decided that the crucifixion would take place on scull hill, a place where I had been many times to say my last good byes to some of my closest friends. And if I had time, I would have asked Judas and Matt to come along with me. But who knows, maybe they were in the crowd.
It took a good hour to make it to the top as Jesus, whom they referred to as ‘the Christ turned criminal’, who was carrying his cross, was in no rush to be nailed to it. I was somewhere in the middle; hearing jeers from Harassees and other men, weeping from women pleading for his release and hungry, tired children, who didn’t want to be there at all.
Though there was hardly any room for a passing lane, a man running towards us attempted to do just that. Late for dinner I suspect. But the Harassees denied him safe passage and demanded that he carry Jesus’ cross back up Skull hill, as he had collapsed under its weight and didn’t have the energy to rise without help. If there was anyone who deserved to carry a cross, this cross, it was me. I could feel a tear running down my cheek because I could not give him the help he needed. He was taking my place, after all.
I was shell-shocked at the recent events. Two hours ago, I was expecting to die at any time. Instead, I am here, watching a complete stranger take my place and die instead. I began to connect the stories Matt had told me the other day and those of crying women behind me. They seemed to make sense somehow. “If this man had done all these good things, why is this happening to him? If I had done all of these bad things, why is this happening to me?”

The Quiet Christ – Part 3

2007-12-22T23:27:00.000-08:00

After he was nailed up, I sat down behind the Harassees with my two friends who were in the crowd after all. Those who had crucified him started to throw dice for the clothes of the three criminals on the three crosses. Jesus, the quiet one, was in the middle and most of the relentless attention, scoffing and mocking was directed at him. But he said nothing! If they hadn’t yet done enough to scorn this man, someone wrote a sign that labeled his crime: “King of the Jews”. Gee, that sounds familiar. I didn’t know Harod’s title was a crime? The Harassees said that we should just leave him alone, so Judas, Matt and I sat behind them, hoping to receive some of the warmth from the fire they had made.
If you haven’t seen a crucifixion, they are long, ugly and tiring. Like a prison sentence where the goal is simply to ‘do the time,’ the responsibility of a crucified man is both to ‘do the time’ and ‘bear the pain.’ I hate the idea of doing both.
In addition, though it was mid afternoon, this crucifixion took place in the dark. Soon after the Harassees lit their fire, the heavenly lights went out and the only source of light and warmth was those quickly quenching flames. Needless to say, with no light, nothing to do, and little to talk about, we all fell asleep.
Some time later, we awoke. The fire had long gone out, the game of dice had ended because of the darkness, and those Harassees had gone. Others had come to take their place, but only a few people still remained.
As we leaned against each other, talking, rubbing our hands together to keep warm, nodding in and out of sleep, none of us were thinking about work. We were all thinking about how an innocent man could receive a sentence he did not deserve. Judas, Matt or myself would have been ideal candidates, but this man? I know I am supposed to be a cold blooded, hardened criminal, but in spite of the cold around me, I began to sense warmth that I had never felt before, and somehow it seemed to come from this quiet one.
He remained that way for hours, refusing to answer the ridicules he received from all sides. But if someone mentioned something important, he did his best to answer their comments. For instance, at about two o’clock, one of the criminals asked:
Right criminal – “What are you doing here? I’m here for a good reason. I stole, killed, molested. But you? You just gave. Please remember me when you enter your kingdom. I’ll always remember you.”
Than I heard him speak for the first time.
Jesus – “Don’t worry. You’ll do more than remember me. You’ll be with me.”
How can he be so comforting when he is so uncomfortable? Does he know something that no one else knows? I guess he really must have friends in high places. And what was that about a ‘kingdom’? Really? You mean this title ‘King of the Jews” is more than just a cruel joke?
Though we continued to sit with our backs to each other, me watching the cross, and my friends watching the many passers by along the road, my friends began to be more and more interested whenever the quiet one spoke. The criminals, however, were constantly talking, making verbal jabs at each other, the passers by, and especially at him.
Right criminal - “Who do you think you are? If you are the Son of God, do something Godly. Dying on a cross certainly isn’t Godly!”
Left criminal - “So, you are the King of the Jews, are you. Well, I’m a Jew, and you are definitely not my king.”
Even the Harassees acted like children, making faces ridiculing this helpless man and chanting: “Nah, Nah Nah Boo Boo, you can’t catch me!”
But the quiet one was the man of the hour. He just took it. And some how he let their comments slide like water off a duck’s back. His mind was truly in another place, and nothing could be said or done to bring it back.
As time passed, the criminals became more and more anxious and, if you can believe it, he became more and more ‘comfortable’. The clincher for me was hearing him say
Jesus – “God, forgive them, they just don’t get it.”
Though I haven’t experienced it, I can imagine that time passes even more slowly when you are the one under pressure, or in this case, under pain. The next time he spoke, it was almost three, and he was obviously reaching the end of his endurance.
Jesus – “God! God!” he shouted, “Where are you? Why have you left me?”
And minutes later, he gave one last gasp, and said:
Jesus – “God, please take my spirit. It’s done!”
And with that, bowing his head, he died.
Immediately after his words, an earth quake that no one in Jerusalem has ever felt before or since shook the ground violently. The criminals on the crosses convulsed, while claps of thunder sounded and forks of lightening could be seen from one horizon to the other. I immediately leaned forward, bringing my knees to my chest burying my nails into my legs, closed my eyes as tight as I could, and shouted a prayer of some sort. I have no idea what I said. We were all crying out of fear.
Once the earth quake and the freak storm subsided, I heard someone close by say, “He surely must have been the son of God!”
Though you may have thought the earth quake was enough to kill them, the other criminals stayed alive until the guards broke their legs, bringing death to a quick completion. And until then, they had no one to poke fun at anymore.
Finally, the sky began to lighten. It was now just past three in the afternoon and I could make out the faces of my companions. Judas’ mouth gaped open as he stared at the dead man, still hanging from the middle cross.
Judas – “Wow, What a death! I’m glad we got to watch that one!”
Matt shrugged and began to walk away, “there will be more of those. I just hope it’s not my crucifixion people watch. If this man was Yahweh’s son, he surely could have done something to prevent it.”
Me? I was just perplexed. Speechless and in awe of this man who had more guts than I ever could. As hard as I tried, I couldn’t stop myself from weeping, because of grief, thankfulness and exhaustion. I hadn’t cried in many years and though, on previous occasions, I would have worked hard not to be emotional in front of my friends, I had no concern about what they may think of me at this particular moment. It was just me and this man. He was my only thought. What could I possibly do to thank him? Even though I didn’t know him, how could I honor his memory?
These were some of the questions I asked myself over the next few days, months, and years. These were the questions I had about this man, “The quiet Christ”

Truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.
And in his name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
With all our hearts we praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we,
His power and glory ever more proclaim!
His power and glory ever more proclaim!

Placide Cappeau de Roquemaure (1847)

The Core of the Matter

2007-12-08T19:01:00.000-08:00

Several years ago while I studied at Trinity Western University (TWU) in Langley, I spent the month of May in Fort Babine, British Columbia. Babine, a small, isolated First Nations reserve two hours outside of Smithers, is a community that rarely sleeps soundly. In the late afternoon, young men may be playing hockey in the gym while women watch; elders may be making moccasins to sell, or catching, drying or packing fresh moose-meat for the coming winter. As the night draws on, William may order a Pay-Per-View match of World Wrestling Entertainment, others might play video games, or watch movies. But while the clock ticks closer to midnight, bottles of alcohol inevitably begin to open, and instead of thinking about bed, the “party begins.”
Quinton (13) and Tashawnda (11) are two native children who were adopted by a single native, Christian woman named Violet. They slowly learn the virtues of the Christian life through the work of their mom, missionaries from Streetcorners Ministries in Smithers and a few students from TWU. For several years, I was one of those students who hoped to encourage them in their young faith.
When school ends at 3:00, Quinton and Tashawnda join their class mates in the slow but short walk back to their homes down the road. I have assisted Mr. and Mrs. Forbes, who have inevitably given homework that they inevitably dread. As I join them in their walk back home, I encourage them to complete it quickly so they may be able to watch the new DVD Violet just bought them, go fishing off the Babine Bridge or join their older friends in the gym later on for a game of hockey. But as I say this I equally understand that the chances of this happening are slim.
In the evening, the struggles continue. Tucking them in to bed, reading them Bible stories, eating an apple, and saying Good night at 11:00pm rather than 1:00am seems to be a good idea for kids who have been brought up well by well meaning parents. But when you have been raised in a place where kids fall asleep at one or two in the morning in front of the TV, reading of any kind may not occur at all outside of school, and a bag of chips is more readily available than a healthier piece of fruit. Needless to say, it takes a lot of work, if it is attempted, because even this tiny piece of wisdom, ‘go to bed early’ is rarely, seen as fun or a good idea. Therefore, wisdom like this is rarely enforced. Instead, it is most likely heard as a command that was made to be broken, given by an exasperated mother who would do anything just to get some peace.
So when the kids run home for lunch, I mention to Violet that I would like to tuck her kids into bed that night, read them a story, give them an apple (like my Dad did for me) and make it fun for them. Tashawnda has a friend over that night, and Quinton has decided to join his friends at the school, so at around 10:00, which soon becomes 10:30 Tashawnda and Kiesha are finally ready.
As I hoped and expected, they saw this as an exciting idea and ten minutes later, I gave them apples to eat while I read them “The Giving Tree” by Shel Silverstien, a book that takes only minutes to read, but a lifetime to practice. As I finish, I realize that the girls, who have pointed at the pictures and ask questions throughout, have eaten the apples down to the core and if they found them appetizing would probably eat the seeds as well. It was obvious to me that they had enjoyed a different way of spending an evening at home.
In Philippians 4:7-8, Paul gives pieces of wisdom that are more important than going to bed early, brushing your teeth, reading a bed time story or eating an apple. Here, he says we should think about things that are “true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy.”
When we see others do things that are different, we can not help but become curious. As we examine their actions, we often wonder what it would be like to practice what they preach. I’m sure that in the afternoon Tashawnda and Kiesha were curious about what might happen instead of watching yet another movie late into the night. And after the light was switched off and “Good Night(s)” were exchanged, I couldn’t help wondering if my tiny act may affect these two girls in a small but substantial way. An early bedtime, an apple, a story and hearing the words “good night”, may not be what Paul is encouraging us to do in Philippians 4, but I think it’s a good start.

