Love is... (Happy Valentines)

We Have to Talk...

By Pastor Dave Stimers

Have you ever felt that you really needed to get something off of your chest? Maybe it was a secret, maybe a feeling or even a thought that you just couldn’t keep to yourself. Sometimes we say that these sorts of things “weigh” on us. We can even find ourselves feeling physically burdened, as we carry extra stress on our bodies because of what is going on inside of us. This type of feeling can arise because we are anxious, scared, worried, or because we’re excited, happy – even joyful. Whatever the cause, I think that we feel the weight of certain information because it is a big deal to us. Things that are meaningful, profound, impacting; or things that will have a direct effect on our lives can often bring with it a certain weight – an importance.

On the other hand, our society has made communication so instant and easy that we often send people messages without thinking or for almost any reason, no matter how insignificant. We are surrounded with tools to do this. We have email, voicemail, text messaging, instant messaging, twitter, facebook – and on and on the list goes. With this capacity for messaging we may sometimes find it hard to sift through the superficial stuff to get to the important stuff. Regardless of the countless flippant messages, when it comes down to it, it’s usually pretty easy to tell when someone you care about has something important to tell you. Sometimes that discussion may begin with a phrase like, “something has been weighing on my mind and we have to talk…”

Interestingly this is a characteristic that we share with God. The book of Malachi (at the end of the bible’s Old Testament) begins by calling itself an oracle. Actually, this word is the same word used of a heavy load carried by a camel. It’s something that is weighty, something important. This is something that God has to get off of His chest, and it isn’t a quick email or text message. It is going to impact the lives of those who get the message. What a great way to get someone’s attention.

I would like to invite you to sift through some of the junk mail and spam in your life as we journey together through the book of Malachi. God has a powerful message for His people and He has reached out for our attention. So please, join us on Sunday mornings at 11am or listen online as we search through this profound book and try to understand God’s heart and His message.

Too comfortable for comfort?

By Pastor Dave Stimers

I can’t help but thinking that a huge percentage of North American Christians are too comfortable for comfort. Many of us have made ourselves comfortable in many ways as we have been given good financial opportunities, or we’ve worked hard to earn a good living and save our pennies. Providing a good life for our families is usually associated with the kind of home you have, or car your drive or things you own. And why not? After all there’s nothing wrong with working hard and enjoying the fruit of our labor, right?

Sometimes our theology pitches in and reinforces our comfort level. We preach that once you’ve said the sinner’s prayer then you have salvation. There are, of course, things that a Christian shouldn’t do and so we make sure we don’t use profanity, we try to be honest in all situations and make sure that we don’t fight with others in public. Then there are the big ones, the things that every Christian must avoid at all costs: adultery, stealing, murder. This brand of Christianity makes us comfortable because as long as we avoid these (fairly visible) sins then we can ease through life enjoying our material comforts and luxuries while being assured of our spot in heaven and an eternal reward.

What makes me uncomfortable is that when someone asked Jesus what they had to do to receive eternal life, he didn’t tell them to say and prayer and enjoy a life of avoiding certain sins while enjoying their material happiness. After the man told Jesus that he was actually very good at following the rules, Jesus told him to sell everything he had and follow him. Then when the man went away discouraged Jesus made a convicting statement, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

Living in Canada affords us many comforts and luxuries that most of the world cannot afford. We are rich. When I hear these words coming out of Jesus’ mouth it makes me cringe. His style of evangelism looks very different from ours. Instead of asking for a prayer, He asks for a life. And unfortunately those who experience the comforts of material prosperity also encounter the distractions that are part of the package. Things have distracted us and made us think that we can depend on them. The reality is that our comfort should make us uncomfortable. Where our treasure is, is where our hearts will be. So, get uncomfortable enough to desperately follow Jesus, to reallocate some (or all) of your wealth, to invest in the things of the kingdom, to forsake the lure of this world. Then remember what Jesus said next – “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” –Mark 8:27.