Then he put a little child among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, “Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf[a] welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not only me but also my Father who sent me.”

Mark 9:36-37

Until we Stop Remembering

2007-11-24T23:13:00.000-08:00

How good are you at remembering? Our culture runs well when appointments, obligations and responsibilities are remembered, but collapses, one piece at a time, when these utterly important errands are forgotten. Every year Canadians have a holiday weekend in November called “Remembrance Day”, an annual chance to remember those men and women who died, are dying or will die for our freedom. In four months, we will remember another death with another national holiday. Whether you consider Good Friday more or less important than November 11th, humankind has considered this death, that of Jesus Christ, one of the most important in history. Though this comparison can break down easily, and may be seen as sacrilegious, I would argue that the sacrifices our soldiers make for us can be viewed in a similar light as the death of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
Last December, I enjoyed a beer while talking with a dear friend of mine who may be asked, someday, to fight for his country in Afghanistan as the captain of a CH-146 Griffon helicopter. As we talked, he told me about the things he loves about flying, the other captains, commanders or Lieutenants he works with, and the changes he has seen since moving to Edmonton three years ago. Currently, Steve continues taking steps foreword in his training, being involved in search and rescue missions, flying in and through canyons in the Rockies and strapping himself in for simulated missions at the CFB Namao air base, just outside of Edmonton.
In the BBC documentary “Why We Fight?” (© 2005 Charlotte Street Films, Ltd.) Eugene Jarecki gives many reasons why soldiers may choose to fight for their country. Soldiers are famous for listing “freedom” as one of their reasons for fighting. They may have done it because their parents and grandparents had fought and it was expected that they would fight as well. In more recent years, “revenge” has become the reason why we fight. And of course, servicemen and women are paid well. My friend Steve has a heart of gold, a mind that would allow him to thrive at anything he wanted and a deep and sincere Christian faith. I also know that Steve loves adventure but, when I first heard about the adventure he had chosen, I was confused. “Can’t he find a different, safer adventure?” But when I asked him “Why he wanted to fly in the face of possible danger?” he simply said, “I want to. I don’t want to be a transporter (flying for an airline) I want to FLY.”
How many soldiers who decided to fight in Afghanistan knew they would die for our freedom and therefore for us? Though he did not fight in Iraq, Afghanistan, the west bank or in any of the other 30 wars currently being fought on this planet, Jesus did. And because of this, He was one of the best freedom fighters the world has ever known. Whether it was through His righteous anger as he cleared the temple (Matthew 21:12-17), his defiance against the ‘teachers’ of his day (numerous sightings), or the way he defended His fellow outcasts, Jesus fought for what was right (Luke 4:18-19). Before He was born, His death was predetermined by His Father, and He was determined to make every day of it count for the Glory of His God. Because of these actions, he inspired Paul to write:
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12)
These words were written almost 2,000 years ago and I know that Steve believes them. But the fact that we do not need to fight with our hands to make a difference still remains a hard lesson for the world to learn. Whether our wars are large or small, we often conclude that “just one more war is necessary to teach ____ that my way is right.” Humanity does not remember the importance of each individual life well enough to stop killing it. If we did, we would stop the blood bath and then, we may be able to stop remembering. Until then, we will always need this annual day.
We often remember little, unimportant facts: sports stats, gas prices and math statistics. Steve remembers these things. But he also remembers other, more important numbers like, birthdays, e-mail addresses and favorite Bible passages. He is an example of a person who remembers the finer things in life: coming home for Christmas, watching a good hockey game, and walking and riding miles with his brother, sister and friends.
Several years ago, I bought a Christmas card that shows a Christmas tree on the front. As I opened its many folds, I found that the tree’s branches slowly disappear to reveal a cross. As we enter into the Christmas season, the fact that Jesus, “the freedom fighter”, was born to die is one more thing worth remembering. Steve remembers this!

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Mark my words!”
Galatians 5:1-2

Blessed are the Piece-makers

2007-11-03T11:16:00.000-07:00

“Hi, I’m David and I’m an anxiety addict.” Every day I wonder if I can match up to others’ expectations of me. Do I perform my job correctly? Do I spend my free time effectively? This is what the little voice inside of me asks regularly. Or in bed at night, I think and wrestle over positive or negative ways that I can change myself, others or anything else I may be able to effect. These questions make me and keep me anxious. And I can’t seem to get away from them.

Several years ago, a speaker at my favorite summer camp spent the week talking about the beatitudes that Jesus lists in Matthew 5. At about that time, I had a shirt that stated one of them on the back: “Blessed are the Peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9). The speaker’s hope was that the campers would form their lives around what he referred to as the “Be-Attitudes.” As I grew, I continued to work at building my life around these truths. Now that I am older and wiser, I realize that I probably have, though because of my anxiety issue, I still find that true peace is a fleeting desire. I have also learned that there may be more Be-Attitudes than I originally thought.

My parents have been marriage and family councilors for years. My Dad has been a pastor since before I was born, and I have heard many testimonies of how they have brought about and encouraged healing in the lives of their clients. (See their website www.theducklows.ca for more.) Because of people like them, I don’t believe the beatitudes of the New Testament are exhaustive, because I would not be surprised to hear Christ say something like this:

“Blessed are the Piece-makers for they shall be whole.”

People who look at my parents, and others like them, wonder in awe at how they can maintain a marriage, raise a family or disciple a community as they do. My answer: “Because they do their best to be piece-makers, they are blessed.”

Just like the other beatitudes, piece-makers are not only professional councilors, psychologists or pastors and others who seem to have their lives together. Piece-makers could also be stay at home parents, truck drivers, or hopefully S.E.A’s like me. They are nobody special. They are just people who enjoy a good relational puzzle every once in a while. They enjoy the challenge of getting others on track, slowly fitting one piece together with its unique partner designed by God to make that person whole.

Last week, over breakfast, my boss placed a basket on the table and encouraged all the others present to take a sheet of paper and pray for the name on the paper. I grabbed one quickly and placed it in my pocket. A few days later, I approached the person whose name I had picked and asked, “So, how can I be praying for you?” I could have also said, “How can I pray so that the pieces of your life may fit, become bigger and you may become whole?” We are supposed to be praying for these people for one week, but I hope to remember this colleague’s name in prayer until the pieces of her life fit together.

Who is your piece-maker? And to whom are you being a piece-maker? Over the past few years, I have felt somewhat incomplete. I have been a Christian for over eighteen years so faith has become a fairly large piece in my life and probably isn’t my problem. I have graduated from university and college, so I feel like I have achieved in the academic realm. I am part of a church family that loves me to pieces (no pun intended), and is willing to find and put the pieces that are missing, together. However, as I mentioned at the beginning, anxiety has always been a close but unwanted companion. If you drew my name out of the basket, feel free to pray against this unwanted companion in my life.

Each of us, no matter what our age, faith or occupation is, can play a role in putting someone else’s pieces back together and they can do the same for you. In that way, we may feel blessed.

Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit.
Blessed is the lamb whose blood flows.
Blessed are the sat upon, spat upon, ratted on,
O lord, why have you forsaken me?
I got no place to go,
I’ve walked around soho for the last night or so.
Ah, but it doesn’t matter, no.

Blessed - Simon & Garfunkel

IF NOT ... / THEN WHAT?

2007-10-30T17:10:00.000-07:00

Society today tells you that there are many reasons why it cannot love you just the way you are. It tells you that if you don’t look more beautiful, if you don’t wear the popular clothes, if you are not more cool, then people will not accept you. This is what it takes to be accepted by the standards of our society.

As I studied English in high school, I learned about something called an if / then clause. It is a rule that if you use the word ‘if’ in a sentence, you must also use the word ‘then’ soon after it. It is there to indicate a cause/ effect relationship.

In Herbie’s story, we read of a couple ‘if/then’ clauses in his life. If you believed that you had sinned too much for God to ever be able to forgive you, then you would feel hopeless about life. This is how Herbie felt. If you had “led a rough life” and had become separated from your family and friends, then you would become lonely. Just as Herbie was.

Often, society is cruel in its consequences for our actions. Perhaps you too have been through circumstances that have dealt you nothing but hopelessness, loneliness, and pain.

However, God offers us a chance to experience his blessing and loving kindness if we will only come to Him. In 1st John 1:7-9, the author tells us about three if / then clauses that lead to life! He says:

1. If we claim to be without sin, [then] we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

2. If we confess our sins [then] He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

3. If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, [then] the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

What peace and joy came into Herbie’s life when he submitted to God’s truth and came to Jesus for cleansing and a new life? This hope is available to all, if they only come to God through the way he has opened, his Son Jesus Christ. Please consider this final if / then clause in Scripture. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son. [If we] believe in Him, [then] we shall not die, but have ever lasting life.” (John 3:16 my paraphrase) If you truly catch the meaning of this, you will find eternal life...Just as Herbie did!

To learn more about Herbie, read his testimony at: http://www.thestreetcorner.org/

Short Term Vision

2007-10-30T17:04:00.000-07:00

After John Esau signed in at the hospital, the doctors told him “the stab wound was not [his] greatest problem.” They had seen a bigger problem than he had seen. That must have been difficult for him to understand. “What do you mean a greater problem? I just got stabbed and am in excruciating pain, there can’t be a greater problem than that!” But the doctors had long term vision and saw his greater need.

Some of us suffer from a problem called ‘short term memory’ and because I am one of those people, I understand how frustrating it can be. I forget people’s names, conversations I have had, or responsibilities I may have just been given. Another, greater, problem that we all experience could be called “short term vision.” Something might happen to us because we can only see the short term consequences of actions we may take.

For example, if you’ve just lost your job, short term vision would probably result in anxiety, discouragement and very few answers to a growing list of frantic questions. You may injure your writing hand and wonder “how you will ever be able to complete this assignment on time. Or your computer may crash for no known reason, and the immediate problems you will face may be endless! Problems like these seem so big when we have short term vision and it is the only thing we can see. What will you do?

You can do several things in response to these problems. You can exhaust yourself thinking about how you could find another job or alternate income. You could try to teach your other hand to continue writing the assignment. Or you could pay as much as is required so the computer is fixed correctly. These ideas may or may not work.

But Jesus offers a fourth solution that has a 100% guarantee for those who have chosen to try it. In the Bible, He beckons us to:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Matt. 11:28

Jesus does not promise to be the man to fix all of our worldly problems, especially in the same way we want them to be fixed. But he will give us rest, the one thing we all seek but rarely find, if we simply ask Him for it.

To his horror, John Esau discovered there was a greater problem than his stab wound that needed to be fixed first. If you will let Him, Jesus wants to show you the greater wounds in your life that only He can heal, and are more important than the problems you can see like a lost job, a broken bone or a computer that shuts down. Jesus wants to give you long term vision, something that only he can give because only He has it.

Prayer for Long Term Vision

Lord Jesus, teach me to see what only you can see,

The eternal things that are currently invisible to me,

Give me long term vision so I( may trust you to make me free,

And take away my anxious thoughts and replace them with faith in thee!

To learn more about John Esau, read his testimony at: http://www.thestreetcorner.org/

I learn again

2007-10-26T22:20:00.000-07:00

Sometimes when I am living inside my shell,
I believe I don’t need You more than anybody else,
But when I moved my eyes from You to me, I fell,
So, I learn again . . . I need You more than words can ever tell.

Sometimes I want the things I should not have,
Help me to love You more than the cookies on the shelf,
Lest I stuff myself with junk, accumulating desires and wealth,
I learn again . . . I need You more than I need myself.

To work for friends, grades, and a living is fine,
But what do we really gain in the daily grind?
Lord Jesus, help me to seek You most with my time,
Because, I’ve learned again . . . what I really need is Divine.

The Silver Rule

2007-10-07T17:17:00.000-07:00

Whether you call yourself a Christian or not, you have surely heard the words of Jesus at least once. Matthew 7:12; “in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you”, is one of the most quoted verses for children. And, whether in a memorable context or one we would rather forget, we remember it as adults. Teachers quote it, encouraging kids to treat each other fairly, husbands and wives bring it to mind, reminding each other to love the way they desire to be loved, or business partners treat each other well, so that the favor might be returned. We refer to this verse as “the Golden rule” and we have worked hard to keep it.

This past week, I was on my way to a teacher’s conference in Kelowna with colleagues of mine. Just before we were to reach the toll booth on the Coquihalla, the engine gave up, and we coasted to a stop on the side of the cold, dark, road. Stranded, realizing we would not make it to the conference, our driver began to do everything in her power to make things right, waving for cars to pull over and offer assistance, making cell phone calls for a tow truck and apologizing repeatedly that our destination would not be reached. Our only destination was back to Vancouver in the cab of the truck.

As I sat in the warm truck, a question began to form in my mind. As teachers, don’t we give kids grace when they make a mistake? When we do the same, whether we have control over the situation or not, shouldn’t we give ourselves the same grace? At my school, we work hard to teach the next generation to obey the golden rule. But we forget the silver lining in it. If we personalize it for ourselves, it asks us to “Do to yourself as you would do to others.” What would this look like?

Two verses in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians focus directly on our responsibilities towards each other and ourselves. My paraphrase of Ephesians 4:31-32 goes a little bit like this.

“Forgive your friends, enemies and yourself because in Christ, God has already forgiven you. All bitterness, rage, anger, brawling, slander, and all forms of malice are history. Therefore, be kind and compassionate to one another.” Isn’t it better this way?

The effect of being forgiven is amazing. Like removing a huge weight from around our shoulders, the feeling of forgiveness is certainly underrated. We all agree that we should do it more often, but forgiving ourselves is and always will be difficult in a society that demands perfection of its members. What makes it worse is that we demand perfection of ourselves. Therefore, Bible teacher Chuck Swindoll's (see Insight for Living) hypothesis that, “we are the last to forgive ourselves” makes sense.

But if we remember the silver rule we may find forgiving our friends, enemies and especially ourselves much easier.

"If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

1^st John 1:7-9

It’s good . . . to be Lonely

2007-09-29T13:31:00.000-07:00

I have a nasty habit. My habit is that I find too many things to be sorry for. In response to my apologies, friends and acquaintances may say, “it’s no big deal,” my Australian friends may reply: “no worries” and Timon and Pumbaa from the Lion King sing, “Hakuna Matata!” The idea of being sorry, worried or frustrated is ingrained in our North American culture. So when I listened to a song several years ago that said it’s good to have these feelings, I listened hard and often, and its reminder, has become one of my favorites. The song addresses three feelings which we would rather discard rather than face, but to each of these feelings, Wayne Watson says, “it’s good. . . .”
Psalm 23:1 says “GOD, my shepherd! I don't need a thing.” What, we don’t need anything? If we look around, it will not take long for us to desire something and we may find ourselves saying, “I need this,” “I want that.” Last night, I watched “Stranger than Fiction”, a movie about Harold Crick, an IRS agent, who falls in love with a client of his. In an awkward attempt to get closer to his newly found love, Crick bluntly states, “I want you.”
Loneliness is not usually something that we want. Instead, we would go to great lengths to avoid it. Being a shepherd, David, the author of Psalm 23, spent a lot of time alone and knew what it meant to be lonely. But rather than see it as a time of being separate from everyone, David viewed loneliness as a time to be alone, together with his God. Like David, Watson sees loneliness differently. In his first verse, he writes:

It's good to be lonely every now and again
To be parted from the ones you adore
To sit at a table for two all alone
And take a look at the world around you
At people with no one to go home to
Some with a place to belong
Others consumed by their weakness
And another when weak seems so strong

It may be impossible or at least very hard for us to find any reason why it would ever be good to be lonely. But if we spend time in this frame of mind, we may learn that there are indeed good things that can be found in loneliness. David found some of those good things in his Psalm:

You have bedded me down in lush meadows,
you find me quiet pools to drink from.
True to your word,
you let me catch my breath
and send me in the right direction.
Even when the way goes through
Death Valley, I'm not afraid
when you walk at my side.
Your trusty shepherd's crook
makes me feel secure.
You serve me a six-course dinner
right in front of my enemies.
You revive my drooping head;
my cup brims with blessing.
Psalm 23:2-5 (The Message)

David doesn’t sound so lonely anymore, does he?

It’s good . . . to go down to Defeat

2007-09-29T12:44:00.000-07:00

Genesis 37-50 tells the beautiful story of Joseph. His name means, “the Lord shall add,” and the Lord added to him many things. The casual reader may remember that God gave him power, making him second in command in all of Egypt. Or you may remember that he was his father’s favorite son, who gave him a coat of many colors. But did you know what God gave him? God gave Joseph a resilient spirit that accepted defeat, and an ability to overcome it that few people have ever experienced.

Again, you may be able to remember when Joseph was defeated. The story of Joseph being robbed, stripped and sold into slavery by his brothers is well known. But his greatest sense of defeat was when he was accused of rape by Potiphar's Wife, and spent two years as a criminal in the king’s prison for a crime he never committed.

Heaven and earth view defeat differently. The world views defeat as the way to prove that you are a looser, and Joseph may have felt like one on many occasions. But Heaven says the only way to win is to be defeated first and Joseph is an ideal example of this.

You have probably experienced defeat in your own life. Whether on the job, at home, or among friends, feeling defeated has been experienced by many. Wayne Watson continues his song with council for the defeated.

It's good to go down to defeat now and then
To fail at some noble pursuit
To fall short of the prize
And find in His eyes
There's nothing your victory can do
To secure higher favor
He cannot love you more than now
Winners and losers
All are the same somehow

The last line of this verse proclaims one of the most unheard truths in our society. Whether differences become evident at work, school, in your family or your social circle, we know we are “all the same somehow” and we cherish this. Yet as long as we view our differences positively, it makes us feel successful and we cherish them even more. “I was the only one to receive this raise because I was able to do something none of the others could.” “I’m the only person here to have this disability, so I ride for free,” or the old kids rhyme that I heard many times this week, “I’m the king of the castle and you’re the dirty rascal!” As much as we may claim that we are the same our differences stick out like soar thumbs, and as long as we are on top, we love them because that makes us unique. But, if we are not on top, our overwhelming feeling may be one of deep sorrow instead. It is to this topic that Watson turns next.