Guest Speaker Dwayne Cline

"Stay in the City"

07/26/2009, Dwayne Cline

Jeremiah 29:4-13

Dr. Isaac Odame's Sermons

"Following Christ-It's A War"

07/12/2009, Isaac Odame

Ephesians 6:10-20

&

"Unworthy Servants"

07/19/2009, Isaac Odame

Luke 17:1-10

Dr. Bruce Mason's Sermons

"The Coming Wedding"

06/28/2009, Bruce Mason

John 14:1-4

&

"God's Three Finalities"

07/05/2009, Bruce Mason

Revelation 22:6-20

David Stimers' Latest Sermons

Due to the present reconstruction of the Westside Baptist Church website, I felt it appropriate to start posting the most recent messages and messages to come that have been delivered from the Westside pulpit. Until we get a new or improved website a sermon archive will be available here for anyone who is interested in checking out what has been touched upon from the Word of God at Westside and to those who seek to re-listen and challenge their hearts throughout the week.

"The Good Stuff"

06/07/2009, David Stimers

John 2:1-11

"You're Going To Do What?!"

06/14/2009, David Stimers

John 2:12-25

"Just Call Me 'Dad'"

06/21/2009, David Stimers

John 14:6-20

A Psalm of David: a devotion for our lives!

Psalm 13

3 Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;

light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,

4 lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,”

lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken. (ESV)

Lord, let this be our prayer, a prayer to which announces the true light we have in our lives: Jesus. You are our light, light up our eyes, and restore the light to my eyes! May Jesus be our main focus everyday, our light amongst the darkness, our inextinguishable light that keeps us illuminated to be more and more like him. May our lives reflect him in every way to all, least my enemy say, "I have prevailed over him," least my foes rejoice because I am shaken. Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; that we should be reminded of your love, your joy, and your grace. For if we know Jesus as our personal Lord and Saviour, if we are born again with such a new birth: you give purpose to our everyday. When we fall, you pick us back up. Our rejoicing lifted high because you have rescued us. Our only Rescuer, our only Redeemer, our only Saviour!

Even when it may seem like our enemies have the upper hand and sorrow dwells within the heart - let this be made known, through trusting in him and knowing we have been rescued, we will continually be rescued everyday and can rejoice, because he has been so good to us!

Scripture X3: II

(Continuing from "Scripture, Scripture and more Scripture")

Many of these verses to begin with are ones that I am sure seem very common and familiar to us all; ones that we have known since the beginning of our faith journey with God. Although, the further we move along, I'm sure the bulk of newer verses will gradually sound less familiar; and the point here is to make the unfamiliar: familiar!

Before I post the next ten verses I would like to share what Richard J. Foster states from his Book, "Life with God." He says that when he comes across a particular scripture (after the reading of a certain passage) "will often write out that excerpt on an index card and carry it with him throughout the day for reflection whenever he has the chance to read it again." He continues to say that, "This is one way of seeking the gentle leading of God's Spirit. Such humble submission to the text allows God to shape the attitude and posture of our hearts." This is huge while each of us personally makes the time for Bible study and memorization of the written Word. Just one or a list of verses helps us to see the importance behind memorization - like a grocery list helps one when shopping. What I mean is that the routine of opening the saved list of verses on my iPod, increasingly helps me to realize that I must master theses verses so I will not have to constantly reach for a Bible; because you and I will not always have a Bible at the tip of our fingers. Consequently, I should have them memorized so for whatever circumstance arises, I will be ready and willing to share off the tip of my tongue what God has helped me store within my heart.

11.  "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23).

12. "And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38).

13. "But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:12).

14. "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,  for those who are called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28).

15. "The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world" (John 1:9).

16. "Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth" (Genesis 1:26).

17. "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship" (Romans 12:1).

18. "but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).

19. "And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me" (Matthew 28:18).

20. "Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3).

(All ESV Translation)

Sad News....

This news item was released today by the Associated Press, and was posted on thespec.com this afternoon. I find this incredibly disheartening. I find it very sad that in North America we have made such a pill so widely available - not only available but socially acceptable. This pill will soon be widely accepted as a common form of 'birth control'.

I fear for the generation that is now entering their pubescent years, and for the generations that follow. Surely a pill like this will be so common and accepted by the time they reach their teen years, that many will not give it a second thought before swallowing it, and possibly murdering a child.

17-year-olds can get morning after pill in U.S. without prescription

April 22, 2009

A U.S. health official says the Food and Drug Administration will allow 17-year-olds to get the "morning-after" birth control pill without a doctor's prescription.

An official said the agency will announce today it's complying with a federal judge's order.
Last month a federal judge ruled that Bush administration appointees let politics, not science, drive their decision to allow over-the-counter access only for women 18 and older.

Plan B is emergency contraception that contains a high dose of birth control drugs. Religious conservatives say it's the equivalent of an abortion pill.