It’s good . . . to Know Sorrow

2007-09-29T12:39:00.000-07:00

As years pass, it seems that more and more tragic events fill the front sections of our newspapers and magazines. Pastor Martin Neimoller was an outspoken advocate during one of the most horrific times of sorrow in recent years. But instead of reacting, he accepted the burden of collective guilt and suffering caused by Nazi Germany before and during WW II. On August 28, 1989, TIME Magazine published these words of his:

“First they came for the Communists,
and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn’t a Communist.
Then they came for the Social Democrats,
and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn’t a Social Democrat.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists,
and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn’t a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak up, because I wasn't a Jew,
Then they came for me,
and by that time there was no one left to speak up for me.”

The questions we raise about the sorrows we can or cannot control paint a sharp contrast in our society. Why did hatred high-jack the minds of Nazi leaders to do what they did? Why have controllable acts like these been repeated since then? But then sorrows we cannot control also occur with greater regularity than we would prefer.

In a couple of days, my family will hold a memorial service for my grandfather. Though I knew that his death was imminent, swallowing the reality that I will not be able to enjoy another walk with him on the sea-wall, play a game of snooker with him or join him again for lunch is a memory I will miss.

However, Watson continues with words I needed to hear:

And it's good to know sorrow
To be closely acquainted with grief
To be showered with tears
No reason to cheer
To find in Christ your only relief

Will these feelings of loneliness, defeat or sorrow ever dissipate? I’ve had enough! God, stop! Bring me out of this dungeon! Comments and questions like these are what filled the mind of David and other psalmists as they wrote down their complaints and praises. And even though it is repeated to music, the chorus of Wayne Watson’s psalm is no different than the words of David.

Lord, let me be at peace wherever I am
Satisfied with all I have--A faithful friend
And know I am grateful
Cause if it makes me love you even more
I know--I'm sure
It's good to be lonely every now and again

What can we do after we are lonely, go down to defeat and know sorrow? Can we fight it and win, or flee it and find refuge? Not very well. Watson recommends peace, “Satisfied with all I have--A faithful friend.” At this point, and only here, can we be built up again realizing that all these feelings are good to experience every now and again.

God has said,
"Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you."

So we say with confidence,
"The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?"

Hebrews 13:5-6

Missing God

2007-09-06T20:06:00.000-07:00

Last week, after lunch, I turned on a baseball game. I enjoy watching sport and could say that when there is nothing else to do; watching sport is my favorite ‘pass-time.’

During the fourth inning, my mind began to wander. ‘I spent an hour with God this morning,’ I thought, ‘time that I planned in advance to spend with Him. But I have spent many more unscheduled hours away from Him doing other things, watching TV, surfing the internet, or being anxious about certain situations; things that may or may not make my life more worth while.’ This raised some questions in my mind. How much does God miss us when we spend time away from Him? How much do I miss God? How much should I miss spending time with Him?

We miss the people who are not with us। These may be people who are away for a short or long period of time. They may or may not be doing things we desire them to do, but we desire them to be with us anyway. Or they may be people whose situation we can do nothing about. This sometimes makes the grieving process even harder. But how do we feel about the presence, or lack there of, of God? Do we desire it as much as the presence of our earthly companions? Do we believe that God is a person who is, or can be, with us? And if we believe He isn’t with us at the moment, do we miss him?

In the latter half of Psalm 42, King David repeats the thesis statement of this psalm of sorrow:

I say to God my Rock,
"Why have you forgotten me?

Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?"

My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long, "Where is your God?"

Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.

Psalm 42:9-11

In the Old Testament, the Israelites asked that someone speak with God on their behalf because the idea of speaking with Him directly scared them. But when Jesus Christ walked the earth, He showed us that communication with God is not an impossible hope. Though many ancient readers of Psalm 47 may have considered David crazy to want to communicate intimately with the almighty, Jesus proved that David’s prayer was not insane but could and should actually happen.

Oscar Micheaux, an African American filmmaker and best selling author once said, "Only when you attempt the impossible do you test the resources of God." Though under great discrimination and scrutiny, he casted the first all black film in 1919, and later wrote and published a best-selling novel. Micheaux believed that he could tap into the same resources that Kings David and Jesus did. Resources that no TV show, website or anxiety can ever provide.

Take it or Leave it - What do we do about the cross?

2007-08-27T23:30:00.000-07:00

I have been calling myself a Christian for the past 18 years. My relationship with Christ began, in part, because of the miraculous works He has done in my life. While He performed His life changing work, those who watched and prayed for me at the time may have said something like, “How can God bring him through such suffering?” or “If I could only take away some of his pain, I would.” Those days were often long, tedious and hard. And if I had the ability to say, “Lord Jesus, Stop!” I may have just done it.

But since then, despite a few consistent and persistent challenges, my life has been a bed of roses. It turned out to be a little more ‘normal’ than it had been before, and my spiritual life, just like my physical one, became passive and bland. I was now walking down easy street with few bumps and bruises. Suffering seemed to be a thing of the past. That is, until I recently read the words of A.W. Tozer.

“The cross of Roman times knew no compromise. It never made concessions. It won all its arguments by killing its opponent and silencing him for good. It spared not Christ, but slew Him the same as the rest .... With perfect knowledge of all this, Christ said, ‘If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow Me. (Matthew 10:38)’”

After re-reading these words several times, I began to wonder, What has the cross done in my life? How does the cross continue to change my life? What am I doing with the cross? What does this mean?

As you are reading, you may be asking the same questions. “Deny myself?! Why, I’m happy with my ‘easy street’ life. Besides, I am a well educated, observant Canadian. I try not to deny anything, because that would mean, I am ignorant. And to ‘deny myself’? Christ must be off his rocker! And this, ‘take up my cross’? I work hard from 9-5, five days a week. Isn’t this enough stress? Christ’s words don’t include me.”

But in fact, Christ’s words are inclusive of everybody no matter how old, smart or well off they are. Each cross is unique and different, and as we grow, the crosses we bear change along with our circumstance. As a child, the cross might look a lot like a younger sister who has just taken away your favorite toy and will not give it back. As a student, the cross may look like a four year psychology degree you do not feel capable of completing. As a single adult, it may be loneliness or busy-ness personified. And as a parent or grandparent, the cross you bear may come in the form of anxiety in the face of great responsibility and exhaustion. The stress of the cross is gigantic, almost enough to bring our lives to an end.

In fact it is. As Tozer continues, “the cross not only brought Christ's life to an end, it also ends the first life, the old life of every one of His true followers.... This and nothing less is true Christianity. We must do something about the cross.”

Your response may be, “That makes sense. I accepted Christ ten years ago, myself. So, I have done something about the cross. I go to church every week, I tithe, I work hard to encourage others around me, I even volunteer for Sunday school. This must mean I’m a true Christian.” But Christ’s question still remains the same, “what have you done about the cross?” Have you taken it up upon your shoulder every day, or have you left it in a corner somewhere, hoping that someday, somehow, it might just go away and the stresses that come with it might just leave as well?

But like the inescapable problems we see all around us, this will not happen. Now that we have seen it, it is our responsibility to do something. We are no longer ignorant. But what can we do?

In a parable that many of us can see ourselves in, a “man distraught by all the pain and suffering he saw all around him broke down and banged his fists into the dirt. His head turns upward and he yells at his God. ‘Look at this mess. Look at all this pain and suffering. Look at all this killing and hate. God. Oh God! WHY DON'T YOU DO SOMETHING!!’ And his God spoke to him and said ‘I did. I sent you.’” In a similar light, Tozer concludes,”there's only one of two things we can do [about the cross] - flee it or die upon it!” What is your choice?

We must maintain a sober but optimistic realization that the cross is still there, ready and willing to kill. But though the cross inevitably brings death, Jesus, the author of life, said we must carry our cross daily, not ignore it, leave it at home or “flee it”. If we take up our cross, seek our Lord Jesus in prayer, and endure the temporary trials of this world, we can remain optimistic that life is waiting for us, just around the corner.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30

Parable of the Carrot, Egg, and Coffee

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to a boil. In the first, she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs and the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil, without saying a word. In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.

Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me, what do you see?" "Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied. She brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. She then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, she asked her to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity--boiling water--but each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting. However after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But, after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water they had changed the water.

"Which are you?" she asked her daughter.

"When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?"

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity, do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength? Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and a hardened heart? Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you can get better and change the situation around you with God's help. How do you handle adversity? When adversity strikes, ask yourself...ARE YOU A CARROT, AN EGG, OR A COFFEE BEAN?

Parables taken from: http://www.parablesite.com/index2.htm

“Me, Special?”

2007-08-20T20:36:00.000-07:00

The other day, I received an e-mail, which said: “I've been rating your intellect, wit, drive, sense of humor, and other attributes. See where you stand, and rate me too with ‘Compare People.’” I immediately thought about a paradox that rages war in me every day. “I want to be seen and approved of by others, and I need to hear good things about my character. But, if the review is tarnishing, what will this do to my self-esteem? Shouldn’t my self-worth be worth more than the thoughts of somebody on the internet? After mulling this over for a few moments, I quickly, but carefully placed the unread e-mail in my ‘Deleted Items’ folder but thought, “I won’t empty this folder just in case I want to read what this person has to say about me.”

This summer I lived at Keats Camps, a camp for children, teenagers and families named for the island on which it is located. This was my seventh summer on staff and I arrived at camp anticipating another fantastic summer, though I had not set foot on the island in six years. It did not take long for me to realize that things at the camp I loved so much had changed. There were a few new buildings; the staff was both newer and larger than I had ever seen, and a new generation of campers would soon arrive. I was anxious about being able to adapt to these changes, yet excited about the new things that God would do.

My job was a challenging one. Though I had the responsibility of encouraging the staff with a devotional after breakfast most mornings in staff meetings, it was up to me how I would fill in the rest of my day. How can I keep my mind focused, work hard for my co-workers, my God, and not be a slacker? What is the most effective use of my time? These were some of my questions, and these were some of my answers.

Before most of the camp awoke, I would join a small group of cottagers and pray for the needs I knew. After staff meeting, I would walk around the camp, offering assistance in areas that needed it, and remained willing to share the story of what God had done in my life [see “Miracle on Fox Street”] during Bible study in the morning, or Crew Talk in the evenings.

Some days were busy, full of people asking for assistance, wanting me to share with their kids, or just to talk with them. Some days were empty, with little action, and it was hard to encourage anybody as hard as I tried. As the summer progressed, I did my best and asked God to fill in the gaps.

Two weeks in, I went home on a day off and brought a well loved children’s book back with me. I hoped to find time to read it to some kids, encouraging them in the way they viewed themselves and others.

“You are Special” by Max Lucado is the story of Punchinello, a member of a village of wooden Wemmicks made by a man named Eli. A Wemmick’s day consisted of judging the looks and abilities of others, rating them with either grey dots or golden stars. Because Punchinello was not ‘a good Wemmick,’ he quickly became overwhelmed with dots and the discouragement that comes with not being appreciated.

As the days passed, Punchinello became more discouraged. Things slowly began to change when he met Lucia; a Wemmick with no stickers of any kind. “That’s the way I want to be,” thought Punchinello. Punchinello soon worked up the courage to ask Lucia why she had no stickers.

“It’s easy,” Lucia replied, “Every day I go see Eli, the woodcarver. Why don’t you find out for yourself? Go up the hill. He’s there.”

Punchinello spent one more, lonely evening at home, watching the Wemmicks present each other with stars and dots. “It’s not right,” he thought and decided to meet his Maker.

As he followed Lucia’s directions into Eli’s shop, Punchinello was thunderstruck at how large everything was. He felt small and insignificant. “I don’t like this feeling,” he thought, “I must leave.”

But as if the bearded man behind the work bench could read his thoughts, Eli called his name. “Punchinello, how good it is to see you. Come and let me have a look at you.”

Punchinello turned slowly and looked at the large bearded craftsman. “You know my name?”

“Of course I do, I made you.”

Eli stooped down, picked him up and set him on the bench. “Hmm,” the maker spoke thoughtfully as he looked at the grey dots.

“Looks like you have received some bad marks.”

“I didn’t mean to, Eli, I really tried hard.”

“Oh, you don’t have to defend yourself in front of me, child. I don’t care what the other Wemmicks think.”

“You don’t?”

“No, and you shouldn’t either. Who are they to give stars and dots? They’re Wemmiccks just like you. What they think doesn’t matter, Punchinello. All that matters is what I think. And I think you are pretty special.”

Punchinello laughed. “Me, special? Why? I can’t do anything. I’m not a good Wemmick, Why do I matter to you?”

Eli looked at Punchinello, put his hands on his shoulders, and spoke very slowly. “Because you’re mine. That’s why you matter to me.”

Punchinello had never had anyone look at him this way before- much less his Maker. He didn’t know what to say.

“Every day I’ve been hoping you’d come,” Eli explained.

“I came because I met someone who had no marks,” said Punchinello.

“I know, she told me about you.”

“Why don’t the stickers stay on her?”

The Maker spoke softly. “Because she has decided that what I think is more important than what they think. The stickers only stick if you let them.”

“What?”

“The stickers only stick if they matter to you. The more you trust in my love, the less you care about their stickers.”

“I’m not sure I understand.”

Eli smiled, “You will, but it will take time. You’ve got a lot of marks. For now, just come to see me every day, and let me remind you how much I care.”

Eli lifted Punchinello off the bench and set him on the ground.

“Remember,” Eli said as the Wemmick walked out the door, “you are special because I made you and I don’t make mistakes.”

Punchinello didn’t stop, but in his heart he thought, “I think he really means it.”

And when he did, a dot fell to the ground.

There are some things I felt like I did well this summer. There are also some things I know I didn’t do so well. When I came home, I had a number of dots and stars on my conscience, given to me either by myself or the people I spent my summer with, that encouraged or discouraged me about the past month-and-a-half.

You inevitably also have stars and dots that you have been given this summer. How do they make you feel? How important are they to you? What are you going to do with them? Whatever you did or didn’t do this summer, your Maker says “You are special, “because I made you, and I don’t make mistakes.” It may have been important or unimportant in the eyes of your friends, but your Maker says “what you did was special, because I worked in you.”

This blog is dedicated to the Keats Camps staff of 2007 where I learned again that whatever remark, phone call, comment or e-mail I receive that effects my conscience, my Maker says “You are very special,” and His words must take precedence.

I have just emptied my ‘Deleted Items’ folder.

“God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.”

Hebrews 6:10

Brother's Keeper

2007-06-29T20:35:00.000-07:00

The dictionary has over fifty definitions for the word “keep”. Some of the most well known references state: “to hold or retain in one's possession”, “to have the care, charge, or custody of”, or “to maintain by writing”. But do you remember that a keep is also “the innermost and strongest structure or central tower of a medieval castle;” or that Keeps is “a game of marbles in which the players keep the marbles they win”?

Though the most common references to “keep” have to do with maintaining an object in one place or in ones presence, the Bible refers to it in several relational ways. To keep a promise to your brothers and sisters (1 Samuel 18:1-4), it is mentioned in a prayer that “the Lord will bless you and keep you” (Numbers 6:24), to keep watch for the Lord’s coming, (Luke 12:37) or “to keep in step with the Spirit (Galatians 5:25) are just a few.

The ancient book of Genesis tells a story of a brother who refused to keep this unwritten law of God. In it, Cain and Abel work in their own ways to please the Lord; Abel kept sheep and Cain grew crops. They both chose and presented first fruits of their labor, their common goal being to please their God. The Lord was pleased with Abel’s offering, but was not pleased with Cain’s.

Cain was furious and he let everyone know about it. The Lord than counseled Cain, saying, “Why are you angry? Why do you look so sad, depressed and dejected? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin desires to bring you down; but you can, and must, master it.”

Than Cain said to his brother, “Let’s take a walk.” When they were in the field, Cain raised his arm against his brother, bringing it down upon Abel, killing him.

The Lord than asked Cain, “where is Abel, your brother?” He angrily replied, “I don’t know and I don’t care. Am I my brother's keeper?” The Lord asked, “What have you done? The voice of your dead brother is crying to Me from the grave.”

In his song “Brother’s Keeper”, the late Rich Mullins further describes what it means to truly keep our brothers and sisters.

Now the plummer's got a drip in his spigot
The mechanic's got a clank in his car
And the preacher's thinking thoughts that are wicked
And the lover's got a lonely heart
My friends ain't the way I wish they were
They are just the way they are

And I will be my brother's keeper
Not the one who judges him
I won't despise him for his weakness
I won't regard him for his strength
I won't take away his freedom
I will help him learn to stand
And I will ~ I will be my brother's keeper.

The crowd asked him, “Then what are we supposed to do?”
“If you have two coats, give one away," he said. "Do the same with your food.”

Luke 3: 10-11

Show me the Money?

2007-06-16T16:20:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I boarded a bus bound for my home in Horseshoe Bay, but did not have my wallet or bus pass with me. I told this to the bus driver, saying that I was legally blind and a member of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind. I hoped that he would believe my argument for a free ride and respond, “Remember to bring it next time.” Instead, he insisted that I pay the $2.50 fair before I arrived at my destination. Feeling a little frustrated, I began to tell my story to a woman in the front row of the bus. However, before I had a chance to ask my favor from her, a man walked forward and asked, “What do you need?”

“Two dollars and fifty cents,” I answered, feeling more than a little bit foolish.

To my surprise, he reached into his pocket and, without counting the coins, handed me a chunk of change. I counted the money, gave the man a quarter that I did not need and placed the rest of it in the change box at the front of the bus. After I found my seat, I looked for this generous man, hoping to thank him again before I reached my stop, but I was unable to find him. When I got off the bus, I discovered a single penny in my pocket, which I had forgotten to return to this good Samaritan.

Generosity is something I have tried to work on in my life. I sponsor two children in Uganda, tithe to my church, and support friends who embark on mission’s experiences abroad or at home. However, along with other believers and pre-believers I cringe when I hear pastors quote the apostle Paul who said, “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7) before they take up the offering. In these situations, before the basket passes, a little voice inside me will inevitably yell “No! I am not a cheerful giver today!” But what does Jesus say about giving? Is what I am doing, what he is asking of His people? Is my desire to keep my money to myself, when it is requested of me, a natural and O.K. response?

In many ways, Christ’s words are harsher than those of Paul. In Matthew 21:22, He says, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's.” People often talk about how this passage should encourage (or rather guilt) people to tithe more often. However, money is not talked about this way in this passage. If anything, Jesus is saying that we can keep our money, or use it in different ways, in exchange for something God really wants, our hearts.

A few verses prior, while showing the onlookers the coin of the day, Christ asks "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?” “Caesar's,” they replied. In answering this simple question, Jesus gives the Pharisees, and everyone who reads this passage, permission to keep their material wealth. But, instead they need to give to God what is God’s, and it is up to each and every one of us to discover what that is.

People think that the church wants our money so we are careful to calculate and give 10% of our income. But if God wants our heart instead, do you think he would appreciate only 10% of it? Cheques are dead pieces of paper, and coins quickly rust in vaults, but our hearts can remain vibrant, effective to God, and useful to Him if we give them freely.

It is this vibrancy that Paul encourages us to have. The church generally hates 2 Corinthians 9:7 because most of us are not ‘cheerful givers’ when generosity is expected of us. But those who practice cheerful giving, like that man I met on the bus, know that they will receive much more in return from the true Cheerful Giver.