I find it interesting that they add "religious conservatives" at the end - as if we're the only population that might oppose such a pill. Maybe we are... I'm not sure anymore.

My heart is heavy this afternoon as I reflect on how many children are aborted, no - aborted sounds too clinical - these children are murdered - in North America each year. The statistics are nauseating. We've now made it easier than ever. God help us.

Father, forgive us - forgive our nation and our evil intentions. Forgive our nation, and our neighbors for not valuing life... forgive us for indulging ourselves - for engaging in sexual sin that would lead many to use such a pill. Forgive us for our idolatry - many will worship idols of money, careers, travel, and other selfish desires that would cause them to murder their unborn children. Oh Father, forgive them... forgive us.

EDIT: I just wanted to add that after checking out Plan B's Canadian website - this 'treatment' is available at almost any pharmacy. Nothing on the website indicated that you had to be a certain age to purchase it. On one page, I found a picture of a young lady, obviously in her teen years, with this caption: "That's life. Accident's happen, we make mistakes, and some things are out of our control."

Yeah... right.

The End Times?

Just some interesting facts within the pages of Joel C. Rosenburg's book, "The Last Days."

Author Joel C. Rosenberg writes "The Last Days" - sequel to the explosive New York Times bestseller "The Last Jihad." Despite the fact that I have not read either book, my Dad has and shared with me an interesting excerpt describing what you may say: Revelation foretells as signs of the end times. Also, the book "The Last Days" is fictional; however, it remains with the intention of arising to the reader factual past and present conflicts around the globe that stress the end times. Furthermore, I will quote a section of dialogue, which too both of us, striked as amazing proof that the end times is real and is coming fast!

“Well, think about it, Jonathan – like ‘wars and revolutions’ and ‘kingdom rising against kingdom.’ Just look at the twentieth century.”

“Yeah, but Eli, come on, man has always had wars and revolutions.”

“World War One, the war to end all wars? The Russian Revolution. World War Two. Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Six million butchered by Hitler, and that’s just counting the Jews. The rise of the Evil Empire. Twenty million slaughtered by Stalin alone. Half the world enslaved by Communism. Korea. Vietnam. Pol Pot. All the Middle East wars. China and India. India and Pakistan. The rise of nationalism. Tribal warfare in Africa. I could go on and on and so could you. Of course there have been wars and revolutions throughout time. But never anything on the scale we saw in the twentieth century.”

(Bennett considered that for a moment, but wasn’t ready to concede the point).

“And what was another one, earthquakes? You can’t just say because we’ve had a few huge quakes in the last few weeks that we’re living the ‘last days.’”

“Fine. Do the research.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean ask the U.S. Geological Service. They say there are five hundred thousand earthquakes every single year. A hundred thousand that can be felt. A thousand that do serious damage. At least a hundred registering seven point zero or higher on the Richter scale. That’s a serious earthquake almost every four days. And the more urbanization occurs, the more damage a quake can do, the more people a quake can kill, the more costly these earthquakes are. In 1990, almost forty thousand people died in a quake in Iran. In ’76, a quarter of a million people died during a massive quake in China. The ’94 earthquake in Northridge, California was the most expensive in American history so far. Caused forty billion dollars in damage. Got the picture?

“I guess so.”

“You could say the same thing about ‘famine and pestilence.’ Just look at Africa. Ethiopia, Somalia – hundreds of thousands of people died of starvation. And disease? We’ve got ten million AIDS orphans in Africa alone, the numbers are climbing every day. Are we supposed to do nothing? Are we supposed to say, ‘Oh well, it’s just a sign of the end times’?”

“No. Of course not.”

And to that I must answer with Matthew 28:19: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Not only do we have to help the dying and suffering, but we must also spread the good news of the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to all!

"The magnitude of these problems and the convergence of all these signs and events in the same century and right up to the present moment should be all the evidence we need."

Scripture, Scripture, and more Scripture.

Just the other day, I so happened to stumble across a "Bible Verses" application for my iPod. For this simple free application, each and every time I launch it, a new Bible Verse appears. Each verse is then saved in a Bible Verses List for future reference. Today I would like to post the first 10 verses, because to me they have been most encouraging, thought provoking, and powerful. As far as I'm concerned there seems to be no means of the order to which they come, just simply and randomly - inspirational. Still, after the viewing of the first 10 I can't help but think that there is definitely "method behind such madness"(ha-ha). I hope you too feel the same way about the profitableness that each of these verses bring. That like similar lists of verses you may have or have had in the past, this also reflects for you, verses that will come in handy in any situation, in any circumstance, where you may be sharing the Gospel, talking with another believer or just personal meditation.