What can we bring to the Lord? What kind of offerings should we give him?
Should we bow before God with offerings of yearling calves?
Should we offer him thousands of rams and ten thousand rivers of olive oil?
Should we sacrifice our firstborn children to pay for our sins?

No!

O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:6-8

How do we follow God in the 21st century? Ask your dog

2007-04-25T18:26:00.001-07:00

On Wednesday, my parents left for a short holiday leaving Sally, our American Cocker spaniel and I home alone. Home alone together, to enjoy the sometimes beautiful and sometimes torrential, weather of the Pacific Northwest. Sally would hope that her master would take her on a few walks around the neighborhood, or at least throw the ball so that she could exercise her increasingly creaking, aging legs. I was enjoying the rest, the first round of the NHL playoffs, and hoped to spend some time at the gym so my legs do not become creaky as well.

Soon after my parents left, the Internet and e-mail connection, the lifeline to the outside world, crashed. Therefore, instead of walking Sally around the neighborhood, she followed very close behind me as I practiced the ‘stair master’, running between my computer and my Dad’s office upstairs, trying to fix the internet connection. Three days of hopeful yet pessimistic prodding of computer wiring resulted in nothing.

The one consistency I noticed as I ran up and down the stairs was this, Sally never ceased running the staircase with me, always only several inches behind me, always anticipating that I would answer her prayer for a walk, and always wearing a panting smile on her face. I often became perplexed, even frustrated by her persistent and joyful devotion to her master. Why won’t she just go lie down, why does she have to risk being accidentally kicked in the jaw by a wayward heal?

When I leave for work in the morning, I always lock Sally behind a baby-gate in the family room. Her forced obedience speaks volumes as she slowly turns around to face me, sitting and shaking. Her two, huge black eyes watch me in expected anguish, as I leave and she begins to burst into tears. Whether it is several hours or ten minutes, her squeals of excitement, which sound more like a dog’s cry for help, are an inevitable greeting when I arrive home, or as my mom prefers, ‘have risen from the dead.’ When I finally open the door, her squeals continue until i take down the baby-gate that keeps her imprisoned in the kitchen, and she can smell the scent of her rescuer. Only at this time, will she eat the food I have left for her because her self-inflicted hunger strike can finally end, and she can enjoy the fruits of her labor, which are, as it is written on the side of her doggie dish; to eat, sleep, and play.

As I have watched Sally’s excited expectation and anticipation of her master’s next move, she has taught me a great deal, about how Christians should act towards God. The Psalms are full of questions and statements, showing the psalmist’s desire to spend time with God, to receive something from Him and a desire to do things for Him to quicken His return to them.

Animal activists have often reminded us that animals share and understand more of our heartfelt emotions than we give them credit for. As I read the Psalms, it is obvious that the psalmist is talking to God, whose ways are greater than his are. In the same way, the thoughts and actions of humans are greater than those of their pets. However, it does not mean that we cannot learn a lesson or two about the Bible, from our furry friends. After all, God created them too.

For instance, Psalm 37:4 says “Take delight in the Lord and He will give you your Heart’s desires.” It is easy to see the delight that a dog takes in his master. Whether I take Sally on a walk, throw the ball for her off the deck, or allow her to follow me as I run up and down the stairs trying to fix my internet connection, Sally’s panting smile remains glued to her face and there is nothing I can do to change it.

A few psalms later, is a song that Christians worldwide sing regularly. “As the dear pants for streams of water, so I long for you, O God.” (Psalm 42:1) As I sit here, writing at my computer, or Dad prepares a sermon on his laptop, Sally can often be found guarding the doorway, always at the service of her master, ready to jump to her feet just in case he calls her name.

Because of actions like these, I would contend that the greatest characteristic dogs are known for is their devotion to their masters. Psalm 86:12 talks about the devotion that David offers to the Lord. “With all my heart I will praise you, Oh Lord, my God. I will give glory to your name forever.”

Sally’s devotion to her master often amazes me. Her deep desire to please him, to hear that she is a “Good dog,” or hear him answer her prayers for a walk are always first on her mind. Do we humans want to please our Heavenly master as much as dogs want to please theirs? Is it our first desire to hear God say, “Well Done, good and faithful servant”? We humans should follow the example of our pets as we work to devote ourselves to our true Master, the Lord Jesus Christ.

“As the deer pants for the water, so my soul pants for you, O God.

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

When can I go and meet with God?

My tears have become my food day and night,

while men say to me all day long, ‘Where is your God?’

These things I remember as I pour out my soul:

How I used to go with the multitude,

leading the procession to the house of God

with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng.

Why are you downcast, O my soul?

Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my savior and my God.’

Psalm 42:1-5

Special Education Advocacy

2007-04-09T21:30:00.000-07:00

In my job as a Special Education Assistant, I think about the people who have advocated on my behalf over the years, and would like to think of myself as someone who will do the same. Therefore, I like to call myself, and hope that I will become, a Special Education Advocate instead. It is this hope that brings several questions to mind. Most importantly, ‘What does it mean to be an advocate anyway?’ The dictionary defines an advocate as “a person who speaks, writes, or even pleads in support or defense of another person, cause, etc.” A person who does this can also be referred to as an intercessor. In this entry, I want to talk about a few advocates who have been a blessing and encouragement to me, on my way to becoming an advocate for others.

The first advocates I had were the first advocates everybody has. They are unpaid yet exceptional advocates known as parents. In addition to all the repetitive and expected acts that she did and does for me, mom made countless phone calls with teachers, doctors and others who help, placing her beloved son in the right hands. Since my birth, Dad has written hundreds of letters, made many phone calls and has driven hundreds of miles for his son. He has also argued with doctors, teachers, and even university professors to get the best for me. This was advocacy.

Mrs. Gleave was my S.E.A. during elementary school. As I spent grade 2 wearing my first pear of glasses, later ran for the cross country team several years in a row (always finishing near the back of the pack), and finally graduating in grade 6 winning the music award, Mrs. Gleave was there. She was a constant encouragement to me, raising my spirits with her laugh, which sounded like a bicycle, and being just as much a friend to me as to my classmates.

When I had my stroke in grade 9, I often used Mrs. Jackson (an S.E.A. for several students in my middle school), as a support as I walked down the halls, hoping to regain my balance as soon as possible. In front of my peers and classmates, I would walk with my arm around her shoulders. This was not cool in middle school. Nevertheless, what she did was certainly advocacy.

Years later, Mrs. Gleave gave me the greatest assistance of any S.E.A. while I, a university graduate in Psychology, wondered what new road, I should take. I had thought that the only option was to apply for a master’s program of some sort, and continue writing dreaded essays and exams for at least three more years. However, Mrs. Gleave said, “David would be a great S.E.A.” That was all I needed to hear. I began the two-year program that fall and the rest is history. This was advocacy.

In spite of the work that all of these people did, my Greatest Advocate is none of the previous. If it were not for the work of my Greatest Advocate, the many hours my parents, doctors and S.E.A.'s labored on my behalf would have been for not. My greatest advocate is God because I believe that from the first day, he has been leading my every step. First John tells Christians “we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.” (1 John 2:1) And it is because of His acting, speaking and working on my behalf that I hope to do the same for others.

"See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. What do you think?"

Matthew 18:10-11

Hide & Seek . . . Seek & Find?

2007-04-07T22:23:00.000-07:00

Today, as I took the bus home, a one year old boy began playing a game of hide and seek with me. He had a contagious smile on his face and a giggle that made my anxious heart glad. Playing hide and seek on a bus is difficult because once you are found; there is no way to run and hide again.
Jesus Christ is an excellent player of Hide and Seek. Yet, like playing it on a bus, if we read the Bible, Jesus makes it easy for himself to be found. Several times in the gospels, Jesus tells his disciples beforehand where he will be hiding.
John 14 is the hiding place for many of these verses.
“I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” (John 14:2-4).
Yet, in spite of His hints, the disciples don’t understand.
“Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?’ Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:5-6).
On Easter Sunday, Christians celebrate the end to the greatest game of hide and seek the world has ever seen. Luke 24 tells the story of two women named Mary who intend on finding and morning for their dead King, who was crucified two days previous. But instead the game continues. Verses 5-8, say:
”[The angels said to them] ‘Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.' Then they remembered his words.’” (Luke 24: 5-8)
Only at this time did they understand. For the two Marys, the game ended and their faith in Jesus Christ began.
People often say that Jesus does not exist because he does not make himself known. If you do not read about Him in the Bible, I can understand why you believe this. But if you read the Bible, Jesus can be one of the easiest people to find, because he wants to be discovered. Have you found him?

BUFUKHULA, UGANDA 2006

2007-04-04T17:20:00.000-07:00

In May 2006, I had the privilege of traveling to Bufukhula, Uganda with seven members of my church community. This entry covers some of the highlights I experienced while out of my comfort zone, and away from all that seemed normal to me. The results were fantastic, expanding my mind, teaching me new things, and giving me a second ‘home’ thousands of miles away.

Mulembé (Hello)

Receiving African name - I was greatly looking foreword to this traditional event. A time when the community would gather and talk about each team member, and give them a name that felt appropriate. On the first Sunday in Bufukhula, I had shared my testimony of how God had twice rescued me from certain death. Therefore they gave me the name ‘WHOLYO’ which means ‘survivor’ or ‘back from the dead.’

Receiving African name - I was greatly looking foreword to this traditional event. A time when the community would gather and talk about each team member, and give him or her a name that felt appropriate. On the first Sunday in Bufukhula, I had shared my testimony of how God had twice rescued me from certain death. Therefore, they gave me the name ‘WHOLYO’ which means ‘survivor’ or ‘back from the dead.’

Gathering bricks with kids to build new school building - One of the few pre-determined goals we had in Bufukhula was to help build a second block of classrooms beside the first building (below), which last year’s CapChurch team built and in which we slept and ate our meals. When we arrived, the community had dug boundaries and had made a large pile of hand made bricks. We joined them in transferring the bricks from the pile to the work site, a distance of 30-40 yards. As we started moving bricks, I learned that the ground was not level and I began to trip over broken bricks, hills, and valleys I could not see. When the kids noticed this, they created an ‘assembly line’ handing me bricks so that I would not have to attempt climbing over discarded bricks. I owe a big Wanyala-nabi (thank you very much) to these kids.

Linn Block / CapChurch Block – Soon after arriving in Bufukhula, we had our first and only accident. As she made her way to her sleeping quarters in the school Linn (a team member) tripped over a large step, hitting her head on an open, steel door, which I had almost run into only seconds before. After being examined by Nurse Angela (another team member), she was driven to a hospital to be given stitches. The only problem was a power outage that occurred just before Lynne was to be admitted. So, the stitches were administered via a flashlight and candle. Upon her return, she received a round of applause from the community, who had already begun to revere the fact that she had ‘shed blood in Bufukhula.’ Therefore, they named the school block where she had fallen ‘Block Linn.’ Later on, because of the hard work of the team, the community named the second block, “Cap Church’ block!

Staff members hold my hand – The ways that people in Bufukhula view and act towards disabilities is quite remarkable. Whether I walked along unleveled ground in the village, along railroad tracks, or down a slight embankment, F.H.I. staff members like Moses, Andrew, or Livingstone would grasp my hand without any actions or requests on my part, because they saw that I simply needed assistance that they could offer. They would often remind me of the level places and they would walk on the unleveled ground so I would not fall. One day when Moses did this, he slipped into a small ditch. Even though he was dressed up, that did not bother him because I was all right.

Testify! - At church on the first Sunday in Bufukhula, I shared my testimony with an enthusiastic community. Clapping and cheering interrupted my ‘rhythm’ and of course, time had to be given for translation. Sporadic cheers from the congregation made this a truly wonderful and unique experience. On another day, after finishing a morning devotional, a woman stood up and danced, singing “Singolo, Singolo!” (Joy, Joy). Near the end of our time in Bufukhula, we had a community prayer meeting for the needs the community felt needed to be addressed.

Conversion – A few days after I shared at the church in Bufukhula, we paid a visit to one of my sister’s sponsor children. Christine (my sister) and Brent (her husband) sat beside their sponsor child as members of the family and F.H.I. staff talked about the impact Christine and Brent were making in the life of this family and the child. My mother (who came to Bufukhula last year) had told me about the impact that prayer and sharing your heart with the people can make on them. However, the fact that I had done this just a couple of days before could not have prepared me for what happened at this house. The father, viewed as the head and leader of the household became a Christian because of what I had shared just a few days before! Praying for him to accept Jesus Christ into his life was and always will be a memory of Bufukhula I will cherish.

Music in Bufukhula – Going to Africa is a musicians dream. It is different than other music cities like Nashville or New Orleans, but then again it is a different type of music. Though these cities may be known for their talent, Bufukulans may not be talented, but they sing, dance or beat their drums with fervour, excellence and no fear of singing the wrong note. The fact that most of these songs are Christian, make them a beautiful song of praise to the Lord. We were able to participate in these songs in different ways as we led dances, accompanied friends on the drum or simply sang as we walked along the road or railroad tracks. Keep Singing Bufukhula!

A different psychology – One evening after we had finished dinner, the team, together with Andrew (F.H.I. staff) played a game called: “I have never”. Each person held up five fingers and we started talking about things that we had never done. If you had done those things you would lower a finger. When it was Andrew’s turn, he said “I have never felt discouraged.” Of course we all put one finger down as anxiety is just a part of the North American psyche. I need to be more like Bufukhula.

Wanyala, (Thank You) & lindé (Good Bye)

One of the members’ of this team was so inspired by what she experienced, she has decided to spend 3 years in Uganda to work with these wonderful people. Kristee Watson leaves on Tuesday September 11^th, 2007. We love you Kristee!

A few thoughts on Asperger's disorder

2007-03-20T10:22:00.001-07:00

I currently work at an elementary school in North as a Special Education Assistant (SEA). This gives me the privilege of working with kids who have a variety of disabilities. Last term, my first, I worked with a child who has Asperser’s disorder, a variation of Autism. Working with him challenged me daily providing times of stress, laughter, joy and anxiety. He moved back to Korea at Christmas time and I have wished on many occasions since that he had stayed so I would be able to continue to work with him, learning more about this remarkable disorder.

Since then, I have heard nothing about Asperser’s. That is until I started reading The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, by Mark Haddon © 2003, a remarkable story told from the perspective of a boy with Asperser’s. There are two portions of this book that have effected me most because of their frankness and truth about what it is like to have Asperser’s.

Chapter 71 “All the other children at my school are stupid. Except that I am not meant to call them ‘stupid’ even though this is what they are. I’m meant to say that they have ‘learning difficulties’ or that they have ‘special needs.’ But this is stupid because everyone has learning difficulties, because learning to speak French or understanding relativity is difficult, and also everyone has special needs. Like father, who has to carry a little packet of artificial sweetening tablets around with him to put in his coffee to stop him from getting fat. Or Mrs. Peters, who wears beige colored hearing aide. Or Shaven, who has glasses so think that they give you a head ache if you borrow them. And none of these people are ‘special needs,’ even if they have special needs.”

As a person with 'special needs,' I have often wondered what it would be like for me, and for my family, if I were born without special needs. I have lamented over my disabilities many times. Due to my visual impairment, I cannot drive and have had to rely on others to take me places. Because of a stroke I had in 1993, I have difficulty remembering many past events, people's names, or things I need to accomplish.

I have been discouraged over these things. However, through the eyes of a person with disabilities, Mark Haddon reminds me that a large or even small minority does not share disabilities. Whatever they are, everybody has at least one disability, and for the most part, most of them are getting along just fine.

Chapter 73 “I used to think mother and father might get divorced. That was because they had lots of arguments and sometimes, they hated each other. This was because of the stress of looking after someone who has ‘behavioral problems’ like I have. I used to have lots of behavioral problems. But I don’t have so many now because I’m all grown up, and I can make decisions for myself, and do things on my own like going out of the house and buying things at the shop at the en of the road. These are some of my behavioral problems.

a) not talking to people for a long time. Once I didn’t talk to anyone for five weeks.

b) not eating or drinking anything for a long time. When I was six, mother used to get me to drink strawberry flavored slimming meals out of the measuring jug. And we’d have competitions to see how fast I could drink a quarter of a letre.

c) not liking being touched.

d) screaming when I’m angry or confused.

e) not like being in really small places with other people.

f) smashing things when I’m angry or confused.

g) groaning.

h) not liking yellow things or brown things. And refusing to touch yellow things, or brown things.

i) refusing to use my toothbrush if anyone else has touched it.

j) not eating food if different sorts of food are touching each other.

k) not noticing if people are angry with me.

l) not smiling.

m) saying things that other people think are rude. People say that you always have to tell the truth, but they do not mean this. Because you’re not allowed to tell old people that they’re old. And you’re not allowed to tell people if they smell funny, or if a grown up has made a fart. And you’re not allowed to say, ‘I don’t like you’ unless that person has been horrible to you.

n) doing stupid things. Stupid things are like emptying a jar of peanut butter onto the table in the kitchen, and making it level with a knife so that it covers all the table, right to the edges. Or burning things on the gas stove to see what will happen to them. Like my shoes, or silver foil, or sugar.

o) hitting other people.

p) hating France.

q) driving mother’s car. I only did this once by borrowing the keys when she went into town on the bus. And I hadn’t driven a car before, and I was eight years old and five months, so I drove it into the wall. The car isn’t there anymore because mother’s dead.

r) getting cross when someone has moved the furniture. It is permitted to move the chairs and the table in the kitchen because that’s different. But it makes me feel dizzy and sick if somebody moves the chairs and the sofa around in the living room or the dining room. Mother used to do this when she did the hoovering. So, I made a special plan of where all the furnitures mean to be, and did measurements and put everything back in its proper place afterwards, now I felt better. But since mother died, father hasn’t done any hoovering. That’s OK. But Mrs. Sheers did the hoovering once, but I did groaning and she shouted at father and she never did it again."

Do you recognize any of these challenges in yourself? I have seen them in me. As an SEA, I have seen kids with these problems. Some of them have been labeled with Asperser’s, but many others may do these things because they need a way to release their anger or anxiety. You may not be a person who refuses to eat food of other sorts of food are touching, you probably notice if people are angry with you, and you probably drive a car of your own. However, you may choose other things on this list. Like refusing to use your toothbrush if anyone else has touched it, smashing things when you are angry or confused, or even groaning in a proper way and at a proper time.

This list is not exhaustive. You may want to add to this list. You may add: biting nails, singing aloud (but to yourself) in a public place, or cracking your knuckles. To make us feel better, we often refer to these as habits, and reserve the 'disability' label for others who have something a little bit more serious. However, maybe our habits are a little bit more serious, and maybe someone's disability is not so serious.

Meeting Eric

2007-01-04T22:26:00.002-08:00

Last May, I spent two weeks in

Uganda

with a group from my church. During these weeks, we made almost 15 home visits to children we sponsor at CapChurch. My highlight was meeting my sponsored child. At each home we visited, we were greeted with singing, dancing and given wooden chairs or benches to sit on. When I sat down beside Eric, we linked arms and smiled at each other. His grandmother, who volunteers at an orphan’s shelter had walked the many miles to join us for this occasion, hugged me while singing in Lumasaba. Eric’s mother told me what a hard worker Eric is in the garden and at school. A member of our church community also sponsors his sister. Click on the Food For the Hungary link if you are interested in child sponsorship!