Lastly, before I post the first 10 (and will continue to post more weekly), I would like to share Numbers 15:37-41.

Tassels on Garments

37 The Lord said to Moses, 38 “Speak to the people of Israel, and tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a cord of blue on the tassel of each corner. 39 And it shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the Lord, to do them, not to follow after your own heart and your own eyes, which you are inclined to whore after. 40 So you shall remember and do all my commandments, and be holy to your God. 41 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God: I am the Lord your God.” (ESV)

With that said, like the people of Israel who wear tassels on their garments to help them remember the commandments, we should too have ways of keeping scriptures with us where ever we go to remind us of God's love, mercy, and grace. You may have some around the house, in the car, or at the office, but I pray that when all is said and done, we can have them memorized and stored within our hearts. Memorization is definitely hard and most challenging for all, but simply doing it is the only way we will get better. For instance, not to long ago, Dr. Odame talked about the importance of exercising our muscle memory capability, which is the only way for us to have any type of betterment with memorization, just like a child learns, grows, and develops. Let us therefore be like children, as we have all once been before, who continue to have memory work as a part of their growth with Jesus.

1. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1).
   
2. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).
   
3. Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6).
   
4. "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19).
   
5. "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
   
6. "For by grace you have been saved a through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8).
   
7. "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1).
   
8. "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8).
   
9. "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16).
   
10. "because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9).

(All ESV Translation)

Selfless and Edification to Victory

Judges 7:2-3

2 The LORD said to Gideon, "You have too many warriors with you. If I let all of you fight the Midianites, the Israelites will boast to me that they saved themselves by their own strength. 3 Therefore, tell the people, 'Whoever is timid or afraid may leave and go home.'" Twenty-two thousand of them went home, leaving only ten thousand who were willing to fight. (NLT)

Now, buttoned up in Judges 7:2 we can see that the LORD points out, "If I let all of you fight the Midianites, the Israelites will boast to me that they saved themselves by their own strength." Therefore, it is clear for us to see how God thinks, works, and foretells salvation - that through salvation it is nothing of our own (our own strength) which saves us, but the strength of his Son Jesus and the cross; how he enters into our hearts (our lives) if we just trust and believe in him. Next, if we read on God continues to say, "Whoever is timid or afraid may leave and go home." This to me demonstrates the condition of the heart. There are always constant pressures around us that scare, distract, and ultimately bring us down. I am reminded immediately about what Dr. Mason said during last weeks Sunday school lesson. He was reminding us about how these situations in our lives should lower and humble us for the sake of reawakening His power and ourselves to God and to persevere, endure, and continue to trust in Him. How true, but also quickly forgotten. We must commemorate and cherish that Satan has no control; he cannot intercede because Jesus already inhabits our hearts (the hearts of those who believe in him). Although, we can be tempted..., but 1 Corinthians 10:13 says,

"No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it"(ESV). I also like the wording of the NIV translation, "he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."

It is my prayer that we go away refreshed knowing that with temptation there is a way out so that we can stand up under it. Knowing again that "with the temptation [God] will always provide the way of escape" and that we can learn to endure through those times of temptation because there is such a path, a way out, and an escape. Let ourselves seek it as a challenge or test more so than temptation for the means of strengthening our faith, and the escape is through it. May we meditate on these passages for our own sake and for the sake of others; so we can better hold these truths to our hearts and for the purpose of sharing them with others and communicating the Gospel.

Let It Be Said Of Us

This morning's service was encouraging and challenging, don't you think? I'm not going to write much this afternoon, but wanted to leave you with one line from our closing song that really stuck out to me:

That with gladness we bore every cross we were given

Take a moment to reflect on that phrase, meditate on the key words: gladness, cross, given, were the ones that stood out for me....

Is this statement true for you? Have you carried each cross that's been given you with gladness?

A Quote...

This is a thought provoking quote (at least I found it to be) from Tim Challies blog. Spend a moment reading it and thinking about how it applies to your life...


"...it occurred to me as I spoke that many Christians are perhaps like me when I drive--they rely on someone or something to give them the easy answers without having to do the hard work themselves. And perhaps pastors are sometimes prone to simply give out the answers without helping the men and women of their churches learn to think for themselves. After all, if a person approaches me with a question related to theology or the Christian life, I have different options available to me. I can simply respond with my understanding as if what I say is undoubtedly true, or I can help that person find the answer on his own. While I will grant that there are times when a short answer is fitting, more often, I think, we do well to teach people to think independently. It is better, I am convinced, to send people to the Bible where they can sort out the directions on their own, following turn-by-turn, so that they truly understand where they have come from and where they are going. In this way they learn to think for themselves, they learn to search the Scriptures, they learn to think biblically.

It is easy and even comforting perhaps, to rely on that simple and automatic guidance. But it is far better, I am sure, that we learn to do the work for ourselves. As for me? Well, I still use the GPS but I'm learning that I need to supplement it with my own research. Too often it has told me where to go, only to find that I don't know where I am or where I've been. It's great for what it is, but I can't let myself trust it implicitly."

Joshua 14:11 / "Step By Step You'll Lead Me"

I am as strong now as I was when Moses sent me on that journey, and I can still travel and fight as well as I could then. (NLT)

Wow... I hope that someday in the future I will have the confidence like Caleb to say the same about my life. Now, we know from this passage in Joshua, that Caleb commissions to Joshua how the Lord had promised him land: he requests his land. And if we read before verse 11, Caleb shares with us that, "10The Lord has kept him alive and well"; thus, being the reason why he requests his land. Moreover, to why I stated at the beginning to hopefully someday fulfill the same allegation as Caleb; however, for the course of the very day Jesus entered my heart, the start of my journey (instead of how Moses sent out Caleb on his journey). Surely, in the same way, it is for all of us and our journeys along side Jesus to eventually proclaim: "I am as strong now as I was when [Jesus] sent me on [my] journey, and I can still travel and fight (that is to tussle when sharing the Gospel of course) as well as I could then!" Furthermore, I am reminded of an amazing analogy, illustration, anecdote or whatever you want to call it.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me... (Matt 11:29). "The picture is of two oxen pulling a cart or plow, one of them a veteran, the other a youngster in training" - J. I. Packer.

This next part, something essential to keep in mind on our focused path, our life journey along side Jesus.

"A wooden yoke fastened over both their necks links them side by side. The young ox, paired with the veteran, learns to pull by imitating the other; indeed it's only choice for comfort in this twosome is to keep in step with the older partner. In the disciple's case, pairing with Jesus and learning from Jesus will be a lifelong business" - J. I. Packer.

I challenge those of you who are not in step with Jesus to go on a walk, or whenever you find yourself traveling from one place to another on foot, to imagine this wonderful illustration of yourself baring arms with our one and only Saviour, Jesus Christ. Maintaining a fixation on which when you slow down or drift away (reflect on your life), that your intentions may not have been completely focused on God and that they need to be corrected in order to consistantly walk with joy, peace, and comfort to which God is in control and will never disappoint. This has always been an intimate time for me and I hope the same for those who read this as well.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understandings; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight! - Proverbs 3:5-6

Remembering Israel's Journey: Numbers 33:1-2

1 This is the itinerary the Israelites followed as they marched out of Egypt under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. 2 At the LORD'S direction, Moses kept a written record of their progress. These are the stages of their march, identified by the different places they stopped along the way. NLT

Over the past year I have been challenged by a friend and mentor to order and manage my daily scheduling. To this effect, I hoped for better organization in my life and ultimately a stable way of seeking purpose God brings to me each day. I'm sure most of us have agenda's and can't live without them. It is as though our lives need order and management; namely with our jobs, family, hobbies....but what about our management with God? As I read verse 2,

"At the LORD'S direction, Moses kept a written record of their progress. These are the stages of their march, identified by the different places they stopped along the way"

I see an incredible opening, not only for the purpose of leading into the account of Israel's incredible journey which follows, but also an opening with the purpose of manifesting the idea of how important it is for all of us to record the many stages of our lives and the places we stop along the way as well! We can see if we read on that the list contains 40 places in all, all within the same journey; and so it should be the same for us: to keep a record of the events of our lives, our journey. With this objective in mind, many are probably thinking - "I already have an agenda" and "I am already very organized" - yet, I would like to touch on the question I left earlier: "what about our management with God?" I'm not saying to record everything like you would a day to day agenda, but it helps to have and keep a 'journal' or 'diary' (whatever you want to call it) for the purpose of recording the progress of our lives alongside the path of our spiritual growth.