Crashing at the Manger

2007-01-01T13:50:00.000-08:00

Isn't it amazing how, because of our work and efforts in preparing for Christmas, we ‘crash’ soon after the meal is finished, the presents have been opened and the relatives have left? I don't imagine the wise men doing the same thing. The joys of seeing a new born King probably made sleeping the last idea on their minds.
The gospel of Matthew follows them on their marathon mission, and though they had good reason to be tired, remarkably they show no hint of it. Matthew says they spent two years following the star, hunting Jesus down. I have never followed a star before, let alone for two years, but I can imagine that it may be like trying to find the hypothetical pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, next to impossible. So I would probably talk myself out of this on the first day.
However, the wise men had enough energy and motivation, not just to walk for one day, but for seven hundred and thirty days! Their reason? “When they saw the star, they were filled with joy!” (Matthew 2:10)
How would you react if you saw a star that moved? Would you refuse to follow it? “Not today. Maybe tomorrow. I had a bad night sleep and I have a crick in my neck.” The wise men most definitely had this option during their two year pilgrimage. Or would you be so excited that nothing could keep you from getting to that pot of gold?
What star are you following? Where do you think it will lead you? How long have you been following it? Are you willing to follow it to its end, or are you about to crash? I am sure these are questions the wise men asked themselves repeatedly. They certainly had enough time to discuss their reasons for doing such a crazy thing. But, what was their motivation? Who had told them to do this crazy thing? What would they receive in exchange for their gold, frankincense and myrrh?

Looking through the Eyes of Faith

2007-01-01T13:44:00.000-08:00

What is faith? What does it meet to act by faith? In the book of 2^nd Corinthians, Paul said, “we live by faith, not by sight” (2^nd Corinthians 5:7), but what does this mean? What does the Bible say about it? These questions have been asked for generations by millions as they search for meaning in their lives.
In the many miracles that Jesus performed while He was on this earth, faith was of utmost importance to him. When explaining to His disciples why they were not able to heal somebody, Jesus replied, "You didn't have enough faith. I assure you, even if you had faith as small as a mustard seed (the smallest seed of any plant), you could say to this mountain, `Move from here to there,' and it would move. Nothing would be impossible." (Matthew 17:20 – New Living Translation) This article is not going to explain how to acquire faith, because I am often praying for more. However, I know how to get it. By believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, “who gives generously to all without finding fault.” (James 1:5 – New International Version)
Mark 10 is one of the many examples where faith is shown and Jesus’ heart is moved enough that he healed the person who had asked for a miracle. This particular man is blind, doing the only thing blind men could do in Jesus day, beg. However, Bartimaeus did something that many blind men in Jesus day did not do, he showed faith that Jesus could heal him.
When we read the story, we learn that faith must be active, so Bartimaeus was active, shouting at the top of his voice to get Jesus attention. Even when people scolded him, swore at him, or demeaned him, he did not stop. As a result, Bartimaeus received what he had been waiting for, for years, the attention of someone who could do something about his immediate situation.
As someone with a disability, I can imagine how Bartimaeus might have felt when someone in the crowd said, "Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you." Was he excited? Ecstatic? I do not think the English language has the words to express this man’s joy.
In Mark 10:51, Jesus asks him, “’What do you want me to do for you?’ The knowledge that Bartimaeus’ acts of faith had gotten Jesus attention and that his lowly situation mattered to Jesus was certainly enough to make him cheer up quickly. “Jesus wants to do something for me?” How would you feel if Jesus came into your situation and asked that question? What would you say? Would you have the faith that Jesus could do it?
Getting Jesus attention and answering His questions, were the first two steps towards healing for Bartimaeus. And this remains true for many others who have called on the name of Jesus Christ. Believing that Jesus can do what we ask is the third and often the most difficult stage.
So, what is faith? In one of his many songs, Michael Card, a contemporary Christian artist wrote:

To hear with my heart,

To see with my soul,

To be guided by a hand I cannot hold,

To trust in a way that I cannot see,

That's what faith must be.

The details of your answer may be different from mine. However, the primary meaning of faith is just as the song says. To believe in my heart that God can do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine. Do you believe this?

Miracle on Fox Street

2007-01-01T11:51:00.001-08:00

Everybody has a testimony. A testimony is a story about a test, which a person has encountered, and how they have dealt with that problem. In a court, the testimony of a witness is expressing what they saw take place. The judge then makes a decision based on their testimony whether a defendant is innocent or guilty of a crime. For a Christian, their testimony is the telling of what God has done in a person’s life. Therefore, you could say, “I caught God doing this thing in a person’s life.” For the next few minutes, I want to tell you my testimony and what I experienced God doing.

My testimony begins at my birth, on November 27, 1978 when I was born with a life-threatening sickness called Hydrocephalus, which means water on the brain. This meant that while still in the womb, my brain was severely deformed. After a CAT scan, the doctors determined that I had approximately two percent living brain tissue. They said I would be, a person who is unable to do anything for himself - a vegetable. This news came as a great shock to my parents, who were looking forward to starting their new family in their new home on Fox Street, West Vancouver.

When my Dad held me as a babe, he saw that I had a head the size of a two-year-old, and also as soft as a sponge, due to the amount of water that was in my head. He sensed God tell him to name me David, (which means ‘beloved of God'), and Joseph, (which means ‘He shall add'). At this, Dad knew, first of all, that God loved me, and he believed that God would add brain cells to my tiny brain.

Mom and Dad then listened to the doctors as they told them why I was this way and how Hydrocephalus takes place. “Before a baby is born,” they explained, “water travels up and down its spinal column several times per day. This fluid makes sure that the vital pathways in the body are clear, so the body's essential organs may continue to work. What happened in David's case is that somehow, the fluid was unable to make it all the way down his spinal column. Through time, water backed up his spinal column and filled his head, crushing his brain.”

The doctors continued. “In order for any child to live an ordinary life, they must be born with at least 48 percent brain.” Brain cells do not multiply; the amount of brain tissue a child is born with is the most brain tissue that he/she will ever have.

I was given no longer than one or two days to live. My parents were told by the doctors that surgery could insert a tube (a shunt) that would drain fluid from my head and take pressure off of my brain. However, at that time the procedure was fairly new, plus they could not be certain that it would work perfectly. Even if it did work, they were unable to guarantee that I would live long because of the lack of living brain tissue.

But, my parents believed that Jesus was able to heal me so that I might be able to live a normal life.

I believe that when Jesus walked this earth two thousand years ago, there was little that impressed him more than faith shown by regular human beings around him. My parents read a story in the Bible from Luke 18 that encouraged them to pray until something happened. “Will not God make the things that are right come to His chosen people who cry day and night to Him? Will He wait a long time to help them? I tell you, He will be quick to help them, but when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth? (Luke 18:7,8. New Life Version)

As my story spread, people started to pray and have faith that Jesus would work a miracle in my life. They prayed that God would multiply my brain cells so that I would be able to live without the help of machines. They prayed that just as Jesus made the lame walk, made the blind see and gave life to those who were dead, that Jesus would give me brain cells so I could become a normal human being.

After six months of continuous prayer, the doctors were amazed to find that I had 25 percent brain. My parents and many others continued to pray for more. Six months later, doctors again were amazed to find 50 percent brain. By this point, I was a year old and was slowly learning how to do simple things. My parents and those who consistently prayed for me were in awe at what God was doing, full of praise and thanksgiving to him. As people continued to pray on my behalf, the Lord heard their prayers and continued to answer them. Prior to my second birthday, their prayers were answered yet again when doctors took a final CAT scan and found 98 percent brain tissue.

By this time, I was able to do most things that a two-year-old child could do. The only problem, which has persisted since my early days of life, is a severe visual impairment. Doctors have determined on many occasions that I have only two and a half percent vision in my left eye and three percent vision in my right. However, this was enough vision to get me through my first nine years of grade school.

In grade nine while I was thirteen, I suffered a stroke, which paralyzed the entire right side of my body. Before I came out of the coma, doctors in San Diego, California performed surgery to place a second shunt down the left side of my body. For years, I had had scars on my stomach which my parents termed scars of courage. By the time the surgery was done in 1991, I now had twice as many scars to boast about!

Soon after the surgery, I awoke from my coma, and went back to school. Though the Special Education Assistants (S.E.A.) at my school now needed to help me overcome memory issues and balance problems in addition to my blindness, they helped me, and I graduated from grade school with my classmates in 1996. That fall, I started a Psychology degree at Trinity Western University and graduated with my second academic certificate in 2003. Two years ago, I completed a certificate in Special Education and now work as an S.E.A. at a private Christian school in North Vancouver. S.E.A.’s had helped me successfully complete each level of grade school. It is now my privilege to help others in the same ways that I had been helped many years ago. Not bad for someone who was supposed to die as an infant?

Though my parent's originally gave me the credit for the courage I had to go through the many hours of surgery I endured, I give all the credit to Jesus Christ as he was the one who healed me. I hope my story will serve as a reminder both to me and anyone else, that God can and does heal us today. I know that he can work the same miracle in the lives of people anywhere. God is willing and able to make your life a testimony of his ability to transform a life. My life was turned around by prayer offered in simple faith. Your new life can begin the same way. All we must do is ask.

"Nobody did anything wrong," said Jesus. "But this happened so that the works of God might be shown in this person's life."

John 9:3