We have an example from this excerpt of a record of travel; however, so much more can be recorded and is intended for us to record for the sake of recapitulation of the Holy Spirit's continual intercession in our lives. We can record prayer items, ambitions, times of extravagant joy....just about anything. This is just one form of practice primarily to exhilarate the depth in our relationship with our heavenly Father and his Son Jesus: to which extent meet us each day with purpose and endless love and hope!

Furthermore, if we have faith and desire to seek out this disciple, we will receive many blessings. Hebrews 11:6 says, "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him".

In conclusion, I see Numbers 33:1-2 teaching us an important lesson. "[With] the Lord's direction, [we should keep] a written record of [our] progress". It is my hope that with this discernment we can write and reflect upon what God is doing in our lives and the direction God is pointing us in each day, week, month. I leave with Psalms 16:9...

"Because of this my heart is glad, and my glory is full of joy: while my flesh takes its rest in hope".

Better than I deserve...

The other day, I quoted and reflected on a book I read by CJ Mahaney. At the end of the book, he told a short story that I've been thinking about ever since.

Mahaney was reflecting on how amazing it is to receive such abundant grace through the death and resurrection of Jesus. People ask us, usually multiple times a day, "How are you?", or a casual "Hey, how ya doin' today?" We often shrug these comments off and give short answers that are more often than not, lies. "Oh, I'm fine," we'll say, "I'm good!", adding this obligatory "How are you?" for the sake of being polite.

Mahaney often responds, "Better than I deserve". Surely this kind of response would be met with raised eyebrows, and hopefully, a question. Mahaney takes that chance to explain why he's better than he deserves. Namely, because we, as sinners, deserve only punishment and condemnation. We deserve hell.

Yet, by the grace of God, we are here - living and breathing - going about our days, complaining about the cold.

Yeah, it's cold out there. But I'm better than I deserve, that's for sure. I'll encourage you to use this phrase, or one similar - it's a bold move to be sure - but it's one that is sure to open up conversations!

Exodus 25:8 / A Sacred Residence

8 I want the people of Israel to build me a sacred residence where I can live among them. (NLT)

Recently reading through Exodus has been both extensive and an insightful experience. Exodus, as most of us are aware of is a book in which God reveals his name, his attributes, his redemption, his law and how he is to be worshiped.

While looking back at some highlighted and starred verses, I couldn’t help but share how crucial such a small verse (vs.8) must of meant to people in the time of building the Tabernacle; Tent of Meeting, but also in the lives of people today. With that said, I see this drawing a parallel for the prayer life today; by means of how we are to go and seek time to spend with God silently. God wants his people to “build a sacred residence” where He can live among them! I find it of great importance to have such a sacred residence where I can go out of sight, out of mind.

Prayer held in a private and detached setting is of the most importance to many biblical characters and is such an exercise taught from the big man himself: Jesus! Prayer should be carried out in such a place as described in Matthew 6:6 - "But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you". That’s sounds advice. We will not only be rewarded, but such a place provides and builds intimacy with God as it says at the end of Exodus 25:8 - "where [God] can live among [us]. How powerful!

Emphatically, I can even say that from experience in practicing this vital principle on prayer - has done wonders for me. God will always meet us where we are and slowly move us along into deeper things. God can transform our lives through such intimacy. We will, “begin to think God’s thoughts after him: to desire the things he desires, to love the things he loves, to will the things he wills” (Celebration of Discipline by Richard J. Foster).

May we all go out and find that place (bedroom, closet, car, etc…) of sacred residence where we can pray in secrecy and fortitude.

In Evil Long I Took Delight

A hymn by John Newton (1779). Read with care ...

In evil long I took delight,
Unawed by shame or fear,
Till a new object struck my sight,
And stopped my wild career.

I saw One hanging on a tree,
In agony and blood,
Who fixed His languid eyes on me,
As near His cross I stood.

Sure, never to my latest breath,
Can I forget that look;
It seemed to charge me with His death,
Though not a word He spoke.

My conscience felt and owned the guilt,
And plunged me in despair,
I saw my sins His blood had spilt,
And helped to nail Him there.

A second look He gave, which said,
“I freely all forgive;
This blood is for thy ransom paid;
I die that thou mayst live.”

Thus, while His death my sin displays
In all its blackest hue,
Such is the mystery of grace,
It seals my pardon too.